I Baked Bread, So Don't Break Up!

When the routine bites hard/ And ambitions are low
And the resentment rides high/ But emotions won't grow
And we're changing our ways/ Taking different roads
Then love, love will tear us apart again
- Joy Division

Recently, a few of my closest friends have been going through devastating breakups- couples who have been together for 3 years, 5 years, 7 YEARS.

Why the sudden onslaught of break-ups? Let me tell you: it's March.

March is a shameless adulteress who cheats on Winter with Spring. March makes promises of Spring, but refuses to abandon Winter entirely. This leaves people anxious, restless, sick of being housebound. While they wait around for warm weather, they begin pondering profound subjects such as their "lives", "meaning", and "existence". The first thing to go is always the relationship.

Oh, I know all about the heartbreaks that March brings. Rewind to 2005. He threw an outrageous tantrum, paced back and forth in my living room for 2 hours, gave me back my keys, and slammed the front door. I watched the whole scene from the couch. Yes, it was a mess. Yes, we broke up- for real this time. Yes, it was in March.

Breaking up blows. Can I get an AMEN?

So to celebrate the final days of this miserable month, and to somehow spiritually reach out to all those in tragic break-up mode, I baked bread with Stacy and Amy this weekend. (Stacy just got married. Amy is a Serial Craig's List Dater. I rush home on Friday nights to watch LOST by myself).

Can you imagine me, Kayoko-- the clumsiest, most impatient anti-baker ever-- baking bread? It's unheard of, I know, but it was glorious!

Baking bread must be the most loving form of food creating- you must nurture it, let it grow, play with it, and keep a close eye on it, in order for it to reach its full potential. I LOVED this entire process- it is super easy, economical, and you feel like you are a part of a secret society (Amy: "People have been baking bread for thousands of years!").

We baked three types of bread (links to recipes): the ever-magical "No-Knead Bread" from Bittman and the Sullivan Street Bakery, Focaccia from Delicious Days, and two loaves of Honey Wheat from All Recipes. You need to let the first two rise for at least 12 hours.

Here are the ingredients for all 3 recipes. This is it!Yeast before:
Yeast after- check out that head!:
Here is an easy to follow Bittman video for the No-Knead Bread that you should watch before starting. Bittman is the messiah.


Preparations for the No-Knead and focaccia:

19 hours later- It has RISEN! This is the No-Knead:

Throw No-Knead dough in a hot cast iron pot:
Almost there- about 40 minutes into it. We needed to constantly check on it:

It's done! What a beauty- I would say that it took about 70 minutes for this to thoroughly finish. You need to keep tapping the top until you get a hollow sound at all angles. This was perfect- just shy of being burnt, golden crust, spongy inside- PERFECT:
Focaccia- also need to let this dough rise overnight. It didn't rise as much as we wanted, but it was fine. We added roasted zucchini, peppers, and fresh rosemary on top. Genius! It was delicious:

Honey-wheat. This did not need to rise overnight. Next time, we will grease the measuring cup before pouring in the honey:

Kneading with love. Stacy said it felt like a baby. It did! Had this supple, bouncy flesh-like feel. This may have been the funnest part, the kneading, pulling and pounding. Tip: let dough rise in warmer-than-room temperature, Amy said. So close the doors and windows.

This recipe makes so much dough!
Buttering the top:
Almost done:
I had to leave before the honey-wheat came out, which was sad. But Stacy sent me these pictures. Look at these- they could be entered into pageants!
We all agreed that the No-Knead loaf was better than anything you could buy in the city (I'm sorry, but I shouldn't have to trek into Soho for a baguette from Balthazar). As Amy said, it was elastic, spongy. It had depth. The crust was perfectly done- crunchy, hard, but not burnt. Ideal sandwich bread.

The focaccia was also awesome- not too greasy, just nicely coated with olive oil. I highly recommend adding the peppers- it adds some acidity, which balances out the oil.

About the honey-wheat, Stacy said: "Texture is rich and soft. Sweet in the best way!!" Sorry to miss it.

Baking bread was actually one of my 2008 resolutions. It was one of those daunting tasks that I had been fearing- it seems like such a pain in the ass! But I've learned that all you need is a little bit of time, and willingness to nurture it for an afternoon. It's that simple. You too can be a part of this secret society.

A word to the wise: next time you want to break-up with your partners, bake bread together. I think it might help. No talking, just kneading. Or No-Kneading. This should inevitably lead to hot, passionate sex on the kitchen floor. YESSS!

Starting tomorrow, break-ups should officially be put on hold until March 2009.

LOVE happenings to look forward to in April:
- Wong Kar Wai's My Blueberry Nights is released in the US
- After a 11 year "break-up", Portishead's new album Third officially comes out
- New episodes of LOST (Desmond and Penny!)
- Tulips! (my favorite, hint hint)
- My BIRTHDAY!!! Let's all make out!

In 2 of the 5 above films, the doomed couples do not get back together in the end. The first three people to email me which films wins a prize! Email answers to umamimart@gmail.com

Film montage starting at top: © United Artists; © Focus Features; © Golden Harvest Co.; © New Line Cinema; © 20th Century Fox.

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The Melting Pot

I was recently in the SF Bay Area and was very excited about a trip to The Melting Pot in Larkspur with my cousin Shannon. As fondue fanatics, we were fiercely let down.

We went at 6:30 on a Wednesday with 4 people. We were told they were fully booked and they said we'd have to eat at the bar. It was less than desirable to sit at the bar because there weren't enough burners to keep our fondue melty. We were there for an hour and a half and there were 4 tables open behind us the entire time. Apparently tables were being held for "ladies night". We only had one guy with us, my dad. Other groups of all ladies who arrived after us waited momentarily at the bar and were then seated.

The bread was dry and the service was bad (except for one very sweet and over worked bartender). I was so enraged at the whole experience that when I left, I told the hostess how I felt (and I usually don't do that kind of stuff).

That said, the ambience was very cool- it was as if we were inside an old wine cave. Low lights, fun vibe. Our fondue was pretty good- just not hot enough due to the lack of burners. If only the bread hadn't tasted 3 days old. I've only just now realized it's a chain. Perhaps this explains things a little more. The Dark Choclate fondue wasn't bad, but the dipping options could have been better, fresher. The fruit and cheesecake tasted like they were from Costco.

Not sure I'll be back. It's no Bougeouis Pig.



The Melting Pot
125 E. Sir Francis Drake Blvd.
Larkspur, CA
T: 415.461.6358

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Dinner with Barack Obama

I am one foodie who loves Barack Obama, so I was excited to see that Gray's Papaya endorsed him.


Jack, the biggest Obama supporter I know, enjoys a hot dog in front of Gray's Papaya on the Upper West Side.

Watch this video to see how you can win dinner with Barack himself! I've just donated $5 on his website and am now eligible. You can be too! If you win, he'll fly you in, put you up, and buy you dinner (something better that hotdogs, i'm sure).

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Fridgin' Out: The Work Fridge

This post is dedicated to MelRoach. We miss you!

The Work Fridge tends to be a little scary, no matter where you work. You may have the most respectable colleagues, toiling away in spotless, clutter-free work spaces, but when you look inside the Work Fridge, all hell breaks loose. If you work in an office, you know what I'm talking about.

Let's take a look- continue reading at your own discretion. I hope this isn't breaking any code of conduct labor laws. Photos taken by me, and Yamahomo's iPhone. Yes, we work together. Yes, he's just as outrageous in the work place.

FYI, there are about 70 people who work at our glorious non-profit cultural institution (read: we all MUST pack a lunch, because we cannot afford to go out).


