Tag Archives: japanese

Apr 22 2018

A High Bar – Tamari Bar

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One of my favorite restaurants is Kingyo in Vancouver.  They also have sister restaurants Suika, and most recently, Tamari Bar here in Seattle. It’s not quite the same, but it’s the next best thing when you’re crazing some of those invincible dan dan noodles and rock cooked kobe/waygu. Tamari Bar does have one ace up its sleeve – the Shokado (appetizer bento box).

tamari bar - shokado

shokado – NINE different appetizers; cauliflower pot de crème with white chocolate, pickled kale, poke, mackerel, hamachi, tuna – this box changes all the time, so whatever I have in here, you probably won’t get except for the cauliflower in the upper left and the poke in the middle. There are exactly 12 of these boxes available per night – so get there early if you want to try one! It’s so much fun to go through all of these to see one is your favorite and also see what combination of flavors the chef has come up with. It’s only about 2 bites per person if you’re splitting it, so it’s not overwhelming in portion, and it is a MUST TRY!

tamari bar - waygu beef

waygu beef – cooked on a hot rock; yes, you cook it yourself on a very hot rock so that you can control how done it is. Just make sure you don’t overcook these succulently marbled cut of beef! They’re fatty; they’re flavorful – if you overcook one of these, I’m sorry, but your grilling license is getting revoked. These are barely marinated with a bit of Japanese bbq sauice and sesame and green onions. Enjoy!

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Oct 15 2016

Fusion Done Right – Miyabi’s on 45th

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When it comes to Asian fusion, we have a pretty good choice of restaurants: Dahlia Lounge, Marination Station, Joule, and Stateside to name a few. However, the one I like most for dinner with my family is Miyabi’s. It’s mildly adventurous combinations and recognizable ingredients makes it the perfect place to branch out without hanging too far off the limb. You’ll still have your traditional sobas and sushi’s here, but you’ll also find shaved foie gras.  Foie gras tofu anyone?  Don’t question it too much – just enjoy the creativity and the mingling of flavors.

Miyabi's on 45 - agedashi tofu

agedashi tofu – with saffron and chanterelles, in a broth so good they provide you with a spoon

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May 25 2016

A Guud Time – Guu Garlic (Vancouver, B.C)

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Sometimes you go to a restaurant because it’s your favorite place, and every time you’re in the area, you MUST go there, because it is AMAZING. Now if you have to drive over 180 miles to get there, do you go to the same place twice in a weekend, or do you take your chances on some place new that might become your next new favorite place? Kingyo in Vancouver is definitely a favorite, and The Daring Ronin and I did have to think long and hard about whether or not we wanted to have the invincible dan dan noodles again so soon with the taste still so fresh in our minds (one must savor the memory of the flavor!), but in the end, we opted to try something new: Guu Garlic Izakaya on the north end of Robson, not the original one on Thurlow, but their second shop in the downtown area.

Guu - pork belly in broth

pork belly in broth – with poached egg, daikon, and green onions. There’s nothing more satisfying then a lovingly braised pork belly full of fat and porky flavor mingling with a hint of sweetness, soaking up a pork broth. It’s like my mom’s spare rib broth, but with added sweetness and a glorious egg that added some creaminess to transform just plain broth to something more sophisticated. Add the mustard to cut the richness if you need it, but that’s what the green onions and daikon are for. This was one of my favorite dishes.

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Feb 3 2016

Chef’s Choice – Sushi Kashiba

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Shiro is a legend in Seattle, and Shiro’s is a testament to his talent with its following hardcore nigiri fanatics. I’d say that the thing that stands out the most about Shiro’s is the perfectly made roll of sushi rice. It stays together, has the perfect amount of hardness, and has just enough mirin to make it interesting. So with Shiro’s new restaurant, Sushi Kashiba, it was no surprise to see that the rice was still perfect. And now he gets to choose the cuts of fish and design the omakase menu.

