Kent Wang

I went to Evangeline about a year ago. I think the gumbo is a little thin and stingy on the meat. I still think Quality Seafood has the absolute best gumbo in town. Overall, Evangeline is pretty good and may even be one of the best restaurants in the neighborhood.

Wednesday night. Dinner at Uchi, one of the best restaurants in town. The chef, Tyson Cole, was deemed one of the best new chefs of 2005 by Food & Wine Magazine. The cuisine is best described as contemporary Japanese, a genre also occupied by Nobu. The outdoor garden. We had the omakase, which is designed for two diners. Amuse bouche: ginger sorbet, mint, peach slices. Sorbet had intense ginger spice. Peach sashimi? I have to try that at home some time. Carpaccio daily selection (can't remember what it was) from the Tsukiji fish market, Japan with tangerine oil and san bai zu. [No photo] Hamachi cure. Sugar-cured applewood-smoked yellowtail, white soy, golden raisins, garlic brittle, marcona almonds. This might have been my favorite course. I don't think smoking is employed at all in traditional Japanese cuisine, so it was great to see how well this technique adapted to sushi. Taikyo yaki. Grilled Mediterranean drumfish, puree of garlic, negi oil, tomatillo carpaccio, micro coriander. [No photo] Mirugai (live geoduck clam) sashimi, chu toro sashimi. I've never had geoduck raw before. Crisp texture, briny taste, very unique. Toro hot rock. Line-caught “sear it yourself” bluefin toro. Terrific cut of toro, great marbling throughout. I think the hot rock is a bit of gimmick, ineffective and not hot enough to actually sear. Hotate tomorokoshi. Seared Maine diver scallops, golden North Texas chanterelles, sweet white corn miso, hydroponic totsoi. The flavor of the chanterelles married well with the subtle flavor of the scallops. Sushi chefs on the line. Bacon steakie. Cider-braised kurobuta pork belly with candied apple. This is the dish most oftenly mentioned on eGullet and Chowhound. I had high expectations of a very novel creation, but it turned out to taste just like Shanghai-style braised pork belly! Of course, Shanghai does not have the monopoly on sweet, braised pork belly but the bold flavors made this stand out in my mind to be the least Japanese-style dish on the menu, and more like a Chinese one. Nevertheless, it is delicious and I would certainly recommend it. Akaushi tataki. Togarashi-seared akaushi ribeye, yuzu kosho, California green plums, shaved white endive, sesame. Shun yaki. Whole grilled wild mediterranean rouget, citrus confit, pickled myoga, dill crowns. Foie hachimitsu. Seared Hudson Valley foie gras, vanilla-stuffed kumquats, acacia honey, sauternes gelee. Strange to have the foie gras at the end of the meal. Perhaps all the sweet elements were intended to segue this course into dessert. Sauternes gelee was superb, fairly mild and not nearly as sweet as sauternes usually is. Chevre ice cream, yellow watermelon, sugar kumo. I don't think watermelon should ever be served unless it has been cut moments before service. Perhaps I'm overly sensitive about this but I can tell a fresh slice from one that is ten-minutes old and small slices like this will turn even more quickly. Overall, the meal was superb and the menu was very innovative, not at all fusion-y, expertly prepared with superlative ingredients. I haven't had the omakase at Nobu (or some of those other places I've seen pictures of in New York) but I bet you didn't think Texas would be a place where one would find good contemporary Japanese and sushi. Service was also flawless, which is remarkable in such a busy establishment. We went on Wednesday night and it was packed by seven o'clock. I'll be in Houston and Galveston Thursday-Friday so we'll see some of my mother's home cooking, some Chinese restaurants in Houston and a bit of Galveston seafood.

