Morimoto Waikiki

Upon landing at the Honolulu airport, we picked up our rental car and made our way to The Edition, a relatively new hotel in Waikiki designed by Ian Schrager and Philippe Stark (the man behind the bizarre decor of The Bazaar in the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills). The hotel had seemed attractive to me for numerous reasons: First, it was newly renovated. Most of the hotels along Waikiki beach could be considered relics, though some have undergone renovations as well. Second, I rather liked the fact that the aesthetic of the hotel was soothing yet contemporary-- there was no gaudy, flowery hawaiian print to be found. Finally, I had chanced upon a rate that seemed too good to turn down. However, there was one large problem I had overlooked. The hotel is situated right at the start of Waikiki, closer to the marina that it is to the beach, and there was just no ocean view to be had. I was aware of it's location but didn't realize that it would be such a drastic difference from being right on the beach. My mom and I weren't in Hawaii to wake up and look at a bunch of boats outside our window. We were aiming to wake up with the blue sea and blue sky right in front of us. I made immediate changes to our plans upon checking in, and we would eventually end up at The Royal Hawaiian where everything is pink and 100% Hawaii.

Since we were only staying one night, there was no way I was passing up the opportunity to try out the Waikiki location of Morimoto's eponymous restaurant which is located right inside The Edition. Needless to say, I've watched my fair share of Iron Chef, and I feel a certain respect for Morimoto--him being the only chef to bridge the Japanese and American versions. The last time I had a taste of his food was during a trip to New York when I was looking at prospective colleges. That was before I starting paying great attention to what I was eating, though I remember not being particularly impressed. I was curious to see how I would find his restaurant this time around.

Sad to report, still not impressed.

It just wasn't particularly innovative, nor was it delicately refined. It seemed stuck in limbo to me--stuck between a bastardized verison of Japanese food and an upscale version with "luxurious" ingredients recklessly strewn about the menu. Not only that, the portion to price ratio was a little difficult to swallow, even for a touristy place like Waikiki.

Morimoto Waikiki

1774 Ala Moana Blvd

Honolulu, HI 96815

tel: 808-943-5900
dining date: 7/6/11

sashimi salad

baby romaine, morimoto caesar dressing, quail egg

Having just gotten off the airplane, I chose to go with something lighter for lunch. I ordered a sashimi salad. Apparently there was some miso incorporated into Morimoto's "caesar dressing" to make it special, but I barely noticed it. There was nothing offensive about the salad, but it did not seem like a strong, coherent dish. I'm not even sure what the tiny quail egg was on the salad for--it was almost smaller than the croutons. As far as I know, it was only large enough to contribute to one or two of the many bites I took to finish this salad. Granted, the seared ahi tuna was very fresh with a furikake-like crust but, we were in Hawaii--it had better be fresh.

chirashi

assorted sashimi over sushi rice

My mom ordered the chirashi, which was gorgeous to look at. It was actually the background of my desktop for a few days. The colors were so strikingly vibrant, and it seemed that all colors of the rainbow were present. That being said, the fish was really nothing to write home about.

coconut panna cotta

lilikoi noodles

Luckily, dessert was refreshing in flavor and spot-on in texture. The lilikoi noodles were long strands of sweet and sour passionfruit gelée that played off of the richness of the panna cotta. The coconut cookie that accompanied the panna cotta was the best part--it was crispy and tasted like toasted coconut. My only complaint was that the panna cotta looked like it was inverted out of a small aluminum pan. The jagged imprints of the foil could still be seen on the edges as we were taking our spoonfuls. I know it may seems like I'm being picky, but really, if that one little imperfection could be hidden (idk use silicon molds??) this would be one beautiful, refined dessert.

loved the soft green hues of the interior design

At this point, I could go on and talk in detail about our experience at dinner later that day, but I'm beginning to feel like a real negative Nancy. I have nothing but respect for the Morimoto I see on TV, but it just does not match what he's serving at his restaurant. Dinner was wrought with even more disappointments in terms of the food, and I'm not entirely sure I want to relive all the dishes.

