My Fair Lady - Chicago part 2
Mar. 17th, 2024 05:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
taz_39**This is a long post and if you're reading this in a Friends Feed/on DW there is a cut for the 88 Marketplace part.**
I woke to thunderstorms early Thursday morning. I'd planned to get up early and do grocery errands anyway, but was hoping the rain might let up by the time I was ready to head out.
It did, so I walked back to Eataly to get another bag of mezzaluna for the band, choosing a pistachio-filled bag this time. Also got them a bag of soft fruit gummies (texture similar to Sunkist Fruit Gems.) Then since Whole Paycheck was nearby I walked there and spent the rest of a gift card on supplementary veggies and proteins for the weekend.
Back at the hotel I got dressed in my only nice outfit to go to Jinsei Motto, then walked to the theatre to drop off the treats at the pit, then walked to the restaurant. It was small and not very busy, just a few people sitting at the bar. I was seated right away, and was the only person there for the lunch omakase...so it felt VERY exclusive.
On the way in you could see the dry-aging cabinet, with beautiful tuna steaks waiting to be sliced.
Here's the menu so you can follow along with me! Things with asterisks were for the premium option, which I did not take because I didn't think I could eat that much today.
I chose a glass of Amabuki black rice sake, which not only had a lovely rose color but also a fruity, floral, and nutty flavor.
The first five nigiri, served to me one by one by the chef:
- Sea bream with citrus and sea salt
- Ora king salmon, aged 8 days, with fresh grated ginger
- Ora king salmon, aged 8 days, seared, with marinade and chives
- "Hiramasa" kingfish, with a mildy spicy and citrus-y seasoning (I forget what the chef called it but it was awesome)
- "Kanpachi" amberjack with grated cucumber and sesame
The chef handed me each piece individually immediately after making them, and I had a moist towelette in a bowl to wipe my fingertips after each piece. I asked if photos were OK and he was totally cool with it. The vibe was very chill, probably because it was dead in there; the servers came over to chat, and we all ended up talking about where we were from, traveling, the commute for them today in the rain (my chef rode his bike 20 miles, in the wet cold!!), all sorts of things. I asked some questions about each piece of nigiri, or commented on the flavors (for example I'd never had aged fish before and exclaimed over how rich and smooth the texture was.)
The next five pieces:
- "Hotate" scallop with black volcanic salt and lime zest. Scallops are one of few foods that I consistently do not like, but I didn't say anything because I've never had RAW scallops, and wanted to give myself a chance to like it. And I did! It had a smooth, soft texture and the flavors of lime and earthy salt were incredible. The reason I hate cooked scallops is because they have a texture like greasy, nasty meat gristle. This was NOTHING like that.
- "Akami" lean bluefin tuna with morel mushroom
- "Chutoro" medium-fatty tuna with fresh ginger
- "Unagi" grilled eel with fried shallot. I love grilled eel and this was fire-grilled, so it was wonderfully crunchy and smoky.
- "Tamago" sweet Japanese omelette with honey
Each bite was perfect; not the huge nigiri that you get at a typical restaurant, but a perfectly mouth-sized bite that I didn't have to unhinge my jaw to eat. You're supposed to pop each one in your mouth whole, and I had no trouble doing that. I felt perfectly full after ten pieces, the kind of full where you feel refreshed and energized, not tired.
The sake was absolutely wonderful and went well with each piece of fish no matter what kind it was.
And the simple citrus, herbal, salt, and spice seasonings on each nigiri were so delicate, balanced, and enhanced the unique flavor of each piece of seafood. This truly was an experience!
My favorite bites were the seared aged salmon, and the scallop. The aging process made the fish rich and smooth, and actually made it less briny/fishy somehow. I was amazed at what a difference it made to the flavor and texture of salmon. And in addition to being happy to discover that I enjoy raw scallop, the lime and volcanic salt were such a unique flavor combo and I absolutely loved it.
In closing, this adorable tiny nigiri and green tea that were hiding in the corner near my seat. Cute little hidden art, I see you!
I thanked everyone and left a large tip (there was only $7 left on the gift card after a 25% tip and it was so slow, I felt they should have it)
I walked back to the hotel where I relaxed, typed this up, watched anime, and waited for my laundry to be returned (it was dropped off right at 5pm!)
The evening show was good, we had a guest in the pit who had formerly been an MD for some production of Cats. OF COURSE I messed up my small trombone solo while we have a visiting MD. Of f*cking course! I was so annoyed with myself. During intermission I was huffy backstage, and suddenly a local stagehand popped out of the Trap Room and gestured for me to "come here." I did, and she handed me this small magnet:
Wow! It's....exactly what I needed. Thank you Mysterious Trap Room Woman.
Sometimes I think the universe just GETS me.
After the show there was a meet-and-greet at a nearby bar with the cast/crew of Pretty Woman, another Crossroads show that's playing a theatre right next to ours this week. Their show ended first, but for some reason we all got there before them?? Eileen (French horn) and I went together, did not drink alcohol, and agreed to leave by 11pm at the latest, neither of us being interested in such a crowded noisy scene.
