Excursions Into Flushing, Queens: Live Octopus and an Old Friend

I am an adventure eater.  This is not news to anyone that knows me, so when I heard that there was live octopus (like writhing, sucking on to the inside of one's cheek, live) to be had at Sik Gaek in Flushing, I was there.  It didn't hurt that this restaurant and dish came recommended by Anthony Bourdain on an episode of No Reservations either.

I didn't take this footage.  I couldn't get a good enough shot before the tendrils were completely devoured!  So I stole a shot from youtube (same restaurant and dish).

The real draw to this event was the GIANT seafood hot pot: squid, snails, hermit crabs, mussels, clams, crab, lobster, and more octopus all boiled in a spicy broth.

The lovely Miss Lily accompanied me.

Not even a week went by before I was back in Flushing for more Korean fare, this time for bulgogi and bibimbap.

And whose this handsome devil?

That's right!  Gus came to visit me during his business trip.

We went out after work with his coworkers, Sheila and Doug (I hope those are their names anyway).

 

Being that Gus was in town, I _had_ to bring him to the Way Staition, a Doctor Who/Steampunk themed pub.

 I really dug these 360 spinning cage fans.

 

There was a Tardis in the center of the bar (seen above) and inside was a very large bathroom with Dr. Who muraling.

Later I decided that two excursions out to Flushing just wasn't enough.

Another day, another bulk Korean candy shop wonderland (inside J-Mart).

What's this?  A tea cup baring the likeness of all Forty-four American Presidents?  I may yet go back and purchase this.

The best part of the center surrounding Flushing's J-Mart is the food court.  Here I ordered lo mai gai, a combination of barbecued pork and peanuts at the center of glutinous sticky rice steamed in a lotus leaf (my favorite dim sum dish); some pan-fried pork buns with saucy, gingery meatball centers; and a piping hot, gelatin-rich cup of beef gumbo.

Here you can see the lo mai gai (also called zongzi) while it's still encased in lotus leaf.  Lily told me that the dish originates from an old Chinese folktale wherein the poet Qu Yuan drowns himself in a river as a form of political protest.  He was so loved by his country that the villagers prepared and packaged zongzi and tossed them into the river so the fish would not eat the poet's corpse.

This is definitely not your average food court.  Yes, it is inside a mall.  Yes, it is cheap, fast food; but how many food courts have hand-pulled noodles..?

...or live lobster?

 

Being that I was in an Asiatown, I had to visit more toy stores.

I am so predictable.

But how can you resist cartoon animals printed on plastic food?

Oh how I love the Japanese!

These Sanrio-centric shops look so much like the bedroom of an eight-year-old me...Oooooor a twenty-six year old me.

Angry Pirate Octopus Nigiri Plush.

The sun was setting and two for $2 bubble tea sounded way too good to pass up.

The tea shop also made fresh waffles to eat on the go.  I love the idea of waffles as street food.

Two Jasmine milk teas with boba: one for now, one for later.

The sun was really low on the horizon as I sipped at my bubble tea and looked out over the familiar sight of grafitti from the 7 train.  I had a long, wonderful day.

They really went to town on this building.

Next time: self promotion and a lot of baking.