They are actually pretty strict about the Friday by 5pm rule. Our guys will throw your shit out mercilessly if you don't claim it.

Funny cartoon:
Freezer:
Lots of different types of tea. They say that the leaves stay fresher in the freezer. Has that been scientifically proven?

Frozen meals:
Ice cream:
Nuking fries is just plain wrong.
"I'll have the alfalfa sprouts, and a plate of mashed yeast."
- Alvie Singer, Annie Hall
Cold compress- inappropriate:
Fridge door:
I'm finding that the fridge door is the most fascinating place in the fridge. People really love their weirdo condiments!

The fridge:
So scared to look inside:
This is healthy and wallet-friendly: just buy ingredients for a salad and toss right before you eat it. Here we have romaine, feta, olives, and a tomato. SMART!
Yamahomo and I held our breath when opening this:
Yamahomo brought in this huge oversized container of homemade mango lassi. WHO IS THIS MAN???
Ronnybrook Farm Milk. The farm sells their dairy products out at the farmer's market every Wednesday, and so there are lots of their products in the Work Fridge. They make the best milk chocolate ever.

Everyone is always dieting!!!
A compact lunch neatly packed in a ziploc bag.

One of those "designer" lunch bags. A bit over the top. I think it's really great to pack a lunch for work, but am not into these "lunch purses" that I see ladies holding on the train.
Ok, this is my lunch. Kinda cute right? Japanese people wrap their lunch boxes in handkerchiefs. It's really weird.
Back of the fridge- NO MAN'S LAND.

Some other scary products you know have been in here for god knows how long.
The veggie box- not bad.

Butter box- individual things of grape jelly. Jam companies need to stop making this shit. WHO likes grape jelly???

By far the nastiest thing we found in the fridge- fucking mayo that expired back in July 2006. I swear this was here when I started in 2005. NASTY!!!
The Work Fridge also creates heated feuds over email throughout the organization. Here's an example:

Mary: "Dear all, I found my leftovers in the trash today. Please be respectful of your colleagues, and do not randomly throw out things in the communal refrigerator."
John: "Well, did it have your name on it?"
Mary: "Yes it did. They were leftovers from yesterday and I was going to eat it today."
Henry: "Mary, let this be a lesson, and just eat your entire lunch next time."
Mary: "Henry, that is disrespectful. I am reporting you to HR."

*What's in your fridge? Email photos to umamimart@gmail.com

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umamichatter: Waverly Inn (NYC)

*umamichatter is a new column where I chat online with people about their food adventures. Chats may be edited down to make shorter, but will never be added upon or manipulated in a way that makes a more positive or negative review. Please expect stream-of-consciousness bitching, complaining and other random mumblings.


My dear friend Matt wrangled himself into Waverly Inn the other night. WI is a super exclusive celebrity hang out in the West Village, opened last year to a lot of buzz by Graydon Carter, editor of Vanity Fair. This place is no joke: a secret reservation line, Madonna and Kate Moss sightings in one night, camera-toting paparazzi outside, and $85 mac & cheese.

Here's what Matt thought about the place. This was a work dinner, and the bill for three people was $700, after tip.


12:30 AM matt: yeah, not that coolme: to be expectedmatt: they were playing tom waits when i got in, and i was like, wow, gonna be cool

and then i turned around and there was this girl that looked exactly like kristen davis

12:32 AM and i was like, this is awesome bc charlotte is here

but then i looked again and it wasnt her

and then there were no more famous people

me: ha

charlotte!

12:33 AM matt: it was also pretty empty

the paparazzi outside said mcdreamy was supposed to be there

but i dont even know who he is

me: from grey's anatomy

12:35 AM matt: yeah, i wouldnt know him if i saw him

it was also pretty emptyi will say, i had a much more enjoyable meal at smoke joint last night

12:39 AM

me: yup

12:41 AM matt: yeah

i would never do that myself it is the experience i guess

12:43 AM me: what did you eat

matt: tuna tartare which all the reviews said was what to get

not that good and braised short ribs

me: nice

how was that

matt: which was fine

but not special

me: right

12:44 AM matt: ive had better

not to be all particular, but the wine guy poured wine all over my menu

me: HAHAHAHA

matt: like fine if a waiter does

me: that's AWESOME

matt: but this is the wine guy

12:45 AM mainly its bc you look like a retard to everyone else

bc they dont know you didnt do it

me: ha

12:46 AM what did everyone else get

matt: same

but a chicken pot pie
me: omg

how much was that

matt: i think the braised short ribs was the most expensive entree we got

which was 27

me: that's not so bad

matt: ALSO, the mac and cheese is now 85

12:47 AM me: how did the bill end up being 700

if that's the most expensive

did you get a bottle of veuve?

matt: no

two bottles of wine

me: ah how was the service?

aside from wine guy

12:47 AM

matt: ha

ok, little disorganized i felt

we had like three waiters

so we asked for the wine list

12:49 AM and then three people came around about every minute to ask if we made a decision
me: oh geez

hm

12:51 AM yikes

The bathroom is pretty uninspired for a place that charges $85 for mac & cheese.
Waverly Inn
16 Bank Street at Waverly Pl.
New York, NY
No Telephone!

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Sushi Yotsuya (LA)

Whenever I get hungry for sushi it is hard to find the right place. Anyone can tell the difference between good and bad sushi, the fish must be fresh! People who open sushi restaurants think of it more as a trend, so they open the restaurant without any concern on how much tradition and passion sushi requires. It takes years to master.

I found a 5-star rated place in Tarzana, 5 minutes from my house. Sushi Yotsuya! From the outside it looked small, quiet, and hidden. Since there are so many sushi restaurants across the street and a few doors down, it was hard to spot.


After you walk in, right in front of you was a big sign that says, “We only serve traditional style sushi, no California roll, spicy tuna roll, appetizers, or American style sushi." How cool is that!


It is a small simple place, probably about 13 seats at the sushi bar, and 6 tables.


On the right is Masa Masumoto (founder, proprietor, and chef; above right) is going on his 8th year after opening in 2000. Masa and his 2nd chef Chica are a good team, always communicating with one another. Masa’s goal was to have an original/traditional sushi joint since there is so many around his. He says he buys the fish every morning before opening, guaranteed! Can’t get any fresher than that.


We started with a cold beer, the best Japanese imported beer you can get: Orion (deep from Osaka, Japan). Not many Japanese restaurants carry this, it’s got a bite and it’s good.


Next we have the Katsuo (Skip Jack; above), and the Aji (Spanish Mackerel; below). I haven’t seen Katsuo any where around here; just melts in your mouth!


Then we have our Mirugai (Jumbo Clam; above) and our Amaebi (Sweet Shrimp; below). The Mirugai was so fresh it was moving slowly on the rice (as you can see in the picture it is curling), it was so crunchy, which ensures freshness.


The Ankimo (monk fish liver; above) was excellent. The Ankimo was grilled, had a nice color to it. It had this Japanese mustard miso sauce on it. Never had it with a sauce like this. It was flaky, and once again melted in my mouth.


Next are my favorite Uni (sea urchin; above left) and Ikura (salmon roe; above right). The Uni is a delicacy, it fells like a tongue and looks like tongue. It tastes like the ocean, very salty and explodes in your mouth. The best. The Ikura is usually marinated before service to enhance taste, and most places don’t do it right, but Masa was right on.


We got the Tako (octopus; above left) and the Ika (squid; above right). Both very fresh and crunchy; which is needed to ensure freshness, soo good!