I almost got a Coke but then Eileen said something about a Shirley Temple, and it brought back memories from childhood. My mom was like me in that she never had a good, secure, high-paying job. After my parents got divorced, she worked at the nice bed-and-breakfast in our small town as a server. Sometimes I'd be dropped off at the restaurant for our visitation, and she'd have me wait in a small lounge/bar area while she finished her shift (the bartender would be preparing to OPEN the bar for the evening so no patrons were ever there.) I'd sit quietly at the bar and read a book, and the bartender would give me a small Shirley Temple sometimes.
I haven't had one since then. Until now.
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Friday, oh my goodness. Jameson's Disney interview was at 10am, 9am my time!!
I got up at 7am not only for that, but to get ready for a day in Chinatown!
Ate breakfast and wished Jameson luck, making sure to completely leave him alone when 10am rolled around.
Walked to the subway(?) train(?) and took the Orange line to near-Chinatown, then walked the last mile or so to reach 88 Marketplace as it's not in Chinatown proper.
I won't waste space here on what the building looks like; it's very unassuming and you can look it up online if you're curious. The basement level is a housewares store that didn't open until 10. The level above that is some restaurants (bubble tea, hot pot, etc) and a knick-knacks and souvenir shop, and some Japanese-style vending and gashapon machines. Then you go up an escalator to reach the grocery and the food court.
Forgive me, I didn't take many pictures of the food court. I avoided it, to thus avoid temptation. But they had a bakery with everything you'd see in any Asian bakery (sweet bean buns, custard buns, pork floss buns, mochi donuts, etc); a chilled dessert area with custards and roll cakes and puddings; a seafood and sushi bar; a street food stand; a BBQ/Peking duck stand; a hot pot/noodle stand; a liquor store; and probably other stuff that I'm forgetting or didn't see.
It was a normal Asian grocery, but with a LOT of product. I was in shelf-shock for a while, and spent the first 30 minutes in the front of the store walking dazed through rows and rows and rows of snacks, candies, cookies, pastries, crackers, tea cakes, jellies, chocolates, noodles, sodas, teas...you get the idea.
They even had an island dedicated to Disney snacks!! Like, ASIAN Disney snacks!!
The produce was behind all of the snacky things. Their produce was nice, but there was not the selection you'd see at a large 99 Ranch or H-Mart. This store seems more focused on shelf-stable goods. That said, what produce they had was fresh and lovely, and there were big meat and seafood counters in the back of the store against the walls, and of course dairy and eggs and all that.
I didn't go to aisles where I knew I wouldn't be able to get anything: the freezer aisle, sauce aisle, canned/pickled things aisle, etc. No point torturing myself. Plus, most of what I wanted to get was souvenirs for family. So like a typical Caucasian tourist I wove up and down the aisles of snacks, shelf stable goods, teas, and drinks to find gifts to send to people I care about.
I like to look for interesting food items that I've never seen before. Here are some:
Dragon fruit noodles! Dragon fruit doesn't have much flavor, so I wonder if it's added just for color.
A huge sheet of dried squid. Most Asian grocery stores have dried squid but I've never seen a PLANK like this.
This porridge looks colorful, I wonder what it tastes like!
A bag of premium kumquat, each one individually wrapped, and much larger than those I've seen in American stores. Look at the price...ouch!
A peach drink with chunks of real peaches inside. I especially like the design on the bottle, which is reminiscent of the foam netting that is wrapped around fruit for transport.
Chicken floss meat buns. Perhaps if you've never encountered Asian "meat floss" before, you're thinking, "GROSS!" But let me tell you: pork floss is DELICIOUS. It's sweet and savory, crispy and also melts in your mouth. So I did buy a box of these. The nutrition was good, and I wanted to give it a try.
Ok NOW we're getting weird. "Explosive Juice Cakes." What on earth...? I didn't look at the ingredients but found out later they're usually filled with a lining of mochi + some sort of fruit or nut paste. So they're probably pretty good.
Sometimes things get lost in translation, and it's good to avoid judging (certainly a laugh is justified here, but to make a scene or curl your nose over another culture's food, out of your own ignorance...that's what's GROSS.)
I found this drink on an endcap and was intrigued by what looked like a big olive-shaped black seed inside, and a whitish filament or fungus running through the whole drink. Reminded me of the bird nest beverage that I tried at another grocery. But my translation app wouldn't tell me what this was, so I didn't get it this time. More research needed.
Fully cooked duck heads, ready-to-eat! There was a whole series of fully cooked meats from this company which included whole chickens, other parts of the duck (neck, breast, etc), beef tripe, pork belly and loins and ears, chicken feet, etc. All were stamped "Product of USA." I looked for one that I might be able to buy but in general the portions were too big for just me, and the sodium too high.
