Podcasts about Omakase

John is back on another Japan trip eve-eve, so they're filled with restless energy at the prospect of soon being back in a giant metal tube for 14 hours and they're pretty sure it showed! Thankfully returning guest Velkej is here to help them break down the end of the NJPW Best of the Super Juniors tournament, and boy is there a lot to talk about: the very divisive winner, who had the best and worst tournaments, the giant gap between A and B blocks, and a whole lot more! Plus, a preview of a very underwhelming-on-paper Dominion card for Osaka Jo Hall (not ideal when you're going to it of course!).Then it's over to Tokyo Joshi for nothing but unabashed praise (well, not quite as much from Velkej but hey) as John happened to think this random Korakuen show from them ended up being one of the very best shows of the year- from any promotion. They break down a MOTYC tag title match, a strong undercard with their young wrestlers once again showing out, and a surprisingly great main event. Afterwar they head back to Dragongate for a very mixed bag of two more Korakuen Hall shows, including the enormous news of Shun Skywalker's imminent departure. They break down the perplexing way that's been handled so far, comparisons to Okada's NJPW departure, some really weird and stupid angles, and Kobe World being booked seemingly on the fly.Finally, John goes solo to break down AJPW's 6/6 show from Nikko, another fun show from the most improved promotion of 2026. They wrap things up with a little bit of rambling on as we approach the 300th episode of this stupid podcast, somehow. Thanks to our listeners!!!Follow Velkej on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Velkej_BrachaFollow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by CultureMap contributor Brianna McClane. Brianna and Eric discuss some of the latest news from the Houston culinary scene including the closure of the original location of State Fare, The Rice Box opening a location in Clear Lake, and Gyro Hut takes over the leases of 3 Houston area Halal Guys locations. In the Restaurants of the Week portion, Eleven Eleven and Hidden Omakase.Got a question for Eric? Email him at eric@culturemap.com. Follow Eric on Instagram @ericsandler and check out some of Eric's latest articles online at Culturemap.com: Texas Comfort Food Restaurant Closes at Memorial City After 10 Years Houston's 'Chinese Takeout Bar from the Future' Touches Down in Webster Houston's Street-Style Halal Favorite Takes Over 3 Former Halal Guys Damaged Houston Sushi Restaurant Finds Temporary Home at Uptown Bar Houston's Only Michelin-Recognized Tex-Mex Joint Confirms Heights Plans

It's the 25th anniversary of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, one of host Rachel Belle's Top 5 Favorite Films of All Time! Today we get to hear from the man who wrote, directed and starred in the film, and played Hedwig on Broadway, John Cameron Mitchell! You may also know John from his roles in Shrill and Girls.  John talks about his fraught relationship with food as a youth, digestive issues that completely vanished after he came out as gay and moved to New York City. He tells Rachel who the Hedwig character was based on, and which parts of the story come from his own life. He shares a bonkers story about a man who cooked and served...his own genitals at a dinner party. And he talks about what he ate to stay strong and energetic during his recent 12-week Broadway run, performing eight shows a week as Mary Todd Lincoln in Oh Mary!  Then we learn a bit about the history of omakase, which was popularized in the U.S. by a Netflix documentary that came out in 2012.  To celebrate 25 years, John Cameron Mitchell is touring the country, June through November, doing Q&As after film screenings of Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Tickets are going fast, buy yours here. 

John and Eric (fka Snazzy??) are back for another super packed episode of Wrestling Omakase! They start things off with some discussion of VOW's latest edition of the 30 Under 30 project- who they voted for that got lost in the honorable mentions, then as 30-16 dropped right when they started recording they go through that list as well. Plus, lots of discussion on young wrestlers and how different places do (or don't) develop them in general! Then it's on to a major topic from last week, as they talk the major news of NJPW's sale from Bushiroad to TV Asahi & Cyberagent, including a lot of things they think people are getting wrong about this topic so far.Then of course it's on to our show reviews, starting out with a STARDOM Korakuen show from 5/26 packed with major news: of course, Utami Hayashishita's sudden return to the company being the big one, but also a major title change on top. They break it all down as well as the sudden burst of unit movement from this past weekend as well. Then it's on to NJPW BOSJ Nights 8-10 (5/27, 5/29 & 5/30) which were kind of the dog days of the tournament, though there were still a couple highlights (and some real lowlights as well).Afterward they talk a trio of shows that all took place on May 31st, starting with the King of DDT finals from Korakuen Hall. They break down a somewhat surprising winner, whether or not this was a mistake, if DDT's young talent is being pushed fast enough, "vibes" and more. Then it's over to Marvelous to talk their latest Shin Kiba 1st Ring show, featuring some notable foreign talent, Chigusa Nagayo's divisive commentary (Nicole made a run in for this part- she is not a fan!), and what's coming up next for them. Finally, it's back to the land of Ice Ribbon to discuss their show from Yokohama that John was particularly invested in the result of, as their favorite wrestler in the promotion tries to earn a title shot on a show they're going to next month! Also somewhere in here we rank the Omakase co-hosts by who would beat who in a FIGHT, so definitely don't miss that!Joshi-ing Around podcast: https://redcircle.com/shows/1309343e-3781-4750-9209-4efbc9976ab6Social Suplex newsletter: https://www.socialsuplex.com/newsletter/Follow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

John is joined once again by Arametha, the man of many pronunciations, as they discuss mostly absolute nonsense for 45 minutes before finally getting into STARDOM's Queen Dynasty show! They break down another strong showing for the World Wonder Ring at the box office, a fun undercard, and then very notable first title defenses for Sayaka Kurara & Hanan! After that it's over to New Japan for continuing coverage of the Best of the Super Juniors tournament, covering night 4 from Korakuen Hall (the final true dual block show for a while) before heading into single block nights from Osaka, Hyogo & Kyoto! Who's been standing out so far, and who's been disappointing?Then it's back to joshi with Marigold's Shine Forever, their annual anniversary show from Ota Ward Gym. We discuss a difficult time for the embattled young promotion due to a mix of injuries and departures, and talk about where they might be able to go from here. Finally, we wrap things up with Tokyo Joshi's 5/22 Shinjuku FACE show, a delightful little event on their road to their next Korakuen show next month.Follow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

John is back alongside returning guest Velkej Bracha as they open things up with the start of NJPW's annual Best of the Super Juniors tournament! They discuss all the tournament action from nights 1 through 3 all around Tokyo, breaking down which performances have been entertaining and which ones have been grating so far (and there's been plenty of both!). Then they head back to AJPW to wrap up their surprisingly good 2026 Champion Carnival, in front of one of their biggest crowds in years at Ota, before looking ahead to some big upcoming shows next month.Next up it's back to the World Wonder Ring, as John & Velkej discuss another solid Korakuen Hall show from STARDOM, celebrate the long-awaited return of the Artist six-woman belts (and talk a little about why they've been so important to the promotion historically), and then preview this coming weekend's Queen's Dynasty PPV from Aichi. Finally, they wrap up the episode with a review of Marigold's most recent Korakuen, including some surprisingly frank English commentary on everything surrounding Utami Hayashishita's departure, the promotion's current struggles but also the young talent we think can help them turn things around in the future. There's also a few very brief notes on NOAH's latest Korakuen, which we meant to review more in full but ran out of time this week.Follow Velkej on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Velkej_BrachaFollow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On a wet, gloomy Melbourne day, Ronin Omakase was unexpectedly warm. Despite its concrete walls, brutalist lines and high ceilings, the room is inviting with shelves lined with house made ferments; persimmon for desserts, wombok and white kimchi, citrus cheong and fruit vinegars quietly developing behind the counter. Liam Lee cooks directly in front of ten diners, tasting, adjusting and guiding the pace of the meal as it unfolds. After more than a decade cooking in Korea and Australia, including formative years feeding seventy soldiers three meals a day in the Korean army and leading kitchens at Studio Amaro, Firebird and Waterside Hotel, Liam is introducing his own version of Korean omakase to Melbourne. The menu reflects his childhood, training and values: deeply Korean in flavour, grounded in Victorian produce, and carefully balanced so that ten courses feel generous but never overwhelming. In our conversation, he spoke candidly about the pressures of Korean hospitality culture, the challenge of building a career while raising a young family, and his determination to create a kitchen, and an experience, defined by respect, consistency and care.

