It's surprising to me that we've been in Japan for almost three years now
and we've never introduced you to tempura yet.
So today we're gonna go for tendon.
You're absolutely gonna love this.
Come. It's gonna be so delicious.
Martina: Hey, I have a real quick question.
Just kukuku yeah, I know it's important tendon like anybody else. Simon: Right, it's great!
Martina: But like remember when on our community page we were like,
'Hey, which one should we go for?'
Martina: It's just a little bit strange to me, huh?
Yeah. Let's- Come on. You're gonna like it.
Martina: Guys... I gotta tell you. There is some
'sagi-jobta' helicopter stuff happening here right now.
Martina: Simon's like... Simon: 'sagi-jobta' helicopter isn't a word that anybody understands.
Martina: Okay, but we...
In neither Korean or English or in any language apart from us two. Martina: Okay -
Well, in Simon-Martina speak, 'sagi' is when someone's being like insincere or like -
it's a Korean word for like calling someone out...
Martina: I don't remember how we came up with these words anymore!
Martina: Simon goes 'I wanna do a video on tempura'. Simon: Yes!
Martina: And I said, I also want to do a video on tempura,
but there's this really cool like, kind of western style
omurice shop that looks like it's European.
And Simon was like 'tempura!' and I was like
'Omurice!'. And we went back and forth. And then we said -
We could just put it up for vote... Simon: We could. Martina: on our community page!
And we could ask people which one they prefer. Simon: True.
But all the comments are saying 'hey, lots of people have already done omurice
not many people have done tempura.'
So the people that are more vocal about it are the ones that voted for tempura.
Martina: Was that the vote? Simon: it's such a close thing. Martina: Was that the question?
I'm bigger than you, so my vote counts for more than you.
I'm at least 20% more of a vote...
Well...
Than your little tininess.
But my heart is so huge and caring.
Just your boobs are huge.
Gosh, I feel so small when I'm not holding the camera.
You're so small no matter what.
Such a small girl always.
I'd like to let you know that I am holding in my heart
the fact that you're going for tempura.
And I will hold this against you one day,
and be able to get some like leverage about going to like an arcade or something fun.
I don't think that's part of the deal. Martina: It is!
Yeah, I think the new plan is gonna be, uhm
Martina goes shopping while Simon tries to figure out where we're going.
Wow guys. That seems like something I would definitely wear.
I'm just gonna keep shopping until he catches up to me.
So is that why you're pulling me away... Martina: He's ready...
Turns out he's ready.
From the direction like I said we were going.
Turns out he's on to me now.
So we are both getting 'tendon' today
which is a word that I actually don't like when I see it in English
because it looks like tendon
Oh, you're right! Simon: you're going for a tendon shop?
No, just like a bridge word. So 'ten' is for tempura and 'don' is for donburi
which is like a rice bowl.
So it's a tempura rice bowl - is exactly what we're getting.
This place only has three options.
I got the eel, Martina got the mushroom
and the second one I think was shrimp. And that's it.
No customization.
You can get a beer, you can get extra rice or miso soup.
But you can't choose any other toppings whatsoever.
You just sit here, and eat it, and love it!
I'm trying to remember which one's which. 'Anago' is from the lake.
Simon: Do you remember which from which... Martina: 'Unagi' is from the ocean.
That's probably not right. I hope there's a check mark on the screen right now
going 'bing bing bing bing' that I'm correct.
They're doing the old-school writing of numbers. And that's what this is.
These are prices down here.
1-3-8-0. So it's $13.80.
But like.
My brain... too empty food tummy to think of this, ducky.
This is pretty much Mortal Kombat from the Edo time period.
And the only thing I ever think of when I think of intense songs is Mortal Kombat.
Simon: So intense.
Right? That's like immediately when you want to fight someone you go
'tanan tanan tanan tanan' in your head
And you immediately are like 'whaaaaat'.
Martina: Gotta tell you, I have a lot of questions about these beans.
What are these beans for?
Martina: I've never seen these beans, right? Is it for putting water on?
Simon: I don't know. Martina: Do you put soup on it? Do you think it's tea?
Nobody explained the beans.
See, I feel like every time you go to a Japanese restaurant, I feel like -
Okay. I've done my research. I know what I'm doing.
I'm ready to convey to people.
