Kakarot! Goku Does It Again

Here's the Goku balloon! Hoda kinda looses it after she says "Kakarot". pic.twitter.com/0dIQWpG1fu

— Tanooki Joe (@TanookiKuribo) November 28, 2019

Best thing about the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade this year is how funny a host thought Kakarot is said, instead saying, well, something she can't stop laughing at.

Weird also no mention of Funimation/Sony or Bandai just Toei as the one's behind Goku here in the US.

Polygons and Pixels Anthony Petrie Interview

One of TTDILA's favorite artists, Anthony Petrie, is back with a duo art show and it's about video games at Gallery 1988. Polygons and Pixels has Anthony teaming up with Dan Mumford another well-known from G1988'S catalog of artists. That's a great way to kick off the holiday season and some convenient gift buying for those who need to get something for the gamer in their lives.

We did not sit down with Anthony at DCon, but still managed to ask him some questions about his upcoming show.

Polygons and Pixels 

Opening Reception Dec 6, 7pm

Gallery 1988

7308 Melrose Ave

Free

TTDILA: Polygons and Pixels, a duo show, how'd it come about? How did the video game theme come down? Was Jensen (gallery owner) like, "I need video game art...now, so do it now, now, now!”

Anthony Petrie: Basically yea. I had all but sworn off gallery shows, but I liked the focused theme as well the idea of teaming up with another person. Dan [Mumford] came up with the theme and video games are an area that I rarely explore, so I thought it would be good to hop a little outside my comfort zone.

Can you tell us what games your covering? Anything new like a Death Stranding piece or more older stuff? Are you playing new games? Current system?

Death Stranding is a little too new to have been in this one; I finished my posters about 2 months ago before the game was released. I stuck with some all-time favorites and a couple of classics. My rundown is:

Red Dead Redemption 2

The Last of Us

Gears of War

Rampage

Punch-Out!!

Super Mario Bros.

Legend of Zelda

Street Fighter II

What are some of your favorite video games and why? Will any be in the show?

There’s a few but the one that sticks out to me the most is Red Dead Redemption 2. I spent a lot of time with that game over the past year. After I completed it, there was an empty space where playing that game used to be. I did make a poster for it for the show, and I think it’s the best piece overall.

What piece took you the longest and why?

I like to have some over-the-top one-off pieces for my gallery shows, something that makes it worth showing up for, so I made an enormous stained-glass window for one of the classic games. I won’t spoil it before the show, but I spent about a month cutting tiny pieces of glass, soldering metal, and hand-making a frame. I may have lead poisoning from it now.

Last of Us Anthony Petrie

Will anything be like your amazing map work, the world of gaming is rife with what you could do there. 

I had considered it originally, but it felt too apropos in relation to the technical aspect of video games. The my central concept for [my part of] the show is adding elements of realism to video game imagery. Unexpected materials, textures, realistic rendering, etc. Bringing them to life.

From the only preview image I've seen so far it looks like you're gonna be doing some horror games. Your past work relating to horror films has been just hauntingly clever with a nice gore chaser. How does horror relate to you and your work?

My first love is horror, and though I don’t get to work on that genre a lot, I try to infuse it where I can. As for this show, I think the only horror title I chose was The Last of Us. That game is terrifying, and it really lends itself to realism in my art. There’s a lot of horror video games out there, but I feel like a lot of them skew really over-the-top or slightly campy.

Current Immortal Hulk comic

Follow-up question have you by chance been reading Immortal Hulk? It's very popular in comics right now as the direction has moved Hulk into a horror figure. Banner turns into Hulk at night and there's some good ol' fashion body horror. I'd love it if you could do an incentive/variant cover.

I have it downloaded in my Comixology app but I haven’t gotten to it yet! 

How was DCon? Why do you go to DCon.? We know we got to see work from artists like you and get cool stuff the will make friends jealous.

