Rice

I never realized how much I loved rice till I started dating my boyfriend. We see each other nearly every day and always at meal times. (Or maybe we're just always hungry.) If we see each other for seven straight days, I request sushi six times. Fresh raw fish is delightful, no question. But I most crave the sweet, salty, acidic, vinegar-dressed sticky rice that, pressed together into a soft white pillow, still retains every individual grain's character of slightly chewy texture. The rice sticks together but each grain stands separate and strong on its own like a marching army on the thin red line of seaweed, tuna, avocado, cucumber or whatever your sushi tongue desires.

Sometimes, fish is a mere accompaniment—not the other way around. I'm often satisfied with my sushi combo order, yet I find myself staring longingly at my boyfriend's bowl of rice, dotted with sesame seeds. I'm internally appalled at its abandonment for beef teriyaki instead. Historically regarded as poor person's food, rice is often neglected for its mistaken blandness or feared for its needless carb counts. But great sushi rice is rich man's food. Expert sushi chefs spend five years learning how to cook perfect rice and blend it with their master's tried-and-true balanced vinegar mixture to moisten, sweeten and elevate the individual grains to thousands of tiny edible gems. The gems glisten and beckon me to consume every last morsel—though it's not technically mine to consume.

"Can I have your rice?" I ask, though my plate is cleaned and the boyfriend, twice my petite size, could easily eat more.

"Yeah, sure. Go ahead," he replies sincerely.

I greedily gobble and stab my chopsticks at every last piece. Sometimes this rice isn't the same as what they use for nigiri and maki but I must have it anyway. Because leaving one grain of rice behind is an insult to poor and rich alike that I just can't tolerate.

"We're fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance."

 -Japanese proverb

NY Labour Day Weekend Saga: Kyotofu

Friday Lunch: Kyotofu (705 9th Avenue, www.kyotofu-nyc.com)
We came here as part of Steph's personal cupcake tour (which will be the final New York post). In 2007, New York Magazine rated its cupcake as the best in the city, but I also thought it'd be nice to have lunch because the prices seemed reasonable and the menu pretty interesting -- kind of Japanese-French lite.

Like at Chelsea Market, I was surprised to find the place nearly empty, as its small to begin with. The server was über-sweet and accommodating, but I guess that's expected when you're one of two occupied tables. In any case, I was just glad to be seated and have water in front of me. We walked from Chelsea to midtown, and already spent two hours sightseeing.

Each lunch entree came with soup or salad. We both decided on the carrot miso soup, which was rich and creamy and soothing. Steph opted for "pigs in a duvet," berkshire pork sausage wrapped in puff pastry ($10), while I had the shiitake mushroom quiche ($11). I changed my order at the last minute from barbecued unagi because I'm no longer eating non-sustainable fish, and on our way to New York, I got Steph to download the Seafood Watch guide on to her iTouch. Alas, it said unagi is to be avoided.

When our plates arrived, the portions seemed small but somehow we were quite full by the end. I wasn't crazy about Steph's dish because the sausage reminded me a little too much of a hot dog. And my quiche wasn't phenomenal either but I still liked it. If you're in the area during brunch on the weekend though, instead of side salad or soup, the entree comes with a complimentary cocktail, which isn't a bad deal.

As for the cupcake... well, you'll have to wait for my cupcake tour review (and photos) on that one!

Rating (out of five stars): *

Meatless Monday, Week 4

There were only two occasions when I wanted to consume meat, and neither time did the desire arrive when I was actually eating my meatless meal, which I think is a huge step.

Breakfast: Banana and peach. (I realize this may not qualify as breakfast to some, but I'm not exactly an early riser.)

Lunch: Leftover fusili pasta with red&orange peppers and frozen peas that I made for Sunday night dinner. Are you starting to see a theme here with peppers, peas and pasta? It seems to be what's always available in my house. I'm not sure why my dad is obsessed with buying peppers, but they are always there, newly bought, without fail, every week. I've also taken to adding butter and 35% cream to everything. Butter and cream makes life better in every way.

