Mobile Blog - An Udon a day...

It's foggy and cold outside. And I've got this sore throat...

Nothing a hot bowl of Udon can't fix!

T'is the time of 'soup' weather. Nothing beats snacking on a nice bowl of hot Udon or ramen on a cold Autumn day!

I wish it would also help drive away this impending cold/cough coming my way...

More Udon, kudasai!!!

Mobile blog - Makoto Japanese Buffet

Checked out this new Japanese buffet place in Vancouver, WA called Makoto.

Still kinda new, and it shows with the long waiting line at the entrance, which they say is fairly common specially during dinner.

First impressions - nice place, got enough parking. The food ranges from the usual cooked fare to sashimi and sushi combos.

The sushi is ok. Nothing great (this is a buffet after all). Some variety of rolls, nigiri, and sashimi. I made sure I got my money's worth on this section of the buffet ;-)

I do agree with one reviewer who mentioned the sushi isn't solidly built and some tend to crumble once picked up and moved to your plate. But then again, I guess that's sacrificing some quality for quantity, since they have to churn out new batches quickly.

The grilling stuff is great, and you can pick different meats and even seafood then have it cooked. It's like a Mongolian-style cooking section.

Ah and the dessert is really good, specially the cakes (then again I'm a sucker for cakes). They also have fruits and ice cream, the latter being served in individual cups which is kinda cool.

Service is ok but could be better.

Is this a place to come back again to? Yes, I think so. The price and food is good and worth the drive out if you're really raring for a big meal. If not and you're just looking for sushi only, perhaps check out your closest sushi-go-round or sushi bar instead.

I will come back though since I wasn't able to get ice cream :-D

Itadakimasu!

Mobile blog - Fall

... is really here. Colder weather and longer nights. Time for the Fall photos to trickle in.

Ja ne!

Persona P3P: Shin Megami Tensei gaming 'to-go'

It was the Persona 3 on the PS2 that lured me back to RPG gaming.

I have never played an RPG game that I was so immersed with as much as the Persona series. Maybe since the characters are well done? And easy to relate to somehow? It's no HD eye candy either, and this kind of game shows you that you don't have to be all visuals to make an impact in the gaming world.

For Persona 3 on the PS2, I had 160+ hours of play time (I know...lame!), and the sequel, Persona 4, I have at least 100+ hours. But that's in a span of months, ok? Still, a lot of time devoted to these games.

I never planned on getting a PSP, but when it was confirmed that Atlus was releasing/porting Persona 3 to the PSP, that was my cue to get one.


P3P: Persona 3 Portable comes to the PSP. And now, there are two main characters to choose from.
After getting the PSP, I got P3P the same day. The PSP was going to be worth what I paid for already in a matter of days...

The game mechanics are pretty much the same from the PS2 version. Same setting/plot, and characters. However, this time, you have the option to play a female main character. This character has a little bit different story arc, so it's a worthwhile to go this route for those who have already completed and finished Persona 3 on the PS2. There are differences in the character interaction when playing the female MC, and also some new background music added.

Since the PSP is a smaller unit, a couple of sacrifices had to be made during the porting. For one, the anime cut scenes have been removed. Too bad though as this adds to the story's visual.


You use a red 'cursor' to move around town and the places that you wish to go to.
Navigation through town and within the school is also different. Instead of a running/walking avatar, you just move a circle and highlight/hover to locations that you want to go to.

But when inside Tartarus (the main 'battlefield' during the 'Dark Hour') you have your avatar running around as you navigate and fight with the enemies (the 'Shadows').

Battle sequences are still the same. P3P is turn based, same as its PS2 counterpart. You get to pick your moves/actions (take as long as you like, but not too long ok) so that you can strategize first, and then execute the action.


When engaging the Shadows, you get the option to allow you to control the actions of the other party members. And yes... that is a 'Santa Outfit' that you see and is available in-game... Merry Christmas :-)
The nice thing is that Atlus incorporated the extended/manual control option that they introduced in Persona 4. This allows you to 'decide' for the other characters in the game (non-playable characters) so that you can pick from their abilities manually, rather than having to rely on the AI and pray that it picks the right ability when you need it during battle.

Persona fusion (i.e., merging personas and creating new, more powerful ones) is still the same as the PS2 version.

