Japanese Restaurants – Page 45

San Diego’s Ramen Renaissance: Revisits to Raki Raki, Ramen Yamadaya, and Santouka

February 19, 2013 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

Ramen has been picking up a good head of steam in San Diego the last couple of years, now it seems that just about everyone is serving the stuff. I call it San Diego's Ramen Renaissance…so I thought I'd go and grab some ramen. In Part 1, I revisited Underbelly for some hipster-ramen. In Part 2, I checked out Tec Chan, a Yakyudori wannabe. Now part three gets kinda boring as I revisited three places….a couple of which I've probably posted on ad nauseum in the past. My apologies….but it's kinda ramen weather out there tonight, right? So why not?

RakiRaki Ramen and Tsukemen:

It seems that the place is blowing up, at least according to The Eater, which has RakiRaki as one of the 19 hottest ramen shops in the US.

I did enjoy the Tsukemen and love the noodles, but have been less than happy with the really salty broth and the rather skimpy; even for ramen portion sizes. The menu seems to be ever changing and living partially on the alkaline water hype.

Every time I visit, there seems to be another page added to the menu. On this visit, there's now a line of "Super Deluxe" ramen? Which of course, I just had to try. So there went $11.75 for the Shoyu Tonkotsu, with flame blistered prime XO Underbelly Chasiu. Man, these guys are really hyping it up……which is what it ended up being, as I wasn't too impressed with "Super Deluxe".

The noodles were just wonderful as always, nice crunch and all. The chasiu slices were as thin as playing cards, slightly dry, and very low on the flavor scale. The broth was served at too low a temperature, giving it a slight greasiness, rather than being rich. For me, the most disturbing thing about the broth is how salty it was….man I just blew up like a gorged tick. Now for all the we use alkaline water, health benefits, and all that, I'm wondering, do these folks use MSG?

Still, I decided to return yet again. And guess what? Another handy, dandy, new page to the menu! It seemed like a good deal, ramen combined with a rice bowl. What really struck me was how they like to associate "names" with everything here. Now I don't know who the poster boy Chef Takeo Araki is….but I have heard of Junya Watanabe….at least, Junya Watanabe the fashion designer. Well, maybe I shouldn't have mentioned that. I'll go turn in my "man card" tomorrow. Based on the size of the ramen, there's almost no doubt that this was created by someone who needed to keep his models slim and trim. For a scale perspective, compare the amount and size of the bean sprouts to everything around it.

The piece of charred lean pork, tasted like charred lean pork. The noodles were perfect and this wasn't nearly as salty as what I had before, though still pretty high on the sodium scale. The broth has some seafood tones to it as well.

The rice bowl had a good quantity of rice, making this a bit of a carb bomb.

I enjoyed the texture of the chicken karaage which was crisp and light. I really don't think it shouldbe burdened with what basically amounts to a cloying sweet chili sauce, but that's just my opinion. Just as it's my opinion that the folks working here are really nice and getting more efficient with every visit.

Personally, I'm going to give RakiRaki a rest….when the weather gets a bit warmer I'll drop by for the Tsukemen. I'm wondering how large that menu will be by then? How many different types of "premium super-duper delux-a-rooney" tsukemen will there be on the menu? Be still my heart……

RakiRaki Ramen and Tsukemen
4646 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Ramen Yamadaya:

**** Ramen Yamadaya has closed

So the Missus was asking me why I've been having all this ramen and She hasn't? Well, She's kind of ummmm… shall we say selective? But after being married all these years, I have an understanding of Her tastes and preferences.

She loves Santouka, but I finally knew there would a bowl to compete with Santouka's Tonkotsu at Yamadaya. It's the Kotteri Tonkotsu with Kakuni Pork and extra firm noodles.

This clocks in at about the same price as RakiRaki's "Super Deluxe" ramen. The Missus loves a rich tonkotsu style broth, with that wonderful think broth that coats your tongue and tummy. This is also one of the least salty tonkotsus out there as well. When the temp of the broth is right, all the Missus can say is "aaaah".

The problem is that the Missus is not fond of the standard issue Hakata style straight noodles. Even though we order it extra firm, it just never holds texture for the entire bowl.

The kakuni is preferred over the chashu, though it may seem a bit over the top to some.

I've had it when it just wasn't right here, waxy and a bit tough, but most times it's decent.

Speaking of temperature….we were speaking of temperature, right? The place is nice, warm, and cozy right now, though based on my previous experiences, I'm wondering if they have the heat under control, because it got really hot in here during the summer and fall. Well, at least they've got the outside seating squared away. Service has been ok, sometimes things are forgotten, on occasion you get the idea they are trying to get you out the door…..well mainly because of the mass of humanity waiting outside in the wind and rain, so that'sunderstandable. This is another place to hit up early on in the evening if possible.

Ramen Yamadaya
4706 Clairement Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

Santouka Ramen:

Which leads to the shop which I think got the ball really rolling on this ramn-mania back in 2008. I really wasn't too impressed on my first visit due to broth temperature problems. Luckily, things got straightened out and I've never had a BTM…."broth temperature malfunction" since then. and of course, the Missus' favorite version at Sanotuka is the shio toroniku style, with fatty pork on the side. So of course after requesting and eating at Yamadaya for the second time I just had to ask Her which She preferred…..Yamadaya or Santouka. This led us to grabbing some ramen at Santouka, for research purposes of course.

