Saturday evening Kumiko and I were on our way to dinner with Beefy, but we were so hungry already at that moment, that kind of loopy slow-mo can’t-speak hunger, and Beefy was somewhere on top of the Empire State Building still, and I thought maybe we’d just pop into a Japanese joint I keep meaning to go to on Saint Mark’s Place, because it seemed like the kind of place where two girls can get a little pre-dinner snack—specifically the kind of little pre-dinner snack that comes on a stick.

There weren’t too many snacks on sticks at Izakaya Kenka, but there sure was grilled mackerel and takoyaki, among other things we didn’t order. Salted cow tongue, I am talking to you.

Do you know takoyaki? Takoyaki is dough balls stuffed with octopus. It comes hot, with bonito flakes dancing on top. Takoyaki is your friend.

The thing is, takoyaki is your friend, but it is best if Kumiko is also your friend, because Kumiko is (a) Japanese and (b) hence, lucky!!!, and (c) knows how to say things. Like: Ohashi!, which is Please, may I have some chopsticks?, or Lemonhai!, which is It would be great if I could have a glass of refreshing lemonade sake drink, or Yorokonde!, which is Happily I will do for you what you ask.

Handy. Tokyo, here I come.