Furikake crumb, togarashi sprinkle, yuzu mayo. $19 NZD
Oyster & Chop, Auckland NZ
Wow, this was probably one of the best calamari dishes I’ve had! The squid was super tender, the breading was delicious, and it was perfectly fried. Combine that with the Japanese flavors and you have a winning plate!
Bulgogi vinaigrette, ‘siracha’, celery, yuzu, satsuma. $17
1760, San Francisco CA
Hmm, this was a pretty new and inventive dish for me, but did it really work? I’d say no for several reasons. I don’t think all the flavors worked in harmony. The bulgogi flavor with citrus from the satsuma and yuzu along with sriracha and creeping rosemary really didn’t do it for me. There was too many strong, competing flavors so it each bite was confusing. There was also very little hamachi on the plate. The rosemary and and celery ribs were also stringy and unpleasant to chew through. (And they misspelled ‘siracha’ on their menu.)
Yerba Buena Park.
Local beets, citrus, garlic Israeli cous cous, lilikoi, yuzu kocho glaze. $36
Roy’s, Waikoloa HI
Mmm, this was SO good! I didn’t like a lot of things at Roy’s, but these sea scallops were delicious!
Edamame. Complimentary
Sunset along Queen Kaahumanu Highway.
Clean and refreshing. Salt base ramen with Japanese yuzu citrus pepper, mizuna greens, pork and chicken stock. A slow cooked traditional Japanese style ramen. Topped with beautifully braised pork (cha-shu), nori, “onsen” soft boiled egg and assorted veggies. Home style noodles with imported flour from Hokkaido. $11
Ken Ken Ramen, San Francisco CA
Um, I’m not sure that I liked this. I always equate ramen with dark, rich, warm, savory, comforting flavors. The yuzu and mizuna gave this soup such a bright citrusy-y flavor that it seemed odd to me for ramen.
Purple bougainvillea flowers (Nyctaginaceae), 24th Street. This is a popular garden plant in San Francisco! We even have a large one in our back yard.
Salmon, jalapeno, shiso leaf, fresh melted mozzarella, crispy onion. $14
SUSHISAMBA, Las Vegas NV
This was a fun sushi roll with lots of textures. I’ve never had a roll with melted fresh mozzarella before so that was different. It was warm and creamy and the fried onions gave it more flavor and crunch. I think the sauce was sriracha based and spicy. Very good!
Soy sauce.
A Samba signature cocktail – Svedka clementine vodka, yuzu juice, simple syrup, grenadine, sugared rim, lemon slice. $12
SUSHISAMBA, Las Vegas NV
I liked the flavor of this cocktail and I thought that the chipped ice was fun, but there is WAY too much sugar on that rim! It made the drink way too sweet and difficult to taste anything else. Sweet lady bartender though!
Project 365: Day 69
Omg, I’m leaving for my trip tonight! We’re taking a red-eye to IAD then connecting to SJU. Puerto Rico here we come!
Grilled chicken thighs with yuzu kosho (usually a condiment of chili pepper, yuzu peel and salt). $5
Hecho, San Francisco
Five dollars for this small skewer – a rip off!
Savory squid with a delicous chorizo filling, Allstar Organics wax beans, yuzu vinaigrette and lemon.
Eos Restaurant & Wine Bar, San Francisco
Whenever I see chorizo on a menu, I immediately assume that the dish will be heavy and greasy. Not so! This dish was so light and refreshing from the yuzu vinaigrette and lemon. The bicolored wax beans also added brightness, and the chorizo filling wasn’t at all dense or heavy. This dish is a winner in my book!
At first glance, the amount of beef tartare seems pretty small in this dish, but between the buttery brioche, quail egg, and rich sauce the small amount is plenty for an appetizer.
Vittle Monster 