Wha... where is this restaurant?! Absolutely. The English menus often leave out the more exotic meats. Every single good traditional restaurant I've been to in the US serves pork intestine, pork tongue and chicken feet. Other common, though less ubiquitous items are duck tongue, pork stomach and pig ear. If you have never seen these items at a traditional place -- of which there are plenty in Philadelphia -- it's definitely because they're not on the English menu. I bet if you ask, they will make it for you. You're right about the divide that caused the development of soul food but in Chinese cuisine, there is no such divide as even mandarins ate pork intestines, etc. There really is no concept of a dichotomy between superiour and inferiour cuts of meat: all are equally loved. I think what survives today of white Southern cuisine must have been quite different than what it was like in the antebellum years. I suspect many poor whites ate the same "exotic" cuts and offal as soul food. It's only in the last century that white Southerners became more prosperous while blacks in the South remained poor and continued to eat cheap cuts. But perhaps even more important than economics, was that black culture in the South remained distinct and retained the same foods while Southern white culture merged with mainstream white American culture and narrowed their tastes.

A photo of myself in my side-yard, which is next to a cemetery. That's what I wore to the photo shoot on Monday, modeling my own pocket square and cuff links. Also in my neighborhood, is Ben's Longbranch BBQ. Although I haven't gone there for barbecue yet, I love their Soul Food Wednesdays. If you're not familiar, soul food is the home-style cuisine developed by blacks in the South. I consider it a subset of Southern cuisine, as there is a good amount of overlap between the two genres. What tends to seperate soul food from Southern cuisine is the use of cheap or "exotic" cuts of meat such as pork intestine ("chitlins"), pigs feet and pork rinds. Coincidentally, these are the same foods that the Chinese love. When my family first moved to America, we were surprised with how white Americans eat such a narrow range of foods while learning how much our own cuisine had in common with soul food. My favorite fruit is even the watermelon! Oxtails, collard greens, black-eyed peas with bits of bacon, cornbread. The oxtails were cooked plainly with just some salt and pepper but were delicious. The oxtails rendered a great deal of gelatin, making the broth thick and sticky. Next up: Uchi.

How interesting. My parents call each other Kent's mom/dad, though this is not common in China.

I'll try to squeeze in some time to cook, or maybe my parents will have something when I go home on Thursday. Here are photos from Veritas Wine Bisto (website) in College Station on Monday night. Gulf coast lump crab, zesty lump crab meat with herbs and corn with cubed avocado and citrus. Prime Black Angus blue cheese encrusted tenderloin, prime tenderloin with grilled vegetables and a red wine-balsamic reduction. The food was OK, though a few items on the menu are a bit too Asian fusion. Cocktails and wine, though, are what we came for. Andy, aka thirtyoneknots, shaking up a Corpse Reviver #2. Thanks to Andy, Veritas has the best cocktail program in College Station, and even better than anything we have in Austin. As a surprise gift, I brought him a pound of Billington's dark molasses sugar from Austin, which I've raved about previously (in cocktails, general use).

I think I would lose my Texan citizenship if I did not. Here's the tentative schedule for the week: Wed lunch: Ben's Longbranch BBQ for Soul Food Wednesdays. Wed dinner: Uchi, contemporary Japanese. Thur-Fri: a few meals in Houston. Sat: Drive back from Houston, some barbecue on the way. Sun: Back in Austin. Dim sum at Shanghai restaurant.