For $95, there’s 11 pieces of nigiri plus two rolls, miso, and tamago. The fish will be whatever is freshest that day, but these are all extremely fresh pieces of fish, with an oh toro and a salmon belly to boot. The fattiness of the tuna and the flavor of the salmon make you realize how flavorful fresh fish can be! The eel was a highlight for our family, the most tender and flavorful they had ever had. I also heard raves about the sweet shrimp, but I do not like sweet shrimp, so I convey their compliments. I do question why there was a spicy tuna roll in the omakase, but maybe it’s a popular request?

sushi Kashiba - omakasi 1

Omakasi 1 – one of these is a oh toro and all that’s matters

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Oct 20 2015

Let’s Go – Kingyo (Vancouver)

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Once upon a time, in a far far away land, the Black Knight and I passed through Vancouver on our journey to Whistler. He had a recommendation from his sushi chef, go to Kingyo he said – it’s the best place in all of Vancouver, maybe because his friend cooks there. Well, if you trust your sushi chef to serve omakase style at the bar, then you also trust his recommendation for city he used to live in.

kingyo - hamachi and avocado carpaccio

hamachi and avocado carpaccio – topped with baby spouts for a bit of bite and freshness, wasabi mayo, and soy ginger dressing; there’s a lot going on here, but surprisingly, you can still taste the Hamachi and savor the creaminess of the avocado

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Aug 18 2015

Sweet Spot – Suika

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When I was in Vancouver, I had an amazing dinner at Kingyo and they said they had a sister restaurant in Seattle, so naturally, I had to give it a try.  It was Nutkin’s birthday – so it was the perfect excuse to try.  It’s not quite as good as the one in Vancouver, but they do get my respects for their take on Japanese Korean fusion.

suika - uni shooter

uni shooter – sea urchin with seaweed, raw quail’s egg, topiko, and rice; similar to the uni shooter at miyabi’s, but with rice, which makes it a little more difficult to shoot, but it’s tasty none the less. Maybe a little too much rice though – it gets stuck at the bottom long after you’ve devoured the uni

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Feb 10 2015

Slurping Sumptuousness – Santouka

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On a chilly night, nothing is more comforting than a bowl of noodles in broth. And while udon, beef noodle soup, and pho are all on that list, there’s something special about the art of ramen. It’s fast food in Japan, but it’s an art form that requires a flavorful rich both and springy noodles. The Black Knight and I went on a Saturday evening at 5pm, waited 15 minutes for a table of two, but it’s packed!  This is supposed to be the best place in Seattle for ramen.

santouka - garlic ramen

garlic ramen – a flavorful broth without being too heavy, firm noodles, and a thin slice of cha shou make this an excellent ramen.

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Aug 26 2014

Rich Broth, Rich Taste – Kukai Ramen

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It was Sunday at 1:45pm and my friends and I had our monthly get-together.  The line was out the door with a 20 minute wait for a party of 3.  What madness was this???  For ramen on a Sunday afternoon?  I wanted to introduce my roommate to ramen – and not of the prepackaged cup variety that many of  us were familiar with in college – but the real, rich broth and hearty noodles with meat that melts in your mouth.  Kukai is all of those things, plus the par boiled egg, with its runny yolk that completes the meal.

Kukai - garlic tonkatsu ramen

garlic tonkatsu ramen – it’s rich without being oily, punctuated by crunchy bamboo shoots and crisp bean sprouts; the noodles are al dente and firm to the chew – very different from what you may expect from packaged ramen; the kicker is the par boiled egg

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Feb 16 2014

Over 100 Years – Maneki

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My family isn’t exactly traditional, as my parents immigrated to the US in the 70s, we still celebrate Chinese New Year. This year, it was just my mom, my cousin, and me celebrating a Chinese holiday at a Japanese restaurant, which I find somewhat ironic as relationships between the two countries have always been tense.  However, this wasn’t just any Japanese restaurant – no, this restaurant has been in Seattle since 1904.  So they’re definitely doing something right at Maneki.I brought my camera this time, so prepare to wipe some drool off your keyboards.

monk fish liver sashimi

If you’ve never had raw fish liver – monk fish is the one to try. Creamy and delicate, no hint of iron or fishiness.

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Feb 3 2014

Chef Knows Best – Billy Beach Sushi

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The Black Night goes to Billy Beach sushi almost every week with his favorite sushi chef, Hutch who was at Otodo and the Japonessa.  This was my first time at Billy Beach, although I have hazy memories of sashimi and a gigantic chocolate calazone from Otodo back in the day.  Hutch knows exactly what he’s doing and all of the sashimi is extremely fresh.

Basics: salmon (fatty), yellowtail (has that firmness on the ititial bite before melting), mackeral (perfect amount of brininess with pickled kelp and ginger on top to balance things out), kampachi (he got out a whole new fish for us!), crab salad.  Just the way they were meant to be. Continue reading »