John is back on the air for a special split episode! They start things out with returning guest Chris from Social Suplex, making his first appearance since the MOTY episode a few months back. After much complaining about broken phones and Apple bullshit they reminisce a little about being in Vegas for the Marvelous & West Coast shows, which is an excellent transition into the review of Marvelous' huge 10th Anniversary Show from Yokohama Buntai! They discuss a divisive main event and a ton of other huge matches. Then it's over to Sendai Girls for a typically low key but enjoyable 5/10 Shin Kiba show, featuring another great performance from Chihiro Hashimoto (but what else is new this year). To wrap up the joshi talk, John then goes solo to discuss the back half of Ice Ribbon's 5/10 show featuring a great world title match.Then John is joined by John Bivins, making his second straight appearance, as they cover all the men's wrestling together for the week. It starts out with Pro Wrestling NOAH, who we haven't covered in a while on this show and as it turns out for good reason, as they bury a mostly quite bad major show from Ryogoku, discuss a better effort from Korakuen Hall a few days later, and just generally talk about the current state of the once-proud green ring. Then it's back to AJPW to wrap up the Champion Carnival's last two block nights, which continued the trend of a quite enjoyable tournament. Speaking of enjoyable tournaments, it's the second round of the King of DDT from Shinjuku FACE! And finally, John goes solo again for a review of Dragongate's 5/8 Korakuen, as they talk the directions (and lack thereof) coming out of the big Nagoya event and some really weird booking in general, even if the show was mostly pretty good in ring wise. An absolutely packed show!---Social Suplex newsletter: https://www.socialsuplex.com/newsletter/John Bivins' Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/punkrock.darkroast/Follow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The John & John connection is back on the airwaves as John is once again joined by John Bivins to break down, well, fewer wrestling shows than they originally planned! John (Classic) is sorry for the bad mood they were in at the start of this podcast, but at least they cheered themselves up by accidentally doxxing someone! Which they edited out, don't worry. Anyway! NJPW put on two Wrestling Dontaku shows that weren't very good, and John & John take you through all of it. Then it's over to Tokyo Joshi for a Korakuen show that absolutely ruled, followed by the first round of the King of DDT tournament, which was also very good. Finally, it's Night 7 of AJPW's Champion Carnival from Tochigi, another good show in a surprisingly good tournament. Everything was pretty damn good here *except* for the King of Sports, actually!John Bivins' Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/punkrock.darkroast/Follow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Listen to the full podcast: https://bit.ly/SKMPRICARDORicardo grew up watching cooks in his dad's Mexican joint in LA, dropped out of school, made some choices he'd rather leave in the past, and eventually decided he wasn't ready to go out like that. What followed was 18 years of cooking across LA, New York, Atlanta, and the Michelin-starred hills of Montecito — each city refining what mattered: the line, the craft, and the relentless itch to open something new. Now he's back in Austin running Konbini, a Japanese-Mexican late-night spot serving Omakase-quality fish next to a caviar-topped hot dog, and somehow, the hot dog is always the one people can't stop talking about. In this episode, he shares his journey from poverty to the kitchen, breaks down the realities of the food industry, leadership on the line, and how AI could impact restaurants, while also diving into Austin's food scene, the economics behind his menu, and the deeper ways consumerism can shape a person's path.Follow Ricardo:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elchefricardo https://www.instagram.com/konbiniatx00:42 Ricardo's Pop-Up Concept in the Works04:19 What Makes Austin's Food Scene Actually Different06:47 Murray's, Nickel City & the Late-Night Gap07:00 18 Years in the Kitchen09:33 How Ricardo Got Into Sushi (The Unexpected Path)11:05 Running a Michelin Star Location13:23 The Thing That Made Him Leave the Street Life17:15 Nothing's Below You — The Line Cook Mindset21:33 Austin's Culture of Collaboration23:18 Will Austin Lose Its Soul?25:00 SpaceX, Tech Money & What Happens to the City42:01 The High-Low Philosophy at Konbini47:58 Farm-Raised vs. Wild-Caught52:03 AI and the Future of the Restaurant Industry54:07 Sky King's Dystopian UBI World (Edopunk)57:36 Ricardo's Next Chapter The Pop-Up DreamListen to the complete episodes of Sky King's Mental Playground, sign up at skmp.supercast.comFollow Sky on XSubscribe on YouTubeFollow Sky on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John is back on the air with Paul from the Emerald Flowshow for an absolutely jam packed episode! First, it's a long and detailed review of STARDOM's biggest show of the year, All Star Grand Queendom, which for the second year in a row did their biggest attendance in company history at the Yokohama Arena! They break down each and every match, all the major title changes and where things might be going heading into May, and a whole lot more! Then it's over to NJPW for Redzone in Hiroshima featuring two title matches, as well as a look ahead at next week's Wrestling Dontaku shows from Fukuoka. And the big shows aren't done yet, as we talk Dragongate trying to bounce back from a rough start to their year with Golden Colosseum from Nagoya, including the big six-way cage match that featured a unit disbanding.After that it's over to the land of All Japan for continuing coverage of the Champion Carnival tournament, covering nights 4 through 6 (4/23, 4/25 & 4/26). John and Paul break down why this tournament has been quite a bit better than last year's and review every tournament match. Finally, they wrap things up with Marigold's 4/25 Korakuen which featured a truly shocking announcement at the end of the show, but was a pretty damn good little show before that too! A fun show packed to the brim with pre-Golden Week festivities!Check out the Emerald FlowShow: https://redcircle.com/shows/the-emerald-flowshowFollow Wrestling Omakase's Twitter account: http://www.twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on Bluesky: http://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.social"Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

John is back from Las Vegas where they only lost SOME money! Yeah!! They're joined by Eric aka Snazzy from the Joshi-ing Around podcast & Social Suplex newsletter, who is in fact about to leave for a big trip himself- Japan for ASGQ, Marvelous' 10th anniversary show and more! They talk a bit about that before transitioning to a long recap of John's entire Vegas trip, including reviews of eight different wrestling shows- many of them from Japanese promotions- and a ton of random anecdotes on just what things were like on the ground. Then John & Snazzy do a full preview of STARDOM's biggest show of the year from Yokohama Arena, discuss the chances of Sayaka Kurara actually winning the red belt, compare the show to last year on paper and more.After that it's time to talk about some shows that actually happened in Japan, starting with nights 2 & 3 of the AJPW Champion Carnival. John was apparently lower on some of this than consensus and shares some thoughts. Then they discuss SEAdLINNNG for maybe the first time ever on Omakase, as they break down their big Korakuen Hall show that featured two outstanding matches. Eric does a great job introducing their young roster if you'd like a good place to jump in, and the two of them discuss just how great the joshi scene is right now in general as well.Joshi-ing Around podcast: https://redcircle.com/shows/1309343e-3781-4750-9209-4efbc9976ab6Social Suplex newsletter: https://www.socialsuplex.com/newsletter/Follow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

No exploding tooth or sudden new job could keep these two Johns off the air! Your humble host is having a slightly harder time talking than usual, but they gut through it for YOU, THE LISTENER, as they break down a surprisingly strong opening night of AJPW's 2026 Champion Carnival! Plus, full reviews of two STARDOM Korakuens back to back as the road to Yokohama Arena (finally) heats up, an enormous Sendai Girls Korakuen with a crazy woman almost breaking her face, THE FINAL GLEAT REVIEW IN THE HISTORY OF THIS PODCAST (maybe), and finally, two perfectly fine little Tokyo Joshi shows from Vancouver.Check out John DK's website here: https://dk1105.neocities.org/Follow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Unit 6 Omakase: A Taste of Trust 如果有一種用餐方式，讓你完全不用煩惱要點什麼，只要坐下來等著驚喜上桌，你會想試試看嗎？這正是近年越來越受歡迎的「omakase」，也就是大家熟知的無菜單料理。主廚會依照當天的食材與靈感安排料理，客人只需要安心享受每一道菜。想知道 omakase 是如何誕生，又為什麼會變得如此受歡迎？快一起了解這個充滿驚喜的飲食文化！ -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

