Tar Pit Mark Peel & Roy Choi Mashup!

Ok, so being fans of the Kogi truck and Campanile etc. Mrs. Marvin and I jumped at the chance to go to this leap year special mashup. Our reservation was early and we were one of the first few tables. We had no idea what to expect and we were not disappointed. The friendly staff greeted us warmly and we were seated in a spacious corner booth. Nice.
I started with a signature cocktail; The Viva La Raza. It combined Jalapeño infused tequila, passion fruit juice, lime, agave and smoke. It was unusual and tasty. So, good I had another and shared sips with the Mrs. as we talked about it and perused the menu.
Next, The Uni Abalone Felony risotto with Cracked-Out vinaigrette. It came with an egg yolk to stir in and was decadently rich and almost unbelievably good! Easily, the best risotto I've ever had. We also ordered the burger which was PERFECTLY cooked with grilled onions, homemade pickles and aged cheddar. This was a no frills burger that had it right where it counts. Delicious. Sides were hot crispy fries and deeply savory greens with bacon. We shared bites of everything and toasted our good luck. We even chatted with Mark Peel. Awesome.

Banh Mi My Tho

Now if you're reading this you likely know what Banh Mi are. But if you don't.. Banh Mi are Vietnamese baguette sandwiches. (The French "occupied" Vietnam and their effect on vietnam's culinary history was significant to say the least.) With fillings like beef or pork, even pate' sometimes. Along with pickled carrots and daikon and sometimes jalapeño all adding crunch and depth to these deceptively simple and dirt cheap sandwiches. Chicken curry is sold by the quart and is also very reasonable. All sorts of delightful Vietnamese dishes to try; noodles, fried shrimp. But don't miss the Banh Mi. You can get them at other places closer to home but never better or cheaper at about 2 bucks for a big sandwich!! Go early but expect a wait anyway. They run out of curry early!

Orochon Downtown for unique Ramen

Ok. I love ramen. And when we were in Japan we had some excellent ramen. We'd been looking for a place to try and saw Orochon on TV because of it's fiery ramen challenge. Basically, dare to ingest a HUGE bowl of bubbling hellfire in it's entirety. Then, assuming you survive. You get your polaroid picture taken and place on the "wall of bravery". Fun to watch if you're lucky enough to see someone try. Usually only a few mouthfuls is all they can take. IT'S THAT HOT!!!
All fiery (foolish?) feats aside, the ramen here is GOOD. Choose from three broths: miso, soy sauce or salt. And then choose just how spicy you want it. I always get miso broth and hyper level spicy which is pretty hot but not a punishment to eat. Mrs. Marvin gets the same but less hot at level 5 which is only mildly spicy. We both like to add their delicious chasu pork slices and green onions on top. Also, gyoza are cheap Japanese draft beer are a must. Sometimes crowded so plan for a wait if you come at peak times. Great stuff to see and do afterward around Japan town!