Posts (page 2)

We have finally come to the moment everyone has been waiting for in our series about how to enjoy and "experience" sushi. We have already discussed the visual, audio, and olfactory aspects of the sushi experience. Now, we will talk about how to eat sushi.

You do NOT just grab sushi and chomp it down. That would be like "chugging" a fine, red wine. Go to Japan and you will find people who sit in sushi bars for hours and eat about three pieces of sushi. That is because they are looking for the true sushi experience, not nutrition.

Here's what they do in Japan. First, take the piece of sushi and hold it in front of your eyes. Take in the hue and the contours. Then, open your mouth and place the sushi on top of your tongue. Let it sit there for a few seconds as the aroma and taste fill your mouth. Then, move your tongue up and crush the sushi against the roof of your mouth. This provides the most area for your taste buds to interact with the sushi. Slowly chew the sushi, but take your time, it's not a race.

After awhile, when you have drained all the flavor out of the fish you may swallow. You will be left with the lingering after taste of wasabi, Japanese horseradish. Then, when you are finished, have a sip of hot, green tea and a bite of fresh, pickled ginger. Close your eyes and file the memory away. You are now ready for your second piece.

Now that is how to eat sushi! 

We have already explored how to experience sushi with the senses of sight, smell, and sound. Today, we are going to talk about tactile impressions. That's right, the "feel" of sushi. The fact that sushi has so much varied textures that can be appreciated truly sets it apart from all other foods.

The texture of sushi is something that you will not find anywhere. Try taking a piece of fatty tuna or yellow tail and placing it in your mouth. Slowly close your jaw and let your tongue rest atop the piece. Try not chewing for 30 seconds, so you can really understand the feel. The best tuna and yellow tail feels like silk. Smooth and soft, crisp and cool to the touch.

Now, take a piece of tobiko (roe) wrapped in seaweed. Slowly chew and let your mouth guide you. You can feel the hundreds of small circular balls that make up tobiko. Try both the regular and tiny variety. They will have different tastes and a different feel. As you enjoy the feel of the tobiko, also try and separate the texture of the seaweed. It should be fresh and crunchy and represents a unique contrast to the roe. It's an amazing combination that can only be fully appreciated by those who have cultivated the taste of texture.

Finally, try octopus. The meat is harder and the suction cups on the outside are unlike any other food. While the taste is not too strong, it is the texture that sets this sushi apart.

You can have fun sampling many different varieties of sushi. Keep a notebook handy and jot down your impression of the different textures. You will find that there is always something new to experience in the amazing world of sushi.

We are continuing with our series on the sensory adventure that can be found at a good sushi bar. As we have talked about, Sushi should not be considered mere food any more than wine should be considered a "drink." Both sushi and wine are complicated experiences that can be appreciate by all five senses. If you have grabbed a California Roll on the go and chased it down with a swig of coke, you have not experiences sushi. On the other hand, if you are sitting in a nice, airy sushi bar and watching the chefs make up the pieces and rolls for you, you may be on the right track.

We have already discussed how to use your eyes and your nose to understand sushi. Today, we are going to venture to a topic that is almost never discussed in sushi circles: the sound of sushi. Yes, just as we use our senses of sight, smell, touch, and taste, we can also use our ears to enjoy our sushi.

Sushi is so complicated that one must concentrate to fully appreciate its intricacies. Sitting in a loud restaurant with crying children nearby just won't do. Likewise, many American sushi bars are now trying to be hip by blasting techno pop music at the sushi bar. Great for dancing but terrible for breaking down sushi. No, one needs a quiet oasis to explore the refinements of sushi. While this is difficult in any public setting, the best sushi bars are able to do it.

They use sound absorbing curtains everywhere around the bar. Sushi chefs actually use their hands when making sushi. One of the reasons is that it is much quieter to prepare food with your hands than with a spatula. When you order a piece of sushi, the best chefs will simply nod their heads to show that they heard you. The less talk the better.

