Flavor of Home: Spicy Albacore Hand Rolls January 8, 2008

I had been away from home for the last few days and although I’d been fed pretty well during that time, my body was craving for something home-y, particularly something with soy sauce in it (I’m so Japanese). I remembered that I still had a piece of albacore that my boyfriend caught in a freezer so I decided to make spicy albacore hand rolls for dinner. It was perfect because the preparation was quick and simple, and it certainly satisfied my soy sauce and steamed rice cravings!
I absolutely adore mayonnaise and I put a dollop of the smooth, tangy mayo on pretty much anything but there’s one place even the heavenly spread is off limit and that is in a spicy fish mix. Many sushi restaurants prepare spicy tuna and other rolls by adding mayo to the fish mixture, and while it provides the rich creaminess to the overall texture, I find that the distinct flavor of the fish that makes the rolls so delicious gets lost in it. I even think it’s the restaurants’ ploy to disguise the flavor of the fish that are past the expiration date or close to going bad (I’m just saying). I think there are so many other ways to heighten the flavor of the mixture without jeopardizing its integrity.
I made mine by mixing finely chopped scallions, grated garlic and ginger, sesame oil, chili oil (ra yu), a dash of soy sauce and a bit of miso paste with chopped albacore. I smashed the albacore and incorporated all the ingredients by using the face of a knife. The chili oil should give enough heat but if you can handle more, a several squirts of Sriracha should do the job. My boyfriend is the one who recently introduced me to the idea of putting miso in it and it certainly stuck with me.
I made sushi rice by adding sweet rice vinegar to steamed rice and I wrapped the rice and the albacore with seaweed for a homemade sushi roll.

It sure is nice to be home : - )

Holiday Lunch: Michael’s Restaurant December 15, 2007

A great thing about dining with a bunch of people – as in holiday lunch with colleagues – is that you get to check out a wide array of dishes the restaurant offers. The not-so-wonderful part is that the dish you order never looks as good as your friends’, and you end up regretting your choice the entire time. It’s a terrible feeling!
I’m usually content with what I order expect this day at Michael’s Restaurant in Santa Monica, where everything I selected seemed wrong and everyone else’s seemed right.
For a starter, I ordered a Dungeness and Blue Crab Salad because I was in the mood for wonderful pieces of crab on top of green salad. But what I got was a mixture of crab meat, diced apples and Japanese cucumbers in rich mayonnaise-based dressing. The dish was beautiful and flavorful but it unfortunately didn’t satisfy my need for greens (yes, I should have read the menu carefully). The image of the grilled shrimp salad that I passed over was flashing through my mind the entire time I was eating my dish. Boo.

Dungeness and Blue Crab Salad: Organic Market Apples, Japanese Cucumber, Petit Greens, Cider Gastrique

Other starters that made it to our tables were:

Seasonal Oysters, on the Half Shell, Banyuls Mignonette
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Sashimi of Yellowtail, Pickled Vegetables, Baby Cilantro, Black Bean Oil
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Cauliflower Soup, Lemon Brown Butter, Crispy

For lunch, I ordered the Alaskan Hook and Line King Salmon with asparagus and mushroom risotto. The dish was delightful – with perfectly cooked Arborio rice and tender piece of fish – but I didn’t feel that it was seasoned well. Everything was more on the bland side, and I had to add some salt and pepper to season the dish, which I usually don’t prefer to do. The hanger steak that others ordered looked so good, that I was wishing that I ordered it instead!

Alaskan Hook & Line King Salmon, Asparagus & Wild Mushroom Risotto, Black Truffle Jus
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Seared Hanger Steak, Red Bliss Potatoes, Wilted Spinach, Bordelaise Sauce
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Seared Tuna Salad, Romaine Hearts, Fingerling Potatoes, Hard-Cooked Egg, Blue Lake Beans
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Alaskan Halibut, Hen of the Woods Mushrooms, Soybeans, Sweet and Gold Potato Puree, Mushroom Vinaigrette

The dessert, however, was perhaps the best part of lunch. I ordered the Apple Pie Souffle Tart, which had the combination of flaky, chewy, tart and sweet, all in one. But again, the Chocolate Fondant Cake looked more delightful than anything else.