Up above is Aoyagi (a orange clam; above), it was moving once again, very fresh, little bit of salt and lemon on it, and no soy sauce needed. It was crunchy and had a good citrus flavor to it, sooo good!


As we were trying to finish up, they treated us a round of their special fish for the day! Starting form the left was Managatsuo (Panfret; left), Tombo Toro (Fatty Albacore; 2nd to left), Kurodai (Black Snapper; 3rd to left), and Kinmedai (Alfonsino; 4th to left). They were all fish I have never eaten before; it was very new and exciting! They all tasted spectacular!


To finishing off, the best part is the Green Tea. Has to be dark as the Tea above, most places you go has weak light tea. You want to make sure you drink tea at the end of the meal to drain out all the oil and start digesting right away.

I recommend this place to any sushi lover out there.

Sushi Yotsuya
18760 Ventura Blvd
Tarzana, CA 91356
T: 818.708.9675

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Happy Hour: Caprese Martini

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Deal of the Year

Dear Poor New Yorkers,
Please do yourself a favor and go to Blue Ribbon Sushi this week for dinner during Brooklyn Restaurant Week. For $23, you get a seaweed salad, this below, and green tea ice cream. No joke, this is the best deal you will get all year. I do this every year- sometimes twice during the week. How could you not?


They don't take reservations, but I went tonight at 8:30, was seated in 20 minutes, and the place was pretty much cleared out by 9:30pm. Deal ends Sunday.

Buon appetito,
Kayoko

Blue Ribbon Sushi
580 5th Avenue (at Garfield)
Brooklyn, NY
T: 718.840.0404

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Roasting for Jesus

Jesus is just alright with me
Jesus is just alright, oh yeah
- Doobie Brothers

Religiously speaking, I am godless. I am a gluttonous heathen, afterall. If hard pressed, I suppose I would say I'm a non-practicing Buddhist, but that's only because my dad makes me pray to his little shrine whenever I go to his house. But I refuse to chant during yoga- it annoys the hell out of me (they never tell you what you're saying, or what exactly it's for. It's just nonsense).

However, deep down, I have a soft spot for all things Roman Catholic. Majestic cathedrals, Pope Jean-Paul II (I saw him once!), the Spanish Inquisition, Dante's Inferno and Jesus all fascinate me to no end. It's so bizarre- and I feel bad cause Catholicism has traumatized many of my friends.

So of course I was excited about celebrating the Jesus resurrection on Sunday. Easter means ham, hard boiled eggs, and springtime. Gotta love it. But my plans derailed when Troy and Kumiko called to cancel Easter dinner because they were sick. I sorta panicked, but Fumiko said she would come over, so I cooked dinner for the two of us. Those in disgruntled relationships, ponder this: being single means possibly eating Easter dinner ALONE. It's a crapshoot.

I didn't have any big meat item, but I did my usual vegetable roasting. I love roasting vegetables- not only because they taste so good, but mostly because I am lazy, and it's the easiest thing ever. Here are my ingredients:

Right next to the garlic is a little stick of chorizo. They sell it at Blue Apron in Park Slope for $1.50!!! What a steal! It's great cause it will hold in the fridge forever, and it's something different from the same old bacon.

I am relatively new to the cauliflower phenomenon- Aya introduced me to it a few months ago. I'm pretty hooked though. For this, I just chopped up the cauliflower, the zucchini, the chorizo, a few cloves of garlic and peeled the red onions. Preheat oven to 400.

Disclaimer: it took me FOREVER to peel these little fuckers, which is not fun for lazy people. I will use shallots next time.
Put everything in a baking pan, drizzle olive oil all over it, add some salt, grind some pepper. I also added a few bay leaves, cause I had some. I love all the colors here:
Stir occasionally, and take out after about 30 minutes. That's it!!!
Shave a ton of romano over it, then mix it around.
I obviously needed something else with the meal, so I just made some pasta. I sauteed an onion with a fresh sausage, and boiled fresh pasta that I randomly had in the fridge.

Put some tomato sauce with all of that, et voila! Also, fresh parsley is so necessary.
Here is our meal- Jesus Resurrection 2008. Sadly, the corner wine store was closed, so we couldn't consume the blood of Christ. Fumiko said we drink the blood all the time, so it was no big deal- we just settled for beer. Would that be Jesus pee? OMG I'm totally going to hell.

PS- the chorizo adds a nice crunch to the soft vegetables. Fumi liked it. Give it a whirl.

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Fridgin' Out: Married People

Newlyweds Beth and Darren just bought a really dope, spacious 2 bedroom in the Upper West Side, right off of Central Park West. That's Park with a capital P. Married people like to live near Central Park so they can say things like, "We just went running in the Park" or "We just got back from walking dog's name here in the Park".

I live about an hour away from the Park, which conceivably says everything about me.

Beth's fridge is heavily stocked with just about anything you want, all from Fairway (the only other reason to go to the Upper West Side). To save money, her and Darren have a pact to never go out for lunch or dinner except for special occasions. Good for them!!! I've made that pact with myself too. Um, yeah.

So what do married people have in their fridge? Let's find out.

Married people get their groceries delivered from Fairway. Dreamy.

Freezer: many frozen pizzas and fruit. Married people keep bags and bags of frozen fruit around so they can make smoothies with the blender they got from the bridal registry. They spike it with rum when they want to live on the edge a little.

Married people freeze their glasses for beer.

Beth, not married people, freezes her bananas before they rot to oblivion. She does this so she can make her husband banana bread in the middle of the night.

Fridge: I told you it was crazy stocked.

A single Bud amongst the condiments in the fridge door. Love it.
C'mon guys, this is so 80s.

Married people make their own salad dressing, and keep them in cute jars.
Married people put their eggs where they are supposed to go.

Two huge grapefruit, a bottle of bubbly, and a can of whipped cream, all in one shot. There were a total of 3 bottles of champagne in their fridge. Married people like to have it around for when people "drop-in" unexpectedly.
Bags of flour tortillas for midnight snackysnacks. I used to live with Beth in college, and let me attest that she makes bombass quesadillas.
Cheesefest! Married people like to experiment with expensive cheeses I've never heard of before. But I love Beth cause she keeps it real and will never abandon Velveeta. EVER.

Something they got from her neighbors as a welcome gift. It's an Indian sweet that comes in a tin can and sounds really good. Soft cheese balls! Let's see how long it takes for them to open this. A year? 3 years? I bet Darren throws this out while Beth is not looking when they move out.

Organic tofu!

"Honey, what kind of sandwich do you want for lunch today? Roasted turkey or smoked turkey?"

Roasted bell peppers.
Married people eat their vegetables.

Their fridge was a bit bizarre- a piece of styrofoam divided it from the freezer.

Also, apparently the fridge gets so cold that food labels get stuck to the sides and won't come off.

Married people will bake you cookies (two different kinds!), when you come over for dinner.

Married people sip wine from fine crystal glasses they got as wedding gifts. Why anyone would let me go near their crystal is beyond me.

Alright so we'll stop there. Just a little glimpse for all you single folk of what married life is like. Or at least what's in the fridge. Getting married has never been high on my list of things to do, but this actually doesn't look so bad. Especially if I can get a high-powered blender out of it.

*What's in your fridge? Email pics to umamimart@gmail.com

An aside from Beth:
"We actually already opened and had some of the Gulabjaman, they are cheese balls- how would you think I wouldn't try them? :)"

MY BAD!!!

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A Taste of Spain in Ueno

Unplanned excursions should be celebrated. Whoever made up the phrase "Spice of Life" was probably a fan of spontaneity.

