Winter 2014 ASDOH ASDA THE LINGUAL GROOVE Reaching Out: Volunteering with AZMOM Arizona Mission of Mercy, or AZMOM as it is better known, provides free dental care to thousands of individuals at no cost to them. The event is held over two days at the Arizona State Fairgrounds. AZMOM’s first year was 2012, where 1,659 patients were seen and nearly 1.3 million dollars worth of care was provided with 300 dentists, 300 hygienists and over 600 lay volunteers. 2013 only got better with nearly 2,200 patients seen and 1.4 million dollars worth of procedures performed. That’s mind- blowing! Final statistics for 2014 have not been given out but if it is anything like the last few years, you know it gets better! I have been lucky enough to volunteer at AZMOM since its debut in the oral surgery department as an assistant. Comprised of 30 chairs constantly filled with patients in need of extractions, it quickly gets exciting! I have done several events like AZMOM but none are nearly as busy. Assisting is much different now having begun D1 modules with more knowledge of anatomy and organ systems. It was also inspiring to see so many students from ASDOH there to volunteer in any capacity they could. It was an incredible experience, one I would encourage everyone to have. - Chris (Skip) Holladay ‘18 www.asdohasda.org 1 This is one half of the oral surgery section. There is an identical row not pictured on the other side of the floor. Dr. Shah and I before 3rd molar extractions. I worked with Dr. Shah as his assistant for 3 years before dental school. I have assisted him at AZMOM every year since 2012. INSIDE THIS ISSUE February 4, 2015 Upcoming Events p. 2 Student Polls p. 3 and throughout Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Payne p. 4-6 Beyond the DMD p. 9-10 ASDA’s Predental Day! p. 11 Lifestyle: Restaurants p. 12-14
Transcript
Winter 2014 ASDOH ASDA
THE LINGUAL GROOVE Reaching Out: Volunteering with AZMOM Arizona Mission of Mercy, or AZMOM as it is better known, provides free dental care to thousands of individuals at no cost to them. The event is held over two days at the Arizona State Fairgrounds. AZMOM’s first year was 2012, where 1,659 patients were seen and nearly 1.3 million dollars worth of care was provided with 300 dentists, 300
hygienists and over 600 lay volunteers. 2013 only got better with nearly 2,200 patients seen and 1.4 million dollars worth of procedures performed. That’s mind-blowing! Final statistics for 2014 have not been given out but if it is anything like the last few years, you know it gets better!
I have been lucky enough to volunteer at AZMOM since its debut in the oral surgery department as an assistant. Comprised of 30 chairs constantly filled with patients in need of extractions, it quickly gets exciting! I have done several events like AZMOM but none are nearly as busy. Assisting is much different now having begun D1 modules with more knowledge of anatomy and organ systems. It was also inspiring to see so many students from ASDOH there to volunteer in any capacity they could. It was an incredible experience, one I would encourage everyone to have.
- Chris (Skip) Holladay ‘18
www.asdohasda.org �1
This is one half of the oral surgery section. There is an identical row not pictured on the other side of the floor.
