One of my favorite styles of eating is the all you can eat sushi experience. Its not necessarily a new phenomenon or craze per se, but its now new to Milwaukee which I'm quite thrilled about. I recently discovered a restaurant on the east side called Fushimi. It just opened in January and I have so frequented twice already. Lunch, which I've only had, is pretty inexpensive at around $12.95 and dinner is $20.95 or $23.95 depending on the night. They have crab legs on the weekend, or so I've been told. Both times I've been there for lunch have been very satisfying and I definitely got my money's worth.
There are generally two types of all you can eat sushi places. First is the all out buffet. Those places, at least in my experience, at just an all out free for all. You just eat, eat, and eat with no rhyme or reason. You just herded into the lines and back to your table. The second type is the made to order sushi place. You can order from the menu and they make your sushi, rolls, sashimi, etc. to order. A great place in Chicago, by the way, is Hiro's Café in Lakeview. I'm especially fond of that place because it was all you can eat, everything, except for dessert. Meaning, you could order entrees or appetizers like gyoza, edamame and more. The caveat with those places, as well as with Fushimi, is that you have to finish everything you order. They could theoretically place a surcharge on excessive waste. Fushimi, is a hybrid, its part buffet and part made to order sushi, an excellent combination.
The difference between lunch and dinner aside from the price and crab legs is a slightly more expanded list of 'special' rolls, i.e. dragon, rainbow, etc., and you can order sashimi (just slices of fish with out the rice). Rice is the major filler when eating sushi. That and of course, all of the filler at the 'hot' bar like miso soup, salad, fried rice, etc. That being said, the food is all in all excellent and for us Asian, more importantly, its an excellent value. Bonus points to Fushimi for having a very nice hip, and clean décor. Now if Milwaukee could only get a Korean BBQ restaurant....
http://www.fushimi88.com
Monday, April 8, 2013
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Cooking with Lucia - Roasted Chicken
I've never roasted a chicken before (although for many years I never owned a roasting pan), so I figured now would be the time. To prep, start with large bowl and mix together white pepper, a little bit of oil, soy (light and dark if you have it), sugar, a bit of brandy or cooking wine, about an inch worth of cut up ginger (squeeze into the bowl), and finally oyster sauce (optional).
Now to start on the chicken. We had one that was between 4-5 LBs. First thing you need to do is reach in and pull out the excess fat and guts and all of that fun jazz. Do it from both ends. Cut off any excess fat that you see. Then bathe it in the mixture (insides also) that you've prepped. Let that marinate for at least an hour and turn it midway through.
Preheat the over to 350.
Stuff the insides with some larger pieces of ginger and green onions.
Place the chicken (drumsticks up) on the roasting pan and put it in the oven. Then its a waiting game for the most part. About every half hour, flip the chicken. It should take about an hour and a half, maybe 2. Near the end, with about 15 - 30 min left, you can brush the chicken with honey if so desired to give it a darker hue and make it a bit more crispy. You can also, turn the broiler on near the end to get desired crispiness as well. Finally, to check 'doneness,' poke into the drumstick. If its bloody, its not done.
All in all, an easier process than expected. However, my cutting of the chicken was a disaster. I may have to revisit that later on in this blog.
Now to start on the chicken. We had one that was between 4-5 LBs. First thing you need to do is reach in and pull out the excess fat and guts and all of that fun jazz. Do it from both ends. Cut off any excess fat that you see. Then bathe it in the mixture (insides also) that you've prepped. Let that marinate for at least an hour and turn it midway through.
Preheat the over to 350.
Stuff the insides with some larger pieces of ginger and green onions.
Place the chicken (drumsticks up) on the roasting pan and put it in the oven. Then its a waiting game for the most part. About every half hour, flip the chicken. It should take about an hour and a half, maybe 2. Near the end, with about 15 - 30 min left, you can brush the chicken with honey if so desired to give it a darker hue and make it a bit more crispy. You can also, turn the broiler on near the end to get desired crispiness as well. Finally, to check 'doneness,' poke into the drumstick. If its bloody, its not done.
All in all, an easier process than expected. However, my cutting of the chicken was a disaster. I may have to revisit that later on in this blog.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Cooking with Lucia - Beef Broth
Now that I'm home, I've decided to make a concerted effort to learn to cook more things. I already like to cook and do most of the cooking for Kelly and I, but there are certain things I've never made and want to try to make them. Since my mom is an awesome cook, I figure now is the time to take advantage of her expertise. I'm attempting to make this a weekly ritual and gain more cooking knowledge.
