Wynter wrote:I don't find that burgre appealing at all. :bleh:
perhaps because shortly after eating it, you'll die.
perhaps because shortly after eating it, you'll die.
Food, Food, and More Food Thread
Started by bmwracer · 6 Oct 2004 · 25,210 replies
General Discussion
perhaps because shortly after eating it, you'll die.
Tu_triky wrote:The only problem is, how are you going to dig into this sucker?
Exactly.
That burger is all show and no go: You can't eat it as is and if you take it apart to eat it, it negates the idea.
Bottom line: it's stupid. :shakehead:
bmwracer wrote:
Bottom line: it's stupid. :shakehead:
especially in japan, i don't see how that would appeal to the local philosophy about food and its appreciation...but it is an akiba burger, maybe it will appeal to drooling nerds....they can all chip in and live off that burger for 3 days....more money for manga, software, and dolls.
Tu_triky wrote:
especially in japan, i don't see how that would appeal to the local philosophy about food and its appreciation...but it is an akiba burger, maybe it will appeal to drooling nerds....they can all chip in and live off that burger for 3 days....more money for manga, software, and dolls.
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
The Burger Of Death, indeed. That would feed a Somali family for a month.
Anime Dad wrote:
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
The Burger Of Death
seriously.
Wynter wrote:I don't find that burgre appealing at all. :bleh:
Same here. It's kinda frightening just looking at it. Can you imagine all that cholesterol running throughout your body. Yucky!
![[image]](http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/2triky/takoyakiharuulala.jpg){kind=link}
MissMonika wrote:
Same here. It's kinda frightening just looking at it. Can you imagine all that cholesterol running throughout your body. Yucky!
Tell me about it. You'd bleed grease after that sucker.
Tu_triky wrote:
This is more representative of nihon ryori....takoyaki at Haru Ulala
[image]
Ahhhh now THAT'S better. :good:
MissMonika wrote:
Same here. It's kinda frightening just looking at it. Can you imagine all that cholesterol running throughout your body. Yucky!
I bet you could squeeze the bun and copious amounts of saturated oils would flow forth. Yum.
Anime Dad wrote:that is one big burger. otaku meal for a few months, lol
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
The Burger Of Death, indeed. That would feed a Somali family for a month.
Wynter wrote:
Ahhhh now THAT'S better. :good:
yup, i'm sure.....how many japanese ppl areo going to pay roughly 18 dollars for that greezzzzy burger anyway?
I've never had takoyaki here in the states but next time i got to haru ulala i would like to order some....it's not on the menu, but i found out they serve it there.
Tu_triky wrote:
yup, i'm sure.....how many japanese ppl areo going to pay roughly 18 dollars for that greezzzzy burger anyway?
I've never had takoyaki here in the states but next time i got to haru ulala i would like to order some....it's not on the menu, but i found out they serve it there.
I've only had them once, and it was at the Chinese New Years festival they hold in Toronto. They had booths set up with Chinese, Korean, Thai, and Japanese food. I didn't have anything to compare them to, but I thought they were grand.
Wynter wrote:
I've only had them once, and it was at the Chinese New Years festival they hold in Toronto. They had booths set up with Chinese, Korean, Thai, and Japanese food. I didn't have anything to compare them to, but I thought they were grand.
Oh, you've eaten takoyaki?!? That's awesome :) Well I posted an article a long time ago about this Japanese entrepreneur who owns a famous chain of takoyaki stores in Japan and how he hopes to make inroads in the US market by opening his first N. American branch in L.A....I hope it happens. :)
TAKING A CHANCE
GETTING WORD OUT ON OCTOPUS
'Takoyaki' czar looks to spread tentacles to U.S.
By SHINICHI TERADA
Staff writer
In Los Angeles last December, Morio Sase had a bout of nerves. What had made him think he could persuade Americans to cast off their culinary prejudices and warm to something with as great an "ick factor" as octopus?