Last Sunday, my boyfriend and I decided to go to Ueno park after getting up around noon. I took the Nikon D200 that I am borrowing from a coworker hoping to capture the scenes of the park. Knowing me though, the highlight of the photo session ended up featuring our lunch - a random stumble into a 7th floor Spanish restaurant called Val. It had been over a year since going to Ueno. Just going to the East side of Tokyo is a huge deal for me. Val made it worthwhile.

The mix paella was wonderful - perfect for two for Sunday lunch. Consisting of mainly seafoods, what better place to indulge than THE place for seafood (Tokyo)? With the abundance of seafoods in Spanish food, I would like to see more Spanish-Japanese fusion foods. C'mon Tokyo, wow me with some Uni-Shiso paella!

For now, I'll settle for Spanish style Spanish food though...

White asparus salad



Hors d'oeuvres plate



Mix paella

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2nd Annual Persian New Year Feast

Sepi (aka Jon Sublet) hosted yet another magnificent Nowruz feast last night. Persian New Year was official as of 2am (Thursday 2am), and you know that Iranians- in Tehran, in the OC, the world over- are going to be celebrating all weekend. There will be no limit to the amount of alcohol, food and love that will be consumed. Oh, the debauchery.

Frank, Sepi's awesome dad flew into NY this week to help us celebrate, and barely left the kitchen in the 5 days he's been here, cooking for the big night. Aw... now, that is LOVE. All I have to say is that the FOOD ROCKED! I love me some tadig.

Here it is, the 2nd Annual Apt 266 Persian New Year Party. We love you Frank! Happy New Year everyone!



Post for the 1st Annual Persian New Year Feast here.

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Advertisement for Sake Tasting

It's pretty cool this year. You will get to taste sake that you will never be able to in this country. Brewers will bring sakes that are submitted to this year's National Sake Appraisal to be held in May this year. New Sake is very intense, and is truly a rare opportunity. Hurry and buy your ticket before it's gone!!

Annual Sake Tasting & Lecture:
The 100-Year History of Sake Appraisal
Thursday, April 3 at 6:30 pm

For 100 years, Japan's National Sake Appraisal has pushed brewers in a spirit of friendly competition toward continuous improvement in the art of sake making, as manifested in its flavors and aromas. Unlike industries that change as a result of new technologies, sake making still depends largely on the subtle quality of rice and water, unpredictable weather, and the skill and artistry of brew masters that allows both established products and lesser known new entrants with high quality sake to win medals in the competition. In this program, John Gauntner, renowned sake expert and a founding member of Sake Export Association, discusses how 100 years of history of sake appraisal has changed the sake industry and aided in the development of new flavors, aromas and styles. Participants will have the opportunity to taste many of the sakes that will be presented at Japan's National Sake Appraisal in spring 2008. Co-sponsored by the Sake Export Association.

Tickets: $35/$30 Japan Society members & seniors

Must be 21 years of age.

For tickets, order online at www.japansociety.org or call Box Office at 212-715-1258.

Held at Japan Society
333 East 47th Street
New York, NY 10017

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A Night Out at Babbo, Pt. II

Preface:
A Night Out at Babbo
California Soul: Osteria Mozza (LA)

To celebrate Christi's bday the other night, we went to Babbo. I would be too embarrassed to blog this--regularly patronizing such the hype machine that Batali is--but the food was just too good not to share with you.

We walked in without a reservation- figured we would get there around 6:30 and take our chances. The guy at the front, who was there the last time I went, is a gentile fellow, and told us to wait for seats at the bar. Fine. We ordered drinks, we waited. "What's the Frequency Kenneth?" blasted in the background. Oh, Mario and his music. We loved the Mode though. Violator!

It's really cramped when you walk in, between the bar and the dining room. Servers taking orders, delivering food. Some drunk asshole totally fell into Christi. It was kinda funny. Anyway, standing there in the middle of all this commotion is not fun. But you gotta suck it up for the ultimate prize.

Just about an hour later, we actually got a TABLE! Right by the bar, tucked into a corner. It was romantic. The world doesn't need another Babbo review (or a second one from me- you're over it), but just let me show you the pics.

Babbo salumi: assorted meats cured in-house. Marinated onions (sweet) and olives. This was better than the Armandino salumi I got last time. Christi liked the veal (?) tongue. The "fatback" pictured below, is just cured pork fat! Like white sheets blowing in the wind. It was super intense- like nothing I have ever tasted. It was good with the onions.

Grilled octopus with "Borlotti Marinati": this was pretty awesome. Better than what I had at Mozza. Drizzled with this limoncello vinagrette, and sprinkled with some candied orange rind or something, on a bed of white beans. SO GOOD. It was too "oceany" for Christi though. I loved the tentacles.

Our server was super great- Travis. Props to this guy. He totally arranged the order of our dishes and suggested good, cheap wines. We asked him for his recommendation of a pasta, and he suggested the black pasta. BINGO. This was definitely my highlight of the meal. (At this point I was pretty boozy, and abandoned my camera inhibitions and started shooting with flash. Tacky!). They are also nice about splitting the orders for you.

Black spaghetti with rock shrimp, spicy salami calabrese and green chile: I have nothing to say except GET THIS DISH.

Mint love letters: just as good as the first time. Surprisingly hearty. A good way to end a meal.
When all is over, this is my side of the table, vs. Christi's side. Basically, you can't take me anywhere.

But then, this guy comes and magically puts a napkin over the table to make all my spills disappear.

So it's official- I am obsessed with Mario Batali's food. All the hype... well, it's all true. Batali is an ace. Classic and straightforward. Consistent. Casual and reasonably affordable considering it's a white table cloth joint. Our meal, all of this, plus 2 quarter things of wine, 2 glasses of sparkling wine, and a bottle of fizzy water was $140 total. You could spend as much at Lupa, his even more casual joint around the corner (I am not a fan of Lupa). You would no doubt spend even more in the shithole tourist traps in Little Italy.

As someone who spends her entire income on eating in NY (after rent), I'm telling you: surrender to the hype. Splurge a little. Wait an hour for a table.

Babbo
110 Waverly Place
New York, NY 10011

Get DirectionsT: 212.777.0303

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Cupcakes Amongst Tragedy

Walking down towards work yesterday, I was rerouted several blocks due to the horrific crane incident on Saturday. 52nd was blocked off completely to 3rd Ave., and 2nd Ave. was a mess of dust and debris; firefighters and cops running around with walkie talkies; St. Patrick's Day freaks; and tourists and NYers stopping to look at the crumbled buildings and now vacant lots.

It was a devastating sight.

Buttercup Bake Shop on 2nd Ave, offered their soul-satisfying cupcakes and coffee for free out in front of their shop. They said it was for St. Patty's Day, and it shed a little bit of light onto those 5 blocks, bringing together the community in these moments of tragedy.

RIP.

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California Soul: Joy Luck Place (Cupertino)

This post is dedicated to Hua and Wangster.

Whenever I go home, I gotta get my dim sum fill. My mom thinks this is so bizarre, cause she knows I always go to dim sum in NY. But it's just different in the Bay somehow- dare I say better? I don't know what it is- but I will say that dim sum hasn't gotten any better for me than since we went to Ocean Jewel in Queens. That was almost a year ago.

So there's this little place in Cupertino called Joy Luck Place in this all-things-chinese mall where there's a Ranch 99. There's a serious cult following- you wait a minimum 30 minutes for a table. That's minimum. And ridiculous. But worth the wait.

Here she comes...