hamachi tartar

from left to right: seaweed paste, sour cream, fresh wasabi, maui onion, Morimoto's guacamole, rice puffs, dashi soy

foie gras chawan mushi

duck breast, fresh wasabi, sweet dashi soy

However, I will say this out of all the dishes we had: The hamachi/toro tartar can be fun to eat, simply because of how it is presented. Also, the foie gras chawan mushi was the only dish we found to be really delicious. With the foie gras blended in with the eggy-ness of the chawan mushi, it was without a doubt, unctous in the richess sense of the word. The miniature pieces of duck breast that graced the top of this steamed custard were also delicious, but SO tiny! I mean really, they're not even bite-sized. They're half-bite-sized.

(fun fact: Nobu Waikiki has the same blue serving bowls!)

In all truthfulness, I had set pretty high expectations for Morimoto. Perhaps too high, but who could blame me? It's Morimoto! I used to stay up late every night in the summer time to watch Iron Chef Japan on the Food Network. Sad to say, his restaurants just don't hold the same allure for me. Good thing this was only day one of our tip to Hawaii...many more good things to come ;)

pâtisserie Sadaharu AOKI paris (Bamboo)

Taiwan is gastronomically blessed with many things--night markets, niu rou mian, Din Tai Fung, Robuchon, and the list goes on and on...

Among that which we are culinarily endowed with is Patisserie Sadaharu Aoki. As far as I know, this god of a pastry chef only has locations in three countries: France, Japan, and now Taiwan. I can't walk past the display case without having a serious urge to purchase one of the meticulously crafted creations. Each one has a different color scheme and flavor profile that is curious, yet intriguing. I've yet to try all of them (I'll be honest, I kind of want one of each for Christmas) but my favorite, hands down, is the Bamboo. I plan on having many of them during my two week stay in Taiwan.

pâtisserie Sadaharu AOKI paris

Bellavita, B2

28, Song Ren Rd

tel: 02-8729-2759

Similar to an Opéra cake, the Bamboo is the perfect fusion of French technique with Japanese flavors. With repeating layers of matcha infused joconde, chocolate ganache, and matcha buttercream, in alternating shades of green and brown, it is a thing of beauty and perfection. Not too sweet and perfectly balanced, each bite has the texture of the almond biscuit and silky creaminess of the buttercream. The slight bitterness of the matcha flavor counteracts the sweetness of the chocolate. Granted, the flavor of the chocolate is not very apparent, but I believe it's presence is still subtly felt.

Reasons why I love the Bamboo:

1) it comes in amazingly cute packaging

2) green is pretty much my favorite color...especially when you put multiple shades together

3) matcha powder has recently become one of my favorite thing to bake with

4) look at that pristine layering! (I think Aoki and I may share similar OCD tendencies)

5) it's simply delicious

Be jealous.

Saboten Tonkatsu (勝博殿)

My brother and I don't get to hang out very often anymore. No longer are the days of playing Pokémon together on linked Gameboys or waiting under "our tree" for our mom to pick us up after school. I'm at college. He's at home, about to leave for college. Once that happens, I have a feeling I'll see him even less.

So when the opportunity came up for us to have a day together, just the two of us in Taiwan, I knew it was a rare occasion that should be treasured. My parents said we'd have to "fend for" ourselves for a day but I said we were going to "enjoy" ourselves. Granted, I already had a personal agenda for the day, namely one that involved a museum, but I also wanted him to enjoy being with me. I wanted to make him enjoy being with me and say to himself, "Hey, a day with my sister ain't so bad..."

Lunchtime came around and I was starving. I asked my brother if he was hungry.

"Not really."

"Where do you want to eat for lunch?"

"Don't care. "

Obviously he doesn't share my enthusiasm for food. It's okay. I love food enough for the both of us. I remembered that he used to LOVE tonkatsu when we were younger. I used to dread it--oily, dry, over-sauced fried piece of pork was not my thing. This was before the transformation of my never-hungry stomach to the bottomless pit it is today. This was also before the establishment of Saboten Tonkatsu in Taipei.

