agbaber

Uni is truly amazing. I had the best meal of my life (to date) there. The time that stands out was the time that I got the tasting menu. Before, I had just been ordering off the menu, and it had ranked in the top 10. When I told them "I've want to spend about $250 for two, gimme whatcha got!" It was absolutely amazing. And I've eaten in some good places. Make sure you try their "Enter the Dragon" cocktail, which is, also, my favorite cocktail. (Vodka, lime juice, and cayenne pepper) My mini-uni review: Uni The Eliot Hotel 370A Commonwealth Ave. (Massachusetts Ave.) Boston, MA 02215 617-536-7200 Rating: ♠♠♠♠♠ (out of 5) Cost: $$$$ ($60+) These days everyone in Boston has access to extremely high quality fish. Chef Ken Oringer still manages to take a giant leap ahead of the other normal Japanese themed restaurants with Uni, his sashimi bar located in his French restaurant, Clio. Uni itself actually originated as Clio’s bar area, just off to the side and down a few stairs from Clio’s entrance. Now, the small bar has been turned into a one-chef, two server, romantic and luxurious sashimi bar. They do not take reservations, but even for how small it is (about 20 seats), I have never had to wait for a table. The décor is impeccable, the small black bar dominates the room while the soft white lighting sets everything in perfect illumination. Both the food and the service here are absolutely flawless. Since the wait staff is so minimal, it is very common to be recognized on the second or third visit. The menu may seem small until you realize that it is small for a reason; it is the only way to provide the absolute highest quality seafood from around the globe. From surf clam to poke (an absolutely outstanding dish of Yellow Fin Tuna), the solo sashimi chef does an excellent job both conversing with customers and getting orders out in a reasonable time. If fact, many of the items on the menu do not come from the sashimi bar. The dishes from the kitchen, such as the airy, crispy tempura, delicate foie gras and juicy and tender kobe beef (served with five different salts) are every bit as good. Uni remains more expensive then a casual sushi bar ($60+/person) but the quality of the food more than makes up for it.

Anybody figured out the restaurant yet? Maybe we're never supposed to know.... PM me with thoughts!

I always though the "if memory serves me right" wasn't so much a catchphrase, but somewhat a part of the culture. I took it as "I may be wrong, so I'm trying not to offend anyone if I am, but what I think is...." when in America most people (even if they aren't 100% sure) would say Well, "this is like this blah blah blah." Could just be me.

blech, too much breading let us know how it goes! (maybe do like 5 different combos)

This always works perfectly for me. 1) Cut veal/chicken/whatever. 2) Pound flat. 3) Dredge in flour, shake off excess 4) Put in egg wash (egg, scrambled, with a dash of water) 5) Let excess drip off (but should be totally covered) 6) Put in breadcrumbs. 7) HOT oil ~370. If the oil isnt hot enough, it wont bind correctly, and will fall off. See if any of that works, although it seems you may be doing all that. (The hot oil is really important)

I want to know how I, as a rabid sushi lover, have never heard of this place before, even in passing? Can anyone link to a longer review of this place?

I would recommend a place out on the B Green Line (take the Stop right after it curves to the left, then backtrack about 50 yards, and head the way the T was heading before it turned. Carlos Cucina Italiana is there, and is excellent, under $20 italian. On the same street (but get off right before it goes around the bend (a dunkin donuts and T anthonys will be on the corner). There is Brown Sugar Cafe. It is very good, again, under $20 Thai food. Other than that, I can recommend China Pearl for sunday Dim Sum (expect to do a lot of pointing). Pho Pasteur (multiple locations) makes good, cheap Vietnamese. If you dont feel like leaving, diningin.com delivers most anywhere in Boston, from most of the good places around.

Is it bad form to ask for samples of stuff I know I'm not going to buy? I know generally this is bad, but I always end up buying something else anyway. For example, while I'm waiting for my sandwich to be made at Publix, I'll ask the fried chicken guy for a sample of chicken tenders. I'll "pretend" to contemplate for a second, then say "maybe tomorrow." But by now, the guy just offers without me even asking. He was never really upset that I didn't ever buy any (though I do buy chicken tender subs from time to time).