Shio Toroniku Style……..

I kind of know which way this tree is falling, so to put it in the Missus's words. "The noodles at Santouka are much better, firm, with a slight crunch, they also hold texture for the entire meal." The pork for the toroniku style ramen has a better flavor, more porky, though tonight's pork is on the tougher side, it is usually much more tender." "I prefer the broth from Yamadaya, because it's less salty and also almost velvety. But the broth at Santouka seems to retain heat better; perhaps it's the bowl, but that makes it very comforting." "I guess it depends on what kind of mood I'm in." "We're going to have to find my perfect bowl." Uh-oh, that sounds like a never-ending quest.

Santouka Ramen
4240 Kearny Mesa Rd(In the Mitsuwa Marketplace)
San Diego, CA 92111

I'm sure you folks have a ramen place that's your favorite for whatever reason. I think it's great to have choices!

The Missus’ new favorite restaurant; Sushi Tadokoro

February 14, 2013 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi

Man, the Missus sure had changed over the last couple of years…..it used to be that She would only go for the Albacore, Hamachi, and Salmon at sushi bars…..and I'd get the "good stuff". But Take-san at Tadokoro has changed all that. The Missus has come to trust him totally….and Take-san has really picked up on what the Missus enjoys and has gotten Her to try things She never would have.

I think it all started with the ankimo. She loves the version here.

And of course the sashimi, which is how we usually start our meals…..

What has really amazed me is how eagerly She'll go for items the She "never knew were so good!"

Like ika……

And tako…..

Culminating in the Missus actually trying Shirako (cod sperm sac) tonight!

Which the Missus loved! This was melt in your mouth soft, with a slight milky edge to it. I'd had it many times…..with it being more often than nought…well terrible. This was very good. I didn't even realize it's Shirako season.

We'll often get a something a bit different, like this hobo (robin-fish) wrapped around ankimo(he knows the Missus loves his version) and scallion with ponzu.

A wonderful contrast of textures……..

Or perhaps some anago broiled over bamboo leaves…..

Which is such a nice surprise when you give yourself over to the man behind the bar.

And of course there are our favorites like engawa, the dorsal fin muscle of hirame (halibut).

Or any number of other "standards" done well……

Take-san paid us a very nice compliment the other evening when he told us, "most people who order Omakase don't really know what that means, but you, you really do."

And it's quite easy when someone understands your taste and still tries to push the envelope a bit when he believes he has something top-notch on hand. This is what makes dining enjoyable. Whether it's a simple bowl of noodles from a stand in Luang Prabang or dinner at Urasawa it's all about experiences, learning, and enjoying. And we've been enjoying Tadokoro quite a bit recently.

Sushi Tadokoro
2244 San Diego Ave
San Diego, CA 92110

Open: Mon – Sat 5pm – 10pm

Like I said before:

Go early for best selection and a more relaxed pace and atmosphere. Even better, make reservations and go early.

San Diego’s Ramen Renaissance Part 2: Tecchan Yakitori and Izakaya

February 13, 2013 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

*** Tecchan has closed

Here's one that slipped under my radar…..if it looks familiar, this is the former location of Yakyudori in Hillcrest. Man, yet another shop serving ramen……that's so surprising…..

It's a bit strange for me; I'm not sure if it's really Tec-chan, or is it Tecchan like the sign….well, whatever, I go with what the sign says. I hadn't been here since it was Yakyudori, though I passed by the place when it became Raku, but had never really been motivated.

So what brings me here now? Well my good FOY (Friend of Yoso), "YY" told me that they really enjoy the spicy miso ramen here. Personally, I've never really found a version that I've enjoyed, but if it's good enough for YY, it's well worth a try for me. But I just couldn't find the time to visit. Until Super Bowl Sunday….you see I really wasn't interested in halftime (which seems to get longer every year) and the Ravens seemed to be blowing out the 49ers. So I just jumped in the car to see what was up with this place….they say they open at 6, but were open a bit earlier on this day.

And I did get the Spicy Miso Ramen as instructed, with "thin noodles", which turned out to be your standard issue Hakata style noodles. The price wasn't bad at just over 8 bucks.

First the good; the noodles were done to the al dente, almost crunchy texture I enjoy and the egg was nicely cooked. The chashu pork was mild in flavor, but they had hit a nice balance in texture, not too firm and not falling to pieces….too bad it was ice cold, something that seems to be happening much too often nowadays.

And while this broth was indeed fairly spicy and not as salty as other versions….it really tasted like Japanese Kimchi base. You know, the stuff to make short cut kimchi? It wasn't really my cup of tea……

On the other hand….due to the immensely long halftime and the infamous "lights out", I actually made it back home in time to watch the last half of the 3rd quarter!

After thinking over things….yes, though I may not sprout the "Tao of ramen", or contemplate the meanings of the Hexagrams in I Ching, nor has anyone mistaken me for the "gangster of love" or ever called me "Maurice" (age check here!), I actually do think about what I eat….. I decided to just return and try the straight up tonkotsu ramen.

This time I went with the "flat noodles", which were just your standard issue ramen noodles, but were done up nicely.

The broth seemed a bit light to me. I prefer my tonkotsu a bit more rich. Also, there was a flavor that reminded me of burnt onions that I really didn't enjoy.