Meat "craving" No.1: Kenzo Ramen noodles thanks to @chantalbraganza's post yesterday. I was meeting Irene later that day for dinner and a TIFF movie. I had already decided on Jules Bistro at Queen and Spadina, but thought of changing it to Kenzo at Dundas and Bay. (We rushed The Invention of Lying by Ricky Gervais -- of The Office and Extras TV shows fame -- at the Elgin theatre at Queen and Yonge.) Then I realized, a vegetarian ramen would not fulfill my desire to recreate my Momofuku Noodle Bar experience. So stuck to Jules. Later, I would find out vegetarian ramen -- even bad vegetarian ramen -- would have beat Jules without a blink.

Meat "craving" No. 2: Jules Happy Hour special is steak frites for $12.95. I contemplated breaking my Meatless Monday vow for a total of five seconds. French bistro vegetarian food was tempting enough to sate my craving. Again, how wrong I was.

Dinner: Jules Vegetarian Sandwich of ratatouille and dijon; plus vegetarian French onion soup ($12.95 all together). An incredibly small portion for 13 bucks. Food was fine but seriously I felt jipped. Plus, I wasn't keen on the service. I get really annoyed by servers who are sweet from the onset, and slowly become more stiff and curt, and are outright rude by the end of it just because I'm not ordering an expensive meal. At one point, I also thought the streak frites may have been better value but probably not. It probably would have been a cracker-size and cracker-thickness piece of flank with possibly 10 frites for accompaniment.

Dessert: Small coffee and chocolate chip cookie at Le Gourmand. Thank gawd for that monster cookie. It filled me right up and gave me the fuel I needed for a two-hour TIFF rush-line wait.

P.S. The Invention of Lying was so much better than I anticipated. Not sure if I would recommend watching it in theatres but it's definitely an unusual (in a good way) storyline.

***Update: Apparently all of Kenzo's broths are pork-based. There are no vegetarian options, which seems very un-Japanese to me.***

Fanfreakintastic Momofuku Meal

Momofuku Noodle Bar
171 1st Ave

New York, NY

Get Directions

(212) 777-7773
www.momofuku.com
Proprietor, Head Chef & Mini-Resto Empire Mogul: David Chang
Date visited: Saturday September 5, 2009
Small plates $9-15; large $11-20 (all prices in USD)

If you haven't heard about Momofuku before, well, you just suck. It's chef David Chang's mini New York restaurant empire that includes a noodle bar, a ssam bar, a slightly more "upscale" tasting menu restaurant Ko, and a dessert/pastry "milk" bar. In 2007, Chang won the James Beard Foundation rising star award for best new chef.

But enough about accolades. This blog is about me.

We were on a budget for New York, so I decided on the noodle bar as the most cost-effective way to experience Momofuku. The casual eateries have no-reservation policies, and we waited nearly an hour for a table but it was worth it. We ended up being seated at the open-kitchen bar, and I know because of this chance seating, this meal will go down as one of my most memorable.

From top left, clockwise: Prepping steamed buns; getting Momofuku ramen noodles ready; cracking perfectly poached eggs; plating roasted corn with potatoes

We were right in front of the action, and I was giddy with delight. Watching the chefs prep and cook, learning the processes of the kitchen, seeing the efficiencies and the behaviours... and smelling the smells... A meal at its coolest point.

Steph and I started with Momofuku Soju Slushies ($5 each for a small) -- hers watermelon, mine spicy ginger. Soju is a strong, clear Korean liquor made primarily from rice. I'm not a huge soju fan but these slushies were delightful. The alcohol content was wicked strong and I was glowing beet red (as usual) in no time, but I loved drinking something spicy and cold.

I don't know if it's because I ordered the prix-fixe (probably), but we got a surprise amuse of grilled peach, salty ham and mint. And I just read on the website that "momofuku" means "lucky peach." Lucky indeed. A cleverly themed amuse with the added advantage that it is just at the end of peach season. The amuse was a great contrast and fun burst of flavours in my mouth. I was deliriously happy already.

The prix-fixe was four courses for $30. All Momofuku restaurants change the menu daily according to what looks good in the market that day. They have a very close relationship with the farmers they source from. So how could I not do the prix-fixe? I didn't even really understand the descriptions I was reading - tataki, bibim, skate. I've never heard of tataki before; Chantal (@chantalbraganza) just introduced me to bibim rice this past year; and sadly I didn't know skate was a type of fish. Anyway, the website says the food is American, but who are we kidding here? This food is better characterized as Korean and Japanese with American-style sensibilities.