Wooden serving trays and chop sticks eliminate the garish sound that china and silverware can make. Although, a true sushi connoisseur does not use chop sticks. The true expert eats with his of her hands. Again, it keeps sound to a minimum and enjoyment to a maximum.

A recent survey showed that Pizza is now considered the most popular meal throughout the United States. It is actually ironic that America's favorite food is actually Italian in origin. One might think that such examples of Americana like turkey, potato salad, or even the formidable hot dog would take their place as the champion of the American stomach. Yet, it is those odd, round pies with cheese that are the top food from Alaska to Florida. Considering their popularity, I thought it would be a good time to talk about what makes the best pizza restaurant. The answer is very simple: Great pizza.

So what makes a great pizza? First, lets start with the foundation. A pizza will only be as good as the dough that is used. Pizza dough should be made fresh daily. It should not be made beforehand and frozen. The dough has to be able to actually absurd the tomato sauce. Dough that has been frozen loses some of its ability to absorb. The dough also must be pounded and rolled so that the surface is completely flat. Any wrinkles will simply create air pockets that will make an inconsistent pizza.

Next, the tomato sauce can make all the difference. It should be spices with oregano and basil so that it has a flavorful edge. yet too much spice will overpower the pizza and yield an unappetizing concoction. remember, a good sauce compliments the cheese, it doesn't fight with it.

Speaking of cheese, make sure your pizza place uses real mozzarella, not a cheddar blend. Pizza cost about 10 cents per slice to make. It is a very high profit item. There really is no need to skimp on the cheese. Cheese should be grated and spread uniformly covering all the tomato sauce. There should be no blank spots and no clumps of cheese.

Finally, the toppings must be both diverse and fresh. There is no need today to store mushrooms in cans for six months. Think fresh and you are thinking good pizza. Be original, almost anything from eggs to anchovies can go on a pizza. A good pizza restaurant is not afraid of experimentation.

It is really quite simple to review restaurants and share your findings. If you can't get to a computer to read my column and figure our where to dine, here are the five most important characteristic to use in evaluating restaurants:

1) What is the atmosphere like? What this means is how you feel when you walk into a restaurant. Is the place clean and attractive. Is the temperature agreeable. Do the lighting fixtures, wall colors, and table and chair designs lend themselves to a comfortable place to sit and eat. Is the volume of noise tolerable. There are thousands of places to eat. If I don't like the atmosphere, I am pretty sure the food will be bad. On the other hand, if the decor is interesting and exciting, I can guess the food will be too.

2) Is the service professional? Even the best restaurants can suffer from poor service. Unfortunately, having poor service can ruin an otherwise enjoyable dining experience. You should wait no more than five minutes between sitting down and speaking with a server. Food should take no more than twenty minutes from the time it is ordered. When you ask for a bill, it must appear within five minutes. These are the rules. Servers should be friendly and attentive, but not overly chatty. My relationship with the server is that I want him or her to speedily bring me the food I request. Unless I am interested in striking up a romance with the server, I really don't care to know what their names are.

3)  Does the food look good? Even before we have taken the first bite, our expectations can be heightened or lowered just by the display. We don't want messy plates. We don't want our peas touching our potatoes. We want the food we ordered looking like it was prepared with special care just for us. If the chef has taken the extra time to carve the salad tomato into a rose, he has probably done a good job cooking the main course first.

4) Does the food taste good? Of course, at the end of the day, this is the most important quality of a restaurant. No matter how good the service, no matter how warm the atmosphere, if the steak tastes like it was from a donkey, I'm afraid I will not be returning. Remember it is always an eater's market. There are always more restaurants to try. The competition in the dining field has always produced places of excellence.

5) Were the process reasonable? I don't expect a brilliant meal at an outstanding French restaurant with a wine to cost $20. Likewise, I don't expect a tomato sandwich to cost $20 either. The cost must be commensurate with the food. Diners gong to very fancy establishments expect to pay more. We don't mind, just make sure that it is worth our while.