Apple Pie Soufflé Tart, Salted Caramel Sauce, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
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Hot Chocolate Fondant Cake, Gaviota Strawberries, Green Tea Ice Cream
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Panettone French Toast, Maple Panna Cotta, Poached Seckle Pear, Cranberry Sorbet

Michael’s was, to me, one of those “perfect on paper” restaurants. The menu was sophisticated, food was good and the ambience was pleasant,  but it wasn’t … excellent. There was something missing from making it a divine experience, although I cannot pinpoint exactly what that would be. Maybe it I tried it again and order different dishes, I may be able to figure out that missing piece of the culinary puzzle.
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Michael’s Restaurant
1147 Third Street, Santa Monica, CA 90403
★★★☆☆

Best Friends Forever? Captain Kidd’s Seafood November 17, 2007

To this date, I cannot decipher Jennifer Aniston’s soaring popularity. Is she adorable? Absolutely. Talented? I guess. Fashionable? No doubt. But the most beautiful? And the Hollywood ”it” girl? Hmm .. I’m not too sure about that one.
For me, Captain Kidd’s Seafood in Redondo Beach is like America’s favorite girl next door. While everyone and their mothers seem be smitten by this cozy, waterfront joint, I’m baffled by it all. The place and the food, I thought, were pretty ordinary — no different from any others alas Gladstones (more casual version, of course). I admit, that the service here is relatively quick, the food is affordable, and you can pretty much find anything that live under water here. In addition, they’ll cook it to your liking whether you prefer fried, sautéed, grilled or broiled.  But I certainly could not figure out what the hype was all about. 

I ordered the grilled salmon sandwich accompanied by a scoop of cole slaw and hush puppies. You can tell that the fish was fresh and nicely grilled but the slaw was bland and hush puppies … very rubbery.
Maybe I didn’t give Captain Kidd’s a fair chance. Because I was there during the Southern California fire, the experience was out-shadowed by the smuggy sky and the fishy air (yikes). Maybe if I return when the sky is clear and the air is fresh, I may have an entirely difference experience.  And maybe try the crabs that they’re famous for too. 

Grilled Salmon Sandwich

My friend ordered the scallops, which here, eh. 

But I have no desire to watch any of Jennifer Aniston’s work post Friends … does this make me a bad person to dis everyone’s best friend like that?

Captain Kidd’s Seafood
209 N. Harbor Drive, Redondo Beach, CA 90277
★★☆☆☆

Place of Your Own: Marmalade Cafe November 4, 2007

I would have to say that my favorite supper is brunch, or perhaps even lun-ner. I like eating meals at odd times (the non-conformist that I am). I like going out for brunch on a weekend, around 11:00 a.m. so I can sleep in and still feel productive during the day. Having “lun-ner” between lunch and dinner, around 4:00 p.m. is wonderful too because you can overeat a bit and still have good several hours to digest them all before going to bed.
Today was my relaxing Saturday where my best friend and I went shopping at noon and stopped by Marmalade Cafe in Calabasas for a very late lunch and cocktail, around 3:00 p.m. Because we avoided the traditionally-busy weekend lunch traffic, we were able to enjoy the meal in peace and quite, without feeling rushed. There’s always a risk of having to share a space with loud baby or bridal shower crowd around this time, but if you can handle the overly hyper yuppies in floral dresses ooooo-ing and aaaaa-ing over a baby bootie, an in-between meal is the perfect place for good food and company.
We shared three appetizers, which coincidently turned out to be all the edibles from the sea.

Calamari Fritto, calamari dusted with our special coating, fried to a crispy golden brown & accompanied with spicy cocktail sauce.
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Steamed Mussels & Clams, fresh mussels & clams steamed in a white wine garlic broth.
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Maryland Crab Cakes, two crab cakes served with a lemon-caper remoulade & a mixed green salad.
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Sourdough — what a delight!
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Marmalade Café is definitely one of those rare chain restaurants that doesn’t suck. I usually frequent the Sherman Oaks location, but we checked out the Calabasas branch in Commons Way, and both locations have yet to disappoint me (by the way, the lemon champagne vinaigrette they make is absolutely to die for).  I absolutely loved the fact that we had this wonderfully cozy place almost all to ourselves this afternoon. 

