PSA: if you’re using Rails+Hotwire, Turbo’s so-fast-it-feels-like-magic ability to update sections of the DOM downgrades Capybara’s all
method from “likely to regret this” to “definite footgun” when used in system tests.
IME, Turbo Streams updates the DOM so fast that elements found with Capybara’s all
are extremely likely to be stale by the time you iterate and interact with them. After several days of fighting intermittent CI failures, I had to banish all
in favor of find
in all my tests.
Kawakyu Tonkatsu
We had a brief stop in Kagoshima, so we took full advantage to get ourselves some Kurobuta (黒豚) pork. The pork is like "black angus" in that despite having "black" in the name, it is still the just-barely-cooked-enough-to-be-safe pink color we know and love.
Antonio
This place had a ludicrous happy hour deal, essentially boiling down to $2 whisky highballs and lemon sours, sub-$2 for five grilled homemade gyoza, and just a wee bit over $2 for a draft beer.
Naturally they were as good as any gyoza I've had in my life.
Here is my Tabelog check-in
Kumamoto Castle
I’ve done a lot of castles in Japan, but after the 2016 earthquake, I really had no idea what to expect from Kumamoto-jo. The degree to which the restoration project has seemingly made the castle more accessible to the general public is really impressive.
You can tell something is up when you walk the massive sky bridge from the castle town to the structure itself. When you enter the castle, the amount of modern infrastructure present—from steel beams supporting the stonework to drywall and air conditioning—is a little overwhelming. All-in-all, it’s a really cool 2-3 hour diversion, but prepare for a lot of walking!
Somuri
Yoshoku is often mistaken for simply meaning "Western food" in Japan, but it's really it's own genre, with its own distinct vibe and standard menu. Walking into a great yoshoku place feels like entering an alternate Western history, if that makes any sense.
Anyway, this place has a great ハンバーグ(hamburger steak), which is not to be confused with a ハンバーガー(hamburger sandwich).
See my Tabelog check-in here.
Just booked our ferry tickets for the overnight, 27-hour boat ride from Kyushu to Okinawa for RubyKaigi. Can’t wait to see everyone Tuesday night! aline-ferry.com
Uwajima Ferry
Taking ferries in Japan is an entertaining diversion, especially as an American who didn’t grow up around islands. We really enjoyed this three hour excursion as we traveled from one onsen town in Shikoku (Matsuyama) to another one in Kyushu (Beppu).
Also fun was the random Suzume film propwork created to promote the port’s appearance as the main character traveled to Ehime.
The onsen hotel we’re staying at is equipped with four of these bad boys and as long as I’ve got this chair in my life I’m not sure I’ll have need for human touch ever again panasonic.jp/massage/p-db/EP-MA88M.html
Dogo onsen
Famed as the oldest onsen (hot springs) bath in Japan, it’s relatively tiny and cramped by today’s standards, but it was cool to check it off the bucket list. The little onsen town that’s grown up around this main building were definitely worth a visit, especially if you’re a fan of Studio Ghibli’s “Spirited Away”, as this onsen was apparently among their artistic inspirations.
If you go, I'd recommend staying where we did, at Dogokan (道後館) hotel.
Kamenoi - Izukougen
After visiting this onsen hotel in Izu last year, I decided to bring Becky this time and we had an absolutely wonderful time. Beautiful property, well-maintained. The staff really go above and beyond, too.
Gaburi Chicken (Namba)
I love the Gaburi chicken chain. I first stumbled on it in Tokyo, of all places, even though I’m pretty sure it’s based in Nagoya. Order the chickent thigh (“momo”) kara age until you’re full. The 2 hour all-you-can-drink deal is pretty cheap, too
See my Tabelog check-in here.
やきとり番番
I was pretty impressed to find a decent yakitori place so close to Kabukicho's main drag that wasn't overrrun by tourists. The guy seated next to me had been coming to the same bar for 40 years.
Tabelog page (my review)