Japanese
Haru sushi: Date Night!
Haru
My husband and I had the pleasure of trying the Restaurant Week menu at Haru Sushi in Gramercy. From the moment we walked in, we knew we were in for the perfect end to a long work day. There was something about the soothing entryway waterfall and dark-lit space that made us instantly shed our frenetic Friday energy and finally take a deep breath.
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The food helped too. It was beautifully presented and carefully served. We loved the luxurious tuna tataki salad with delicious avocado slices; the fish was lightly seared and full of flavor.
Tuna tataki
Steamed dumplings
My Date with Iron Chef Morimoto (Aka a party I attended which he also attended)
Chef Morimoto
There’s no place quite like the multi-purposed Tribeca Cinemas to have a party, especially when Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto is in the house.
Tribeca Cinema
I had the pleasure to join the lovely people at Kikkoman for a celebratory event, which featured a showing of their new Make Haste Slowly documentary—directed by the Academy Award Nominated Lucy Walker—and a menu by Iron Chef Morimoto which showcased Kikkoman sauces. I had never tasted Chef Morimoto’s food before, and was curious it if would live up to the hype. For any of you who have been to his restaurants, you know: it’s not hype, it’s fact.
Soba noodles' humble beginnings
Zengo in Midtown East
I gotta admit, when I first heard of Zengo, I didn’t think it’d be so great (the name doesn’t lend itself much to first impressions). That and its dank location (40th and 3rd…I just think…suits…and…buildings…and…and yeah that’s also the first time I ever used “dank” on this blog). Plus the outside pretty much looking like a giant misplaced club made me a little dubious. But walk inside, and you’ll begin to realize all that is misleading (claustrophobics rejoice, this place is huge).
Zengo
Zengo
Tatsu Sushi Bar in Chicago
Fried calamari
As some of you may know, I’m not big on sushi. I don’t hate it, I will occasionally order it…I’m just not a big sushi buff. I’ve definitely had good sushi before, but I guess my ambivalence makes sense because I’m generally not very big on seafood. But here’s the other thing about sushi– it’s like eight bites. Some people can get full on eight bites, and others are…like me? Anyway, I just don’t really have ’sushi cravings’ or whatever. I tried to explain to this to my sister who LOVES sushi.
“SO…you don’t like sushi?”
“No, it’s not that I don’t like it…I just never crave it.”
“SO…you don’t like sushi?”
She can do this for hours. I think she eventually went on this “Let me convince Shyema to like sushi” thing because the last time I was in Chicago, she said once I eat Tatsu, I’ll have a different opinion. And when you go to Tatsu, apparently the thing to order is the crispy shrimp.
Crispy Shrimp sushi
The Top 15 foods I miss at U of I
The Quad at U of I Photo Credit: UIUC.edu
This post is going to be really fat of me. But remember I mentioned that there were so many dishes I missed from my college days at UIUC? Well, I wasn’t kidding when I said I was going to compile them in a list. I think it’s also where my interest in food heightened since there were so many options (I have my fat pictures to prove it…you’ll probably never see them though). I’m not sure if all of these are even standing still, but regardless:
15. Coffee filet steak from Radio Maria. One of those hidden gems in Champaign that created unusual combinations with common food. Hence, the coffee steak.
Koi Holiday Gift Drive
Koi New York, the Japanese restaurant known for signature dishes like Crispy Rice Topped with Spicy Tuna, is in the giving spirit this season. Starting this Friday, December 10th, the Bryant Park Hotel’s popular dining spot is giving customers a complimentary sake, champagne, or cocktail of choice for every unwrapped children’s book or toy donated to them ($10 minimum value). All toys and books will be donated to the Today Show Toy Drive, benefitting needy families all over the United States.
