mad4hops's Profile
dondon izakaya
Your chicken was burnt. My gizzards were undercooked. Sounds like inconsistent grilling to me. Yakitoris need to be expertly grilled and seasoned to perfection. At one place in Tokyo, we did the whole chicken yakitori style. Each skewer came presenting a different part of the bird, each time tasting better than the last. The beer was flowing and we didn't want to leave. That is how Izakayas are to be experienced folks.
dondon izakaya
Yes it's open but I would avoid it until word of mouth reports more consistent good eats. Prices are on par with other izakayas here but I would not pay one cent for food that does not satisfy me at some level.
dondon izakaya
I ate here tonight. Great decor and friendly young staff. Not as loud as Guu but still boisterous. Attentive and helpful service as expected for a new place. Favorite order was the mackerel in miso (although not a fan of all the bones). The Japanese dog was tasty but not as good as Japa dog in Vancouver (also the bun was excessively charred...bread is delicate, watch the heat). The salmon seared over hay was interesting (think sashimi with strong smoke flavor). Most of the skewers I had were disappointing (no special sauces; mostly very bland and flavorless). For example, the skewered quail eggs were boring. Avoid the grilled gizzards which were horrific (I like gizzards but these were flavorless and very difficult to chew...anyone like their gizzards cooked medium?). You go to izakayas for the yakitoris no? I was going to try the desserts but decided to stop the show at this point. Overall, a mediocre first impression foodwise.
I would rank my izakaya experiences to date as follows, starting with best: Tokyo, Vancouver (including Guu), Toronto/Guu (surprisingly not as good as Vancouver version), Toronto/Fin Izakaya, and now DonDon (menu needs a lot of work).
Globe Earth
After hearing all the good reviews, I went to Earth with a craving for steak. I liked the modern decor but the room was very loud with a full house, a mixture of young and old. The service was friendly and knowledgeable. On to the food...the evening started out great with the pig bits starter which did not disappoint. This version came with chorizo (just average); heavenly pork belly; pate which my dining companion loved; and some cole slaw which was a nice touch. For the main, I ordered the 12 oz ribeye with a side of frites. What a great disappointment! It was a nice cut of meat and done to my liking but the kitchen went overboard with the salt. It was served with a small mound of julienned roasted beets (also a nice touch) but even this was overly salted. Sticking to the theme of the evening, the side of frites was another letdown. For $6, I got a small cup of average fries...again too salty. You'd think I would have diluted all that salt with my Blond Ale from Granite Brewery but I couldn't even finish that because it was annoyingly flat. My dining companion ordered the half pheasant which came with greens and cornbread. The result was similar...salty pheasant, dry cornbread but the greens were okay. The server asked if we wanted dessert...we gently declined for fear it would be served...salty (okay we were full by this point but still). I left Earth with elevated blood pressure and an unsatisfied craving.
Need advice on fish sauce!!
Do you know the approximate amount to use relative to fish sauce?
Need advice on fish sauce!!
I'll try Worcestershire as a substitute and report back. At least it is more complex than just salt.
Need advice on fish sauce!!
I find 3 Crabs way too pungent. Thanks for the suggestion!
Need advice on fish sauce!!
I am going through that stage now...I was thinking of getting rid of the Three Crabs bottle but how to dispose of the liquid without causing an environmental hazmat disaster! Sounds like Thai Kitchen brand is a mild introduction to the sauce. I hope they carry that brand in my supermarket.
Need advice on fish sauce!!
I didn't know Amazon now carries fish sauce! I haven't seen this brand before. Do you know where it is made?
Need advice on fish sauce!!
I wish my fumehood was more powerful as that would help out a lot. Or I could get that stuff that Jodie Foster applied under her nose in Silence of the Lambs before she examined one of the bodies. Wonder what that stuff is...
Need advice on fish sauce!!
I would like to try more southeast asian recipes but a lot of them require fish sauce as an ingredient. The problem is I am really turned off by the pungent nature of the sauce when it comes out of the bottle or during cooking. The only one I've tried is a Three Crabs brand (Viet Huong) but the smell was so strong the first time I cooked with it that I haven't used it again. I don't have a total aversion to fish sauce because I enjoy eating Thai and Vietnamese cuisine but cooking with it is a real challenge.
Did I pick a bad brand? Are there milder brands out there that will not sacrifice flavor? By the way, if someone has found a great substitute for this ingredient, I'd love to hear about it as well.
I look forward to all your suggestions!
Pasteurized egg substitute for caesar salad?
My recipe called for romaine pieces instead of whole leaves; equal parts olive oil and extra virgin olive oil (does anyone know why both were used?); pasteurized vs. just regular egg; and anchovies instead of Worcestershire sauce. This is the closest I've gotten to reproducing the "restaurant" style caesar. I will hit the mark next time...
Pasteurized egg substitute for caesar salad?
It is possible I didn't add enough cheese which made the final consistency much more "oily". I was trying to make the nouveau caesar with anchovies. In addition to coddled eggs, I also may have to try mayo as well!
Pasteurized egg substitute for caesar salad?
I ended up using pasteurized liquid egg (white and yolk) that came in a small carton. I agree with c. hamster...not easy to find anywhere. Anyway, the recipe turned out great in terms of flavor but the consistency of the dressing left much to be desired. I blame it on the liquid egg which appeared a bit too runny straight out of the carton. I was expecting the final result to be much more creamy and thick. As such, after tossing the romaine turned out a tad soggy. I will definitely try using coddled egg or even cooked yolks for a thicker dressing next time. I would love to find out what the restaurants use in their caesars!
Pasteurized egg substitute for caesar salad?
I plan to prepare an authentic caesar salad for guests this weekend and the recipe calls for pasteurized eggs (whole or yolk). Any advice on a good substitute for this ingredient? So far, I haven't been able to find pasteurized eggs at any of the big grocery stores. I am curious if anyone has tried using cooked egg yolks for caesar salad dressing and if so, how that turned out. For safety reasons, I would feel better not having to serve raw eggs to guests...
