Eating In Translation

Midoriya

I picked this Pokka milk coffee (240 ml., 79 cents), from Singapore, partly for the model; he looks like the brand spokesman for an old blow dryer of mine. (See another period 'do.)

But I also picked it partly because, innocuous commercial brew though it was, it wasn't cold from the fridge. Midoriya is the rare Japanese mini-mart that troubles to keep a self-serve countertop case stocked with cans of hot coffee and tea.

Midoriya
167 North 9th St. (Bedford-Driggs Aves.), Williamsburg, Brooklyn
718-599-4690

Grillin' on the Bay

Competitors at this annual event aren't licensed to sell their 'cue, but after turning in their BBQ entries to the judges, they are permitted to dole out freebies to the salivating public.

"Does your sponsor supply your meat?" I asked one laconic fellow as he sliced an especially juicy slab into bite-sized, well-seasoned samples. "They do," he replied. Taking note of my tidbit, another fellow at the stall — dressed in full-body camo, reclining in a canvas chair, and cradling a pint cup — added, "Not the venison."

Grillin' on the Bay
At the St. Mark School, East 18th St. at Ave. Z, Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn
http://GrillinOnTheBay.blogspot.com

Parkchester apartment complex

Once upon a time, this rooster's kin might have crowed the daily wake-up call.

Kebab Curry Halal Food

I'm still a novice regarding pan, or paan, which describes a number of South and Southeast Asian quids wrapped in a betel leaf.

Starling Coffee Shop

(This venue is closed.) One bite leads to many more.

Coin-operated toy-capsule vending machines

Gumball machines still separate kids and their spare change; increasingly, so do machines that dole out toy capsules.

"Cereal Killers"

This rogue's gallery features mascots from a baker's dozen of brand names. At least, that's my count — but sometimes I skip breakfast, and rarely do I eat breakfast cereal or watch Saturday morning TV. Perhaps you can spot mascots I've missed; click on the photo for a closer look.

"Cereal Killers"
Mural (no longer extant) on Wythe Ave. at North 13th St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Wei Mei Xian

This "Chinese New Year cake" rings in the fried-noodle section of the menu.

Drying vegetables

"If you don't wash here, you can't dry here."

Don Francisco Carniceria

(This venue is closed.) Though collagen extracted from animal bones and tissue can be converted into gelatin, we shouldn't ascribe any particular significance to a refrigerator case, full of desserts like this ($2), near the entrance to a butcher shop. Almost certainly the gelatina Mexicana at this carniceria is made using packaged mixes, not from scratch. I'd expected the jiggly grape, lime, orange, and strawberry slabs to be suspended in some sort of custard, but lo and behold, the creamy base of that pale yellow matrix was gelatinized, too.

Don Francisco Carniceria
4805 Fifth Ave. (48th-49th Sts.), Sunset Park, Brooklyn
718-437-4520