kisskiss angela @ Minneapolis

Good Friday. Very Good Friday.

2011-04-24T22:18:00.000-05:00

Good Friday.
It all started with some cod fish, and some fresh asparagus on sale. The frozen cod package has a suggested recipe on the back: "Cod Herb de Provence". Unfortunately, I do not the "Herb de Provence", so I substitute with a mix of basil, parsley, thyme and even some chopped green onions. And I called that "herb de Friday" :) Very simple and quick recipe. But I found it very plane to not sautee the vegetables, so I put them back on a skillet after the baking to finish them up.

Cod in Herb de "Friday"
12 oz Cod Fillet, around 2-3 fillets
5-6 stocks of asparagus, sliced thin
1 tomato, diced
1/2 onion
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 cup mushrooms
1 tsp butter
1/4 cup white wine

Herb de Friday: basil, parsley, thyme, mixed for 1/2 tsp. Throw in a green onion, finely chopped.

Heat the oven to 425 degF. Cut the parchment paper into around 18 inch long. Place each of the thawed cod fillet into the center of the parchment paper. Divide the vegetables and the herb into equal portions, and place them on the fillets and top with around 1/2 tsp of butter. Fold the parchment paper so to create an envelope, and fold over the edges to seal the pouch. Place the pouches onto a glass baking pan, splash with the white wine and bake for 15-20 minutes. Test to see if the vegetables are done and the fillets are flaky.
My vegetables were thoroughly cooked after the 20 minutes time, yet the fillet was quite done. So I took out the fillets and returned all the juice/soup and vegetables into a skillet for a quick heat. This actually add a bit of sautee taste to it than the otherwise-baked-vegetables.

A good dinner was followed by good desserts. Or more like, good party. It was my good friend's birthday that night, and a very very extremely talented girl made this cake for the party.

Angry Birds!

This is really something. And we didn't even get to eat it. I mean, who could be so cruel to kill those birds and pigs?

It was such a good night. A very Good Friday. Too bad the weekend is over now.

Up and coming in Austin

2010-11-08T22:09:00.000-06:00

I have never quite enjoyed Texas. I'm allergic to mosquitoes, and I get bitten 10 out of 10 times I go to that state of mosquitoes incubator. I have numerous scars/pigmentation marks left by mosquitoes, and I can almost tell you which city of Texas each of them is from. Almost, because there are just too many, and I start losing track...

So when my dear friend told me to visit Austin, TX and how "up and coming, hip and cool" this city is... Doubts are all I have. Really, Texas...? Do they not have mosquitoes in Austin then?

FINO: You can find Fino quietly sitting among all of the yoga buildings around it. With huge patio and lounge sofas, it definitely created a very relaxing, high end social/happy hour with the treehouse style type of feel. We came in a little after dark, and decided to sit inside the cozy modern dining room instead.

Chef's special treat of the night: Beet soup. Fino is proud to be using mostly local and seasonal ingredients. Just a spoonful. Refreshing and completely opened up your palate for more. That should be the "hip and cool" part of my friend's description of Austin. I think.

Fino brands themselves as mixed Mediterranean, North African, and mostly ethnic fusion cuisine. Portions are generally smaller in the Tapas style, so you get to sample more with your group. And doesn't healthy eating all start from smaller portion?

PEI Mussels: dolin dry vermouth, bay, lemon and aioli. That combination would have won me over anything. Aioli especially. That with my mussels? Sold. Dish was perfect!

And what dinner is that without a fancy drink? White wine sangria and Bee's Knees speciality cocktail. Gin, lemon juice and honey. Woo~

Salmon for the entree: Crispy skin with just perfect temperature. The salmon was just cooked through enough without feeling greasy. The bed of corn and tomatoes was amazing. Sweet and juicy corn was just so perfect for that evening of early Autumn.

Scene changes: Now we are switching out focus from healthy, sustainability conscious eating to....
MASSIVE MEXICAN BUFFET!!!! at Fondas San Miguel. San Miguel is among of the earliest authentic Mexican cuisine established in the USA. It's not just Mexican food anymore, it is truly cuisine. They not only focus on making and serving good traditional Mexican food that would change your perception of "burritos", they also broaden your understanding of Mexican culture with all their decor and artworks from Mexican artists.

I'm telling you, this is a must visit place! It's pricey, it's massive, but it's a Sunday brunch buffet with the most amazing Mexican cooking! Unfortunately, Mexican food tends to be quite heavy and even though it's a buffet, I could only load myself with this huge plate of corn bread and green tamale.... before my stomach complained for space ... But I didn't give up. I managed to hunt down the meat table with the pork in moles sauce.... desserts with almond flan and rice pudding....

Staffs are extremely friendly in explaining the dishes and making sure your plates are, overloaded...

Keep making laps around the buffet tables, people. You will need that exercise to burn off those food.

I'm not saying I'm much a tree hugger. But this city of Austin was much more than I expected and very much differ itself from the rest of the state. Food culture is surprising excellent. Unfortunately, mosquitoes were still around. And that weekend, I came home with 15 more on my legs, plus looking at the amount of food I consumed, I would say that the Yoga retreat in Austin was.... indeed, extremely "rewarding".

"Ommmm"

Patisserie 46 out of Paris

2010-09-11T21:54:00.000-05:00

What is a better scene? French man in a patisserie in Paris? or French man in a patisserie in Minneapolis? Hands down I'd vote for anything Parisian, but with limiting funds and plane tickets, I'd take the Minneapolis option. But don't be disappointed? A trip to Patisserie 46 may serve you just as well as a trip to Paris, without the $2000 credit on your card.

Macaroon macaroon and macaroon... Oh lord, if this world is one sweet sugar candy house, I would only live in the house of macaroon... Ok, maybe that's too weird. But this should help you understand my obsession of macaroons...

Strawberry, lemon and chocolate. Perfect crust, perfect sweetness and perfect texture. The fillings are chewy yet soft. The ones I have elsewhere in MN just can't compare. Among all things being the authentic, it's also in the perfect size. A bite and half, and I bet that bite and half has already pushed my calories intake to the limit...

Among all, this bakery truly deserves its Patisserie name. It serves more than just muffins and cookies, it also features full line of elegantly prepared and crafted pastries: from French macaroons to American oatmeal cookies.

The only thing better than macaroon is Napoleon, or mille-feuille. Layers of vanilla cream, custard, and puff pastry. It's always a mess eating mille-feuille, but who can resist the crusty puff pastry and the rich and creamy custard layers?

And thank John Kraus, dedicated pastry chef returning from France, eclair is finally done right. No excessive icing or frosting on top. Just perfectly filled custard or cream along the long dough. French man approved eclair is the way to go.

Pastry like the Patisserie doesn't come around often. Taste and memories like France is also unmatchable.

Persillesovs is Parsley Sauce

2010-08-04T22:40:00.000-05:00

Don't ask me how to pronounce it. Persillesovs. Persillesovs. It's Parsley Sauce in Danish.
I know I love cooking Asian food. I love eating French cuisine. And yet, I have no idea what Danish cuisine consists of.

My first attempt on Danish food: Persillesovs. It's a sauce generally used on boiled potatoes. More commonly served with fried thick bacon, and called Stegt flæsk med persille sovs
Another word I would not attempt to pronounce. Browsing through all the recipes and thinking of incorporating my day-to-day Rosemary Garlic Pork Loin with a little Danish infusion, I found this Persillesovs recipe to go with the boiled potatoes. Never know what do they eat anyway. Why not give it a try?

Persillesovs (Parsley Sauce)

2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1/2 tbsp salt (or to taste)
1 1/2 cup milk
1 cup chopped parsley

Melt butter in a sauce pot (look how cute my petite sauce pot is!! *cough, sorry. I got a little carried away.). Add in flour. Remove it from heat and stir in milk slowly. Stir constantly and keep adding milk till the desired consistency has reached. Add in salt to taste. Finally, add in the chopped parsley. Serve over hot boiled potatoes.

Sorry. It's that easy and uninteresting. After melting the butter and adding in the flour, I got a little confused. I had no idea what the "desired consistency" was supposed to be?! Flour and butter just clumped together, and it kept soaking in the milk! I finally transferred it to a small bowl to allow the mixture to cool off before adding in more milk, and it did reached a light creamy (almost like chowder soup) consistency.
This is not only a great sauce for simple potatoes, but also pairs pretty well with the roasted pork loin. Light parsley flavored creamy sauce over the rosemary garlic pork loin, it definitely was a pleasant surprise from the Danish.