Dr. Shah and I before 3rd molar extractions. I worked with Dr. Shah as his assistant for 3 years before dental school. I have assisted him at AZMOM every year since 2012.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE February 4, 2015
Upcoming Events p. 2 Student Polls p. 3 and throughout
Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Payne p. 4-6 Beyond the DMD p. 9-10
ASDA’s Predental Day! p. 11 Lifestyle: Restaurants p. 12-14
The Cutting Edge of Ethics: Does Laser Therapy Have a Place in the Office? Lasers&have&been&proven&to&be&effective&in&many&soft&and&hard&tissue&surgeries&in&the&oral&cavity.&Their&use&as&a&therapy&for&periodontal&disease,&however,&has¬&been&widely&accepted&due&to&the&lack&of&de<initive&research&in&this&area.&There&are&aspects&of&laser&treatment&that&are&known&and&researched&bene<its,&such&as:&reducing&bacterial&load&for&up&to&ten&days,&reduction&in&in<lammation,&and&sealing&of&nerve&endings&to&lessen&patient&discomfort.&These&positive&attributes&of&laser&therapy&can&be&used&in&an&augmentative&way&with&traditional&scaling&and&root&planing&to&increase&a&patient’s&healing&experience&and&to&help&keep&the&bacterial&count&under&control&while&their&body&has&a&chance&to&heal&and&re@establish&a&healthy&periodontium.&&
1. Can you give us a basic rundown of your dental trip/program in Vietnam? My trip began in the Phoenix airport. From there I flew to San Francisco, then to Seoul Korea and on to Hanoi Vietnam. Total not adding in for layovers, was about 21 hours. It was late evening when I arrived in the Hanoi airport. When I arrived in the baggage claim area I was meet by student volunteers from Operation Smile Vietnam. At that point they stepped me through getting my bags, and transportation to the hotel. Up to this point the most difficult for me was the stress of going through the Seoul, Korea airport, due to not understanding most of the signs and being required to leave the security area and re-enter. The first part of my trip, Thursday November 13th to Friday November 14th, was as an invited speaker at The International Odonto-Stomatology Conference of Science, Education & Practice. I attended the conference each day and completed my presentation on current restorative materials and technology on Friday. The conference consisted for speakers from around the world. Three
speakers were from ATSU ASDOH, Myself, Dr. Khanh Chu, and Dr. Mai-Ly Duong. Saturday was an open day in which we spent the day together in the local market area. The next segment of the trip was the mission portion. Saturday was the day that those participants arrived. When we arrived back from our day of shopping the hotel lobby was beginning to fill with mission volunteers from all around the world. There was a welcome dinner that night as we all joined together and meet the teams we would work with for the week. Dr. Chu and Dr. Duong were on a team that would travel to Hue for their dental mission. I would remain in Hanoi. This was my first ever mission and therefore, my first mission with Operation Smile.More than 300 international medical volunteers from 23 countries provided free cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries across the six cities from Sunday, November 16 – Saturday, November 22. While this part of the mission is taking place in the hospital there is another part of the mission taking place that seems to get no media recognition. That would be routine dental care to children. Some of this is performed by mobile units in the villages and some in clinic or hospital settings. All of the treatment was being completed with limited equipment and supplies. Although I know general dentistry was being performed in most, if not all of the six cities, I really can only speak on how things were done in Hanoi. I would wake up each morning by 5am so I could be at breakfast by 6am. Usually I would meet up with most of my team in the breakfast area. The surgical team stayed at a different hotel so we did not have much interaction with them. The bus would pick us up by 7am to head over to the clinic. My clinic was on the campus of the Hanoi Medical University. My team consisted of two pedodontists, three prosthodontists, one endodontist, one oral surgeon, one oral surgeon resident, four general dentists, one dental assistant, and four dental hygienists. Because we were on the medical campus we worked with the fifth and sixth year dental students. This was a very special treat for me. They became our assistants, our translators, and also I was able to let them do work on the children while I supervised. Although I would have liked to do this more, it was hard because they were inexperienced to work at the speed required for the bus loads of patients we were receiving. My particular clinic saw 492 children which were all from the same children’s orphanage. Many were deaf, mute and autistic children. For the most part they were very young, and difficult to manage. It is my understanding this was the first mission that we treated all handicapped children. There were a few walk in patients that received knowledge that we were there performing dentistry. They would come in with the hopes that we would see them, and of course we accommodated them. The entire event ended with a gala of all the volunteers, from all six cities. It included all the surgical and non surgical teams. I was then to be escorted to the Hanoi airport for my return trip home. I did have a driver pick me up at the hotel and dropped me off at the airport. From that point on I was left with the challenge of not speaking the language, and not finding any of the escorts that were to be there to help me through the check out process. This was my first time to ever really be out of the United States. I have been to Mexico and Canada, but compared to this 21 hour flight that hardly counts for being out of the country. Upon my return I flew into the Las Angeles airport, where I would go through customs. I must say I was happy to be home. 2. What inspired you to go out and volunteer in Vietnam? Working at a school that is so public health inspired, and hearing of the students talk about going on mission trips was a big inspiration for me. I had never been on a mission trip, and have known since I started at ATSU ASDOH that that was something I wanted to do. I always say go big or go home, so I would say I went big on this one. Longer than most school missions, further away than most school missions, and sponsored by a world known organization like Operation Smile, this was big. I am also requesting a title change this year from assistant professor to associate professor, having the mission on my resume and also being asked to speak at an international conference are big ticket items. I must also give great credit to Dr. Chu who traveled with Operation Smile 5 years ago. She was contacted and asked about giving a talk at the conference. She agreed to speak but suggested that I be asked to attend the
conference as a speaker, and stay for the mission as well. Without that suggestion from her I would have never been asked to speak and attend the conference. 3. What were the majority of cases that you saw and treated? All patients that we saw were first screened for their most important needs. All patients were given oral hygiene instruction, and a cleaning. All patients left with a toothbrush and paste. We had an area set up for the hygienists, where these services were preformed. We also had a surgical area set up, where extractions were completed by the oral surgeons. There was an area set up for radiographs also. We had an endodontist present that did complete a couple of root canals during the week, but because this mission was almost exclusively young orphan children, his services were not as beneficial as they had been in the past. For the most part I was responsible for the screenings, cleanings, fillings, and routine extractions of deciduous teeth. When an adult patient would walk in requesting treatment, they would tend to direct them to my chair, since I was the Prosthodontist. I mentioned that there were two other Prosthodontists but they left to return to private practice the second day of thee mission. They were there as guest lecturers at the conference and remained to see how the mission operated, but did not remain for the entire mission. Many of the dental students brought their panoral x-rays and requested third molar extractions. This kept the oral surgeons very busy as they tried to accommodate the students as best they could. We did not have nitrous or anesthesia available in our clinic so treating young deaf mute autistic children without sedation limited what we could do. 4. How was it doing general dentistry again as a prosthodontist? As one might expect, working on children was a challenge for a Prosthodontist. However, I ran my private practice for 26 years in Ohio as a general dentist. Therefore I am used to treating children in my practice. As in my practice where I might refer 5 % of the children to the pedodontist, I had two fantastic pedodontists within our group to get for help. I must say there is no magic to it; sometimes it just required restraining the child by lying on top of them, holding their head and letting the pedodontist get it done. The biggest struggle for me was sitting chair side from 8 to 5 all week long. There are a variety of reasons I gave up private practice but my neck and back are two of those reasons. The mental and physical stress of practicing day to day dentistry was my biggest challenge. Several nights I got back to the hotel and never made it to dinner. My short power nap ended when I woke up the next morning at 5 am still in my clothes from the day before. Some of you who work with me in the simulation clinic, might question my doing dentistry and the tremor you see in simulation clinic. I was diagnosed with benign essential tremor when in dental school in 1986; at that time I was placed on beta blockers and anti seizure medications to control the tremors. I remained on then for the next 26 years. When I arrived at ASDOH I made the decision to go off the medications and deal with the tremor, since I would not be practicing dentistry day by day. Because of the mission I went back on the medications so I could have the control needed to do dentistry chair side again. 