Japan has plenty of good food, but sometimes, we just really lust for
American fast food. This episode is one of those times. We also talk about
eating for novelty vs. eating because the food is good.

Transcript

K: So, lately I’ve been thinking about Jack in the Box and Uber Eats.
(laughs) Because, yes, I am hungry. I have not eaten before this episode yet
again, even though last episode I swore I was going to eat before every
episode. But they happen so spontaneously when we record.

C: Okay, so Uber Eats is completely exploitative. 

K: Okay.

C: But I don’t think even they would make somebody drive from California to
Japan to deliver Jack in the Box. 

K: (laughs)

C: And, if they did, it would not be hot. 

K: No, but I would take the frozen ingredients.

C: Uh-huh.

K: And deep-fry them myself. I’m willing to make that sacrifice.

C: Okay, but you’re not willing to make a sacrifice of looking up a recipe
online?

K: Looking up what?

C: A recipe.

K: What do you mean by that?

C: It’s a set of written instructions on how to cook a thing.

K: But a recipe of what?

C: Of whatever it is you’re craving.

K: No, that – see, now here’s the thing. I looked up the recipe for one of
my favorite dishes – chicken paillard – and every time I try to make paillard
sauce, it comes out like crap. Because I don’t believe that the Worcestershire
belongs in it, and it does. And it’s a dish that as soon as it starts to cool
down even a little bit, it separates. The oil separates. 

C: Yeah.

K: So, it’s a really, really intricate thing to make. Which chicken paillard
is not sold at Jack in the Box.

C: Okay. I was just wondering, like

K: Yeah, it’s sold at one of my favorite restaurants called Cha Cha Cha. So,
I find that going to a – I feel like they leave something out in the recipes.

C: Mmm. They probably do.

K: And I – they don’t sell Lawry’s season salt here in Japan. 

C: Yeah. I think it’s

K: So, to make curly fries, I have to find someplace that sold curly fries
here in Japan. In our last episode, we talked about the intricacies of getting
even crinkle cut fries here in Japan. So, they don’t sell the curly cut fries,
and then the Lawry’s season salt.

C: We have a knife, and they sell potatoes.

K: We don’t have a spiral cut knife.

C: You could do it. Your knife skills are good.

K: No, they’re not that good.

C: Are you sure? I think you could manage.

K: I’m positive. No. I couldn’t. I’m telling you I can’t.

C: Could you manage crinkle? Because the way my hands shake, I could do a
crinkle.

K: (laughs) I mean, we could get a spiral cutter.

C: Yeah.

K: But, no. 

C: No?

K: (laughs)

C: You’d rather just pine for Jack in the Box?

K: Just definitely no. And Jack in the Box is specific to Northern
California.

C: I think it’s the whole West Coast.

K: You think it’s the whole West Coast?

C: I think so.

K: I don’t remember seeing any Jack in the Boxes when we were in Oregon.

C: We looked it up, and there was like one in Texas, and there were a couple
different places. They were trying to expand out of California – most of them
were in California, but they were trying to expand.

K: But I think that if I were in California, that I would miss fast food
tempura. 

C: I think you would, too.

K: So, I feel like the fast food here is different. 

C: Yes.

K: But equally as tasty. And equally as fattening. What do you think?

C: I think so. Portion sizes are smaller, but you could just order more of
it.

K: