I tried these spots around Universal on Tuesday at lunch. The first used to be Amura. It is near the Barnes and Noble in the strip mall on the left side of Sand Lake at Dr Phillips. The second is on Kirkman in the strip mall on the left near Fun Spot. I also was reminded of Madras and Chima Steakhouse around it. The latter is mostly pm, but, does lunch on Sa and Sn. $28 for the salad bar and $42 for the meat. Cheaper than Davina. Didn't see the quality. Space looks as good or better. Semi dress code. And near Sushi Yama near I-Drive they are changing a Brazilian that I'm unsure ever opened to Eskina (also Brazilian). And they opened up that area of the parking lot so that you can merge onto I-Drive.
Akasaka - I was a little disappointed when I learned that it isn't new. Just their yakatori bar (Tapanomi) is. I'm now unsure if I had eaten here before. I did as Amura. I had the fiery garlic chicken bento box for $16 because all the sushi was outrageously priced (two piecers STARTED at $9) and the other hot stuff didn't come with as much. Almost did a katsu curry for $18 just to thumb my nose at Cowboy Curry. Let's start with the drink. Water with many floaties. Second try was ok. Refill filled with sea monkeys again. Then I boxed up and left. The bento started with the iceberg lettuce and orange dressing. Served first in a separate bowl. Larger than usual (this will be a theme). Rubbery cuke. Ok cherry tomatoes. Right behind it, (is pacing even taught anymore) came the box. Around 32 cubes of pretty good chicken. Mostly white meat. The sauce was a bit sweet. Kind of orange and ginger tasting. Garlic of course. No fire. Broccoli (mushy) and carrots an onions. The rice was cooked properly. Great (1pc) broccoli and potato and carrot tempura. Ok spring roll. Filling indefinable per usual. Ponzu dipping sauce. Worth the money. Way better than Miyaji. The menu is a mixture of Japanese, Korean and Latin influences. Kono arepa or antijos. Salmon coquitos. For example. Whatever the hell those are. Some Korean favorites. Ramen. Some "fancy" fish cuts. Sashimi. The cheapest roll is $16! Alcohol. Lots of choices. Hard to tell what to make of the place. It was unkempt. I had crumbs on my seat. Congealed mess on the table. Drips on the floor. The dehumidifier was on mail crates. The place has darker earth tones. Wood. Two different looks mashed together. Golden, spikey chandeliers. Basket chandeliers. Around fourteen booths and four tables in the main room. A long sushi bar across from the entrance. Bar with seats on the left. Photo booth. Two sushi preparers and two wait staff. Open for lunch and dinner. Two tables seated. Ok if you choose wisely.
Sushi Yama - A bit of a shocker. It was big, pretty tidy/new and bumping. Everyone had to wait a few minutes for a table. Since the draw may be the $22 AYCE (and I had already eaten), I just had a yellowtail and scallion roll to go for $6. It took thirty minutes and I had to push them on it. Not a to go place. It was ok. Tiny, cigar width pieces wrapped in nori. Shoestring french fry sized fish cut. The prep was cute. Tossed in an orchid. The place is a long rectangle. Lowish ceiling. Three rows of five booths and/or tables on each side. Huge space between where the entrance and sushi prep area is. Bar on the right. Many servers. You have to go through them. Two hour limit. Last seating at 3pm. You can order ala carte. Most of the usual Japanese stuff. Hibachi, teriyaki, tempura, katsu, udon, soba, the apps, etc. Tons of rolls. Prices in general are in line. Their rolls start at $5. Sushi at $3.75. Quality looked fine. Mostly white and black color scheme. Japanese items like drums and lanterns. Wood. Opened recently. Word seems to be out. Parking is no issue. Opens at noon. Let the gorging begin. Yama means mountain. Not sure what is included/disallowed for the AYCE.
*Travel Notes - Massachusetts/New Hampshire/Maine: I bought a ticket to Boston Logan on Delta/Frontier for $147. AM flights. No issues. TSA was fast. I took the bus (Silver Line) to the Airport T Station. Bought a four ride pass from a machine for $9.60. Got on the Blue Line. Switched to the Orange Line at State to the North St Station. Got off and walked past the Garden to the littler bridge to the right. Walked over it and right to the Charleston Navy Yard NHS. I will interject here that the purpose of this trip was to mark off five of the last seven National Parks/Historical Sites, etc remaining. Some I had kind of seen. All were free except the black one. I walked down to the Visitor Center and out to (and on and in) the USS Constitution. Old Ironsides. Then over to the USS Cassin Young. Then past the dry dock to the museum. Didn't go in. It was like $30. Unaffiliated with the park. Lots of school kids around. I then headed up to the huge obelisk at Bunker Hill. Been around it before. This time I climbed the 300 steps. Killed my legs. Some great photos though. I then walked to the Boston African American NHS on Joy St. Like I said, it was just some collab with what I think was an existing museum to shoe horn in inclusion. Not much there either. To get there (Beacon Hill) I think I walked from the bridge to some street called Standiford and then right. I stopped at a pizza place called Florina near the State House. Had a really good slice. They had some sign saying the best of something for some year(s). I walked down to the Charles and followed it a ways until the first bridge (to MIT). Then on the other side (Memorial Dr) until the Weld Boat House at Harvard (Harvard St). This was much longer than I remembered. It was also above 90. Too tired and calf cramping to seek the football stadium on the other side of the river. Walked up to Mt Auburn. Left. Onto Brattle St. Up a few blocks to the Longfellow House NHS. It was Washington's HQ during the Rev. Back to the T Station nearby and took the Red Line back towards the city center to the Green Line at Park St. Took the B line (there are four Green Lines) towards BC. Goes past BU. Got off at Washington St. A block up to the Hotel Boston (Booking 7.0). I will state here that hotel prices in Boston were mostly well over $200 (pre-tax). There were some hostels with a bed amongst 8 for under $90. This cost $183. Booking made it weird. It was supposed to be a Queen. Then the final web page said it was $10 more. Then the hotel said it was a King. My credit card says it was the first price. I rebooked for the next night direct because I was too tired to deal with another lengthy round of research that night and the guy quoted $168. Then I paid and learned that was before tax. Oh well. The best thing around was a Whole Foods. I bought a 14oz smoked salmon at 50% off, dark chocolate, water crackers and hummus. Had to buy the wine at another place (Babuska Deli). I think this area was once East European and/or Jewish. Sunny day. All these environs were safe to walk.
The next day I had the hotel print out directions and walked down and to the right and then a left (forget the streets - Clinton?) to Warren and past Boyleston. To the Brookline Reservoir. Around a mile and a half. Past that a few hundred yards to Fairsted (Frederick Law Olmstead NHS). The Central Park, Stanford Uni, etc guy. Back to a right on Walnut and right to Harvard St. North to Beals. About midway, I had a Friendly's sundae and a grape soda (first time since I was in grade school I think) at a Stop and Shop. It was only 95 that day. Is the quote - sweating like a whore in church? Speaking of which, past the church that the Kennedy's used to frequent (St Aidan's?) to his birthplace (JFK NHS). Right on Beals. Then further down the street to Naples and Abbotsford a few blocks away to the house they moved to a decade later. It is the yellow house on the corner. Met the son of the owner who was walking his dog. He could have been bsing me. No signs/plaques. Internet pic looks like it. Different color. Then over to Commonwealth and walked all the way back to Washington. Just cheese (Brebicet sheep brie 50% off) that night. Had salmon, etc left over. More wine from Babushka. From Peru! I just watched tennis (Birmingham) both nights because they only had the Roku like tv. Sunny day. All these environs were safe to walk.
The next day I took the Green Line (of course that day they start repair work) to a shuttle bus that ended at the Back Bay Station (not a direct route). Took the Orange Line to the Blue Line to the airport. Bus to rental car center. I used a three day coupon from Budget and a $240 rental was free. They even gave me a 3k Toyota Rav 4. Lots of selection. I took 1A to the 60 through Saugus to the 1N. This was so easy (and no tolls) that I think I'm going to stop going through Albany for the annual NE trip. The airport was cake too. Nice (around forty mile) drive to NH. Really hungry, so, I stopped at the first respectable looking seafood place (Ray's Seafood and Chowder Shack in Portsmouth). There were billboards for a Ray's by the water (Rye?). I think I was tricked. Not a big deal. Everything was MP and I didn't feel like getting into it (and I had a lobster spot queued up), so, I just ordered a fried haddock with fries for $17. I think it was not frozen. Through to Arundel (ME). I stopped at Tradewinds Cafe and just had a taiyaki ice cream sandwich. Odd because this place was on Man vs Food for a Manimal Challenge. I wasn't going to do it and wasn't hungry enough and I think it has new owners and they stopped it. They only take cash. Onto Saco (via detour) and right onto 5E to Old Orchard Beach. Checked into the Old Orchard Beach Inn (Booking 7.6) for $120. Same paperwork issues with Booking as the last rental. It was cute. A bit noisy with bad curtains. At intersection of 5 an 98 above the Main St. Same bs Roku tv. Walked to the beach/pier. Been there before. It's worn. Rested a bit. Drove back to Saco. Chicken, hummus, wine, crackers from Hannaford's. Back on 5. Stopped at The Maine Lobster Claw Pound for some bad (no bellies/emaciated) pound of steamers at $18. Lobster was $20ish. Rainy day.
The next day I took 98N to 1N to 207E to 77N to Two Lights Rd and The Lobster Shack at Two Lights at Cape Elizabeth. This was also on the Man vs Food episode. Their lobster started at $40, so, I had a bad lobster roll for $25. They boil them. It was tough. They lied and said a roll has the same meat as a whole lobster. Maybe one knuckle and claw and a quarter of one side of a tail. They just plopped some mayo on it too. It was very foggy. I think the view is the thing. And the lighthouse. Back to 77 and north to 1A in Portland. Right to a place I espied last year (Clam Bar). Free parking. I had excellent pound and a quarter of steamers with garlic bread for $18. Back onto 1A (detour onto 295S) to 1S. Through to Wells. Stayed at the (nice view) The Garrison (Expedia 9.0) for $125. Back north to IGA for wine and 50% off goat cheese and popcorn. Stopped at a good looking restaurant called Bitter End for an atrocious Chopped Salad with pancetta to go for $16. Side salad size. No dressing. I think it gave me the runs. Rainy day.
The next day I drove to Portsmouth. I learned the night before that this ferry (Isles of Shoals Steamship Company) to this island (Star Island) was going at 1:20pm to 5:30pm for $38 ($5 for parking). I had been trying to do this for years. Saw it on Samantha Brown or Weekends with Yankee or both. The group of islands are about six miles off shore. I walked into town. Saw John Paul Jones' house and the North Church, etc. Settled on the Old Ferry Landing for lunch because they said they were the oldest and were closest to the water and I forgot to write down to places that have been on tv. Had a probably frozen tuna sandwich with fries for $24. Some great view of Portsmouth and forts and (mostly submarine) naval yards and prison and lighthouses. I saw one fort (Constitution) for the first time. Star Island was cute. Small. They gave a walking tour. There is a "hotel" on it. Learned some history like who the Poors from Standard and Poors was. Hightailed it back (zero traffic) to Revere (MA). Stayed at the Comfort Inn on 60/1A (Expedia 9.0) for $147 and $20 parking. I saw it on the trip up. Next to Amazon. Minutes from Logan. Trust the highway signs that point you to Logan. It was good/new. Dinner at Subway. Perfect weather day.
The next day I had to uturn to get gas. Should have used the station north (you have to go north an uturn onto 60S) because the the two stations (prices below $3) between there and the airport are on the other side and then you have to go back and uturn again. Traffic was bad here. Found out there is a station RIGHT next to rental car return. Didn't see the prices. Bus to Terminal E. No issues.
Spent $15 on Gas. It was cheaper than here everywhere. $758 on Hotels. $102 on Airport Parking. $294 on everything else. $1316 in Total. Know Boston much better now. The girls there were in heat. Man I should have gone to college there. Man there were a lot of people fresh off the boat who didn't speak any English. Kind of did my annual NE trip. Knocked some other items off the list. Saw both kinds of weather. Could have done with a bit more lobster. Saw some selling for $10 a pound (uncooked). Steamers were $14 in the supermarket. I'd call it a successful sojourn. Felt really quick. Maine felt really spruced up.