While I was shopping Jameson texted to say his interview was over, that they'd asked many of the same questions over again, and that they'd be in touch for the third interview (which, I wonder if that's where they make a job offer?) He said he felt kind of "down" or disheartened afterward...but we talked about it and figured it's probably because he had TWO WEEKS of lead-up time to stress and speculate and make a bigger deal out of it in his head...and then it ended up being just a normal interview that was over in like 15 minutes. And it perhaps felt sudden, or discouragingly short. I don't know. The point is, he got through it well, and hopefully the only thing left to do is get the verdict. Personally, I was glad the actual interview wasn't nearly as stressful as the hype he'd built up for himself.
I killed an additional 30 minutes retracing my steps in the snack aisle, putting a few things back (Orange-flavored Kit-Kats because you can order them online) and picking up different things that I hadn't noticed on the initial "aisle shock" part of shopping. At checkout, I was shocked that I'd only spent $75!! That's about a third of what I spent at Eataly.
Here is what I ended up with for myself:
- Chicken floss buns: These were SWEET, which was strange, but they weren't bad. Michael (assistant MD, keys) says they taste just like a chicken pot pie without any vegetables.
- Pumpkin corn porridge: Delicious. A thin soup with sweet corn, chunks of orange squash, kidney beans, and rice. It was sweet but not overly so (probably had some artificial sweetener.) I'd eat it again.
- Grapefruit Jasmine tea: The flavor was wonderful, floral and citrus, but it was WAY too sweet. There was some sugar but mostly Stevia (I couldn't read the label but it was clearly Stevia.)
- Hawthorne soda: This was very good! And no artificial sweeteners either. It tasted a lot like sorrel drink.
- Soy milk banana boba: Trying this on Monday
- Scallop and soy sauce Pretz: These were really good, because how do you distinguish scallop-flavor from any seafood flavor? So it was fish and soy-flavored delicate tiny pretzel sticks. Really tasty :)
- Dried sea bass snack: I finally have to admit that I'm done buying Asian jerkied fish. It always tastes good...but it is RANK. I could smell this sealed across the hotel room. It tasted good, very very very fishy, mildly sweet and spicy and salty. But no more jerkied/dried fish. It is just so stinky that once the package is opened it's overwhelmingly fishy and stinks up the whole room.
- Hi-Chew premium melon gummies: These were a creamy cantaloupe flavor, very good indeed. They do have milk powder so I have to be careful eating them but it's worth it. Texture is still just like a regular Hi-Chew lol.
- Melon-flavored toothpaste: Will try this at some point in the future when my current toothpaste runs out.
- Fig-flavored Oreos: Yummy! They taste like Oreos, what's not to love. Can't really taste the fig, the chocolate cookie overwhelms the cream.
- Sakura(?) gum: Strongly tastes of cherry, and the flavor lasts a surprising time. I added a piece or two to my family gift bags.
Here's what I got for family:
- Scallion radish rice cakes: These were awesome! They were sweet and savory umami, absolutely delicious. Glad I didn't shun them because the flavors sounded a little weird, these are so good that I'd love to get them again just for me!
- Brown sugar twists: Really good, super hard/crunchy twisted dough brushed with a brown sugar glaze. They are not overly sweet, would be really good with tea.
- Mango gummies/jellies: Did not try these but I've heard they're really good!
- Egg yolk crackers: Loved these too! They're delicate and addictive, umami but leaning more salty than sweet, with a beautiful crisp texture. I could easily eat a big bag of these.
- Plum drink (herbal tea): Didn't try, will wait for family reviews.
- Tom & Jerry “cheese” gummies for the kids (These do indeed seem to be cheese-flavored! Did not try)
- “Lottery” mystery assorted candies for the kids (did not try)
- S’mores kits for the kids (Did not try)
These items may seem less generous than what I got myself, but remember that my family is also getting treats from Eataly which were far more expensive and which I did NOT buy for myself. Also, I didn't buy them drinks or jars of things because heavy items cost more to ship, bottles can break or leak, and larger items means a larger box and more difficulty packing. Sorry to be selfish but judge away because I could also choose not to send anything at all.
I went back downstairs to the basement to check out the homewares store, and so glad I did! Asian homewares are aesthetically pleasing, functional, and CHEAP. There was so much that I wanted to get!
In the back was a big section of hair accessories, and another for stationery, both of which were SO TEMPTING. I badly wanted to get adorable barrettes for Kayle's girls! But I felt shy to try and guess what they might like. Avoided the stationery too because I'd definitely want some sort of lovely expensive pen or notepad...nope, don't even look! I did pick up one can-shaped tupperware with a sealing lid. I had an American tupperware version at the start of tour but it broke pretty quickly; the Asian ones are made from a less brittle plastic so I'm hoping it'll last longer.
After two hours of going up and down aisles and picking and choosing I was tired and hungry. I walked 1/2 mile to MCCB (Modern Chinese Cook Book) in Chinatown proper, where I had hoped to get a whole grilled tilapia with a savory, peppery pork and vegetable sauce. But the server deterred me from that because each fish is two pounds!! That's enough for 4-5 people! I asked if there was anything he'd recommend for one person, and he kind of cringed. I asked about another fish dish, which he said was "somewhat better" size-wise, so I ordered it.
