ASK SUSHI MAN 3

Yeah especially true on kohada. It is definitely a taste tester for the traditional hardcore, especially to Jiro Ono. So thanks to Jiro Dreams Of Sushi, he's now in the international spotlight. But what the movie doesn't tell you is that Jiro wrote several books, including as a coauthor of a book called 江戸前の流儀. In it, he describes the process of prepping kohada, that takes the most time to do out of many fish. Cleaning, deboning, slicing, the salt marination/rub, washing/rinsing, the vinegar soak, of which the time / proportions of the steps depends on the fat content of the fish (that changes with the season). To be able to execute each step exacting to come out with an end result that is not fishy tasting all the way up to the fish skin, is not an easy thing to do. The same thing in a way can be said for saba, but perhaps the receipe can vary a bit more to get a similar result that leaves more room for error or experimentation.

The ultimate mastery is if a chef can take regular non super high end ingredients and use a good process to come out with an excellent product that's comparable to high end restaurants that rely on high end ingredients, but not have a good process to maximize their flavor. You can say Jiro Ono does that very well.

K K in General Chowhounding Topics

Razor clams and seafood in HK

There's a fishing village (and fish farms) at Po Toi O 布袋澳 in Clearwater Bay, Sai Kung. Seafood Island 海鮮島海鮮酒家 is probably the most famous one in the area, specializing in squid dishes (including squid sashimi), and some reports online show they had razor clams before. Some locals prefer 發記 (Fat Kee) nearby which does not take reservations. Probably less tourist friendly? I wonder how's Lau Fau Shan these days for seafood.

Is there a Chinese website that lists all the known catches off the South China Seas and HK fish and seafood by name, nomenclature, and when they are in season?

K K in China & Southeast Asia

ASK SUSHI MAN 3

There are likely more than 4 depending on the classification of the fish, but that was what I saw recently in a library book of Japanese fish that I no longer have in my possession.

The common horse mackeral from Japan, is called ma-aji 真鰺 with a Latin name of Trachurus japonicus, sometimes called jack-mackeral.

There is a variety called Trachurus trachurus (Linnaeus) that comes from the Atlantic, called Nisim Aji.

There's also a kind called Maru Aji http://www.zukan-bouz.com/aji/muroaji/maruaji.html

Aka Aji (with a red hue) - http://www.zukan-bouz.com/aji/muroaji/akaaji.html

Moro - http://www.zukan-bouz.com/aji/muroaji/moro.html

Muro Aji - http://www.zukan-bouz.com/aji/muroaji/moro.html

And of course Seki Aji that comes from a very specific region in Japan that is pricey and delicious (and very rare), but not sure how that is classified in the marine biology department in Japan.

If the chopped daikon you see is orange, it's likely momiji oroshi
http://www.sushiencyclopedia.com/sushi_condiments/momiji_oroshi.html

Does the lobed leaf you saw resemble Shiso? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiso

K K in General Chowhounding Topics

ASK SUSHI MAN 3

I prefer scallops from Hokkaido, but that's just me (it is also a premium ingredient for Chinese conpoy/dried scallops). Masa in NY used or supposedly buys scallops from a private diver who gets them somewhere off the East Coast.

I've been to sushi bars where sardines and squid (as raw ika) from Monterey California are used, and another local place uses Oregon sardines that can taste quite good when in season. The sardines spoil quickly so they would have to be real fresh to eat raw, otherwise salt grilling it with innards intact is the way to go.

"Tai" is actually sea bream. Snapper is a different kind of fish and can have a bit of a waxy taste. Chefs cover the whole fish or blocks of it (after de-scaling) with a kitchen paper towel and boiling water is poured over it, then the flesh+skin is submerged in ice to arrest the "cooking" or "scalding" process. The reason is two fold...first to create a little separation between flesh and skin, and to make the skin softer to eat. The 2nd purpose is to make the flesh more firm (and thus make it last longer...although the best way to do that is to wrap the fish in kelp that imparts a fantastic flavor to it...you can even wrap scallops and albacore in kelp, and even saba/mackeral or kohada/gizzard shad).

