It's like the mothership has called me home...

[dragon]

Folks! Most awesome news! Two of my bestest budz in the whole-wide world are opening a Japanese restaurant! They're calling it "Aka" or "Red" in Japanese.

Both of them are designers by trade, so, all their promotional stuffs and interior design are cooler'n a june bug sippin' on a dew drop.

Check it: www.akasushi.net

Now, here's the kicker! They asked me if I could rewrite and jazz up the wording in their menu for them...(I've been glued to the food channel ever since, trying to pick up words like "succulent", "dollop", "morsels", etc.)

So anywayz...we were discussing the menu with the chef, who they scouted and snagged away from some other restaurant in Atlanta. His English wasn't all that good, so they felt it a necessaryfor me to be there for the staff menu tasting! I get first taste on ALL dishes, 'cuz they want me to see and take pix of its presentation to help me with writing the menu.

I haven't the slightest as to what karmic good deed I may have performed in a past life that has allowed this good fortune graced upon me presently...but, I plan to take full advantage of it, without reserve.

So, stay tuned for pix folks!

Ooh! If anyone knows of an online source that may have the culinary descriptives that I need to spice up the wording of their menu, then please forward it to me. Thanks!

[ric]

Food network site


Or just think of SEX and ALL of adjectives that goes along with art of seduction


sidenote:

HAHAHA :!:

This is my 666 th post here :!: :twisted:

[awong]

I gotta use this for this thread
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/aw614/postpics.gif

[.vhg//ALITA]

I gotta use this for this thread
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/aw614/postpics.gif

I concur. *cough* I DEMAND FOOD PORN OF THE FOOD YOU'RE GOING TO SAMPLE.

[dragon]

Hold the frig' up people! Obviously, I have to attend the food tasting first before I can post pics. And, that should be forthcoming in the next week or so.

This guy better impress me, 'cuz I'm hyping the shit out of him on the menu...If it doesn't, I might have to tone things down a bit. Instead of "Savory Morsels", I'd be like, "Meaty Clumps" :lol:

[dragon]

I gotta use this for this thread
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/aw614/postpics.gif

Don't make me slap you, youngblood! :evil:

[ellencho]

Is this a high-end place? Or is it a casual dining type or family place?

A good place to look for food adjectives would be the nytimes dining out section.

[dragon]

Is this a high-end place? Or is it a casual dining type or family place?

A good place to look for food adjectives would be the nytimes dining out section.

Hello, Ellen of the Magical Skillet.

It's a high-end place. 6 strips of Kobe beef cooked on a hot, table-top river-rock is $30

Thanks for the info...I'll check the nytimes. Appreciate it! :wink:

[vsoy]

I gotta use this for this thread
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/aw614/postpics.gif

I concur. *cough* I DEMAND FOOD PORN OF THE FOOD YOU'RE GOING TO SAMPLE.

*cough* I think you need research assistants.

[dragon]

I gotta use this for this thread
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/aw614/postpics.gif

I concur. *cough* I DEMAND FOOD PORN OF THE FOOD YOU'RE GOING TO SAMPLE.

*cough* I think you need research assistants.

Well, c'mon down! It's only a hop-skip-and-a-jump from Kansas to Texas.

[.vhg//ALITA]

unfortunately I live out in Cali and awong's in Florida, so I doubt this'll happen =(

le sigh. haha.

[seoulbrotherno1]

Hey Brah,

I might be down in Hawaii in July, so we'll definitely have to meet up! (Your friend's restaurant sounds like a good spot!)

The restaurant business is demanding, cut-throat and thankless. I think that it'll be especially difficult to make things happen in Hawaii. Best of luck them though.

BTW: Where you go for grinds in Hawaii? I used to like the Kakaako Kitchen before they moved, and I Love Country Kitchen was always a favorite too (can't beat their Ahi Katsu / Teri Chicken plate). L&L's was good simply because of the gross quantities of chicken katsu curry that they provided. There were spots near Ala Moana for good Corean food (sun du bu and naeng myeon), and Chinatown was the place for Vietnamese! On the higher end, Sam Choi's (the one on Nimitz -the other joint was way too expensive) was always good for birthdays, and my friends and I even splurged at a really nice Japanese fusion place out in Hawaii Kai once (how come I can't remember the name?) Also, I heard it closed :( , but Cafe Monserrat had the craziest fusion menu I ever saw. "Asian / Jamaican Tapas." It was hella good! Plus, I would roll into C&C Pasta Factory in Waialae every now and again (right by Wilhemina) for some fantastic home-make pasta and sauce. They used to make their own buffulo mozzarella right there in the store. It was soooo good!

