Aircation: 2026 Birthday Celebration...A Trip to Remember, Roadtrippin in Style : "Airie in the City" JAX Norikasi | 17 Course Omakse

I am not trying to be...or trying to get to...I just AM.

- Eddie Murphy

Blessed to see another year 🙏🏾 🙌🏾 ❤️

This was not my birthday dress, but I am really glad I packed it because it rained all day long and the temperature dropped rapidly and this dress is made of a thick sweater material.

I did infact...love this look. I struggled every aspect of the way (of the first oart of our road trip) washing my hair while packing and detangling my hair in the car on an almost 6 hour drive that was supposed to be 3 hours. And somehow, I managed to get my bangs to curl in less than 2 hours of them being rolled. This was in fact exactly how I wanted my hair today (minus the frizz from the rain and the fact that my hair is 100% natural).

Dress: JLUXLABEL

Heels: Jimmy Choo

Bracelets: Louis Vuitton

Lipstick: MAC Candy Yum Yum (this is the new liner not the lipstick).

So, here I am in Jacksonville again (my second time and my first time was in 2016 for my "Who Do You Think You Are?" road trip, but this time for very different reasons because its my birthday!

I was not able to do what I wanted to do for my birthday again this year and it's been a while since we had been back to St. Augustine and Jacksonville. This restaurant just opened and it's really the only reason I made this trip because I wanted to eat here as well as the other restaurantsyou will see in this trip.

Everytime I go to an Omakase or Kaiseki dinner it is not only insightful, but humbling. I know not everyone can afford to do this especially because the tickets are priced for 2 people.

For me, my world is opened up by experiencing new cultures and flavors and all kinds s of things so when I go to these dinners it definitely about more than just showing off. I know some people do think food bloggers show off.

I promise you, I didn't realize it until I married my husband, but I am such a picky eater. I won't eat a lot of things, but my love for food and culture has led me to keep trying everything as long as it's safe for me to eat.

So, yes, it's another Omakase, but I love raw seafood, cured seafood and these types of dinners overall. Everytime I visit a new restaurant that serves Omakase or Kaiseki it's different with exception to the beloved tuna trio.

Most times I get to try a new fish or a different type of shrimp that I never had before. Sometimes it's cooked and sometimes it is raw and I don't mind either. The hardest thing for me is that I am just not able to eat a lot of food in one sitting so around course 8 I am getting tapped out.

The really cool thing about Norikase is that they offered to give me less rice so I could continue and no one has ever done that before. So, I was able to do all 17 courses (just not fully if you consider that they scales back my rice).

I had a really awesome experience and I loved everything we had. The course with the cooked salmon with the marinated tomato was insane and unexpected.

Starter non alcoholic toaster tea...I think it was hibiscus tea.

Our Chef and the Sous Chef's for the night.

I also opted for the sake tasting to go with dinner. Sake has actually grown on me over the years now that I know I can have sparkling sake or sake with Fruity notes. Sake is also made from rice and it doesn't make me bloat up and have allergic reactions like regular wine does.