Nowadays, I love getting tonkatsu from Saboten. I crave tonkatsu from Saboten. I wouldn't even consider getting tonkatsu anywhere else in Taiwan. It is one of my guilty pleasures. After all, a fried piece of pork cutlet, no matter how perfectly golden brown and crispy, is still not good for you, but Saboten makes it worth it. I figured this was the perfect place to have lunch with my brother. It was.

It turned out the boy was actually pretty hungry. After we placed our orders he declared he was starving. Wasn't he not hungry JUST 10 minutes ago? Anticipating the food was making him hungry he said. Apparently he wasn't just hungry, he was ravenous--he downed a large size piece of pork cutlet, an entire boat of curry, so many refills of shredded cabbage I lost count (which by the way is probably more than the amount of vegetables my meat-loving brother consumes in an entire year), two large bowls of rice, and MY unfinished bowl of rice--down to the last grain. That boy can eat when he wants to.

Saboten Tonkatsu (勝博殿)

Mitsukoshi, XinYi, A9, 6th floor

No.9, Song Shou Road

Taipei, Taiwan

tel: 02-2725-5829

No. 2, Alley 290, Guang Fu South Road

Taipei, Taiwan

tel: 02-2771-7668

Saboten Tonkatsu originated in Japan's Shinjuku district 43 years ago. Today, it is the largest tonkatsu chain in Japan. All the set meals include all you can eat cabbage (to be enjoyed with a ponzu like vinaigrette or sesame tonkatsu sauce), complimentary starters such as sweetened Japanese black beans, pickled daikon, miso soup, a steaming bowl of rice, and ending with dessert.

There are multiple locations in Taiwan, but there are two that I frequent in Taipei. One is located inside the ShinKong Mitsukoshi XinYi A9 department store on the 6th floor. Although convenient for those who are tired from strenuous all-day shopping (such as myself), it can get incredibly crowded during meal times, with wait times averaging 30 minutes. My favorite location is one tucked away behind the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall on Guang Fu S Road. It tends to be a little less crowded, lending to a calmer, more tranquil dining environment.

I find the price range very reasonable--the price for a set menu varies depending on the cut of meant and size of the cut. For a leaner cut of pork(I don't know the name of the cut in English...maybe the loin?) prices range from 280NT-320NT (about $8-$10). For a fattier cut (one that I actually prefer) prices range from 280NT-350NT. Of course there are other menu options, such as fried shrimp or vegetables, but I can't help but always order that lovely portion of delicious pork.

I love the selection of condiments available--a wooden container of Japanese chili, Himalayan salt grinder, ponzu-like vinaigrette dressing, and the best tonkatsu sauce in the world. There really is no other sauce like it. I would describe it as "umami" but to be honest, I don't really think there is a set definition for the word. Slightly sweet, slightly tangy, the sauce is held in a large ceramic jar with a wooden ladle.

Food that is interactive always tastes better. At Saboten, one must work for the delectable sauce. Every place setting includes a mortar and pestle filled with black and white sesame seeds. Grinding the sesame into a fine powder is one of Kevin's best skills--look at him working away! Add in the previously mentioned tonkatsu sauce, and you have a delicious concoction ready for crisp, juicy pieces of fried pork.

The bottomless bowl of finely shredded cabbage is indispensible in enjoying tonkatsu. Any restaurant serving tonkatsu would have this snowy mound of cabbage. However, texture is everything. It must be THIS finely shredded. Any thicker, and the experience will not be enjoyable. Sadly, this is a mistake that many tonkatsu restaurants make. Not at Saboten though! It's shredded to such a delicate thinness that it's perfect for soaking up some of that ponzu vinaigrette.

The complimentary black beans and pickles daikon are great to snack on while waiting for your meal to arrive, but once it does, they're quickly forgotten...