All my must-haves:
Shiu mai-

Meatballs- kinda a new obsession I share with my dad. Hideko is not into this.

Shao lom pao (soup dumplings)-

Pan fried shrimp and chinese chive dumplings. YUM.

All time favorite- pork spareribs.
Congee

Shredded chicken chow mein with chives and bean sprouts, American style.
Pea shoots.

Gotta catch the dessert cart-

Hideko's favorite- Rice cake filled with black sesame soupy deliciousness, powdered with this soy bean flour (kinako, in Japanese)

This place is Hua and Wangster's SPOT. I personally might like Dynasty, in the late Vallco Mall more. But basically whichever you choose to go, you won't be disappointed. I never thought I would be someone who would say this, but: they're just so CLEAN!

Joy Luck Place
10911 N. Wolfe Road
Cupertino, CA
T: 408.255.6988

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White Day 2008

Last year I posted a blog entry about my first White Day experience. This my second report. In pictures:

Left: Like a Rothko painting. Except small and edible.
Right: Mmm, gold flakes on chocolate.

Top: High tea in my janky apartment.
Bottom: Can't go wrong with Neuhaus.

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Fridgin' Out: Marta in Madrid

Marta and I were lesbian lovers in a former life. We were probably the secret mistresses of Constantine during the glory years of Roma (he summoned for us from over the state line!), and hooked up after we had enough of him (we outed him. SCANDAL!). In this life, however, we have been downgraded to star-crossed lovers, as she is from Spain, and I from California. I do miss my Martita- she is like a sister to me. At least we fight like we are.

So what does my Marta have in her fridge this week? I am so stoked to show you. Marta is originally from Cadiz, in the south of Spain, currently living with her bf, Jose in Madrid. She works as some powerhouse career woman at a huge media publishing conglomerate. As you'll see from her fully stocked fridge, she's a badass.

Here it is, live from España! She has titled this "Wednesday in my Kitchen"-- she even captioned the photos herself!

My fridge:

Very important for social life CERVECITA:
The real king of spain...
Picture is bad but this meat is great:

Little Italy

Hangover breakfast

Vinito blanco:


The best yogourts ASTURIANA

Strawberry forever

Aceitunas, esparragos, bonito...

After dessert NESPRESSO

*What's in your fridge? Email pics to umamimart@gmail.com

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Umamiventure #8: Puerto Alegre

We met up for our special SF Umamiventure on a sunny Saturday at Puerto Alegre (PA) in the Mission. This place has been around since 1970 (!). I was excited for a lunch of CalMex delights, but everyone else was unphased. To them, this was just another lunch, afterall. These people in Cali take their Mexican food seriously, but also for granted. It's not fair. They'll never understand what us New Yorkers have to go through for good Mexican (there's one place on 101st and Amsterdam, but who wants to trek up all the way up to the Upper West Side??? Or the 7 to Jackson Heights? Forget it).

Started with a pitcher of their margaritas that Yelpers won't shut up about (PA currently has 3.5 stars out of 329 reviews. Jesus). Petey and Stu had already had a pitcher by the time we got there, and were practically wasted. Point being that they were really good margs. Love me a perfectly salt-rimmed glass.

The Meal: on weekends, PA has a brunch menu, but thank god they also serve the regular menu. Ya'll know how I feel about brunch- NOT a fan.

I think Alice got the combo plate- beef enchilada and chicken tamale, doused in red sauce. Yum

My enchiladas: this was definitely one highlight of my Cali trip. That mole was off the hook.

Andy and Jenny copied each other and both got the chilaquiles (my new favorite word. Say it: chi-lah-kee-less). I actually never had heard of this before, being the ignorant eater that I am (a deep fried burrito is a chimichanga??). So this dish is deep fried corn tortillas cooked in red salsa or mole. It comes with this cream stuff too that is pretty crucial- it's simple and genius. Andy says that his friend makes this dish better though. Incidentally, I'm reading on Wiki that this is a common cure in Mexico for a hangover.

Stu got the Super Meat Burrito- no frills, they keep it real.

Petey: Huevos divorciados- an egg with red salsa and another with green salsa. Pete was not impressed- he's from Santa Barbara so his standards are high. BUT, he did say that the salsa was "awesome". I do believe that the quality of salsa says a lot about a Mexican joint, and coming from Pete, that's high praise.

James: steak and eggs. He wasn't into it- but let this be a lesson: BRUNCH MENUS BLOW.


I was super into the kitchy 70s decor. I'm sure little has changed since they opened in 1970.
Isn't this picture dope? It's mounted high up on wall behind the bar, and I can only assume that it's the people who opened Puerto Alegre in 1970. Were you even born yet?

In the end, this place was totally average for these Bay Area folks. To me, my enchiladas were the best thing ever. Has living in NY for 6 years lowered my eating standards?? Something to think about.

When you ask any Californian where they go for their burritos, they will start a drawn-out soliloquy about their spot- everyone's is different. Expect a heated debate. Love it.

PUERTO ALEGRE
546 Valencia St (between 16th & 17th St)
San Francisco, CA
T: 415.255.8201

Past Umamiventures include:
Pacificana - 02/08
Jackson Diner - 01/08
WINTERMARKET - 12/07
Sripraphai Restaurant - 11/07
Taste of Jackson Heights - 10/07
Red Hook Ball Fields - 06/07
Ocean Jewel Restaurant - 06/07

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"It's Fried!"

Went to Elias Corner for Fish the other night- a reputable Greek seafood joint in Queens that Aya wrote about a few months back. It was awesome!

Aside from the soft, char-grilled octopus, the gooey garlic musselfest, and the plethora of grilled fishes we ordered (red snapper, salmon, the kickass monkfish), my favorite part of the meal was a little something our gregarious server plopped down on the table after our meal was over.


"This is on the house," she said. Big smiles all around here.
"What is it??" I asked.
"It's Fried!!!!" she exclaimed.

Best answer EVER! This plate consisted of beignet-like fried dough pieces, coated with a pint of honey. One word: orgasmic. It was sad when it all had to end.


Vestiges of our meal:
Red snapper- the head is the best part! David ate the eyeball. Then swallowed it. Brian freaked out.

Garlicy oozy mussels- very original.

I accidentally dropped a mussel into our carafe of white wine. How does one do that?? I finished it off anyway. No shame- it was fine. You figure that there's wine IN the mussel dish, so why not the other way around?

Hyoe- we're devastated you're leaving the city, but happy we got to send you off with a good meal. You'll be back though!

Elias Corner for Fish
24-02 31st St.
Astoria, NY11102
T: 718.932.1510

Afterthought: Andy just informed me that these fried donut pieces are called Loukoumades. Here's the recipe. Yamahomo, get on it, pronto! These are heavenly!

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California Soul: Osha Thai Noodle Cafe (SF)

After driving around for about 30 minutes trying to decide what to eat (pho? Thai? Burmese? Tofu House?) Alice and CJ took me to the original Osha in the Tenderloin, which everyone says is the best out of the other 5 Oshas scattered around the city now. I guess all the other ones are fancy, while this one is pretty gritty. We waited about 30 minutes for a table, at the bar next door (great bar).

You know when I told you in my last post that I tend to over-order? You ain't seen nothing yet. CJ and Alice are friggin unstoppable-- even I needed to put on the brakes at a certain point. CJ's mantra, "No, we need more, that's not enough." Love it.

Yum Woon Sen: silver noodle with pork, shrimp, chili paste and red/green onions. So refreshing and tangy. Ayagwa's version kicks ass too.