5. Which was a greater barrier, the language or the culture? By far the, language was the greater barrier over the culture. As I try to teach students, communication is the key to successful treatment, particularly with children and the use of Tell, Show and Do. Not being able to tell is a big step backwards. The Vietnamese dental students tried their best to translate, but their English was very poor. I found one male student who spoke and understood English very well. I tried to stick to him like glue. By the end of the week, he had become a very good friend and we still communicate today through Facebook messenger. 6. How was the food? I am a person that likes most foods; therefore, I enjoyed the opportunity to try new things. It was a challenge to get used to your food looking at you while you were eating it. Chicken was often served with the head still on, fish most of the time was cooked with the head and tail still present. The most unusual item I tried was jelly fish. Most meals were served family style, so most dinner tables have a lazy susan in the middle, where the food is placed and then rotated to get what you wanted. Dinner was our own responsibility so often times we ate as a team, but just paid for our own dinner. Sometimes I would just venture off and do my own thing. I did go with several of the dental students for lunch, when they would expose me to their favorite places. Many things contained fish items and that was not my favorite flavor. Shrimp and crab, and lobster I am good with, but not just bottom feeding fish. I skipped the night when the team went for rattlesnake, ate the still beating heart of the snake and the dove’s head. I am thankful for the 10 boxes of protein bars I had in my suitcase. Two nights I did go out to a local Italian restaurant, where they had steak, pizza, hamburgers, milkshakes, etc. I tried to stick to the local flavor. Sitting on a little tiny plastic playschool chair, street side, eating a plate of sweet fries and drinking beer was a very common event that I must say I enjoyed very much. Things are very cheap
there because people make very little. Dinner would range between 5 and 10 US dollars. A molar root canal cost about 35 dollars. We were invited by the US embassy for a dinner, at the private home of one of the assistants to the ambassador. This was a very pleasant surprise to all of us, and turned out to be a very enjoyable, fun evening. It was an evening of food, cocktails, and the opportunity to just sit around on the patio and visit with the other volunteers that were in Hanoi with Operation Smile. As I mentioned we were separate from the surgical team, so had very little contact with them. This was a night where we all got to set down together and just visit. 7. What did you take back from your trip that you will implement here in the States? I would say that the most important thing I brought back with me, was the warmth of giving. There is no way to explain how rewarding it was for me to be able to do this. The best thing that I can try to implement here in the States, is to try and do more, give more and help more. We have so many people right here that need our help. I have always felt that I gave a lot in my practice, often times doing free treatment and giving to those that were in need, but there was never the feeling that I felt in my heart for those kids in Vietnam.
8. Did you participate in volunteer events while you were in dental school? Any notable memories? I attended The Ohio State University College of Dentistry for my dental training and my prosthodontic training. Our school was not connected with any missions or public health, and therefore, I never had the opportunity to go on a mission trip associated with my school. Following graduation, I did hear of missions to Hati and other places, this always spiked my interest, but with a private practice and family, never fit in the plan. My most notable memories are in the friends that I made. The smiles on those kids faces. The relationships I developed with the dental students that still continue today. I will always remember the feeling I had when a female patient returned the day after I treated her with flowers for me, and a request for two more fillings. This followed with a gift from her of two ties. This was someone giving me a gift
that probably does not make in a month what I make in a day. The people were so thankful, so warm and inviting. I will never forget the morning traffic which was all motorcycles. There was no respect for traffic lanes, and motorcycles just taking over the sidewalks. The noise levels and smog from the motorcycles was unbelievable. Everyone blows their horn constantly, so imagine thousands of motorcycles in a small confined space all blowing their horns at the same time; this is endless all day and night long. I will always remember when I was picked up at my hotel by a student on his motorcycle, which I said I would never do, and taken to a popular street corner where we ate sweet fries, and drank beer. I will always remember the fear in the people when the government would come through at midnight, and clear everyone from the streets. They all ran quickly in panic to get out of the area. I always left as I was afraid to stay, but it is my understanding that after the police would pass through, the business owners would begin service again but inside behind closed doors.