It's another episode of Wrestling Omakase, but this time around with a bit of a split format twist! First, John is joined by debuting guest Hal to discuss a very eventful (and apparently very divisive) NJPW Sakura Genesis show from Ryogoku (plus the two junior title matches from Korakuen a couple days earlier)! Why are people so stupid? We'll sure tell you! Then, Arametha comes back on to talk STARDOM's 3/31 Korakuen (and a surprisingly "meh" feeling about the Yokohama Arena build this year), DG's 4/6 Korakuen (their best show in god only knows how long), DDT's 4/5 Korakuen (feat. the incredibly sad Higuchi retirement), Sendai Girls' 3/27 show from Sendai PIT (with an awesome Big Hash vs. Manami title match), and finally the Universe Magic 4/6 show from Shinjuku FACE. A loaded episode!John's appearance on the Flagship Patreon discussing the Japanese promotions/wrestlers appearing during Wrestlemania week (can access with just a free sub- no payment required): https://www.patreon.com/posts/wrestlemania-w-154766906Follow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Arametha is back with John and (for maybe the first time ever??) we're actually leading off with Tokyo Joshi! Wow! It's a long, detailed review of TJPW's biggest show of the year, Grand Princess from Ryogoku Kokugikan, featuring a legitimate match of the year contender, three big title changes, Super Sentai fights, idol singers with swords and a whole lot more! Then it's over to NJPW for a full and detailed preview of this weekend's Sakura Genesis show, with lots of baseless speculation on where the return of Will Ospreay might be going from here. Afterward we go right back to joshi with a full review of the 3/22 Sareee-ism X show from Yokohama Budokan, breaking down a ton of interesting names from all over the joshi world. Finally, they wrap things up with STARDOM's New Blood 30 show from Shin Kiba 1st Ring, a great show that may have gone under the radar for you but definitely shouldn't have!Follow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It's another John & John episode! John Bivins is back as the two of them break down an outstanding end to the New Japan Cup, talking the final two quarterfinal matches from night 10, both semifinals from night 11, and then the entire final night including of course the tournament final itself. Lots of talk about NJPW's young generation really stepping up, Shota Umino maybe forcing people to take some Ls (including at least one John!) and more, plus a look ahead to what the rest of the year might look like. Then it's over to DDT to talk an equally outstanding Judgement show from Korakuen Hall, a very deep card that showed off their huge bounty of young talent. We also discuss the very sad news of Kazusada Higuchi's sudden retirement.Afterward we break down AJPW's Hachioji show from 3/20, a weird card featuring a Triple Crown title match and not a whole lot else. Finally, we wrap things up with some of the highlights from all four TJPW shows down in Texas, and then a full preview of next weekend's big Grand Princess show!John Bivins' Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/punkrock.darkroast/Follow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialOur Sponsors:* Support our sponsor BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

John and returning guest Velkej Bracha start with their usual banter/assorted nonsense, before then discussing the recent announcement of Shinjuku FACE's impending closure and the enormous hole it will be leaving in the Japanese wrestling scene. Then they discuss the last two nights of the STARDOM Cinderella Tournament in great detail, beginning with the 3/11 Korakuen and then the finals on 3/15 from Yokohama. They also look ahead to the enormous Saya Kamitani vs. Sayaka Kurara red belt vs. unit disbands match, and discuss where the promotion could possibly be going from here in general. Then it's over to NJPW to discuss five (!) nights of the New Japan Cup, spanning most of the 2nd round and then also the first two quarterfinal matches- a real rollercoaster experience featuring some of the very best AND very worst matches of the entire year so far! Velkej's last topic of the show is a pretty deep dive on Marigold, as they break down some of their business, discuss their trainees, and review their 3/14 Korakuen show.John then goes it alone to review two more shows, a decent AJPW Korakuen from 3/15 and a truly horrible GLEAT show from Shinjuku FACE on 3/12. Again, who else is even covering GLEAT? Well, maybe the answer will be no one soon enough because John is *this close* to dropping them.....Follow Velkej on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Velkej_BrachaFollow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialOur Sponsors:* Support our sponsor BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It's another absurdly jampacked show covering all of the biggest promotions in Japan and some of the smallest too, men's and women's! John is joined by returning guest John DK for their first solo episode together (he had previously appeared during the WK preview) and they DEFINITELY DON'T WEEB OUT IN EMBARRASSING FASHION FOR 20+ MINUTES. Nosiree. Once they get into the actual wrestling topics for this episode, it's, uh, not a short list:-Nights 1-3 of the 2026 STARDOM Cinderella Tournament covered in great detail! Already a great tournament and it's not even over yet!-Nights 1-4 of the New Japan Cup, which includes the Anniversary Show. Uh, this kinda fucking sucked!-NOAH's 3/8 Yokohama Budokan show featuring a great main event and a very confusing end of show segment!-DG's 3/3 Korakuen show that continued their uninspiring run of late!-Tokyo Joshi's 3/7 show from Shin Kiba 1st Ring continuing their build to Ryogoku at the end of the month! How does Yuki Arai keep doing this??-Ice Ribbon's 3/8 show from Itabashi, because this is officially an Ice Ribbon podcast now!-And finally, the special Universe Magic show from (the sadly closing!!!) Shinjuku FACE!Yeah, that's a lot of stuff huh? No wonder this went so long!Check out John DK's website here: https://dk1105.neocities.org/Follow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialOur Sponsors:* Support our sponsor BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

"This week on Wrestling Omakase John is joined by returning guest (and A+ drinking buddy) Paul Volsch from the Emerald FlowShow, their first time talking since they were just in Japan together for Wrestle Kingdom season! They reminisce a little of course, John tries to convince Paul to go again in December, and then John reveals that they'll be making their Wrestlemania weekend debut this year! Then it's on to the actual shows we're here to talk about, starting with another one John saw live in person: NJPW's New Beginning in US show from beautiful (??) Trenton, New Jersey! Lots of notes about how the crowd reacted in person, some praise for a change for NJPW booking, and a lot more!After that it's back to shows that actually took place in Japan, starting with STARDOM's 2/28 Korakuen. John & Paul discuss a typically good effort from the hottest promotion in the country (they drew 1601 for a white belt match and no Saya to be found!). Then it's over to NOAH for their own Korakuen show from 3/1, nothing blowaway but a much better effort than their last couple attempts at least. Finally, they head back to DG for a pair of house shows in Osaka on 2/28 & 3/1, as they discuss the follow-up to the almost universally panned Fukuoka show from last week.Emerald FlowShow: https://redcircle.com/shows/the-emerald-flowshowFollow Wrestling Omakase's Twitter account: http://www.twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on Bluesky: http://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.social"Our Sponsors:* Support our sponsor BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Wrestling Omakase is back with another packed episode, and unfortunately a lot of these shows were #bad. But hey, our returning guest Eric aka Snazzy from the Joshi-ing Around podcast and the Social Suplex newsletter is never bad! John & Eric discuss an absolutely wretched Dragongate Uno Dos Tres show from Fukuoka, as they unfortunately turned in a supremely poor effort for one of their biggest shows of the year. Then it's over to AJPW for their 2/23 Ota Ward Gym show, which cleared the DG show but was still fairly middling, before they wrap up the men's portion of the episode with (thankfully!) a show that was actually good in DDT's 2/23 Korakuen, featuring a bonafide MOTYC!Then it's over to the world of joshi starting with two STARDOM shows from 2/20 (Saori's homecoming show) & 2/21 (from Osaka EDION 2)- mostly standard house show fare, but with a few unique touches. They also speculate on who might win the upcoming Cinderella Tournament, and Snazzy has quite the idea on what the Yokohama Arena main event could end up being. After that they review Marigold's 2/23 Korakeun show, which unfortunately took us back to the land of sucking. They wrap things up with two more smaller joshi promotions' recent shows, Sendai Girls' 2/15 Sendai Pit show and a very rare Ice Ribbon show review (their 2/23 Yokohama show). A real mixed bag of an episode here, but hey, if you wanna hear effusive praise for some stuff and absolute burials at the same time, this is sure the one for you!Joshi-ing Around podcast: https://redcircle.com/shows/1309343e-3781-4750-9209-4efbc9976ab6Social Suplex newsletter: https://www.socialsuplex.com/newsletter/Follow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialOur Sponsors:* Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What would it look like if Monsters, humans, and sushi could coexist in perfect harmony?This week on Idiot's Guide to Imagineering, Kaity is joined by Stephen and Jenny to bring Harryhausen's, a likely addition to the upcoming Monstropolis land at Hollywood Studios, to life. From sleek, modern design and immersive details inspired by the movie, to both quick-service and omakase-style options, we explore how Imagineering transforms a beloved IP into a believable, unforgettable experience for guests of all ages.Along the way, we dive into why attention to detail matters more than most realize, how subtle touches build immersion, and what it takes to design a space that feels authentically “Monsters Inc.” while still functioning in the real world. This isn't just about creating a restaurant; it's about designing a story you can eat.From signature sushi rolls to character-inspired desserts, Harryhausen's is all about combining whimsy, sophistication, and Disney magic in a way that feels both approachable and extraordinary.Plus, character brunch ideas, clever quick-service hacks, and a peek at what it might feel like to dine with Mike, Sully, and the gang in Hollywood Studios.Don't forget to check us out on Instagram!

