AzianBrewer

I am sure there are good moutai and bad moutai. The good one is that you sip and the cheap stuff is for getting wasted.

That stuff is like moonshine. It smells great but goes down harsh sometimes for newbies.

What kind of rice and koji do they used for there brews????

Is the writing indicating "No Sugar Added" on the label?

Here's the latest info for this year's Brewtopia. http://www.brewtopiafest.com/ The NYC Homebrewers Guild will be showcasing some wicked homebrews...here's the roster: Lemongrass Wit Wet Hopped IPA Oatmeal Stout Pale Ale Yama Lama Ding Dong CinaMex Dunkelweiss <---Brewed by AzianBrewer Jazmin Wheat <---Brewed by AzianBrewer Scotch Ale Hazelnut Brown Ale Dunkelweizen Belgian Strong Ale Hefeweizen Barleywine Drop by the Guild's table and say hi if you are at the fest. Cheers

Raji, for some reason I have this image of you literally under the tap, drinking Homer Simpson-style. ← Is it the raw harami being fed to me in my avatar? I plead the 5th on that one. Shochu makes me black out, I'll be honest... nihonshu is a different high... I'm sorry I just can't get it out of me to say sake because in japan, sake is all booze, so for those of you who know me on here nihonshu = sake! ← Isn't the shochu the trend for the past few years in Japan? Yes, sake is all booze perhaps with the exception of biiru (beer). In Kagoshima the land of shochu, the waitstaffs will automatically bring you shochu if you asked for sake. The same in Okinawa; awamori will be brought to when asked for sake. ← Shochu started booming maybe around 2000? I also think it was benefited by a renewed Japanese interest in Korean culture, which came with the popularity of Yonsama, the Korean drama actor. Kinki Kids is right, it's petering off in Japan in favor of nihonshu and white wne, and as it takes a year or two to get over here, now you see bottle-keep iichiko EVERYWHERE. So the question is, when you ask for sake in Kagoshima, do they give you IMOshochu?? Vinegar??? Well, it's always meant any alcoholic drink to me, but it's probably more associated with nihonshu because that's pretty much all the island nation had in the way of booze until it finally opened its doors open to te world... Anyway, if you want to say someone has a high or low tolerance, is a matter of saying "Kare ha osake tsuyoi" or "Kare ha osake yowai" anyways, semantics, As for the tap, I put it to the committee (bunch of Japanese ex-pats) and they all said, well yeah technically you could do it, like the Jagrmeister shot dispensor. In fact, maybe I did see it, but it was a promotional thing for nihonshu that already comes in a big box ← IMO, I think the Imo (yam) shochu are quite earthy. I prefer the mugi variety...goes down smooth like a quality whiskey. Iichiko has done a great job with their marketing campaign in North America. I was in LA last year and dropped by an event sponsored by the folks who distribute Iichiko. I wouldn't drink Iichiko straight up. Yes, I have seen the Gekkeikan' "box" dispenser in several wannabes or low end Japanese places here in the city.

I normally avoid purchasing food at the .99 stores here in the States. I have noticed that some of the cookies, snacks and sauces have way passed the expiration date. Is that also the case in Japan? Or there is a higher quality control standard?

Raji, for some reason I have this image of you literally under the tap, drinking Homer Simpson-style. ← Is it the raw harami being fed to me in my avatar? I plead the 5th on that one. Shochu makes me black out, I'll be honest... nihonshu is a different high... I'm sorry I just can't get it out of me to say sake because in japan, sake is all booze, so for those of you who know me on here nihonshu = sake! ← Isn't the shochu the trend for the past few years in Japan? Yes, sake is all booze perhaps with the exception of biiru (beer). In Kagoshima the land of shochu, the waitstaffs will automatically bring you shochu if you asked for sake. The same in Okinawa; awamori will be brought to when asked for sake.

Draft sake as of Nama sake?

Is that gonna make you strong?

Kenka on the same block is pretty cheap...the quality is lesser of Taisho and YokoCho. The beer (Kirin) are $1.50 for a mug and $8 pitcher. The most entertaining part is make your own cotton candy as you exit the establishment. YokoCho is around the corner by Round The Clock. The quality is a better than Kenka and Taisho so the price is a bit higher. The place is specialized in yakatori, deep fried skewers and other small plates.

There are times when I am tired of meat. Chickpeas and lentils are great with Japanese curry; fast and easy. I have tried adding a can of coconut milk to the curry but not a good as I thought it would be. Better stick with the Madras curry if coconut flavor is added.

Anyone been to this place lately? I am thinking of taking the Mrs. there for the anniversary.

I think Gyu-Kaku and Yaki Niku Ju Ju are known for meat and not seafood. The birthday drinks on the house definitely made up for the lies....

Anyone here tried the iced skin mooncake other than the jelly mooncake, mochi mooncake, ice cream mooncake, cupcake mooncake and cheesecake mooncake?

I am not Toishanese but my favorite Toishan plate is "harm yu yuk bang" or steamed pork patty with salted fish. I can easily down three bowls of rice with that!

Is "Kung Pao" the name of a sauce? I think it's the name of a style. ← Among the Americanized Chinese restaurants, "Kung Pao" sauce is general term for brown sauce.

I thought it was just me and my inferior taste buds. ← Perhaps it's just the way my favorite chinese restaurant makes it, but I've always thought the sauce for General Tso's Chicken had a definite "kick" to it. It's spicy and not at all comparable to the mild sauces in Sesame and Orange Chicken. ← Orange flavor chicken is supposed to have plenty of dried hot red peppers in it, I think. Not so? ← My version of orange and sesame chicken both had kick. We didn't have General Tso's, but I equate Kung Po chicken with the General except with "colour" (bell peppers, etc). The flavourings and base for the sauces were different, but they all had chili peppers. ← Kung Po is generally has no orange flavor, is less sweet and, of course, has peanuts. Pan: I have had Kung Po with bell peppers but despise it. Reminds me of PF Chang's. ← In a Chinese restaurant or no-so Chinese restaurant, the "Kung Pao" sauce is the mother of all brown sauces. It's used as a base to churn out different types of sauce. "Garlic", "Kung Pao", "General Tso", "Orange", "Sesame", Egg Foo Young & other "brown" sauces.

Thanks for the tips...I will definitely check out those places except the Subway, Starbucks and Panera. Has anyone here been to April & George at Glenwood? I found them at downtownraleigh.com.

The client is in downtown and I will be staying at the Sheraton in E Salisbury. I don't mind venturing outside of downtown.

I will be in Raleigh for business next week. Is there any good sandwich shop and a local place for great coffee? Thanks.

Torakris, what a great idea of using avacado instead of egg; rich tasting but minus the goo. I am not sure what is the secret ingredients in the gravy....I think Japanese curry is a great substitute for the gravy.

The satay in Hong Kong is quite different from the satay of SE Asia. HK style is exactly what hzrt8w described. It is awesome when stir fried with beef and top it over instant ramen or ho fun.

I like my Loco Moco with splashes of Tabasco!!! Ono!

Other than the xiao-long-bao, the Shanghaiese stir fried noodle is another slam dunk at this joint. The General Tso chicken is not bad but avoid the Shanghaiese Siu-Mai. They are too doughy.