My first cooking episode was last week. I wanted to start with just basic beef broth. I've already screwed this up when trying to make pho, so I thought I'd give it another try.
What you'll need:
Large pot
Beef bones (we used beef shank)
Ginger
Salt
We start with the beef. We started w/between 4 - 5 lbs. of beef shank. Oxtail was also considered (I've heard that is a better, but more expensive choice), but ultimately decided on the shank. To start out, fill and heat a large pot of water and heat on high until boiling. While waiting for the water, you need to trim the outer fat layer from the shank. When boiling, put the beef in the pot and cover again. Also, cut up some ginger and add it to the pot. The ginger is used as a clarifying agent. After a few minutes, you can start skimming the fat from the top with a ladle. After the first skimming, lower the heat, but keep it covered. Skimming is something you'll have to do periodically throughout. The whole process should take around 3 hours. Near the end, salt to taste and strain. Put it in your fridge or freeze it and use it at your convenience.
For a cleaner/clearer broth, after boiling at the beginning for a few moments, strain meat and ginger and rinse. You can boil this in just a little water. Then take the meat/ginger and put into a large boiling pot of water and continue as you would normally.
My first cooking episode was last week. I wanted to start with just basic beef broth. I've already screwed this up when trying to make pho, so I thought I'd give it another try.
What you'll need:
Large pot
Beef bones (we used beef shank)
Ginger
Salt
We start with the beef. We started w/between 4 - 5 lbs. of beef shank. Oxtail was also considered (I've heard that is a better, but more expensive choice), but ultimately decided on the shank. To start out, fill and heat a large pot of water and heat on high until boiling. While waiting for the water, you need to trim the outer fat layer from the shank. When boiling, put the beef in the pot and cover again. Also, cut up some ginger and add it to the pot. The ginger is used as a clarifying agent. After a few minutes, you can start skimming the fat from the top with a ladle. After the first skimming, lower the heat, but keep it covered. Skimming is something you'll have to do periodically throughout. The whole process should take around 3 hours. Near the end, salt to taste and strain. Put it in your fridge or freeze it and use it at your convenience.
For a cleaner/clearer broth, after boiling at the beginning for a few moments, strain meat and ginger and rinse. You can boil this in just a little water. Then take the meat/ginger and put into a large boiling pot of water and continue as you would normally.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Secret Menu cont'd
We went to Fortune this past Easter. There is where I was able to confirm the 2 menus. The green menu is only in English. The orange menu is in both English and Chinese. I didn't get a real good look at either menu, so was unable to see if there are 'secret' items in the orange menu. I was actually somewhat surprised that the orange menu even had English on it at all. I'll have to get a closer look next time and/or just aska waittress there so that I can confirm.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Secret Menu
You ever got to a Chinese restaurant and notice that there are sometimes 2 different menus out on the tables? If you've never been to a more authentic place, you've probably never seen it. Basically, the more asian diners there are, the more authentic the place will be. Thats where you should eat and thats where you'll probably see the mythical secret menu.
Now I've seen this menu quite a few times in my lifetime and admittedly am not so sure how 'secret' it really is. In fact, by 'secret', it may just really mean that its in Chinese and I can't read it. That being said, I've heard rumors and seen tv food shows in which they basically allude to the fact that there are other specialty items on the 2nd menus that are not seen on the english speaking ones. I haven't been able to confirm whether this is true or not, but I'll find out and follow up on this post. I know for a fact that 'Fortune' in Milwaukee has a 2nd menu as does 'Evergreen' in Chicago.
Either way, both of these restaurants are excellent and the telltale sign is of course the asian diners. So keep an eye out and follow the asians cause we know how to eat!
Now I've seen this menu quite a few times in my lifetime and admittedly am not so sure how 'secret' it really is. In fact, by 'secret', it may just really mean that its in Chinese and I can't read it. That being said, I've heard rumors and seen tv food shows in which they basically allude to the fact that there are other specialty items on the 2nd menus that are not seen on the english speaking ones. I haven't been able to confirm whether this is true or not, but I'll find out and follow up on this post. I know for a fact that 'Fortune' in Milwaukee has a 2nd menu as does 'Evergreen' in Chicago.
Either way, both of these restaurants are excellent and the telltale sign is of course the asian diners. So keep an eye out and follow the asians cause we know how to eat!