And then they just throw something out there
that I'm sure is a big tradition.
Martina: Beans!
Nobody ever told, me what are these two beans for?
Are they smelly beans? Are these eating beans?
I'm just gonna eat one and see what it's about.
Martina: I don't know. I think you're supposed to put hot water.
Do you think so? Martina: Yes.
Martina: Yes. I think that we only have...
Martina: You know what now? I don't know. No, don't eat it.
I just want to google. Martina: No, keep looking.
Why beans?
Simon: No. You can't google this sh*t!
So I'm committing to a theory.
Every table has these bowls. Martina: Yes.
And these bowls are the exact same pattern.
I looked in the bowls next to me and there are two beans in them.
Other people also had these bowls, and they have broth in there.
So I think they poured their tea into here.
I'm gonna commit and do it. Martina: Ducky!
Alright.
Simon: I poured tea on my beans.
Martina: I would let it sit for a bit.
It's scolding hot.
Ok there are important things I need tell you but cannot tell you right now.
So I'm just gonna send it to you, like
telepathically you're gonna listen to my inside voice.
I know you can hear my thoughts right now.
So I have something really important to tell you.
*Martina sings Shakira songs*
Sorry that wasn't it. Huh... The people beside us are Korean.
Now I cant make fun of Simon using Korean words.
Good, Simon didn't hear that last part.
Arigato gozaimasu~
Oh yeah.
Ooh. You're a bad boy of deep-fried goodness, aren't ya?
Oooh get into my tummy.
Look at that saucy-looking rice. Ooh!
Oh miso hangry right now.
Oh yeah. Look at the size of that anago.
That is a shower. Oh man.
Is that a deep-fried egg?
How did you keep it so soft and...
and juicy... Ooh I can't wait anymore.
Not greasy. Light, fluffy.
Nicely seasoned.
That's what I want from tempura.
Look at this massive bowl. Here I've got this huuuge piece of eel.
I got two shrimp.
I got some pepper here.
I got some... What is that? Squid? I'm not sure yet.
It's just covered in this light sauce. You can smell...
The smokiness of the fried.
Have you ever... had a piece of tempura...
This big?
I don't even know how to begin.
Itadakimasu~
That's such a great combination
of the fluffiness of the eel
the crunchiness of the batter
It's not too oily at all. Has great
sweet and soy seasoning on it.
A little bit of that rice.
Now that is a comforting meal.
Martina: Yeah I see that.
Simon: What is that? Martina: It's actually my first time to have
nori that's been fried like this.
I've had it before when it was wrapped around something.
But I've never just had it on its own.
It's great, it would be an amazing snack if they served it on a
It's crunchy. It's salty.
Got a little bit of that like um...
MSG flavor that's on your lips afterwards.
Awesome!
Simon: Good tempura isn't necessarily about
how much batter you could put on.
A lot of it is about temperature control.
Is about moisture control.
You want to put each item in the fryer just long enough
that it pulls out some of the extra moisture from the item
to enhance the flavor. You pull away the water
and give a more concentrated flavor.
So there is a lot of skill and timing and precision
when it comes to making good tempura.
It's not just batter these as much as you can and throw it in the fryer.
Very, very different from the one I'm used to.
Martina: Now there is a big difference between
getting tendon and between getting tempura.
First of all, as you mentioned before, tendon is served over rice.
The reason for that is because the sauce drips down into the rice and giving it flavor
and you've got the actual tempura on top.
But when when you go for just tempura
they usually serve it to you with different sauces.
You might have salt, you might have wasabi powder.
And you kind of dip it into that and eat it on its own.
We've gone for tempura before
and it was a really nice place where you're getting
piece by piece and you're waiting like you'd go for sushi.
This is different. So if you leave this sitting here too long,
this is why this is a tough video,
it will get soggy and we do not want that.
So I'm just gonna...
Pick a...
Piece of food and uh...
Keep eating, don't you know?
Seasonal fried mushrooms.
Oh.
I love oyster mushrooms.
They always look kind of weird, 'cause they're all bunched together.
Not the enoki ones that are tall and thin.
But the ones that look like...
Coral? Simon: They almost look like fans that open up. Like the summertime fans.
That's a good way of describing.
Come on down here to these side dishes.
So on this side we've got a type of radish that's been pickled.