Morio Sase, founder and president of HotLand Corp., holds a serving of "takoyaki" octopus dumplings in front of his company's Ginza outlet in Tokyo in April. YOSHIAKI MIURA PHOTO
"I worried whether Americans could eat octopus, but 'takoyaki' sales at a special event proved they love it," said Sase, founder and president of HotLand Corp., which operates about 300 Tsukiji Gindaco takoyaki outlets across Japan and 11 in other parts of Asia. "I was relieved and I felt I could make it."
He said customers at the weeklong event stood in line for up to two hours to try his company's product. They sold some 500 packages a day and had to close the event two days early after running out of ingredients to make the takoyaki octopus dumplings.
The octopus, diced and mixed with pickled ginger and green onion into battered balls, is fried in a special pan, then finished off with a drizzling of mayonnaise and a sprinkling of shaved dried bonito and green laver.
"Gindaco grew to become the No. 1 brand here and it's time for us to open the first one in the U.S.," Sase said of the company's planned entry there later this year. The firm aims to have 20 stores in California by 2010. It already has outlets in Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea and Thailand.
The 44-year-old president's confidence is backed by the recent trend in the U.S. toward healthy Japanese food, including sushi, sashimi and tofu.
The company has been in the black since opening for business in 1997. Sales have grown steadily from 84 million yen in the initial year, when the company had only two stores, to 15 billion yen in the business year to December 2006.
Sase's interest in food, and takoyaki in particular, began when he was in his 20s. After graduating from Tokyo YMCA College of Hotel Management in 1983, he landed a job at a small restaurant in the hope of learning how to run a business. But he ended up drifting from one job to another.
Then, when he was 25, America — in the form of McDonald's and Mister Donut — came to his hometown in Gunma Prefecture, and suddenly it seemed everyone was standing around with hamburgers and colas in their hands.
"It was an unimaginable scene at that time," Sase recalled. "These stores were a window on America. Food represented American culture. Since then, I've started to dream about opening a Japanese food chain in the U.S., hoping to become a window on Japan."
Two years later, he sold his car and opened the first store in Gunma to sell fried noodles and "onigiri" rice balls. But sales were slow.
In 1991, with 10 million yen in capital, he set up HotLand Corp. The company sold ice cream in Yokohama's Chinatown, "okonomiyaki" Japanese-style pancakes at shopping malls and other food items at highway rest stops.
To boost sales, Sase tried expanding the product line, but few items stayed popular, except for takoyaki, which sold regardless of time or season. The process of making takoyaki is also fun to watch, he said.
Determined to make the best takoyaki product, he researched and studied for two years, trying various takoyaki in Osaka, home to more than 1,000 takoyaki eateries. He also made a pilgrimage to Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market to learn all he could about octopus.
In 1997, Sase finally opened the first Gindaco store in Gunma Prefecture. No competitor, Sase claims, can imitate his takoyaki, which are crispy on the outside and thick and soft on the inside.
Word of mouth drove sales, and the takoyaki's popularity spread, especially in the Kanto region. When a Gindaco opened in Nakano Ward in 1998, just the second in Tokyo's 23 wards, the line of customers stretched 100 meters long.
However, as with many other entrepreneurs, times were not always good.
When the number of Gindaco outlets topped 200 in Japan in 2000, Sase opened a chain of "izakaya" Japanese-style pubs in an effort to expand his business portfolio and boost the company's sales. But after years of sluggish sales, the company was forced to close its eight outlets in the Tokyo metropolitan area in 2005.
Sase learned from failure.
"I was just arrogant. I failed these businesses," he said. "Employees thought that I was just doing new businesses as a hobby. They didn't take it seriously."
He re-shifted focus on the core business to further develop its own characteristics, he said.
"When I went to the U.S. for the special event, I realized that Gindaco is a company with its own characteristic takoyaki," Sase said. "Why couldn't I value and keep it? Small stores, takeout services, a Japanese atmosphere, and having a presence at shopping centers where many young families eat takoyaki with toothpicks — these are all our strong suits.