Metal Gear Solid Dan Mumford

DesignerCon was great this year. There were some growing pains last year, but it looks like the
trajectory for that show is rising quickly. There’s definitely a lot of high quality art and artists that show there, kind of like all of the best parts of comic conventions plus folks that you don’t normally get to see at the regular shows. I spend more money than I make there on all the cool stuff.

Any funny stories from DCon on any art show openings for yourself. Like a fan looks at you work and gets the wrong movie or reference? Any fond moments?

It’s usually the opposite. A fan will endlessly wax poetic on a property that I worked on, and I only watched it once for research. Case in point, at a recent signing I did in NYC for a Yu-Gi-Oh poster there were some pretty hardcore YGO fans there who wanted to talk about the characters they loved SO much, and I don’t really know what it even is aside from limited Googling. I was commissioned for a piece in that show, but somehow ended up being a part of Yu-Gi-Oh lore, which I know literally nothing about. 

I see you're Player 2 on the poster for the show; are you gonna challenge Dan Mumford to a video game at the event to becoming NUMBAH 1!?

I may stand a better chance arm-wrestling, but if I can get an arcade machine in there, I will do my best to establish dominance.

Check out Anthony's online print store here.

DesignerCon 2019: Review (Part 1 of 2)

By Eric Harris


8.3 miles of arts, toys, collectables and more!!! DesignerCon is one of the biggest names in the Southern California design scene. The Things To Do In LA team spent two days exploring the nooks and crannies of booths and exhibits from 700 vendors and 300+ artists.

DesignerCon is a multi-genre, multi-disciplinary design-related convention. Envision an expensive Designer Toys and collectibles swap-meet. You’ll find $5 enamel pins next to $20,000 drip art robot sculptures adjacent to prints of sloths decorated in the style of Mexican wrestlers. The fun is in the sheer volume and variety of wacky apparel, plush dolls, printed art work, sculptures, fantasy taxidermy, video game art, tiki culture, 3D printing, and good old-fashioned vinyl and plastic toys.

Artists design trends included a notable 1980s and early 1990s USA media influence. Bob Ross, the Gremlins, ET, the Goonies, VHS cassettes, and Japanese manga/anime Akira themes were rampant, much like motorcycle gangs roaming the streets of Neo-Tokyo. We found more Golden Girls merchandise than ever before. Weird! Who buys this stuff?

Sneakers and fantasy taxidermy were some of the biggest surprises of the convention. Sneakers were everywhere this year. Everywhere! There were custom painted shoes, shoe art exhibits, shoe toys, shoe painting kits, free shoe cleaning, and even DesignerCon exclusive sneaker wipes! Also hot in the footwear category were UV-light reactive designs, which will earn you a ton of design points if you spend time under blacklights or impromptu crime scene investigations.

The Anaheim Convention Center, adjacent to Disneyland, is a comfortable venue and offers easy parking. Somewhat centrally located within the Greater-LA area, the Anaheim Convention Center provides travelers from outside the region with multiple airport options and a wide variety of lodging choices. However, on-site dining choices or restaurants within close walking distance are limited. Beware — food truck selections can be hit or miss, and you may experience long waits.

TTDILA fully recommends DesignerCon. If you enjoy the genre of Designer/Art Toys and have a particular interest in vinyl toys and collectables, DesignerCon is worth the trip. Expect to spend a complete day on your feet if you want to explore all the booths or attend artist signing sessions. We classify this event as manageable to do in one day; however, it may be more enjoyable to attend over two or more days. For reference, the TTDILA team spent 13 hours on-location over two days (8.3 miles total walking distance) to adequately cover the event.

Standard tickets will get you through the show. However, the optional VIP upgrade adds flexibility with early access to the exhibit halls on Friday evening and Saturday morning. If you’re hunting for limited edition merchandise, or want to skip the Saturday main entrance queue, consider the VIP route.

DesignerCon
November 22- 24, 2019
Anaheim convention Center
$30 - $80

Check out our Part 2 coverage for highlights from the event!

You know the drill... Same Bat-Time! Same Bat-Station!
TTDILA saves Southern California from boredom!