I also got an order of spicy pork dumplings, which is one of the items they're famous for. These were absolutely incredible. They were spicy but not overly so, the seasoning was perfect, the meat inside was juicy, the wrapper was SO delicate and lightly chewy. DAMN.
I ate four of those and packed the rest to take home (ate them for dinner.)
My entree was this HUGE bowl of Sichuan peppercorn tilapia with bok choy, bean sprouts, celery, woodear mushrooms, misc peppers and chilis, cilantro, garlic, other herbs and spices, and a little bowl of rice on the side.
I had never had Sichuan peppercorn before, but have heard that it causes a "tingling and numbing" sensation. My first bite felt like I had licked a battery! I'm sure my eyes must have bugged out with surprise. It felt like an electric current in my tongue and throat, or like pop rocks with warm heat like you get from ginger. Apparently there is a compound in Sichuan peppers that triggers a nerve reaction, and that's what causes the sensation, not the actual "spiciness." Interesting!!
And in addition to the sensation, the food was DELICIOUS. It was a light and tangy broth with a hint of pickled things and citrus. The mushrooms were chewy and wonderful, the fish tender and melt-in-your-mouth flaky and soft. It was herbal and tingly and flavorful; I ate more than intended and enjoyed it very much.
The server packed up my leftovers in a massive tupperware (I looked around and everyone had massive servings whether eating alone or in a group, so I guess that's just how this place is) and I struggled out the door with my bags of souvenirs and still-steaming food. I'd intended to stop at Chiu Quon Bakery, the oldest bakery in Chicago's Chinatown, but my phone battery was dying and I was already at my limit for what I could carry. You can get a good steamed bun anywhere, right?
Rode the train back to the hotel and crashed, then took some time to separate out the souvenirs and try a few.
It was a huge privilege to spend the day in this supermarket, and eat Sichuan food for the first time in Chicago's Chinatown.
Soon tour will be over, so I'm appreciating these moments and experiences even more than usual.
The evening show was...ok. A lot of things went wrong. I'll probably do a Friends Only post about it. We got through it all right, but all of us went to bed hoping that Saturday will not be as stressful as Friday was.
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Saturday I was extra-tired and slept extra-long. Stomping around Chinatown will do that to ya.
I should have gotten up early to get my gift boxes shipped, but was so tired and we had two shows to do. So I had a slow morning instead, and posted in our company chat about needing a small box or two...and someone actually did give me one, complete with bubble wrap inside! My hero! It'll save me buying a box anyway.
Both shows were all right. Between shows I ate leftover "tingly fish" lol. There was so much, I brought the rest to the theatre and offered it to people. No one else wanted any :(
I can't think of anything special that happened, except that after the second show we had St. Patrick's-themed SNOTS (Acronym for Saturday Night [something] Theater Shots) which were green jello shots with a bit of whipped cream and a gummy rainbow on top. I didn't take one but they looked cute!
Also, the river was dyed green! It was chaos downtown, tourists everywhere, so I didn't even try to go see it (the river is the opposite direction of the theatre) but our drummer got a short clip (I stole a screenshot so her text is on the image, sorry):
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Sunday I got up early because after trolling around online, I'd found one single UPS store that was supposedly open on Sunday!! I packed up all of my souvenirs and got there...and they were closed. ARGH.
But! As I was googling around to see if any other options at all were available, the lights came on and a woman unlocked the door. She'd been caught in the Saint Patrick's chaos and was running late, that's all. Lucky! Because I ship very often with UPS all of my addresses are stored in their system, so it took no time at all to get everything labeled and added to the outgoing pile. Nice! One less chore for the Golden Day.
Instead of going back to the hotel I found a local bagel place but there was a line around the block(!) so I went to Gotham Bagels instead (a chain but a small one and they make their own bagels in-house.) Got my Travel Bagel for Tuesday, and got my steps in for today.
We had our last show at 1pm. The streets were a lot quieter than they'd been on Saturday; I think a lot of people need to fly home today. We had a good audience. After the show I snuck the souvenirs for Kayle's family and Raven into my mute bag, and brought my mutes to the hotel with me to go in my luggage. They're bulky but a lot lighter than the souvenirs; this is all about luggage weight for the flight out of Chicago. When we get to Amarillo I'll swap everything back to normal.
And then...blessed NOTHING. Nothing to do this evening, nowhere to be.
I showered, put on pajamas, made a cup of hot tea, ate dinner eventually, watched Seven Deadly Sins.
Ah...the joy of introversion.
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It is now exactly one month until the end of this tour.
As always when this happens (what a blessing, to be able to say that!) I am wondering what happens next.
Will I get to go on another tour? Will I go back to the nursing home job? Will I be able to find full time work this time?
Tomorrow is our Golden Day. I was going to visit a museum but may instead make it a lazy, restful day because next week in Albuquerque I won't have a single day to myself for the whole week (family visiting and local friends too.) I'll do laundry, and maybe it's late enough to start applying for jobs. For dinner I want to get omurice with Laura (drummer.) If I feel up for an adventure I'll have one, but the truth is I've been to Chicago many times and have done quite a lot here over the years! It's OK to have a staycation :)
I woke to thunderstorms early Thursday morning. I'd planned to get up early and do grocery errands anyway, but was hoping the rain might let up by the time I was ready to head out.