The John & John: Both Took At Least One Bump Connection™ are back once again, as John is joined by John Bivins for another long path through a whole lot of Japanese wrestling! First up: a full review of NJPW New Beginning in Osaka, featuring some weird vibes but also some great wrestling. Also was Jake Lee really that bad? The answer may surprise you! Then John & John give a full preview of the New Japan Cup as they both pick who will advance in each match, who will end up being the winner who goes on to Sakura Genesis and more. Plus a brief preview of the New Beginning in USA show and the two junior title matches announced for the Anniversary Show!Then they bounce around the rest of Japan via five Korakuen shows from five different companies: STARDOM from 2/13 (feat. good vibes and shining wizard bumps), Tokyo Joshi from 2/14 (feat. an Ober Eats burial but also a lot of stuff we really liked!), NOAH from 2/11 (feat. oh god please make it stop and by "it" we mean Team 2000X), AJPW from 2/15 (feat. some stuff and also what the fuck is up with that Champion Carnival lineup), and finally GLEAT also from 2/11 (feat. The End of the Anti-GLE Monsters, RIP I guess).John Bivins' Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/punkrock.darkroast/Sport of Pro Wrestling's New Japan Cup 2026 Pick 'em Contest: https://sportofprowrestling.com/njpw/njc-26-challengeFollow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialOur Sponsors:* Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

"We're back to our regular format for another episode of Omakase, as John is once again joined by returning guest Arametha to break down a ton of Japanese wrestling. But first: alpine skiing, for some reason. Then it's off to STARDOM to talk their 1/31 Korakuen and their VERY newsworthy 2/7 Osaka show, with some thoughts on Is There Too Much HATE, which seems to be the big debate of the day. Over in NJPW, they discuss two strong Road to shows and then preview the big New Beginning in Osaka event, as well as talk yet another major departure in Hiromu Takahashi. Then they head to the world of Dragongate to review their 2/5 Korakuen, which seems to have gotten a very mixed reaction online- it definitely had its share of both good and bad. Finally, they wrap things up with a quick review of the opening night of NOAH's Jr. Tag League, also from Korakuen, and discuss how NOAH feels a bit like it's stuck in place at the moment.Follow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.social"Our Sponsors:* Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Chef Adam Sindler grew up inside Chicago's first sushi restaurant, Kamehachi — founded by his Japanese immigrant great-grandmother and later revived by his mother and grandmother. A next-generation operator and creative force in the family business, Sindler left home to sharpen his craft at the Alinea Group, working as Kitchen Expo at the Michelin-starred Roister, before bringing big-league systems thinking back to a legacy institution. In this conversation, he breaks down the unseen mechanics of great hospitality — especially the expo role as the high-pressure “air traffic control” of a professional kitchen — alongside service pacing, allergy management, and the discipline behind small but consequential standards like “don't rip the tape.” The episode also traces the arc from family tradition to contemporary expression through the opening of SHŌ, a modern take on Omakase he co-founded with Chef Mari Katsumura. Throughout, Sindler reflects on sourcing, precision, and how to modernize a legacy without breaking what people love—right down to why a “choose-your-own soy sauce” eyedropper is a quietly radical idea.  

With Japanese wrestling having an uncharacteristically quiet week, it's the perfect opportunity for us to take a look back at the best of 2025! Voices of Wrestling just rolled out its 2025 Match of the Year poll (always one of the coolest things the site does every year), and John is joined by four fellow voters: Joshi-ing Around's Tim Hunter, Social Suplex's Chris Whitehead, VOW's Sean Sedor and Brady from, uh, an organic cooking company? Anyway! All five of them go over their own personal ten favorite matches from 2025 in great detail, as it's basically 4+ hours of them raving about what they loved most in wrestling last year (and also throwing some shade about what they didn't love so much- ok, mostly just John does that). Then, as if that wasn't enough 2025 award audio for you, John also recorded 45 minutes of solo audio that's tacked onto the end where they go over their Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards ballot in detail, explaining who they voted and why for Flair/Thesz, Most Outstanding Wrestler, Best Promotion and a whole lot more!Voices of Wrestling 2025 MOTY: https://www.voicesofwrestling.com/2025motyJoshi-ing Around podcast: https://redcircle.com/shows/1309343e-3781-4750-9209-4efbc9976ab6Social Suplex newsletter: https://www.socialsuplex.com/newsletter/Follow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialOur Sponsors:* Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Wrestling Omakase is finally back to its regularly scheduled programming, as we're once again going weekly from here on out following our part-time schedule earlier in January (due to a combo of Japan trip, post-Japan trip blues/jet lag and then work stuff). John is joined by returning guest Velkej Bracha to discuss NJPW's 1/19 & 1/20 Road to New Beginning Korakuens (feat. the end of EVIL, a classic tag match, and a hot unit feud), STARDOM's 1/21 Korakuen (feat. the Tokyo HATE Squad Showdown and more blissful Maki/Saori interactions) and Marigold's 1/24 Korakuen (feat. Mayu Iwatani's 15th anniversary, now without STARDOM IP). People needing to take Ls is a big overriding theme as you'll find out. Then John goes solo to discuss two more shows, DDT's 1/25 Korakuen (feat. unit movement and A Second Suzuki Incident Has Struck The Building) and GLEAT's 1/20 Shinjuku FACE show. Yes, this is a GLEAT podcast now, apparently. Who knew?Follow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialOur Sponsors:* Check out our sponsor BetterHelp at https://www.betterhelp.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Well folks, it's finally here. After we couldn't tear ourselves away from the karaoke rooms, Club MOGRA, or.....other activities long enough to get you an Omakase live from Japan this time, returning guest Arametha and I are here to recap 16 days and 22 shows of absolute insanity. We talk about attending everything from Wrestle Kingdom & Dream Queendom to Just Tap Out and Sportiva, plus answer YOUR questions about food, who the best karaoke performer was, what the gayest thing Arametha ever saw in his life was (hint: John did it), and much much more! I could never possibly do this one justice with a longer description, so just enjoy 4 hours and 47 minutes of utter depravity.Follow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialOur Sponsors:* Check out our sponsor BetterHelp at https://www.betterhelp.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Send us a textThe best meals start with trust, and few dining styles embody that more than omakase—“leave it up to you.” We sit with James, the force behind Kase Sake Sushi, to unpack how he translated two decades in hospitality and a stint as a DJ into a neighborhood sushi bar that delivers traditional technique, razor-sharp sourcing, and an approachable price point. If you've wondered how to enjoy pristine nigiri without the $300 shock, or how a restaurant maintains freshness in the desert, this conversation delivers the playbook.James breaks down his casual omakase approach: a core lineup of 16–18 fish, rotating weekly Japanese specials, and set menus that expose guests to variety instead of repetition. We get into his trip to Japan and why Kase's sushi tasted strikingly familiar there—because the methods were already traditional. He opens up about sake as a world as rich as wine (and brewed more like beer), and how their tasting dinners turn education into unforgettable pairings and loyal regulars.Beyond the food, we talk entrepreneurship and the realities of running a restaurant in Las Vegas. James shares the operations behind daily freshness, the discipline of ordering whole fish, and the power of margins and organic marketing. He also wears his mortgage-lending hat to talk Vegas housing affordability, timing purchases, and why “marry the house, date the rate” still resonates when done responsibly. The through-line is mindset: know your why, stop comparing, and show up every day.Hungry for a new off-strip favorite or curious about building a brand on passion and precision? Hear how Kase balances tradition and value, and why this city's food scene keeps pushing past the strip. If you enjoy the show, tap follow, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review—what should James serve on the next sake pairing dinner?

