SIEM REAP Part 2: (backstreet academy) by Otis and Chris

Making a crossbow at Backstreet Academy

In Siem Reap, and many other places, they basically have all these different fun things you can do/learn and you can sign up to do them. These things are all part of something called Backstreet Academy. We signed up for a few different lessons.

The stuff we made: Some baskets, a crossbow, a knife, and some newfound bokator skills

Khmer Warrior Initiation

This was actually 4 classes on sort of a day trip (that unfortunately Jen didn't go on) that included:

1. A Cambodian marshall art-type lesson called Bokator. 
We learned some basic moves but nothing too complicated. Chris started bragging that he was a Bokator master, and I soon followed in his footsteps. We didn't take any pictures of Bokator, because we were too busy Bokatoring. Our teacher was the grandson of the man who rescued the art form after the fall of the Khmer Rouge.

BOKATOR Q&A: CHRIS

Q: What was the best move you learned?A: My father taught me this already, but it was a good reminder of how to punch someone in the schnoot, then give them a great big knuckle sandwich.  (Ghostwritten by Otis).

Q: Why do you keep bragging to everyone that you are a Bokator master?A: I don't. I just think it's fun to talk about. I just brag more about the quality of my karate chops. 

Q: Besides punching people in the schnoot, what was the best move you learned?A: The...the best move was the one where you block and attack at the same time and move your forearm into their face. It seemed very effective. 

Q: How much water do you think you drank there (in tons)A: I don't think I drank that much. I was very sweaty, though. 

Q: How much do you think you sweat (in gallons)A: 3.

2. Khmer Cooking: The next thing we did was a cooking class. We thought this was just a lunch, but it turned out it was a cooking class taught by a chef at a restaurant in town (although we ate what we made). Since we thought it was just lunch, we asked that it be made vegetarian for us, but actually, the chef helped us to prepare two vegetarian dishes for our own lunch. 

The first was a Cambodian specialty called banana flower salad. The first thing to do was to quarter an actual banana flower, and then remove the baby bananas (which we were warned were very bitter) from the inside, and then slice the petals into small strips. We mixed the petals with other ingredients like peppers, cucumbers, a Cambodian green and Thai basil, and our instructor prepared a dressing. 

To go with the salad, we made a green curry. The best part of this was crushing the curry ingredients in a mortar with a pestle, and then cooking the spices in oil. We had vegetables, mostly a yam, that he cooked very fast over high heat with our curry paste and coconut milk. Both our salad and our curry were delicious.

Cambodian Cooking Class Q&A: OTIS

Q: Did you think Banana flowers salad would taste like bananas?A: No, that's whats good about banana flower salad is that it didn't. I thought the ingredients went together very well and I thought the dressing was really good even if it was a little spicy. 

Q: Do you remember what spices we put in the curry paste we made?A: Lemon grass, the stuff that turns your skin yellow (turmeric), curry leaf, kefir lime leaf and Kefir lime peel, coconut milk, galangal, and ginger. 

Q: Which was your favorite dish to prepare?A: I personally liked cooking the banana flower salad more because preparing the banana flowers was interesting and it was more of my kind of thing because I didn't get to do that much with the cooking of the curry (other than chopping). 

Q: Which was your favorite dish to eat?A: I liked the curry and the banana flower salad about equally, but I think if you take the yam out I liked the curry better, but with the yam in I preferred the salad.

preparing ingredients for banana flower salad

the finished vegetable curry

the finished banana flower salad

3. Make your own crossbow. 
After cooking, we went to a crossbow making station-type thing. We just got one little board, and the instructor gave us directions as best he could, although he didn't have very good English. We used a wide variety of tools, but most of the time was spent sanding. Otis had a breathing-too-much-sawdust-type injury, and didn't enjoy the full thing, but otherwise it would have been very fun. After we shot the crossbows in a junkyard area, and they turned out to be much faster than we thought. Than we headed on to our next activity.

CROSSBOW MAKING Q&A CHRIS:

Q: What was your favorite part of making or shooting the crossbows?A: Well, I enjoyed the work of making them, but the best part was the surprise at how well they worked. 

Q: How fast do you think the bolts wentA: Mmmmmmmmmm it's very hard to tell because of the short distance they travelled, but maybe 30 MPH (I think more like 170). 