Taste of the Nation Minneapolis

2010-06-28T00:02:00.000-05:00

This gotta be my lucky night. Never had so many good restaurants all under one roof, serving good food for the public, all for charity. 100% of the tickets all proceed to the Taste of the Nation to help fight childhood hunger. Looking at all the effort in setting up the place, all the equipments, bars, and extra promotional effort for the public relations, and everyone is busy working for nothing... Not for the VIP tables, not for any special coverage in the newspapers. Just for the invisible hunger around us.

More than 12 million children in America worry about having the food they need. That's one in six children. Next time when you go to the playground outside of your neighborhood, you can count heads: One, Two, Three, Four, Five and Hungry. "The invisible hunger is everywhere." Yet, no one acknowledges it here, one of the wealthiest countries in the world. You would be surprised.

Share the Strength program develops partnerships to address state specific needs. It works through grants, partnerships and nutrition programs to help families find more ways to feed their children basic and nutritious food.

So let the party begin. Restaurants are serving cocktail style food, not just cocktail shrimps, but elegently prepared fine cuisine. Moto-i: Asian marinated pork bun.

112 Eatery: Lobster with cheese and dill. It was a hard decision to choose between Haute Dish and 112 eatery for my favorite dish of the night, or even my favorite restaurant in the TC. The lobsters were so succlent and juicy, so refreshingly paired with the dill and sea salt. Not a big fan of the cheese at the bottom, but it did give the lobster meat a little cheamy taste.

Saffron: Laughing bird shrimp. Part of their signature menu item. Shrimps and beets cooked in spices to bring out the exotic flavor.

Sea Salt Bakery with the mousse cakes. Sweet treats are always good. But what's better is the Guide to an Uptown Living book. I must say, I was very tempted to buy it...

Brasa: Smoked pork belly with onions and roasted pork loin with jalapenos. These are amazing. The smoke pork belly was so flavorful and so tender to eat. It didn't even feel greasy or fatty with the pork belly. The reason why I love pork fat is all described in this smoke pork belly sampler.

La Belle Vie, Sea Change and Solera: Look who's here? Chef Tim Mckee! And of course, a whole crew from the three restaurants are so busy working their tables. Foie Gras from LBV, Creamy Shrimps from Solera, and Crab Mousse Dip from Sea Change. A full attack of flavors and creme and yummy three tables in a row. I just realized how much I have missed the taste of foie gras... ahhhh!

And thank you for your patience. I'm finally going to cover the Haute Dish, with all the antipication built up through out the post, what did Haute Dish make?

The up-most delicious and gastromonic explosion dish of the night: Haute Dish's beef and potato. Sounds too simple? I just don't know what to name it... Tender, super tender beef with fried mashed potato. Served with creamy sauce and top with green beans. It's not just the simple steak and potato. Maybe I was just hungry, but having Haute Dish running out of food to serve mid way through the event meant something right?

What a wonderful night of food and drinks experience! Those cucumber tequila was no joke. And the summery red wine which tasted like a white wine... which name I forgot! Nuvo?Nova? or Nano? I must find out, and that wine must goes to my soon-to-be-purchased wine fridge.

And guess who else is there? Chef Alex Roberts of Brasa and Alma. Ha! This guy is one amazing dude. Very friendly and extremely talented. Listening to him talking about how much he appreciates Asian food and culture just makes me warm and fuzzy inside. And of course, I am sure all the chefs and cooks there that night would be equally appreciative of different food and culture. I only got to talk to Chef Alex... Ah! What a night!

Ringo World Cuisine at the West End

2010-06-15T10:40:00.001-05:00

The shop at the west end area has become quite impressive over the last couple months. Lululemon Althetic opened it's first official shop; Athropologie and Hot Mama added another boutique to attract the non-Edina crowd; upscale Rainbow food; Toby Kieth bar; CraVe and now a brand new restaurant, Ringo.

One thing that attracted me the most wad Ringo's monthly "around the world" cuisine features. They do a monthly menu that features a different cuisine from different part of the world, on top of its regular main menu. It was a Korean month back in March, when I first read about them. And this month is Belgium. No offense to Belgium, but even my Belgium coworker had nothing much to say about their own cuisine. I didn't quite know what to expect from Belgium, and it was interesting to be exposed to it to some extend at Ringo.

On top of their world featured dining menu, they also do a monthly cocktails/drinks feature.
Strawberry Shady: very fruity no doubt and relatively weak in alcohol content. Definitely qualified as a sweet date drink for the night.

Friends all ordered different beers for fun. Estella from Ferran Adria's brewery; La Rosa from Spain.

Enough for the fun and drinks: as I mentioned earlier, I wasn't very impressed with the Belgium menu of the month. So some of us ordered off the regular menu :

Cranberry Crusted Chicken Salad: It probably didn't taste very bad. I mean, it's a salad, can't go too wrong with a bed of lettuce right? Bur the presentation point.. Not too high. It looked messier than my homemade yuna kidney bean apple salad that I eat every Sunday morning after my hot yoga scultp class( ok tmi ....)

Chicken with Glass Noodles: I feel bad for the big guy, definitle not enough food with the smaller porption pf noodles and chicken.

Thai Basil Prawn Linguini: I was expecting a dish with some nicely seared or grilled shrimps on a bed of linginui with basil sauce. Instead, it's some boiled cooked shrimps, with tomato and oil sauce and drizzled with basil. I can't say it's a bad dish. Maybe I was expecting something completely different from a simple pasta dish. It was decently refreshing. Lighter sauce and plenty of lemon juice infused in it to wake up the flavors of shrimps and tomato. However, one thing to mention the pasta was a little hard on the top. Food came late and the pasta must have hardened up during that hour long wait...

The only Belgium dish on the table : Braised Cod. I'm sorry my friend. Not much presentation points on this either.Not just because I once again took pictures of half-eaten dishes. Plain white fish with plain white mashed potatos served on a plain white plate. It was almost screaming "I'm so plain and so boring. I must taste vety blanc! Eat me now!" ....

And then you wonder why am I posting pictures of half eaten food again. I promised to not post these indecent-looking-half-eaten pictures, but bear with me... We placed the order around 8:20, bread came 5 minutes after that, drinks came after, and then..... Nothing for the next 45 minutes. No refills on the onion bread, no checking on the drinks, no status on the food, and obviously no food in sight. As I was getting impatient with my food and my soon-to-start movie with my dear love Bradley Cooper as my eye dessert for the night, I couldn't even get a hold of our server. He was busy refilling other tables' wine , water and chating or whatsoever. But he didn't notice the steam coming off my head... An hour after our ordering, the food finally came. It was not until I made my steamy sacrasic comment that he finally realized the situation. At least he tried to save the table and offered us a bottle of wine as an apology for the delay. But the apology and the wine were still poured with a little sour taste...

The bill came with a little passport holder, signifying the around the world cuisine theme. The owner, Jim Ringo, was seen walking around the restaurants, chatting and mingling with the customers. Remind me of Paul Bocuse's wife, and how she walked around the world famous Bocuse restaurant in Lyon to check on all the tables. Yes, all the tables. So, if Paul Bocuse does that, why did Ringo only walked to the tables that he knows instead of all the tables? Maybe he will approach each table in his other restaurant, The Forum. A pretty bold move to say nonetheless, opening two brand new restaurants at the same time.

I'm sure I will have a different server the next time, and the food will probably come right on time and hot and tasty. But till then, I need more motivation and encouragement to walk in there again. Unless you know that server's work schedule and when to avoid the busy dinner time. Or maybe, just make sure it wasn't Bradley Cooper's movie showing in the theater next time.

Another Tim McKee's: Sea Change

2010-06-06T11:28:00.001-05:00

Solera, La Belle Vie and now Sea Change. 2009 James Beard award Best Chef Midwest, Tim McKee, has never failed to bring us the joy of fine dining. Now that I have finally visited all three of Chef Tim McKee's creation in the Twin Cities. What's next for me, chef?

Located inside the Gurtherie Theater in downtown Minneapolis, Sea Change definitely is meant for the expensive, high-class and sophisticated theater-going crowd. A lot of open space and nice lay out, Sea Change also offers a bar/lounge area around the restaurant and also a raw bar area to be up close with the kitchen. If you are thinking of Hell's Kitchen (the TV show) kind of action, this is not what's happening in this place. Yes, people are busy, orders after orders, plates after plates, but it really seems like they are very confident with what they are doing and it was such a pleasure to watch.

Charred Diver Scallop with Dill, Olive oil and Lemon: Fresh scallops, lightly charred on the outside with such strong smoky flavor, and dill and sea salt, all to bring out even more freshness and juice of the scallop. Decorated with flower pedals? How could you resist that?

Raw Oysters with Cucumber lemon sauce, Kimchi sauce and Jalapeno Mustard sauce: Oysters are small from Virginia, but oh well, we are not along the coast. And with Sea Change's sustainable farming/fishing concept behind it all, I doubt we will see cheap and big oysters at the restaurant. Despite the unsatisfying small gulp of the oyster, the sauces were amazing. I especially like the cucumber lemon. It's time for people to stop using cocktail sauce for oysters. I am always a fan of just simple lemon juice, but surprisingly, cucumber juice is equally as good and refreshing. The kimchi one was interesting to try and not too bad for taste. However, you have to appreciate kimchi in order to enjoy this sauce with raw oysters though...

Ocean Trout with Spicy Lobster sauce: My friend said, the only thing about fancy restaurants is that they never serve you enough food. I disagree. We, Americans, are so used to large portion, that you began to forgot how much food is enough. Smaller portion, hence more courses. Dining is an experience, not your Applebee's an hour fast meal. And believe it or not, after some bread, some conversation and wine, this portion was the perfect portion. Let's you sit back down for the theater and not feeling nauseously full and drowsy.

Yellowfin Tuna with Shishito Pepper Vinaigrette, Turnip Cake with Chinese Sausage and Preserved Mushrooms: I was watching the chefs preparing this dishes non-stop, so I thought I should give it a try since it's so popular. It was surprising. When I read about the Turnip cake with Chinese sausage and preserved mushroom, I had no idea what it was describing.

White Raddish Cake!!! Instead of using raddish, Sea Change uses turnip instead. Similar taste and texture, even with the Chinese sausage and mushrooms. I was surprised by the use of this classic Chinese/Cantonese element with a medium seared yellowfin tuna. The dish was very nicely done. I wasn't a big fan of the Shishito mushroom sauce. It was a bit too salty for the cake. For those who never had the piece of Chinese cake before, it probably was a good pairing similar to your mashed potatoes. But for those who have this Chinese cake under other conditions, this pairing with yellowfin tuna was a bit hard to digest.

Sea Change has been broadcasting their patio opening on radios. It'd be such a fun and nice place to mingle and enjoy a fine meal or just small raw bar foods. This maybe what defines a high life in the Minneapolis summer. Oh yea.

Taste of Nation Tickets here!!!!

2010-05-27T19:48:00.001-05:00

Dear all my invisible readers,

Thanks for your support all this time. You, one of those that could be RSS-ing my blog, google-reading my blog or favorited my blog on your toolbar. Thank you all for your transparentency and gentle comments. So transparent and gentle that I can hardly see them. My google comment box/button has been so relaxed all this time, without you stressfully clicking on it to leave a comment. Thank you!

However, this should change a little bit now. Your silence has been well appreciated, but NOW ITS THE TIME to speak up! Becasue, I HAVE TASTE OF NATION TICKETS FOR FREE!!!

Taste of Nation Minneapolis

Thursday, June 24, 2010

6:00 - 11:00 p.m.

The Guthrie Theater

818 South 2nd Street

Minneapolis, MN 55415

"Since 1988, Share our Strength has been putting on Taste of the Nation events that raise critical funds for the most effective nonprofit organizations working to end childhood hunger. The Taste of the Nation Minneapolis' HOTlist event has been one of the 40 by premier culinary events across the United States and Canada supporting Share Our Strength's efforts by ensuring 100% of event ticket sales go toward ending childhood hunger in and around the Twin Cities."

You might have already be donating or doing your part for different charities, but now, we get to celebrate with a room full of people who share the same mission or goal with you: help childhood hunger. We are lucky to have experienced all these amazing cuisine around the world. Let's not forget the children we left behind.

Of course, it's not entirely free. I have to thank FoodBuzz and Taste of Nation for giving me this chance to go to the event to cover and spread the words for them. Big Thank-you to them.

So, here's the trick. My beloved invisible readers. Please be visible now! (or whatever that equivalent to Harry Potter's magic spell) Comment on this post, reply to my questions, and I will randomly pick a reader and you could be attending this event for free! Meet the people who share the same taste in food, have the same desire for a better world and the love for the children.

Please comment! It'd be great to finally meet my readers! Thanks! (for real this time)

Question: Since I mostly do restaurant reviews, it would only be strange if I don't ask my readers what their favorite restaurants are. So, What is your favorite restaurant in the Twin Cities?

The Mount Fuji in Uptown

2010-05-23T01:23:00.000-05:00

Woo, another delay post. Life has been super crazy and I am not quite keeping up with it! That's the negative side of taking vacations, you just ended up with more work with less time. I need to reconsider vacation time... Especially if I knew I'd be catching a cold during my vacation, I should really reconsider taking vacations. (not like I have that many vacation days to start with... and I had to be sick during my only vacation!)

Thanks for nice friends picking me up from the airport after my 15 hours of flight coming back from China and Taiwan. Tons of good food there, and I have yet managed to post. I don't even know how to post them. There are so many pictures, so many different cuisines, so many different dishes. I really don't know where to start. But let's re-focus! The first meal I had after coming back from Asia, was again Asian food: Sushi at Mount Fuji on Hennepin.

Hot Sake at Mt Fuji. I am not a big sake fan. It is a little bit too strong for my taste. Thus, I didn't quite have the motivation to visit Moto-i, which is the sake brewery on Lyndale. I have heard many good things and reviews on good sake. But thus far, I am not super interested in them. Nonetheless, alcohol is still alcohol, and after a couple glasses of sake, they all taste the same. :p

Lobster roll: The baby lobster shell was quite nice. The whole roll was very well presented, actually, all rolls we ordered that night were very well presented. Sushi was at the right bite size. Nothing like the giant roll that won't fit in you mouth... It's annoying to be eating those sushi rolls. I wouldn't be expecting much lobster coming out of this lobster roll. The lobster was battered fried, and this pretty much was another shrimp tempura crunch roll. With the extra non-edible lobster shell that is.

Spicy Girl Roll: Spicy tuna inside with spicy salmon on top, mixed with tempura crunches through out. One stone two birds. I love spicy tuna rolls, and having spicy salmon on top is just a dream combination. Not like you can really taste the difference between the two fish after mincing and mixing with Siracha sauce, but it's overall a good idea. Just a lot of spicy fish, and I just can't say no to that. :)

Black Dragon roll: Eel, cucumber and avocado inside, with whole piece eel on top. They gave a very very thick piece of eel. For those eel lovers, this is definitely money well spent. I haven't been to a sushi restaurant where they serve you this thick a cut of baked eel for dragon roll. And look at the presentation! Those eyes (octopus?) are staring right at you as you eat!

Uptown Roll: Spicy tuna and avocado inside, wrapped with salmon sashimi. As recommended by the waiter, it is right that this is a heavenly roll. No rice, no seaweed wrap, just a mouthful of spicy tuna and salmon sashimi. It literally melts in your mouth. No soya sauce or wasabi needed, just the chef's special ponzi sauce was a good dip for this sashimi mix. I don't think this should be categorized as a roll, more like a sashimi plate. A very good use of spicy tuna and salmon.

And of course, how could we not order calamari when going out with Lily? You shouldn't be surprised anymore. As long as there's calamari offered on the menu, it'd be on our table. Regardless what type of restaurants we are in.

Fried Calamari: Tempura battered of calamari rings. Calamari were cooked a little tough. It tasted like it was just frying some already overcooked calamari. The tempura batter didn't do the trick on this tough chewy calamari.

Overall a nice experience. They also offers Hibachi, the type with a chef playing and demonstrating flat top cooking in front of a roll of customers. We went for the happy hour menu, and it was a very good deal. With all the rolls and drinks, we all walked out with happy wallets. No doubt this place would be a very nice date spot. Very chic atmosphere and lighting, friendly staff and nice sushi presentations. They also do home delivery too, if you live close enough to the Uptown area, you might have already received one of their delivery flyers.

Now, another Sushi spot in Uptown approved!

More to-dos on 50th & France: Raku Sushi

2010-05-16T21:17:00.001-05:00

Couple of our friends went to the Taste of Edina, and noticed Raku Japanese Restaurant. I used to live in the 44th & France area, and I have always loved the 50th & France. Nice little boutiques, my favorite Anthropologie, my favorite salon/spa Spalon, Sur La Table... how come I feel like this is a commercial all of a sudden?

Very spacious and nicely decorated. Raku brands itself as one of the upscale high-end modern Japanese restaurant. You can tell by where it is located, no? Right in the heart of 50th & France, nothing is cheap in that area, maybe the Walgreen is.

A full bar with imported Sake and Japanese beer. Sake selection is pretty good. No so much a fun cocktail menu, but sometimes keeping it simple is a good thing.

Now comes the food part. I really like how the menu has a little "Sushi 101" section to break down all the terminology on sushi, ie. Nigiri, Sashimi, Donburi etc etc. It saves me some work explaining, and it's nice to know someone got it correct. They have you usual rolls, sushi and sashimi orders, tempura, noodles, and of course, teriyaki. But they also have some nice entrees that go out of tradition and offer a little more choices. A little on the pricy side, but hey, it's probably cheap for most of the 50th & France diners anyway. :p

Eggplant Scallop: Pan seared scallop on a bed of Japanese eggplant with Yuzu miso sauce

I like scallops, no secret. For 12 bucks, this is not a very bad dish. But the scallops don't have to be so thin. It gets overcooked easily if it's thin. It's almost like serving 2 scallops as 4. Either way, the eggplant was good and I like the sauce a lot. Very sweet and flavorful with the miso paste. Even the tomato was seasoned and served as a good balance with the eggplant and scallop.

Shrimp Tempura with veggies: 4 shrimps! Good deal on this one. Served with a salad or soup and rice too. The batter was a little too think. It was like a mouth full of panko batter, and the shrimps and veggie were too thin to be tasted. But I have to say the frying was done very well. Crispy and not saggy, light golden brown instead of some over-fried dark brown.

And finally, Marine Sushi & Sashimi: 12 pcs of assorted fish, 4 pcs sushi and one spicy tuna roll. I would say this is a pretty good deal after all. The sashimi was good. Thickly sliced and with good quality fish. Trust me, if I say it's good sashimi, it's good sashimi. Or at least, it's as good as it gets in Minneapolis. The Nigiri was nicely done. The rice wasn't too loose and it seemed to have a good portion of vinegar. On contrast, with all the good fish and nigiri, the spicy tuna roll wasn't so special anymore. Sorry, spicy tuna, I promise I'll love you again. And look at the presentation? A fence, a glowing bush (made with raddish?) and with the little bonsai even! Cute! Points added! Thinking of it, how's bonsai related to fish....??

Nice upscale and modern Japanese restaurant. It delivered everything it has promised on its website, and I was surprised by the quality of the sashimi. Still more work on its hot dishes. But then, I only ordered one dish, the rest of the entrees seem interesting and worthy to try. I won't mind going back, as long as I can afford it ( How did I afford it this time?) The layout is nice, just that the main area is not designed to spread out noises. Once it's crowded, it gets really loud, almost need to yell across the table for conversations. Good for group gathering, but maybe a little too noisy for romantic night out for 2.

I'm a Michigan Wolverine!

2010-05-04T11:04:00.001-05:00

Time flies. It has been two years since I graduated from college, and a year since I last visited. I'm lucky to be able to go back twice since I graduated, but this probably is the last time I'd ever go. I miss school, I miss my friends and I miss my youth. But I'm still happy to be where I am right now. Nothing beats making money and not living on college budget anymore...

When I said I wanted to eat Korean food, I meant it. There's practically no Korean food existed in Minneapolis/St. Paul. The only one I found was in Columbia Heights and close at 8pm everyday... My first food craving wasn't Zingerman, but Seoul Garden.

Grilled/BBQ meat wrapped with fresh leaf green and green onion salad.

Spicy pork, Korean Kal Bi beef, and marinated chicken. Yummm! So full and the only thing I dislike about Korean bbq is the smoky smell at the end of the meal.... Desperately needed to shower.

But instead of heading back to shower. We went around the Central campus and just had to stop by Stucchi's Ice Cream.

White Russian, Strawberry Cheesecake and Chocolate Mint Chips flavors, with gummy bears and raspberry toppings. Yea, you heard it right. Gummy bears and raspberry.... Not a good combo. As adventurous as I am, gummy bears with ice cream just doesn't seem right...

I thought the Pizza House would be jammed packed during the graduation weekend brunch. Surprisingly it was casually empty. It had been a long exhausting day attending the graduation ceremony with President Obama speaking. Greasy yummy food seems to be the only comfort we could find ourselves in.

Beer battered portobello mushrooms and zucchinis.

Southern BBQ Chicken pizza.

A super packed and exhausting weekend. Long driving, eternal waiting at the airports, and 200 pictures taking... Missing every single bits of this.

Bloomington's Little Secret: Shanty Town

2010-04-29T23:21:00.001-05:00

The definition of A-Hole-In-The-Wall: Shanty Town Burgers. It might as well be another "construction office" in this corner of Bloomington industrial park. I was getting nervous as we were driving into this residential neighborhood looking for "food". "What? They serve food out of the construction offices?"

Glad to know they actually do, and it's much more than just food. Nothing fancy about this place. Simple decor, bar tables, booth, ESPN on a plasma TV. It may actually be less one of your neighborhood eateries, but the menu is simple yet creative.

Outback Burger with Cactus and Green Salsae: Yea, cactus. Tell me, who has eaten cactus before? Unless I am stranded in the desert, I probably would never dream of eating cactus, much less liking the taste and texture of it. Granted that these cactus are all spikes-less, they taste similar to what I have expected: like cooked jalapenos. The texture is pretty soft like jalapenos...

Taste like jalapenos, and kind of look like jalapenos too.

California Burger: Add guacamole to anything, you get yourself a California style thing. Trust me, it's that easy to be a Californian. Plus, guacamole and bacon on a burger patty? How could it not be good?

Cajun Chicken Sandwich: Cajun spiced chicken breast on steam warm toasted buns.

French Dip: Roasted beef sandwich with wanna-be Frenchie dipping sauce. haha!

Fish Sandwich: This has to be the biggest fillet sandwich I've seen. Micky D's stand aside please.

The burgers and sandwiches are good. Good for lunch appetite and wallet loads. Beefy patties with condiments and melty cheese. Burgers are good, but their Tater Tots are the real deal. People may come here for the easy and comfy sandwiches, but no one would leave without a mouth full of tater tots.

So crunchy and crispy on the outside. Golden brown color with no greasy feel. Yet so tender and softly mashed on the inside. I'm not talking about some gourmet chocolate shells, it's just tots! Tater Tots!

Don't you just want to have a handful of these babies? Don't tell me how many calories I just added finishing off the plate of tots. But whatever it is, it's well worth that extra 500 calories.

It's always nice to know there are still comfort foods that are done right and perfect. As little as tater tots are, they maybe bringing the biggest impact to this Shanty Town burger joint. As Mike said it, these tots are like the great equalizer of humanity. You could be the CEO of a Fortune 50 company, or you could be the guy next door working in that "construction office", when you are in Shanty Town, you are just another customer eating their tater tots. Nothing more.

Houston: Tila's Mexican Restaurant

2010-04-26T23:30:00.003-05:00

Another week of training in Texas. My grand scheme was to try out a different restaurant every night in Houston, and explore the culinary scene in Texas, try to see what they have to offer.

Unfortunately, things don't always work out the way you expect them to.

After an afternoon of researching and slacking off in training, I found Tila's, with the dragonfly. Located right off the museum district, Tila's offers a comfortable, cozy yet elegant dining experience. Authentic Mexican cuisine with experienced staff to help you choose the right margarita and food pairing, Tila's definitely was a pleasant surprise for our group. Especially when the group was led by this one person who doesn't live in Houston Texas... I was kind of nervous driving the group to the restaurant, but was instantly relieved when I saw the building. Hence, the picture of the restaurant's nicely decorated patio and brick walls. A sign of relief... phew~

Impressive menu with authentic Mexican dishes. As the waiter emphasized, it's AUTHENTIC MEXICAN, not your Tex-Mex. Please respect. No, he didn't tell us to respect the restaurant, but I felt like he could have just said that. Hey, I was glad that he took pride in the food he served. It must be something really special. Plus, look at the liquor menu, with tequila names so foreign that I would never have guessed to be alcohol... Good stuff.

