Maekawa

[rmockler]

Cheers, from a new poster, to Sr. Amster-Burton's review of Maekawa bar in today's Times. If you don't know the place, also make sure to visit Fort St. George across the stairs -- longtime haunt of the multi-cultural young Japanese crowd, and those of us who appreciate the whole culture blender thing. (Assuming the Fort is still open -- haven't been down in a couple months. It's also a great place to take kids for an early dinner out, if you don't mind a bit o' smoke.)

On a related note: cheers for both go to the late, great Ueichi (sp?) Maekawa, with his ponytail, love of rock and roll, and devotion to the Ms. Maekawa Bar, as we always understood it, was basically his grown up place for people who weren't up for the kids at Fort St. George.

[dandelion]

The Fort St. George is definitely still open... I love that place. Where else can you get spaghetti with a side of miso soup?

[laurel]

If you're interested in Asian adaptations of Western dishes, try Purple Dot Cafe and Pacific Garden. Pacific Garden is a small chicken-curry-and-spaghetti joint. Purple Dot Cafe is a little glitzier, with a much longer menu (actually 3 or 4 different menus last time we were there), containing some good things and some bizarre things.

[hungry_moose]

Here's link to Mamster's review:

Maekawa Review

-hungry_moose

[jbonne]

Maekawa rocks. but i'm already on the record on that ...

[hungry_moose]

Fabulous Blog J.Bonne!

-Moose

Here's link to Mamster's review:

Maekawa Review

-hungry_moose

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[Abra]

I'm with you on the Otokoyama, jbonne - my fave - although I'm partial to it from a cedar box, because that's the way I first tasted it. With salt. Now I can't wait to try the renkon butter. Do you have a suggestion on the best dried bonito for this dish?

[jbonne]

i have to admit i've done approximately zero testing of dried bonito. in fact, the bonito shavings in my house predate my moving into it, so i'm no help there.

Otokoyama is wonderful, with its full body, though i'm partial to Suishin myself. but its availability there is on and off, so i just rely on the bottle in my fridge.

as i'm sure mamster can attest, there's nary a weak dish on the menu. i haven't always been bowled over by the mackerel and some of the sashimi isn't as good as elsewhere (but then, they're not a sashimi place) but Maekawa remains, hands down, one of my five favorite places to eat in Seattle. their onigiri alone can make any day 10 times better.

[mamster]

Thanks for the kind words, everyone. I should point out that I got one detail wrong: the shochu is Japanese, not Korean, vodka. There is also soju on the menu, which is Korean vodka. However did I get this wrong?

There's an energy and comfort level about Maekawa that I think I didn't really capture. It's hard to imagine ever turning down an invitation to go there.

[Sleepy_Dragon]

.....

There's an energy and comfort level about Maekawa that I think I didn't really capture. It's hard to imagine ever turning down an invitation to go there.

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Most definitely. It radiates great vibes to go along with the snackyness. Mmmmm, takoyaki.

Maneki is also worth checking out for the same reasons, for those who haven't been. Only a tiny sake list but plenty of small traditional plates.

Pat

[rmockler]

And Maneki, alas, is another example of a place whose guiding spirit (Kozo-san, in this case) is no longer with us.

The only thing to watch for about Maneki is a tendency in the last few years towards USA-style super-sized sushi.

[jrt]

.....

There's an energy and comfort level about Maekawa that I think I didn't really capture. It's hard to imagine ever turning down an invitation to go there.

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Most definitely. It radiates great vibes to go along with the snackyness. Mmmmm, takoyaki.

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Amen! Maekawa is a kick-ass restaurant. The first time I went, I went with a bunch of like-minded friends. There were six of us young-ish guys eating like madmen and drinking our proverbial tails off. Some calm-looking Japenese men were seated right next to us and one of them eventually leaned over and poked my elbow. I turned around and he said, "You want eat sperm?"

My friends, naturally, all stopped their conversations and nearly gave themselves whiplash by turning in my direction. I smiled and tried to say, as politely as I could, "Sorry, I, uh, well, no, no sperm... thanks anyway."

The guy poked me again and said, "I ordered it already!" Just as he said it, the server delivered a plate of shirako (image). My friends stared, totally agape. I put the whole damn thing in my mouth. Whether or not it's purely a psychological response to what it actually is (a cod sperm sac), I must say that I won't have it again... its texture was uncomfortably creamy.

As the night went on, the neighboring table and ours got into some "we can order more drinks for you than you can for us" contest. Needless to say, much of the rest of the night was a blur.

