A few Chowhounds have complained about the lack of sushi in Chef Shunji's omakase, so PeterCC quizzed him on a recent visit. Shunji explained that his omakase is intended to be a selection of cooked dishes—there was some sushi in the restaurant's opening weeks, but that was a grand-opening promo.
Part of what made Shunji give up sushi in the omakase was the way some patrons seemed to expect (and demand) expensive items for sushi courses: They were just getting too costly for the restaurant. Plus, it's hard for a non-sushi specialist to incorporate small amounts of expensive sushi-grade fish, since sushi is such an economy of scale, explains J.L. The fish markets only sell things like fatty tuna belly in quite large chunks, so it's hard for someone like Shunji to recoup this investment.
Shunji's omakase is now 10 to 12 courses of cooked dishes, some with sashimi elements. And anyway, "Shunji's forte are his non-sushi dishes, in my opinion," says J.L. "That's his niche."
As for the omakase itself, it's all about clean flavors, especially in the vegetables, notes jysh. Except for the potato-cheese balls, it's pretty much pure Japanese cooking.
Shunji's [Hollywood]
7015 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles
323-933-6500
Discuss: Shunji is quite the genious, a great chef/cook
First Review: SHUNJI'S (with photos)
Photograph of maguro sashimi with avocado by J.L.
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on Friday, May 18th, 2012
Is a deep understanding of wine something anyone can learn? How about pairing wine with food? "I know what sommeliers will tell you (what they are trained to tell you): drink what you like!" says mp413. "But I also know that sometimes a wine just doesn't work with some food, while another wine will work perfectly, and I don't just want someone to tell me what to order, I want to know what to order." READ MORE
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on Friday, May 18th, 2012
Gene's Chinese Flatbread Café continues to serve great, spicy Western Chinese food. Here's a photo of tammyh's favorite dish from a recent meal: the biáng biáng hand-pulled noodles, also described here. Check out the full thread for more photos.
Gene's Chinese Flatbread Café [Merrimack Valley]
257 Littleton Road, Chelmsford
978-256-6789
Discuss: Chowdown at Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe
Photograph by tammyh
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on Friday, May 18th, 2012
In west Georgia, there is "no other way to eat fig jam except on a hot buttered biscuit," says jmcarthur8. Elsewhere, Chowhounds incorporate fig jam into a variety of dishes, both savory and sweet.
It's especially popular paired with soft cheeses. laliz cuts the rind from the top of a wheel of Brie, spreads the cheese with fig jam, sprinkles on sliced almonds, and bakes. jeanmarieok bakes fig jam and blue cheese in puff pastry, and spazita pairs it with goat cheese in mini phyllo cups. Another idea: CHOW's Fig Jam and Goat Cheese Crostini (pictured). READ MORE
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on Thursday, May 17th, 2012
If you find yourself struggling to use up bunches of fresh basil and cilantro before the tender leaves spoil, extend their life by incorporating them into sauces and condiments.
To preserve basil, blend a cup of packed leaves with a cup of mayonnaise plus garlic, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. The resulting basil mayo is wonderful on sandwiches or in potato salad, observes chez cherie, who says it will last five days in the fridge. Packing basil in sea or kosher salt is another option. "It will look ugly, but the flavor will be there if you need it in cooked dishes," algct says.
A handful of cilantro blended with Greek yogurt and a jalapeño is "great on tacos or any Mexican dish - cool and spicy," says jmcarthur8. Make an Indian-inspired cilantro-mint chutney for dipping samosas into, or a Canary Islands–style cilantro sauce to serve with potatoes. Both keep well in the fridge.
Discuss: Ideas for leftover fresh basil?
Favorite ways to use up a giant bunch of cilantro?
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on Thursday, May 17th, 2012
Kiriko is serving some excellent sushi omakase, says PeterCC. Surprisingly, the sushi sits on warm rice. A serving of chutoro "didn't so much melt in my mouth, as it just instantly incorporated itself into the rice," he says. "The combination of the warmth and tang of the rice with the coolness and, uh, toro-ness of the chutoro, was sublime." Tai nigiri, which has a refreshing lemon salt topping, is just as amazing.
"I have to say Tomo-san did a fantastic job," PeterCC says, referring to Kiriko's sushi chef. Even while Tomo-san was cranking out platter after platter for the lunch rush, "he somehow simultaneously made me feel like I had his attention the whole time, carefully preparing my individual pieces."
Kiriko [Westside-Inland]
11301 West Olympic Boulevard #102, Los Angeles
310-478-7769
Discuss: Kiriko's $40 Lunch Sushi Omakase (Review and Pics)
Photograph of aji and bonito nigiri by PeterCC
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on Thursday, May 17th, 2012
Onions keep best when stored in cool, dark places—sparrowgrass thinks the fridge works just fine. "Don't store potatoes and onions in the same place," sparrowgrass warns. "One causes the other to sprout and spoil."
Sweet onions (including Vidalias) that haven't been cured for dry storage can be individually wrapped in paper towels and stacked in the crisper, says Karl S—they keep for months that way.
Discuss: Storing onions and garlic
Sweet onion image from Shutterstock
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on Thursday, May 17th, 2012
At Koreatown's Gahm Mi Oak, the signature dish is sul long tang, the milky, long-cooked ox-bone soup. But the kitchen also does well by the mung-bean pancakes called bin dae duk. Miss Needle says they're pan-fried to order and come out crisper and heartier than others around town. Gahm Mi Oak's bibimbap, aromatic with sesame oil, is another winner.
Gahm Mi Oak [Koreatown]
43 W. 32nd Street (between Broadway and Fifth Avenue), Manhattan
212-695-4113
Discuss: Best of Koreatown??
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on Thursday, May 17th, 2012
What do you do when your tub of yogurt separates into watery liquid (whey) and thicker yogurt? Do you mix it back together or drain off the liquid?
Draining results in a thicker, creamier yogurt. "Greek yogurt is just regular yogurt with the whey strained out," says Kajikit. "My grandfather made yogurt and yogurt cheese and farmer's cheese letting each one drip through a cloth and then throwing away the water," says rccola. "When it gets dense enough, use it as a spread on toast or fruit, especially bananas with nutmeg."
But the whey contains nutrients that some hounds are reluctant to waste. "Yogurt whey is a combination of sugars, proteins and minerals, particularly calcium," says JungMann. "The more whey you drain from the yogurt, the more sugar and calcium you drain, however you do end up with a more protein-dense final product."
If you like the richer texture of strained yogurt but don't want to lose the whey, drain it off and save it for another use. ipsedixit likes whey for cooking oatmeal or baking bread. It lasts a long time, too, says JungMann—a month or more in the refrigerator—and it freezes well. No reason not to keep it for some future use.
Discuss: When yogurt separates - mix it in or drain it?
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on Wednesday, May 16th, 2012
Hakka rice snacks, also known as sticky rice dumplings, are "greenish, glutinous objects" made from soft dough and any number of fillings. DaveCook recently tried two from a Chinatown bakery: One was full of sweet, sticky rice while the other contained a crunchy, slawlike filling. "The outside is flavored with mugwort and sweetened," says calf of the latter. "The savory filling includes shredded dried radish, mushrooms, pork, maybe also onion, dried shrimp. In other words, maximum umami."
Discuss: Name that filling!
Photograph by DaveCook
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on Wednesday, May 16th, 2012
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