The Ladies Who Lunch (Part 2)

[rotuts]

  """"   we had a second serving of calamari.   """

 

sharp thinking

 

[Kerry Beal]

Damn - good thing I didn't make you taste that dynamite roll - would have been dynamite for you with the CRAB STICK in it that she failed to mention!

[gfweb]

In an all-you-can -eat place probably not real crab, but that pollock stuff they process to look like crab.

[rotuts]

that stuff has 'crab flavor'  but its anyones guess as to how that 'flavor' was obtained.

 

perhaps a crab was in the vicinity of the processing plant ?

[gfweb]

Surimi is the name I was searching for.

[Allura]

In an all-you-can -eat place probably not real crab, but that pollock stuff they process to look like crab.

 

Generally, people with crab allergies avoide imitation crab as it uses crushed shell/juice/etc to get the flavoring. Not worth the risk, anyway.

[Anna N]

Surimi is the name I was searching for.

And it frequently contains crab products.

[gfweb]

And it frequently contains crab products.

You just have to decide if you are feeling lucky.

[Anna N]

We returned to Pomelo, one of our favourites yesterday.

Ginger tea for Kerry.

Vietnamese iced coffee for me.

Calamari

Bun with spring roll and grilled chicken for me.

Bun with spring roll and grilled beef for Kerry.

[Anna N]

So today Kerry and I were on a mission to Asian territory in Mississauga, Ontario. We go there frequently and know the route by heart. But today we managed to get lost! We only see each other once a week usually and so we have much to catch up on. Today we were so busy catching up that both driver (Kerry) and navigator (me--sorta) went on auto pilot and missed a turn.

How fortuitous. We found ourselves in a plaza that housed one of our favourite thrift stores AND a ramen house!

http://www.kenzoramen.ca/bbs.php?table=board_1&category=HOT%2520RAMEN

We wandered through the thrift store until 11:30 when the ramen house opened.

Couple of interesting introductions to the restaurant.

Takoyaki. This was the second time we've had takoyaki and we were both surprised at how different this was from the first time. These were much more doughy and the octopus was much chewier. Nonetheless they were very tasty.

Gyoza

I happened to spot a staff member making these at one of the tables. Kerry asked if she might take photographs:

Now for the raison d'etre

Kerry had the King of Kings ramen with roasted pork, egg, fish cake, fresh and dried seaweed and a topping of delicious marinated bamboo shoots.

I had the Netsu ramen a Sapporo style with ground pork and vegetables.

Now for a couple of questions

We were offered HOT water or tea. Is hot water usual?

Both pairs of chopsticks were of unequal length. Is this just us noticing something odd or is it significant?

[rotuts]

very nice ref. to the web site and thus the menu

 

thanks

[huiray]

Now for a couple of questions

We were offered HOT water or tea. Is hot water usual?

Both pairs of chopsticks were of unequal length. Is this just us noticing something odd or is it significant?

 

Asking for, being offered, drinking hot water is very common even in modern times in E/SE Asia even in the hottest weather.   Many people still believe that it is deleterious to drink cold water, especially if it is hot outside.  many of my older relatives did this too and shunned iced water when it was hot outside.  Even for myself, drinking hot tea when I am simply thirsty is sometimes much more satisfying than a cold drink (I find it more "thirst quenching", which is commonly experienced by others too).  Liuzhou also commented on one aspect/example of "ordering hot water" in China on his vegetarian cuisine in China topic.

 

Those chopsticks of unequal length you both got should not have been given to you, unless the shop staff either didn't care or didn't notice.  You should have asked for them to be replaced.  (or just exchanged one stick with each other, if that would have resulted in getting two pairs that matched)  It's a Japanese shop, so the following doesn't really apply (I think) but in Chinese tradition if one got an unmatched pair (unequal length) it meant that one was going to miss some sort of travel appointment - a boat trip, (and in modern times) a train, a plane...etc.  Additionally, it's the wrong time of year for the Japanese Taishi-kō festival so I doubt "they" would have given you unmatched pairs to celebrate that, either, if they even did observe it when the time rolls around.

[Kerry Beal]

Ah - well I guess that solves the question about whether we should take the ferry north or drive around!

