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Everything posted by tokyogurumegal
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Real wasabi can be purchased in North America. There are wasabi farms (not sure if that's the right term) in Oregon believe it or not. I think the Northwest has an ideal setting similar to Nagano and Shizuoka in Japan. Because they're so rare and difficult to grow, only high end establishments serve fresh wasabi even in Japan. Flavour is very subtle but that's what most Japanese food is all about isn't it I've been to a few Japanese restaurants in New York that tries to "upsell" you to order fresh wasabi. One was at Ono in the Gansevoort Hotel, their wasabi was yellowish and didn't have that nice subtle zing. Other was at Megu in Tribeca... it was also... meh... but what would you expect from two trendy but so so restaurants!! They did however grate it properly with a sharkskin grater.
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I was in Berlin last fall and had my very first currywurst after a long day of walking in Kudamm. I've read a post that had the recipe for the special curry sauce (ketchup) but I would like to know if there's a place in Vancouver that serves authentic currywurst. It's nothing fancy, just a simple street vendor food so to expect it to be served in restaurants may be silly but we do live in the era where burgers are served with fois gras filling and truffle shavings on top! One of my best currywurst experiences in Berlin was at a place called Bier's, you can order Dom Perignon with your currywurst... if it doesn't exist here, you never know it might sell!!
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Maybe it's a little too early to ask this, but do you accept group bookings over 15 people? Is there an area in the restaurant ideal for group dining? I tend to have group dinners that are work related for 15 to 30 people and I'm always looking for new restaurants to try...
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Seattle restaurants for business meetings?
tokyogurumegal replied to a topic in Pacific Northwest & Alaska: Dining
Great topic! I go down to Seattle often on business and I find I always go to the same restaurants. I'm curious what other places would be great for business lunches in the downtown core. I love Dahlia Lounge for both lunch and dinner, Lola's is great for clients who like casual and fun and don't mind smelling garlicy. Although a few blocks away from the convention centre, I recommend Tulio in Vintage Park Hotel. My female clients love this restaurant and the energy during lunch is vibrant but with a refined feel. Shuckers in the Fairmont (formerly Four Seasons) also works for casual business lunches & dinners. -
Biscotti in Vancouver area
tokyogurumegal replied to a topic in United Kingdom & Ireland: Cooking & Baking
My husband is a biscuit dunker and loves to keep a big stash of biscotti at home at all times for his weekend newspapers & coffee. We (he I should say) buy biscotti from Mix Bakery on 10th. Neil, what did you think? My personal favourite is the one with toffee and chocolate chips in them!! Ecco Il Pane use to carry amazing biscotti but just like their sour cherry and chocolate buns, they are no longer sold:( When I use to get my daily espresso at Cafe Artigianno I would often buy their biscotti. I'm not sure who supplied them but they were the soft kind that didn't seem to be double baked. Their pistachio & cranberry biscotti goes so well with their latte! -
I don't live in NY so I don't get to dine at Babbo as often as I like. When I'm there I try to make a reservation at Babbo just so I can have the panna cotta as well as the goose liver ravioli. Does anyone know how I can replicate that lovely balsamic vinegar and brown butter sauce? I'm sure the quality of the balsamico has a lot to do with the richness in flavour...
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Food questions for those living in Japan
tokyogurumegal replied to a topic in Japan: Cooking & Baking
L&P?!?! Who needs that when you can get Bulldog Sauce? Kidding... my English husband would cringe if he reads this! -
The word shibui used as a food expression is not the same as "shibui" in a stylistic sense like one would of a cool person. Shibui is an expression of a flavour, a harshness... often used for tea that's been brewed too long, wines that are tannic etc... I don't think wabi sabi is used as a culinary term, but please correct me if I'm wrong. One would describe a decor of a restaurant or the shape of a vase as wabi sabi but not necessarily food I would think.