...but that kind of experience is typical, I think. If you're in a good mood, it's essentially impossible to have a bad time there.

edited to add: And I agree about the takoyaki. Fantastic.

Edited April 23, 2005 by jrt (log)

[malarkey]

man I need to go here! It sounds fantastic!

Morimoto's foods come with dried bonito flakes so you can witness this lovely effect on your desk at work

[JasonTrue]

The one dish I always (usually) order at Maekawa is the renkon butter. I'm actually a vegetarian and try fruitlessly to avoid katsuobushi when I am in Japan, but I don't mind it too much; I just avoid eating huge amounts of it. My vegetarian habit has for the last 7 years or so been mostly built on taste preferences and not on a lot of ideology.

The one think I will say, though, is that recently grated katsuo tastes much nicer than the prepackaged stuff, and also thicker shavings taste less bitter than thin ones, which probably lose a lot of the good volatile flavor compounds from exposure of more surface area to air.

(Edit: I'd like to point out that the "thicker shavings" comment applies to the pre-packaged variety. If you're going to use them right away, shaving the katsuobushi thin is just right).

Edited April 25, 2005 by JasonTrue (log)

[jbonne]

Abra, i think you found your bonito expert. (thanks for the insights, Jason!)

i'll second what mamster said about Maekawa's vibe. the mellow feel makes it what it is, even beyond the food.

[laurel]

So is there anywhere in Seattle to get a solid block of dried bonito? Does Uwaji have it? And do you need a special bonito-grating box?

[BastilaShan]

Asian food with western blend is very popular in Southern California and in Asia for years.

Interesting that it hasnt caught on in Seattle.

There will be stir-fry items with spaghetti, steak with spaghetti, baked breaded chicken over fried rice etc

The only restaurants that I know of that serve such food is Purple Dot Cafe and Fort St George.

[Sleepy_Dragon]

Asian food with western blend is very popular in Southern California and in Asia for years.

Interesting that it hasnt caught on in Seattle.

There will be stir-fry items with spaghetti, steak with spaghetti, baked breaded chicken over fried rice etc

The only restaurants that I know of that serve such food is Purple Dot Cafe and Fort St George.

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Agree, I love that kind of food when I'm in LA, and got to taste bubble tea there years before we got it here, though still a good 10 years after its invention in Taiwan, hehe.

Sadly, we lack the Asian population density in the city proper for more such places. Any of LA's individual Asian districts or neighborhoods is many times larger than the ID, and hopping with activity later too.

It's ok though, there's a time and place for everything.

I only wish Fort St. George wasn't so smoky.

Pat

[rockdoggydog]

Yeah, but in Taiwan they look at you funny when you say you don't want the bubbles. Besides when I'm in Taiwan I'm too busy drinking guava juice and grass juice to get bubble teas.

Rocky

[Fay Jai]

IF The Pacific Cafe is the one on the corner, I think I would suggest that over the Purple Dot. Dunno, the Purple Dot just seems a little slick and corporate to me. Infinetly (sp?) more important then that though, my Dad says that the Pacific Cafe reminds him of the restos that my Grandpa would take him to in Hong Kong, just after the war. He remembers them well, as that was a huge treat for him.

I ate at a few of those places myself when I was there with my Uncle. He called it "Chinglish" food...which I think is a: Frickin Hilarious, and b: spot on right.

Toast with Condensed milk, a bowl of Borscht, hot Coca Cola, and Baked Fish with Cheese over Rice, anyone?

[Sleepy_Dragon]

Chinglish food. Nice.

But do we have to drive modified Hondas in order to eat there?

Pat, rooting around for matching Hello Kitty cellphone

[Fay Jai]

Nope...Rickety Double Decker MTR Bus!

Whoooo Hooo!!!!

[Sleepy_Dragon]

We could head for Vegas after that in one of those!

Pat

[reesek]

Yeah, but in Taiwan they look at you funny when you say you don't want the bubbles.  Besides when I'm in Taiwan I'm too busy drinking guava juice and grass juice to get bubble teas.

Rocky

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no bubbles? but they're so much fun to spit out the window while driving! just try not to laugh too hard...promotes choking.

yes, i am 16.

[dandelion]

I'm surprised to see that people like the Purple Dot. I ate there once, and my food (vegetables and tofu) was a big blob of goo served in a 9" pie pan. The spring rolls were incredibly greasy. Maybe I just ordered the wrong things, but did I mention the roaches?

I walked by about a month ago; there was a sign outside about new management. Perhaps things have improved, but I'm scared to go back.