10 Things from NLC 1.&ASDOH&auto&enrolls&students&into&ASDA.&This&is&because&Dr.&Dillenberg&is&a&founding&member&of&ASDA&and&felt&it&was&important&and&necessary&that&all&students&participate.&Organized&dentistry&keeps&us&strong&and&involved&in&improving&the&dental&<ield.&Unfortunately&other&schools&don’t&auto&enroll&and&struggle&to&establish&strong&chapters.&I&learned&to&have&a&greater&appreciation&for&our&school’s&chapter&and&highly&encourage&more&students&to&join&a&committee&and&come&to&all&the&events.&Additionally,&our&ASDA&chapter&is&recognized&as&our&government&representation&with&A.T.&Still&student&affairs.&This&is&your&chance&to&have&a&VOICE!!&
It&is&that&time&of&year&again.&The&time& when& you& make& in<inite&resolutions& to& improve& yourself&for&the&year&hoping&to&make&it&a&h a b i t .& T h i s& b o o k& i s& a&collaborative& effort& of& Dan&Britton,& Jimmy& Page,& and& Jon&Gordon.& &It&consolidates&all&your&goals&into&just&one&word&for&the&year.& & Life& is& complicated&enough.&&If&you&just&focus&on&one&word,& you& can& transform&yourself& in& many& aspects& of&your& life.& & For& instance,& Kris&Mendoza,& our& National& ASDA&President,& chose& the& word&“ Inspire”& last& year.& & He&performed&his&tasks&for&the&year&with&“inspire”&in&mind.&
Strengths Based Leadership: Great Leaders, Teams, & Why People Follow
Tom& Rath& and& Barry& Conchie&take& Gallup’s& three& decades& of&research& and& induces& three&principal& factors& to& become& a&more&effective&leader.& &You&must&determine& individual& strengths&and& cultivate& them.& & Your&workers’& leading& skills& should&be&complementary&where&every&person& has& a& role& in& the& of<ice.&&You& must& also& understand& the&needs& of& your& staff& in& order& to&foster&relationships.& &It&includes&a& survey,& which& unveils& your&p e r s o n a l& s t r e n g t h s& a n d&determining& other& people’s&s t r e n g t h s .& & W i t h& t h i s&information& and& examples& of&prosperous&businesses,&you&can&form&a&well@balanced& team& that&
SCOPE: REFRESH THE ASDA FEVER
District 10 Session | National Leadership Conference
9.&&You&may&already&be&a&pro&at&networking&but&the&most&important&part&is&actually&what&you&do&afterwards.&Prepare to stay in touch, follow up, and make a point on contacting people with whom you met within a day or two either by phone or email. Maybe you promised a new friend an article; make sure to get back to them ASAP, this shows that you remembered them, kept your word and are someone they can count on.
What do a dentist, attorney, nurse, physical therapist, and social worker have in common? On the surface, a bachelor’s degree plus 2-4 years of additional graduate school years. However, beyond the years of education, these individuals share common interests to provide service, care, and change in patient and client lives. Each profession is challenged by different curriculums, creating different educational and professional experiences, and leaving each person with specialized knowledge. Upon graduation, we, as professionals, have the choice of working solely with individuals in our profession or to collaborate interprofessionally and strive for whole person care.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), interprofessional collaborative practice is, "when multiple health workers from different professional backgrounds work together with patients, families, carers, and communities to deliver the highest quality of care". In agreement with WHO, A. T. Still University’s focus on whole person healthcare came to fruition with the development of ATSU’s Interprofessional Education Collaborative Case Competition (IPE-CCC) in 2012. IPE-CCC provides health professions and other graduate students with an interprofessional experience and insight into collaborative practice competencies – roles and responsibilities, values and ethics, interprofessional communication, and teamwork. The competition is designed to reveal the complexity of healthcare delivery, and the need for collaboration of professionals in order to reach optimum health outcomes for patients/clients.
I fortunately had the opportunity to take part in the 2014 IPE-CCC. We worked in teams of students from a variety of
disciplines to teach, share, and learn with each other, while analyzing collaborative efforts during the care of a patient/client. Students from universities in Arizona and Missouri represented the following professions and disciplines: anatomy, athletic training, audiology, communication, dentistry, health science, law, nursing, occupational therapy, osteopathic medicine, physical therapy, physician assistant studies, physiology, psychology, and social work, speech and language pathology. The case study, whose information and criteria was developed by an interprofessional team, was presented to a panel of professionals in the varying fields on November 8th 2014. The cases were judged on novel treatment plans that achieved the best quality of care and life for the patient/client.
