Impromptu Spinach Gomae

I picked up a couple of sushi rolls and decided to round out the meal with a home-brewed pot of green tea. Then thought, why stop there? I steamed some fresh spinach and tossed it in the “blast chiller” aka …

Kaneda Sushi

My post Vegas hangover had me craving something fresh and healthy, and what better meal to breathe life back into my broken body than sushi. Kaneda is located on Broadway between Granville and Hemlock. They are a dine in/take-out/ All You Can Eat/late night sushi joint with a pleasant decor and mid range prices. Theres a 15% discount on take-out orders, and a $30 minimum for delivery items. Right now they have a special where you can get a california roll for 99 cents.

My favourite item was the Salmon Nigiri ($1.50), it was the best I’ve ever had. The fish was so fresh and buttery, I could have eaten a whole meal of just nigiri. Look how succulent they are! Nom nom nom

The appetizer tempura ($6.95) came with two prawns and three root vegetables, and best of all, it was served with miso soup. What an excellent deal. The tempura batter was light and cooked all the way through, however the prawns were a little over cooked. Still, taste wise, everything was delicious.

When dining in I always try to be adventurous with my orders, but my take-out order staples are always Dynamite and Spicy Tuna. The Spicy Tuna was delicious, not drowning in sriracha sauce and not too fishy. The roll was perfectly balanced between spice and flavour, allowing the tuna to shine through. It was $4.25.

Like the spicy tuna, my dynamite roll was very fresh, especially the avocado – such a vibrant green! I don’t always like lettuce in my dynamite rolls but this was the perfect balance. I really enjoyed this, even at $4.50. But you get what you pay for, and this was worth it.

On my second take-out adventure I steered from the path and ordered a Yam Roll and a Gomaae roll. Sadly, the Gomaae was a little underwhelming. I was hoping it would have a peanut sauce drizzle over it, alas it was a little dry. But still, and interesting roll and who knows, the dine-in version might be better. I felt that at $4.00, this roll was over priced for what you got.

I don’t usually like Ebi Nigiri because they are alway so dried out, but after having tried the salmon and loving it, I thought why not. The ebi ($1.50) was better than other joints, still not my favourite, but I would order it again.

The yam roll was light for a battered root vegetable. Again, for a vegetable roll, I thought $4.00 was over priced.

The places I’ve gone… the food I’ve eaten

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted because it’s been awhile since I’ve been in a kitchen, at least with a camera handy. This doesn’t mean I haven’t been eating… here are some pics of meals I’ve enjoyed over the past couple weeks… hoping to get some new posts up soon, perfecting the recipes first!

Special order pepperoni basil pizza at Frankie's Italian Kitchen and Bar

Went to Frankie’s Italian Kitchen in the Georgian Court Hotel for drinks with a girlfriend, and wound up enjoying a late night snack – thin crust pepperoni basil pizza – specially made for us by our friend, the chef! Delicious.

Sweet Sweet Sushi...

Sushi from a little Kitsilano sushi joint called iSushi. It was a pricier than I would have liked (about 13 dollars for miso, spicy salmon, yam roll a.k.a sweet potato roll – and yes, there is a difference, and dynamite roll). To be honest, it wasn’t the best sushi I’ve ever had, the main reason the price bothered me, and I’d rather go to SUSHI BANG which offers outstanding quality for your money and all their rolls are always awesome.

Next up, more meals at Monk McQueens! So goooooodddd….

Roasted Sable Fish

My camera does NOT do this dish justice. The beats are a sunny gold and deep red, and it taste just as fantastic as they look( in person). Glazed with agave nectar and tequila (party fish!),  the sable fish rests on a bed of Chilliwack corn risotto that is to die for. I highly recommend this dish.Oh, and I ate the garnish before I took the photo, oops!

Tandoori Lamb Chop with quinoa in papadum & mango yogurt dip

I didn’t think I liked lamb…. until I tried the tandoori lamb chop lunch special. Such a delicious surprise, the meat was tender and the tandoori/mango dip combo was perfect. The quinoa was great as well, but the papadum stood out as a unique touch. Mm, mm, lunch!

Mascarpone Crab & Shrimp Cakes

On another occasion I tried the Dungeness crab and shrimp cakes, which were OK. I loved the sangria poached pear under the crab cake. Two crab claws adorned the plate as well and the balsamic  vinaigrette paired nicely… however… the glorified chipotle mayo was a bit much. This mayo dip also comes with the calamari, again a bit too fatty for my tastes. I love calamari but I don’t like dipping it in mayo. If you order the calamari at Monks, ask for it with the cucumber dip that accompanies the…

Balinese Lemongrass Chili Scallops!

Balinese Lemongrass Chili Scallops

I absolutely adore scallops, cook them anyway and I will eat my weight in them like it’s my 9 to 5. This Balinese dish has just the right amount of spice, enough heat to make you notice it but not to overpower the flavours.  Also the steamed jasmine rice and cucumber sour cream act as the perfect neutralizer for this zesty treat, and I even combined mine in a bowl to make one new super dish!

(Oh and just a note, I mentioned above that I thought dipping flash fried calamari in mayo was too fatty and then realized when I looked at the Monk McQueen’s menu that the cucumber dip I suggested as an alternative is actually sour cream. Not the healthiest of substitute I realize, but still…better than mayo in my opinion)

The entrée I tried was the Sun Haven Farms Organic Pork Chop ( organic pork chop?).  I don’t eat a lot of pork chops but everyone was raving about it so I gave it a go. I have to say it was quiet good.

Sun Haven Farms Organic Pork Chop, brown and wild rice pilaf, braised fennel, with a grainy mustard riesling sauce. Prepared medium well

The brown and wild rice pilaf evened out the richness of the pork, so the dish wasn’t  too heavy. I was hesitant about trying the pork chop because I don’t like fennel, however the flavour wasn’t as prominent as I had feared. In fact I think the dish would be better without the braised fennel all together.