Weekly What To Do: Happy Thanksgiving Weekend

Thanksgiving time! Enjoy a movie with friends and family or just remember the horrible messed-up violence after with Akira.

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES
Wed, Nov 27, 7:30pm
Aero Theatre 1328 Montana Avenue,
Santa Monica, CA 90403
$

On the road heading home for Thanksgiving, businessman Steve Martin meets an obnoxious chatterbox (John Candy), and the two opposites get stuck together as Murphy’s Law affects every attempt they make to reach their destinations.

SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
Fri, Nov 29, 7:30pm
Aero Theatre 1328 Montana Avenue,
Santa Monica, CA 90403
$

On a short list of the greatest screen musicals ever made, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN began with legendary MGM producer Arthur Freed giving screenwriters Betty Comden and Adolph Green a stack of songs he'd written early in his career (with partner Nacio Herb Brown) - including "Broadway Melody," "You Are My Lucky Star" and the title song - with the simple request to weave a story around the numbers.

Queen Mary Christmas
Select dates starting November 29, 2019 through January 1, 2020
The Queen Mary, 1126 Queens Hwy, Long Beach, CA.,90802

General Admission is $22 for children and $29 for adults. 
+ parking, separate cost

Embark on an immersive holiday adventure through the outdoor North Pole Village for live entertainment, ice skating at the True North Ice Rink, and holiday beverages and treats at the Making Spirits Bright Bar and the rink-side Lodge. Climb aboard the ship to experience a vintage rush of holiday joy and stroll through the tree-lined decks to find Mrs. C reading stories to little ones and Ol’ Saint Nick hosting meet-and-greets in his Captain’s Quarters, amongst strolling performers and more. The Winter Wharf onboard the ship will feature stocking decorating, gingerbread house making, and insta-worthy photo opportunities.

Grand Opening Day!
Friday, November 29, 10:00 AM-5:00 PM
Bob Baker Marionette Theater
4949 York Boulevard Los Angeles, CA, 90042
Free

A ribbon cutting by special guests and opening ceremony will kick off the day at 10am, with puppet shows on the hour beginning at 11am. The six puppet shows throughout the day will celebrate and explore the six decades that the Bob Baker Marionette Theater has been delighting kids of all ages. Surprise guests will introduce each decade and share the stories and history from the Theater over the years. Additional exhibits, activities, and walk-around puppets will occur throughout the day, with historic Bob Baker photography and a virtual reality Bob Baker experience next door at our neighbors, MorYork.

Chopping Mall & Phantom of the Mall in 35mm: Black Friday
Friday, November 29, 7:30 PM – 11 PM

Cinematic Void

6712 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, California 90028

$12

Shopping to you drop as Cinematic Void takes you back to the mall this Black Friday with Chopping Mall (aka Killbots) and Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge, both in 35mm.

SATIRICAL CINEMA: Using Comedy to Undermine Hate
- Free Triple Feature!
Sat, November 30, 2019
3:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Aero Theatre
1328 Montana Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90403
Free

In THE GREAT DICTATOR, Charlie Chaplin skewers Adolph Hitler. In THE PRODUCERS, Broadway producers Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder hope to stage a flop called “Springtime for Hitler.” In World War II satire JOJO RABBIT, the blind nationalism of a German boy (Roman Griffin Davis) and his imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi), is challenged when the boy's mother (Scarlett Johansson) hides a Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) in their attic.

THE LORD OF THE RINGS Trilogy
Sat, Nov 30, 1:00pm
Egyptian Theatre 6712 Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood, CA 90028
$15

If your family's not gonna appreciate you a wizard and some tiny half-lings will.





Unique Markets Holiday Pop-Up: DTLA
Nov 30-Dec 1
Hudson Loft
1200 S Hope St
Los Angeles, CA 90015
$15

"Unique Markets is taking over DTLA's historic Hudson Loft for two fabulous floors of holiday shopping! Attendees will have the chance to shop over 100 of the best independent designers and emerging brands while exploring the building's stunning architecture.