And it should be known that the BEST Coke in the world is to be found at any Waffle House fountain machine. Oh, and GG, look more carefully at the "flying" coke next time you're at the museum. *wink* I, too, was, and still am, forbidden to drink "the p-word" since my father is one of Coke's top attorneys..... Remember the P-word "polar bear" commercial, where the polar bear threw away a Coke in disgust? My good ole pops smacked the crap outta Pepsi in court for that one.

Yeah, I forgot to include that part. While Soto was closed, we went to Taka a lot, and have been back a few times since Soto re-opened. Taka is definately in the top 3 Atlanta sushi places. Ferdy still isn't sure what hes doing, but hes probably going to stay with Taka. (And for those of you not on Taka's mailing list, get on it. It's hilarious. Heres an example: I love this part: "Who teach? Taka does." I think I remember getting on the list just by emailing him. axistaka@msn.com

I'm from Atlanta, and the list of things I have given and recieved in terms of food is almost EXACTLY what Mayhaw described. Except not so much bread, more big dishes of main courses.

Iron kids bread, non-pasteurized-processed american cheese, butter in pan, weight on sandwich, eat with tomato soup.

In sorrento two weeks ago I ordered the specialty of the house, "fried fish." Well, I got exactly that, a plate of whole fish, fried. While all the other American tourists gasped, I promptly ate everything on the plate. One woman who was "sneakily" taking pictures of me was particularly disgusted. So I did what any other proud gourmet would do, I took my fork, gouged out an eye, and oh so slowly brought it to my mouth, consuming it like it was the best thing ever to have passed through my lips. I then looked at her and licked my lips. She was aghast. *high five, soba*

This place is #1 on my list when I get home. Right after getting my Thai/Vietnamese/Japanese/Chick-Fil-A fix.

I would kill right now to have a #1, with lemonade and an extra chick-fil-a. *drool* *ponders buying a ticket home to eat fast food*