Q: What kind of wood did you use:A: IDK it was some kind of jungle wood we don't use in America, but it was pretty hard, very straight, and it had no knots. 

Q: What was it like working with the wood?A: It was good to work with and it wasn't easy to split like pine would be. Long Pause (Otis just didn't hear what I said and I had to repeat myself). I think the tools were very sharp, which helped, but you had to put a lot of force into it and watch out for blisters.

Otis chisels the trigger opening

Chris tests out his aim

4. Forge a Knife With The Blacksmith

The last part of the Khmer Warrior Initiation was to make your own knife with a blacksmith. You probably know that Cambodia is hot, but what about at a forge in Cambodia? It was HOT and LOUD. I went first as it's one at a time on the anvil, and Otis was to go next. I chose to make a kitchen knife; Otis chose to make a machete. 

In this class, the blacksmith really had you do most of the work, though he did the fine work and directed my labor. The upshot is, you get a bar of iron and put it in the forge, then, when it's red hot, you put it on the anvil and whack the crap out if it with your hammer. The way you turn the bar into a knife is you and the apprentice whack it until it gets very thin on one edge. The knife won't be even at this point, but that's okay because the blacksmith will make it more knife shaped by using a chisel to lop off the uneven edge. To make the handle, we whacked the back side flat, and then beat it around a rod until it rolled over into a cylinder. Once your knife is looking done, the apprentice will sharpen it with his angle grinder. 

The forge was so hot and the angle grinder so loud that Otis was more than ready to go home when I was done, so we didn't end up with the machete, just the kitchen knife. Still, the kitchen knife was so Friday-the-13th style gnarly, that the Cambodian postal worker guy said I couldn't mail it to the United States.

KNIFE MAKING Q&A OTIS:

Q: Did you like the knife making class?A: No, but I would have if I was feeling better and had more water. 

Q: Why not?A: Because I was hot and I wasn't feeling well and I was very thirsty. I think other people would have liked it though, if the conditions were better for them. 

Q: Do you wish you had made your machete in retrospect?A: No. 

Q: Do you think you're entitled to say you're a Khmer Warrior even though you didn't finish the initiation?A: I don't think anyone is entitled to say they're a Khmer Warrior except for all the actual Khmer Warriors (Like Chris, actual Khmer Warrior [-Chris]).

The Cambodian postal worker who was very good at creative box making, but not willing to let me ship my knife

OTHER CLASSES CLASSES AND ACTIVITIES ACTIVITY

1. Playing Soccer with Local School Kids
So, we went to drive to the field, where actually many people were playing a wide variety of sports. There were about 12 people who played with us including our guide. They were about 16, though both adults were on the same team, so it was a little unfair. Both Chris and Otis scored 2 goals, and though nobody was keeping score, I'd say we were about even. The game lasted for about an hour, although it had some differences to a normal game, and the field was smaller. After, we got some Ice Cream, then headed home.

SOCCER Q&A CHRIS

Q:Tell us about the goal you scored at the beginning?
A:Well they had a rule that after1 team scored a goal, the other team would kick the ball off from midfield and take a shot, but mostly the local students did it, and they often missed. So, I took a turn, and kicked it more at the goal, and it went in. 

Q: On a scale of 1-10, how sore were you after the game?
A: Um....                                    I'm gonna go with 5. It was more sweaty than sore, but I had a slide tackle at the beginning of the game and skinned my knee. That was the worst part. 

Q:Would you ever go back again if you lived in Siem Reap
A: Yeah, it was good exercise and fun. 

Q: Was it worth your money?
A: YES (very definitively) although I don't remember how much it costs.

At the field house

Otis takes a shot on goal

2. Rattan Basket Weaving
Jen also did a basket weaving class. We just interviewed her about it instead of having her write her own entry.

Q: Describe more about your basket weaving experience.
A: Well, I was taken by the hotel's tuktuk driver to a remote area of Siem Reap, where I met the coordinator of the basket weaving program. Then he took me on his motorbike along with his daughter and dropped me off at a traditional home. There were 7 women and girls waiting to welcome me. Um... they did not speak much English, but one of the schoolgirls acted as a translator. At first they had me start with a small basket using bamboo so I could get the feeling of weaving it around. As I wove my basket, other women were weaving their baskets and other people we're coming and going in and out of the compound.
After I finished my small basket one of the women helped me by finishing it off and I started on my bigger basket which was made of rattan, R-A-T-T-A-N. As I weaved, the older girls left for school, some preschool children arrived and they were adorable and smiley.
The man who coordinated my class sat for a while and explained that he founded a school across the way to help local children.

