July 31st 2010

Gnome Fish from Nagasaki

Red Bull Eye Snapper from Nagasaki

Blue-Fin Searobin from Nagasaki

Japanese Barracuda from Nagasaki

July 30th 2010

Baby Yellowtail from Fukuoka

Stripe Bass from Fukuoka

Black Snapper from Fukuoka

Sushi before the fridge existed??

Like most things, sushi as we know it now was not invented on one day. It has a very interesting history, went through many changes over the years, and of course has regional differences.
The nigiri sushi style as known today was invented sometime between 1818 and 1831. There was no refrigeration system then. Around the end of the century (around 1897?), corporatization of ice making started, which allowed some raw fish to appear on the nigiri, but for the sushi menu to become full of raw fish as we know it today, we had to wait until the 1950s for the fridge to become a common presence.

What was sushi like before all that????

We thought it could be fun to do a reconstruction dinner, going back to the late 1800s, before the refrigeration system was developped. No fish is going to be raw for this occasion, but all will be treated with preservation techniques used back then.

Then to make the event even more interesting, we are going to pair this with sake made with two old-fashioned methods - Kimoto and Yamahai.

Old-fashioned sushi and sake dinner- Wednesday August 4th, starting at 7pm.
Dinner + 2 glasses of sake = $75 (tax and gratuity not included)

Reservation is needed for this dinner. Please contact us if you are interested.
Seats are limited to 24.

July 27th 2010

Gnome Fish from Hachijyo Island

Red Bull Eye Snapper from Hachijyo Island

Blue Snapper from Hachijyo Island

Golden Eye Snapper from Miyake Island

July 24th 2010

Pepper Snapper/Kosho-Dai from Fukuoka

Silver Snapper/He-Dai from Fukuoka

Yellow Back Snapper/Ume-Iro from Fukuoka

July 23rd 2010

Gnome Fish from Fukuoka

Young Stripe Bass from Fukuoka

Sardine from West Coast,USA

Hamo

Hamo / Pike eel from Oita.

13% fat content, so a pretty fatty fish. It contains a good amount of Vitamin A as well.






Between its skin and meat, it has a complicated web of very thin bones that are just impossible to take off. So the technique used here is to put tiny incisions in the meat (together with the bones) without cutting the skin - The skin will then keep the whole thing together from falling apart, and now the bones are cut so small and
they are so thin to begin with, they are completely edible. The technique is called "Hamo no hone-giri", which could be roughly translated as "The bone cutting of Hamo".
It takes a high skill to do this right, as it has to be cut thinly enough to make the bones edible, but not to mince the meat so much as it could then lose its delicate texture and subtle taste.



Hamo is a very prized fish in the summer in Kansai region. It is extremely important in Kyoto cuisine. One of the top 3 important traditional summer festival Gion Matsuri of Kyoto is also called Hamo Matsuri for the custom of eating hamo during the festival.

July 22nd 2010

Rudder Fish from Miyake Island

Ruby Snapper from Hachijyo Island

Beer / Kushiage pairing dinner report

Last night was the Japan made beer and kushiage pairing dinner.

[kushiage = deep fried skewer]

On a hot summer night, in Japan, we enjoy very much the combination of deep fried skewers and beer. So much so that there exist even places only serving kushiage.

Traditionally, kushiage are simply various ingredients breaded and fried. The most traditional setting of a kushiage place is a tiny space with only a counter where you enjoy the brewed drink and the fried skewers standing. Yes, standing. No seats. And the correct way to stand is not facing the counter but with the body looking sideways, so as to accomodate as many fellow customers at the counter, where the kushiage are being fried in front of you. If you stand facing the counter of these mom and pop places, the wife inside the counter would scold you for having no manner. Yes, it is hard core.

At these traditional places, the skewers are normally served with pretty large rough cuts of cabbage and a bowl of sauce (to share with the other fellow customers - which means strangers dipping skewers in the same bowl of sauce).