And thus ends my post. If you visit any of the places I mentioned I hope your experience is enjoyable, Happy Eating!

Sushi Bang

I got this from SUSHI BANG on Broadway and Cambie. This is a very little place with great lunch specials and house rolls. It’s cheap and I guess you get what you pay for. If your willing to wait a little longer and pay a little more, Ro Sushi just down the street is better. Service at Sushi Bang is okay, although I’m usually waiting a while for my food. I like the dynamite and spicy tuna but I’ve never really ventured far from my go-to rolls here. The BBQ Eel wasn’t the best I’ve had though.Next time I’m trying the Canuck Roll: yam, avocado, salmon. Below I’ve got the BBQ Eel, Spicy Dynamite, and classic Yam.

Dinner at Tokyo John Sushi

Tokyo John Sushi on Cambie and 17th

Tonight I went to Tokyo John Sushi with a friend for dinner. I love to eat, but I LOVE to eat sushi. I’ve been going to this restaurant for years and noticed they’ve revamped their decor(probably for the Olympics) and prices on some of the fancier items went up.

It’s a small place with about 7 tables and limited seating at the sushi bar. When we arrived we were greeted with friendliness and warm cups of green tea. I decided since I’ve eaten here many times and can vouch for the yam, dynamite,spicy tuna/salmon rolls like its my 9 to 5, I would order items I’ve never tasted.

So I started with gomae instead of miso soup, (spinach with peanut sauce and sesame seeds). The cool temperature of the spinach was refreshing after gulping down green tea and the peanut sauce was delicious. I could always go with more sauce but the portion was alright and didn’t smoother or overpower the spinach. It may look like a lot of sesame seeds but once I mixed the salad it distributed evenly. The dish was $3.50

Gomae

This could have easily been $2.50 instead, I mean, it’s cold spinach with a teaspoon of peanut sauce. For the same price you can get a California, Alaska, BBQ, or Boston maki. I think I will put this dish down on my food “To Do” list and try making it at home.

Next came the Rainbow Roll for $6.95 (California roll covered with avocado, salmon, shrimp and tuna ) and a scallop nigiri for $1.80. I don’t like California rolls by themselves, they are like Kraft Dinner to Pasta in the sushi world, but this sounded good and it was. The crab/mayo/avocado combination in California rolls is sickening after a few pieces but in the Rainbow Roll the avocado, salmon, tuna and shrimp are spread over the top of the roll. It tasted different and had a different texture, and is something I will order again.

Rainbow Roll with Scallop Nigiri

Scallop Nigiri

The scallop nigiri with tobiko was interesting. I love scallops, been craving them, don’t know what I expected this would be but I didn’t like the creamy sauce the scallop was tossed in. I picked at it for a while thinking the whole thing was filled with this creamy mixture but then realized there was rice underneath. Biting into the whole nigiri was much better. If your new to raw fish texture I wouldn’t recommend this.

I love Tokyo John Sushi because it’s close and has inexpensive quality sushi. I normally go for one of the sushi combos which, with a miso soup, is under $12. This meal was $5 more, a little pricier than I would have liked, but I enjoyed the gastronomic adventure, so the experience was an overall success.

Sorry for the fuzzy pic, but it's my friend's Kappa Maki and Alaska Roll (salmon and avocado)

Homemade Sushi! Mmmmm

First attempt at making sushi! Since I eat my weight in sushi weekly I figured I would try making it to cut down on expenses. For $30 I bought all the ingredients including some more expensive items like smoked salmon and cream cheese (for Vancouver roll). I made about $50 dollars worth of sushi, and what do you know, ate it all in two days!

Ingredients you will need:

Bamboo rolling mat: You can pick one of these up in your local Asian grocery store for under $3. Cover the mat in plastic saran wrap so the nori won’t stick to the mat.

Nori (Seaweed paper): I bought a pack of ten sheets, more than enough considering each roll yields 6-8 pieces.

Sushi Rice: This is a specific type of sticky rice. It has to be thoroughly washed first, so run it under cold water for 1-2 minutes until the water runs clear.

2 cups of rice needs 1 1/2 of water. Cook rice on medium high until it boils, then turn to minimum until there is no more water in the pot.

Wooden spoon: Using a metal spoon will ruin the rice, so you have to use a wooden spoon. There are specific sushi rice spoons you can buy, or else I’m sure you can find one in your mamma’s kitchen.

Rice Vinegar: Rice vinegar seasons the rice, otherwise it will taste like bland regular rice, and your sushi won’t taste like it does in a restaurant.

Add 5 tablespoons of rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt together in a pot over medium heat. When the salt and sugar has melted, mix the rice vinegar mixture with your cooked rice and stir it in. Let the rice cool for about 10 to 15 minutes until it is at room temperature.

Place the nori on the rolling mat, rough side up. Spread a layer of rice over the nori, then place your filling ingredients about half an inch away from the edge of the nori.  Commence the rolling! Here is a link to a website that has really great step-by-step photos on how to roll your own sushi.

I made four different kinds of sushi:

California roll: Cucumber ( sliced in half lengthwise, then sliced into strips), avocado, imitation crab

Veggie roll: Cucumber, avocado, mango ( Mango was so sweet! It added a nice texture and complimented the avocado nicely)

Smoked Salmon: Cucumber, avocado, smoked salmon, cream cheese. This was by far my favourite. I also experimented by putting mango and imitation crab in the mix, which was absolutely delicious.

Cut the sushi with a sharp knife. I used one with a serrated edge and it worked great. I also let it cool in the fridge before cutting it. Bon appetit!