Always an immersive experience, there will be festive-freebies such as holiday portraits with Oh Snap Studios, drinks from Califia Farms, Revive Kombucha and Harmless Harvest, and snacks from CLIF Bar. The holiday market will also showcase interactive art and photo experiences, live DJs, free gift-wrapping stations, and screenprinting from Constant Contact, with a special live portrait-drawing experience from Society 6. Come experience the creativity and meet the designers and business owners of your favorite local brands in-person"

LA Kings Holiday Ice
November 30, 2019 - January 12, 2020
LA Live
Individual General Admission (L.A. LIVE): $22
Kids Age 6 and Under: $17
Seniors 62 and over: $17
Military (up to 4 guests) with ID: $17

The annual LA Kings Holiday Ice presented by Coca-Cola brings outdoor ice skating to L.A. LIVE's Xbox Plaza! The LA Kings Holiday Ice Rink presented by Coca-Cola will be open November 30, 2019 - January 12, 2020*. Skate your way into the holiday season! The ice rink is only here for a limited time, so don't miss out on this fun family activity, romantic date night, or a fun way to pass the time before and after a sports game or concert!

Alex Film Society Presents
22nd Annual The Three Stooges

Big Screen Event!

Saturday, November 30, 2019 – 2:00 pm & 8:00 pm

Alex Theatre
216 North Brand Boulevard
Glendale, CA 91203

$17

Celebrating 22 years of Stooge madness, the theme is ‘Fresh Pandemonium’ – featuring shorts we’ve not previously shown in the past 21 years.Stooge family in attendance. Lots of Raffle baskets filled with Stooge goodies from C3 Entertainment.

Screening of anime classic AKIRA (1988)
Sat, Nov 30, 2019, 11:59 PM
Vista Theatre
4473 Sunset Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90027

$12.75 – $99

One of the last chances to see Akira on the big screen. The Akira Special Screening we posted on about a week ago already sold out. Its also makes it your third chance to see Akira in two weeks.


"SPECIAL NOTE: This is part of a Japanese anime series we’re doing for our Winter 2020 season. AKIRA actually gets removed from rep theater circulation on 12/1/19 indefinitely. So if you want to see AKIRA in a movie theater, this may be your last chance for a while"

Jackalope Underground DTLA
Saturday, November 30th & Sunday,
December 1st, 2019 from 11am to 7pm daily
Grand Central Market, DTLA
308 S. Hill Street, Los Angeles CA
Free

Shoppers can expect to find trendsetting indie goods including original fashion and jewelry design, paper goods, innovative home decor and housewares, art, photography, food, plus much more. 

Hollywood Christmas Parade 2019
Sunday, Dec 1, 6 PM
Hollywood Boulevard, along the stree
Free
* Bring a sweater, suppose to be cold that night

It's our own short and sweet parade for Christmas. Spend a few hours checking it out and be bitter it's in no way as big as Macy's. But just chill, because it's still not NYC here. Fun for the whole family and you smack dab in them middle of Hollywood for other sights.

Dark Delicacies 25th Anniversary Party
Sunday, Dec 1, 11 AM – 6 PM

Dark Delicacies

822 N. Hollywood Way, Burbank, California 91505

Not really sure of festiveness.

Kicking off our 25th Anniversary Month! Lots of surprises!Loads of full posters to give-a-way... Drawings for prizes $25 surprise boxes & $15 surprise pails for kids to benefit "Wildlife Care of Southern California"

Dumpling & Associates Pop-Up
Dec 3rd, 2019 - Mar 5th, 2020
Tue - Sun, 11:00 am - 7:00 pm
ROW DTLA 777 Alameda Street
Los Angeles, CA 90021
$25 early bird
$32


Whether a ravioli, a pierogi or a traditional xiaolongbao, dumplings are a religious experience for foodies. Although they are delicious on their own, they are much better with all the “associates” that come with them — think garlic or spicy dipping sauce. Upon entering this 14-room experience, guests will be met with whimsical art installations inspired by traditional dumpling associates. The exhibition will bring you on an interactive journey of how a dumpling comes to be, including the Garlic Swing (think Miley’s Wrecking Ball), the Mr. Dum-bling Bling room and the Dumpling Jacuzzi. The result is a uniquely instagrammable and delicious experience that fully immerses attendees into this culinary canon.