I wrote this review long ago, just after they closed: -------------------- This is the sushi timeline of the Baber family: Growing up in Atlanta, my loving parents taught me to enjoy sushi at an early age at the (at the time) far away Hasaguchi restaurant. We then moved to Hasaguchi Junior, when I arrived at Lenox and stayed there for a while. After Hasaguchi we spent a decent amount of time patronizing RuSans, but found it lacking. (I was quite the fan of the flaming, crispy, sickly sweet tempura ice cream, however.) After a damned decent Harada moved in basically across the street from our house on Peachtree, that became our quick sushi fix, which we obviously needed at least 3 times a month. If not more. By the time I left for college, they had ordered each of us our own personalized set of lacquered chopsticks from Japan and we used them every time we went. A co-worker of my father happened to mention to him Soto, a sushi restaurant in Buckhead that he said was his favorite, and recommended we try it. Now, Soto was an intimidating place. It was not tremendously more expensive, probably the difference between going to, say...well I cant think of a good example, but it was maybe $15 more per person. (Let me say that when my family eats sushi, we eat a LOT of sushi, so $15 more per person wasn’t that much.) We have gone to Soto so many times now, that we actually have our own waiter, Ferdy. He knows all of our tastes, recommends specials with an unnerving knack, and even gives us all the latest gossip. (The hostess can even recognize my father and my voice when we call) Anyway, here’s the deal at Soto: not only is it by far the best sushi I have ever had, it is also the best Japanese food I have ever had. Soto has a full menu of appetizers and entrees that are just as good, if not better than the sushi that they serve. Let me start by talking about the sushi. Since just about anyone with money can buy the highest quality fish available, that was not what made it great. What made it great was the fact that he imported the most perfect sushi rice from Japan, and cooked in absolutely perfectly every time. In addition to being cooking perfectly (so that it broke apart just as you put it in your mouth, while each grain retained its perfectly cooked doneness), it was also served at the perfect temperature. Sushi rice should be neither cold nor hot at all. It should be perfectly room temperature, or, more accurately, "hand temperature." Soto and his two sous chefs were masters of this. One interesting thing to note about Soto is that if Sotohirosan is not there, the restaurant is not open. Soto does all the special sushi plates, one of his chefs does all the nigiri, and the other does all the rolls. Once, we showed up to for dinner and there was a small sign on the door: "SOTO HAS GONE FISHING. WILL RETURN IN ONE WEEK. SORRY." This dedication absolutely shows through in his food. Now on to the rest of the menu. Sotohiro Kosugi has created one of the most perfect dishes that I have memory of: ceviche of salmon. Now I know, you're saying to yourself, "but Andrew, ceviche is South American, not Japanese!" Cool your pants, hotshot. When I said that it was the best Japanese food I've ever had, I didn't say that it didn't take influence from anywhere else. What is basically is, is Salmon Sashimi with a very light lime marinade. When my family goes, we without fail always order two of them, and greedily hoard our portion, including the small shaved cucumber that nearly always disappears while my parents eyes are closed in ecstasy. Now that I have you thinking that you must absolutely try this new restaurant, I have a confession to make. This entire review is one great big tease. Soto has been closed for about 8 months now, due to the temporary loss of, shall we say, "edge" by Sotohiro. Evidently one night (and this is second hand information, so we're going to call it a rumor...I really don't want an angry Sotohiros on a plane to Boston, knife in hand, looking to turn me into a tasty ceviche.)...I was saying...Evidently one night, he informed his staff that they would be "Closing in two weeks." About a week later, evidently (<- see? very vague!), during a busy night, a waiter returned a plate to Soto that had gone to the wrong table. I have been told that Soto grabbed the plate and viciously reprimanded the waiter in front of everyone, "I TOLD YOU table 3. I TOLD YOU table 3!!" I even heard rumors of plate smashing, and kitchen crashing, egads! ------------------------- A new day! Soto reopens! Well, let me say first that I have been absolutely spoiled by Ken Oringer's restaurant in Boston, Uni. I believe it is one of the best sashimi bars in the country, and I recommend it to everyone I meet. So, I was sitting in my dorm room one night when I decided to make my weekly call to Soto to check on their re-opening progress. (Yes, I did call about once a week). But this time, instead of the usual recording, someone picked up!! For the first time in 8 months!!! I nearly fell out of my chair, and by the time I had confirmed that they were opening the next night, I ended up running up and down the hall shouting gleefully. (When questioned about my happiness, I responded "My favorite sushi place in Atlanta reopened!!" I was met with dubious looks.) Anyway, I was able to return to Soto at the beginning of summer break. The room had been re-arranged a bit (a few less tables), and the menu had been slightly cut back. Nonetheless, it is still utterly amazing. The rice is still perfect, the composed plates are still outstanding. To anyone who doesn't mind spending slight more on their sushi, please, take yourself to Soto. (as a side note, Ferdy is not working there any more, but we're working on acquiring a new acquaintance).

I'm suprised this hasn't been mentioned. Chefs are crazy. Not in the "im-going-to-kill-you" way (though some are) Not in the "look-at-the-pretty-green-faries" way (though, some are) Not in the "just-bumped-a-line-lets-rock" way (though....some are) Not in the "overstressed-im-going-to-cry-in-the-corner" way (uh, actually...) Most chefs are just crazy about the kitchen. They love the hectic life, the raw power of taking sharpened steel, fire, and raw ingredients and making food. (to take a page from Bourdain) Being the chef gives you control over your own little world, in a way that being a CEO doesn't. Most kitchens operate on a completely different time zone than regular companies. If you're really interested, and you haven't done so already, read Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain (one of our forum celebrities). It's got dozens of pages on the subject.