I'll put up the photos from Veritas tomorrow. I live in East Austin, an old neighborhood with some low-income areas but due to its proximity to downtown is beginning to be gentrified. The East Side is filled with a variety of working-class restaurants along side newly opened "hip" restaurants and bars that take advantage of the low rents and appeal to the artists, avant garde types and yuppies that have moved into the area. This eclectic mix of affordable restaurants was one of the main reasons I decided to move out to this neighborhood. For dinner tonight, we went to one of my favorite restaurants, Nubian Queen Lola's Cajun Kitchen. It's located just a few blocks away, at a high-crime intersection where one can readily buy drugs off the street. Lola's building, though shabby, is festively decorated. This sign just came up recently. I hope the roof won't collapse in on us while we're eating. The Austin Chronicle article explains a bit about the history and background of the place. The restaurant can seat only about 15 and she does all the cooking and service. Despite the name, the cuisine is really Southern, the only cajun items being the gumbo and etoufee. The dining room is decorated in festive Mardi Gras colors and filled with knick-knacks. Lola is very religious and is devoted to charity to the poor. During the course of our meal, a few homeless persons came in and she gave them some water and a bit of food. The restaurant is closed to the public on Sunday so that she can feed the homeless. Looks like the late former Texas governor Ann Richards was a fan of Lola's. Fried pork chop, red beans and rice, collard greens. The pork chop is lightly dusted in flour, salt and spices and does not have a thick batter. Both styles have their place, this style emphasizes spice and flavor while the heavy batter style is about the crispy texture of the fried batter. Fried catfish and beignets. The beignets were delicious, fresh from the fryer. We shared a large eight-person table with another group. It's not often that this happens in most restaurants, but it can be a great way to meet some terrific people. Tonight we had the luck of sharing a table with Alan Graham and his family. Mr. Graham is the founder of Mobile Loaves & Fishes, a Christian charity that takes catering trucks directly to the streets to feed the homeless. The charity was founded in Austin and now has chapters in a few other cities in the country. Our group had a great time talking with Alan and his family about Mobile Loaves & Fishes, Austin neighborhoods and even a bit about the latest motu proprio issued by Pope Benedict XVI -- Catholicism being a minor interest of mine. Although I'm not religious, I greatly respect their charitable attitude and selfless work for the poor. Lola with my friend Charles. Even aside from the excellent food, I'd have to say that this was one of the most memorable dining experiences I've ever had, sharing a table with positive people in the intimate dining room of a cozy neighborhood restaurant. More about Lola's and other Southern cuisine restaurants in Austin.

Photos from Veritas coming soon. The restaurant scene has gotten a little better over the years. Veritas only opened a year ago. Overall, the scene is rather abysmal. At the moment, we're trying to decide if we should try to get lunch here (probably at Madden's) or just go back to Austin. I rarely ever go to San Antonio. Usually my friends in San Antonio come up to Austin and not vice versa as there are just more fun things to do here. The best restaurant there is probably La Reve, which was nominated for the James Beard for the southwest region.

My friend Charles has been staying with me for the last few days. We've known each other since high school and share a common interest in matters culinary. He took a few classes at CIA a few years ago, I believe. I usually only eat out a few times a week but you're going to see us eat at a lot of restaurants this week. We're packing up at the moment to go to the city of College Station to eat and drink at Veritas, where fellow eGullet member thirtyoneknots works as bartender. Later in the week, I'll also be driving to Houston to see my parents and see old friends. I'll be trekking all over Texas. It's from my pair of jeans from a Swedish brand called Nudie and that's their backpocket stitch. I've since gotten some newer, more obscure and elitist, jeans that I dig more but the Nudie will always be an old favorite. There's a big difference between the hankie in the breast pocket and one in the back pants pocket.

I graduated from the University of Texas with a Bachelors in History two years ago and have continued to stay in Austin. I'm twenty-two now and work two jobs from home. I operate a web development firm, which I've been doing since I was twelve years old. My clients are mostly small businesses like real estate and law firms. My other, more "glamorous" job is as a fashion designer. I design and sell pocket squares (those handkerchiefs men wear with suits) and cuff links. You can see some photos from my website. I've also been thinking of making napkins and table linens. After all, a napkin is just a pocket square in a different size. I've also made some silk scarves for women and have a photoshoot scheduled later today for a local magazine. I just moved into this house in East Austin at the begining of the month. Here is the kitchen: It's a bit old but the kitchen has some cool features: The spice rack pulls out and rotates for easy access. The corner cabinet rotates to reveal storage shelves. That big jar in the back is duck confit. I made it about a month ago so it will be delicious once I finally melt it out of the duck fat. The bar. I've learned a great deal from the eG Cocktail and Spirits forum over the past two years and have accumulated a modest collection of bottles. I entertain often and have a printed cocktail menu (PDF). It would be rude to show you the bar without offering a drink, so how about a Last Word?