...and the meal arrives. Every portion of pork cutlet is fried to a golden crisp. Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, it doesn't get any better than this. It's so expertly fried, with no visible grease disturbing the crunchy panko breading.

And something MUST be said about the rice served at Saboten. It's absolutely delicious! It's just rice, you say. It's not JUST rice. Every grain of short-grain rice here at Saboten is perfectly chewy and "Q." Most importantly, you can taste the flavor of rice. It's not just some plain stomach filling carbohydrate. It actually has flavor and aroma. Of course, we always end up messing up the pristine bowl of white rice with some Japanese curry, but that's because the curry here is also pretty tasty. Call me crazy, but it's the best rice I've ever had.

Finally, dessert is usually some green tea ice cream. I wish it was good ice cream so that I could continue gushing about how delicious Saboten is, but sadly, it's just ice cream and it's not that spectacular.

So although it's a meal involving a piece of fried pork, I'd say it's a relatively healthy meal ;) I mean, look at all that cabbage! In the end, though, Saboten is just so damn delicious, I usually don't need any kind of reasoning to indulge in a golden, deep-fried piece of tonkatsu. Needless to say, my brother and I both left full and satisfied!

After the meal, my brother and I visited the National Palace Museum in Taipei. While the exhibits were enjoyable--especially the piece of jade that looks like a head of napa cabbage--the crowds were not. The whole museum was literally overrun by tourists groups from China. Let's just say they were all a little pushy. However, a Chinese couple was kind enough to take this lovely picture of me and my brother :)

**This is a review of my last visit this past spring. Sadly, I didn't get a chance to dine at Saboten this time around before I got a wisdom tooth out. I'm desperately hoping I'll be able to eat normally enough to handle some tonkatsu before I leave Taiwan. Right now, the thought of eating those crispy, juicy pieces of pork seems impossible :(

Tengu

It's DineLA restaurant week again and I'm super excited! I have a two reservations already (Petrossian and Luna Park) and I'm hoping to plan for a few more.

Since Tengu is participating in DineLA, I figured it was time I finally wrote something about my visit there. It was completely unintentional. My parents were visiting me during my birthday weekend and I had made reservations to go to Pizzeria Mozza for lunch. There were taxi complications and we ended up being stuck in Westwood with not enough time to make it to our reservation. We started wandering around Westwood to find somewhere to eat for lunch. Palomino was full. Napa Valley Grill had some private event going on. I remember seeing Tengu's menu during the previous restaurant week. I figured it was worth a try. (I still have not been to Pizzeria Mozza and I really really want to!)

The location itself is on the edge of Westwood village and therefore a little quiet and secluded. From the outside, it did not look busy at all, but once you enter the restaurant you realize that is it in fact, almost completely full. I enjoyed the interior design of the restaurant and its ambiance. However, the food was mediocre--nothing offensive but nothing fantastic.

The sushi was so-so. The rice was a little undercooked and too al-dente. However, everything was fresh and presented nicely so there really isn't much to complain about.

I had a salad instead of the lunch sushi set menus that my parents picked. The salad I enjoyed a lot. The meat was perfectly seared and thinly sliced over a bed of lettuce dressed in a tangy vinaigrette. However, again, it wasn't anything too spectacular. Just a salad done well, but at $15, you would hope that it'd be done well.

Tengu

10853 Lindbrook Dr

Los Angeles, CA 90024

(310) 209-0071

restaurant visited: 11/16/08

seaweed and octopus "amuse-bouche"

nigri and sushi from the lunch set menus

Seared New York Sashimi Salad

mixed micro greens, tomato, red onion, meyer-lemon dressing, white truffle oil

Kiyokawa

I just had one of the best Japanese meals I have ever had in my life.

It was unbelievable.

Jonathan Gold had given it a raving review:

Kiyokawa is

"home of Satoshi Kiyokawa, possibly the best unknown sushi chef in Los Angeles at the moment. His multicourse omakase dinners are epic, kaiseki-style feasts; seasonal, imaginative meals that, while not cheap, rival their equivalents at places charging two and three times as much. In my decades of reviewing restaurants, Kiyokawa may be the first place I was tempted to keep for myself."