Komakase is a coffee omakase experience unlike anything you've experienced before. Extraordinary coffee paired intentionally with sweets. After my visit to Komakase, I wanted to get a behind the scenes look into this fascinating coffee project. This is my conversation with Josh from Komakase. Check out Komakase: https://komakase.coffee/Pick up our coffee here: https://mirrorcoffeeroasters.com/Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mirrorcoffeeroasters/Mirror Coffee Roasters is a specialty coffee roaster located in Bellingham, WA

Wrestling Omakase is back already after going 9 and a half hours for our two part Wrestle Kingdom Week preview, but thankfully this time we kept it under 3.5 hours. Yes, somehow! John and returning guest Arametha are just a few days away from leaving from Japan and somehow manage to keep the off topic/trip chatter to a minimum (well, at the start at least- later on there's a Gundam tangent among other things), and that's a good thing because they have a whole bunch of final wrestling shows to talk about leading up to all the upcoming big ones! They open up with (what else?) STARDOM with a trio of shows: the special 12/18 PPV from Shin Kiba featuring the "first and last" Natsu & Saori vs. Team 200KG match, 12/21 from Osaka in front of another super hot crowd, and finally the 12/24 Korakuen. They discuss a very long title reign coming to an end, how John is feeling about Saori Anou's red belt chances in the final days before Dream Queendom, and a whole lot more!Then it's over to NJPW to discuss the Road to Tokyo Dome shows: first, the continued road to Hiroshi Tanahashi's retirement as he took on Hiromu Takahashi and El Desperado, then the full 12/22 Korakuen featuring his main event with Kosei Fujita, a baffling TV Title match, a lot of angles of varying quality heading into Wrestle Kingdom, and much more! DDT is next up with their own last Korakuen of the year on 12/21, as they break down an excellent KO-D title match, ass paint, and more, then discuss the upcoming D-Generations tournament.In NOAH, they review the 12/23 Korakuen featuring an excellent tag match from the juniors and a bunch of other stuff that also existed. Finally, they wrap things up with some Dragongate talk as they review their 12/16 Korakuen, and Arametha gives some interesting thoughts in particular as a longtime puro fan who never really watched DG before this year. Another fun show, and up next we'll be coming live from Japan!Follow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It's the biggest episode of Wrestling Omakase ever- so big in fact that we had to split it in two, and here's the second part! John is back with an absolutely enormous lineup of 13 (!) guests for a two-part preview of Wrestle Kingdom Week, as we break down a simply absurd number of different promotions- 20 in total. All of our guests start by giving their opinions on each promotion's 2025 by giving them a letter grade, with thoughts on what went well and what could have gone better, as well as a look ahead at what 2026 could be for each one in general. Then we break down the Wrestle Kingdom Week schedule for every promotion: everything from the big ones (Wrestle Kingdom, Dream Queendom, Marigold at Ota Ward, TJPW's annual 1/4 Korakuen and more!) to the many other Korakuens and tiny shows being held all over the rest of Tokyo. No stone is left unturned in this one- it's a total breakdown of all of Japanese wrestling!Part 2 focuses on all of the women's (joshi) promotions. Please see below for the exact list of promotions covered in the order they appear on the show:-Marigold-Tokyo Joshi-Actwres girl'Z-STARDOM-OZ Academy-Ice Ribbon-Marvelous-SEAdLINNNG-ChocoPro-Diana-Pure-J-WAVEIn addition to covering all these different promotions, reviewing and recapping their years and looking ahead to their WK Week shows, we also get the breaking news of Saya Kamitani becoming the first ever women's wrestler to win the Tokyo Sports MVP while we were recording the AWG segment of this episode, so we all react to that live on the air!The guests who appear in Part 2, in their order of appearance, are below:-Dylan (Eastern Lariat: https://easternlariat.libsyn.com/)-Arametha-John DK (Check out his website here: https://dk1105.neocities.org/)-Jamie (DramaticDDT: https://dramaticddt.wordpress.com/)-Tim (Joshi-ing around podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5vEhF921sFtprCxTsWhqt6?si=d1da6785766042cd)-Snazzy (Also Joshi-ing around!)-Velkej Bracha (ActWres Stage podcast)-Rodrigo-Xyon (Derailments of Thought blog: https://derailmentsofthought.com/)Don't forget to check out Part 1 (Episode 276) if you missed it, which featured all of the men's promotions (NJPW, NOAH, AJPW, DDT & more!).Follow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Edomae sushi is an Edo style of sushi making that underscores marinating, curing, and aging techniques. Within that, there is one chef, Cheng Lin, standing out for his attention not only to these techniques, but bringing an emphasis on seasonality and sourcing of ingredients.   Born and raised in Fujian, China, chef Cheng Lin began his culinary career in 1997 when he moved to New York City and worked in restaurants such as Hatsuhana, Sushi Seki, and Blue Ribbon. Continuously looking to refine his skills at trailblazing culinary concepts, he eventually joined Chef Masa Ito and Kevin Kim at ITO Tribeca. Chef Cheng Lin was captivated by the comic "Shota No Sushi," a tale of a boy whose passion for sushi mirrored his own, and dreamt of creating a haven for sushi enthusiasts that he would call Shōta. Now, over two decades later, Chef Cheng Lin helms Shōta Omakase in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and it is the culmination of his near 30-year commitment to perfecting the art of sushi making. Combining traditional Edomae-style sushi with modern flair, and a painstaking dedication to sourcing the highest quality ingredients, Chef Cheng Lin shares his love through attention to detail, refined technique, and unmatched flavor. In today's conversation, we explore his commitment to sourcing ingredients that honour the traditional techniques used in Edomae-style sushi, considerations of seasonality when selecting which fish to incorporate on the menu, and how Cheng and his staff have adjusted to their dining services in the wake of receiving a Michelin star within one year of opening.  Resources: Shōta Omakase Restaurant Website Instagram: @shotaomakase Chef Cheng's Instagram: @sushi.chef.cheng.lin

It's the biggest episode of Wrestling Omakase ever- so big in fact that this is only part 1! John is back with an absolutely enormous lineup of 13 (!) guests for a two-part preview of Wrestle Kingdom Week, as we break down a simply absurd number of different promotions- 20 in total. All of our guests start by giving their opinions on each promotion's 2025 by giving them a letter grade, with thoughts on what went well and what could have gone better, as well as a look ahead at what 2026 could be for each one in general. Then we break down the Wrestle Kingdom Week schedule for every promotion: everything from the big ones (Wrestle Kingdom, Dream Queendom, NOAH at the Budokan, AJPW at Yoyogi) to the many Korakuens and tiny shows being held all over the rest of Tokyo. No stone is left unturned in this one- it's a total breakdown of all of Japanese wrestling!Part 1 focuses on all of the men's promotions. Please see below for the exact list of promotions covered in the order they appear on the show:-NOAH-AJPW-NJPW-DDT-BASARA-Ganbare-BJW-GLEATHere's the full list of guests that appeared on Part 1, in order of their appearances:-Paul (Emerald FlowShow: https://redcircle.com/shows/the-emerald-flowshow)-Yuri (A Brazilian Pro Wrestler! Check out his Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yurionerd/)-John Bivins (An American indie wrestler! https://www.facebook.com/john.bivins.372)-Jamie (DramaticDDT: https://dramaticddt.wordpress.com/)-Arametha-Dylan (Eastern Lariat: https://easternlariat.libsyn.com/)-QuinlanIn Part 2 we'll cover twelve more promotions from the world of joshi, so look out for that episode soon!Follow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Al and Las Vegas' premier guy Bob Barnes dive into this week's episode, which is Japan-centric. The centerpiece is with Chef Winston Matsuuchi of Omakase Kyara Sake Bar. Chef Winston is the son of the founders of Las Vegas' first Japanese grocery store, and has put his bi-cultural upbringing to good use, fusing Japanese and American cuisines. Also in this episode, comments by Masaharu Morimoto on his revamped signature restaurant at MGM Grand, and details of the Sand Dollar's pop-up pizza series. 

