Good Eats

On Saturday night, when our plans to go to the basketball game didn't work out, I suggested we go to a new-to-us restaurant so the whole evening wouldn't be a bust.

We went to Ghengis Khan, a Mongolian BBQ place just about 5 minutes away from our house. We tried to go there one other time for lunch, but it doesn't open until 6.

The first thing I noticed was of course the Christmas tree! Then I looked around and saw all of the other things on the walls, shelves & windowsills. It was like eating in an antiques shop! The waitress put David and I at a corner table that was up against a trellis and a windowsill. There was a fake planter on the windowsill and little fairy figurines. On the trellis a clothesline of little baby socks and some doll dresses were hanging up! I'm not exactly sure WHY the place was decorated like that, but it was amusing.

The waitress instructed us to go to the barbecue room where we each filled a bowl with meat & veggies. I chose beef, pork and chicken, then added sprouts, cabbage, tomatoes, green pepper, pineapple and some other green veggie. And a whole lot of garlic. I poured soy sauce & lemon water on mine and we waited in line for one of the 4 barbecue guys. David asked a guy in line behind us if he had been there before. He said "Oh yeah! I usually come here at least once a week." We asked how it worked/how they charge. David (who likes to eat) and I (who is cheap...who am cheap? not sure the grammar on that one) were both pleasantly surprised to hear that it is 1400 Yen (about 14 bucks...more than that now that the exchange rate is so terrible...90 yen to the dollar!) and all-you-can-eat! We both had a 2nd bowl and David had a 2nd serving of rice. I thought it was much better than another style all-you-can-eat place that David likes to go to, "Yaki niku", because there they give you a time-limit. And you have to cook your own food. I wouldn't mind going back to Genghis Khan again before we leave the island.

Last night, the other 2nd grade teachers took me out to dinner at a restaurant called Transit Cafe. It's a mile and a half from my house (I ran there on Monday to make sure I could find it), right on the seawall. We sat outside on the balcony and it was really peaceful & pretty! The waves were coming in and out and the weather was just right...cool enough to sit outside without being cold, but not warm enough to be uncomfortable at all. They also have mojitos there! I didn't have one, but told David that we'd have to go back there for dinner so I could have a DD! Almost everyone in our party of 8 got the Grilled Beef Plate, which was excellent. Five of us topped it off with a brownie sundae, complete with strawberries and cornflakes. The atmosphere there was really nice, a little fancy, but small & cozy too. Of course after almost 3.5 years when I'm so tired of all our normal haunts, just when it's time to leave I'm introduced to these new yummy restaurants!

Today I went to the commissary for the first time since before Thanksgiving. We're having creamy chicken noodle soup tonight and tilapia with spanish rice & beans sometime in the next few days. Also on the menu (or at least in the grocery bag): hamburger helper, some Yakisoba (heat & eat), tuna helper, and sandwiches.