It did, so I walked back to Eataly to get another bag of mezzaluna for the band, choosing a pistachio-filled bag this time. Also got them a bag of soft fruit gummies (texture similar to Sunkist Fruit Gems.) Then since Whole Paycheck was nearby I walked there and spent the rest of a gift card on supplementary veggies and proteins for the weekend.
Back at the hotel I got dressed in my only nice outfit to go to Jinsei Motto, then walked to the theatre to drop off the treats at the pit, then walked to the restaurant. It was small and not very busy, just a few people sitting at the bar. I was seated right away, and was the only person there for the lunch omakase...so it felt VERY exclusive.
On the way in you could see the dry-aging cabinet, with beautiful tuna steaks waiting to be sliced.
Here's the menu so you can follow along with me! Things with asterisks were for the premium option, which I did not take because I didn't think I could eat that much today.
I chose a glass of Amabuki black rice sake, which not only had a lovely rose color but also a fruity, floral, and nutty flavor.
The first five nigiri, served to me one by one by the chef:
- Sea bream with citrus and sea salt
- Ora king salmon, aged 8 days, with fresh grated ginger
- Ora king salmon, aged 8 days, seared, with marinade and chives
- "Hiramasa" kingfish, with a mildy spicy and citrus-y seasoning (I forget what the chef called it but it was awesome)
- "Kanpachi" amberjack with grated cucumber and sesame
The chef handed me each piece individually immediately after making them, and I had a moist towelette in a bowl to wipe my fingertips after each piece. I asked if photos were OK and he was totally cool with it. The vibe was very chill, probably because it was dead in there; the servers came over to chat, and we all ended up talking about where we were from, traveling, the commute for them today in the rain (my chef rode his bike 20 miles, in the wet cold!!), all sorts of things. I asked some questions about each piece of nigiri, or commented on the flavors (for example I'd never had aged fish before and exclaimed over how rich and smooth the texture was.)
The next five pieces:
- "Hotate" scallop with black volcanic salt and lime zest. Scallops are one of few foods that I consistently do not like, but I didn't say anything because I've never had RAW scallops, and wanted to give myself a chance to like it. And I did! It had a smooth, soft texture and the flavors of lime and earthy salt were incredible. The reason I hate cooked scallops is because they have a texture like greasy, nasty meat gristle. This was NOTHING like that.
- "Akami" lean bluefin tuna with morel mushroom
- "Chutoro" medium-fatty tuna with fresh ginger
- "Unagi" grilled eel with fried shallot. I love grilled eel and this was fire-grilled, so it was wonderfully crunchy and smoky.
- "Tamago" sweet Japanese omelette with honey
Each bite was perfect; not the huge nigiri that you get at a typical restaurant, but a perfectly mouth-sized bite that I didn't have to unhinge my jaw to eat. You're supposed to pop each one in your mouth whole, and I had no trouble doing that. I felt perfectly full after ten pieces, the kind of full where you feel refreshed and energized, not tired.
The sake was absolutely wonderful and went well with each piece of fish no matter what kind it was.
And the simple citrus, herbal, salt, and spice seasonings on each nigiri were so delicate, balanced, and enhanced the unique flavor of each piece of seafood. This truly was an experience!
My favorite bites were the seared aged salmon, and the scallop. The aging process made the fish rich and smooth, and actually made it less briny/fishy somehow. I was amazed at what a difference it made to the flavor and texture of salmon. And in addition to being happy to discover that I enjoy raw scallop, the lime and volcanic salt were such a unique flavor combo and I absolutely loved it.
In closing, this adorable tiny nigiri and green tea that were hiding in the corner near my seat. Cute little hidden art, I see you!
I thanked everyone and left a large tip (there was only $7 left on the gift card after a 25% tip and it was so slow, I felt they should have it)
I walked back to the hotel where I relaxed, typed this up, watched anime, and waited for my laundry to be returned (it was dropped off right at 5pm!)
The evening show was good, we had a guest in the pit who had formerly been an MD for some production of Cats. OF COURSE I messed up my small trombone solo while we have a visiting MD. Of f*cking course! I was so annoyed with myself. During intermission I was huffy backstage, and suddenly a local stagehand popped out of the Trap Room and gestured for me to "come here." I did, and she handed me this small magnet:
Wow! It's....exactly what I needed. Thank you Mysterious Trap Room Woman.
Sometimes I think the universe just GETS me.
After the show there was a meet-and-greet at a nearby bar with the cast/crew of Pretty Woman, another Crossroads show that's playing a theatre right next to ours this week. Their show ended first, but for some reason we all got there before them?? Eileen (French horn) and I went together, did not drink alcohol, and agreed to leave by 11pm at the latest, neither of us being interested in such a crowded noisy scene.