Damn, now I am hungry!

sb1

[dragon]

Hey Brah,

I might be down in Hawaii in July, so we'll definitely have to meet up! (Your friend's restaurant sounds like a good spot!)

The restaurant business is demanding, cut-throat and thankless. I think that it'll be especially difficult to make things happen in Hawaii. Best of luck them though.

BTW: Where you go for grinds in Hawaii? I used to like the Kakaako Kitchen before they moved, and I Love Country Kitchen was always a favorite too (can't beat their Ahi Katsu / Teri Chicken plate). L&L's was good simply because of the gross quantities of chicken katsu curry that they provided. There were spots near Ala Moana for good Corean food (sun du bu and naeng myeon), and Chinatown was the place for Vietnamese! On the higher end, Sam Choi's (the one on Nimitz -the other joint was way too expensive) was always good for birthdays, and my friends and I even splurged at a really nice Japanese fusion place out in Hawaii Kai once (how come I can't remember the name?) Also, I heard it closed :( , but Cafe Monserrat had the craziest fusion menu I ever saw. "Asian / Jamaican Tapas." It was hella good! Plus, I would roll into C&C Pasta Factory in Waialae every now and again (right by Wilhemina) for some fantastic home-make pasta and sauce. They used to make their own buffulo mozzarella right there in the store. It was soooo good!

Damn, now I am hungry!

sb1

Auwe! I'm no longer on da islandz brada. I'm in Houston-by-gawd-Texas now, so I no can know what place stay good fo' da kine grindz, ah?

But, whenevahz you come down Houston side...give me one hollah and we go grindz fo' realz.

[dragon]

Alright! I'm finally done with the menu writin'...took us a week, with me up till like 3:30 sometimes for chrissakes! Too many heads in the room, you know how it is...

Well, here're some of the pix as promised...

The description below is what I wrote for their menu.

Zaru Soba
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v14/dragonlord/Aka/ZaruSoba.jpg
"From Shinshu, Japan. Mountain-grown buckwheat noodles served cold with special shiitake-accented tsuke-men sauce."

Unagi-Ju Zen
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v14/dragonlord/Aka/Unagi-JuZen.jpg
"Unagi served with a tabletop charcoal brazier, or personal grill, accompanied with steamed rice pearls."

Tsukuni Skewers
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v14/dragonlord/Aka/TsukuneSkewers.jpg
"Kashiwa fowl, green onion, yellow onion and garlic, minced, pressed and served on skewers."

Aka's Toro Seki Saba Sushi Roll
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v14/dragonlord/Aka/ToroSekiSaba.jpg
"Exceptional mackerel harvested from the Seki channel between Kyushu and Shikoku, Japan, a citrus-marinated saba, crab meat, fatty tuna and cucumber rolled with minced shiso leaf."

Wine Gelatin <--- This shit is off-the-friggin'-hook good!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v14/dragonlord/Aka/WineGelatin.jpg
"Heavenly gems of aromatic wine gelatin made from fine Japanese Kudzu, arrowroot and grape juice."

That should be enough to whet your appetite for now. I'll add more later on. :wink:

[ellencho]

Wow cool pics. The gelatin looks especially interesting. Nice job on the description blurbs.

Which was your favorite dish?

[dragon]

Wow cool pics. The gelatin looks especially interesting. Nice job on the description blurbs.

Which was your favorite dish?

Well, that's the thing, ellen. Mine's isn't a refined palate. I don't know what should taste good or bad when it comes to fancy stuff. I'm a real meat and potatoes guy, y'know? So, all this stuff was like a most extraordinary and enjoyable departure from my usual fare.

I was like in heaven with every bite of every dish. My camera just doesn't do them justice. The presentation could've been a bit better, but, Chef Koyama only made these dishes for the tasting, so I'll let it slide. :wink:

One dish, that was most memorable (of those I posted above), was definitely the Wine Gelatin. That was soooo friggin' awesome and addicting!

And, the Beef Sashimi was softer'n marshmallows in hot chocolate. Would've made for some good beer food, I tells ya!

