Jump to content

ankomochi

participating member
  • Posts

    95
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by ankomochi

  1. I don’ t really know the origin of the word tempura, but one theory seems to be “temperar” or “tempero,” something to do with cooking. The other one is “templo,” temple. The other explanation is “temporas,” the day observed by Catholic priests when they ate no meat. There is a famous story about tempura in Japanese history, by the way. It has nothing to do with the origin of the word, but it is very interesting story. The first Tokugawa Shogun Ieyasu was known to die from eating too much tempura. In the beginning of 17 century in Tokyo, Tempura was unusual dish. When a chef from Kyoto came to see Ieyasu to serve fish Tempura, which was very popular dish in Kyoto, Ieyasu found the tempura so delicious that he ate too much of it, ignoring the physicians advice. He died several days later in 1616. He was early 70’s at that time of the death.
  2. Choco-Yaki? Very interesting! I guess it would be totally different from "takoyaki." I am curious about the ingredients. Probably, flour, eggs, milk? In NY, Takoyaki place offers three types of takoyaki -- standard Tako filling, Cheese filling, and no filling takoyaki.
  3. I found Tibetan Yak Cheese at Whole Foods the other day. I imagined that the taste to be sharp and smelly. On the contrary, it is very mild and creamy semi-hard cheese. I am pleasantly surprised. I am in love with Manchego. I like a little sharper Manchego. I sprinkle walnuts and honey over slices of Manchego. It's yammy!
  4. is that really good? Can i order 2 or 3 bags instead of the case?
  5. I am a potato chips addict! I love Cape Cod Golden Russet. That's today's lunch for me!
  6. Melons and Watermelons -- I don't like the smell, taste, and look. I would shoot myself if i have to eat them. They are the worst evil! Intestines -- I don't want to taste them. Crustaceans and Shellfish -- I hate their looks. I cannot put them into my mouth. Overcooked Spinach, Broccoli, and Asparagus -- It's wrong. Fruits in a salad -- Fruits does not belong there. Sugar & Milk in Coffee -- Coffee should be BLACK.
  7. And also, it's fun to walk Nishiki-koji-Dori in the central Kyoto. Nishiki-Koji is known for Kyoto's kitchen, therefore, there are many shops selling vegetables, seaweed, tsukemono, fish, etc.
  8. You must have Nishin Soba when you visit Kyoto!!! http://www.digistyle-kyoto.com/restaurant/...rant_e/91_e.htm The map is very hard to see, but I hope you can find the place from the address. Shijo-dori is one of shopping street, and I am sure you can find many gift shops.
  9. Fukui has both mountain and ocean. Echizen Soba is I think from Fukui. The Soba is darker than other soba, I think. Kani (crabs) are famous in Fukui-ken, too.
  10. In fact, there are three Yoshinoya in NY now! 42nd street, 46th street, and 23rd street. As far as i know, NY Yoshinoya did offer raw eggs for eat-in only when they opened the restaurant. For takeout, they will not offer raw eggs. i didn't know that they no longer offer raw eggs. I don't see any problem bringing your own eggs.
  11. Onigiri(omusubi) place is called Oms/b, located 45 street between Lex & 3rd. Anyone who doesn't know what Onigiri looks like please click the link below. Onigiri Website Izakaya is fun place to visit with a group. It is a sort of tapas place -- share several appetizers and drink japanese sake! Has anyone been to Restaurant Riki? It's on 45street between Lex & 3rd, very close to the onigiri place. Riki has a wide varity of dishes and lots of Japanese customers. Pan! Yes, we should go to Omen.
  12. Pan, I have never been to Omen. I have heard that it's the style of Kyoto country inn. Not peasant food. It's landlord food! It does sound very good, indeed.
  13. very questionable. I would say Benihana Teppanyaki is not exactly authentic and traditional Japanese. For Ramen category, I will include Menchanko-tei, Sapporo, Rairai Ken, and Menkui-tei.
  14. What is your definition of neo-Japanese and Japanese-influenced food? Sushi Samba is a kind of neo-Japanese? I enjoy the idea of Japanese food becoming very popular because that's the taste that I grew up with and I am familiar with. Not just soy sauce and miso, but ponzu dressing, plum vineger, sansho, etc, it's amazing how those ingredients are adapted to American cooking and also adaptable to any cuisine. Some chefs do excersize their creativity using those ingredients. (sorry! I cannot think of any particular dish or restaurants right now.) The NYT article put a spotlight on Japanese street food that some people are not familiar with. I still do not understand is why Japanese now. I have no complain, but I just wonder why now.