Nowadays, there are also more modern places serving kushiage in a completely different setting, sometimes in a course style, frying non-traditional ingredients and serving with unique sauces. We opted for the latter, more modern approach (Our place is too big to scold the customers for standing incorrectly. So we sat down for the dinner).

* BEER: Echigo-koshihikari / rice

* Fava bean and Pork belly
* Tukune-minced chicken
* Asparagus wrapped in bacon with yuzu mayo





* BEER: Hitachino white ale

* Blue Shrimp with Sauce Americaine
* Zucchini, tomato, eggplant
* Salmon with salmon roe on top




* BEER: Yebisu


* Minced tofu and vegetable
* Rice cake with mentaiko(spicy cod roe) on top
* Scallop with sea urchin on top




* BEER: Echigo-red ale


* Camembert cheese with apple sauce
* Beef and baby onion
* Duck and scallion




* Coedo-Beniaka/roasted japanese sweet potato

* Pineapple, Banana, Apple
served with sweet potato ice cream




The beer served were all Japan brands and made in Japan (some Japan brands are not necessarily made in Japan). Hopefully the participants tasted some for the first time and found a new favorite - and if you were not with us at the pairing, you can try these beer the next time you come in!

July 21st 2010

Gnome Fish from Kotsushima Island

Golden Eye Snapper from Shikine Island

July 17th 2010

Baby Yellowtail from Fukuoka

Golden Thread from Nagasaki

Grunt Fish from Fukuoka

Flying Fish from Nagasaki

July 16th 2010

Gnome Fish from Nagasaki

Red Bull Eye Snapper from Nagasaki

Stripe Bonito from Nagasaki

Beautiful Fava Beans Two Way

fava beans tempura and grilled fave beans

July 14th 2010

Japanese red snapper from Niijima Island

Horse Mackerel from Fukuoka

July 13th 2010

Threeline Grunt from Niijima Island

Rudder Fish from Miyake Island

Spoted Parrot Fish from Ogasawara Island

June 10th 2010

Pork Chop Okonomi-Yaki

Grilled pork chop wrapped in Japanese style savory pancake, bonito flake, mayo, tonkatsu sauce on top. served with carrot salad, mushed pea-leaf/potato.

July 9th 2010

Stripe Bass from Fukuoka

Bartailed Flathead from Fukuoka

Beaautiful Vegetable from Green Matket

Carrot Salad, Carrot Leaf Tempura

July 8th 2010

Gnome Fish from Nagasaki

Bonito from Miyazaki

Red Grunt Fish from Nagasaki

June 6th 2010

Blue Fish from Hachilyo Island

Gnome Fish from Kotsushima Island

Golden Eye Snapper from Kotsushima Island

Blue Snapper from Hachijyo Island

July 3 2010

Grilled Pork Chop with clam & smoked bacon cream sauce.
Served with slow cooked egg, beets puree and green pea/potato puree.

Q. How do you eat the meat around the bone?
A. Use your hands, just bite on it!

July 2nd 2010

Japanese Spanish Mackerel from Fukuoka

Red Corrnet Fish from Ngasaki

Stripe Bass from Fukuoka




Homemade warabi mochi
served with kinako(soybean powder) and macha syrup.
Japanese traditional sweet for summer

July 1st 2010

Bronzini fillet wrapped in pie, with mushroom, shiso and tarragon, served with yuzu butter.

Roasted whole chiken stuffed with sticky rice, minced pork, edamame,

shiitake mushroom and sansho pepper.

This was so big in size, perhaps we will make it next time with quail...


Is this going to be a lobster soup for this weekend's late night special ramen or a sauce americaine over rice? I don't know yet, but it smells amazing in the kitchen. I wish someone will come up with a technique allowing computers to download aromas. It should be possible, now that we have 3D TV, what's next could be aroma TV?

July 1st 2010

Bonito from Kagoshima

Gnome Fish from Nagasaki

Baby Yellowtail from Nagasaki






Brioche from 66 south 2nd street Brooklyn NY