I almost got a Coke but then Eileen said something about a Shirley Temple, and it brought back memories from childhood. My mom was like me in that she never had a good, secure, high-paying job. After my parents got divorced, she worked at the nice bed-and-breakfast in our small town as a server. Sometimes I'd be dropped off at the restaurant for our visitation, and she'd have me wait in a small lounge/bar area while she finished her shift (the bartender would be preparing to OPEN the bar for the evening so no patrons were ever there.) I'd sit quietly at the bar and read a book, and the bartender would give me a small Shirley Temple sometimes.
I haven't had one since then. Until now.
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Friday, oh my goodness. Jameson's Disney interview was at 10am, 9am my time!!
I got up at 7am not only for that, but to get ready for a day in Chinatown!
Ate breakfast and wished Jameson luck, making sure to completely leave him alone when 10am rolled around.
Walked to the subway(?) train(?) and took the Orange line to near-Chinatown, then walked the last mile or so to reach 88 Marketplace as it's not in Chinatown proper.
I won't waste space here on what the building looks like; it's very unassuming and you can look it up online if you're curious. The basement level is a housewares store that didn't open until 10. The level above that is some restaurants (bubble tea, hot pot, etc) and a knick-knacks and souvenir shop, and some Japanese-style vending and gashapon machines. Then you go up an escalator to reach the grocery and the food court.
Forgive me, I didn't take many pictures of the food court. I avoided it, to thus avoid temptation. But they had a bakery with everything you'd see in any Asian bakery (sweet bean buns, custard buns, pork floss buns, mochi donuts, etc); a chilled dessert area with custards and roll cakes and puddings; a seafood and sushi bar; a street food stand; a BBQ/Peking duck stand; a hot pot/noodle stand; a liquor store; and probably other stuff that I'm forgetting or didn't see.
It was a normal Asian grocery, but with a LOT of product. I was in shelf-shock for a while, and spent the first 30 minutes in the front of the store walking dazed through rows and rows and rows of snacks, candies, cookies, pastries, crackers, tea cakes, jellies, chocolates, noodles, sodas, teas...you get the idea.
They even had an island dedicated to Disney snacks!! Like, ASIAN Disney snacks!!
The produce was behind all of the snacky things. Their produce was nice, but there was not the selection you'd see at a large 99 Ranch or H-Mart. This store seems more focused on shelf-stable goods. That said, what produce they had was fresh and lovely, and there were big meat and seafood counters in the back of the store against the walls, and of course dairy and eggs and all that.
I didn't go to aisles where I knew I wouldn't be able to get anything: the freezer aisle, sauce aisle, canned/pickled things aisle, etc. No point torturing myself. Plus, most of what I wanted to get was souvenirs for family. So like a typical Caucasian tourist I wove up and down the aisles of snacks, shelf stable goods, teas, and drinks to find gifts to send to people I care about.
I like to look for interesting food items that I've never seen before. Here are some:
Dragon fruit noodles! Dragon fruit doesn't have much flavor, so I wonder if it's added just for color.
A huge sheet of dried squid. Most Asian grocery stores have dried squid but I've never seen a PLANK like this.
This porridge looks colorful, I wonder what it tastes like!
A bag of premium kumquat, each one individually wrapped, and much larger than those I've seen in American stores. Look at the price...ouch!
A peach drink with chunks of real peaches inside. I especially like the design on the bottle, which is reminiscent of the foam netting that is wrapped around fruit for transport.
Chicken floss meat buns. Perhaps if you've never encountered Asian "meat floss" before, you're thinking, "GROSS!" But let me tell you: pork floss is DELICIOUS. It's sweet and savory, crispy and also melts in your mouth. So I did buy a box of these. The nutrition was good, and I wanted to give it a try.
Ok NOW we're getting weird. "Explosive Juice Cakes." What on earth...? I didn't look at the ingredients but found out later they're usually filled with a lining of mochi + some sort of fruit or nut paste. So they're probably pretty good.
Sometimes things get lost in translation, and it's good to avoid judging (certainly a laugh is justified here, but to make a scene or curl your nose over another culture's food, out of your own ignorance...that's what's GROSS.)
I found this drink on an endcap and was intrigued by what looked like a big olive-shaped black seed inside, and a whitish filament or fungus running through the whole drink. Reminded me of the bird nest beverage that I tried at another grocery. But my translation app wouldn't tell me what this was, so I didn't get it this time. More research needed.
Fully cooked duck heads, ready-to-eat! There was a whole series of fully cooked meats from this company which included whole chickens, other parts of the duck (neck, breast, etc), beef tripe, pork belly and loins and ears, chicken feet, etc. All were stamped "Product of USA." I looked for one that I might be able to buy but in general the portions were too big for just me, and the sodium too high.
While I was shopping Jameson texted to say his interview was over, that they'd asked many of the same questions over again, and that they'd be in touch for the third interview (which, I wonder if that's where they make a job offer?) He said he felt kind of "down" or disheartened afterward...but we talked about it and figured it's probably because he had TWO WEEKS of lead-up time to stress and speculate and make a bigger deal out of it in his head...and then it ended up being just a normal interview that was over in like 15 minutes. And it perhaps felt sudden, or discouragingly short. I don't know. The point is, he got through it well, and hopefully the only thing left to do is get the verdict. Personally, I was glad the actual interview wasn't nearly as stressful as the hype he'd built up for himself.