It wasn't terrible……but not something I'd go out of my way for.

The service was friendly, though one of the servers here has the kind of voice that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. But that's my problem, not hers. I also tried some of the other menu items……but that's for another day.

Tecchan Yakitori and Izakaya
3739 6th Ave
San Diego, CA 92103

A Week of Sushi, the Traditionalist: The enigmatic Kaga Sushi

February 1, 2013 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Memorable Meals, Sushi and Sashimi

**** Kaga Sushi has closed

I first heard of Kaga Sushi what seems like a lifetime ago….probably around 2002. One day, while purchasing some wagashi at Hogetsu, I noticed the very non-descript sign on one of the buildings. Well….here was the Kaga Sushi that I'd heard so much about. Granted, a good part of that discussion included words like racist, sushi nazi, etc…… Also, I understand that one of the graduates of Kaga's mentorship is a pretty, well how should I say it, rather temperamental fellow himself. After seeing him treat customers badly on my two visits there, I don't think I'd return. In fact, the last time there, I was with a friend from Japan who made it a point after leaving to tell me, "I want to let you know….REAL Japanese are not like that!" 'nuff said. Another word that has been used in various discussions is exclusivity, which kind of rubs me the wrong way…..I'm just not like that. What really changed my mind about Kaga Sushi was a discussion with Mrs Takeda of Hogetsu-do. She basically told me that the couple who run the place want to only serve traditional sushi and don't speak very much English. They basically feel uncomfortable with people they don't know and can't communicate with…there would be an additional addition to this a bit later on. I did try to get past this door with the neon open sign twice back in 2005……

And just to make the story short; I looked the part, but couldn't recite the lines. And that was just the way it was going to be. Folks I knew who were Nihon didn't want to go there….folks who thought their Japanese wasn't good enough were afraid. Still, this past winter, I was having a nice Friday drink when "Xiang Jiao" came along. For some reason, I happened to mention Kaga Sushi, and my own "xiang jiao" (which means banana in Mandarin) difficulties. Now being young and all, XJ saw a challenge….she was fascinated. As a plus, her beau (MrT) is from Tokyo and works for one of the major Japanese companies in San Diego. She asked me if I'd be up for Kaga Sushi. Thinking that nothing would come of it I said sure. And during our porcine party, XJ came up to me and blurted out a date….huh? She then reminded me of our discussion….we had a date set for Kaga, which was postponed once, but there I was standing outside that door on a rather cold late December evening. We also had XJ's friend "Trang" and her boyfriend, Masa, who is also from Tokyo for back-up. We walked through that door…..

Now I'd like to say it was all dramatic and such, but the interior is quite humble and warm….much like what you think a neighborhood sushi place would be like in Japan.

The menu, written on very old-school style wooden slats were in Japanese. The couple who ran the place seemed to have aged quite a bit in the last 7 years and now looked like they were in their 70's. The woman who simply showed me a reserved sign and nodded "no" in 2005, now seemed like a doting grandmother….plus, she seemed a bit hard of hearing, which would make dealing with English speakers more difficult.

There was a Hispanic Couple in the place when we arrived, also with a Japanese couple….so this was not an "exclusive club" even though it seemed to cater to the Japanese Ex-Pat community. MrT, ordered, in what he later told me was in the "most respectful way" that it would be Omakase for us.

So after being presented with a wonderfully prepared tako appetizer which we all had to restrain from gulping down, the plate of sashimi arrived.

And let me just say, this was very, very good. Unadorned and traditionally straight forward, but very good…..

No fruit or vegetable carvings……no sauce "swooshed" on the plate, no neat little trinkets, no huge lump of yuzu kosho killing the hirame (my one really bad dish at Kaito)…..this was just plain no hiding, no holds, delici-yoso. MrT told me that in terms of just prep and quality, this was much better than Ota, Kaito, Shirahama, or anything else in San Diego. The o-toro did melt in your mouth, the Saba was perfectly cured, milky, but without venturing into "cheesiness", the texture was just perfect. The shoyu ikura was like the kiss of the ocean with ika that had an excellent chew. The akami was interesting, the cut included a bit of chu-toro, which made for a textural exchange.

I've never been a fan of the typical awabi (abalone) served in sushi bars, and am still not, though it does make a nice visual impact.

Next up was a short respite with a very well done broiled saba. Nice oil, balanced salt and sweet…..

Then came the nigiri.

The first thing that struck me was the amount of komezu (rice vinegar) in the sushi-meshi…..it reallycaught me off guard. MrT and Masa thought it was just lovely. For me, the nigiri was not as thrilling as the sashimi. The highlites….well the blue crab was just plain delicious, the kohada was cured well, nice and lightly milky…the mirugai was good. The Ebi, in this case wild Mexican Shrimp was delicious as well.

Based on what I'd already eaten, I had high hope for tamago. Though I've never really bought into the "you judge an Itamae by how they prepare the humble egg" school of thought, I do like a light, mildly sweet, melt in your mouth tamago just like everyone else.

This was not it. It was served ice cold which killed the flavor. The omelet was also too hard and not particularly pleasant to eat.

There's some irony to this whole meal. We'd had all this sashimi and sushi, but the one real talking point for us after the meal was the miso shiro….yep, the miso soup.

