“Doritos” were fried chicken skins with a white miso corn porridge. Very crispy skins with great flavor. The corn porridge was a little sweet for my taste, but still very good.
We ended with the double decker tacos, which had tiger shrimp, pepperjack, cotija, cilantro lime slaw, avocado crema, diablo sauce. A lot going on, but it worked really well. This and the beignets were my favorites for the night. The diablo sauce packed a nice, spicy punch.
Their plan for Duck Duck Geuze was to announce the date/time of the sale on various social media outlets (which they did a week or two before the sale) then post the actual link when the sale went live. (Which ultimately did not work since they used a sales platform that was not up to the rush of sales)
Now that they seem to be set on Eventbrite, just check back on their twitter feed this week and you should see when the sales begin. Its a pain in the ass but no risk of lining up and still walking away empty handed.
I think their announcements get cross posted on twitter, fb and Instagram. I stopped following them on all but fb due to redundancy.
Be prepared to be required to head to the brewery at a specified pickup time under threat of forfeiture.
ETA: from The Full Pint “While draft will be available throughout the Lost Abbey Distribution network, Bottles of Cuvee de Tomme will be sold exclusively online using Eventbrite. Bottles will be limited to 4 per person at $41 a bottle plus applicable taxes and fees,with the on-sale beginning at Noon (PST) on February 1st. Bottle pickups will begin on February 24th through February 26th at The Lost Abbey Tasting Room in San Marcos, during regular business hours.”
Our total bill for all the above plus four cocktails (we ordered five, but one was comped because the bartender felt I waited too long for it) was +/-$125 before tip. I thought it was pretty reasonable for what we got.
I work a mile from there! gonna have to stop by soon. too bad they don’t have a happy hour. it would be perfect for a quick bite and a drink after work.
I wanted to pick up something special for my mom today. Usually I get her a box of wagashi from the J.Sweets at the Torrance branch of Mitsuwa, but I decided to break out of my rut and go to Chikara Mochi. @Chowseeker1999 reminded me of them when he/she went on a wagashi taste test. I don’t know why I hadn’t visited Chikara before, especially since I used to take craft lessons on that block for so many years…
The exterior of Chikara Mochi was very traditional and made me nostalgic for Japan. The staff was very efficient and friendly. I ended up getting a dozen wagashi for my mom, and I also got a small sampler for myself. The mitarashi dango (rice cake balls with a sweet soy sauce glaze) wasn’t really crave-worthy. The coffee mochi, though untraditional, was better, as the koshian (sweet black bean filling) was offset by coffee and almonds. I was pretty dubious of this one, but it was highly recommended by the cashier.
In any case, I hope my mom likes her box of wagashi. I knew of Chikara’s reputation of artistry over taste, and it proved to be true, but they are mini masterpieces to behold. And most of the wagashi are only $1.60 per piece! It takes some serious artistry to make wagashi by hand. Next time I’ll have to try Sakuraya.
I’ve been craving Ethiopian food something fierce, so I drove over to Azla Vegan and had a nice chat with the owner, Nes. She was reminiscing about her recent trip to Tokyo, so I shared a few pieces of wagashi with her. I ended up ordering the four-item plate with injera, collards, red lentils, and stewed potatoes, carrots, and cabbage. It really hit the spot in terms of comfort food, and I love that their food is a bit lighter, so I don’t feel weighed down.
Well, thanks to you @Chowseeker1999 I did make it out to Chikara, after overdosing on some Loco Moco at Bob’s down the street, and their kuri manju really hit the spot. Nice gentle and subtle sweetness from the chestnuts.
Sadly, I still need to try Sakuraya, @Chowseeker1999. I’ll let you know when I finally stop by.
I really love Azla Vegan, but I don’t think it’s too popular with the FTC’ers. I particularly love the lightness and freshness of their food. They manage to get the depth of flavor without resulting in a heavy meal that weighs you down. It’s really a California take on Ethiopian cuisine.
Coppa ribs , beef fuckin short reeeeebs and half chicken
Holy fuck this beef rib was good. Better than the prime rib. The quality of short rib is apparent and it was smoked to perfection. Highly recommend this if you lubs dat beef.
Coppa ribs were second fav of the night, there was literally a sliver of a bone and all tender, flavorful meat.
What a great fuckin meal highlighted by fuckin reeeeebs!!! IMO Maple Block does ribs best. Those coppa pork ribs and that beef short are must orders. I may have to grab dat 1.5lb beef short next time. The one picture was the 3/4lb version.
Wait, but Sakuraya was only 2 stores to the right of Chikara! You need to do a taste test soon!
Thanks for the thoughts on Azla. I agree with you on wanting something lighter than what some of the heavier Ethiopian places serves. Have you ever been to Rahel’s in Little Ethiopia? Lots of flavor, yet, very light (vegan).
So glad you made it out to Chikara. So what did you think of it compared to Sakura? 
You need to do a taste test soon! 