Director David Gelb's documentary about a tiny, austere sushi joint and its perfectionist chef defined a food-film style... and set off an international omakase craze. Gelb tells Rico the story, and also how he gets his kids to eat escargot (or at least try it).Just in time for holiday eat-a-thons, the award-winning MUBI Podcast is back and celebrating its tenth season with a four-course serving of stories about food on film. Titled "A Feast For The Eyes," the season digs into the ways filmmakers use food to provoke hunger, thought, nausea, political action...and sometimes all the above.Joining host Rico Gagliano is a sampler platter of luminaries from the film and culinary world, including directors Brad Bird (RATATOUILLE), Mira Nair (MONSOON WEDDING), and David Gelb (JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI), former New York Times food writer Alison Roman, and more. Gluttons for great cinema stories can start chowing down on episodes weekly, starting Thanksgiving Day.Let's Eat! Food and Film collection is now streaming on MUBI globally.JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI is now streaming on MUBI in the Netherlands. WINTER IN SOKCHO is now streaming on MUBI in the US, UK, Canada, Ireland, Latin America, India. and Turkey. To stream some of the films we've covered on the podcast, check out the collection Featured on the MUBI Podcast. Availability of films varies depending on your country.MUBI is a global streaming service, production company and film distributor dedicated to elevating great cinema. MUBI makes, acquires, curates, and champions extraordinary films, connecting them to audiences all over the world. A place to discover ambitious new films and singular voices, from iconic directors to emerging auteurs. Each carefully chosen by MUBI's curators.

This week on Wrestling Omakase, John is joined by returning guest Snazzy from Social Suplex & the Joshi-ing Around podcast, as they start out with- you guessed it- Japan travel talk! Whoa, what a shock! There's like 30 minutes of it I think if you'd like to fast forward to the actual wrestling- there's your damn timestamp for ya. Then they discuss the last four nights of the Goddesses of STARDOM Tag League- nights 10 (11/26), 11 (11/28), 12 (11/29) & the finals (11/30). They break down all the remaining tournament matches, discuss who the best & worst teams in the field ended up being, talk about the rather heartwarming little story they ran with Bozilla & Akira Kurogane, break down Saori Anou's recent losing streak and what it may (or may not) mean for the Dream Queendom main event, discuss the return of Maika, and finally of course talk about the crowning of Sakurara as this year's champions!Up next they discuss DDT's 11/30 Korakuen show, which featured Super Sasadango Machine in the main event title challenger position, a great match with Konosuke Takeshita & Shinya Aoki, The Greatest Weapon In Wrestling History, problem gambling, and a whole lot more! They also look ahead to what's coming next across not just DDT but also Tokyo Joshi and Ganbare as well. Finally, they wrap things up with Sendai Girls' 11/22 show from Fukuoka, which just so happened to be Mika Iwata's 10th Anniversary Show! They discuss another unfortunate performance from YUNA, FWC finally appearing as themselves instead of fake Mexicans, Mika celebrating her tenth anniversary by NOT having to job for once (!!!), some definitely real sexual tension with her and a certain wrestler, and a whole lot more!Here's the link to the newest Social Suplex newsletter that Snazzy plugged on the air: https://www.socialsuplex.com/frontpage-11/Joshi-ing around podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5vEhF921sFtprCxTsWhqt6?si=d1da6785766042cdFollow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

"This week on Wrestling Omakase John is joined by returning guest Velkej Bracha as they start out by discussing bad booking (AEW, because John went to Full Gear for god knows what reason) and good booking (STARDOM, despite what you may have heard!). And, uh, vaccines I guess? Then they move into their planned topics for the episode, which start out with NOAH's 11/21 Cross Over show from Sendai. John discusses NOAH absolutely bombing at the gate, Kaito Kiyomiya's continued very bad year, Team 2000X being like the House without any of the charm, and the NOAH juniors saving the day. Then they get into the actual House, as they do a full review of the special PURGE NIGHT OF TORTURE event produced by everyone's favorite unit from last week at Korakuen! Yeah! Topics include: SANADA thankfully not being a Nazi, double duty Dick Togo, NJPW clearly wants to get their hands on Kaisei Takechi, Saya Kamitani slaps the shit out of a pimp, and KYUUUSHOOOO!Then it's back to STARDOM for two more nights of their ongoing Goddesses tag league, one of which was one of the best tag league shows so far and one of which, uh, was not. Saori & Poi are finally back (thank god), so really the day is saved no matter what. John then tries to get into all the remaining block scenarios for the last two nights but probably fucks it up, because it's complicated and they're kind of stupid. Sorry! They stick with joshi as they head to Sendai Girls next to review their 11/18 show from....wow....Sendai? Is that right?! They discuss Spike Nishimura having a hell of a performance, Mika Iwata actually winning a match (!) and a disappointing main. Finally, they wrap things up with OZ Academy's 11/23 Korakuen show, which might be the first time they've ever been reviewed on this podcast. It's a hell of a retirement show for former GAEA wrestler Sonoko Kato, and they go into it all in detail.Fill out this form if you're interested in appearing on our Wrestle Kingdom Week preview show (deadline for submissions is 11/30!): https://forms.gle/PoTPsfetRribc4Av9Follow Wrestling Omakase's Twitter account: http://www.twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on Bluesky: http://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.social"Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

311 Omakase, a tiny but elaborate sushi restaurant in the South End, received Boston's first Michelin star at a ceremony Tuesday night.