As we took the first sip of this rich, yet balanced simple miso shiro with daikon, the three guys looked up…… I'm not sure what it was, but there was that simple comforting feeling this soup gave the three Japanese "boys" in the group. Like a warm blanket wrapping around you on a cold day…. Nice ratio of miso to dashi, not too salty, the daikon cooked to very tender, but not melted away. This was so nice.

After our meal, the Itamae came and spoke to MrT….when he found our XJ wasn't Japanese, he was amazed that she wanted to eat sashimi and nigiri and not just rolls. Hopefully, that contributed to a stereotype being torn down. The folks here just seem to want to do their thing. Even though I still don't agree with the way they do it; having grandparents who never spoke English, I understand it. MrT told me that he had heard this building had been sold and was going to be torn down and the owners look like they are close to retirement. I'm hoping that Kaga Sushi will give a little in who they serve. Though I don't think I can get into the place without someone fluent in Japanese even after eating there……

Kaga-Sushi
1216 3rd Ave
Chula Vista, CA 91911

A Week of Sushi, the Modern – Traditional Shop: Sushi Tadokoro revisited, mostly in photos

January 31, 2013 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi

I really enjoyed my one and only visit to Sushi Tadokoro back in August and was really wondering how they were doing. So I decided to return.

I arrived just at about 530………I always like to eat early at a sushi bar if possible, you're assured of getting the best of what they have and if the Itamae is a really nice guy like Take-san, you'll get a full explanation of what's being served. I was quite amazed that Take remembered me, even what my preferences in taste….he even remembered my visits to Surfside even though I sat in front of Aki….something Akinori didn't even recall. In the end, I ended up returning with the Missus so if I went ahead and wrote everything up, I'd still be going at it tomorrow, so you'll just have to be happy with mostly just photos.

And while I'm sure most folks will focus on the toro, the item that really got my attention was the "hobo sashimi" sitting right in front of the kanpachi (amberjack). Hobo is Sea Robin, something that I'd never had before.

Next was another new presentation – Hirame with Himalayan Pink Salt and Finger Lime.

Even though Take-san makes traditionally focused sushi, he isn't above incorporating new flavors within classic flavor guidelines.

Kohada (gizzard shad):

Mebachi (Big-eye tuna/ Ahi) Zuke with Shiso.

Marinating the ahi for a short period really was a nice touch, with the shiso clearing your palate.

Hobo:

Some of the best ankimo I've ever had.

I sent the Missus a photo of this from my phone…..She immediately responded by saying "we're going there tomorrow night".

Nikiri painted Ika with Shiso:

Uni:

Shoyu Ikura:

Quite good.

Take-san wrapped things up(no pun intended) with what he called an "Ice Cream Cone".

Toro, uni and tororo (grated yamaimo) temaki.

I made reservations for the Missus and I for the following evening….Take-san was surprised and couldn't help but laugh.

Of course we returned early and Take-san told me, "you are lucky, we have some good things today".

Hamachi, Kanpachi, Toro, Mebachi, and what was a pleasant surprise, a favorite of mine since having it at Urasawa, Sayori, Halfbeak, a Hikarimono (shiny fish), a category that includes Aji and Kohada.

The Missus has really gotten more adventurous and it paid off as She loved the Sayori.

There was of course the Ankimo.

She told me this was the best She's ever had and we placed a second order for Her.

My Sayori Nigiri.

The Missus got a Saikyo Miso Chilean Sea Bass.

I got Kohada Nigiri, this time with Yuzu Rind on it.

Take-san told me that because I was just here the previous evening, he needed to prepare items I've had before slightly different.

Aji(Horse Mackerel).

Hirame.

At first I thought the sauce topping it was made from uni. But seeing how much we enjoyed the ankimo, Take-san made a sauce with ankimo, ponzu, yuzu rind, and a couple of other items. Really good!

Hobo sashimi topped with ginger and green onion. We were provided with a bowl of the "ankimo sauce" for dipping, which turned out to go well with the Robinfish. Rich, creamy, hints of citrus, with a mild tangy flavor.

I asked Take how common hobo was. He told me that folks in the city usually don't eat it as sashimi, but in fishing villages it is quite often eaten that way in Japan.

Mirugai for the Missus and I.

Clean, this refreshed our palate. No wonder "YY's" Dad calls this "cucumber"!

Mebachi (Big Eye Tuna) Zuke Nigiri. This time with yuzu kosho……

Great combination for the flavor of Big Eye Tuna.

Next up asari clams.

Finishing off with some uni for "dessert".

For me, Tadokoro defines what a nice neighborhood sushi restaurant should be. Good product, clean, understated, atmosphere, an Itamae who remembers his customers and their tastes. In terms of price, the meals here were the cheapest per person of all the places this week. It was funny that I mentioned Take-san to Aki and vice versa…..having both worked together at Surfside, they had very nice things to say about each other….both classy guys.

Sushi Tadokoro
2244 San Diego Ave
San Diego, CA 92110

Open
Mon – Sat 5pm – 10pm

– Go early for best selection and a more relaxed pace and atmosphere

– I'm sure selections change from day to day. I'm hoping you'll have the same luck we did

A Week of Sushi, Going New School: Akinori Sushi

January 29, 2013 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi

**** Akinori Sushi has closed

From then end of summer last year through winter, I heard a lot of good things about the newly opened Akinori Sushi in Hillcrest. So near the end of the year, I called and made reservations for an "Omakase" meal to share with my good buddy Candice. Having eaten at Surfside Sushi a couple of times, in front of Akinori twice, I already knew of his friendly, accommodating, and laid back demeanor, so I was sure that this would, at the least, be a nice meal.