The IPE-CCC experience was challenging due to many factors. First, as students we have different school schedules, which does not reflect ideal work-life situations. As professionals, we would work during business hours (with some exceptions), so meeting times would be standardized. Transportation and work schedules made it difficult and ineffective to meet in person. We utilized emails and Google Drive, which proved to be difficult because not all team members were technologically adept. We also lost a team member half way through the process and were not notified until a week and half before the day of the competition. The dilemmas that we faced were more logistical than having to do with the case study itself because we had free range of creativity and theoretically had unlimited resources.
In lieu of the challenges, we learned about a lot about each other and the each other’s profession. We started with different views on how to best treat the patient; however, in the best interests of our patient, we worked together to find each other’s passions,
outside the knowledge of our individual professions. We had to dig deeper and evaluate how we would want our loved ones or even ourselves to be treated. It was important that we understand the patient’s life story, needs, and interests in life when developing the interprofessional team-based care plan for short and long-term treatments, and maintaining health. It was also necessary that we addressed the needs of family members and caretakers involved in the patient’s life.
Our main goals were to identify the roles and responsibilities of those involved on a care team for the patient, indicate how they could ensure effective teamwork, and recommend strategies to ensure effective communication. We strived to be innovative, but also wanted to assure a continuity of care for our patient. The utilization of available resources and community partnerships created a foundation for integrative and sustainable care. With these values, my teammates and I were able to develop a strong patient partner program that addressed the quality of life and care of the patient and his family. We went beyond the comfort of our own professions and into a team based approach, which required significant coordination, collaboration, and communication.
The overall interdisciplinary collaboration experience allowed students to acquire the necessary knowledge and attitudes for a cooperative, patient-partner practice. The whole person care of a patient truly requires a team with essential individual roles. I will remember and appreciate my experiences with the IPE-CCC when treating my future patients, and I definitely recommend students to take part in interprofessional education opportunities when they are offered! ~ VyVy Vu ‘17
% The MPH program at ASDOH is an amazing opportunity to broaden ones view of health in general and provide a working knowledge of how
dentistry applies to healthcare on a grander scale. As a recent graduate of the MPH program, I believe it was a valuable addition to my dental school education. In the world of a dental student, it is easy to get wrapped up in the details of tooth preparations, single case treatment plans, competency exams, and all the other details required of individual patient care. While these things are absolutely important for practicing good dentistry, perception of the bigger pictures like comprehensive care and community oral healthcare can suffer. This is where the value of the MPH program shines. It helps to expand a student’s knowledge of the numerous applications of dentistry from policy making, to government funding for dental care, to global applications of oral health. In addition to learning and discussing these concepts in the MPH courses, they are put to hands-on use during the MPH practicum. As a graduating senior, obtaining a Masters degree in public health during dental school has absolutely set me apart in the search for a job. In the public health field, it is obviously a bonus to have over 200 hours of experience in community health operations. However, even in private practice interviews, the awareness of community applications of oral health and a broader understanding of dentistry is a valuable asset. One of the main concepts I took from the MPH program experiences is the face of dentistry is changing. We are no longer “tooth doctors.” Oral health has been proven to have a large connection and impact on overall health. Therefore, the gap between medical and dental healthcare providers is beginning to close and even overlap. Future dental providers must embrace this concept and be able to look beyond one tooth. We must consider the whole patient, and the whole community in which that patient lives, and beyond. The MPH program is a prodigious start to becoming a well-rounded oral healthcare provider. It does require extra work, and will put time management skills to the test; but for the value of the additional education and the potential doors it will open, it is absolutely worth the effort!
Closing The Gap: Helping Make The Jump From Predental To D1!