Dish of the Night: Fried fish cake patties seasoned with curry and green beans. All of us agreed that this was our favorite.

Spicy pan fried rice noodles with tomatoes, mushrooms, bamboo, chinese broccoli, bell pepper, onion, basil, chili and chicken.

Osha Noodle Tom Yum: shrimps, ground pork, fishballs, bean sprouts, fish cake, lime juice, and noodles. Now, you know I can eat noodles all day, everyday: ramen, soba, pasta, pho, wonton noodle soup, udon, blah blah. But if I lived in SF, I would go to Osha for this every week, no joke. I know this looks nasty (sorry it's almost gone), but seriously, this stuff was surprisingly addictive. Noodles in tom yum? I was a skeptic, but now I'm a fan.

Green curry fried rice. Yum.

Spicy string beans with chicken. Too much chicken!!! But this one was supposed to be with shrimp. We ate it anyway.
CJ with our spread. Check it out! Um, this is for three people. We are so ridiculous.

The interior is pretty neat- bright lights, black walls. You feel like you're in a black box performance space. Lots of loud techno. Here's Alice. I miss her.

Funny thing about the Bay Area is that people are REALLY into Yelp. It boggles me. When we were trying to figure out where to go for dinner, CJ and Alice had an entire debate based on Yelp reviews. It's nuts!! These Yelpers have so much influence! One of the Oshas has 3.5 stars out of 5, based on nearly 600 reviews!!! 600!

If I had to rate it, I would give this place 4.5 stars. 1/2 point deducted cause they only use white chicken meat, another 1/2 cause the music was too loud and intense, but a 1/2 point regained for being open until 1am!

Osha Thai Noodle Cafe
696 Geary Street @ Leavenworth and Jones
San Francisco, CA
T:415.673.2368

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California Soul: Swan Oyster Depot (SF)

They say the sun comes up every morning
And if you listen oh so carefully
The winds that ride on the high time
Whistle in melody
And so the people started to sing
And thats how the surf gave birth untold
To California soul, California Soul
- Ashford & Simpson

You know what the surf all along the west coast gave birth to? Absolutely the best oysters in the world, hands down. No joke- I've had oysters in many towns, in many countries, and I'm confident that this is true. There's something in that Ocean, we'll call it Pacific Soul--when it brushes up against Washington, Oregon and down to California, it creates these divinely luscious slurpable gems.

As soon as I got into San Francisco, Vanessa swooped me up and we headed towards California and Polk for the Swan Oyster Depot. Jim told me about this place, and I'd been dying to go. This seafood joint has been around since 1912 (!), and opens at 8am, closes at 5:30pm- I'm guessing the odd hours is to cater to local fishermen for before or after their shift.
We got there around 12:30pm and there was already a long line out the door. It was a mixed bag of tourists and regulars- the regulars got special treatment and got to drink in line. I want to be a regular!

There's a fan above the doorway- bizarre but great.

All of the day's selection displayed in the window. Gorgeous! Look at all those colors. All the guys behind the counter would run back and forth when making your food.

The Depot literally is just one counter, seating maybe 20 people. No frills here, just a lot of history. Men old and young work behind the counter. They were all super knowledgeable about their seafood.
We waited maybe 30-40 minutes in line. Here's our guy- I think his name was Jeff??? Shame on me for not remembering- he was seriously the sweetest. He's been there for at least 20 years, which is awesome (on their postcard, they have a pic of him when he still had hair. Aw). He also had a huge crush on V, which meant he showered us with attention. We like that.

He put our purses behind the counter. Seems to be a ritual of sorts.
Alright, the meal. Er, feast. God we ordered too much... you may have noticed that I always over-order. People get really annoyed at me for doing this, but V is the perfect eating partner cause she eats as much as I do, and is experimental. Neither of us have any shame. That's my kinda girl.

"Jeff" really helped us construct our feast- we just gave him an idea of what we wanted, he suggested, we complied. No one should know what you should be eating better than the guy behind the counter (that goes for any place in general).

First up, OYSTERS! We got a dozen assorted (Drake's Bay, Kumamoto, Olympia, Miyagi). In practice, I will only eat west coast oysters- there's such a wide variety of flavors, sizes and textures just from up and down the coast, that is far superior to east coast oysters. I can't explain what it is, but I think it's the Pacific Soul.
Next- 1/2 dozen cherry stone clams. I love these cause they're chewy, juicy, and for their delightful fleshy colors. V was not a fan though.
We got a bowl of the clam chowder to share- it was literally so runny, we were confused. But seriously, this was one of the best clam chowders I've ever had. Basically water and clams, and maybe some butter and milk, but mostly just clam juice. It was surprisingly refreshing and flavorful.

Big bowl of oyster crackers- just dig your hands right in!
V wanted scallops, so scallops "Jeff" gave us. He offered them raw sashimi style, or lightly marinated with olive oil, capers and red onions. We opted for the latter. Here he is squeezing lemon over it.

It was such a nice looking dish- and the mushiness of the scallops were perfect with the crisp of the onions. Flavor explosion!

At this point, we were pretty stuffed- "Jeff" kept checking in with us, every time he came back he thought we would be done for sure. NO WAY. He was really good about pacing our meal. He raised his eyebrows when we told him we wanted to finish with the crab salad. And another beer please! They have Stella on tap!

Seriously best crab salad. Their louis dressing is crack in form of a chunky orange cream sauce. Look at these fat pieces of crab!!! It was unreal.
5 courses, 2 beers, 2 hours later, we finally gave up. We surrendered our gluttony-I was sad that it was over. But we had so much fun! Until poor V started having some issues... FYI- Barney's and Nordstrom downtown have really nice public bathrooms. Note to self- stop while you're ahead.

V- SORRY!!!! But don't ever stop eating with me!!!

Swan Oyster Depot
1517 Polk St.
(between California St. & Sacramento St.)
San Francisco, CA
T: 415.673.1101

View of the Bay Bridge on a gorgeous February day. The fog lifted for maybe an hour.

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California Soul: Naglee Park Garage (SJ)

Christi considers herself quite the rotisserie chicken connoisseur, and she had been raving about her discovery of "the best roasted chicken" for months. Naglee Park Garage is a cute little brick house (lots of house restaurants in SJ) near its namesake park, close to SJ State.


I would call this place old-school-garage-knick-knacky-cool. There's even a bike propped up high on the wall. Lots of locals coming through- the cool 30s set, lots of friends of the owner/chef, who is this hot young guy with his head wrapped in a red bandanna. It's just a fun atmosphere, a neighborhood spot where people can come and chat with each other and crack jokes- love that. They have outdoor seating too.

Started with a mug of Boont Amber Ale. Delish- check out the head! The brewery is in Boonville, north of SF.

We got three sides- the roasted brussel sprouts, sweet potato home fries, and the mac & cheese. Veggies in season, all excellent:

Mike got the duck confit with apricot compote- the apricots were perfect with the duck. Inspires me to start cooking with them too.

We got 2 of the marjoram rubbed 1/2 chickens- surprisingly flavorful all the way to the bone. Not fussy, just herbs and chicken. Simple, I like it:
Of course I ate all the skin. Is that bad? Christi and I had a huge debate about dark vs. white meat. I'm sorry, but white meat bores the hell out of me- it's usually dry and tasteless. I stopped getting chicken nuggets at McD's cause they only have the white meat now. BORING. Although it's probably better this way.

Oh, don't worry, we got not one, but two of their bread puddings.

Their homemade lightly whipped cream poured over the bread pudding was divine.