The interior of Akinori is spartan, but neat and comfortable looking. There's nothing stuffy about the place. In this way, it reflects Akinori's personality.

We had seats front and center….and Candice, ever the beer-maven, quickly noticed that Aki-san had brought in some local brews from Monkey Paw. I quickly noticed that the "heritage" of al the fish being served was listed on the chalkboard on the wall.

We happily chatted and munched on our amuse…..

And our first course of kazunoko and gobo…..

Of course, all attention went to Aki-san as he prepared our next course…….

You can't really make it out, but a lobster was being dispatched……

Not quite as fast as say…..Hiro-san, but quick enough.

It was interesting watching the head of lobster still bobbing around as our plates were being prepared…..

Which looked wonderful.

The hirame (halibut) was cut paper thin, something I really enjoy as cutting it in that manner really changes and heightens the texture. Of course the uni, being local, and "gold" grade was outstanding, that was to be expected. But what really surprised me the most was the Ise Ebi (lobster) sashimi. Personally, I'm not a big fan of lobster sashimi, for me it's sort of bland and rubbery…..even when having been prepared by Urasawa. This however was sweet and quite tender…..very nice local lobster.

Next up was the nouvelle course….the new style presentations.

This was an interesting mixed-bag. So much of the Itamae-customer relationship is based on multiple visits. It's tough trying to figure out a new customer who walks in the door saying "feed me". So some of what I got, like the by-the-books saikyo miso Chilean Sea Bass.

Was good, but really didn't wow me. I make this every couple of months for the Missus.

And I'm just not a big fan of the burnt pseudo-mayo-cream cheese "roll" thing called the roll with Tokyo Bam Bam aioli.

On the other hand…….uni and hotategai (scallop) is a classic pairing, so the Hotate with Uni paste was a fantastic take on a classic combination.

Sweet, sweet, ocean….would probably be a wonderful name for this!

And yet, it wasn't my favorite item on the plate…….which was the "uni tofu".

Think of this as a sort of whipped uni cake, almost like a decent tamago. Light, spongy, permeated with the ocean-custard flavor of uni. I could have easily have eaten a whole tray….then die with a smile on my face.

Next up was a wonderfully refreshing Kumamoto Oyster with ponzu paired with one of my favorite things; ankimo (steamed monkfish liver "pate").

It funny, both Candice and I took bites of our ankimo simultaneously….we both stopped and looked at each other. The texture of the ankimo was perfect, but there was a certain, almost cheesy pungency to it. Whoa…. it was pretty heady stuff!

All during the meal, Aki-san is conversing with us….and being the sharp Itamae, I think he picked up on my preferences with regards to fish along the way as the next item up was a wonderful, lightly sweet, chewy, piece of engawa (halibut dorsal fin muscle), the most treasured part of the fish.

Right up next was something I would never have thought of……

Yes, it was a really nice piece of hirame….but sprinkled on top was a really fragrant truffle salt! For some reason, I really took to the fragrance and flavor of this. I'm almost thinking of sneaking that jar of truffle salt I have in the cabinet and ordering hirame sashimi from Wal Mi Do. Now that would be pretty funny, huh?

And while the mebachi (Big Eye tuna) looked good, but was nothing special, I had time to appreciate how Aki-san put together his rice…….not too tight, which allows the rice to disperse easily upon eating.

The kohada (gizzard shad) was lightly brushed with a mild nikiri, which really helped since the flavor didn't have quite a pronounced milky flavor.

As good as the engawa and hirame was, nothing could compare with the Aji.

We watched as a huge layer of fat was trimmed from the fish….we already knew this was going to be good……. The texture was just plain decadent, something I never thought I'd say about aji. The fish almost melted away in my mouth and yet kept that wonderful lightly milky flavor of Spanish Mackerel. Best aji I've had, maybe forever……

Next item needs no description……

It was very good….but because of the timing, was only the second best miso shiro I had that week. (more on that later). Still lobster miso shiro….c'mon.

I wasn't a big fan of the anago, which felt kind greasy to me.

At this point, I was waving the white flag….so Aki-san told us, "just one more item". And it was some item.

Uni lovers of the world unite……uni risotto, topped with shoyu ikura, tororo (grated yamaimo), and uni. Nice uni flavor with hints of sesame oil. A excellent rice dish, perhaps not up to Raku's Kamameshi, but what is?

In the end, it was a very good meal. Because Akinori is not familiar with me, by no means did I expect a perfect meal. We'll save that for maybe two meals down the road….which based on the price; this was $70 without booze, is doable. Like I said, the relationship between the customer and Itamae is a sacred one….something folks forget. A while back I had a conversation with one of those "sushi snobs" who really had nothing good to say about any other sushi bars except his favorite…he's loyal, which is nice, but is also something that colors his judgement. There's no place that makes everything perfect, every time……now folks who know me realize that I'm a very boring, pragmatic, person…so I ask the guy a simple question- "how many time did you give these places a try?" His answer? "Just once, they never lived up to how good xxxx is." "So how many times have you been to xxxx?" "Well, we go sometimes two times a week, xxxx-san knows me there and know what I like!""So you give these places one try and say they don't know you like xxxx-san, then hold it against them….what do you do?" "I'm a barber…." "So what if I came into your shop and had you cut my hair and told you….it's not as good as my regular barber I go to every month? What would you say…." Well…..he just cursed at me and moved a few seats down at the counter of one of those one-and-done sushi bars that-would-never- be-as-good-as-his-favorite.