This week on Wrestling Omakase the double John connection is back at it again, as John is once again joined by John Bivins! First, some complaints about a much too tiny anime convention John just went to, plus John B. also went to a renaissance faire (can you believe both these people have girlfriends??) where he ran into a Randy Savage impersonator, for some reason. Hear all about it! Once the assorted wackiness is out of the way the two of them start off with a pair of Korakuen shows from joshi promotions: first, Sendai Girls' 11/16 show that just so happens to have been Chihiro Hashimoto's 10th anniversary event. They discuss a Chihiro vs. Sareee match that's getting MOTYC buzz, Mika Iwata making an extremely appropriate tribute, the finals of the Jaja Uma tournament for young wrestlers and more!The second Korakuen show comes to us from Dream Star Fighting Marigold, as they talk about a match that both of them really loved, some stuff they were more meh on, another very strange Rossy booking decision and where things look to be going heading into their 1/3 PPV show from Ota Ward.Next, they head back to STARDOM for four more nights of the Goddesses tag league, two of which were quite good and two of which, well, weren't really. Plus: the We Hate STARDOM crew is at it again with maybe their dumbest complaint yet (and that's REALLY saying something), and the standings look to be taking shape, for better or worse.And for the sake of diversity they finally talk some men's wrestling, as they break down NOAH's 11/15 show from Osaka that featured two second round matches in their junior tournament, a very strange GHC Tag #1 contenders match, and a preview tag for next week's Mr. Smack Daddy vs. The Dang Joker showdown. Things are weird in NOAH these days!Fill out this form if you're interested in appearing on our Wrestle Kingdom Week preview show (deadline for submissions is 11/30!): https://forms.gle/PoTPsfetRribc4Av9Follow Wrestling Omakase's Twitter account: http://www.twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on Bluesky: http://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialCheck out John Bivins on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/john.bivins.372And on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/punkrock.darkroast/And here's a random clip of John B. provoking an old lady: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1piF6ngT9lv-gX-1LZggZLc4bSvnQKMnr/view?usp=sharingAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This week on Wrestling Omakase John is joined by returning guest Paul Volsch of VOW's own Emerald FlowShow (https://redcircle.com/shows/the-emerald-flowshow) as they start things out with a bit of discussion about the recent announcement of Kazuchika Okada as Hiroshi Tanahashi's retirement opponent. Once that unfortunate topic is out of the way, they break down NOAH's 11/8 Korakuen show which featured two title changes, one welcome and one not-so-welcome. Plus, they discuss where NOAH might be going for the big 1/1 Nippon Budokan show and look ahead to the rest of their November.Next up, John & Paul break down the opening three nights of the Goddesses of STARDOM Tag League- 11/7 from Korakuen Hall, 11/8 from Gunma and 11/9 from Nagano. They talk the surprising reveal of HANAKO's mystery opponent, fake luchadoras, Mean Bozilla, a whole lot of solid tag matches and more, before looking ahead to an even more packed four tournament nights for next week.Then they give a full review of Tokyo Joshi's 11/9 Korakuen show, which happened to be one they both very much enjoyed. They discuss an outstanding main event, some issues with the tag title match, a bunch of other enjoyable undercard matches and TJPW announcing a match for their 1/4 show that has them both psyched. Finally, they wrap things up by heading back to Dragongate for the first time in a while, with John giving some short-form thoughts on the top matches from their two Osaka shows last week before getting in to a full review of the King of Gate opener from Korakuen on 11/6!Fill out this form if you're interested in appearing on our Wrestle Kingdom Week preview show: https://forms.gle/PoTPsfetRribc4Av9Follow Wrestling Omakase's Twitter account: http://www.twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on Bluesky: http://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This week on Wrestling Omakase we talk a trio of big shows from big companies! But first, John REALLY doesn't want to talk about what just happened to the Toronto Blue Jays, but for some reason returning guest Arametha insisted, so there's that. Also there's a little bit of talk about everyone's favorite subject, AMERICAN POLITICS! Yeah! And some other stuff too, who even knows at this point. Probably the Japan trip I'm guessing.The first real topic of the show though is STARDOM (as usual), as they talk about the Crimson Nightmare show that took place on Monday 11/3 from Ota Ward Gym. John & Arametha do things a little backward here as they first discuss what's coming up in STARDOM next, mainly with the two Saya Kamitani title matches announced for Dream Queendom and Wrestle Kingdom. John gives their case for why Saya might actually lose to Saori Anou, despite what current conventional wisdom would seem to have you believe. Then they get into a full review of the show featuring a very controversial Saya vs. Momo Watanabe main event, the end of Starlight Kid's epic white belt reign, yet another High Speed title defense for Mei Seira and more. Finally, they wrap up the STARDOM portion with a look ahead to the upcoming Goddesses of STARDOM Tag League that kicks off in just a couple days, giving some early picks for who might make it out of each block and even win the entire thing.Next up they head over to New Japan and again do things kind of backwards, first looking ahead to the upcoming World Tag League and giving the thoughts on the (kind of hilarious!) field of competitors. Then they review the top matches from the Hiroshi Tanahashi Homecoming show on 11/2 from Gifu, discussing the finals of the world's most pointless tournament that apparently made everyone except John really mad, Tanahashi having one more great match against Yota Tsuji in his hometown, how we somehow STILL don't know who Tana's retirement opponent will be, and a Takeshita main event that John almost skipped right over.The last but certainly not least slot goes to DDT for their annual Ultimate Party show, also from 11/3 at Ryogoku. John & Arametha break down the entire ten match card in detail, discussing some truly funny comedy, a lot of fun matches, and the good vibes around this promotion right now in general. They also speculate a little on what might be coming next with the tease of Takeshita vs. Takechi, and look ahead to some future cards in general. Yet another packed show!Fill out this form if you're interested in appearing on our Wrestle Kingdom Week preview show: https://forms.gle/PoTPsfetRribc4Av9Follow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Our guest is Cheng Lin who is the chef/owner of Shota Omakase https://shotaomakase.com/ in Brooklyn, New York. After nearly three decades of studying and serving sushi at notable restaurants in New York City, including Sushi Seki, Blue Ribbon, and ITO Tribeca, he opened his Omakase-only sushi restaurant Shota Omakase in August 2023 and earned his first Michelin star within a year. In this episode, we will discuss how Cheng got into sushi, an inspiring book that steered his career as a sushi chef, how he finds unique ingredients from Japan, such as seven-year-old vinegar and a rare sushi rice, the advantage of being non-Japanese as a sushi chef, how to eat confidently at an Omakase sushi bar and much, much more!!!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Wrestling Omakase we've got another packed trip around most of the Japanese wrestling world! John is joined by returning guest Snazzy from Joshi ing Around & Social Suplex as they start things out with Marigold's enormous Shine Forever show from Ryogoku, which they both agree was the fledgling promotion's very best show of all time so far! They discuss a stacked top of the lineup featuring the first Io Shirai vs. Mayu Iwatani match in well over seven years, a very divisive red belt match with a shocking finish, a white belt match they both have lots of praise for and a whole lot more. Plus some thoughts on the attendance and a lot of hot takes about recent joshi discourse and a lot more!Then they head over to STARDOM to talk about two more shows from the World Wonder Ring- Starlight Kid's 10th anniversary show from Shinjuku FACE on 10/20 and the 10/27 Korakuen. They discuss the insubstantial but amusing SLK anniversary show and then a Korakuen show that was pretty average all things considered. They also discuss where things could be headed with Saya & Momo and again make fun of some very, very dumb takes. The joshi portion of the podcast wraps up with Tokyo Joshi's own 10/18 Korakuen as they talk a great Princess of Princess title match, QUIZ SHOWS, new foreigners and more!The men's wrestling portion kicks off with DDT's 10/19 Korakuen show featuring both the regular and six-man tag titles on the line, as they also give a brief preview of next Monday's Ultimate Party show (also from Ryogoku). Finally, they end the show with AJPW's 10/22 Korakuen, as John again is less than enthused with the current state of Zen Nihon.Joshi ing around podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5vEhF921sFtprCxTsWhqt6?si=d1da6785766042cdFollow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Wrestling Omakase is back for a very special episode! John is joined by returning guests Paul Wedding (@PaulEWedding on Twitter) and Jeff Andrews, as well as first time guest Adam Berger, to break down all the candidates in the Japan region of the 2025 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame voting in detail! Here's everybody covered on this week's episode in order:-Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan-Yoshiaki Fujiwara-Hayabusa-Masaaki Mochizuki-Antonio Inoki & Seiji Sakaguchi-Zack Sabre Jr.-Meiko Satomura-Io Shirai/Iyo Sky-Tiger Jeet Singh-Yoshihiro Takayama-Manami Toyota & Toshiyo Yamada-Bobby Bruns-Joe Higuchi-Rossy Ogawa-Koichi YoshizawaAs you can probably imagine, this leads to a wide-ranging discussion on both Japanese wrestling history and even some stuff on current wrestling as well- a very fun three-ish hours! John, Paul and Adam are all Observer Hall of Fame voters and reveal their ballots (or at least where they're leaning), as well as break down how the entire process works for those who might be unfamiliar. Plus, they briefly discuss how they're leaning in the Modern US category at the end as well. A very fun trip through wrestling history!Adam's Hayabusa HoF article he mentioned on the show: http://www.voicesofwrestling.com/2022/11/14/hayabusa-is-a-wrestling-observer-newsletter-hall-of-famer/Adam's archive on VOW: http://www.voicesofwrestling.com/author/adambomb87/Check out Paul's wrestling substack here: http://pwfg.substack.comCheck out Paul's wrestling interviews for his radio station here: http://WFAA.comFollow Wrestling Omakase's Twitter account: http://www.twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on Bluesky: http://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