No idea about spanish mackeral vs horse mackeral....aji has always been horse mackeral, but often times improperly translated. Hard to beat Japanese aji though (and even so there are at least 4 varieties of that...)

K K in General Chowhounding Topics

ASK SUSHI MAN 3

Not "fish" but here are some great American seafood fit for sashimi: Geoduck (Pacific Northwest), spot prawns (Santa Barbara, Pacific NW), sea urchin (Southern California/Santa Barbara/San Diego, Pacific NW/Alaskan maybe, Boston, Maine). Sea urchin you can get Santa Barbara ones mail order from catalinaop.com (they also sell sushi grade fish, but quality and batch may vary), oysters (usually served on the shell with ponzu, but it's fun to eat it as sushi sometimes), aoyagi (apparently there are varieties from the East Coast), abalone (California coast, Mendocino being a good variety)...to name a few.

As far as fish, you could use American halibut for sashimi, there's an East Coast variety that's not bad (passable compared to Korean hirame from Jeju Island) but I don't know the exact species.

There are kanpachi farms off Hawaii (Kona kanpachi) that was the rage for sourcing some years back.

Some Asian buffets that serve sashimi might use cobia, tilapia, escolar/snake mackeral but I try to avoid eating those if I can...though I'm not sure if those fish are from Vietnam or off our shores.

K K in General Chowhounding Topics

"Why Pork Chop Over Rice Isn’t Classically Taiwanese"

"why aren't they on cable, have their own shows, lauded in books, magazines, etc., like their counterparts in Japan, America and Europe? Are their culinary talents somewhat taken for granted?"

The food media and industry is much larger (and competitive) over there....e.g. Hong Kong board of Tourism has a vested interest in marketing HK's culinary scene to tourists as a strong selling point across Japan, Taiwan, SE Asia, China. Thus it is also a cultural thing for business people (and executive chefs) to be very cut throat in wanting maximum exposure and profits.... those who rise to celebrity chef status get to publish books, write articles, host TV shows (including some cases where exec chefs who are also high up on the corporate ladder of their business, can travel to exotic locations, including Japan, to purchase raw materials and is documented for TV viewers...mostly in the name of more publicity).

Most Chinese/Taiwanese (even Cantonese seafood) restaurants in the USA are not owned by the chef de cuisines/executive chefs themselves, but rather hired locally or from abroad, who aren't making all the key decisions about the menus or direction, unless they open their own restaurants.

Also, the average Chinese food "foodie" blogger type here simply does not go overboard the way their overseas counterparts do in terms of research, history, knowledge of the dish/product, or dedication/promotion of traditional dishes that are fading away (an especially strong movement in Hong Kong food culture, whereas in Taiwan or Tainan, 100 year old receipes are still being preserved and carried on). Part of it is language barrier (for the Americanized and those who don't read/speak/write), the other part is cultural (especially for the Asian Americans detached 1 generation who did not grow up overseas and do not achieve the understanding regardless of multiple visits). Last but not least is the access to knowledge and history...a lot of food culture and history in the English media is just extremely limited. To really get to know it properly, one has to go into Chinese media, or even dive into the archives of a library in said country. All this information is out there scattered to some extent if you search online, and even youtube clips if you are lucky.

In terms of the Taiwanese media (in TW and also TW media operating in SGV/SoCal area) chefs/restaurants/dishes being promoted on the telly or newsprint is either done in the name of advertising (ie a cost involvement by the restaurant) or a journalistic discovery of something newsworthy (e.g. if a restaurant does some publicity stunt or mayor of Taichung visits his favorite SGV noodle shop). In some cases it could be like a political game thing of establishing mutually beneficial relationships.

K K in Los Angeles Area

"Why Pork Chop Over Rice Isn’t Classically Taiwanese"

"But who's really covering those dishes that are lesser known and slowly fading? "

Can you give examples of dishes that were once offered in SGV Taiwanese restaurants but are no longer or slowly fading? And what are they being replaced with?