Not your traditional instant mixed Margarita. Made with fresh squeezed lime juice and paired with smooth Grand Marnier tequila. The difference is impossible to forget. I have never been a big margarita fan, but now I realized, it's all because I have been drinking the wrong margarita... So fresh with the distinctive lime zest, smooth down the throat Grand Manier, shaken and chilled but not served with ice. Who invented those instant mix Margarita to ruin this heavenly exotic drink? tsk tsk.

Camarones Asados: Fat and juicy grilled shrimp, either "al mojo de ajo" or with "Chile Diabol Cascabel" sauce, which translates to something like "really, really hot".

And they were not kidding... Chipotle chilly with grilled shrimps. Even the toughest Chinese girl had to scream Hot! And fortunately, that girl wasn't me. Or else, this could have been my last meal....

Pollo Azteca: Chicken breast rolled up and sauteed with garlic, onion, roasted Chile Arbol, poblano pepper rajas, julienne carrots, zucchini, Swiss cheese, served with our Mango Cascabel salsa.

Chicken was tender and juicy. Overall very flavored with the mango salsa and the herbs used in the chicken preparation. I wasn't very sure why the grilled vegetables were so big, but there went my 5 servings of veggies :)

And how could chicken not taste good with some mango and lime juice? Yum.

Enchiladas: Shredded chicken or beef, cheese and rajas, or spinach covered in grated white cheese, onions, sour cream and shredded lettuce. Served with either red, green or tangy chile ancho sauce.

I can't tell you how much I love the mole sauce. The enchiliadas may be simple, but the mole sauce is impeccable!

If you want to be even more American and not adventurous in trying the mole sauce, you can always resort back to the good old grilled chicken enchiladas. I said simple, but it was still a tough decision to make. Too many good entrees on the menu.

Well, my shadow is in the picture. Looking good! Food was amazing and the margarita was even better. I know this probably isn't the local Texans' favorite Mexican restaurant. I'm sure there would be tons of more authentic home style Mexican food, so good that you would want to just drive down to Mexico and hire a local chef for your own kitchen. Too bad I didn't get to try and explore more of the local Mexican/Tex-Mex cuisine. But Tila's is definitely a nice one.

A full week of training, so many lessons learned. Professionally and socially. I'm still so excited about all the other lessons I have to learn in my life. Good stuff, good stuff.

Uptown Thai

2010-04-17T15:06:00.000-05:00

I don't know why there are so many Thai restaurants in Uptown. Chiang Mai Thai, Amazing Thailand, Tum Rup Thai, and Roat Osha... and what else? I feel like there should be another or a couple other more in Uptown. But still, for the size of Uptown, isn't it crazy to have 4 Thai restaurants? Especially with Chiang Mai Thai, Amazing Thailand and Tum Rup Thai all being exactly 1 block away from each other.

Amazing Thailand: I have to say, the restaurant definitely has some very Thai and oriental decor. From the thousand-hands-buddha to the Thai scenic pictures, I can see one of these restaurant decors in Asia.
And the cocktail menu is very creative. Not to mention the electric blue color drinks, the ginger infused martini is quite a pleasant surprise too.

Pepper Beef: We were thinking back and forth between pepper beef and basil beef. I am a Thai basil person. If it's me ordering, it'd just be basil chicken, basil fried rice and basil blah blah blah.... The pepper beef wasn't bad. It gave you more than just plain pepper and beef, which a lot of Asian restaurants do. Amazing Thailand actually gave you more variety of vegetables. But then, why call it pepper beef?

Chicken Pad Thai: classic dish. Can't go wrong. Oh wait, it could go wrong. But this dish was done well. Noodles cooked to the right texture, not too soggy or hard. They put the soy bean sprouts and all other garnishes on the side, so people can choose to add them if they want to. That's certainly helpful.

Chiang Mai Thai: Right across from Amazing Thailand, located inside the Calhoun Square building. The setting is a little more romantic and chic-hip than Amazing Thai. A lot more tables and seems pretty crowded.

Very interesting drink menu also. Got this Urban Monk: blend of blueberry vodka, mango juice, pineapple juice etc. Sounds good, but it just tasted okay. Not fruity enough and tasted very diluted.

Thai Basil Beef: well, why should you be surprised. Didn't I just tell everybody I'm a basil person? So, basil and beef. Honestly, I heard that Chiang Mai Thai was supposed to be one of the better, if not the best, Thai food in this area. But I'm not that impressed. The vegetable is very plain tasting, and didn't absorb any of the sauce flavor at all. And way too many carrots. The dish sauce was very runny. It was more like a stew than stir-fry. But I have to say, the staff was very very friendly though.

And let's look at this. Why do they always chop the vegetables in such huge chunks? I'm not asking for delightedly julienned shred onions or peppers etc. But how could you possibly serve and call it a "sliced" mushroom when it was just a whole mushroom chopped in half? I can never look elegant when I was trying to open my mouth wide for a "sliced/diced" pepper... Might as well just serve me the whole pepper. Pffffff. I know, I'm picky. But hey, I am Asian too. I don't think this is how it should be done. And it's not just Chiang Mai Thai. It's all Thai food places, or Asian places.

Tum Rup Thai: I went there once after my parents' recommendation. They somehow liked that Tom Yum Shrimp Soup. I had some of their leftovers and it wasn't too bad. That prompted me to try it again with my other friend. But no, that Tom Yum soup probably was the only good thing in the restaurant then. Everything else was boring and tasteless. Similar to Chiang Mai Thai, sauce was too runny and not enough flavor on the meat itself...

And by the way, Chiang Mai Thai is by far the most pricey dinner for the same quality of food as Roat Osha and Tum Rup Thai. Argh. I still prefer Roat Osha. :)

April showers bring Grilled Calamari

2010-04-13T22:48:00.000-05:00

Maybe it was the wind, maybe it was the thunder storm, or maybe it was just my stomach growling like the thunder storm... I was craving for grilled calamari. Really, nothing was ever mentioned, but somehow I had this urge to chew some calamari and taste that tart and lemony dressing. So, I went and bought some calamari at Whole Foods. I assume people can usually buy them frozen at any grocery stores. And I would assume the "fresh" ones I bought at Whole Foods were probably frozen at some point. But it just looks nicer when it's all cleaned and thawed, slimy and fishy.

The last good grilled calamari I had was in Cyprus. That place would forever be engraved in my heart... But the Mediterranean seafood Meze really was something. You can't complain about the real "fresh" seafood and the variety. Just look at the squid below, so thick and fat! And even thought I already tried to buy the nicer kind from Whole Foods, it was no where close to that thickness...

I don't know if I was inspired by this Cyprus Meze or not. But looking at this picture right now, I just realized I stole their idea in pairing the dish with asparagus. Their asparagus was a lightly egg battered/ sauteed, while mine is sauteed with leeks, onions and mixed in with some pine nuts. Em, same thing.

Grilled Calamari with Sauteed Asparagus and Leeks

4 or ~1/2 lb Calamari (fresh or frozen) with tentacles

1 tsp Thyme

1/2 tsp Oregano

1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 lb Leeks

5-6 thin Asparagus

1/2 Onion

2 cloves Garlic

1 tbsp Pine Nuts

1 tbsp Butter

Salt and Pepper

Rinse the pre-washed and cleaned calamari. Slide open the tubes and gently score over the back of the calamari. This will help marinate the calamari and also create pattern when it is getting cooked and curled. Marinate the calamari in a bowl mixed with the thyme, oregano, lemon juice and salt. Keep it refrigerated for 20 min. Use this time to prepare for the asparagus and leeks.

I used the Griddle at 350 degF, but this varies with what grills you have at home. You can definitely take this out on your Green Egg or Weber. I just don't have the luxury to do so... Oil a medium sauce pan at high heat. Sear the calamari with the olive oil first, then place them on the grill. Grill for 5-8 minute (depending on how thick the squid is), until it turns opaque.

