Modern flavor technology permits recreating almost any flavor. So a novelty company might have the idea of selling regional flavors in candy to tourists, like baked-bean flavor in Boston or sourdough flavor in San Francisco. Only the company that had the idea happened to be in Japan, which has strong traditions of regional specialties like stuffed squid in Hokodate and a kind of noodle soup in Hokkaido. Thanks to the internet, I was able to try some of these out. The flavors are genuinely interesting, and offer great potential for Trick or Treat.

‘Imiloa is the Hawaiian word for seeker, and it is the name for the attraction in Hilo, Hawaii that features a fine planetarium, astronomy and cultural exhibits, and gardens. We happened to be seeking lunch, however, and found that at the Sky Garden Restaurant in the ‘Imiloa complex. The restaurant provides delicious inexpensive buffet-style Hawaiian food suitable for space, and other, travelers. The buffet is a short course in Hawaiian specialties.

Yoshinoya is a chain of Japanese fast food restaurants, having more than 1400 locations worldwide. There are over a thousand locations in Japan where the beef bowls are an established institution. The one-hundred-plus US locations are mostly in California, but there are outposts in Las Vegas, Phoenix, and New York City. The chain is still most famous for its beef, onions, and sauce served over rice, but they also serve up chicken, shrimp, and combo bowls, and now soup, bento boxes, chicken wings, and other dishes. I think the beef bowl is good, but the sesame chicken wings and miso soup are fast food standouts.

There are still regional food products to be discovered. Utz “The Crab Chip”[R] Potato Chips are not crab flavored. They are flavored with proclaimed “Chesapeake Bay crab seasoning.” That’s an aromatic spice mixture. The spice works well with potato chips, making an exceptionally good product, worthy of export from the East Coast.

The West Coast is big on “total dining experience.” Surely we all agree that there is more to dining than food. A restaurant may offer a romantic atmosphere, a waterfront vista, or even a singing waiter. I saw a guidebook for San Francisco where restaurants were grouped by cuisine, with one category being gay. Somehow, however, California fails to represent a certain type of ambiance that’s common in New York, the East Coast diner style. We are talking real food for real people.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated in China and East Asia in the middle of the eighth lunar month. That is usually the full moon in late September or early October on the Western calendar. This year it is October 3. A moon cake is necessary for a proper celebration. Asian Markets are well stocked for the occasion. The preparation of a moon cake is elaborate, so they are not usually made at home.

The Food Network’s Chopped has a reasonable premise. Great chefs do not need recipes to work with good ingredients. We amateurs in the audience can learn from how the pros handle the ingredients. That’s the premise of the successful “Iron Chef America” program, and it works in that show. … The problem with Chopped is that it artificially overconstrained in a way that diminishes the culinary craft in favor of unrelated skills. How about adding a hungry dog to the kitchen or having only two burners on the stove? That might be fun, but it would have nothing to do with good cooking.