K K in Los Angeles Area

Sushi In OC: Found! Kasen.

Just goes to show that good sushi doesn't have to be Michelin star'd places that many Japanophiles and numerous Taiwanese expat bloggers like to flock to for bragging rights.

I only used Howard's restaurant as a comparison, since he also did some osechi and offered us some years ago (and also did kelp wrapped hirame, sadly only once or twice). A SF Bay Area Japanese blogger compared Kasen (in a 2007 post) to Anzu (SF) in its heyday with Kaz Takahashi at the helm, I'm guessing fish quality since the hiragana to Eng translation was wack. Since you've been to Anzu SF's bar before Kaz-san left, is the fish quality comparable?

K K in Los Angeles Area

Sushi In OC: Found! Kasen.

Man I am drooling reading about this place. Sounds like Kitsho (Cupertino) in its prime days minus the toro and overly warm rice. Does he use Atlantic/Boston bluefin? What varieties of the seasonal silvery shiny fish does Kasen stock and how is their kohada?

Looking at the pic from Kevineats http://www.yi-ren.net/pics/2007/070330-Kasen/DSCF3716l.jpg

They have oshi-sushi (anago or...not sure what the other one is but either a white fish or silvery fish) and battera sushi too! Nice.

Also their boxed futomaki is very nicely presented

http://ameblo.jp/maritime-1125/entry-10925971720.html (bottom of page)

And looking at their Facebook page, these guys do some (at least visually for now) seriously impressive looking ekibentos and osechi ryori...

https://www.facebook.com/pages/%E5%98%89%E5%8D%83/121073267998279#!/photo.php?fbid=146808022091470&set=a.123415824430690.19104.121073267998279&type=1&theater

I bet once you're "in there" you might even get a sample of their osechi as part of dinner, around December timeframe.

I have an excuse to come here next time a trip to Disneyland comes around :-)

K K in Los Angeles Area

"Why Pork Chop Over Rice Isn’t Classically Taiwanese"

It is worth noting that the earliest known pork chop rice in TW came about during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan 台灣日治時期 (the period is 1895 - 1945 but exact year of introduction is unknown), as a result of introducing Japanese ekibento 駅弁（えきべん) which evolved to be known as 鐵路便當 (aka to go meals to be eaten on trains), which is the origin of these meat over rice dishes that are prevalent in restaurants. For ekiben, these started off as onigiri / rice balls. For railway bento (TW version), the initial offerings were all pork chops and were marinated/cooked a specific way and served with marinated egg and 蘿蔔乾 (pickled daikon, the Japanese version of that would be takuan). The places that sold the railway bentos used to serve them in tin bowls (hence the Class 302 "retro" feel done on purpose, something that the new generation of Taiwanese Americans and even current crop of TW folks might get entirely lost on) but eventually evolved to using cardboard boxes. The train stations that started selling railway bentos were Songshan, Taipei, Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Hualien, but now a major tourist attraction is the Alishan railroad in Central/Southern TW, where the railway bentos at one particular trainstop is one of the most famous in the country for keeping the old flavors alive.

There are many classic Taiwanese food and dishes, many brought over by immigrants from China who brought along their receipes and either created or recreated their own takes and thus given a new identity (and lease on life). And then there are dishes that are uniquely TW in nature, not to be found in China in any form. I would say Coffin Bread is, but oyster omlette isn't classically TW...since there are variants of this dish in Chiu Chow/Teochew cuisine, but not made with yam starch and certainly not seasonal greens...or the deep fried version that is more like a doughy cake (Er Dey) that contains nothing but clams, flour, basil and no eggs.

As far as beef noodle soup, people can debate whether the red stewed spicy version was brought over by retired military by way of Sichuan who paired the spicy with beef and noodles and broth, or if the clear broth rendition has been around longer by virtue of beef specialist restaurants catering to beef lovers and Islamic Chinese subset of the population (there is a 100+ year old beef specialist restaurant in Taipei that lays clam to be the oldest beef noodle shop, but who knows when the shop actually paired beef with clear broth with noodles).