Social links, which are relationships formed within the party members or other non-playable characters, are also still included in the game. These social links correspond to points that apply when doing Persona fusions that adds bonuses. Think of it like an experience points boost.

There are also some added 'side-quests', such as rescuing people who stray into Tartarus during the dark hour, and the doing part-time work and earning some cash to upgrade you and your team's equipment.

As of this writing, I have 70+ hours logged in P3P and past a little bit halfway through the entire game. At this rate, I might be replicating the number of hours I had with the PS2 version... or even more :-o

For fans of this RPG series (Shin Megami Tensei), this is something to get and try out. You get the awesome playability of P3 on the PS2, with the added convenience of being able to play it on-the-go.

I also recommend getting the extended battery as this will help greatly in the playtime.

Now, I wonder where's Atlus at on the Persona 5 development, which has been rumored (and semi-confirmed) to be released on the PS3. Soon enough, I hope!

Cheers all! :-)

Test Drive: 2011 Ford Mustang

Got the 2011 Stang ready, bright and early.

I was 'assigned' a white one, which makes it seem like my car (which is also white) transformed into something else.

Stepping inside felt 'foreign' for a while. This is was not the interior quality I was expecting. It was very nice. Granted, this model had the premium package, so it has the leather seats (powered seats for driver), nicer interior trim, and a decent sound system with satellite radio, multi-cd (MP3 capable), USB and auxiliary inputs, and steering wheel mounted controls.


Ford retained the 'retro' styling for the gauges, which is a good move in my opinion.
The dash gauges still sported the retro styling that I believe fits very well with the vehicle. Power windows have both auto up/down (the auto up might be a little safety concern there).

We had a nice drive planned out, and the weather cooperated nicely. Perfect to test the Stang in both highway and city driving.

The Stang's engine response is way better, compared to the previous generations (which should be the case), with the new aluminum 305hp V6 engine, mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. Of course I was craving a for the 6-speed manual unit, but then again they don't rent those, oh well.


At first glance you won't see much of a difference from the 2010 model - until you look under the hood and actually drive it.
The 305 horses made their presence felt as I floored the skinny pedal at one point, albeit it took a second or two before that light push back feeling. Which just made me miss having the 6-speed manual transmission more. I can image already how much 'kick' the GT model (5.0L engine with 412hp) would deliver - can't wait to figure a way to test drive one!

Driving within city limits felt ok too. The electronic-assisted power steering felt a bit light, but still transmitted enough feedback and didn't feel numb specially when making turns. The 'road feel' is still there.

The AC works well, and pumps in the cool air nicely. One nitpick with the climate control though - it sat too low on the console and the transmission handle blocks the view from the driver side, so you would have to reach over or around the transmission handle to adjust the temps.


I'd say Ford did a good job with the Mustang. Good enough that I am considering getting one again...soon perhaps?
The speakers on the stereo system were so-so, but I did like the USB interface that recognized my iPod and allowed full control via the stereo's interfaces. Yes, the unit had the Microsoft Sync on it, but I didn't fiddle with it (for fear the system might reboot or something...hehehe).

Another little gripe is the positioning of the cigarette lighter adaptor. I don't know why the positioned it up high in between the main A/C vents. If you would be sticking only one device on it, I guess it would be fine. But if you have more than one device and use an extension, it'll look a bit weird sticking out in the middle.

Trunk space is surprisingly generous too. I was able to fit my medium sized cooler in it, together with some other stuff (pastries, Jollibee stuff, Dasio goodies...).
Overall, the Mustang was solid and felt sure on the road. Of course, better tires and wheels (and suspension) would've added to a more exciting drive feel.


The 5.0 GT with a 6-speed manual and in Kona Blue would fit nicely in the garage...
Having a 6-speed manual would've added to the driving experience immensely, but the auto tranny ain't that bad. Boring, but not that bad... but nevertheless, zzzz...

Kudos to Ford for the updates introduced into the iconic Mustang. And with the return of the 5.0 engine, they just upped the ante a bit in new era for the muscle cars of this century.


Yes, even Rin 'approves' of the new model Mustang...

Now... to figure out how I get to test drive a 5.0 GT.

Or a Shelby perhaps? Doesn't hurt to dream ;-)

Drive safe folks!