Pre-dent day was incredibly successful this year! The day began bright and early with check in and breakfast. During this time the pre-dents were able to meet each other and receive ASDOH gear! The pre-dents then listened to various speeches from Dr. Dean Dillenberg and pre-dental committee members on topics ranging from what makes ASDOH so special to how to successfully navigate the application process. For lunch, the Army provided pizza and spoke to the pre-dents about opportunities available to dental students. After lunch, the predents cycled through a student question and answer panel, individual student interviews, and individual faculty interviews. Pre-dents were then given an opportunity to wax up and drill into a variety of teeth in sim clinic. The students were given dinner and last minute questions were answered. Overall, it was an amazing day. It was really great to meet such compassionate pre-dent students and help them on their journeys to becoming dentists!
~ Sierra Ferreira ‘18
www.asdohasda.org �11
It was awesome to have students from all over come visit the campus for our annual Predental Day! Multiple states and schools were represented at this event. Students were able to participate in seminars ranging from applications to DAT study. However, what seemed to be the two highlights of the day were the mock interviews and giving students the opportunity to get their waxing and hand piece skills down. For some students it proved to be a taste of things to come. It was also apparent that it fueled students burning desire to become dentists. It was a blast to be a part of and was definitely a day to remember.
Taste Buds: Restaurant Reviews for When you Need to Treat Yourself
Have yourself a… Fishy Valentine’s
If you are anything like me, or perhaps are dating someone who is a fish fanatic, then this article is for you. Living in a desert presents many problems, one of the biggest being a lack of an ocean or high-grade sushi. Now you may find some folks who argue that not having an ocean condemns one to eating BBQ and corn based products daily, so I went out in search of a local sushi restaurant that meets the standards of those of Nobu, ShinBay or other acclaimed sushi restaurants in Phoenix, without the budget-breaking bill.
Shimogamo made the cut. A small sushi restaurant that holds no more than 45 people, tucked in between the Asian-centric corner of Ray and Warner in Chandler. Not much on the outside, but upon entry I was immediately won over by the outgoing sushi chefs and gracious owners who, did I mention, are actually Japanese? Unlike many restaurants in the east valley that are run by Chinese or Koreans, owner Sanae Otomo and her husband immigrated from Kyoto, Japan and have put their family crest over the sushi bar to, as they put it, “remind them of their roots and the true shinto of sushi.” With dim lighting and soft music, the mood was set for romance, conversation, and of course, some delicious fish.
Food wise we indulged in mainly raw fish, although sushi rolls and cooked entrees such as miso cod, amberjack, salmon, and fresh snapper were all on the menu. For those brave enough, raw sashimi rarities such as fresh toro (tuna belly), baby octopus, kumamoto oysters, and uni (sea urchin) were all served. Sanae explained that other than their salmon and octopus, which come frozen, all other fish is directly imported from Japan either alive or on nitrogen, maintaining that flavor that makes fresh sashimi irresistible.
If you are still not convinced consider the 11 cold sakes that line the bar walls, including Hakkaisan sake, which is usually a rarity outside of Japan. If you are looking for a restaurant on Valentine’s,
you cannot go wrong with Shimogamo, although they book a week in advance, so make your reservations early! Consider the ample amount of romantic phrases that could make that special someone swoon, such as
“you’re a real catch, I’m so glad we’re in the same school, I’m hooked on you, or will you o-fish-ally be my girlfriend.” Amidst such irresistible fish humor and oyster aphrodisiacs, you are sure to get lucky and enjoy some of the best sashimi in the valley. Shimogamo is definitely the real deal.
Ever feel trapped because of that little responsibility you made one night or got from a pound? Children and dogs are man’s condemnation to a domestic life, but not at the Monastery. This bar, ironically named after a building occupied by monks living under religious vows, is dog-friendly, child friendly, and fun for the whole family. Throw away those misconstrued notions of boring married life and take your family out for a great time, just make sure to schedule that ride back to suburbia.