K K in Los Angeles Area

he likes ___. where do i take him for sushi in SF?

Since you like Koo, Kazu Sushi just further down the street is your next best bet. They have menus and offerings that will appeal to both traditional sushi fans and those who prefer modern/fusion/fancy rolls (which look quite appealing even though I usually don't order those). The white board fish selection at Kazu can be quite good at times...had adult kohada (konoshiro) there last September, really good.

K K in San Francisco Bay Area

Why aren't eggs more prevalent in traditional Chinese/Taiwanese breakfasts?

Bingo. And back in the day, meat was considered expensive, particularly lean cuts of beef or pork. Parts, including cuts with lots of fat, were throwaway items, high calorie content (and of course filling) but not highly desirable. Not easy to cook and not everyone liked to bite down on animal fat...and thus sweet and sour pork was born out of creative necessity to make cheap fatty pork more palatable, which evolved to a goopy American Chinese oversauced rendition that some snobs now think is inauthentic Chinese and in traditional Cantonese cooking evolved to using pork shoulder cuts (more lean and tastier)..

With that said, some traditional Cantonese blue collar breakfasts included familiar dim sum items steamed in tin pots over rice, like pork spareribs and sometimes pork spareribs with chicken feet. Or preserved sausage over rice. There's a misconception that congee represents all of Chinese/Cantonese breakfast, which is simply not true...

K K in General Chowhounding Topics

Causeway Bay gems?

OK that explains why Ho Hung Kee is charging $130 for a bowl of won ton noodles! Yes that's what I was told by family who just came back from HK who ate there (and then I told them it's a tourist destination for people from USA, Japan, Taiwan, SE Asia, China etc... sigh if only they went to Mak An Kee instead)

K K in China & Southeast Asia

Causeway Bay gems?

Blogosphere seems more in love with places like Linguini Fini (Central) than a fusion upscale noodle joint.

K K in China & Southeast Asia

Causeway Bay gems?

There seems to be a large number of ramen shops popping up in Causeway Bay area, including the CWB branch of Central's Butao, David Ramen, Ippudo (the only US location so far is in New York) and Tamashii Japanese Noodle that looks quite legit in decor and possibly the best of the lot (small tight cramped counter seating and limited # of bowls served per day so go early).

Fiat Caffè (also in CWB) looks interesting.

K K in China & Southeast Asia

Preservatives and additives in Chinese prepared foods

You have a few options

- Buy American brands that make Asian sauces/pickles from a trusted source/brand.

- Find a friend going to Hong Kong (or China) and look specifically for some local brands and small businesses that do not export, but are known to make things traditionally without adding additives, and either have them bring it back or mail to you.

- FInd a reliable local Chinese restaurant (if you live in a metropolitan area that has some good traditional restaurants) that makes their own sauces (chili, fermented bean paste etc) and/or pickles in house and ask to buy some to go.

K K in General Chowhounding Topics

Hong Kong - Best Beef Flat Noodle/Gan Chao Niu He?

Yeah I never liked the smoked pomfret, or the roasted pork leg (too dry), or the soy sauce onion pork chop even 10 years ago...but I was a bit of a sucker for the souffle, and ox tongue macaroni as a child.

There are cheaper "soy sauce fusion" restaurants that are a bit more downscale, like Boston in Wanchai (sizzling platter steaks), or Goldfinch (where 2046 movie was filmed) where they are known for signature borscht soup and a few other similar things. Those old places like Ruby restaurant, or the long gone "Yung Kee" (no relation to roast goose) around Sheung Wan/Central borderline that had excellent peanut nougat candy, that made spectacular cream of X or borscht soup (with a tasty dinner roll with butter) are but distant memories now.

TPK exists in a category all by itself... a place that doesn't care or need to innovate, and nostalgic fans and international visitors keep the place alive. Where else can you find old retirees wearing burgundy tuxedos serving you, and waiting for you to take out payment in front of you after putting the check down?

K K in China & Southeast Asia

Hong Kong - Best Beef Flat Noodle/Gan Chao Niu He?