[vsoy]

The tabletop brazier is the cutest thing. Does it really cook the food or just keeps it warm? The fowl skewers look yummy, any dipping sauce? And the wine gelatin looks awesome, I really like the clear stripe look of the gelatin contrasting against the opaque dish. What kind of wine is used or is it grape juice?

The presentation of the food is just delightful. Your descriptions help those who are not familiar with Japanese cuisine decipher what is in the dish and where it's from/style.

*looks into airfare to Houston*

[dragon]

Hi, Vsoy!

The tabletop brazier is the cutest thing. Does it really cook the food or just keeps it warm?

Aboslutely! They put these little bitty Japanese charcoals in them and it sears the meat right there at your table. Although, they decided it would be better if they pre-cooked the eel a bit in the kitchen first...just in case the customer doesn't cook it all the way and gets sick, y'know? I totally agreed with them on that.

The fowl skewers look yummy, any dipping sauce?

I don't remember a dipping sauce for the Tsukune Skewers. They were already very well seasoned, so you didn't really need a dipping sauce. But, I know what you're saying...If I were in a Viet restaurant, I'd make me a little thing of Sriracha and Hoisin on the side for dipping...and beer..lotsa, lotsa beer.

And the wine gelatin looks awesome, I really like the clear stripe look of the gelatin contrasting against the opaque dish. What kind of wine is used or is it grape juice?

They use a Japanese wine called "Kudzu" (I always thought it was the name of a comic strip). This dessert is soooo good! Most everyone there was Asian, and you know how it's proper etiquette to leave some behind, lest folks think you're a pig 'n stuff? Well, that didn't happen here...this shiznitz was gone quick!

The presentation of the food is just delightful. Your descriptions help those who are not familiar with Japanese cuisine decipher what is in the dish and where it's from/style.

*looks into airfare to Houston*

Thank you, sooooo much, Vsoy! You have no idea how much I appreciated that...I put in a lotta time with this menu.

Initially, I had to write without seeing the dishes, so I didn't have anything to go by except for some scramble-dee-doo-doo that Chef Koyama had written.

Here's an example:

Old:
Shioyaki Saba
Japanese elegant seki toro saba is the queen of autumn, here Japanese sea salted oven grilled served on purely washed gravel with Rocky Mountain River.

WTF?!!! :shock:

New:
Shioyaki Saba
Autumn tides from Japan produced these prized Seki Toro Saba, carefully oven-grilled with sea salt and served on a bed of warm river rocks.

See what I had to deal with? :?

[dragon]

Here's some more:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v14/dragonlord/Aka/ToriNegiMiso.jpg
Tori Negi Miso
Succulent chicken Momo Niku thigh smothered with a lustrous miso sauce.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v14/dragonlord/Aka/PankoHasamiKatsu.jpg
Breaded Panko Hasami Katsu
Tender chicken breast stuffed with mint-tinged shiso leaf-miso gravy.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v14/dragonlord/Aka/Odamaki.jpg
Odamaki
Thick udon noodles from Takamatsu city, capital of Kagawa prefecture, with shrimp, chicken, gingko nuts, shiitake and soft scrambled eggs. Slowly steamed and served Chawan-Mushi style.
(^ This is soooo good! Imagine cozying up with a hot bowl of this on a cold winter's morn)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v14/dragonlord/Aka/IkaSomenStrands.jpg
Ika Somen Strands
Sashimi style, primly cut calamari slenders from Aomori, Japan.
(^ two words - Beer Food!!!)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v14/dragonlord/Aka/HouseHiyayakko.jpg
House Hiyayakko
Chilled, low-cholesterol silken vegetable tofu, topped with bonito flakes, momiji oroshi, green onions and ginger, served with a zesty lemon soy sauce.

[ellencho]

Nice pics dragon. I love nearly anything katsu. There's a place in midtown Manhattan that specializes in donkatsu (pork) called Katsuhama. Their cutlets are the perfect thickness and they shred their cabbage really finely.

[dragon]

Nice pics dragon. I love nearly anything katsu. There's a place in midtown Manhattan that specializes in donkatsu (pork) called Katsuhama. Their cutlets are the perfect thickness and they shred their cabbage really finely.

Thanks, Ellen! Folks at the tasting thought that I was taking pix for use in printed material, so they were all like, "Move, move, he's taking a picture" I'm like, "Nah, these are for my references only...please resume whatever it is you're doing."

But, the katsu was excellent! So, crispy and he stuffed it with this miso paste too!...mmmmm!