Q: What was your favorite part of your class?A: My favorite part of the experience was getting to sit with local women, getting to learn about the rhythms of their days, and being warmly welcomed. 

Q: How many baskets did you make?A: I only made my two baskets but they gave me two more. They wanted me to take them home to my family. 

Q: Do you think it was worth your money, and if you lived in Siem Reap, would you come again?A: It was definitely worth my money and I wish that I stayed longer. I would definitely recommend doing it or do it again. 

Q: Do you think you will ever start your OWN backstreet academy classA: No.

Jen and her basket friends

Jen gets some in-depth tutoring

The finished product

3. Phare Cambodian Circus

Jen went to Phare, the Cambodian Circus while Otis and Chris were playing soccer. Coincidentally, this was the same day we learned that Ringling Bros. Circus was shuttering. Jen found Phare very entertaining and dynamic. The performers were young acrobats who were bringing to life a mythological tale using tricks, song, fire, and feats of daring do.

Q: What was the experience like?
A: The experience was entertaining and fun and a great evening out in Siem Reap. 

Q: I thought you didn't like circuses, why do you support this one?
A: I don't support circuses that use animals, but I enjoy watching acrobatic performances by humans. This circus has no non-human animals. 

Q: Give me an example of the performances.
A: In one part, the performers were jump-roping with a rope that had been set on fire. Another amazing part was when they catapulted very high up in the air doing tricks to land on a tarp held by fellow performers.

Siem Riep Part One: Food

Jen here. You already saw a nice compilation of videos crafted by my travel companions that included our visit to Cambodia -- but sometimes a video doesn't tell the full story. We were in Siem Reap in the first half of January and we all ended up liking it more than we had anticipated. Although it is a huge tourist destination and of course we'd read up on it, I just wasn't sure what to expect. I will freely admit that in order to enjoy the region's ancient history and modern culture we made a conscious decision not dwell on the more recent history of the nation (the option is there). That is some serious privilege and Chris and I made sure to acknowledge such an invocation.

While lots of our time there was spent viewing the temples, we will do a separate post on them -- they are so magnificent and while I was prepared to be annoyed with all of my fellow tourists because those temples get *crowded* that didn't really happen because these places are just so amazing. We spent three days of our six full days there looping into the temple circuit but we also did some other stuff, eating chief among them.

Siem Reap was pretty veg friendly and we found in many regards an easy continuation of what we'd experienced in Chiang Mai, which was lots of fresh fruits and veggies on offer with many dishes highlighting bright, clean flavors. SO good. After Chiang Mai our meals seemed a little pricier, but everything is going to after being spoiled in that regard, and of course it was inexpensive compared to US and European prices. We had a couple of meals at our hotel restaurant, it was a shame to see how uninspired and blah their offerings were in contrast to what others around town are doing (although the service is very friendly).

Our family favorite was Veg G Table, a small garden cafe with a nearly full veg menu, run by an affable expat (and attracting the same as clientele). Despite my disappointment at not getting some hummus to go,* I appreciated G's stance on not offering takeaway because of the plastic and we had a long discussion about how much trash, particularly plastic, is around Siem Reap (a lot). It litters the streets and paths, and is clogging up the river. G also told us where we could get reusable bamboo straws like the ones he uses in his place -- more expensive, he admitted, but worth it. Everything we had there was super tasty. G is looking to sell his business and head out of Siem Reap so I am glad we got to eat there under the current iteration.

*later, I brought along my own takeaway container and left happy

Otis ate Veg G's Indian spiced lentil salad almost each time we went, though usually not  with his hands and more focused.

CL's Veg G burger and sweet potato fries

Falafel plate with sweet potato fries; G's homemade ketchup made the meal

We ate twice at Chamkar House, I loved their glass noodle dish so I advocated to go back again where I think Chris and Otis would have gone to another place the second time. I also had the Cambodian Wedding Day Dip our first time there which I really liked.