Must be good...

didn't know it would be this good.

Except, the revered JGold forgot to mention one thing...

Satoshi-san appears to be dancing as he prepares his delectable omakase. With an colorful array of the freshest fish fillets before him and a long sharp knife in hand, Satoshi appears to be performing an intricate dance with his ingredients. He assumes a confident stance as every long, smooth stroke of his knife cuts the fish before him like it was butter. The molding of each nigiri seems to involve his entire body. Rocking back and forth, fish flying from hand to hand, the rhythm of his movements seems to help to create impeccable pieces of seafood and rice. I always knew the preparation of Japanese cuisine was an art form--I had just never seen it in such a dynamic, flamboyant way. Without a doubt, sit at the sushi bar so you can marvel at Satoshi-san's moves while enjoying his interpretive, flawless creations. Watching him at his art added as much to my experience as each delicious bite.

There are pictures out there of the omakase at Kiyokawa by that I find to be absolutely stunning. These are mine. They're as much for you as they are for me to help me as I reminisce about every impeccable bite of that dinner.

Throughout my childhood, I visited many of the best sushi restaurants in Tokyo or in Taipei with my family. I've had my share of omakase meals. Nothing has captured my heart as much as Satoshi's omakase. It might be because every course involved my absolute favorite ingredients, from uni to foie gras to fresh abalone and black cod. There are my favorites ANYWHERE. Now my favorites are at Kiyokawa.

Kiyokawa

265 S. Robertson Ave

Beverly Hills, CA

(310) 358-1900

cucumber, spinach, lotus root, burdock root

bluefin tuna from Spain, Santa Barbara sea urchin, fresh abalone, halibut, freshly grated wasabi

Satoshi asked if I had any preferences when it came to sashimi. I answered: "anything that comes in a shell!" This resulted in deliciously fresh abalone, creamy sea urchin, and later on, sweet scallop. I was in heaven.

seared foie gras, marinated sea urchin, snow crab on cripsy wonton, seared hamachi with japaleno, kumamoto oyster with cavier and gold leaf, halibut in hot oil

This was a plate full of little treasures. I can't even find words to do them justice. Each little compartment held two bites of the most perfect flavor and texture combinations I have ever encountered. While reminding me a little of Japanese bento boxes in how it was organized, this dish was a very modern take on Japanese cuisine in both taste and presentation. I loved it.

daikon, silken tofu, taro in broth

Don't let the seemingly bland and boring look of this dish fool you. It was delicious! The broth was good but the most amazing part was the piece of daikon in the back. It was so good! Spoon tender while maintaing its texture, the daikon had soaked up the flavor of the broth and each bite only made me want more.

miso marinated black cod

I love miso marinated black cod. I've never had it paired with a salad. Ingenious! The salad was dressed in sesame oil and was perfect for balancing the fatty goodness of the cod.

The next dish was a amazing "japanese matzo ball" soup. It was a big ball of light fluffy tofu mixed with sweet scallop that was deep fried and then put in a thick clear soup. SO GOOD. I only wish I had taken a picture of it before I devoured it all. I was trying to eat it some of it before the soup made the entire ball of goodness soft. I got a few good mouthfuls of tempura in soup before the whole thing disintegrated into the delicious soup.

After that soup, I was officially starting to get full. The final plate of nigri was just the thing I needed. Some more fish and sushi rice!

tuna, halibut, mackerel, scallop, uni

black sesame ice cream

Such a delicious departure from boring green tea ice cream. I LOVE black sesame and this ice cream was probably the best I've had in a while. It was so good, it inspired me to make black sesame macarons during xmas break ;)

**I know it's taken me more than a month to finally put up this post! Christmas break meant I was in the kitchen all day at home and actually making food rather than sitting at my desk at school just looking at food blogs all day. There will definitely be a LOT of blogging for me in the next few days! :)