Every town has a Jack's cafe, or at least it should. Jack's is the place where the food is not so great, the service is slow, and the prices are slightly higher than they out to be. Yet, for some strange reason, we all love Jack's. It is a place that becomes familiar, where we know what to expect. Chances are we will see old friends every time we come. It is this familiarity that is the attraction.

Many people have a favorite piece of clothing that has seen better days. I remember an old sweater that I kept around well after I should have tossed it. It just felt good to put it on. I was used to the feeling. Jack's is like that. I know I will never walk out of Jack's raving about the hamburger or tuna salad. But then, after all, there is only so much that you can do to either a hamburger or a tuna sandwich. They won't be a meal to remember, but on the other hand, you will fill up and be on your way. Sometimes, that is all you need.

Places like Jack's always list fancy dishes somewhere near the bottom of the menu. Yet if you ask, the server will tell you that they are out of that entree. In truth, they have not served the fancy "specials" for over eight years and want to keep the streak intact. Just order the tuna. Believe me, you, the server, and the short order cook will all be very grateful.

When I was younger, I used to go to Jack's twice a week. It was where we would all meet to discuss the latest news over a tuna on rye. Today, while I miss that carefree age, I can still treasure my memories by sitting on a stool at Jack's and watching the new crowd come in out of the corner of my eye. And of course, I can still get the tuna on rye.

Half the fun of going to the newly refurbished café is just getting there. It is especially fun if you take friends from out of town, especially at night. As you follow the signs, the road and scenery get more interesting. Don't turn back when the pavement stops and you head into the woods. Just when you are beginning to wonder if you are lost, you emerge next to the café on the side of a hill with a spectacular view.

The food choices match the setting in terms of "off-the-beaten-track." Looking over the menu, you will not just find the standard soups, salads, and pastas that so many more timid places settle for.  A great way to start the meal is with the stuffed mushrooms. These fresh mushrooms are filled with scallions and fried walnuts and then drenched with a mixture of cheeses. The texture of the soft, juicy mushrooms, and the crispy walnuts under a blanket of cheese results in a unique and tasty dish.

My favorite dish is probably the most unusual on the menu. It is sweet potato and mushroom gnocchi. Gnocchi is a dish that's hard to get just right, often it ends up with a pasty taste. Sweet potatoes are even harder to work with, but they have created a memorable dish. Surprisingly, the texture is not dense but rather soft and creamy on the inside and crispy on the out. The gnocchi are served under a goat cheese sauce. With many individual gnocchis, this is also a good dish to share.

If you are not a big fan of cheese, try the fish. They offer a grilled tuna steak that has been marinated in soy and ginger and then grilled with fresh vegetables. They also offer  teriyaki salmon. In addition, they usually have a fish special so make sure to ask.  

It is easy to fill up on the entrees, but if you leave without trying desert, you are doing yourself a disservice. Most of the deserts are baked on the premises and served with a colorful presentation. The blinches are unbelievable. Ice cream, chocolate, caramel sauce, coconut, and walnuts turn a sweet pancake into a meal. They also offer a dish made with fried bananas, white wine, sweet crème, roasted almonds, and vanilla ice cream.

While on vacation, eating out is often a big risk. Unlike your local favorite restaurant where you are comfortable that whatever you order will be satisfactory, dining establishments in resort areas can be very inconsistent. Most know that because of their location, a good business is guaranteed, even if the food is less than optimal. So while I enjoy vacations, I always worry about where I am going to eat.

Yet, that being said, I just returned from a vacation where I found a fabulous gem of a restaurant. We had come across it unexpectedly, which made the find that much better. The prices were good, the setting was magnificent, and the food delicious. What could be better.

I should start by warning that if you don't care for fish, you should stop reading. This is a real fish place. I mean, the dining room is located on top of a river. Outside tables are spaced on both sides of a flowing brook with a bridge connecting them. Inside seating is in a wood cabin that is located just a few meters from where the fish are caught.