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LordBalthazar your taste in Japanese restaurant is tops! But most importantly your choice of dog breed is even better!!!! I like the service at Yuji as well. The gentleman server there (I always forget to ask his name) is super attentive and friendly. He use to work at Wabi Sabi. I agree with Ling, more than half of my orders are from the daily specials.
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Mooshmouse! My husband laughed out loud when he read your post... I do the exact same thing and he just doesn't get it. I buy the inexpensive kind that are individually wrapped (you know how Japanese are compulsive about wrapping...) and they are also seasond. We call them ajitsuke nori. Perfect for snacking! If you want sushi grade "hane" nori it would be hard to find it in supermarkets or even Japanese food supply stores in Vancouver. Those come in big square sheets but the kind I like to snack on are packaged in small packs cut in smaller pieces. This particular kind I get has 100 packs in the whole package and it only costs $5.99. I get mine at Apple Farm Market on 4th Ave but I'm sure T&T or Yaohan has them too. The name is in Japanese (sketchy Japanese might I add) it's called Chitsuruya Nori. Happy nori snacking!
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I went to WD~50 for the first time the night of the blizzard last Saturday. My orignal impression was, this was a restaurant that was just too hyped and trendy and did too many cultural culinary mutilation but I was completely proven wrong! On paper some of the dishes just doesn't sound appetizing but somehow they seem to work. It's too bad they can't quite translate what comes on the plate on paper well. We were lucky we had a fantastic server who made great suggestions. She even warned me about how fatty pork bellies are... bah fat is phat!! I had the following dishes: Pickled beef tongue, fried mayonnaise, onion streusel - I didn't know what to do with the mayonnaise and other little fancy things sprinkled on the plate... do I eat them all together? which do I mix? Pork belly, sauerkraut spaetzle, swiss cheese consomme, romaine - this was divine! Braised pineapple, mustard ice cream, coconut - it wasn't all that memorable but was delicious, mustard ice cream was just like wasabi ice cream... sounds gross but it's only the secondary tone that is mustard-like. I will definitely go back there again! Too bad I don't live in NY...
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As I was sipping my coffee this morning reading the NY Times Book Review, I came across the review for Ruth Reichl's new book Garlic and Sapphires. It's an interesting article to read after participating in this forum just yesterday! Here is the link: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/10/books/re...html?oref=login
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I heard that some restaurants add enzymes to the rice to reach a certain texture if the quality of rice is mediocre. Has anyone heard about this before?
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Zuke, I read your post on Granville Island just now! Your outing reminds me of my childhood... I have consumerist tendencies (love shoes!) but on the bright side I do appreciate art and it was because my mother exposed me to it at a young age (just like shoes). Thank you for the Anona introduction! I will try it when I'm in that area.
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Where is Pane from Heaven? ← 1670 Cypress St to be exact. It's family owned, and one of the brothers was formerly a baker (Head Baker if I remember correctly?) at Ecco Il Pane. They have a number of sweet and savoury croissants with the dark chocolate ganache filled croissants being my favourite as so accurately pegged by Ling. ← Thank you for the address! I've actually been there before but didn't know the name. I'll have to try their pain au chocolat though. Ahhhh... Eco Il Pane. Funny you mention them, I was just talking about them with my husband today as he was munching on a sour cherry and chocolate brioche from Sweet Obsessions (Trafalgars). I really miss their retail bakery AND their restaurant where Feenies use to be (before they changed things around). Where can I get their sour cherry and chocolate bun? I know where to get their regular breads but I've never seen those yummy buns sold anywhere! I use to also buy their pannetone every Christmas.
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Flashback of the movie Tampopo! The quest to make the perfect ramen... If you've seen the movie before, do you remember the fat bald white man slurping his pasta when a group of ladies are taking etiquette lessons in a restaurant? He was a famous French pastry chef in Tokyo called Andre Lecomte. He had several high end patisseries in Tokyo and a restaurant in Ginza. Tokyo's celebrity chef of the 80's doing a cameo... Can you picture Thomas Keller doing a cameo in an indie movie?!