In Fabric
Tuesday, December 3rd, 2:00 P.M.
3131 S. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007
FREE ADMISSION. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. RSVPs REQUIRED.

A lonely woman (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), recently separated from her husband, visits a bewitching London department store in search of a dress that will transform her life. She’s fitted with a perfectly flattering, artery-red gown—which, in time, will come to unleash a malevolent curse and unstoppable evil, threatening everyone who comes into its path.

From acclaimed horror director Peter Strickland (the singular auteur behind the sumptuous sadomasochistic romance The Duke of Burgundy and auditory giallo-homage Berberian Sound Studio) comes a truly nightmarish film, at turns frightening, seductive, and darkly humorous. Channeling voyeuristic fantasies of high fashion and bloodshed, In Fabric is Strickland’s most twisted and brilliantly original vision yet.

Cybertruck Girl or Cybertruck-chan

What is that suppose to be a hologram girl whose the A.I. of the car? WTF is this? Why aren't we talking about this too?

Stolen from the big lady hologram of the new Blade Runner film comes a very strange start to the Cybertruck unveiling. If you watched the unveiling from the start you realized that Elon Musk does not give a sh*t about what his marketing team thinks or has one. For about 30 seconds we had an introduction from a nameless hologram lady. She did some jokes like, “In the future, there will be no straws, I promise.” Which you can hear the crowd not react to, because they had no idea what was going on.

Then there's the not subtle references to the original Blade Runner and the announcement of her "creator" and Musk comes on stage.

WTF? Why even include this in your presentation for a truck?

Right now, the internet is in awe of the broken windows of the car or just the ugly design, not that the AI of the car or a weird sci-fi interpretation of what a hologram girlfriend would look like according to Musk introduced him on stage.

As it turns out the identity of the Cybertruck-chan might actually be Musk's real life girlfriend Claire Boucher who also goes by Grimes as a singer.

Weird.

So remember, the presentation was messed up from the start, not just a guy chucking metal balls and breaking two windows. And the LA Auto Show started the same day and could have presented it there.
 

Pasadena Doo Dah Parade Sunday Nov 24

The Occasional Pasadena Doo Dah Parade celebrates 42 years of irreverent frolicking on the streets of Pasadena this Sunday, November 24th. On Doo Dah day, over 85 unique entries will be joining in the fun from all over Southern California.
more info

Queen Jesselynn Desmond and Grand Marshals Seismo Sue and the Seismo Sisters lead dozens of inventive, if zany, art cars, floats, and a legion of revelers past the mom-n-pop shops along East Pasadena’s shady tree-lined streets with amemorable cast of local eccentrics, disruptors, political pundits, lone wolves, steam punks, makers, and merrymakers.
WHEN: Doo Dah steps off at 11am. Immediately following the event, many after-parties will take place in the Parade vicinity.
WHERE: The Parade loops along Colorado Boulevard, between Altadena Drive and San Gabriel Boulevard, in East Pasadena. Start location is 2627 E. Colorado Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91107.
COST: The event is always free-of-charge to the public!

Weekend Wonders: TKB Bakery & Deli

Things To Do In LA presents Weekend Wonders, thoughtful trips to take selfies on an hour or more from LA.

That's a big damn fine sandwich! Past the big ol' cock. There's a rooster statue before you find a plain looking building with TKB at the top. Once inside you'll be in a 7-Eleven landscape of soda and chips to get. A bakery of delicious goods before you, a line stretched to where you are. And on the other side, where you order your big honkin' sandwich.