Slice and chop the leeks, asparagus and onions. Butter a medium sauce pan at medium heat. Sauté the onions and garlic quickly. Add in the pine nuts and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add in the leeks and asparagus. Cook for 5 minutes till the asparagus turns soft but still crispy.

Plate the sauteed vegetables along side with the grilled calamari. Drizzle a little olive oil and parsley over the calamari. Squeeze in some lemon juice to serve.

April showers bring me a good appetite!

Easter Brunch: Strawberry Risotto, Rack of Lamb, Coconut Cake and Salty Caramel Icecream

2010-04-04T19:21:00.002-05:00

This maybe the longest blog title I have had in a long time. There are just too many good dishes I want to feature in the title, and I couldn't fit them all. Thanks to Arlin and Meredith for their amazing Easter brunch. I have more and more reasons to look forward to Spring and Summer now. With all the grill-out, cool drinks, and fresh fruit, I am really excited for my second Summer in Minnesota. :)

Fresh fruit calls for creative recipes. To be honest here, I'm no amazing creative original cook. I am extremely interested in trying new recipes, and I could say I'm a good "follower" of recipes. My friend found this recipe a while back, and highly recommended it. At first, when he first mentioned Strawberry Risotto, I could guess you all are wondering about the same thing as I did, "What? Strawberry Risotto?". It sounded bizarre, but just give it a try. It's definitely a pleasant surprise.

Strawberry Risotto: Onion, Parmesan cheese, and puree strawberries mixed into this rice of love. Perfect summer recipe for your appetizer or first course or side dish. A little tart, hint of strawberry flavor, savory to taste and a whole lot of love and preparation.

Asparagus with Lemon Mustard Dressing:

Freshly steamed asparagus, drizzled with zesty dressing made with fresh squeezed lemon, light mustard, garlic and parsley. The already tender and juicy asparagus all of a sudden became more crisp and refreshing. Lemon zesty mustard dressing is the trick.

What can look more summer than this? Green and yellow have become my new favorite colors!

Meredith's Rack of Lamb. Now, please don't sing the song. I don't need to know I just ate Mary's little lamb. Lame! They taste so good! Medium with enough pink and all moisture sealed. With or without salt and pepper sprinkled to taste. I really had to resist from picking up the ribs and chewing all the meat left. But I did manage to take in all the charred lamb fat on the meat. So flavorful.

So much good food: Strawberry Risotto, Roasted Potato with Rosemary, Asparagus, Taiwanese Chow Fun, and Lamb. Oh Spring!

The only thing that could top off this amazing brunch entrees is dessert. And I kid you not, this homemade ice cream can really change your life. Yes, it's that good. Granted that my life can be very easily influenced and changed, but this ice cream? It really spun my little world around and made me dizzy.

Caramel Ice Cream with Salty Caramel Brittles: rich, I mean, extremely rich and creamy caramel ice cream base embedded with crunch little caramel brittles. The salty caramel brittles add just the perfect balance to the rich ice cream base. Just a little more sugar, it could be too sweet and too overwhelmingly-caramel. But this just has to have the perfect combination of sugar, sea salt, buttermilk and caramel. Can I just sing "You spin my world right around right around...."

And to top it off, Coconut Easter Cake: yellow cake base, layered with lemon jam, and top with our forever favorite cream cheese frosting and coconut flakes. And her yellow cardigan. The perfect Spring is calling.

I was so greedy. I told everyone that I would for sure get a second. I wanted another slice of the cake and another scope of the ice cream. I would for sure finish my plate and lick all the frosting, and might even drink the melted ice cream. But I'm sorry, as much as I love love love the desserts, I couldn't. I was too full... Was that the revenge of Mary's little lamb? Because I ate two ribs of it, and now I just couldn't pack more cake and ice cream in? Sigh, Karma.

Strawberry Risotto

2 tbsp butter
1 small onion cut into tiny cubes
1 cup risotto rice (unwashed)
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups of hot broth
6 medium size strawberries, to make around 1 cup of puree
100 g Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp butter cut into cubes to mix

Wash and stem your strawberries. Save the pretty ones for decoration. Puree them to make around 1 cup of puree. Bring the broth to a simmering boil and keep it right next to your risotto skillet. You would need to constantly add the simmering broth to the risotto. No cold water, no broth cubes, but piping hot broth. If you have to, you can also mix 2 cups of boiling water with 2 cups of broth etc to dilute it. The broth just has to be hot hot hot.
Fry the butter and onion in a medium size saucepan over medium high heat. Fry the onion just enough to soften and let all the water evaporates, don't let it turn brown or burn. Pour in the dry risotto rice into the onions and butter. Mix well for 1-2 minutes so that each grain is covered with butter. Pour in the white wine and let it boil and reduce. Mix well so that no rice sticks to the bottom.
Put two ladle-fuls, or approximately 1 cup if you don't have a ladle, of the hot broth into the rice. Keep mixing so that the rice won't stick and burn. Mix till the rice and broth mixture turns dry. There should be no liquid left visible in the mixture. Add another two ladle-fuls of broth into the rice.
Keep adding the remaining of the broth until the rice is cooked but still crunchy. The risotto rice will continue to soften and cook after your turn off the heat. That's why you don't want to over-cook it too much on the stove.
Turn off the heat and add in the strawberry puree. Mix well and let it cool for a couple minute. Add in to cubed butter for that extra buttery taste. Finally, add in to Parmesan cheese and mix well.

Decorate and serve with strawberries on top. Now, just wait for the eyes to roll, and the silent murmur, and then comes the "hmmm... it's pretty good!" or the "Wow, not what I expected!" or simply "Yummy!"

Happy Easter!

Start with Beef Rib Roast and end with Crispin Cider Float

2010-04-03T14:20:00.001-05:00

It rhythms! Beef Rib Roast and Crispin Cider Float. TGIF, this Friday is a very legit Thank God It's Friday. Finally a vacation day with good food, good friends, and a Big Green Egg.

The Big Green Egg, allegedly the best outdoor smoker/grill/cooker/patio-decoration in the 20th century. It's ceramic-Kamado style cooking helps lock in motion of the food, and give it a smoky flavor that your backyard trophy Weber can never compete with. But don't worry, just go to Kitchen Window in Uptown. It's about time to get one and prep your backyard for some award ceremony moment. And don't forget to give me a Holla while you are in Uptown!

Beef rib roast and mushroom cheese dip all in The Egg. You can literally fit your appetizer, your main dish, and your baked dessert all in the egg. As long as you don't forget it, the Egg can really save you insane amount of time!

The result!

And how could a Spring grill out be complete without some hard cider? I always get accused of taking pictures of "finished" food, such as this one, a "finished" bottle of Crispin. But hey, I need time to get my camera out of my big purse, turn it on, adjust the setting, and by the time I zoom in on the food/cider, it's GONE! How can that be my fault? Blame it on the Al-al-al-alcohol~

After some tender and juicy beef rib roast, few bottles of good wine, some crazy conversations, it's finally dessert time. Crazy convo leads to interesting dessert innovation: Crispin Cider Float

Artisanal Reserves: Crispin Honey Crisp
"New Crispin Honey Crisp Artisanal Reserve™ is a small batch, hand crafted, super-premium hard apple cider smoothed with real organic honey for a rich, creamy, full-bodied crisp taste. Smooth over ice."
Smooth over ice, and even smoother over ice cream. Hint of honey sweetness pair with rich and creamy Haagen-das vanilla ice cream. If Match.com produce happy couples, Crispin and Haagen-das should be having grandkids now.

Give it a upside down twirl, let the apple wine sediments suspend through the whole bottle and into each glass of fresh and pure enjoyment.

To make life even more unfair than it is for most of our readers, we also got a hold of The Saint.

Artisanal Reserves: Crispin The Saint:

"A small batch, hand-crafted, super-premium hard apple cider, The Saint is smoothed with pure organic maple syrup for a silky, sustained mouth-feel that develops complexity on the palate."

I was so tempted to just drizzle more maple syrup and crumble some cookies over this float to make it the dessert of the year. Crispin may be launched over night in the attic, but tonight, Crispin Cider Float was launched over the dinner table. BAM! just like that.

Look at that foam. I can't wait for summer to come. Well, I think I'll be good when April 15th comes around. That will officially mark the end of my Detox month. I can now finally have some hard cider float, wine, dessert, coffee.... yummmmm. But till then, I'll be the DD and the only sober one listening to all the gibberish coming out of the mouths of our drunk wine heads. It really is a different kind of fun.