Cambodian Wedding Day Dip

Glass noodle salad

Glass noodles --wonderful Khmer flavors

We all really liked Peace Cafe. It has an expansive menu with lots of Asian and Western options and a very, yes, peaceful courtyard to say, set up and do some work in for hours at a time! They also have a fair trade shop where I couldn't resist purchasing some Cambodian hippie mosquito spray because whatever they put in it smells amazing. They have a significant community component and great juices too.

I liked the thought but happened to capture our tuktuk driver writing down his number. In Siem Reap it is common for drivers to wait for you to finish your biz, but we told him to go ahead, we'd be at Peace Cafe for hours.

Another thought to get behind

So pleasant!

I take working and ordering food very seriously! Otis decided time away would be the best thing.

Delicious curry and a banana flower salad -- I hate bananas but it turns out I like banana flower salads!

We also liked ARTillary Cafe and would have gone back there lots more if we'd had time, and the same holds true for Sister Srey, which like Peace Cafe had an attached shop promoting Cambodian goods. The vibe of all of these places is very relaxed and friendly; around town everyone did a terrific job of making us feel very welcome, which says something because we really are just three among millions that will come through.

Vegan bánh mi at ARTillary

Jackfruit tacos at ARTillary. Why jackfruit items aren't on every menu in SEA I do not know because jackfruit are everywhere.

Smoothie bowl at Sister Srey

Salad bowl at Sister Srey. I'm disappointed whenever I'm served cucumbers that haven't been individually folded ever since. Otis is enjoying a milkshake and a veggie burger.

 Finally, another place we all really liked, you know us, was Gelato Lab! The chocolate sorbetto was so rich and delicious, especially paired with the dragonfruit.

Tune in quite soon to learn about our visits to the temples and other fun/interesting things we did in Siem Reap, as well as our trips to Malaysia!

More like CHEW Mai, Amirite?

Jen and Otis at Vegan Heaven 

At this point we have left Chiang Mai kind of a long time ago, but before we leave it behind from a web journal perspective, lets return to talk about maybe it's best feature for us - the food.

How great we had it in Chiang Mai was really brought into perspective in other parts of Thailand, particularly Ao Nang and Bangkok. In these cities, reliable vegetarian food is further away, less frequent and more expensive - and often just not as good. You can request vegetarian dishes at any restaurant, but in my experience, you either didn't know if they removed ingredients like fish sauce or eggs or you could immediately tell because the cook did nothing to replace the flavors. In Ao Nang I even got the old "there's no meat in this fried rice, that's chicken!" routine.

We went to a lot of restaurants in Chiang Mai, and even had a little street food. Some were very good, some were less good, most were inexpensive and in walking distance. The sheer number of options meant that if the one you were at for lunch was too expensive or too bland or too far, there was another one closer and cheaper to try for dinner. Most of the time eating out was either equivalent to or less expensive than the price of cooking in our apartment. Most places served smoothies, fresh juices, coconut milk based shakes and fresh soups, all of which became exponentially more important at the end of our stay when Jen had her wisdom teeth out.

Here are the places we are, in no particular order, reviewed by different family members:

Perfect portions, freshly made (with some khanum krok Otis brought it)

This amazing soup....flavorful and filling. I would eat it every day if I could.

Post-tooth pull, I had Morning Glory's smooth soups and hibiscus iced tea most days for dinner

Morning Glory
OTIS: It was a favorite of my parents, and close by. Despite that, I didn't like it very much. I normally got the seaweed soup, and a mint shake (the shake was AWESOME though, and the seaweed soup was good if you liked everything in it.) Chris got a variety of things favoring Pad Thai, and a Thai Iced Tea. Jen got an even wider variety of stuff, fresh and flavorful, and there was nothing she didn't like.
JEN: Since this place was close by we did eat here a disproportionate amount -- their pumpkin and spinach soups were a lifesaver post-dental work and the small family who runs it were nice to encounter. Everything is made fresh to order -- and your order is often taken by the young girl of the family, Opal-- and portions are nicely sized and terrifically priced. My big regret is not signing up for one of their cooking classes.
OUR RATING: 6.9 (of 10)

Spring rolls, milk shakes and stir fry at Taste of Heaven

Coconut curry served in a coconut at Taste From Heaven

Taste From Heaven & Vegan Heaven
CHRIS: these two restaurants had the same management and largely the same menu. The menu was big and diverse and cheap, and was one of my favorite places to eat in Chiang Mai. Good for Thai, or veggie burgers or felafel. They had a lot of quotes from famous people who are (were) allegedly vegan decorating the walls.
JEN: Vegan Heaven is the sister restaurant of Taste of Heaven with a significantly similar menu served in surroundings with a newer sheen. We enjoyed our meal there but Taste of Heaven was closer so we ended up there more often.
OUR RATING: 7.1, Vegan Heaven 7.3 (Otis made us do our ratings separately, as he thought Vegan Heaven was better.