After a brief one week absence Wrestling Omakase is back on the air with another packed show talking four shows from all around the Japanese wrestling world! John is joined by returning guest Paul Volsch of VOW's own Emerald FlowShow (https://redcircle.com/shows/the-emerald-flowshow) as they start things out with some chat about the upcoming Wrestle Kingdom trip they'll both be on together, plus John celebrates the Blue Jays beating the Yankees in the ALDS! Yeah! Once that's all out of the way it's time for NJPW talk, as they break down three matches from their recent 10/6 Korakuen (including a truly baffling junior title change) and then the entire King of Pro Wrestling show from Monday 10/13. Lots of thoughts of course on the new IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, where things might be going now for the Tokyo Dome, and a ton of praise for a truly amazing tag team title match. Plus, thoughts on the surprising IWGP Women's Title change in the opener and much more, including the show kind of bombing at the gate.Then it's over to the green ring of NOAH for another Ryogoku show from two days earlier, Wrestle Odyssey, which also kind of bombed! They discuss a pretty underwhelming overall show, a big return from the US, a great junior tag title match and a lot more, before looking ahead to what's coming up next for NOAH on their two upcoming Korakuen Hall shows. Following that they break down STARDOM's 10/11 Korakuen Hall show, another kind of underwhelming show that still featured some interesting matches and moments but in the midst of a bit of a sleepy period for the promotion. Finally, they review Dragongate's 10/8 Korakuen which featured an amazing top two matches, discuss their favorites and least favorites among DG's interesting crop of young wrestlers, and give a brief look ahead at the King of Gate tournament.Follow Wrestling Omakase's Twitter account: http://www.twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on Bluesky: http://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Wrestling Omakase is back for another absolutely jam packed episode as John & returning guest Arametha have major shows from SIX different Japanese promotions to break down! But first, John celebrates the first AL East title from the Toronto Blue Jays in a decade! Sad, but also hell yeah! Then the two of them start out- where else- but with the World Wonder Ring STARDOM, as they cover their 9/23 Osaka & 9/27 Korakuen shows that both set new all-time company attendance records in their respective buildings! They discuss a hot promotion staying hotter, yet more mainstream attention in Japan, Natsupoi slapping the shit out of some old comedian, an absolutely incredible Saya Kamitani vs. AZM double title match (that you can watch for free on Youtube!), and finally react to the news of Momo Watanabe challenging Saya in November and what that might mean for the Dream Queendom main event.Then they head over to the land of the Shin Nihon freaks (?) starting out with two great junior title matches from Sapporo on 9/24 that you may have missed. Then it's a full review of the entire Destruction in Kobe show, as they discuss yet another show where the NJPW roster put on plenty of great matches but were let down by substandard booking.Then it's over to NOAH for the N-1 finals, featuring a surprise turn that was foreshadowed by last week's guest on this very podcast, the thankful end to a quite bad tournament, a lot of angles to set things up for their big Sumo Hall show on 10/11 and more!Next up it's DDT, as they break down yet another awesome Korakuen Hall show from the woefully under covered promotion! They discuss the sad end to Kazuki Hirata's epic title reign, an actually incredible match between a man and an inanimate object, Minoru Suzuki's unlikely late career revival and a whole lot more.Then it's back over to All Japan to discuss their big Giant Dream show from 9/23. Man, Japan had a busy week in wrestling this last week! They break down Kento Miyahara's long awaited Triple Crown win against Jun Saito, a tag match that gave reason for some hope, the usual wacky AJPW undercard comedy and more.Finally, they wrap things up with Sendai Girls' 9/23 Big Show in Sendai, discussing yet another awesome Chihiro Hashimoto vs. Mika Iwata match (with a sadly predictable result), Sareee kicking ass yet again, and, well.....not much else. They also break down their upcoming young wrestler tournament that features wrestlers from both STARDOM & Marigold!Follow Wrestling Omakase's Twitter account: http://www.twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on Bluesky: http://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Within Sushi-Wa's small restaurant in Charleston, SC, there is a joyful sense of peace, anchored in an unlikely friendship where Kazu Murakami and Chris Schoedler have forged a schedule that allows them to joyfully show up to work and enjoy life outside of it too. This conversation explores the intricate world of sushi making, delving into the cultural influences, the joy of culinary exploration, and the significance of seasonal ingredients. The chefs share personal anecdotes about their journeys in the culinary field, the art of sushi presentation, and the relationships built through food. This is the season debut of the 10th season of The Southern Fork, and this season Stephanie focuses on the stories of the Carolina and Georgia coasts, a region supremely close to her heart. With its varied cultural influences, it has been an incubator for American cuisine since the 17th century, and today, is one of the top travel destinations in the world. The music featured on this season is courtesy of musician and producer Jimbo Mathus. To keep up with Stephanie's work beyond the show, sign up for On the Menu with The Southern Fork, her free monthly newsletter that includes recent bylines, recommendations, and other fun tidbits. And for consistent visual peeks into the world of The Southern Fork, follow along on Instagram.

Live from eTail Boston We get to talk to the industry veteran Danny Silverman and introduce Masa Shimizu and his incredible Multi Modal Voice AI product from Omakase.ai. This episode will change how you think AI will effect the customer experience and personalization.  Enjoy Always Off Brand is always a Laugh & Learn!  Danny Silverman  LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieljsilverman/ Website: https://sites.google.com/stonequarter.com/silverstreamconsulting/home/   Masa Shimizu  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/masazeals/ Company - https://www.omakase.ai/    FEEDSPOT TOP 10 Retail Podcast! https://podcast.feedspot.com/retail_podcasts/?feedid=5770554&_src=f2_featured_email Quickfire Podcast Network Shows: Brain Driven Brands  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SarahLevinger Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brain-driven-brands/id1752169629   QUICKFIRE Info:   Website: https://www.quickfirenow.com/ Email the Show: info@quickfirenow.com  Talk to us on Social: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quickfireproductions Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quickfire__/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@quickfiremarketing LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/company/quickfire-productions-llc/about/ Sports podcast Scott has been doing since 2017, Scott & Tim Sports Show part of Somethin About Nothin:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/somethin-about-nothin/id1306950451 HOSTS: Summer Jubelirer has been in digital commerce and marketing for over 17 years. After spending many years working for digital and ecommerce agencies working with multi-million dollar brands and running teams of Account Managers, she is now the Amazon Manager at OLLY PBC.   LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/summerjubelirer/   Scott Ohsman has been working with brands for over 30 years in retail, online and has launched over 200 brands on Amazon. Mr. Ohsman has been managing brands on Amazon for 19yrs. Owning his own sales and marketing agency in the Pacific NW, is now VP of Digital Commerce for Quickfire LLC. Producer and Co-Host for the top 5 retail podcast, Always Off Brand. He also produces the Brain Driven Brands Podcast featuring leading Consumer Behaviorist Sarah Levinger. Scott has been a featured speaker at national trade shows and has developed distribution strategies for many top brands. LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-ohsman-861196a6/   Hayley Brucker has been working in retail and with Amazon for years. Hayley has extensive experience in digital advertising, both seller and vendor central on Amazon.Hayley is the Director of Ecommerce at Camco Manufacturing and is responsible for their very substantial Amazon business. Hayley lives in North Carolina.  LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/in/hayley-brucker-1945bb229/   Huge thanks to Cytrus our show theme music “Office Party” available wherever you get your music. Check them out here: Facebook https://www.facebook.com/cytrusmusic Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cytrusmusic/ Twitter https://twitter.com/cytrusmusic SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6VrNLN6Thj1iUMsiL4Yt5q?si=MeRsjqYfQiafl0f021kHwg APPLE MUSIC https://music.apple.com/us/artist/cytrus/1462321449   “Always Off Brand” is part of the Quickfire Podcast Network and produced by Quickfire LLC.