Bingo! The old adage really is true. The saucer on the left is local honey from Round Rock and the one on the right is blood orange vinegar by Cuisine Perel.

Here's what I had for dinner last night. I live by myself so it's a bit of chore to cook just for one so I invited my friend Kristin over and we did some simple cooking. Salmon roe with sweet peas. Copied from the Dinner! thread. This was trivial to make but a terrific dish nonetheless. The saltiness of the roe combines perfectly with the sweetness of the peas. Peppers stuffed with brie and purple basil. I asked the cheesemonger at Central Market for the boldest brie and he recommended Brie de meaux rouzaire, which I loved. For dessert, I made my first creme brulee. No photos as I didn't do a very good job with the torching.

Howdy! I'll be your blogger this week and would like to show you my little part of the country. A few things come to mind when one thinks of Texas -- barbecue, cowboys -- but this week I want to share with you some of the lesser known aspects of Texas food and culture. I was born in Shanghai and lived there until I was six. I moved with my parents first to Baltimore and then a few years later to Galveston, an island southeast of Houston. I consider Galveston to be the home of my formative years of middle and high school. My mother is a terrific cook, having been cooking since she was thirteen. During the Cultural Revolution in China, her father was imprisoned for being an intellectual and the family fell upon hard times. Her older siblings all had to work to make ends meet, so as the youngest child she learned to cook from her grandmother. (See Food stories from the Cultural Revolution). When I moved out on my own to Austin to attend the University of Texas, my mother's only stipulation was that I learn how to cook. So, armed with three months of basic lessons and a dozen of her recipes, I moved to my own apartment in Austin. That is when I first began to develop my passion for food. I'll tell you a little more after I fix myself breakfast, but let's take a look at my teaser photo: Any ideas for a caption?

Yes, I'm aware of that but I was curious if it is actually possible to eat that much. I can eat a lot but I'm not sure I can eat more than the price of the buffet at most Chinese buffets, as most of the food cost is so low.

You could try to get a reservation at La Reve, which was nominated for the James Beard Award for the southwest.

Is it possible to eat at a buffet so strategically that you would cost the restaurant more money in food than the price of the buffet?

This has been one of my favorite food blogs yet. I would love to one day retire to France like you. Rupert is also my favorite of the pets featured on food blogs!

Now that I've moved to the East Side, I've been hitting up a lot of the area restaurants. I tried to go to Lola's but the place was closed (despite the open sign being on). So, I settled for Gene's. Fried shrimp and oyster plate with red beans and cornbread is $11.95. That's what I would expect to pay downtown but this is the East Side! Ingredients were standard Sysco fare, cooking is average. Peach cobbler was overly sweet with cardboard like crust.

My mother thaws out meat by leaving it out on the counter.

I thought kurobuta is even better? What breeds are the common ones called?

I love the pork from local producer Peach Creek Farms, however all their products are frozen. As far as the chops go, the flavor is noticeably superior to even the fresh, never-been-frozen chops available at Central Market and Whole Foods. However, for other cuts such as ground pork and other animals such as chicken and beef, is it better to buy frozen from a local producer or fresh from a supermarket? Cost is not an issue as they are priced similarly.

No luck yet. I'm currently working on establishing myself as a regular at a few bars before popping the question. An expensive proposition, yes, but I consider it a business expense.

Terrific news, Mike. Now that I live just a few blocks away, I will be there even more often than before. Your liquor selection could also use a bit of expansion, especially a bolder bourbon like Wild Turkey 101 or Knob Creek in place of Bulliet. Wild Turkey Rye would be even better. I agree about Fino, they even have the Sazerac cocktail on their menu.

This looks like a great dessert. You can make it more like a Chinese-style dessert if you used less sugar and added some tapioca pearls (the small kind) and short-grain glutinous rice.