I killed an additional 30 minutes retracing my steps in the snack aisle, putting a few things back (Orange-flavored Kit-Kats because you can order them online) and picking up different things that I hadn't noticed on the initial "aisle shock" part of shopping. At checkout, I was shocked that I'd only spent $75!! That's about a third of what I spent at Eataly.
Here is what I ended up with for myself:
- Chicken floss buns: These were SWEET, which was strange, but they weren't bad. Michael (assistant MD, keys) says they taste just like a chicken pot pie without any vegetables.
- Pumpkin corn porridge: Delicious. A thin soup with sweet corn, chunks of orange squash, kidney beans, and rice. It was sweet but not overly so (probably had some artificial sweetener.) I'd eat it again.
- Grapefruit Jasmine tea: The flavor was wonderful, floral and citrus, but it was WAY too sweet. There was some sugar but mostly Stevia (I couldn't read the label but it was clearly Stevia.)
- Hawthorne soda: This was very good! And no artificial sweeteners either. It tasted a lot like sorrel drink.
- Soy milk banana boba: Trying this on Monday
- Scallop and soy sauce Pretz: These were really good, because how do you distinguish scallop-flavor from any seafood flavor? So it was fish and soy-flavored delicate tiny pretzel sticks. Really tasty :)
- Dried sea bass snack: I finally have to admit that I'm done buying Asian jerkied fish. It always tastes good...but it is RANK. I could smell this sealed across the hotel room. It tasted good, very very very fishy, mildly sweet and spicy and salty. But no more jerkied/dried fish. It is just so stinky that once the package is opened it's overwhelmingly fishy and stinks up the whole room.
- Hi-Chew premium melon gummies: These were a creamy cantaloupe flavor, very good indeed. They do have milk powder so I have to be careful eating them but it's worth it. Texture is still just like a regular Hi-Chew lol.
- Melon-flavored toothpaste: Will try this at some point in the future when my current toothpaste runs out.
- Fig-flavored Oreos: Yummy! They taste like Oreos, what's not to love. Can't really taste the fig, the chocolate cookie overwhelms the cream.
- Sakura(?) gum: Strongly tastes of cherry, and the flavor lasts a surprising time. I added a piece or two to my family gift bags.
Here's what I got for family:
- Scallion radish rice cakes: These were awesome! They were sweet and savory umami, absolutely delicious. Glad I didn't shun them because the flavors sounded a little weird, these are so good that I'd love to get them again just for me!
- Brown sugar twists: Really good, super hard/crunchy twisted dough brushed with a brown sugar glaze. They are not overly sweet, would be really good with tea.
- Mango gummies/jellies: Did not try these but I've heard they're really good!
- Egg yolk crackers: Loved these too! They're delicate and addictive, umami but leaning more salty than sweet, with a beautiful crisp texture. I could easily eat a big bag of these.
- Plum drink (herbal tea): Didn't try, will wait for family reviews.
- Tom & Jerry “cheese” gummies for the kids (These do indeed seem to be cheese-flavored! Did not try)
- “Lottery” mystery assorted candies for the kids (did not try)
- S’mores kits for the kids (Did not try)
These items may seem less generous than what I got myself, but remember that my family is also getting treats from Eataly which were far more expensive and which I did NOT buy for myself. Also, I didn't buy them drinks or jars of things because heavy items cost more to ship, bottles can break or leak, and larger items means a larger box and more difficulty packing. Sorry to be selfish but judge away because I could also choose not to send anything at all.
I went back downstairs to the basement to check out the homewares store, and so glad I did! Asian homewares are aesthetically pleasing, functional, and CHEAP. There was so much that I wanted to get!
In the back was a big section of hair accessories, and another for stationery, both of which were SO TEMPTING. I badly wanted to get adorable barrettes for Kayle's girls! But I felt shy to try and guess what they might like. Avoided the stationery too because I'd definitely want some sort of lovely expensive pen or notepad...nope, don't even look! I did pick up one can-shaped tupperware with a sealing lid. I had an American tupperware version at the start of tour but it broke pretty quickly; the Asian ones are made from a less brittle plastic so I'm hoping it'll last longer.
After two hours of going up and down aisles and picking and choosing I was tired and hungry. I walked 1/2 mile to MCCB (Modern Chinese Cook Book) in Chinatown proper, where I had hoped to get a whole grilled tilapia with a savory, peppery pork and vegetable sauce. But the server deterred me from that because each fish is two pounds!! That's enough for 4-5 people! I asked if there was anything he'd recommend for one person, and he kind of cringed. I asked about another fish dish, which he said was "somewhat better" size-wise, so I ordered it.