Give Akinori a try….or two….or three….. oh, and if you plan of having the Omakase, call ahead.

Akinori Sushi
1417 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92103

Oh and if you ever wonder why I don't read that four lettered review site; when I mentioned visiting Akinori to a friend of mine, he pointed me to this. Good grief!

A Week of Sushi, Starting with the “Old School”: Sushi Bar Kazumi

January 28, 2013 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi

**** Sushi Bar Kazumi is no longer

For some reason, I'd accumulated a small collection of photos from visits for sushi over the last couple of months. Each place had it's own personality. I thought it would probably be appropriate to start with my visit to what I call "transplanted Kazumi", now located in Moby Dick Fishmarket. Before there was Sakura, Kaito, or Shirahama, there was Sushi Bar Kazumi. Kazumi was actually the first sushi bar I ate at back in the late 90's. My clients were located in the Hillcrest area and Kazumi was within walking distance. And to take things even farther back, from what I've been told, the current location of Sushi Yaro, was the original location of Sushi Bar Kazumi, before it was Ishikawa. After moving to San Diego proper, I always found parking to be a hassle in the area, so I didn't return until about early 2005. By then Kazumi had started looking a bit run down and the sushi I had that evening kind of reflected that. Eventually he closed down……Zo-san, who I seem to run into all over the place told me that Kazumi was looking to reopen in the Convoy area. But I never expected him to reopen in Moby Dick Fishmarket and Grill. The concept seemed a weird marraige of fishmarket, pseudo fast-food, combined with sushi bar in the evening. Still, I was delighted when reading Kirbie's post on Kazumi, it seemed he had returned to form. Nothing nouvelle about it, but good, solid, old-school sushi.

I had made reservations and I arrived finding the sushi bar empty, but groups of patrons, "roll-a-holics" all on the tables in the restaurant. I took my seat and saw Kazumi moving at the speed of light, a one man show, with a single Server, efficient, and just friendly enough.

He had a pile of fish sliced in front of him when I arrived and I just told him that I'd take whatever he thought was good, and not to worry and rush. To my surprise, he immediately started making nigiri of the fish in front of him, stopping only to cut two pieces of engawa, and within minutes things were started with a rather shabby looking eight pieces of nigiri.

When I asked, I was told that the tuna was Bigeye, aka Ahi, and what my relatives called "mebachi". That explained the rather lean chu-toro….which still looked like it had part of the dark blood line it in, making it look rather unappetizing. The akami was dry and had broken into pieces before being placed on the rice. The hamachi was dry and stringy…..not a good start at all. Though the engawa, the dorsal fin muscle of the halibut was very good, very mildly sweet, with a nice chew, it was also cut in a rather haphazardly way.

To me, this just seemed like "neta ( the topping of nigiri) fail" and just kind of sad overall. Yet Kazumi was working like a madman putting together roll after roll, even handing me a negi-toro (fatty tuna-green onion) temaki.

The chu-toro in this handroll was actually better than what was on the nigiri…..I love negi-toro and negi-hama, so this pleased me. I was once told that temakiwas actually invented in the United States! I also noticed that Kazumi's sushi-meshi was not quite as strong in the vinegar department; though time could be a factor here.

After a few minutes, the dust had settled and things had slowed down a bit. Kazumi then got down to work……opening and cleaning a Hotategai(scallop) and creating a combination of scallop nigiri and hotate-uni gunkanmaki.

The gunkanmaki seemed a bit sloppy and the uni was not of the highest quality, but it was not bad. Kazumi had not put any wasabi on the hotate nigiri, which was an excellent choice, as the wonderful sweet and mildly briney flavor came through quite well. That was quite a treat. Kazumi had wound down a bit and started making conversation with me as well……I still enjoyed his wit and sense of humor.

I enjoyed the saba-kazunoko (fish roe) temaki.

Great combination of textures.

I love shiromi, white meat fish, but the hirame (halibut) I was served was dry and on the gummy side.

Amazingly, only 40 minutes had passed at this point…….but I was just about totally gassed, so I gave the sign for "just one more"……which ended up being pretty good. This was a cured-"smoked" salmon, which I really enjoyed.

This was something that all the "old school" places used to serve ages ago, but I don't see much nowadays. I asked Kazumi about this prep……..he mentioned salt and hickory, but not smoking. Then I realized, this is cured in a combination of salt and liquid smoke! Man, I got to figure this one out.

Dinner ended on a high note, and I'm sure that he'd do a good job if not inundated by orders for 6 California Rolls and 5 crunchy rolls at a time. Also, this dinner ended up being the most expensive of the four at over $80, so I'm not sure I'll return, especially in this format/ locale.