[Anna N]

Asking for, being offered, drinking hot water is very common even in modern times in E/SE Asia even in the hottest weather.   Many people still believe that it is deleterious to drink cold water, especially if it is hot outside.  many of my older relatives did this too and shunned iced water when it was hot outside.  Even for myself, drinking hot tea when I am simply thirsty is sometimes much more satisfying than a cold drink (I find it more "thirst quenching", which is commonly experienced by others too).  Liuzhou also commented on one aspect/example of "ordering hot water" in China on his vegetarian cuisine in China topic.

 

Those chopsticks of unequal length you both got should not have been given to you, unless the shop staff either didn't care or didn't notice.  You should have asked for them to be replaced.  (or just exchanged one stick with each other, if that would have resulted in getting two pairs that matched)  It's a Japanese shop, so the following doesn't really apply (I think) but in Chinese tradition if one got an unmatched pair (unequal length) it meant that one was going to miss some sort of travel appointment - a boat trip, (and in modern times) a train, a plane...etc.  Additionally, it's the wrong time of year for the Japanese Taishi-kō festival so I doubt "they" would have given you unmatched pairs to celebrate that, either, if they even did observe it when the time rolls around.

huiray,

Thanks for answering these questions. I have visited a number of Japanese (and other Asian restaurants) and this is the first time I have ever been offered hot water. As for the chopsticks I think we both suspected it was a simple mismatch but I had to ask.

[Kerry Beal]

Odd that we both got mismatched though.  

[huiray]

Heh, well, you both would be traveling together, no? (now that you mentioned that "ferry north" - to Manitoulin Island?) 

Do keep in mind that it's just a "traditional belief"/superstition. 

[Kerry Beal]

This is true - we would both be travelling together and would miss the ferry together!

[Dejah]

The spring roll at Pomelo: made with the thin spring roll wrapper, deep fried? I've never had them "blister". Were they made with rice paper? They look fabulous!

[Kerry Beal]

I think it might be rice spring roll wrapper  - it's too shattery for a regular wrapper.

[Anna N]

Today we returned to Xin Xin in the Golden Sq., Plaza Mississauga. This restaurant caters much more to the Chinese community than most. Only one of the staff have any grasp of English. And of course we have no grasp of their language. But gesturing, pointing and patience accompanied by much smiling on the part of both parties succeeds

The dishes are identified in the menu with a letter followed by a number. This appears to be highly efficient. But appearances can be deceptive. After we looked at the menu and determined what we would like to eat and drink Kerry carefully wrote out the identifying letter and number on a napkin. Our server however felt the need to confirm that what we had ordered was what we really wanted. He compared our numbers and letters to the ones on the menu and transcribed each one into Chinese on the piece of paper after confirming with us that he had identified correct dish.

It seemed to us to be a bit overcautious. Until he reached our choice of J2. He pointed to the dish identified as J2 on the menu. It was most certainly not what we wanted! Turns out there are TWO J2s on the menu. That sorted out, he went off to order our food.

When he returned with my beer he asked if we wanted what sounded like peanuts. We were a little perplexed but eventually convinced him that whatever he was offering we were quite happy to accept. He returned with a small bowl of roasted peanuts which he pointedly gave me to go with my beer. Perhaps another custom that we are not accustomed to! Peanuts in a bar with the beer yes. -- in a restaurant no. Kerry enjoyed every last one.

We were the only non-Asians in the restaurant. Around us people were being served massive bowls of steaming food. We might have ordered one of these but when we asked the server what was being served he pointed to a dish on the menu whose description could not have led us to believe this was a type of hot pot. Perhaps next time.

Beer and peanuts

Scallion pancakes

Salt and pepper shrimp

Mapo tofu

Chicken, garlic chive and bean sprouts served with delicate wraps

The oddest (to us Westerners) dish. Described as a burrito it is an eggy wrap around crueller type dough with a few scallions between the wrap and the cruellers.

[huiray]

image.jpg

The oddest (to us Westerners) dish. Described as a burrito it is an eggy wrap around crueller type dough with a few scallions between the wrap and the cruellers.

 

Looks like a riff on a popular street food from Tianjin.  Here's one article in English reporting on a California Bay Area restaurant's offering of it.

 

A version of this in Cantonese-style dim-sum is crullers wrapped in rice crepe and steamed.