Located on East McKellips Rd in Mesa, the Monastery Bar is, as their website claims, a realfunbar.com. You can enjoy pool-table, darts, ping pong, volleyball, karaoke, corn hole, and horse shoes. Situated both indoors and out, the general vibe boasts a Caribbean-Mesa fusion, with fun string lights and eclectic palm leaf umbrellas. Let’s also not forget the food, which you can cook up yourself and enjoy with the 34 beers on tap. Cold winter days? No Problem. The Monastery has outdoor lamp heaters, fire pits, and complementary blankets. Who needs to go camping when you can get a $7 happy hour pitcher and sit fireside with friends and family. And if you don’t have responsibilities, then there’s something for
you too. The Monastery is the place to be for Mardi Gras, the one day a year when shirts are optional for both men and women. Come judge the contests on March 8, 2015.
So do yourself a favor and take your dog, your family, or even just yourself to the Monastery Bar. We all need to decompress sometimes and there really isn’t any better place to do so in the East Valley than the Monastery.
~ Mimi Bankiewicz ‘17
THE LINGUAL GROOVE POLL CONTINUED
www.asdohasda.org �13
The Monastery Bar’s logo from their website
0 12.5 25 37.5 50
Incisor Canine PremolarMolar Wisdom
If you were a tooth, which tooth would you be?
a. Incisor: you’re a leader who likes to be in the spotlight b. Canine: unique, one-of-a-kind, with an outgoing personality c. Premolar: you work well with others and like having friends around at all times d. Molar: dependable and strong, able to take on heavy tasks
Scottsdale Phoenix 9160 E Shea Blvd, Ste 105 6054 N 16th St. Scottsdale, AZ 85260 Phoenix, AZ 85016 Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Terminal 4, Post Security, near Gate B4 Hours: Sun-Thu 12-10 pm Fri-Sat 12-11pm Sweet Republic is an artisan ice cream located in Scottsdale, Arizona founded by a duo of former investment bankers. This ice cream shop continuously changes its flavors so the customers' taste buds will never be disappointed. The shop is very inviting with its cool, retro decor. They specialize in handcrafted ice cream, featuring local Arizona ingredients and a balance of amusing flavor combinations and eye-catching names (Toffee Banofi, anyone?). There are more than 20 flavors
daily, including sorbets made fresh in small batches. You could get your ice cream on their delicious waffle bowl, waffle cone or even create an ice cream sandwich using their in-house cookies. Since it opened in 2008, Sweet Republic has received countless awards and publications, both locally and nationally. This ice cream store has been featured on the Food Network (for their iconic Toffee Banofi), is rated as one of US top 10 ice cream shops and voted as one of Phoenix’s best ice cream places. A scoop of ice cream costs around $3. Sweet Republic sells other products as well such as sweet sundaes and milkshakes. The shop also has some board games so customers can play while enjoying their ice cream. When you feel like you've been hit by sugar rush but still like to try other flavors, you can always have pints of ice cream
to go. Sweet Republic presently has 3 locations in Arizona, with the latest one in the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Terminal 4. Now transit passengers have a great reason to drop by Arizona for a great ice cream. A sweet treat, and a great change from the norm, Sweet Republic is a must try, especially for people with a sweet tooth.
~ Ivan Halim ’17
Seafood…In the Desert?! Orient Sushi Grill Review
Finally a sushi restaurant in Arizona that reminds me of California sushi. Their all-you-can-eat option ($23.99 for sushi, $29.99 for sashimi) is one of the best deals in Arizona. I started out with their Tuna Tataki and was hooked. My highlights from the appetizer list were the tuna tataki, fried calamari, seaweed salad, and lettuce wraps. From there, I loved their tuna (maguro), yellow tail, unagi. As for their rolls, I would recommend the rainbow roll, dynamite scallop roll (a little too much maguro), and the Las Vegas roll. I am not saying it is the best sushi I have ever had, but for the price you can't beat it!
Preferred method of food consumption? a)The people at the drive-thru window know me by name. b)I’m Julia Child reincarnate- I always cook up new recipes at home c) I’m master of the microwave and frozen food section d)Food snob- I only eat at James Beard Award-winning restaurants
