Dear Q,
You know how I said you shouldn’t line up for things in Tokyo? Well, every rule has an exception. So here we are, lining up for soba. Because while good experiences abound in Japan, if what you want is specific you might need to stand in a line.
We’re rolling Voltron deep: DC, aka Da Birfday Boi; LA, the childhood fren; T Racer, in the role of elite sister; Raemom the Chef, because I can’t seem to let go of that pun. And me, the wise old sage, Thomdalf the Grey.
There’s a Japanese omelette they make with dashi broth, and in both taste and construction it makes you wonder why other omelettes even exist. We order two. Plates of tempura. And five soba trays with the roast duck soup, because none of us has had, or even seen, soba with roast duck soup.
The tempura comes with a paste instead of the familar sauce. None of us knows that it is. There’s a square tempura that has the consistency of a less dense mochi. We are none the wiser. The meal is presenting us with delicious unknowns, and now we’re leaning on LA’s Japanese to navigate this culinary map with our waiters.
As we burble and ruminate post-meal, DC says the four most beautiful words in the English language: Let’s go to karaoke.
I’m not going to tell you to go do karaoke, or that karaoke is really awesome, actually, or that karaoke is the real secret no one will tell you about in terms of achieving all of your life’s dreams. Karaoke is just singing around other people and you either like that or you don’t.
I will say, however, that singing around other people used to be the absolute societal norm, whether in a hall or around a communal fire or more recently in a church or house of worship. We used to sing around other people all the time. It’s how we got through work, kept history, shared joy and grief.
So karaoke, whatever. But communal singing, where the emphasis is never on one person but what happens when voices combine, carry the load, elevate each other - yes. If you don’t enjoy singing consider finding a group to sing with.
But if you are going to karoake, might I suggest bringing along a friend’s mom? And it’s that friend’s birthday? This is very specific I know, but please believe me when I say the results are tremendous.
It’s a good way to discover music you thought you didn’t like makes for great karaoke bangers. Entire genres even. I have almost no time for pop punk. But if one comes on the machine…
Have you really lived if you haven’t seen a friend and his mum karaoke Angels & Airwaves? I would posit you have not, at least not in the sucking the marrow from the very bones of life way only a Tom DeLonge song can inspire.
What if it’s your friend’s sister’s first real time at karaoke and she does “Mr. Brightside”. What do you do, hotshot? WHAT DO YOU DO.
There’d better be a tambourine involved.
T
Also, not two days ago I watched a YouTube video about the genius of Tom Delonge (https://youtu.be/dVMGRsVKVYk?si=kEq1bhuaslQlKUKe) - though I was a Blink fan in high school I didn’t keep up with the boys’ various other endeavours so I never heard anything by Angels and Airwaves. Watching this video I learned they made like 6 albums?! And also a graphic novel and a documentary?! And now Tom is literally an alien researcher with a whole aerospace research company who’s been named in congressional testimony about extraterrestrial life. Like WHAT. Anyway watch it if you like it’s FASCINATING.
“ There’s a Japanese omelette they make with dashi broth, and in both taste and construction it makes you wonder why other omelettes even exist.”
When I first moved to London a dish I cooked often was based off the katsudon I had discovered in Japan and would then translate into a vegetarian version: breaded seitan served over an onion-and-dashi omelette-type-thing and rice. It was the best comfort food and I haven’t made it for years and now I feel this is a sign to bring it back into the rotation.