Marmalade Café: 4784 Commons Way, Calabasas, CA 91302
★★★★☆

Paradise Revisited: Tommy Bahama Tropical Cafe October 30, 2007

I went on my first and last blind date a few years ago, as a naive twenty-something. My friend thought it was a good idea to set me up with one of her single, guy friends. He was a nice guy and a fairly good-looking, courteous fella but the only thing we had in common was that we were single. He rambled on and on about himself the entire time and, although I prefer listening than talking most of the time, it got to a point I wanted him to just shut the hell up.
The worst part of it all was that he took me to Tommy Bahama’s Tropical Café in Newport Beach. The restaurant was superb as always – with wonderfully tropical and coconut-y décor, delicious Caribbean-inspired dishes and consistently amazing service. In fact, this place is one of my favorite places to dine. The worst part was that the place happened to be gazillion miles away from home and thus not giving me the chance for a getaway. It was the most excruciating evening of my dating life and I promised myself then that I would never go on a friggin blind date ever again. I know I sound so mean by saying this but if you were there with me that night, you will totally sympathize. Just for the record, he was not a bad guy at all. We just had no chemistry at all.
Last Saturday was the first time I visited Tommy Bahama’s since the incidence, and luckily I was with a darn good company this time. My best friend’s pals were visiting the area from San Francisco so she and her other friends, who lives in San Diego, decided to meet up in the middle for a mini reunion, and I was her plus-one for the afternoon.  I have met them all before and I absolutely adore them. 
With great wine, food and friends, I was able to wash away the bitterness of the yesteryears and begin a new memory with Tommy!

Tortola Tortilla Soup, a savory blend of ground corn tortillas and vegetables with grilled chicken seasoned with island spices and garnished with lime sour cream.
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Saba Steak Salad, marinated and char-grilled tenderloin medallions served over a bed of fresh mixed greens tossed with tamarind vinaigrette. Garnished with grilled potatoes, vine-ripened roma tomatoes, shiitake chips and garlic aioli.
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Tommy’s Great Big Crispy Fish Sandwich, crispy beer battered local island fish topped with honey-roasted onions. Served with french fries and island tartar sauce.
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St. Bart’s Shrimp BLT, grilled lemon shrimp, hickory smoked bacon, leaf lettuce and vine-ripened tomato with garlic aioli on toasted sourdough bread. Served with pennetti pasta salad.
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Tahitian Tuna Salad, blackened Ahi tuna seared rare atop a bed of fresh arugula, spinach and carrots, tossed in a lilikoi vinaigrette, ribboned with sweet soy glaze and wasabi aioli. Served with wasabi paste and soy sauce then garnished with crispy wonton strips and toasted sesame seeds.
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St., Croix Chopped Salad, diced marinated and grilled chicken breast, fresh mixed greens, vine-ripened roma tomatoes, Maytag bleu cheese, Granny Smith apples, macadamia nuts, hickory smoked bacon and sweet corn tossed with our honey-lime vinaigrette. Garnished with garlic croutons.
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Blackbeard’s Butterscotch, dark brown cane sugar, butter, cream, vanilla and scotch whiskey blended and served chilled.
Garnished with chocolate ganache, “from scratch” caramel sauce and fresh whipped cream.
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Wha’Jamaican Chocolate Cake, a flourless chocolate espresso cake served with white chocolate crème anglaise and
garnished with chocolate shavings.
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Pina Colada Cake, a moist vanilla layer cake with Myers Dark Rum and chopped pineapple, covered with
white chocolate mousse and toasted coconut.

Tommy Bahama Tropical Cafe:  854 Avocado Avenue, Newport Beach, CA 92660

★★★★★ 

Fusion Vs. Confusion: Seared Albacore with Wasabi Butter October 6, 2007

If I were a dish, I think I would be something like this one I cooked up the other day: a seared albacore with wasabi butter and ponzu, with a side of Japanese eggplant and asparagus grilled with sea salt and olive oil. It may sound complicated but it is rather a simple dish of fresh fish and traditional Asian ingredients jazzed up with a little bit of everyday items. I would like to think of myself hopefully as someone who successfully adapted to the American way of life while managing to preserve the authentic Japanese heritage, like a fusion cuisine (but who knows).  

I just don’t want to be a human equivalent of one of those stupid “tampon” restaurants (it’s teppan, you idiot) who screams out “bonsai!” (a bonsai is a plant, you dumb ass) while doing sake bombs (you clueless dim wits). Now, that’s con-friggin-fusion.