Anchan Vegetarian
CHRIS: Otis and I went to this one while Jen got her hair did. It was a little more expensive, but I thought my curry was surprisingly good. In a neighborhood well west of Old Town so outside our usual ambit.
OUR RATING: 7

Pink House Garden
JEN: A really cute spot, you are essentially eating in someone's yard that they've gussied up with some nice touches. The menu is pretty small and fully gluten free, but the green curry I ordered was one of the best I've had. We made the mistake of coming here for lunch and even under the shade it was quite warm. I'm thinking that this is a good place to go for dinner after the sun has set and the lights are twinkling. A place I'd hoped to get back to and didn't.
OUR RATING: 7.2

Seating area at Blue Diamond

Blue Diamond Cafe
JEN: A nice find at the north of the old city with lots of vegan options including more desserts and baked goods than I'd seen in months. We went on Christmas Eve morning and sat outside in the pleasant garden area, again, on the ground. They brought around sweets as treats for everyone which was a nice touch. We tried going back the next day, Christmas morning, but inexplicably they were closed (its a Buddhist country!). I'd hoped to get back there but my dental surgery precluded. Otis did not like and his low rating (3) brought down our average substantially.
OUR RATING: 6.4

Appetizer time at Faviola

Jen's pasta entree with side of mushroom risotto from Faviola's chef

Faviola
CHRIS: This is a fancy Italian restaurant in the Meridien Hotel that we went to for Christmas dinner. It was the sort of meal you'd have if you went to a fancy Italian restaurant in an American 5-Star hotel. The servers were very kind and the chef came out to talk to us and gave us a mushroom risotto he had made specially for the visiting vegans. I don't dig on mushrooms, but the dinner was tasty.
OUR RATING: 7.7

Amazing smoothie bowls...

...and fresh and flavorful salads at Free Bird 

Free Bird Cafe
CHRIS: This modest cafe just north of old town donates its proceeds to Burmese refugees. I had my first smoothie bowl here and became a convert. Also, they had some dishes they described as particularly Burmese including a tea leaf salad. A little expensive for Chiang Mai, but props to the smoothie bowl!
JEN: I liked this place a lot, some of the flavors were unique to me and it was another place I didn't get to go back to because of dental work. I loved their very active support programs.
OUR RATING: 7.7

GIANT salads at Salad Concept for Christmas brunch

Salad Concept
CHRIS: This was American style mini-mall food. Expensive and nondescript, but large portions. I think Otis liked it more.
OTIS: Very good but don't get too enthusiastic about adding all of the salad ingredients because it will make a huge salad and some ingredients don't go together very well
OUR RATING: 6.5

Nunu Nini's Cafe
CHRIS: I often went here for breakfast when I was out of the flavor for Smith Residence's eggy pancakes. They served French press coffee, which was rare to come upon, and had a bunch of cakes that made for good breakfasts, including apple and coconut.
JEN: Nothing vegan, so I passed by day in and day out without stopping in.
OUR RATING: 5.5

Elephant Nature Park
JEN: As part of the volunteer and visitors programs, a huge vegan buffet is served three times per day. I thought it was delicious for mass produced food and was impressed with the noodles and curries, fruits, and drinks. I did have conversations with or overheard a few people grumbling a bit about no meat. Interesting. Chris and Otis didn't love but I would have happily eaten there all the time. No animal advocacy group or space should be serving meat, dairy or eggs in the interests of keeping their message aligned.
OUR RATING: 6.5

Aum's veg sushi was a hit with Otis, and Jen liked her glass noodles

Aum Vegetarian
CHRIS: This is the first restaurant we went to in Chiang Mai, and I had may first Papaya salad here. I thought the food was okay, about average for the city I think. This is the restaurant where Otis was locked in the bathroom with a rat, so take that for what it's worth. (ADVENTURE!)
OTIS: Their sushi was very good though their mint lassi was a little on the sweet side.
OUR RATING: 7.5