Sushi Bar Kazumi (Inside of Moby Dick Fish Market & Grill)
4805 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111
(619) 988-6522

Las Vegas: Aburiya Raku Restaurant Four Years Later Part 2

January 22, 2013 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Las Vegas, Nevada

We had really been enjoying our meal at Raku, but I sensed an upcoming lull waiting for the item the Missus was looking forward to having. So I decided to just kind of go for it, ordering some sashimi from the specials board. Having really enjoyed the Shima Aji (striped jack) during my lunch at Mitch's, I wanted the Missus to have a taste.

Along with the pristine slices of fish was a small bit of nice tartar featuring avocado, cilantro, along with the shima aji. The fish was quite good, firm, with a mild sweetness. The Missus just loved the fresh grated wasabi and was actually eating the stuff straight up! I really didn't think much of the sashimi and fish dishes at Raku on our previous visit, but this changed my opinion.

I then decided to take a bathroom break……now why would I mention this……a "TMI" moment. But if you recall, I thought the restroom set-up was quite unique the last time we were here. The faux grass and stone path to the potty are now gone…..but the greenery on the ceiling of the restroom and tweeting bird sounds are still there. I also enjoyed the photo collage of various dishes on the wall.

And of course there are still flower petals lining the floor…….

As I returned, one of the dishes I'd been waiting for arrived……the foie gras with tare. With the ban on foie gras going full steam in California, I needed my fix. The Missus thought I was insane ordering a $16 skewer of foie gras, but what arrived was pretty impressive.

I was surprised at how good this was…….it was really ready to melt. The look on the Missus's face when She had Her first bite was just priceless. So luxurious……I told the Missus that this was so good I wanted "to kick myself". We took our time on this, enjoying every single morsel. When the server came to take the plate away, I thought the Missus was going to do bodily harm on the very efficient guy. The empty plate remained on the table….I actually thought the Missus was going to lick all the rendered fat off the plate!

The final dish of the night was the sake kamameshi, the salmon and ikura iron pot rice. It was a chalkboard special the last time we ordered this and at $35 was probably the most expensive rice dish I can recall ordering. Now you can order it by the cup….well, the Missus ordered 3 cups! That's three cups of uncooked rice……which came to $30 bucks anyway!

This was just as wonderful as on our previous visit. The Missus had the extra bonus of pouring off all the rendered foie gras fat on Her bowl of rice. This was way too much for us to finish of course, but like last time, they made us onigiri with the leftover rice. Which I had as a snack over the next two nights.

The service was reserved but nice. The one male server was pretty amazing in his efficiency. He would pick up on every tiny drop of spilled sauce and get things cleaned up and plates changed and removed with great speed.

It could be that we understand what we enjoy at Raku, making this visit more enjoyable than our last……but I honestly think Raku has improved over the last four years. I can't wait for our next visit!

Aburiya Raku Restaurant
5030 Spring Mountain Rd
Las Vegas, NV 89146
(702) 367-3511
Hours: Mon-Sat 600pm – 300am

Las Vegas: Aburiya Raku Restaurant Four Years Later Part 1

January 21, 2013 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Las Vegas, Nevada

Man, time sure does fly, huh? It seems that it was only yesterday that we had a wonderful meal at Raku. But time had indeed marched onward and it was time for the Missus to renew Her certifications….which strangely, you aren't able to do in San Diego. Not that I'm complaining mind you, not in the least. This was actually fairly last minute, but I've got a wonderful manager and a great team who had no problem covering for me in spite of the rather late notice. This time, instead of the Missus flying out and I meeting Her a day later, She just picked me up at work and we drove up to Vegas. Of course this meant that we'd be getting in rather late, but since I usually get into the office before 6 (pssst, what they tell you about needing less sleep as you get older seems to be true!), She could pick me up at a bit after 3pm. In need of a late dinner, Raku, open until 3am immediately came to mind. We made reservations for 10pm, but actually got in before 9, checked in…..it was easy since we weren't staying on the strip….the Missus isn't fond of the crowds, cigarette smoked, and the noise of the strip. We arrived at Raku early to see if they could take us…..and being a rather quiet Wednesday, they had no problem.

Combined with the chalkboard items, the robata-ya, oden, and the rest, there's quite a bit to choose from at Raku. Luckily, we'd been here before and knew what we enjoyed….and more importantly, what we didn't. It made ordering….well not easy because of all the great stuff we had before….but perhaps a bit easier.

We'd had a long drive, so I thought the "Raku Tofu" ($4.50) would be the perfect way to refresh ourselves. Plus, Kirbie made it look delicious.

As per the program, the very nice Server told us to have this first with the matcha-shio (green tea salt), then with the whatever we wanted. While the matcha-shio experience was nice, this was just plain heaven with the house blended soy sauce…..nice mild hints of ume in it. The tofu, while soft, is not quite silken, but still wonderful and I thought the Missus would actually start chugging that shoyu……

Next up was what the Missus thought would be an interesting combination……it wasn't strange for me, but She thought the "gooey on gooey" would be different. Thus we ordered the Poached Egg with Sea Urchin and Salmon Roe ($9). This was really a nice combination. I've always been a fan of the ikura (salmon roe) that Raku serves….it isn't the overly preserved and salty stuff you see at most places. Here's it's briney with a nice "pop".

I loved how the flavors wrapped themselves around my tongue. You mixed the whole thing up…the tororo wasn't just grated, but a combination of diced and grated, so you got the nice, very mildly sweet effect. The flavors created were so complex, sweet and custard like from the uni, a mild "green taste" from the thin slices of okra that seemed like a bonus everytime you had a slice….you get the point, right?