"I realized after I did the special event in Los Angeles how important it is for a company to focus on its main business and develop its own style."
Now, Sase is confident takoyaki can have international appeal.
"After I opened stores outside Japan, I realized that takoyaki is something that makes people feel warm inside. People who live in foreign countries told me they felt relieved to find takoyaki," he said.
In this occasional series, we interview entrepreneurs whose spirit perhaps holds the key to a more competitive Japan.
Key events in Morio Sase's life
1962 — Born in Kiryu, Gunma Prefecture, to a family of iron workers.
1983 — Graduated from Tokyo YMCA College of Hotel Management.
1989 — Opened a store selling fried noodles and rice balls in Gunma.
1991 — Established HotLand Corp.
1997 — Opened first Gindaco store in Gunma.
2000 — Opened a chain of "izakaya" (Japanese-style pubs) in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
2004 — Opened Gindaco's first overseas store in Hong Kong.
2005 — Withdrew from the izakaya business.
2007 — Preparing to open first Gindaco in the United States.
GETTING WORD OUT ON OCTOPUS
'Takoyaki' czar looks to spread tentacles to U.S.
By SHINICHI TERADA
Staff writer
In Los Angeles last December, Morio Sase had a bout of nerves. What had made him think he could persuade Americans to cast off their culinary prejudices and warm to something with as great an "ick factor" as octopus?
Morio Sase, founder and president of HotLand Corp., holds a serving of "takoyaki" octopus dumplings in front of his company's Ginza outlet in Tokyo in April. YOSHIAKI MIURA PHOTO
"I worried whether Americans could eat octopus, but 'takoyaki' sales at a special event proved they love it," said Sase, founder and president of HotLand Corp., which operates about 300 Tsukiji Gindaco takoyaki outlets across Japan and 11 in other parts of Asia. "I was relieved and I felt I could make it."
He said customers at the weeklong event stood in line for up to two hours to try his company's product. They sold some 500 packages a day and had to close the event two days early after running out of ingredients to make the takoyaki octopus dumplings.
The octopus, diced and mixed with pickled ginger and green onion into battered balls, is fried in a special pan, then finished off with a drizzling of mayonnaise and a sprinkling of shaved dried bonito and green laver.
"Gindaco grew to become the No. 1 brand here and it's time for us to open the first one in the U.S.," Sase said of the company's planned entry there later this year. The firm aims to have 20 stores in California by 2010. It already has outlets in Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea and Thailand.
The 44-year-old president's confidence is backed by the recent trend in the U.S. toward healthy Japanese food, including sushi, sashimi and tofu.
The company has been in the black since opening for business in 1997. Sales have grown steadily from 84 million yen in the initial year, when the company had only two stores, to 15 billion yen in the business year to December 2006.
Sase's interest in food, and takoyaki in particular, began when he was in his 20s. After graduating from Tokyo YMCA College of Hotel Management in 1983, he landed a job at a small restaurant in the hope of learning how to run a business. But he ended up drifting from one job to another.
Then, when he was 25, America — in the form of McDonald's and Mister Donut — came to his hometown in Gunma Prefecture, and suddenly it seemed everyone was standing around with hamburgers and colas in their hands.
"It was an unimaginable scene at that time," Sase recalled. "These stores were a window on America. Food represented American culture. Since then, I've started to dream about opening a Japanese food chain in the U.S., hoping to become a window on Japan."
Two years later, he sold his car and opened the first store in Gunma to sell fried noodles and "onigiri" rice balls. But sales were slow.
In 1991, with 10 million yen in capital, he set up HotLand Corp. The company sold ice cream in Yokohama's Chinatown, "okonomiyaki" Japanese-style pancakes at shopping malls and other food items at highway rest stops.
To boost sales, Sase tried expanding the product line, but few items stayed popular, except for takoyaki, which sold regardless of time or season. The process of making takoyaki is also fun to watch, he said.
Determined to make the best takoyaki product, he researched and studied for two years, trying various takoyaki in Osaka, home to more than 1,000 takoyaki eateries. He also made a pilgrimage to Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market to learn all he could about octopus.