Macro plate with mung bean hummus and Otis's noodles at Amrita Garden

Amrita Garden
JEN: I liked this place a lot, a big variety of very healthy and tasty food and a very laid back vibe with outdoor, on the ground seating. We had mung bean "hummus" here and liked it. This is the place where you're going to hear the postmortem of that yoga or meditation class your fellow diners just attended. Otis and I enjoyed it more than Chris.
OUR RATING: 6 (Chris's dislike brought this number down quite a bit)

Chris's veggie burger from DADA

Typical CM meal -- noodle dish, curry dish and coconut milk smoothie

Dada Kafe
CHRIS: This restaurant was right next to Taste of Heaven and had a similar menu and wide range of options at similar prices. I became a regular here after Jen had her wisdom teeth out because I bought her many peanut butter smoothies, which were tasty and went down like a meal. You could get a version of it with a whole avocado blended in, and then you wouldn't have to eat for days!
JEN: One of my favorites, the food was always fresh and reasonably priced and the coconut milk smoothies were superb. Otis brought our rating down!
OUR RATING: 7.3

Cat House
OTIS: The name was amazing, but the food was even better! We only went there once, and I got the spaghetti with pesto and tofu. They were out of brownies, so I had ice cream for dessert. Chris had a burrito, and the same for dessert. Jen got the same thing, except with a vegan brownie.
OUR RATING: 7.6

Smith Residence
CHRIS: This was the longterm hotel we stayed in, and in its lobby it had a restaurant that I think was actually called two brothers. Otis and I had breakfast here most days, and read The Name of the Wind to each other over pancakes and smoothies. I found the pancake a bit eggy. Jen never ate here because it was not vegan friendly.
OUR RATING: 6.8

Bagel House Cafe & Bakery
CHRIS: Once I went here for breakfast, I wanted to come here every single day. Everything bagel toasted with cream cheese with coffee and orange juice. The bagel tasted freshly made and the coffee and orange juice made it perfect.
CHRIS'S RATING: 8

Good Morning Chiang Mai
CHRIS: Otis and I went here once, it was decent but there are so many options in Chiang Mai that we didn't mind keeping on.
OUR RATING: 6.6

Is that an adoring gaze or what?

YEAH!! Ice Love this sundae.

Ice Love You Ice Cream
OTIS: I loved it! It had chocolate lava cake which I always like and the ice cream is really good.
CHRIS: They had fancy ice cream dishes where the fanciness and novelty of the design sometimes outdid the reality of the execution and taste. It had a lot of vegan ice cream flavors which is a rare treat.
JEN: We had a great time here our first time and then the second time we stopped here it fell a bit flat due to our going off menu and a language barrier. Very welcome when one has just had teeth out.
OUR RATING: 8.3

Dragon & Phoenix
CHRIS: Prices were high and service slow but when the food arrived it was fresh and good.
OTIS: I didn't pay attention to the prices but I didn't think service was slow. My shake was good but their tofu preparation was unsuccessful although my main course was good.
JEN: I didn't like this place very much. Food was not memorable. They didn't seem that interested in having customers, never mind satisfied customers.
OUR RATING: 5.75


Sababa Israeli Restaurant
OTIS: Loved it. Their pizza was delicious and successful in the mission of not putting cheese on it.
CHRIS: I really liked their falafel pitas which came with a delicious hot sauce and pickles. The only downside is that their prices are a bit high for Chiang Mai but it was a nice break from Thai food.
JEN: I only had take out, I liked the hummus Chris and Otis brought home.
OUR RATING: 8.7 !!??

Street food!

Khanum krok stall at corner of food market
JEN: One of the few vegan street food options, these are little savory coconut custards served with scallions, corn or pumpkin. Fun to have them made in front of you and you can stroll on, eating your custardy goodness.
OTIS: These were good. 10 baht for six. 10 baht is about 30 cents.
OUR RATING: 7

Two jay cafeterias we don't remember the names of 
CHRIS: A little hit or miss because the food is pre-prepared andyou don't know exactly what you are getting but they are wildly inexpensive. Lunch for all three of us could be had for under $3.
OUR RATING: 4.9

A pizza restaurant we don't remember the name of
OTIS: The food was good, although Jen didn't like hers. I got garlic bread