I have to say that the sides were hands down the most memorable part of the meal. You would think that roasting vegetables is easy, but very few places actually get it right. I'm looking forward to going back and trying all their other seasonal offerings- they've got seafood and ribs and peppercorn encrusted steak, all at affordable price points. I'm a fan of the Garage.

The Naglee Park Garage
505 East San Carlos St. @ 11th St.
San Jose, CA
T: 408.286.1100

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Fridgin' Out: Yoskay, Tessar and Nate

Alright folks, this post is to debunk your romantic notions of the starving artist. My brother's bff Yoskay is an awesome painter, living in a fat loft space in Japantown, LA, with fellow awesome artists Tessar and Nate. They all hustle hard so they can focus on their art as much as possible- good for them!

Anyway, here's what was in their fridge- even though they're on a tight budget, I am proud of them for taking care of themselves so well. My own fridge definitely isn't as well stocked as this one.

Filtered water! AND they also have a Brita. No tap water for these boys, no no. Grapefruit juice too, you know, for your vitamins.

TOFU! Almost too healthy.

2 huge packs of eggs- for the late night 5 egg omelets.

Yoskay has a great creation for these 99cent packs of udon noodles- instead of making a soup, he pan fries it. Pretty ingenius.

Brie!

Not one, but two big packs of miso. I guess one is Yoskay's and the other is Tessar's. They're asian, what can I say- gotta have your miso, apparently.

Chocolate dipped strawberries- WTF?? One of them (who shall remain nameless) had a lady friend over for Vday-- ohh la la. I hope he got some.

If anything, I know they're sleep deprived, not nutrition deprived. You boys gotta sleep!!

Yoskay's unfinished sculpture, holdin' down the fridge. Yoskay, I want that!

*What's in your fridge? Send pics to umamimart@gmail.com

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California Soul: Casa Vicky (SJ)

Jamie is always taunting me about these deep fried burritos he gets near his place in downtown San Jose- sounds like the best invention ever, right? (Second to a fried calamari sandwich). So of course he took me to his spot, Casa Vicky, when I got into SJ. It's literally a little house on the corner of the street. Very unassuming- you walk in, and it's just super casual, with a glass case filled with fresh baked goods, and another with take home tamales and lots of other goodies. You order up at the register- the walls are pink!


It's sorta hard to tell in this picture, but they have a tortilla machine! Yes, they make their tortillas in-house- Jamie says that he just gets a bag to go so he can make burritos at home. JEALOUS!

Alright so I had a hard time deciding what to get from their expansive, delicious-looking menu, but in the end, obviously I needed to try this infamous Dorado burrito (deep fried burrito). Of course I got it with pork. This came out- super boring looking, right?

WRONG!!! This burrito was SO EFFING GOOD. Like down and dirty good. Like crack good. Like I'm actually-going-to-do-this good: :-o. (You will NEVER see me do that, except on very special occasions.) But seriously, even this lame emoticon with its jaw dropped could never properly describe how good this burrito was.
I'm a real sauce person, so I needed to put lots of salsa on this- I guess my one request next time would be to get some red sauce or something with it. But the shredded pork (carnitas?), SO tender! Like you know it's been cooking for days, and it just fell off the bone. And it didn't taste too piggy despite the fact that it wasn't all spiced out. The pork was just top notch- definitely the highlight.

Jamie got this shredded chicken dish.

But enough about that- back to my burrito. You get super dirty eating this, I loved it. The burrito oozes with grease as soon as you bite in- I know it sounds nasty, but it was so heavenly! If you look really hard, you can see oil dripping off this thing. SO HOT.

The tortilla was delicious- I have a feeling it just tastes better fried like this. Important: the oil didn't taste all stale and used. If you're gonna bite into a greasefest, you want it to be fresh grease at least, right?

The aftermath: my hand was lined with grease- I felt so accomplished. Jamie says that he only eats this with a knife and fork. What's the fun in that?

The best thing about this burrito is that it was so damn SIMPLE! Homemade tortilla and perfectly cooked pork- just using the best ingredients and putting it together. That's it people! It ain't rocket science!

Dude seriously, if I were ever to have a wedding, or a quinceñera, Casa Vicky is so catering it. Couldn't you just imagine me in a tiara and pouffy purple quinceñera dress with greasy burrito oil stains all over it? Um, I'm 12 years expired, but I think we should still do it.

Casa Vicky
792 E. Julian St. at 17th St.
San Jose, CA
T: 408.995.5488

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The Umami Reader, vol.013: MSG is Sexy

Photo (c) The New York Times

Props to my girl Julia Moskin over at the NY Times Dining section for today's cover story about MSG. It's a thorough, well investigated, succinct update on the forms MSG has taken in our globalized, contemporary fast food world. Read it!

Of course, you can't talk MSG without talking UMAMI. MSG was invented in Japan in the early 1900s on the principal of umami, or "glutamates". As the article reveals, umami is a tricky subject, having sustained an endless, heated debate in the nutrition and food science industries. One university lady says, "All this umami stuff is just marketing". I don't agree with that, but I can see how frustrating the idea of umami can be for these food scientists.

Really, umami is more of a concept. My dad, a professional chef, even has a difficult time explaining umami to me. People say "roundness", "meatiness" or "savoriness", but c'mon, what does that even mean?

Moskin says, "Although umami is only a bit player in Japanese cuisine, reams of breathless prose have been produced here on this elusive fifth taste, which is supposedly linked to the profoundly pure, deep sea flavors of kelp and dried tuna."

I gotta give it to her- this is a pretty insightful statement. To sound absolutely hokey, umami is something like poetry. BUT, she trips up when she says that it's only a "bit player in Japanese cuisine"-- I could write a dissertation on how the concept of this elusive umami is a metaphor for Japanese culture in general. One word people: SUBTLETY!!! The subtlety of the flavors of dashi (broth), which is basically water boiled with kelp or dried bonito or shiitake mushrooms creates a foundation of flavor that is so slight, so subtle, but is absolutely the basis of Japanese food.

Japanese culture is based on this subtlety- you communicate feelings and thoughts without overt, obvious actions or words. Call it Zen, whatever you want, but it is what it is. (I say this completely removed from Japanese culture, cause I'm totally the opposite of subtle.)

In conclusion, I would just like to say that I named this blog Umami Mart on the idea that umami exists in all foods, not just Japanese cuisine. It's just a happy feeling that you get eating carne asada, tom yum, an In-n-Out burger. Why else would we eat?

According to the article, MSG is in anything in the world now from your Doritos, salad dressing to bouillon cubes. MSG transformed umami into a substantial, real entity- it ain't just poetry anymore! Your lips might get tingly, but c'mon, that is so sexy.

Related topics:
* Eat, Drink and Be Merry's post on the world of Maggi sauces- awesome post

* My pop's spicy tuna roll, the best EVER (no joke), wouldn't be what it is without the wondrous Kewpie mayonnaise (above picture, dead center). Thank god for mayo in a tube.

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California Soul: Osteria Mozza (LA)

I'm sorta embarrassed to admit it, but seems that I have a Mario Batali obsession. But let me preface this entry by saying that we weren't even supposed to go to Mozza- we had reservations at Campanile, but my flight got in too late so we had to cancel. Sara said they were being buttholes about canceling- we're not down with that.

So in the past 6 months, I've been to Lupa, Babbo, and I made it to his newest LA haunt, Osteria Mozza with Sara last week. It was, I have to say, a very good meal. I would put Mozza between Lupa and Babbo-- it's more casual than Babbo, in both the atmosphere and the food, and I'm keeping Babbo at the top since it's the original (need to respect that). That said, we had a well-rounded, well-proportioned meal, and excellent martinis.