In 1997, Sase finally opened the first Gindaco store in Gunma Prefecture. No competitor, Sase claims, can imitate his takoyaki, which are crispy on the outside and thick and soft on the inside.
Word of mouth drove sales, and the takoyaki's popularity spread, especially in the Kanto region. When a Gindaco opened in Nakano Ward in 1998, just the second in Tokyo's 23 wards, the line of customers stretched 100 meters long.
However, as with many other entrepreneurs, times were not always good.
When the number of Gindaco outlets topped 200 in Japan in 2000, Sase opened a chain of "izakaya" Japanese-style pubs in an effort to expand his business portfolio and boost the company's sales. But after years of sluggish sales, the company was forced to close its eight outlets in the Tokyo metropolitan area in 2005.
Sase learned from failure.
"I was just arrogant. I failed these businesses," he said. "Employees thought that I was just doing new businesses as a hobby. They didn't take it seriously."
He re-shifted focus on the core business to further develop its own characteristics, he said.
"When I went to the U.S. for the special event, I realized that Gindaco is a company with its own characteristic takoyaki," Sase said. "Why couldn't I value and keep it? Small stores, takeout services, a Japanese atmosphere, and having a presence at shopping centers where many young families eat takoyaki with toothpicks — these are all our strong suits.
"I realized after I did the special event in Los Angeles how important it is for a company to focus on its main business and develop its own style."
Now, Sase is confident takoyaki can have international appeal.
"After I opened stores outside Japan, I realized that takoyaki is something that makes people feel warm inside. People who live in foreign countries told me they felt relieved to find takoyaki," he said.
In this occasional series, we interview entrepreneurs whose spirit perhaps holds the key to a more competitive Japan.
Key events in Morio Sase's life
1962 — Born in Kiryu, Gunma Prefecture, to a family of iron workers.
1983 — Graduated from Tokyo YMCA College of Hotel Management.
1989 — Opened a store selling fried noodles and rice balls in Gunma.
1991 — Established HotLand Corp.
1997 — Opened first Gindaco store in Gunma.
2000 — Opened a chain of "izakaya" (Japanese-style pubs) in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
2004 — Opened Gindaco's first overseas store in Hong Kong.
2005 — Withdrew from the izakaya business.
2007 — Preparing to open first Gindaco in the United States.
Tu_triky wrote:
Oh, you've eaten takoyaki?!? That's awesome :) Well I posted an article a long time ago about this Japanese entrepreneur who owns a famous chain of takoyaki stores in Japan and how he hopes to make inroads in the US market by opening his first N. American branch in L.A....I hope it happens. :)
Yup, I think I read that article.
I could only eat 3 of the 6 balls in one go tho. They're really rich and creamy.
Wynter wrote:
Yup, I think I read that article.
I could only eat 3 of the 6 balls in one go tho. They're really rich and creamy.
Girl, if this company Gindaco opens up in L.A....it's gonna be on! I would love to go there ^_^ There's a signficant Asian/Asian-American population here in SoCal that I think the place could gain some traction without much difficulty.
A good similar example of such...is Gyu-kaku Japanese BBQ...they openend with one location in L.A. about 4 or 5 years ago, now they have multiple locations throughout Southern California, Hawaii and New York.
www.gyu-kaku.com
Takoyaki
http://youtube.com/watch?v=DnYj5wtQZsk
http://youtube.com/watch?v=DnYj5wtQZsk
Tu_triky wrote:Takoyaki
http://youtube.com/watch?v=DnYj5wtQZsk
I think it's so cool how they flip and rotate the balls. Mega skill.
Wynter wrote:
I think it's so cool how they flip and rotate the balls. Mega skill.
Seriously. check out this clip...an Automatic Takoyaki-maker!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=0v6ajqAYkxU
Takoyaki Professional...do not try this at home, kids.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=391zc--UiUM
http://youtube.com/watch?v=391zc--UiUM
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