Omafreakinggodkase!!!!

I am writing this post from the afterlife.  I know that because I died and went to Heaven last night (despite almost violently throwing up, but more on that later).  My cousin Mike and I decided that we should do the omakase at Sushi Taro.  Planning about a week in advance, we were able to secure two of the six seats at the private sushi bar (out of six) with owner and chef Nobu Yamazaki.  Fortunately for us, we were the only two participating in the omakase last night, so we got to have an amazing learning experience one-on-one with one of (if not the) most prestigious sushi chefs in Washington, DC.  For those wondering, omakase is basically where you sit down at the sushi bar and let the chef's imagination guide you to a gastronomic wonderland.  (Really!  That's actually what it means, see wikipedia if you don't belive me!)

Yamakazi studied his sushi craft in Japan and worked there for several years before returning to Washington to open Sushi Taro.  About 2007, he began lamenting that there was no DC-sushi going experience similar to what you'd find in Japan.  Because Sushi Taro brought in good money, he was loath to close it and originally planned to open a second venue for his new idea.  Unfortunately, the rents were high and locations were poor.  Sushi Taro closed for renovations last winter, reopening this spring with a more strict focus on serving sushi in the Japanese style.  And Yamakazi knows his style.  When serving unagi, Yamakazi warns us that it will taste radically different because he has it flown in live from Japan, where they slaughter and steam it daily.  Yamakazi grills it for us in the Tokyo style, as opposed to the Osaka style where it would be served after only the steaming.  It's this attention to detail that makes the omakase experience so amazing--Yamakazi is able to educate us as we eat.  And it's clear that he enjoys the experience almost as much as we do.

We start off with some small non-fishy items.  I particularly enjoyed the pickled egg yolk.  I was sure that a) I wouldn't and b) it would taste disgusting.  It tasted amazing--the Japanese have discovered that they can create a whole new dining experience just in methods of varying salt content.  It really gets you to thinking about the people that first named umami, you know?  We did eventually eat a lot of fish, crustaceans, eels, and everything else you can imagine.  That fish head in the picture above and left?  Yamakazi fried it and served it to us--amazing.  I also saw (and tasted) real wasabi.  Yamakazi scraped it from the root (it tastes much better than the imitation items we usually eat.  Less strong but with a richer flavor) and also served some of the leaf pickled.  All I'll say about wasabi leaf is that it tastes the way that cilantro should.

He's also devised an amazing method of serving nigiri sushi.  Diners receive a basting brush with their soy sauce with an injunction to brush the fish and not the rice.  This is an effort to discourage what frequently happens in the US--namely the dipping of the rice into the soy sauce which breaks up the rice and oversalts the fish--not a good situation for anyone!  I can't speak to the main dining room, but I was blown away by the sushi bar omakase as both a gastronomic and learning experience.  It's not for the faint of heart though.  Several of Yamakazi's older customers have complained about the change.  It's not difficult to see where they are coming from.  What was once a very accessible and lazy dining experience is asking more of you in Sushi Taro's post-renovation incarnation.  And it is a challenge.  There were items on that bar I had to talk myself into trying--worth it every time with the possible exception of the salmon roe.  I never really cared for the fake stuff and this translates to the real thing just as well.  I could go on and on and on about the omakase, but I'm gonna close this post with a photo instead.

Posto Post

I was all excited about putting those pork cutlets over some pea and mushroom risotto when Dana threw me for a loop: in the years since she'd last swung through Washington, she'd gone vegetarian on me! Strike the rice infused with chicken stock, we're wandering down to Logan Circle to see what's available. I know that we'll be able to find something at Logan Tavern or Commissary, so I figure why not wander a bit and see if we come up with something new for me and tasty for both of us.

We aligted at Posto (1515 14th Street NW), a newish place opened by the owner of Tosca and its Executive Chef. We'd wandered by because the location used to house a vegetarian restaurant. Basically, this is the Sette to Tosca's Cafe Milano. It's more toned down, cheaper, more accessible to the masses. It also has a more modern feel and the high ceilings really opened up the room. I could have done without the large video screens showing Italian steeples and grape vines, they don't change but always pull your eye as if they're about to. Fortunately, our waiter was cute enough to keep my attention, always an important consideration regardless of the cuisine.

Dana and I opened with the Antipasti special, a choice of 3 Affettati or Cheeses for $15 ($6 each). We went the cheese route, but there were several meat choices I'd have been pleased to sample in the company of a carnivore. We ordered the Gorgonzola and the La Tur. A pecorino completed our trio, a dry but strong taste making for an excellent cheese of the day. The portions are a little small, but would probably have seemed more sensible if we'd been pairing meat with our cheeses.

Dana was in serious heaven as she ordered her gnocchi. The restaurant was willing to switch out the regularly offered tomato sauce for a cream sauce, always a good sign that you aren't actually just getting a TV-dinner. I had one nibble--the bite of the gnocchi was perfect and the cream sauce was delicious. Not sure I could have managed an entire meal (lunch was pretty filling), but Dana, normally kind of a dainty eater, finished every bite.