Not like a huge daikon but like a smaller one.
We've had them before like in other places
in different parts of Japan that are like smoky-tasting.
And then over here we have ginger with what we think is burdock root.
And this is definitely seaweed on the side
which you have sometimes for like
when you drink beer and other alcohols.
And here is the thing. We sat down here and you saw
We had no idea what those were.
We just kind of guessed it.
And just we started tasting it, we're like:
'I think that's what it is'. And it may not actually be
what it is to this exact conversation I'm having with you.
But the point is, you just gotta try stuff.
Like, you don't come to a country and go
'I suddenly have all the knowledge'. No guys, you gotta come here,
you gotta eat it and go: 'I think this is ginger'.
And then someone later on will tell you 'No, that's potato'. And you go:
'Gosh I was wrong'. But — Simon: Who confuses ginger with potatoes?
I don't know, I'm just saying. Simon: Hahaha.
Don't be afraid to learn and don't be afraid to make mistakes.
You don't need to come here and be the expert of the culture, okay?
I like my potato-ginger. Simon: One thing to note also with the side dishes.
This isn't something that you kick on top of your meal.
They have a small little dish for you, as a side dish.
Put your stuff over there and bite on it from time to time
as a palate cleanser rather than kind of like a seasoning
on top of your food. Very different.
That was a delicious meal, but...
I have a story I have to share with you.
Come join me in the alleyway. It's a dark story.
It's a scary story.
Maybe just in time for Halloween.
So a little while ago, Simon and Dan and I all went to Fukuoka.
And we shot some great video.
And on the way home, we stopped for tempura, near the airport
which was amazing. But we ordered like
probably 15 pieces of tempura, which was a really bad idea.
And I forgot that, with my EDS, anything that's overly greasy
really, really fatty tonkostu ramen or
really, really fatty piece of beef
or perhaps 15 pieces of deep-fried tempura...
they don't settle too well. And I said: 'You know what?'
'Well that was a mistake'.
We got on a taxi, because we had just missed the bus.
And feeling real shaky.
Then, we hit...
Traffic.
Not just any kind of traffic, guys. The kind of traffic
that backs you up, inside of a tunnel.
We were in a tunnel, at a total standstill,
as sweat was pouring down my face.
And I was physically concentrating as hard as I could
and I looked outside and I thought:
Well, I have a couple options.
Number one:
I can sh*t in my pants.
And then I have to sit in there for the next...
45 minutes.
Or, I open up the car door,
and I just take a sh*t on the road!
But then every car will painstakingly and
slowly go past me with their phones all going:
'Oh youtube desu!'
They didn't know it was a youtuber who's gonna end up on Youtube anyways.
Or option number three:
Open the car door.
Hop the emergency barrier and kick open the exit
that actually leads out into the tunnel.
Oh no my story of shame.
And then that was it, and it was fine
and everything is ok! Am I clear?
Simon: You're clear! Martina: Okay!
Option number four.
*Wooh-oo-oo-oo-ooh*
Pinch it off like the boss that I am
and hold it for as long as possible.
And I did.
I sat in that car, drenched in sweat head to toe.
Couldn't listen to music, couldn't talk to Simon.
Simon was holding my hand like I was pregnant
which I was, I was pregnant with a food... poopy.
And he held my hands, he's like 'Girl, you can do this!'
And we already told the taxi.
And the fourth exit, we got on.
It was just wrapped with traffic.
We finally got off.
We finally go to the first convenient store we found.
The door swung open, I pulled out my cane.
I hobbled my way into the place.
I opened up the door, I'm like
'Where is the toilet?'
I hobbled my way, I saw the toilet.
And just as I reach for the handle,
some girl, literally zipped past me
went inside and slammed the door on my face, and I was like...
Well, Martina, you've got two options.
You can sh*t your pants here on the side of the door.
Or you could be that person who pounds on someone's washroom door.
Anyways I knocked on the door until she left, and it was a good thing I did
'cause I had really, really bad poops guys.
Just...
Water...
Simon: Point is, today you didn't sh*t your pants.
Not yet.
So we'll update you later on.
Probably in less than an hour if I...
have had the shi-pocalypse 2018.
That's my story, thanks for watching guys!
Don't forget to subscribe and like! Woo!