Edited June 5, 2014 by huiray (log)

[Anna N]

Looks like a riff on a popular street food from Tianjin.  Here's one article in English reporting on a California Bay Area restaurant's offering of it.

 

A version of this in Cantonese-style dim-sum is crullers wrapped in rice crepe and steamed.

Thanks for the enlightenment. Perhaps with some hoisin or other sauce it might have been more interesting. None were offered.

[Anna N]

Yesterday Kerry Beal and I drove down to Buffalo to lunch with Society members Patris and MelissaH.

As always we tasked patris with finding a suitable venue and as usual she came through with flying colours. No calamari this time. Not even a hint of ginger, garlic or soy. Our lunch would be in the solid European tradition.

Polish Villa II's interior could easily pass for a 19th century ballroom. Very suitable for the food we were about to enjoy.

If you think we can order too much food for the two of us you should see the damage we did with four of us. MelissaH took a couple of aerial views of the table which I hope she will post.

Here's a link to the menu

http://www.thevilla.biz/dinner_menu

As you see the first item on the menu was duck soup.

Czarnina

Traditional Polish duck soup filled with prunes, raisins, and kluski

Being a great fan of duck I wanted to know a little more about this. Patris who seems to have an encyclopedic knowledge of everything said that traditionally it was made with duck blood. Sorry people but I'm not that adventurous. However we decided to check with our server. When asked if the soup contained duck blood she shook her head and said oh no no. Cheered by the thought of having some duck soup I was about to order when she added, "Now we use beef blood!"

This established the mood of the meal as we all burst out laughing it went downhill from there..

Patris asked about the size of the perogies. I think we all pictured something not much larger than a potsticker so when the server said about 5 to 6 ounces the table once again dissolved into laughter.

Patris, MelissaH, and Kerry were all driving but as usual I was just a passenger so I ordered a beer. It was from a local microbrewery and I think was called Rusty Saw. It was an unfiltered beer and very tasty.

We ordered with a view to sharing everything.

Salad with blue cheese dressing and you can see the beer in the background.

Bread and butter plate. This bread was the essence of caraway.

Wild mushroom pierogy

Potato cake with sour cream and there was also applesauce that you do not see here.

Bigos.

Onion rings.

Crimson salad

Cheese pierogy

Swinka fingers

Cucumber salad

[MelissaH]

Polish Villa II's interior could easily pass for a 19th century ballroom. Very suitable for the food we were about to enjoy.

If you think we can order too much food for the two of us you should see the damage we did with four of us. MelissaH took a couple of aerial views of the table which I hope she will post.

Here's a link to the menu

http://www.thevilla.biz/dinner_menu

As you see the first item on the menu was duck soup.

Czarnina

Traditional Polish duck soup filled with prunes, raisins, and kluski

Being a great fan of duck I wanted to know a little more about this. Patris who seems to have an encyclopedic knowledge of everything said that traditionally it was made with duck blood. Sorry people but I'm not that adventurous. However we decided to check with our server. When asked if the soup contained duck blood she shook her head and said oh no no. Cheered by the thought of having some duck soup I was about to order when she added, "Now we use beef blood!"

This established the mood of the meal as we all burst out laughing it went downhill from there..

Nobody has yet mentioned the mirrored disco ball on the ceiling of the restaurant. It hung next to the projector. Neither was operating, yesterday at lunchtime.

The aerial view photo isn't great, as I was just holding my cell phone as high over the table as I could reach, and blindly snapping photos. I would have needed to stand on a chair to see what I was photographing, and I was afraid I'd lose my balance and fall into the (fully loaded) table if I did so. Lunch was truly dizzying, and I'm still thinking about the potato pancakes. Next time, I think someone needs to try the golabki...and the czarnina! (Maybe in winter?)

[Anna N]

Today Kerry and I returned to Pho Phuong and were joined by member manwith8ovens who is definitely not a lady who lunches but without question a real gentleman. He was the first to introduce us to sous vide cooking and we were both beta testers for his Sous Vide Magic.

As usual we ordered a variety of dishes and shared.

Banh xeo

The house special pho and accompaniments

Deep fried spring rolls

Beef satay

A pork stew with a bread roll.

(So sorry, rotuts, no calamari.)