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Tea customs
Recently, I was at Evergreen in China Town with some family (Auntie Nora, Josie, Samantha, and Christianne, my parents, and Kelly) which happens to be my mom's favorite there. Its a Cantonese/Szechuan joint. Whenever you go to a Chinese restaurant, there are a couple of interesting tea customs to take note of. Of course I'm no expert, but I am Chinese and have had hundreds if not thousands of Chinese meals by now.
The first tea custom you'll notice is almost immediately. As soon as you sit down at the waitstaff appears, they'll ask you what type of tea you'd like. Not whether you want tea, but what type of tea you'd like. I'm not a tea expert per se, but a couple usual types offered are oolong and chrysanthemum. Teacups are almost always already set at the table so enjoy.
Its customary for you to pour tea for others and elders before you pour and fill your own cup. Once the teapot is empty all you need to do is lift the lid and keep it open. Whenever a server notices it, they will automatically come fill it. Thats standard procedure.
One last tea custom comes to mind. I'm sure there are others, but as I've mentioned, I'm not expert. This last one is particularly interesting and one I didn't pick up on until I was at least in high school, maybe college. In a nutshell, if someone fills your cup, which will probably be often, you can say thanks, nod your head, or as most Chinese do, 'tap' the table. By tapping, one will tap with either their index, middle, or a combination of these fingers. I couldn't remember the reasoning or explanation for it so here a link to one.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_tea_culture
Next time your at a Chinese restaurant, take notice of these and any more that I may have missed.
The first tea custom you'll notice is almost immediately. As soon as you sit down at the waitstaff appears, they'll ask you what type of tea you'd like. Not whether you want tea, but what type of tea you'd like. I'm not a tea expert per se, but a couple usual types offered are oolong and chrysanthemum. Teacups are almost always already set at the table so enjoy.
Its customary for you to pour tea for others and elders before you pour and fill your own cup. Once the teapot is empty all you need to do is lift the lid and keep it open. Whenever a server notices it, they will automatically come fill it. Thats standard procedure.
One last tea custom comes to mind. I'm sure there are others, but as I've mentioned, I'm not expert. This last one is particularly interesting and one I didn't pick up on until I was at least in high school, maybe college. In a nutshell, if someone fills your cup, which will probably be often, you can say thanks, nod your head, or as most Chinese do, 'tap' the table. By tapping, one will tap with either their index, middle, or a combination of these fingers. I couldn't remember the reasoning or explanation for it so here a link to one.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_tea_culture
Next time your at a Chinese restaurant, take notice of these and any more that I may have missed.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Chizakaya - Japanese Pub
Restaurant week every year in Chicago is just after V-day. http://www.choosechicago.com/things-to-do/dining/chicago-restaurant-week/ It involves over a hundred restaurants throughout the city/suburbs during which they have set prix fixe menus. Prices are very reasonable, lunch around $22 and dinner around $33 and you usually get at least 3 courses. For the last few years, my cousin Jeff and his cousin Kent have been coming down for it because it just so happens to coincide with the Chicago Auto Show. One year we went to Roy's (Hawaiian Fusion) and this year we went to a Japanese Pub as they call themselves, Chizakaya (http://www.chizakaya.com).
I was pretty happy to find that the menu had 4 courses and was pleasantly surprised that there were choices to be made for our appetizer and main courses. For the app course I chose the 'crispy pork, slow poached egg' which came in soy sauce. It was delicious and my favorite of all the courses. The second course was a preset 'Kushi Yaki' course. 3 skewers of salmon, chicken, and shishito peppers came. The third course options were all noodle options. I chose the pork tenderloin ramen in a pork bone marrow broth. The broth was straight buttery goodness. Finally, the dessert was fried mochi balls with a sweet black sesame paste.
There were quite a few cocktails, sake, and beer selections on the beverage menu. Jeff, Jane, and I shared a some sake which was very good, and clean.
I was pretty happy to find that the menu had 4 courses and was pleasantly surprised that there were choices to be made for our appetizer and main courses. For the app course I chose the 'crispy pork, slow poached egg' which came in soy sauce. It was delicious and my favorite of all the courses. The second course was a preset 'Kushi Yaki' course. 3 skewers of salmon, chicken, and shishito peppers came. The third course options were all noodle options. I chose the pork tenderloin ramen in a pork bone marrow broth. The broth was straight buttery goodness. Finally, the dessert was fried mochi balls with a sweet black sesame paste.
There were quite a few cocktails, sake, and beer selections on the beverage menu. Jeff, Jane, and I shared a some sake which was very good, and clean.
Pork tenderloin ramen in Pork bone marrow broth
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