I also got an order of spicy pork dumplings, which is one of the items they're famous for. These were absolutely incredible. They were spicy but not overly so, the seasoning was perfect, the meat inside was juicy, the wrapper was SO delicate and lightly chewy. DAMN.
I ate four of those and packed the rest to take home (ate them for dinner.)
My entree was this HUGE bowl of Sichuan peppercorn tilapia with bok choy, bean sprouts, celery, woodear mushrooms, misc peppers and chilis, cilantro, garlic, other herbs and spices, and a little bowl of rice on the side.
I had never had Sichuan peppercorn before, but have heard that it causes a "tingling and numbing" sensation. My first bite felt like I had licked a battery! I'm sure my eyes must have bugged out with surprise. It felt like an electric current in my tongue and throat, or like pop rocks with warm heat like you get from ginger. Apparently there is a compound in Sichuan peppers that triggers a nerve reaction, and that's what causes the sensation, not the actual "spiciness." Interesting!!
And in addition to the sensation, the food was DELICIOUS. It was a light and tangy broth with a hint of pickled things and citrus. The mushrooms were chewy and wonderful, the fish tender and melt-in-your-mouth flaky and soft. It was herbal and tingly and flavorful; I ate more than intended and enjoyed it very much.
The server packed up my leftovers in a massive tupperware (I looked around and everyone had massive servings whether eating alone or in a group, so I guess that's just how this place is) and I struggled out the door with my bags of souvenirs and still-steaming food. I'd intended to stop at Chiu Quon Bakery, the oldest bakery in Chicago's Chinatown, but my phone battery was dying and I was already at my limit for what I could carry. You can get a good steamed bun anywhere, right?
Rode the train back to the hotel and crashed, then took some time to separate out the souvenirs and try a few.
It was a huge privilege to spend the day in this supermarket, and eat Sichuan food for the first time in Chicago's Chinatown.
Soon tour will be over, so I'm appreciating these moments and experiences even more than usual.
The evening show was...ok. A lot of things went wrong. I'll probably do a Friends Only post about it. We got through it all right, but all of us went to bed hoping that Saturday will not be as stressful as Friday was.
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Saturday I was extra-tired and slept extra-long. Stomping around Chinatown will do that to ya.
I should have gotten up early to get my gift boxes shipped, but was so tired and we had two shows to do. So I had a slow morning instead, and posted in our company chat about needing a small box or two...and someone actually did give me one, complete with bubble wrap inside! My hero! It'll save me buying a box anyway.
Both shows were all right. Between shows I ate leftover "tingly fish" lol. There was so much, I brought the rest to the theatre and offered it to people. No one else wanted any :(
I can't think of anything special that happened, except that after the second show we had St. Patrick's-themed SNOTS (Acronym for Saturday Night [something] Theater Shots) which were green jello shots with a bit of whipped cream and a gummy rainbow on top. I didn't take one but they looked cute!
Also, the river was dyed green! It was chaos downtown, tourists everywhere, so I didn't even try to go see it (the river is the opposite direction of the theatre) but our drummer got a short clip (I stole a screenshot so her text is on the image, sorry):
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Sunday I got up early because after trolling around online, I'd found one single UPS store that was supposedly open on Sunday!! I packed up all of my souvenirs and got there...and they were closed. ARGH.
But! As I was googling around to see if any other options at all were available, the lights came on and a woman unlocked the door. She'd been caught in the Saint Patrick's chaos and was running late, that's all. Lucky! Because I ship very often with UPS all of my addresses are stored in their system, so it took no time at all to get everything labeled and added to the outgoing pile. Nice! One less chore for the Golden Day.
Instead of going back to the hotel I found a local bagel place but there was a line around the block(!) so I went to Gotham Bagels instead (a chain but a small one and they make their own bagels in-house.) Got my Travel Bagel for Tuesday, and got my steps in for today.
We had our last show at 1pm. The streets were a lot quieter than they'd been on Saturday; I think a lot of people need to fly home today. We had a good audience. After the show I snuck the souvenirs for Kayle's family and Raven into my mute bag, and brought my mutes to the hotel with me to go in my luggage. They're bulky but a lot lighter than the souvenirs; this is all about luggage weight for the flight out of Chicago. When we get to Amarillo I'll swap everything back to normal.
And then...blessed NOTHING. Nothing to do this evening, nowhere to be.
I showered, put on pajamas, made a cup of hot tea, ate dinner eventually, watched Seven Deadly Sins.
Ah...the joy of introversion.
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It is now exactly one month until the end of this tour.
As always when this happens (what a blessing, to be able to say that!) I am wondering what happens next.
Will I get to go on another tour? Will I go back to the nursing home job? Will I be able to find full time work this time?
Tomorrow is our Golden Day. I was going to visit a museum but may instead make it a lazy, restful day because next week in Albuquerque I won't have a single day to myself for the whole week (family visiting and local friends too.) I'll do laundry, and maybe it's late enough to start applying for jobs. For dinner I want to get omurice with Laura (drummer.) If I feel up for an adventure I'll have one, but the truth is I've been to Chicago many times and have done quite a lot here over the years! It's OK to have a staycation :)