I'd had pasta for lunch, so I went with a pizza. I don't usually expect much out of a pizza at these urban bistro type places, but my pizza (the Caprina) was amazing. I'd eschewed meat in case Dana wanted a bite, but think I might have landed the best option on the menu. The cherry tomatoes (always starting out with a good review if you include the best fruit ever) were perfectly ripe and the roasted peppers added just the right amount of heat.

Our server was a little overenthusiastic, but otherwise this made for a great little weeknight eat. Speaking of great little weeknight eats, it's time to head over to Sushi Taro for the OMAKASE!

Sunday Insanity

Last night, Lindsey and I were up to our usual Sunday evening tricks. I had no idea she was planning on cooking as well, but she'd come home with the most wonderful peaches for a pie. I got off to a pretty late start, but it was totally fun. Last week had been a little small, (Jules was our only guest), but this week looked to be gynormous--although there were only six of us in the end. I was winging two recipes and cooking two from directions. A not to be named guest and his roommates decided to bail about fifteen minutes before dinner was scheduled to begin, so we were pretty much swimming in pork by the end of the night--although I have some plans involving a pea and mushroom risotto to place them on for dinner tonight that might pull said gentleman out of the doghouse.

I started off with the Tomato and Corn Pie. This one was straight out of the August 2009 issue of Gourmet, which has an AMAZING article all about tomatoes. As tomatoes are easily my favorite fruit, I was thrilled by this development. I just love the way that a good, ripe tomato can totally revolutionize your day. A tomato alone, with just a splash of salt, can really be an excellent way to have a nice, light lunch. A guilty pleasure carried over from my childhood is to cut up a couple of large tomatoes in a bowl and drown them in ranch dressing. Something about the texture of a late-summer ripened tomato just makes my eyes glaze over even as my teeth are biting into the just perfectly crisp meat of the fruit. I think if I had to spend the rest of my life eating only one thing, it would be the tomato.

But, more importantly, back to the pie. First of all, I needed to make the crust. I've made several crusts over the years, and honestly, this one was not fun at all. The dough ended up runnier than I'd have preferred and trying to roll it into a round between the layers of plastic wrap was just not pleasant at all. Bits kept running out from between the sheets and it was basically a total, total mess. Rather than the suggested glass pie pan, I used a disposable 9" metal round but without any volume issues of note.

The filling was ridiculously easy, aside from a quick spin in the food processor for the corn (after a washing to deal with the not as thick as it should have been dough for the crust) and a few cuts on the tomatoes, everything was easy-peasy. The rolling of the dough for the covering also went a little better. Maybe adding a little flour to the recipe or chilling the dough would make things better? Anyway, I cooked my pie on a pan, mostly because I was concerned about extra dough falling off at the beginning (I am not the neatest of chefs) and that added about ten minutes to the cooking time. However, it did not create any discernible defects in the taste realm, as this dish was raided for seconds over and over.

My tenderloins were cooked very basically, with just some olive oil, salt, and pepper. As pork does, it came out nice and tender. In the past I've liked to marinate tenderloin as a means to keep it from drying out. A couple of marinades from World Harbors, Maui Teriyaki and Island Mango have come out really well for me. To make the Island Mango work better, add some hot sauce (I prefer Tabasco, but to each his own) to taste for an excellent sweet pork with good heat! I like the way that World Harbors so helpfully gives nutrition information on their website too--even when it's not always the healthiest. Because I'd originally planned on serving the pork over risotto last night, I chose to stay away from a marinade and just to let the salt and pepper bring out the natural taste of the meat. This ended up working out pretty well, even though we did not serve risotto last under the pork last night. All things considered, I was reasonably pleased with the way things came out.

Finally, on Friday I'd attended a dinner party and had one of the most amazing dishes of my life. No freaking kidding here. I wasn't paying attention, but essentially my host sliced squash and zucchinni super thin and then sauteed them in a mixture of olive oil and butter. After they were good and cooked, loads of parmesan cheese was added. My mixture just came out a little droopy and too wet (too much butter--who knew such a thing was possible), but this dish will frequently be attempted over the next few months--especially as squash goes into season over the fall harvest.

Lindsey did one heck of a peach pie--I'll let her give details if she wants later. I did the Black and White Brownie I'd seen featured in Saveur recently. It worked out pretty well, although mine sat in the oven a bit too long, giving them a heavy, overcooked taste (might also relate to a splash of too much almond extract, but don't quote me on that!). The real treat here was the cooking method, lining the casserole pan with butter, lining a sheet of parchment paper with butter and then putting the paper in the pan. The dough gets poured on top of the paper before it goes into the over. After cooking, the butter on the glass pan allows the parchment paper to slip right out--and easy cutting for your brownies ensues!

More details later this week on how the pork works over risotto AND on some Restaurant Week visits. Omakase at Sushi Taro tomorrow and then an evening at Darlington House on Wednesday. YAY!