Tai Ping Koon has never been cheap historically and even more so that now they appeal to international visitors (including Japanese and Taiwanese tourists). In a strange parallel, TPK can be considered the HK version of yoshoku (aka Guangzhou style western food), but more upscale (at that time) and has somewhat stayed stuck in time. Many people confuse TPK's approach with typical HK style cha chaan tengs as HK style western.

K K in China & Southeast Asia

Hong Kong: Foodie gift recommendations?

Yes..that's the one Yu Gwan Yik. The chilli sauce in HK to end all chilli sauces. You are absolutely right that it's crackalicious that a bottle goes empty very quickly.

Also anything veggie or fish based, preserved/pickled/dried, should be ok. Just no meat produts (e.g. jerky), but more power to those who can sneak in sausages from Ser Wong Fun for example. There are one or two places in HK that make classic style fermented bean curd / sauce (fu yu), which cannot be easily found in the US.

K K in China & Southeast Asia

Hong Kong: Foodie gift recommendations?

Last year a friend bought something similar to rectangular layered flakey crispy egg roll (sweet snack) from a 30 to 50 year old shop near Lei Yu Mun (Kowloon side), delicious.

If it were me I'd get:

- soy sauce (maybe Pat Chun or something else)

- Yu Yik (?) chili sauce, only one shop has it I think and supposed to be really good

- shrimp paste...might have to trek to Tai O fishing village to get it

- XO chili sauce (maybe a jar or two, easily available from the likes of Lei Gardens, one in IFC)

- whatever that can be brought past customs that's available locally (Tai O or Lau Fau Shan)

K K in China & Southeast Asia

Hong Kong - Best Beef Flat Noodle/Gan Chao Niu He?

Ball Kee is a bit more stripped down, no yellow chives from the openrice pictures. Sounds like Tasty is a good way to go, but if you can try Ball Kee for us and report back/compare, that would be great. Or walk around Central's dai pai dongs and see what's there.

Does Tsui Wah do this dish good at all Charles?

Also, family was saying that 富來粥麵小廚 (Fu Loy) in Happy Valley makes the best sweet sour pork in town (surprised the vote wasn't Luk Yu or Tak Lung). If that dish is as good as they claim it to be, then maybe the dried fried beef chow fun is ok there too.

K K in China & Southeast Asia

Hong Kong - Best Beef Flat Noodle/Gan Chao Niu He?

Ho Hung Kee in Causeway Bay comes highly recommended by tour guide books and visitors from abroad for their dried fried beef chow fun, although Tasty might execute this dish at a higher level. Tai Ping Koon's rendition is a bit of a fusion, as they use the sweet marinade used for their signature "Swiss chicken wings" for stir frying beef chow fun which gives it a different edge.

For something even more pedestrian, try Ball Kee dai pai dong in Central 波記(大排檔). They are open only during lunch hours, and you get value along with best wok hay (and definition of what wok hay really means) and street food atmosphere (vs paying even more for a restaurant's real estate and service).

K K in China & Southeast Asia

TW Village Bistro, Now Open in San Mateo

If anyone makes it back, their oxtail noodle is quite excellent. It's served brothless, but there's enough gravy for the noodles to soak up (you can choose wide or thin noodle).

K K in San Francisco Bay Area

Vegetarian in Taipei or places that don't use meat stocks

Found some vegetarian restaurants online, but you probably want to ask around or do more research before going.

Antrodia Themed Restaurant
http://en0225233808.tranews.com/

Kuan Shih Yin Buddhist Vegetarian
http://www.ksy.com.tw/
http://0225963488.tw.tranews.com/

功德林 (Shanghainese vegetarian, they have vegetarian soup dumplings)
http://0282191988.tw.tranews.com/

There are many seafood themed restaurants around Taipei (where you can clearly see live fish tanks, fish on ice on display) that will also fit the bill nicely. For those places, you ask the price, point to what you like, and tell them how you like them prepared...some options include sashimi.
Here's an example of one at Ningxia Road Night Market: http://0225501259.tw.tranews.com/.
These types of places will offer a variety of stir fry, and you can specify no meat or ask for recommendations (and/or check the menu and ask to make sure no meat).