A hidden gem on the way to Phoenix, Arizona or just past Palm Springs and nestled into the tiny town of Indio is the TKB Bakery. Which somehow got the title of Best Restaurant on Yelp in 2018. It's good and had good service, but it won the title? Woah. We're not sure we agree, but Hell, we do love the place.

First off, it's got funny names for the sandwiches you can get. How about a Mexican Marylin Monroe, The Trump or the so nice to say Sadda-Mizer. There's a lot more option of hot and cold sandwiches, but either way you're getting a ton of meat and these aren't petite. These are tremendous sandwiches that come with a pickle and chips. It was so filling, some of us as at TTDILA couldn't finish it out on our trip. You come hungry and empty. Skip breakfast. Taste was delicious, big sandwiches, big taste.

Then to add to the calorie count this place is also a bakery. And we don't mean a few things, there's a big selection of cookies and cakes and brownies and scones. This is not a good place if you're on a diet. It's a place to chow down.

One of the best parts might be the playful and helpful staff. They seemed attentive and knowledgeable for newcomers. At the same time if you're gonna ask a million questions or say you can't hear them, they're gonna mess with you. However, when we met the owner going by the name Big Sip, yeah, it's funny, he was nice enough to explain the place is family owned and how it all works on ordering. We did get in before a big stretch of people came in. So, nice depends on the line.

We didn't know, but once you order, unless your picking up, sit down and they'll bring you your food. And get their early before everyone gets in on the weekend, because their dining area will fill up fast.

The place where you sit down and munch isn't all that amazing; it's so big the walls have banners on winning best on Yelp and then oddly local advertising for the weirdest sh*t. One wall is a huge projection of sports. Really, where you order has a nice look and we do wish they would put in some murals, but hey, it is what it is. A damn fine sandwich shop and bakery that will satiate your hunger from the long drive.

TKB Bakery & Deli
44911 Golf Center Pkwy, Indio, CA 92201
Mon-Sat - 7am – 6pm
Sundays - Closed
(760) 775-8330

Marciano Art Foundation Probably Dead

And you thought the news on MOCA being free in 2020 with a caveat of $18 bucks for special exhibits was it for today.

Yup, it looks like back in early November the Marciano Art Foundation ceased being a museum because the staff was trying to unionize. They higher-ups say it was a lack of people visiting it, which makes really no sense as it was free anyway. And every time we went for a visit it seemed packed with people enjoying it.

We have an e-mail from Nov 1st reminding us to sign-up for Dec reservations, so this was a sudden decision. No final word on what will happen to the MAF, but all it's social media channels are down, it's web-site is still online with no reason as to why it's closed as of writing this.

Hopefully, a better deal can be found for the workers or something can be worked out. It sucks to lose an free art museum that let's people think, comment and take dumb selfies at. Really though, if you haven't had a chance, you missed out.

Here's our first look at the Art Foundation, back in 2017, when it opened. It's only been open for three years.

MOCA Offers Free General Admission, Except For Special Exhibits in 2020

We love the arts in LA and we're happy to report MOCA will be free starting Jan 11, 2020, but special exhibits will now go up from $15 to $18, WTF?

Yeah, we don't know how to take that. The $10 million came from MOCA Board President Carolyn Clark Powers as a gift, so everyone can go to MOCA for free. So why pay $3 more on special exhibits from the past cost $15. Why raise prices at the same time you're making general visits free? So weird.

 We do have a Hell Mary, saving grace of "Thursday evenings from 5–8pm will continue to be free for all exhibitions, offering an opportunity to see special exhibitions at no cost."

With $10 mill opening up MOCA and now only two locations, it's kind of baffling not to make special exhibitions free for the public too. Our only guess is licensing the work or set up for these special exhibits costs a ton. Or just the extremely strange management that MOCA is known for.

Here's the press release and a heads up on some free activities at the Little Tokyo location.