Going Bananas

Last night kicked off with a trip down to Eastern Market's Banana Cafe for mojitos with Hargis. Several years ago, during the Tampan exile, I asked one of my donors about decent places to find a Cuban sandwich in Washington DC. Frank's Cuban, so I decided that he would reasonably have eaten a Cuban sandwich or two during his tenure in the Clinton Administration. He kind of scowled and said that there wasn't really much to speak on that count in the nation's capital. But, he said, Banana Cafe did have a pretty good one. Not a ringing endorsement, but I thought it was worth trying upon my return. Their Cuban Sandwich ($10.95) was pretty much as described.

Above the restaurant, however, lies a whole other world. Painted bright yellow, with significant (but random) portions of the decor accentuated with neon lights, the Piano Bar hosts a large Captiol Hill crowd for happy hour that thins out as the night wears on. Chuck Smith or Gordon Kent man the pianos, playing selections from the 60s and 70s you'll want to sing along to. The mojitos are tasty, but expensive at $38 a pitcher. They were also too sweet for everyone after having only one. It would have been a victory for abstinence if only the bar hadn't also sold beer.

In the end, Banana is a pretty good neighborhood eatery, but not worth a pilgrimage for its own sake.

Just for the sake of fun, I should report that although last night began with something civilzed like mojitos at Banana, it ended by shooting nameless booze at the Union Pub and making out publicly at the Union Pub...with more than one person. Good Wednesday!

I put out a facebook request for other places that make a good Cuban and got the following suggestions:

• Go to Miami
• Habana Village in Adam's Morgan (1834 Columbia Rd. NW - No prices on web menu)
• Argonaut in H Street Corridor (1430 Maryland Ave. NE - $9 Sandwich)
• Cubanos in Silver Spring, MD (1201 Fidler Ln., Silver Spring, MD - No web site)

Happy eating!

Ulah Bistro - Not Mongolian

As I was walking through the neighborhood waiting for it to open, I was sure that Ulah Bistro was going to be Mongolian. No idea why. A quick wikipedia search shows that Ulah is the name of a fictional jungle princess, an unincorporated town in North Carolina, and an airport in Russia. Now it is also an American pizza bistro in Washington, DC.

My first Ulah experience was back in June, when a group desperately needed somewhere to eat--fast--on a Sunday evening. Tired and hung over from day drinking, not to mention the previous evening's Pride Celebration, we wandered U Street like the Donner Party looking for a spare arm. We ate at Ulah because their prices looked reasonable and there was no wait. We had a large party and got seated at a great rectangular table at the back of the second floor. The location was really perfect and this table gave our meal a semi-private dining feel.

Famished, we ordered some crab & artichoke dip ($9) for the table. It was pretty standard fare, but the flat bread it was served on did impress. In fact, it was just the right consistency mixed with taste and totally pushed me in the direction of ordering pizza, something I usually avoid when eating out.

Another diner and I were split between ordering the Carnivale ($14) and Ulah ($15) pizzas. Of course we decided to get one each and split them. You don't need to do this. A single pizza from Ulah is about perfect sized for two hungry people!

The Carnivale is a spruced-up version of a classic Margherita pizza (also on the menu) featuring sundried tomoatoes, and prosciutto. The prosciutto totally brings the dish together. John ordered it and definitely won the pizza contest of the night. But not by much. The Ulah pizza with its crab meat, tomatoes, garlic, oil, and cherry tomatoes topped in parmesan was also a treat, although it didn't keep nearly as well the next day. Other diners in our group tried the Bistro Burger ($9) and reviewed it well.

Perusing Ulah's website, the happy hour, patio, and brunch specials all look particularly worthwhile. This place isn't going to revolutionize Washington DC cuisine, but its rapidly becoming a favorite for eating out in the neighborhood.

Oya's Summer Sushi & Happy Hour Delivers

Last week my friend Michelle and I decided that we'd hit up Oya's summer sushi happy hour. Years ago, we'd dropped by for Restaurant week and found the food amazing, although the decor and music was vaguely reminiscent of Cobalt's upstairs dance club. Since then, they've turned down the volume (although not the tone) and really upped the ante on both their sushi and drinks offerings.

In addition to their regular lunch and dinner specials, 3-course prix-fixe ($19 lunch/$29 dinner), Oya's running a half price special on both drinks and sushi from 5pm to close all summer long. Believe me, it will not disappoint!

Michelle and I started off with some of their vokda punches. Later on, we ended up with some infused vokda drinks. Michelle's was a sweet potato vodka served with cucumbers, and mine was strawberry flavored--exquisite!

We also tried their sushi. In general, I haven't been impressed with DC's sushi offerings (there's something to be said when my favorite is served over the counter at Whole Foods, albeit by catered by Raku). The only thing better than the concept of the Fruit Roll Up ($12) was it's taste. The acid in the strawberry and kiwi mix nicely with the avocado and crab flavors to create a great taste in your mouth. The tuna avocado roll ($10) was excellently executed as well.

Oya has great food, but never seems to be crowded--another major plus. Our waitress was knowledgeable, but kind of pushy. She seemed to be assigned to too many diners. It's location on 9th Street makes a little out of the way, but totally worth finding. Given their great quality for low price, I'll certainly be going back.