Saturday, December 4, 2010

Day 97: The Buffet

Photo of the Day: The Birth of a Food Coma


Surprise! Today we threw Jayson a birthday lunch at a Korean barbecue buffet in Flushing called Picnic Garden. He thought he was out on a date, but then found ten of us waiting for him at the restaurant, crowded around one wooden table and a tiny grill. We proceeded to gorge ourselves on a neverending supply of every type of meat, from chicken and beef to spare ribs and octopus, plus an assortment of side dishes, including dumplings, green onion pancakes, kim chi, and various vegetables. We all left uncomfortably full and reeking pervasively of smoke and grease, but for good reason. The meal was scrumptious and satisfying, and despite the steep price tag, we definitely got our money's worth of quality food.

Since Jayson is a poet at heart, we decided to play to his passions and commemorate his 24th year by writing a haiku and reading it out loud during lunch. Though no one else in the the group would admit to having any poetic ability, there were some real gems among the bunch that showcased, if not talent, then at least genuine thoughtfulness.

As I slipped into food coma, we headed over to someone's apartment for games and a movie. We played two rounds of BANG!, then watched the romantic-comedy Serendipity, which I found frustrating upon second viewing, even if it was exciting to see the New York locales with new eyes. Despite initially planning on going into the city later that night to meet some colleagues, I decided I was still far too full and sluggish to make the journey, and a quiet evening was more up my alley. Why go through the trouble of going out when you're already comfortably surrounded by friends, food, and fun? Happy birthday, Jayson!


Assorted Korean meats sizzling on the grill.
All crammed in tight together and ready to eat.
The birthday boy looks happy with his meal.
Table real estate must be carefully managed with the ever-expanding supply of dishes and food.
Playing BANG!
My renegade arch-nemesis turned loyal deputy vice.
Friends.
Terrible exposure and composition in this shot, but awesome timing!
Cleo had some crazy huntress instincts.
Cleo resting after an exciting night of visitors.
Catnap.
The older Cali is much quieter and more dignified.
Clarence let me experiment with his flashes. Isn't it amazing what a few well-placed lights can do?
Cali's cat eyes look brilliant under the light.
Mei is a good sport and acts as our human guinea pig for the flashes.
Side flash for a dramatic portrait.

5 comments:

  1. Whose cats?

    one little grill for the 10 of yall? What kind of Korean bbq restaurant is that? Atleast 2 grills are necessary for maximum meat exposure. :)

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  2. We hung out at this couple's house, and the cats belonged to them (she's the renegade turned sheriff).

    Don't blame the restaurant; they offered us two tables, but we opted to cram into one. It was fine though...it was probably better to pace ourselves, haha.

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  3. awesome cat shots! i love the one of cleo pouncing!

    that table looks seriously crowded... but lots of fun :-)

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  4. Aww! Great job capturing the personalities of our kitties! Plus you were so sneaky about taking my pic...didn't even notice! Btw, Cali is spelled like the state ;)

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  5. @Michelle: The pouncing picture, if you see it high-res, is awful quality, but I love the mid-air action! And your assessment is correct: it was seriously crowded, but lots of fun. :)

    @Glennis: So sorry! I fixed Cali's name in the post. And thank you so much for letting us come over to hang out and play with your kitties! They really did have very distinct but complimentary personalities.

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