I, too, need to confess. I love my cell phone. I use it all the time. Even *gasp* in restaurants. I enjoy dining by myself a few times a week, and that is usually a good time for me to confirm plans with friends for the rest of the day. Whenever I enter a restaurant, my phone is on vibrate, and when I am on it, I talk as if I was talking to someone else at my table. If that bothers people, there's only so much I can do about it. (Except for the fun, "Oh, you just broke your leg? How horrible! Oh, dinner tonight at Mick's? Sounds fine." type of conversation.) I almost never answer a call when I am dining with someone, unless we both know the call is coming (a third friend trying to meet up, or to arrange later plans). I do not have a house line, my cell phone is my only contact, and I like to be available very nearly 24/7. Yes, I do know that this is a very modern idea; back in the day, you would have to set up stuff way in advance, as there was basically no way to get in touch with someone other than personally talking with them. I greatly appreciate modern technology, and try and keep myself from annoying others. I am in italy now, and my home cell does not work here, so I am forced to use an ancient motorola here, that does not have a vibrate feature, and the ring is extremely shrill. I was extremely nervous the other day when I was in Rome, and I very much was waiting on a call from a friend of mine (who needed to get in touch with me as soon as she got to rome.) I had to place the phone on the table, and every second was aware of the fact that it would ring any second. When it did ring, I answered it before the first ring was through, and quickly ducked outside. (Even doing all of this, I still felt rude and got many nasty looks from the other diners.) This is the compromise I have made, basically. If I am expecting a call, it won't stop me from enjoying my meal (ie. i could have eaten a pizza outside on the sidewalk, but I would rather have eaten inside.), but I will try not to disturb the other diners as much as possible. Other than at concerts and the like, I don't think I have ever done the one-hand-to-ear-shouting-into-cell-phone game in a restaurant. (And when I go to extremely upscale restaurants, the cell phone stays off. You can leave a message. Everything I just spoke about applies to places where you can eat for $30 or less, and in shorts.) About the cell phone jammers: I do believe they are highly illegal to use in public, for the same reason that was stated before - it could potentially block emergency calls. And by the way, I do think those walkie talkie phones are bad form, except for someone on, say, a construction site, or a taxi driver. To use them in really any public situation is just saying "listen to me, im a dolt!" Thats my take on the subject.

I personally thought some of the food you made with Sakai in the team battle was incredibly impressive, but what I thought was more impressive was your amazing energy and lets-have-fun-while-turning-out-amazing-food outlook. Do you feel this "hard work, but have fun doing it" is a motto you live by, or did it just especially shine through during Iron Chef, because the competition didn't really matter? (Not to say it wasn't important, just that it's not like being one point off in the judging lost you customers.) It seems to me, though, that you carry this attitude with everything you do. Just seeing the look on your face when you get a perfect piece of Parma ham on Mario Eats Italy, is priceless. (By the way, do you know Fabio Picchi of Cibreo in Firenze? Of all the chef's I've ever had a chance to meet, I saw the most similarity between you two. He came running over to our table in shorts and sandals (all the staff was in perfectly pressed suits, and the kitchen staff in spotless whites) and chided my sister, who was about to eat a piece of proscuitto with a knife and fork.) Thanks for joining our forum, and I hope to dine at Babbo soon! -------------------- The Gentleman Gourmand

Argh, cant think of the exact wording here: any help? Boondock Saints

The Fifth Element I'm sure theres a good quote (can't think of one now) in The Professional with Leon's whole milk drinking obsession.

I'm fairly certain the reason Mario turned his head away from the pot before he flamed it is because he didn't want to singe any of the hair on his face off. I'm sure he's done it enough times to know where and how much to pour. Either that, or he just got distracted by something. I really just think he didnt wanna burn any hair.

Boston University's School of Hospitality Administration will be hosting "Aluminim Cook", a take off of Iron Chef in which competitors (teams of 2 from each school within BU) will be given a MicroFridge (combination Fridge + Microwave) and a secret ingredient, complete with judges, and commentary. All are invited to come, ill let you know of the dates, and I think its $5. I believe its the first or second sunday in April. It's gonna be a hoot.

By the way, Tony still comes in and hangs out at the bar, then Scott and he go out and go drinking. Evidently, Scott ususally comes in at about 2 in the afternoon -- but on the days after he goes out with Tony, he comes in around 5

You could also work in things like the "discovery" of raw fish by the general populace. A good example of this is the widespread seared tuna appetizers. It used to be that you "needed" to have steak and chicken on your menu. Now a ho-hum upper scale casual dining place would be lacking without at least a seared tuna app.