Then the robata items started arriving. First the enoki mushroom wrapped in a nice mildly smoked bacon.

Then the Kobe Beef Fillet with Wasabi….very tender and beefy, with the wasabi adding that nice fat cutting pungency….much like horseradish…..

The tare was nice, not too sweet.

Then something we had on our previous visit, the Duck with Balsamic Soy.

We'd really enjoyed this the last time….this time around…well, I didn't care for it at all. First, the balsamic glaze tasted burnt and bitter to me and the duck was really tough.

The Missus had never had Pork Cheek robata style, so I thought it would be a nice time to try it.

Well, She liked the flavor, but the texture…….at first bite, just like pork, but then chewy and tendon like, freaked Her out.

At this point, it seemed that the one item that the Missus really wanted was still a few minutes away….so what to do?

Stay tuned!

It’s soup weather: Mien Trung, Ramen Yamadaya, Sushi Yaro, Roseville Cozinha

January 3, 2013 mmm-yoso Bun Bo Hue, Italian Restaurants, Japanese Restaurants, Ramen, Vietnamese Restaurants

Is it just me, or does it seem that the weather's a bit colder this year? Brrrrr……. It's obviously time for something like this.

Actually, it's been a hot comforting bowl of noodle soup that I've been craving. My mother nce told me that during the her pregnancy she constantly craved noodles and soup. It's no wonder I was practically screaming for saimin from the time the pediatrician slapped me on the behind!

I've been purposely passing by the local bank every morning. They have one of those clocks-slash-temperature displays. The other morning; I go to work early, it read 39 degrees! 39 degrees! I won't vouch for the accuracy of the temperature, or time (it always seems off 2-3 minutes), but it did seem mighty cold…..especially for us wimpy San Diegans. Still, it wasn't like the hail and frost in Cathy's neighborhood…..but more than enough for me to start hunting down noodle soup! Here are a few recent bowls.

Mien Trung:

When it gets cold and I need a little kick in the pants, I go to Mien Trung for a bracing bowl of Bun Bo Hue. I believe I've hit just about every place that serves BBH in the San Diego area, and Mien Trung comes out on top.

The bowls do vary on visits. Sometimes it's more spicy, there are times when I find they've gone a bit too far with the MSG. But as whole, it always hits the spot. On this day, it was the normal scalding hot that BBH should always be to take care of the shredded greens and herbs, the MSG level was rather low, the spiciness on medium low………

And it was just right for me……..

I was also lucky that I wore dark colors…..no visible little red dots after slurping up those noodles!

Mien Trung Restaurant
7530 Mesa College Dr
San Diego, CA 92111

Ramen Yamadaya:

**** Ramen Yamadaya has closed

I had thoughts of going to Yakyudori for some ramen, but my last couple ramen visits haven't gone too well, and I wanted something a bit richer. It had been a while and since it wasn't a zillion degrees outside, I thought it was time for another visit. It's still fairly warm inside; great during winter, but I'm not too sure how things will be when summer rolls around.

Ordering for me was easy…well relatively, I do like the curry here, but it was a warming bowl of rick tonkotsu style ramen I was looking for. I'm not a big fan of the chashu here, but wanted to check it out again. I hedged my bets and went with the Kotteri Ramen, an extra "fatty", I like to use the word rich broth, with a side of kakuni pork. Slow cooked pork belly.

The broth had that nice tongue coating richness I enjoy….not greasy, but nice and rich. It also wasn't as salty as on previous visits. The noodles were too soft and mushy this time around….I'm toying with idea of getting them extra firn next time. The chashu is tragically tough, dry, and low on the flavor scale for me….better to go with the kakuni, which was unfortunately ice cold….guess I'll order the kakuni ramen, kotteri…..

I could go on a bit more….but I won't bore you with the minutae. It did the job, that's the main thing.

Ramen Yamadaya
4706 Clairement Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

Soki Soba at Sushi Yaro:

**** Sushi Yaro has closed

My buddy Sam has ramen and all kinds of other stuff on the menu now. For me, the best noodle soup he serves is the soki soba, an Okinawan noodle soup, served with "soki", simmered spare ribs.

The only other version I've had of this; at an Okinawan Restaurant on Oahu was a bit different and yet the same. The noodles there were wide noodles; here it's udon, but was cooked perfectly. The broth like this was dashi/kombu based. I enjoyed the spicy vinegar provided, it help to balance out the broth, which teetered on the high sodium end. There were two riblets here, though they had pretty much melted to pieces. Still, I was surprised that Sam did a pretty good job with this….I'll have it again.

Sushi Yaro
7905 Engineer Road
San Diego, CA 92111

Cioppino at Roseville Cozinha:

**** Roseville Cozinha has closed

The Missus said I should give stew some equal time. I think She meant I needed to mention the cioppino She enjoyed recently at Roseville Cozinha.

She loved it……..it had a nice zing to it, but wasn't too rich. Well flavored seafood based broth too. Nice fresh seafood.

She enjoyed the simple, pure flavors of the shrimp in this as well.

But that's not a soup or stew so I can't count it.

Roseville Cozinha
2750 Dewey Rd Suite 104 (Liberty Station)
San Diego, CA 92106

So tell me….what have you been eating to keep warm?