The special is always trout. That's because the trout are raised on the river and caught fresh whenever someone makes an order. They are served either fried with garlic and butter or baked in a ginger sauce. Loads of great salads accompany the fish and a loaf of puffy Moroccan bread is also served alongside.

Now, the place does have more than fish. They have plenty of pasta dishes and even some pizza selections. But let's be real. You don't go to a restaurant built on top of a river to eat ravioli! I usually don't order fish when I go out because fish is one of the dishes that must be absolutely fresh for its true taste to shine. Here, the fish was so fresh, I watched trout swimming under the bridge that would be caught, filleted, and served with garlic butter within the next hour. Now that's fresh!

To make thing even better, they have a marvelous wine and beer selection that is well suited to the menu. And the staff are very helpful and attentive. Yes, this restaurant actually became a highlight of the whole vacation. So dine out when you are way from home, you never know what you will find.

There is a great place downtown that is one of those rare finds where everyone can find something they like (unless you are a vegetarian that is). The place is great for families, but unlike most family restaurants, you do not have to be a kid to have a great time there.

For starters, after you order they bring out fresh laffa bread, warm from the oven. They then cover the table with all sorts of Mediterranean salads. Some are sweet, others are very spicy, but all are fantastic. There is crushed hot pepper, carrot and garlic salad, and several varieties of eggplant salads. While you are wolfing down these appetizers, the kids will be enjoying unlimited chips. That's right. As soon as they finish the plate, a server will come by and plunk another one down right in front of them. It keeps them happy and out of your way so you can really appreciate both the salads and the meal to come.

The place is primarily a steak place, so I recommend you go for the rib eye or the sirloin. They are grilled right behind the counter. In fact, when you place your order, you can watch it being prepared right before your eyes. As you munch your salads, you watch the red meat sizzle on the grill. The chefs know just when to pull them off to make sure that the meat is cooked to perfection.

If you prefer chicken, there are great marinated chicken kabobs. They come on extremely long metal skewers which hold an abundance of delicious chicken as well as a fine selection of grilled fresh vegetables. What I really like is that the proportions are really good. You don't have to worry about ordering a second entrée (which I am forced to do in certain places) or going away hungry.

Great place and they also have plenty of street parking, especially in the evening. Try it, you won't be sorry.

Eating at the Dragon always bring back fond memories for me. It is a typical Chinese restaurant that makes you anticipate the savory dishes from the moment you walk in the door. Everything from the décor to the smells from the kitchen are designed to whet your appetite and give you the notion that it's going to be a fun meal.

I don't know when the first Chinese restaurant came up with the black and red checkerboard motif, but today it is the mark of fine Chinese food. From the tiles on the floor to the tablecloths, everything matches and let's you know that this is no greasy take-out joint.

Of course you simply must start every Chinese restaurant meal with appetizers. Everyone loves egg rolls and fried wantons, but why not try an order of steamed dumplings? They are made from sweet wanton skins wrapped around succulent meat. In most places the meat is roasted pork, but since the Dragon follows kosher rules, the dumplings are stuffed with ground beef or lamb. A piquant dipping sauce is served on the side with some scallion slices as a garnish.

There are also many soups to try, and they are especially good on cold days. Of course, wanton and egg drop soup are available, but the dragon also makes a fantastic hot and sour soup. The spicy and sour flavor blend in an exceptional way that always leaves your palate wanting more. But don't get too full, the best is yet to come.

For a main course, I recommend the sesame chicken. Boneless breast of chicken is deep friend until golden brown and coated with roasted sesame seeds. The sauce is tangy, yet not cloying like a sweet and sour sauce. Various Chinese vegetables accompany the dish, which is best served over rice.

Another great entrée is the beef with broccoli. Unlike many places that skimp on the meat, there is just as much beef as there is fresh broccoli. Everything is coated in a brown oyster sauce with hints of jasmine.

When they do have it, which is not often, get a tall glass of pomegranate juice to accompany your meal. The juice comes fresh from Israel and is delightful. It complements any of the entrees but goes especially well with chicken.