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Oh I must try them there! I'm in that area all the time but never been in St. Moritz... maybe I might tomorrow morning AFTER a run! Where is Pane from Heaven?
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My mother was (and still is) a shopaholic and use to drag me out shopping even when I was too young to appreciate shopping. But the smart lady knew how to keep me tagging along without whining. She use to reward me once she was done by treating me with hot chocolate and a pain au chocolat! So since childhood, I've had a thing for this buttery delight! Where do you get your pain au chocolat? Who do you think makes the best pain au chocholat in Vancouver?! My favourites are... La Petit France - I wish I didn't live so close. It takes a lot of self control to not walk in on weekend mornings when I walk my dog. Senses - when we talk about chocolate, we can't not mention Thomas Haas! They also make excellent brioche. My waistline has slimmed down ever since I quit my job across the street from there! La Baguette et L'Echalote - have you notice everyone's always happy and friendly there? Epicurean Cafe - their pastry seems a little dense but I like it that way! I'm not sure if they bake them there...
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Generally I don't take local reviews too seriously and usually trust my foodie friends who dine out regularly. It helps to have friends who entertain clients on a hefty corporate expense account since they have pretty much tried most of the expensive places that you don't want to risk with your own cashola. However, come to think of it I haven't read too many bad reviews on local restaurants! There's a fine line between journalism, friendship and public relations. Joanne Kates is really the only critic in Canada who is ballsy enough to rip a restaurant apart. Which leads to Mr. Maw's article which he hyperlinked. I was surprised to read that Joanne Kates reviews from just one visit. I read an article several years ago of her describing how she disguises herself each visit, brings her friends along to sample as many dishes and goes back few times. Has she become lazy over the years? Personally, I enjoy Joanne Kates writing not just her gastronomic opinions. Like Jamie Maw, I read a lot of those articles he mentioned since I tend to travel to those cities frequently and it's great to keep up with what's new for my next visit. The other reason I follow critics from those rags is because there are only so many meals you can have when you're visiting and you really don't want to risk having a not so good meal. Also, food trends usually start in other bigger cities in my opinion. A.A. Gill may be a journalist with an agenda but I have to agree with him with 66!!! Spice Market is equally bad!! Jean Georges should have stopped at Vong's, although I haven't been to V Steakhouse. Sorry, I went off on a tangent there... Maximillan, I can't agree with you more! However it's understandable. If you're not from a particular Asian culture, you might not have enough exposure to acquire the taste for some things. I can think of many Japanese food items that would take a lot of getting use to, which is why you don't see it in menus in Vancouver "yet". I use to hate cilantro, blue cheese and licorice but now I love it! (these dislikes are very common amongst Japanese people... don't ask me why) I got a little long winded here but what I am trying to say is some of these critics are writing with different expectations and standards. It's all subjective after all, cross cultural critiquing gets tricky! Plus, many local Asian restaurants really don't care much about decor and atmosphere. I'm sure it'll catch on like it has in NY's Megu, Matsuri, Geisha and Tao where you have flashy decor with not so great food and/or over priced food.
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I can't agree with you more! When you go to major seafood restaurants in the states you always see BC oysters on their menu so clearly we are known for our product yet there are not enough restaurants out here that serves them... I would love to see oysters served with a light yuzupon sauce (ponzu sauce with a hint of yuzu). FYI...there's a thread in the Japan forum about yuzu: yuzu and other citrus It's been a couple of months since I was in Whistler but Four Seasons Whistler's restaurant Fifty Two 80 had a raw bar where they were shucking oysters on the spot. Great room, pricey food as you can imagine but that's expected at Four Seasons. I wonder if they were able to establish a local following there...