  15. I enjoyed reading this article, how Japanese food beccomes very popular in NY and many New Yorkers have a great exposure to non-sushi Japanese foods. One thing I have to point out, though, is the spelling error of the word Takoyaki -- octopus fritters. It's not Takiyoki, it's Takoyaki. Tako means octopus and yaki means something fried or grilled as in Yakitori, Okonomiyaki, or Teriyaki.
  16. If you are around 7th ave and 50's street, stop by at Petrossian Bakery on 7th ave between 57th & 58th street. I love their tart. This morning I had Plum Tart, it was yummy. Their berry tart and pear tarts are delicious, too. As some posts suggested, le Pain Quoitidien has good tarts. There is le Pain Quotidien on the corner of 7th ave and 58th street.
  17. Pan, you like skin, too? I am not an adventurous eater like you are. So, you can have shirako, ika no shiokara, and other weired looking staff as much as you like. But, please save skin for me!
  18. I love SKIN. Skin of yellowtail, skin of salmon, skin of anything. I even look for leftover skins from my friends' plates. It's not fish innards, but I love kama yaki, meat around neck? Sake Kama, Buri Kama, Katsuo Kama, Maguro Kama --- they are great!
  19. I know I am so behind, but finally my dream came true. My friend brought me two boxes of Special G from Japan. It's so great! I love it! No wonder so many people love this pocky. I can no loger go back to Men's Pocky.
  20. US Officials went to Tokyo to beg for Japanese gov't to resume the import of US Beef. http://home.kyodo.co.jp/all/display.jsp?an=20031229210
  21. I think Alaskan King Salmon is usually translated into Wild Salmon. Most of Atlantic Salmon is farmed; i think more than 90% or so(?). As far as I know, King Salmon at Sushi Yasuda is WILD SALMON. Wild Fish may not be necessary the better fish. For instance, Hamachi is most of the time FARMED as far as I know. That's why hamachi is so fatty and I love it! But, in the case of eel and salmon, i do not like farmed eel or salmon; wild is far better than farmed according to ME. I think it really depends on a personal taste which one is better and best. I don't know why farmed Tuna is not called Farmed tuna and wild tuna is not called Wild Tuna. For Salmons, wild salmon is not widly available, and most of salmons we eat are farmed salmons. I think Wild Salmons, one point, are overfished and became very rare. As a result, the fish industry was trying to recover the number. That's why they started to make a distinction between wild and farmed. For Tunas, maybe they haven't reached the point yet. Some species of tuna like Bluefin becomes questionable status lately, though. Or maybe sushi industry do not want to make a distinction.... That's my guess....
  22. I always get excited seeing a female sushi chef because there are not many of them. There is one female chef name Arisa working there and I had a wonderful experience sitting at her section. Since I went there by myself and I speak Japanese, I had so much fun talking with her. (I do not know how her English is and how much she will speak if she has to speak in English.) She explained me where fishes were from and which fishes were fatty and tasty, so I focused on eating fishes that were in season and from NY area. I have never sat at Yasuda-san's, so I cannot compare those two. As far as I can tell Arisa-san was great! The great thing about Sushi Yasuda is not just FISH but also Shari -- SUSHI RICE. The Shari is fantastic! The rice and vinegar are well blended -- not too vinegary or no flavor of vinegar --, and the rice is not overcooked that it has very nice texture and firmness. Fish on the shari is not too big (unlike many other places) so that it is easy to eat, at least for me. Unlike many of you who spent $100, I did not seem to spend so much money. My total bill was something like $35! What did i eat? I didn't order any appetizer and desert. I didn't do Omakase. I just had 5 or 6 pieces of sushi that she and I agreed on and a glass of beer! I guess I am so cheap.
  23. How about Brooklyn Brewery tour?
  24. My friend came back from Fukuoka and brought me a box of Glico Pretz. It was not an ordinary Butter flavored Pretz. It was a Miso Ramen flavored Pretz! It really tasts like Miso Ramen.
  25. Finally I made my first visit to Chikalicious last night. Chika, Donna, and Don were so pleased that I visited there in spite of blizzard. I had Fromage Blanc, which was so delicious. I even asked Chika and Donna how to make it, but they just laughed and told me to buy Fromage in a store. Don told me that when Chika was a child, her parents took her to a shop in Tokyo to eat Fromage Blanc. It was so memorable for her that she worked very hard to recreate the Fromage Blanc the way she remembers. Just before she opened Chikalicious, she was almost hired by Union Pacific, who loved her Fromage Blanc, but she turned down the opportunity and here she is now at Chikalicious! Fromage Blanc is her signiture desert and her child, so please everyone who hasn't had Fromage Blanc, go there and enjoy the desert. It's so heavenly.
×
×
  • Create New...