Bradstreet Craftshouse @601 Graves Hotel

2010-03-30T23:10:00.001-05:00

I am having a hard time pronouncing this hotel's name. 601 Graves, as in tombs? or Ga-raffes as in like Paul Graves, the photographer? I am leaning more towards the Ga-raffes pronunciation. Who would like to be asked "where did you go?", and you have to answer "I just came back from the graves..." wooo... creepy. And if it is really called graves, as in tombs, then you shouldn't expect to see any Asians there. We are very superstitious when it comes to this kind of things...

And speaking of Asians, my group of friends probably was the only Asians there. And I was the only Chinese there for sure. Nonetheless, very comtemporary style hotel and design. I have never stayed at the graves, but friends who have stayed all said very nice things about it. Especially, the alleged Hermes toiletry. And I had to ask him, "Did you secretly put them away each morning so they can fill in with new ones for the house-keeping?" Oh yea.

Bradstreet Craftshouse was inspired by John Scott Bradstreet, who started his own entertainment business, including bars and clubs, in the early 1910s. Bradstreet lived a high life, and also died the same way. He allegedly died in a car accident, and became the first person in Minnesota to die in an automobile crash. What a life.

The specialties are definitely their mixed drinks. I was recommended to the Bradstreet because of the Violent Hour in Chicago. Violent Hour's partner invested in Bradstreet, and has brought over the drink menu for the crowd in Minneapolis. Maybe if I do make it to the Violent Hour next time in Chicago, I'll be able to tell you more about the two. But V-H is one of those places that doesn't take any reservations, and you would have to spend an hour waiting in line before getting your first drink. With that being said, I actually would just stay in Minneapolis. At least Bradstreet is quite, nice and doesn't require you to stand in the line.

Juliet and Romeo: Plymouth, Gin, Mint, Cucumber, Lime and Rose Water. Very refreshing drink. Definitely a must try if you are a fan of gin. Or you should still try even if you are not a fan of gin. It's very smooth and just simply refreshing!
Other drinks I'd recommend: Fresh Fruit Gimlet, Vodka Cobbler, cause I like it fruity :)

Not much a dining menu, but very elegantly prepared appetizer menu.

Quesadilla: Duck confit, racelet cheese and apple kimchi. Stuffed and served with the thin, crispy, grilled flour tortilla. It was just a very neat concept to put duck and kimchi (marinated cabbage or apple, in this case) into a tortilla. An interesting, surprising yet so balanced mix of flavors, textures and cuisines. Very well done.

Crab cake: Not much to explain. Lumps of snow crab meat (lumps, not minced), served with cream and poblano coulis. A different kind of crab cake, a more pleasing type of crab cake.

And of course, hanging with Ratree, we must have scallops. No matter if it's scallops at a sushi restaurant, scallops at Chino Latino, or here, Grilled Scallops at Bradstreet.

Other food also sampled: Thai Chicken Satay and Calamari La Plancha. The chicken satay maybe soso, but the calamari was worth mentioning. Not battered or fried, but simply cooked with light mushroom and lemon sauce. Very appealing, fresh taste of the calamari without the batter, yet the lemon sauce was just right to kick out the fishy taste.

Forgot to take pictures of those two dishes, and all the other numerous drinks we tried that night. I guess that glass of tequila El Diablo was really kicking in before I knew it. Definitely a very fun night. The atmosphere in Bradstreet might be a little bit more uptight and the crowd might be just a little bit too serious for us, but we sure knew how to have fun.

Folks, I'm going on a de-tox program right now. No coffee, no alcohol and no processed food till April 15th. I just had been exploiting my body so much for the last couple months and I am starting to feel sick, and also, fat... I will not be going to fancy restaurants, but I'll for sure update some health food or what not. I also have visited plenty of restaurants from the past, and maybe can still post those reviews as updates. Either way, wish me luck on my detox weeks. I'm gonna feel like a million buck soon!!

Oh! And I also recently got my new camera!!! Canon S90. The best thing ever! Now you won't be looking at my yellow-ish warm fuzzy food pictures. The S90 would give much more vibrant colors, sharper focus, better white balance and most importantly, low light capability!! I tested it and it is absolutely amazing! So, this maybe the last post to see those bad pictures! Only if I remember to bring my S90 to restaurants though. :p

Cocina Latina: The Southern American spot

2010-03-21T15:17:00.000-05:00

I like Vic 1959. The bean, the rice and the shredded beef were amazing. I was extremely interested to have another Southern American adventure. Some reviews called it Mexican; it's so foolish of them to mix up Mexican with Ecuadorian and Colombian cuisine. And it's equally foolish to call Tex-Mex Mexican food; or Panda Express as Chinese food. No, No, No and No.

Before I went to Cocina Latina on South Lyndale, their website hasn't been up yet. I didn't quite get the chance to "feel" the restaurant before making the decision to take my new foodie friend to try it out with me. Don't get me wrong, I love hole-in-the-wall. I love trying new things. If it's good, win-win; if it's bad, at least I know and I can make fun of myself later. But taking a friend is always a risky business.

Looking from the outside of the restaurant, I got a little nervous. It definitely wasn't my kind of restaurants. Walking in, music was blasting on that HDTV. Full of exotic dancing MTVs. During one of the video/karaoke materials, the group of Southern Americans actually moved their seats to better watch those exotic MTVs butt shaking. "Yea, that's right". OH, no, that's NOT right.

Sobrebarriga con salsa criolla
Flank steak in home made sauce w/ rice, beans, potato, cassava and sweet plantain.
The grilled flank steak was a little tough. But generally, the sauce was pretty tasty. It definitely went really well with the rice and the yuca/potato/roots. Having those fried eggs as part of my dinner was a very new concept. Sunny-side my dinner please!

Secos de /Stews, choice of: Chicken, meat, goat or beef tripe
I admired my friend ordering this dish. I am always very adventurous in food. But ordering organs outside of Chinese or French restaurants would probably take me more guts than anything. The beef tripe unfortunately was a little blah tasting. Not much flavors when it comes to organs cooking. The portion seemed small, but it probably was very filling with the proteins.

This Heavy Table post inspired me to try this restaurant. And you can see, they also served fried whole fish. Not very presentable, but I wouldn't doubt the taste. The weirder the food, the more interesting it is, and the more I want to try. Bring it Cocina Latina!

Overall, I still prefer Victor's 1959 cafe. But of course, it'd be foolish of me to substitute the two cuisine and refer them as the same style. Victor's Cuban cuisine definitely has more sweetness to its dishes, while Cocina Latina has more stewy and marination going with their dishes. Still worth another try. Plus, who wouldn't like those exotic dancing MTV as background music right?

I need new socks. Hmmmm

Must Go in Mid-March: Haute Dish or Au Pied du Cochon?

2010-03-09T00:09:00.002-06:00

Haute Dish opening in Mid-March. I simply can't wait.

With the staff they have listed, and the inspiration they have: this is going to be great. A great great great culinary combo.

I know this not because I've tried the dishes from the former Sea Change chef, or former Cafe Levain, or maybe I do love Barbette and couldn't be more excited to have the former Barbette chef's creations at Haute Dish. It was because of the owner has Au Pied du Cochon in Montreal as his inspiration for Haute Dish. That alone, enough said. I must try this restaurant. All because of Au Pied du Cochon.

In case you don't know what I'm talking about:

The famous, most famous, absolutely delicious: Duck-in-a-can
Duck meat and foie gras cooked and sealed in a can. Open fresh and heated for your enjoyment. The meat is so juicy with the foie gras so smooth. Heavenly combination.

And to pair with that extremely flavorful Duck-in-a-can, we had the Fries In Duck Fat. Also come with a side of extra duck fat for dipping. I don't know fries could taste so good. May I suggest McDonald's to start frying their fries with the leftover chicken fat? Oh wait, they are already doing that?

Handcrafted fries with duck fat!

It wouldn't be fair to skip over the other amazing foie gras dish: Foie Gras Hamburger
Explain no more, see for yourself. Layers of tender soft duck livers with the amazing sweet and gamy glaze/sauce, sandwiched by two creamy and crispy pancakes. If that's what Canadians eat as "hamburger", I'm definitely moving to that largest piece of land, right now. But then I didn't, because you really can't eat that $40 of "hamburger" everyday...