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I just came back from dining at Lift. Since I met up with ex-coworkers, we decided to do the drinks and appetizer thing early evening. It must have been "cougar hour" or "cougar's night out". I haven’t seen that many women with too much lip gloss and men with bad hair pieces wearing big nouveau riche watches in one setting! Ok, so I should talk about their food. Aside from the meat market type atmosphere, the service and food was quite good. I had the fig braised short ribs, the tang from the lemon confit was a nice contrast with the sweetness from the figs and braised rib. Their crab cake was a little too salty for my liking and the sour cream and strawberries didn’t add much to the main thing. The calamari was boring, texture was great but the batter had a powdery after taste and the sauces that came with it (cilantro yogurt and cocktail sauce) were very bland. It’s a great dish to share but I wouldn’t order that again. My vegetarian friend ordered the California roll (almost made me roll my eyes!) but they far exceeded my expectations! I usually never order sushi in non-Japanese restaurants (sorry this is snotty but I have reasons..) but this roll was fun! It was lightly fried in tempura batter and I could taste a hint of sweet tamari soy-ish flavour. Visually it was presented nicely also, scattered with 3 different kinds of roe (tobiko in various colours?) and some kind of mayonnaise based sauce drizzled over the plate. All plates used to dish up were fun and non-conventional; I can imagine dish washers loving those… We didn’t have an entrée but decided to order dessert. I shared the molton chocolate cake. It came nice and hot, the caramelized bananas were very good but I wish there was a scoop of gelato, ice cream or some kind of fruit compote to counter that incredible sweetness. I had to ask for several coffee refills. Since I was driving, I didn’t have any wine and silly me I forgot to scan through the wine list (too much fun catching up with friends!). They were using Riedel O glasses which I’m not a big fan of. I always can’t figure out where I should place my hand when I drink out of those. Warm wine is no good! Looks funky though. My next visit I will be sure to have a full dinner and will definitely be ordering wine! Oh they do brunch as well; maybe I’ll go when it’s sunny out since they have a beautiful patio with spectacular views.
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Krispy Kreme never made it to Japan (with their corporate turmoil I doubt they will in the near future) but Doughtnut Plant made it across the Pacific! You no longer have to go all the way to Lower East Side in NY for their delicious gourmet doughnuts. I have friends in Japan who find Doughtnut Plant's doughnuts to be a little too pricey (280 yen each) and a little dry (pasa pasa as they call them) but I strongly disagree! I wish they'd make doughnut holes so I can buy lots of variety and not eat so much of it when I'm back home. In Tokyo, there are 3 free standing Doughnut Plant stores one recently opened in Jiyuugaoka which I have unfortunately not been to. But the other two are in Shirogane and Otemachi. They can also be bought at Dean & Deluca. Here's their weblink: http://www.doughnutplant.jp/eng/ The Japanese site has more pictures and info about Doughnut Plant if you're interested. I've tried their Valrhona chocolate, vanilla beans and straberry flavour. In NY I tried the orange flavour but the flavour was a little too subtle. So, where is your favourite doughnut place in Japan?! Do you have a special place you like to go to (maybe other than Mister Donuts and Dunkin...).
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I'm planning on trying it out this restaurant in the next couple of days! When I was at Epicurean the other day to satisfy my craving for their pain au chocolat and latte, I asked about the restaurant to the barista and the owner came by telling me it's open till late! Good to know... there aren't too many restaurants asides from Chinese restaurants and fast food that is opened till late in Vancouver. So apparently they're opened from Tuesday through Saturday. There's a write up in the Sun by Mia Stainsby today, she gave them 3 1/2 stars (if that means anything to anyone...).
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I had a great yuzu drink at Freshness Burger! (this name still makes me chuckle) The drink is called Yucha Soda, concentrated yuzu, candied yuzu peel in soda water. Very refreshing! It cost 300 yen. Chotto takai yo ne...
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It's been a while since I've been back to this restaurant in Tokyo, but I always enjoyed the shiso pasta at Basta Pasta in Harajuku (right on Meiji-dori). For those who want Japanese style pasta in the US, there's a Basta Pasta in NY in Union Square area (I think it's on 17th St and 5th Ave). It's inexpensive too! Looking at all those mentai spagetti is making me hungry...