Lunch at Sabiten勝博殿 Japanese Restaurant,

 I caught up with two friends/old colleagues over lunch at  Sabiten勝博殿 Japanese Restaurant, one hosted me in Prague Czech Republic, and the other hosted me in Mew York City while they stationed there. It was fun to grind sesame seeds in a blender container and I liked the fruit vinegar drink. Another kind of vinegar was mixed into the sesame power as a dipping sauce for the pork chop. However, my pork chop already came with Nagoya sauce 名古屋味噌醬 that was too sweet for me， especially over pork chop. By the way, Japanese fried squid tasted more crispy for the coating. 

Tonkatsu, or pork Katsu/cutlet, is a Japanese dish of pork filet that is breaded with panko breadcrumbs and deep-fried. It is traditionally served with a dark, savory tonkatsu sauce and shredded green cabbage. Katsu also means victory, so people eat Tonkatsu in hope of victory of exams, competitions, etc. (according to one of my junior high classmates).

The rest of my day was running around for my healthcare card and two doctor appointments. My dentist was late so I used the wait time to get a 100 TWD ($3.3 USD) haircut and a pair of sports sandals (a brand I wear many years, yet half-price to buy in Taiwan than USA) in a night market.

Taiwanese night markets (夜市) are street markets that operate in urban or suburban areas after sunset, with individual stalls selling clothing, consumer goods, xiaochi (snacks or fast food), and specialty drinks. Before COVID, they were crowded and noisy with hawkers shouting and fast-paced music playing over loudspeakers. Not so much now.