but by now you are surely aware, dear reader, that no pizza-related obstacle is too great a challenge for your hero. I knew what had to be done, and i sprung into action. Gather round the electric heaters, children, for a tale of Illiadic proportions is about to be unfolded.
First of all, the place is called Chicago Pizza, and it's been calling out to me for nearly 4 months. Not only is it named after my hometown, but they also have a reputation as the best pizza in the prefecture, and the place is in my own little town. It's not really Chicago-style, of course, but it's reputably less like Japanese pizza and more like real pizza than usual. Furthermore, i see their little scooters zipping around everywhere, and they have been dropping fliers and $5-off coupons in my mailbox for three months. Needless to say it's been on my to do list.
So tonight is cold and i couldnt bring myself to ride my bike to the local izakaya tonight. So i got off my butt, picked up the phone, and dialed. If course first I wrote up a gameplan with all my information written out in phoenetic japanese, in the order i expected them to ask for it-- phone number: "zero-hachi-zero... roku-yon-zero... etc." Pizza: Magnum Meat -- "Magunaamu mii-to" Crust: heavy -- "he-bii"
So i called, and made it through the gauntlet of questions awkwardly. So awkwardly. I knew i had done well when she finally said some stuff real fast and something about an amount of minutes and a price. victory is mine!!!
a guy just called me again to confirm my address and phone number. I must have freaked out the phone girl. I can imagine it now:
*click*
Hey Ryosuke...
Yeah?
Some ridiculous foreigner just called and tried to order a small Magnum Meat
haha
But i couldn't understand him like at all. I mean i THINK i got his address. MAYBE.
Crap, what should we do?
Well you speak some English, right? Call him back and check.
*ring ring*
aaaaa... Mushi mushi!
Ah! .....hel-lo!
Hello!
Chicago Pizza desu.
(proceeds to check my address and number in Japanese)
Update:
OMG it just came. I'm clearly a genius.
I am gonna go enjoy this wonderfulness under my kotatsu. oh victory, you taste so sweet. sweet and meaty.
5 comments:
Speaking a different language over the phone is so much harder than it is in person. But if there's one thing that can push a human being to their limits, it's the eternal quest for pizza. Bravo, sir.
Your experience doesn't sound much different from trying to order takeout from China Lantern.
What kind of "sausage" do the Japanese eat on their pizza?
they have real sausage, as well as an array of tiny, narrow hotdog-like things which seem to be popular everywhere but in America.
James: yeah. I rely on body-language whenever possible. In the words of that great man, Listen you you body talk, what does it say?
I can tell by the browning on the cheese that they used mozzarella. Did you have to ask for that? At my place you have to ask for mozz. Otherwise they put whatever crap cheese on it!
Well done! I can barely order pizza here!
Haha, Brandon, you totally called it on China Lantern. I used to hate calling them..
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