K K in China & Southeast Asia

Strange Doings As Han Replaces Ay Chung Rice Flour in San Gabriel Square

The original Ay-Chung Taipei's website: http://www.ay-chung.com/

What's interesting is that the US locations were never listed (unlike Din Tai Fung) on the website and unlike the Taipei locations, they ended up in a fast food restaurant model offering a jack of all trades menu rather than focusing on one and only one signature item. You probably remember the Northern California (Milpitas & Richmond) and Texas branches that shuttered. I was wondering when the SGV and Las Vegas locations would be next.

One can only guess what happened behind the scenes that let to their closures, and whether there were disputes with the US branch owners and the Ay Chung Taipei folks (with regards to rights and royalties). I'm assuming Han is not using Ay Chung branded bowls and maybe not offering the exact same signature killer chili sauce.

K K in Los Angeles Area

Bao like you'd find with Peking Duck

When I last visited Yi Mei Deli in Rowland Heights, I'm almost certain I saw gua bao, and I recall seeing Four Seas have it too. They should at least sell the bun, if you ask nicely or ask ahead of time for a batch of them (e.g. Huge Tree, Yi Mei and all the other TW breakfast type joints in SGV).

Last option would be Chinese/Taiwanese supermarkets....I vaguely recall seeing bags of these frozen gua bao style buns, made by a company based in SoCal somewhere (SGV/El Monte?). Not surprised if it were Wei Chuan, Yi Mei (no relation)...

K K in Los Angeles Area

Quick lunch in San Mateo near the fairgrounds?

Up the street from Little Shanghai is Spicy Empire (Sichuanese) which I was surprised to read from a LA Chowhound that it was better than what he had in San Gabriel Valley, that will give you another option.

Not too far from there is Silver House (Cantonese). They are very quick and efficient, provided you can score a table. Across the street is Silver Lake, which is a bit cheaper and better value, but to me a little less refined (style is typical of many Cantonese restaurants along Taraval in San Francisco). Next door is Yummy World, which may have easier on the wallet lunch options. A little bit further away but within reasonable driving distance is Cooking Papa (Foster City) which has more variety in quality (Cantonese), TW Village Bistro (Taiwanese style), Myung Dong Tofu Cabin (Korean). Before that there's a Whole Foods if you want something even quicker.

K K in San Francisco Bay Area

Best tea for Dim Sum?

We did sau mei + chrysanthemum blend 菊壽 back in the heyday in HK, which tastes excellent.

K K in General Chowhounding Topics

ASK SUSHI MAN 3

The funniest supposed aftermath of Ricky Cheng's bluefin over spending on the auction, apparently resulted in employees of Itamae Sushi not getting paid for a month, according to a youtube newsclip a year back. I'm sure he doesn't give a flying fish about this....he's also pretty high up in the conglomerate of his other sushi chain business (alongside Itamae Sushi) and apparently is also in charge of Ajisen Ramen branches in HK.

Also local environmentalists were protesting outside of one of his restaurants following the news of him purchasing the overpriced bluefin, while holding Facebook style dislike thumbs down signs. Too bad those guys weren't seen protesting seafood restaurants for serving shark fin. Around the same time, customers were seen complaining about the rising prices of Itamae Sushi's nigiri and the shrinking thickness of their neta (hilarious)...followed by customers accusing Itamae of lying about importing fish from Tsukiji daily when they found out from Ricky's slip of the tongue that their popular salmon sushi is sourced to farmed salmon from Norway (following Fukushima last year).

It just boggles the mind that so much money is spent on a delicious scarce commodity, just to get PR for a crappy "sushi" restaurant chain...it looks like some are even kaitensushi (all in the name of business) rather than properly treating the ingredients with respect and maximizing that experience for the customer. I really doubt that even with Ricky's supposed training in Japan in sushi (and ramen, strangely according to the wiki bio), that he even learned anything about aging and storing tuna.

K K in General Chowhounding Topics