Archive for the 'Japanese' Category

Café Dulcé – Los Angeles (Downtown)

Published by Gastronomer on April 26, 2012 in Bakery, Breakfast / Brunch, Dessert, Downtown, Japanese, Los Angeles and Restaurant Review. 18 Comments

I didn’t mean to binge on doughnuts at Café Dulcé. The plan was to stop in for a single green tea doughnut, specially priced at just a dollar in celebration of the shop’s first birthday, and head to Daikokuya for ramen with family right after.

My good intentions went out the window once I set foot inside the shop and caught a glimpse of the dessert-lined shelves. As my eyes wandered from row to row, one treat became two, two became three, and well, let’s just say things didn’t go exactly according to plan. Visiting a bakery on an empty stomach…dangerous.

I had to try the bacon doughnut hole ($1), a three bite wonder of pillowy dough smothered in sweet icing and dotted with smoky bacon shards. The portion was petite, while the flavor and texture were just right.

The brick toast ($3.50) called out to The Astronomer and he couldn’t resist its charms. The hefty block o’ bread was considerately sliced into nine perfectly pluckable pieces, making it easier for us to share without utensils. I couldn’t decide which bites were best, the ones with caramelized edges or the central segments of pure soft sweet dough.

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Soba Noodles with Kale, Tofu, and Furikake

Published by Gastronomer on March 31, 2012 in Japanese, Pasta + Rice, Recipe and Vegetarian. 11 Comments

You probably wouldn’t recognize me if you saw me eating at home. While I desire a bounteous and decadent spread when dining in restaurants, I want nothing more than straightforward and nutritious fare when I’m not. The internet and my bookshelves are crammed with virtuous recipes and health-conscious eating guides, but not just any fibrous or low-fat dish will do. I demand that it be delicious, too!

My current favorite good-for-me and good-for-my-taste-buds dish is these Soba Noodles with Kale, Tofu, and Furikake from Diane of Appetite for China. What I really like about this recipe is that even though the ratio of vegetables to noodles is skewed towards the former, it doesn’t taste like bowl of rabbit food. I’ve never been much of a salad-eating gal.

The key is the well-balanced dressing made of soy sauce, sesame oil, scallions, rice vinegar, and honey that paints every surface and ties all the elements together. And then there’s the furikake, a delightful Japanese condiment made of seaweed, sesame seeds, salt, and sugar that excites the tongue with a dose of umami.

This dish tastes great, is easy to make, and satisfies in every way. I want nothing more when I’m eating at home.

3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
3 scallion stalks, thinly sliced
10 ounces kale, rinsed and torn into bite-size pieces
3-4 medium carrots, grated
1 package extra firm tofu (approximately 19 ounces)
12 ounces dried soba noodles, prepared according to instructions on package
Furikake

In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, vinegar, honey, and scallions. Let the sauce marry while you prepare the other ingredients.

For the kale, bring a medium pot of water to boil. Add the kale leaves and cook for 4 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water, then squeeze out the excess water. Set aside.

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Inari Sushi

Published by Gastronomer on March 24, 2012 in Appetizer, Japanese, Recipe and Vegetarian. 11 Comments

Back when Philadelphia was home, I often frequented an all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant called Ajia located a few steps from the Schuylkill River. For just $21.95, my friends and I gorged until we burst on shrimp tempura rolls, all manner of nigiri, and unique-to-Philly creations like the sweet potato roll and “Rock N Roll” roll.

Though I tried my darnedest to get my money’s worth during these AYCE outings, I could never resist ordering a half dozen inari along with the usual sushi spread. These sweet fried tofu pouches filled with marinated rice were easily the least cost effective menu item, and worse yet, they sat in my stomach like a brick. I wasn’t being a savvy consumer, but I didn’t care because the inari were delicious.

While shopping for furikake and Sumo citrus at my neighborhood Mitsuwa the other weekend, the idea of making inari from scratch popped into my head. After finding a trusty recipe from JustJenn and collecting the ingredients missing from my pantry, I came home and made some for lunch.

This semi-homemade recipe came together quickly and most satisfactorily. Considering that the rice was prepared in a rice cooker and the tofu pouches were sold prefabbed, the only real work was measuring the dressing, toasting some sesame seeds, and assembling the whole package. Project inari proved to be so easy and satisfying that I’ll never again order it at a restaurant. And certainly not at an all-you-can-eat one!

1 1/2 cups uncooked sushi rice
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3/4 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 package aburage (tofu pouches)
1 1/2 tablespoons white sesame seeds

Prepare rice according to the directions written on the package. I used my rice cooker, which was gifted to me by my mother when I graduated from college.

While the rice is bubbling and boiling away, whisk together the vinegar, salt, and sugar in a medium sized bowl and set aside. Dress the rice with this mixture as soon as it is cooked. Adjust the amount according to your preferences—use less for well-balanced rice, more for tangier rice.

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Hama Sushi – Los Angeles (Downtown)

Published by Gastronomer on February 24, 2012 in Downtown, Japanese, Los Angeles and Restaurant Review. 13 Comments

While the weathered paper sign mounted on Hama’s front door might rub some the wrong way, it only made me hungrier when I read it. For me, there is little better than pristine fishes, served fresh and unadorned.

My cousin Phil and I dropped into Hama for dinner a few weeks ago in celebration of my 30th birthday. We were seated at the horseshoe-shaped bar after a twenty minute wait. The space, like the food, is straightforward and unembellished. I felt right at home at the bar.

I didn’t catch the name of the gentleman making our food this evening (pictured above), but make sure to sit at his station when you visit. He seasons with a deft hand and cuts the fishes perfectly.

While perusing the menu and marking down our order, we were served a light and refreshing dish of pickled cucumbers with sesame seeds and seaweed.

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Ton Chan Ramen – San Gabriel

Published by Gastronomer on January 13, 2012 in Japanese, Los Angeles, Restaurant Review and San Gabriel. 3 Comments

For the third year running, the Eat My Blog crew went out for a soul satisfying ramen dinner following our annual bake sale. After standing on our feet the entire day hawking sweets for charity, all we wanted to do was sit down, relax, and slurp our hearts out.

Located next door to the perpetually packed Golden Deli, Ton Chan is considered by some to be the San Gabriel Valley’s strongest ramenya. Here, the tonkotsu broth is made fresh daily with konbu seaweed and pork bones. The broth is boiled for nearly a full day to achieve the desired rich and milky consistency.

We shared a few appetizers before the the noodles arrived. The spicy tuna roll, which consisted of twelve impressively plump pieces, was well constructed and legitimately spicy. I often think about picking up a to-go order of these when I’m dining next door at Golden Deli.

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