Amuse-bouche on the house: ricotta and tapenade bruchetta with slivers of basil. The ricotta was delish.

Had no fucking clue this was going to be a bruschetta, as the mozzarella menu (yes, they have a mozzarella bar!) just said "burrata, bacon and escarole". They conveniently left out "on bread", which made this a bit heavy. And the burrata was so creamy and mouthmelting that all the other stuff was a bit excessive. But that's carmelized onions on top- can't say no to that.

Dish of the night: Grilled octopus with chives and potatoes. The octopus... so soft... no chewing involved! And the char from the grill- so perfect! And the potats... it all went together so well.
Presentation wise, the dish kinda looks like the sweetbreads I had at Babbo, doesn't it?

Here it is deconstructed:

Francobolli di Brasato: stamp-shaped ravioli filled with braised beef and thyme. This was absolutely delicious- the beef was super tender, almost mushy (in a good way), and the sauce was soupy, almost gelatinous, like bone marrow almost.

Sara got the mezzaluna ravioli filled with pumpkin. The pic was too bad so I won't post it, but it was so sweet with its hints of cinnamon and spices.

Interior shots: high ceilings, classic fixtures, a long bar for eating and drinking:

One side of the dining room, with walls filled with wine.

The restaurant is on a pretty busy intersection on Melrose, so the windows overlook a gas station and a shopping center across the street. No romance here. Sorta wished they frosted the windows, but I guess they're just keeping it real.

I think that Mozza is a nice addition to the LA food scene, in that they've established their brand here that's unique to LA- with the huge space, and partnership with La Brea Bakery's Nancy Silverton. Can't get that in NY, that's for sure.

For nicer pictures, please visit Eat, Drink and Be Merry's post on Mozza.

Osteria Mozza
6602 Melrose Ave.
LA, CA
323.297.0100

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California Soul: Park's BBQ (LA)

Can't go to LA and not go to Koreatown. Best Korean food ever, and it's a trip down memory lane for me, cause that's where we lived for 4 years when my family first moved to the States.

On my friend Jim's recommendation, Keisuke, Yoskay and I went to Park's on Vermont. It was late in the afternoon so we missed the lunch rush- the place was virtually empty. Lined with stainless steel hoods above each table, the ceiling beams here were covered with pictures of the owner with K-Pop stars. Nice.
Yoskay and I were sickly, so we got a bunch of soups. Also, we didn't want to stink of beef, garlic and smoke for the rest of the day, so sadly, we opted out of barbequing. All the dishes were written in Korean, with only the descriptions in English, so I don't know the names of most these dishes. SORRY.

Assorted banchan. The yellow radishes on the top right corner was very takuan-like (Japanese pickled daikon)- but a little sweeter. The jalapeño peppers were refreshing:

Not too spicy kimchee- very good. You can tell how legit a Korean joint is by their kimchee
Daikon kimchee- my fave:

Seafood pajeon- crispy on the outside, just barely cooked on the inside. One of the best pajeons I've ever had, no joke.

Kalbi "stew"- with noodles, enoki mushrooms, napa cabbage, and onions. Simple, flavorful and filling.

Yoskay's super duper spicy kimchee noodle soup with tofu and veggies. He claims he was able to sweat out his cold with this. His whole mouth was red after eating, it was hilarious.
My bro's spicy kalbi noodle soup with tofu and potatoes. Genius- the potats were so comforting.
The lunch special, a pork kimchee stew. Only $5!!! The pork just melted in my mouth.
Yongsusan across the street- Sonja went to the one in Seoul a few months back.

Stopped off at Renzo Piano's new design for the Broad contemporary art collection at LACMA. Here's a Chris Burden installation out front which was super neat.
Even though we didn't end up bbqing, at the end of the day Sara still asked me, "did you eat garlic today?" Knew we should've just bbqed.

Park's BBQ
955 S. Vermont Ave.
LA, CA
213.380.1717

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California Soul: Hot Date with Oishii Eats (LA)

In LA, I was finally able to meet up with my personal favorite food blogger, Oishii Eats aka Jeni (I hope her name isn't a secret). I'm embarrassed to say, but in the overcrowded sea of food blogs, OE is the only one that I consistently keep up with- it's totally unpretentious, easy to navigate, and the pictures are always stellar. She's been doing it for 2 years now, alongside her job as a 2nd grade teacher. Cute!

Before our big first date, Jeni suggested I walk to Scoops, an ice cream parlor that she had written about a year ago. I remembered this post, so I started my trek from Sara's in Silverlake to Scoops.


The ice cream here deserves all the hype-- it's all homemade, very unique flavors, and the texture was like nothing I had ever tasted before. It's gelato style in it's creaminess but also airy, even lighter than sorbet. Bizarre, right? It's so hard to explain! Fantastical flavors include blueberry/coconut, pistachio/lemon, vegan strawberry/balsamic, chai and horchata. Scoops definitely pushes the limits of ice cream flavors.


I got the strawberry/jasmine and jackfruit/kiwi sorbet. Flavor explosion!!! I really loved the jasmine flavor- subtle and refreshing. Pretty ingenious to pair that with the strawberry.


Seems that they're known for their vegan line- there's a vegan restaurant across the street, so there were lots of people leaving the restaurant who came over for ice cream.


The Super Scoops Spoon pseudo Calder-mobile!
From here, Jeni picked me up- even though this was our first date, it was as though we had known each other forever, so it was weirdly normal and casual. Like "Hey Jeni, what's up, take me to tacos pronto."

We drove a little ways (a few blocks) to the best fish taco. Like literally, the place is called "Best Fish Taco in Ensenada". Kinda weird, but pretty awesome that this dude would name his joint simply "Best Fish Taco".

This place opened less than a year ago, in a shared lot with an auto mechanic. So my style! The place is super mellow, with seating inside, as well as picnic tables out front. Thank god for the umbrellas- you know, just another scorching day in February. Jeni confessed that she's addicted and comes here for her fix at least twice a week.

Dude (seriously, the guy sorta reminded me of The Dude) only has 2 items on the menu: fish tacos for $1.50 and shrimp tacos for $2. Sweet deal.

We got one of each, and horchatas. I guess the dude has a rule about only ordering one taco at a time, so they don't get soggy. Good lookin out. The fish and shrimps are breaded and fried- Jeni asks for the totillas doradas, so the totillas are crispy.

After you get your tacos, served on square styrofoam plates (like when you buy meat at the grocery store), you go to the salsa bar, where there's mango salsa, pineapple salsa, spicy, mild, a bowl of cabbage, and as Jeni yelled, "Don't forget the cream stuff". I didn't.

These tacos were THA BOMB. No other real way to describe them. It's so magical that something as simple as fried shrimp and fish wrapped in a flour tortilla could taste so damn good! The crunch of the batter, the moist, tender heat of the fish and shrimps, the crisp from the cabbage... I could go on and on here.


Fresh horchata!
I'm a total pig and I went in for another shrimp taco. I took my plate with me, cause they encourage you to reuse for Round II. You probably don't care to see my half-eaten taco, but I can't not share this heavenly bite:

Can't vouch for Ensenada, but these fish tacos could very well be a major contender in the fish taco race of LA. If I lived in LA, there is no doubt Jeni and I would meet here everyday for a little afternoon delight (sky rockets in flight).

Scoops
712 N Heliotrope Dr.
LA, CA
323.906.2649

Best Fish Taco in Ensenada
1650 N. Hillhurst Ave.
LA, CA

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