Mike's Birthday

Morning flights + evening birthday

There's such thing as a Lego vending machine?

One of many Wow Bao locations across the country.

Dumplings and baos for breakfast? Yes!

Chicken dumplings were meh. Fried rice was gross.

Buses connecting the terminals in addition to the train.

Who is this Jaguar waiting for?

Wait... for me?!? I'm not GS, not anywhere close... o_0

Inside United Airlines Global Services Jaguar I-PACE.

Driving from Concourse A to Concourse B.

This mere carpet scum had to get a picture at this definitely not deserved treatment.

Up the stairs to my next flight.

Not the more famous parts of the Grand Canyon.

Zoomed in.

Automated people mover at LAX almost done.

Some never reset the trip odometer.

Toyota Tacoma in the Ultimate Choice aisle? I was tempted.

bbq.brazillian food stand's pichana.

Guarana Antarctica Diet soda.

Kurisaki for Mike's birthday.

Uni and ikura opener.

Along with ankimo (monkfish) liver.

Quite good but not the level of delicacy of the best.

Madai (red snapper), aji (mackerel), maguro (bluefin tuna), botan ebi (live sweet shrimp).

Close-up of the botan ebi.

Madai, saba, maguro.

Japanese kanpachi (amberjack), toro, kamasu (barracuda), kinmedai (golden eye snapper).

I think they scraped the skin off the toro.

Kamasu at center. Very good.

Miso soup with the shrimp head.

Crunch crunch crunch.

More sake.

Hotate (scallop, Hokkaido), saba (Spanish mackerel), uni (sea urchin, Hokkaido), hamachi belly (yellowtail), tamago.

The hotate is magnificent.

Hokkaido uni is good too.

Dessert for Mike-- more toro.

Santa Barbara uni for dessert, round 2.

Allison and Joe.

Chocolate chip in a waffle cone.

Inside Hand and Spoon Ice Cream.

Mike enjoying his birthday.

Morning flight home for the second birthday of the weekend, Mike's. Had a terrible breakfast at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, then an unexpected "surprise-and-delight" from United Airlines' Global Services team for my connection in Denver. As a mere carpet scum I'd heard of occasional other bottom-dwellers getting a ride in a Global Services Jaguar before, but this was my first time. My connection wasn't even all that tight so this was quite a surprise!

Then it was back into economy class for one more flight home, then a few hours later off to celebrate Mike's birthday at Kurisaki. They opened with a solid ikura and uni appetizer paired with generous portion of ankimo (monkfish liver), then a series of nigiri. None of it was bad, but they charged a price in-line with the best in Los Angeles, which seemed a bit much for the quality. Still hard to complain in the end, with a very good kamasu (barracuda), a king-sized hotate (scallop), and a decent job with both the Hokkaido uni and the Santa Barbara uni.

Then a short walk to Hand and Spoon to burn off a few calories before more dessert-- the ice cream was a fitting way to end the night. Happy Birthday Mike!