dougery

So I've been living here in unincorporated Auburn (half way between Auburn and Fed-Way) and have not found a decent Indian restaurant yet! (Not that I've been trying very hard lately since my finicky toddler dislikes Indian food.) I really miss Taste of India up in the U-District. Anyone have any good suggestions for this area of WA? TIA!

BTW, Here is another link to a reliable dealer. Have bought a few Hattori knives through them and their service is excellent. This site also has an excellent tutorial on sharpening: http://www.japanesechefsknife.com/products.html Japanese knife sharpening is an art form in itself. If you're not familiar with Japanese sharpening stones, I would strongly recommend looking into getting some and practice up on some of your lower quality knives (or buying some at a thrift shop to practice getting the right angles and techniques. Steel quality/hardness won’t be the same, but you can work on your basics). It will require some patience and practice but the end results will easily surpass the results you would get from mechanized sharpeners or sending them to your local cutlery shop. This place has a good selection of quality stones, not to mention some great woodworking tools (Festool power tools, Damascus chisels, etc.!) Another great retailer to do business with. http://www.japanwoodworker.com/dept.asp?s=...r&dept_id=13238

Wow... The answer to this question can be quite daunting. The link Octaveman and Whatsamcgee offered to Knifeforums.com is the best resource, but you really need to take your time when going through there. Most posters are pretty good about being objective and accurate, but just be careful, there are some hacks out there as well that could steer you in the wrong direction. To help point you in the right direction, I would recommend doing research on two types of knives: * The western style "gyutou" (Western style chefs knife with an asian influence, most visible feature is the lack of a bolster). * The "petty" knife (about 5" blade length, used as a utility or paring) Once you've done some research on these styles you can branch out into more specialized knives such as the honesuki (boning knife). There are so many different types of steel, it could be mind boggling. Some steels can be prone to discoloration or rusting and require higher maintenance than most people expect. Be sure to do ample research into the types of steel. If you are just looking to get your feet wet without spending too much, Tojiro (found on Korin.com) makes an excellent gyutou. It has a hard high carbon steel core/blade, which is sandwiched between layers of stain resistant steel. These are really good knives for a great price. One note, some reports of inconsistent quality have popped up here or there, but Korin does a great job of backing up their products. Others in EG have written about Togiharu knives, but I'm not too familiar with this line. The steel is a little softer and I prefer my gyutous with a higher HRC (hardness rating). Welcome to the wonderful world of Japanese knives! WARNING: They are an addiction!

Probably too late (not many shopping days left), but for someone new to higher quality knives, I would go with either Forschner or Wusthof Classic. I have a collection of Japanese knives myself, but most of these are typically made with a harder steel, meaning more difficult to sharpen for the novice/beginner. Although the Togiharu is a fantastic knife for the price, and utilizes a softer steel, the only reason why I would not place this at the top of the list for someone relatively new to knives is due to the lack of a bolster (of course many stamped or cheaper knives don't have one as well). I think many folks prefer this for comfort and grip. Wusthof and Forschner are made with a slightly softer steel, making them easier to sharpen, yet they are still very high quality knives. 8" is a good starter size. One note: the Wusthof classic line looks a lot sexier than the Forschner. It's a forged blade compared to Forschners stamped. don't get me wrong, Forschner is a fantastic knife, just utilitarian though. All of this is IMHO Happy holidays all!

If you like it, and it works well in your kitchen, then that's all that really counts (who cares what anyone else thinks). Congratulations on the new knife!

Definitely Taste of India. This is the one restaurant I really miss since moving...

Benriner is definitely the way to go!

Mmmmm... Now that's the way to go!

I use a unique combination of intuition and a variation of the Chaos Theory... Actually, 1/2 of my recipes are on my PDA and backed up on hard drive, 1/4 are filed in folders along side my books, and the rest are stored in the soft matter between my ears. The problem I'm having is I recently moved and all of my books are in boxes until remodeling is complete, I spent an hour in the garage the other day trying to track down a sticky buns recipe...

Packets of crushed red chili peppers are my weakness I'm afraid... OMG, someone please help me!

Hey! Controversy is healthy! The first time I saw a Benriner, I had the same reaction as well. "You want me to slice ALL of these with THIS little thing!?"

http://www.japanese-knife.com/Merchant2/me...ry_Code=HA-14xx Although mail order, still a great place to do business. Super customer service and quality products.

Went to the Rock for lunch, I loved the Pizza! I'm sorry to say that it was a work lunch so no beer Do you know of any good Japanese Restaurants in the area? I've been to a couple, but the fact that I can't remember their names should give you a clue on the quality of these estalishments. I will definitely check out Aguri though! Love Italian. Thanks for the recs!

Definitely not a compromise. I have used these in a few VERY busy Japanese restaurants, and after years of use (without a new blade) this little mandoline performed amazingly. This device is a staple in many a Japanese kitchen and would be a great addition to any kitchen drawer. Daikon, cucumbers, carrots.. you name it, this is hands down one fantastic little machine. "Jewel"? - YES "cheap" or "in the rough" - far from it.

I think I'll just observe this one from a safe distance