SATIRICAL CINEMA: Using Comedy to Undermine Hate - Free Triple Feature! Nov 30

SATIRICAL CINEMA: Using Comedy to Undermine Hate
- Free Triple Feature!
Sat, November 30, 2019
3:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Aero Theatre
1328 Montana Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90403
Free

In THE GREAT DICTATOR, Charlie Chaplin skewers Adolph Hitler. In THE PRODUCERS, Broadway producers Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder hope to stage a flop called “Springtime for Hitler.” In World War II satire JOJO RABBIT, the blind nationalism of a German boy (Roman Griffin Davis) and his imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi), is challenged when the boy's mother (Scarlett Johansson) hides a Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) in their attic.

Japanese Food Adventures In LA

Well, we've got some strange, but fun Japanese foodie events happening soon. We have a rice lecture. Yes, a real rice lecture and tasting. We also have a LACMA sending off its Japanese art exhibit, Every Living Thing: Animals in Japanese Art with both a special tour and dinner celebrating the subject. And it happens to be Vegan.

Rice Lecture & Tasting

Sat, Nov 23, 2pm or 4pm

JAPAN HOUSE Salon, Level 5

6801 Hollywood Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90028

Free, Must RSVP

*Yes, really a rice tasting

Since 1971, the Japan Grain Inspection Association has conducted rice taste sensory tests on a national scale, ranking each regional variant through rigorous scientific assessment to determine the best tasting rice every year. (*) This workshop features a lecture led by the National Agricultural Research Organization of Japan (NARO) in which participants will learn about Japanese short-grain rice and its regional variants, and the best way to cook rice and how to pair side dishes to complement its flavor.

Following the lecture, participants will join in a professional-level sensory test of rice, sampling four types of cooked white rice. Participants will also receive a souvenir as a small token of appreciation to take home.

Osechi Made Easy

Saturday, December 7, 2019 | 10 am–4 pm

Japanese American Cultural & Community Center
244 S. San Pedro St. Los Angeles
$90 JACCC MEMBER | $100 GENERAL

LEARN TO MAKE YOUR OWN JAPANESE NEW YEAR TRADITIONAL OSECHI!

Yoko Maeda Lamn, founder of Hakko, returns to JACCC’s culinary team to create several traditional Japanese New Year dishes. Learn the craft of regional styles of soups and vegetable-based dishes with explanations of the historical basis on this traditional cuisine.

Make Your Own Toshikoshi Soba with Sonoko Sakai

Saturday, December 7, 2019 | 10 am–12 pm

Japanese American National Museum  

244 S. San Pedro St. Los Angeles
$80

Make soba using fresh, stone-milled artisanal flour from Japan and authentic soba tools. This soba will be served in the classic way: cold with fresh soy-based dipping sauce, toppings, and spices. 
Soba is a type of noodle traditionally made from buckwheat flour, or a combination of buckwheat and wheat flours. In Japan, many people celebrate special occasions by eating soba. For example, many celebrate New Year’s Eve by eating toshikoshi soba or when moving into a new residence, people will serve their new neighbors hikkoshi soba.

Cur-ATE: A Vegan Adventure in Japan

Sun, Dec 8, 2019 5:30 pm–8 pm 

Smidt Welcome Plaza  |  LACMA 

$100 LACMA members, $134 LACMA members with wine-tasting; $110 general public, $144 general public with wine-tasting

Start this fun evening with a tour of the exhibition Every Living Thing: Animals in Japanese Art, which celebrates one of the most distinctive aspects of Japanese art: the depiction of animals. Underpinned by Japan's spiritual heritage of Shintō and Buddhism, the Japanese reverence for nature—and the place of animals within that realm—is expressed in a variety of artworks. You will find artistic representations of animals real and imagined, including lions, dogs, cats, fish, insects, dragons, and phoenixes. Learn about the various roles animals have played in Japanese culture.
Then move to Ray’s & Stark Bar to enjoy a creative vegan Japanese dinner specially designed by executive chef Phillip Martin, featuring seasonal ingredients. The vegan menu is inspired by the Buddhist ritual of releasing captured animals that was practiced in Japan.