So here's the breakdown of my meal:

1st course: beef tataki - a rare steak salad with roasted chilis

I'm starting to fall in love with rare beef. Tasting all the strands and fibres of the meat... That's all I can say. I love it.

2nd course: bibim spicy noodles with pork shoulder and a soy-marinated soft-boiled egg (Chang is infamous for his love of eggs)

I'm not super keen on the ubiquitous Korean "red sauce." I don't know why but I just know it's not my favourite. I still really liked this dish though. I think because the pork shoulder meat was nice and tender, and the egg yolk had been cooked to this cool almost jello-like consistency.

3rd course: roasted skate on a bed of heirloom cherry tomatoes
The skate was a little oversalted but a fine piece of fish on fresh veggies. I can't complain.

4th course: house-made angel food cake and strawberry soft serve ice cream with graham crumbs

This tasted like a reverse cheesecake. Which was a great thing.

The meal may not have been the most glamourous, but everything was fresh (after all, I watched them prepare every single dish), innovative and cooked consistently. I loved my meal and am very happy I ordered it; but I also loved that Steph opted for the Momofuku Ramen Noodle, which includes pork belly, pork shoulder and a poached egg. I love this concept of having a soft egg served to you in a super aromatic broth, so that you have the pleasure of breaking it and mixing it in yourself.

And so you can also enjoy this pleasure, I videotaped it and did a play-by-play commentary because I was pretty tipsy off the soju by this point. I only wish you could smell it too:

I want to try Ssam Bar next time I'm in town. I would move to the East Village just so I could eat Momofuku every week.

By the way, all together the entire meal cost us $70, including tax and tip. Service was spot on and we were very full by the end of it.

Rating (out of five stars): *****

Masamune

5200 Dixie Rd.

Mississauga, ON

(905) 625-1852

www.sushimasamune.com

Date visited: Saturday May 9, 2009

Mains $10-30, sushi/sashimi dinners $13-30, maki $4-17

Fresh, buttery, nice cuts of sushi for nagiri, which was really well-prepared. Plus, best California roll I ever had. Actually had flavour in it as opposed to other flimsy California rolls I normally experience. Tempura banana with green tea ice cream for dessert. Served black sesame ice cream that looks like charcoal but tastes exactly of black sesame. Despite what the server said that the sesame ice cream and tempura banana wouldn't go together, it really would have. The savoury taste of the ice cream would have perfectly complemented the sweetness and slight crunch of the banana.

Overall, extremely impressed that there is excellent quality sushi in a Toronto suburbia. Probably the best place I've had sushi in Toronto ever...! A bit more expensive than other run-of-the-mill Japanese places, but worth it.

Rating (out of five stars): ***1/2

Morimoto

723 Chestnut St.

Philadelphia, PA

(215) 413-9070

www.morimotorestaurant.com

Head Chef: Masaharu Morimoto

Date visited: Friday April 10, 2009

Average prices (USD): Apps $16-30; mains $20-50; sushi/sashimi/maki $8-16; omakase $80, 100 or 120

Huge modern space of soft wood, high ceilings, plastic dividers that glowed different colours, white leather chairs and a small open sushi kitchen in the back with a bar for seating. Service was nearly flawless. Waiter knew the menu superbly, always checked in to see how we were enjoying our orders and very accommodating (picked up Amber's cellphone for her from awkward place; offered to take a photo of us with Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto; gave us edamame on the house when our sushi order was delayed). Couldn't believe Morimoto was actually there. He was working the front room a bit. Talked with us for a bit and took pictures. Later, bowed when I complimented him on the black cod, and put flowers in our hair!

Dinner was delicious. Only disappointment, the cocktails - white pear for Amber, cilantro gimlet for me. Started with black cod miso. Broiled and it was buttery, slightly sweet and extremely moist. Then had $50 chef's combination of sushi, and two maki rolls. All fishes were delightfully super fresh and pure tasting. Sushi rice was plump and finely made. Nagiri was the best. Maki rolls were okay. For dessert, a yuzu meringue tart with diced mango in a raspberry sauce for garnish. Perfect sweetness combined with citrus. Meringue was light, smooth and creamy. Everything so beautifully presented. Would definitely return if I had the chance.

Rating out of five stars: ****1/2

Image courtesy of backwardshat.com