In case you are done with foie gras, (and honestly, as much as I love foie gras and all thing gamy, I was pretty done after 3 dishes of duck and fat and livers) you can always go with the good-old pork. But beware, it's pork, but pork blood sausages. And it was a good change of taste after 3 overloading/overwhelming/over-tasting duck duck duck. And it's pork after all, who can beat that?

Having that Oven-Baked Apple probably was a little too luxurious. I should have just let the taste and texture of the all-night foie gras feast linger longer before washing it down with some warm apple sauce. But hey, it was a heavenly combo and a delicious way to end the dinner. You always need something sweet and tangy to finish off the gamy and creamy taste, yea?

That was so long ago. May 2008, what a time. That was just the beginning of my culinary adventure.

Haute Dish, are you ready for me?

Stand Up for Heidi's and Blackbird: Fork the Fire

2010-03-06T23:58:00.001-06:00

It was so unfortunate that Heidi's and Blackbird had to go down in flames, literally... I have yet got to try the two restaurants. (Probably yet to try Blackbird, since I don't know when would I be able to afford Heidi's menu...) Just so unfortunate...

Fork the Fire: An event to help fundraise for Heidi's and Blackbird
“Fork the Fire” will allow diners to contribute in several ways. Dozens of local restaurants will offer specials that day at brunch, lunch and/or dinner — the program is different at each location, so call ahead to verify — with proceeds benefitting the two restaurants.

Details: click on the Fork the Fire link above.

Next Sunday, March 14th, time to hang out at your favorite restaurants, and donate to help bring these two TC favorites back to life.

Special featuring: Mission American Kitchen @ IDS center. With dishes prepared by chefs from our favorites, Heidi's, Saffron, Vincent et al.

Hail to Heidi's and Blackbird! I vow that I'll visit you before you get burnt down again! Another proof of Life is Short!

Don't Mess with Texas

2010-03-06T23:42:00.001-06:00

For the past two weeks and the upcoming weeks, I'd be traveling in Texas. Meeting customers and attending training etc. I can't say I have a negative feeling about Texas, but I certainly don't prefer living in Texas. Apart from the hot humid weather and everything-Texan-style, I'm also allergic to Texan mosquitos. That certainly made life... pretty tough, with swollen arms and face.

Tex-Mex is definitely a must-eat down in Texas. Nothing can beat a plateful of fresh made Gua and Chips. But please, don't let Tex-Mex take all the spotlights, because the more amazing food has yet to come:

Texan BBQ Beef Baked Potato: loaded with slow cook BBQ beef, topped with sour cream and cheese. This is not just a baked potato, this is a GIANT baked potato. I don't know what qualifies to be the "best baked potato", but surely this giant one has to make it on the list.

Enlarging the texture and volume... not of my hair, but the BBQ beef.

Not a place you would be attracted to walk into. In the arm pit of Texas, Freeport isn't really a city of charm and luxury. There are so many of these shaddy looking restaurants/food stops that just makes me feel like I load my shot gun before going in. But that's just me, the spoiled Los-Angelos and HongKongese side of me talking...

Brian's Bar-B-Q, Lake Jackson, Texas.
In case you actually make it to that town of Lake Jackson, the address is: 151 Commerce Street, Clute, TX 77531-5601

But again, no one goes to Freeport/Lake Jackson for vacation....

This is Summer... at Orange County

2010-02-23T19:55:00.001-06:00

It was the Valentine's Day weekend; It was the Chinese New Year weekend. It was the beginning-of-my-intense-business-trip weekend.
And the weather? 70- 80 deg F, with the lows at 60s. Wow, and you call that winter? Well, it was unusually warm, hot almost. Southern California just had their rain storm, and to continue the drought, more sunny hot days. It was just in time for me: going from the 20-30 deg F in Minnesota to the 60-80 deg F in Southern California. Nice!

Solana Beach: the waves, the sun, the sand, the perfection.

A small town, a small beach town. I really doubt people who live there can be productive in any sort. How can they live in a town like that, with waves like that, and with weather like that, and still be able to think anything else? Sometimes I'm glad I'm not living in Southern California.... maybe I get more of a brain work-out this way ?

Laguna Beach: The Hills, Laguna Beach, The O.C., and all the other TV shows that feature the beach. It is beautiful.

La Brisas: right off the cliff on the Laguna Beach. Comtemporary Mexican restaurant. It has a fancy location, but a very reasonable price. Definitely a fantastic date spot, if you don't mind the other population dining around you. Comtemporary Mexican Seafood, so please, don't order thr burriots here. Oh wait, do they even have that on the menu?

Mariscos en Banderilla
Prawns, lobster, swordfish and vegetables grilled on a skewer over wild rice with caper-butter sauce

Pasta de Mariscos
Prawns, large sea scallops, crab, green mussels and salmon sautéed and tossed with spicy tomato sauce, angel hair pasta and vegetables.

Playa del Sole
Filet of sole, layered, topped with king crab meat, spinach and avocado slices. Served with a roasted capers-lemon butter sauce, vegetables and Mexican-style rice
I don't know about you, but avocado and sole fish? That has to be the best combo! Mexican rice is done to perfection. Tender and flavorful rice. Very elegantly done sauce, creamy but not fatty.

Berry Tostada

Fresh berries in an almond Florentine shell with vanilla ice cream and fruit liqueur.
Oh my god, may I just say, This is outstanding!!! A roated almond sweet and cruchy shell filled with ice cream and fresh berries. This is really impeccable.

Crème Brûlée

Topped with caramelized sugar and served with mixed berries.

And how can you miss this classic dessert? A little bit on the sweet side though.

And how can you go to the OC without Asian food? Don't forget, I totally blogged about it already.

Tom Yum Gon Noodle Soup: Yum. Period. And yea, take it with shrimps, no chicken please.

I can start now!

kisskissangela: The Valentine's Day Edition

2010-02-12T11:38:00.001-06:00

Not everyone is as talented as Bakerella. Adorable and sweet home-made cakes and sweets; fun decorating ideas that would WOW everyone; No, unfortunately, not all of us are so talented...
But fortunately, there is still Hallmark. Valentine's day, isn't it Hallmark's idea anyway? I mean, didn't poor St. Valentine die on that day or buried on that day or something? I don't even know the origins of Valentine's Day. And the worst thing is, Wikipedia doesn't even know. And if Wiki doesn't know it, then it shouldn't even exist...

Okay, enough B*tching about this Hallmark-ized Valentine's day, aka Single Awareness Day (SAD). As tough as love finding is, I still wish all the lovebirds out there a Happy Valentine's Day. And for those poor fellas who doesn't have a single idea on what to do for your special girl. Here I am. Your last minute resource to this big day... A day so big that it could determine your fate and your happiness for the rest of your life...

Here are some of my thoughts: So, what could lovebirds do in Minneapolis? Where is a guarantee romantic success spot? What is a good V'day budget? I mean, you want to be smart to stay in budget, so you can get that girl a big ring someday right? So... here's the list. From the thriftiest to the most extravagant dinner, all in the beloved and romantically inspired Twin Cities.

#1. White Castle

- Yes, you heard it right. White Castle is hosting a special Valentine's Day dinner on the 14th. It's not just a suitcase of 30 sliders to-go with a coke. It's a DINNER!

Wow your special someone with tableside service, flowers and candlelight, in a place made famous for late night cravings.

This is really hard to bet huh? A waiter, a reserved dinner, flowers, candlelight and a suitcase of sliders?! As long as you spin it right, this could really be a memory of a lifetime. And of course, you better be getting her some big diamonds later on with this huge savings on dinner... Unless, this is your plan on ditching her... Let's hope she won't be calling you again...
Gifts-wise: you really have to be creative here. If you are funny enough to take her to White Castle for the laugh, you shouldn't be boring by giving her a gift card. A handcrafted home-made box of chocolate will definitely surprise this down-to-earth girl. A special 5th grader hand written special love card and a home-mad ugly but sweet box of chocolate covered strawberries. You may be able to seal the deal.

#2. D'amico & Sons

- Special V'day three-course menu for two. Wood fire oven pizza, Italian sandwiches, fresh pasta and entrees. Many many to choose from, without the commercialized fancy schmuncy people pressurizing you to pick an expensive wine. At this local favorite chain deli, just do whatever you want. Maybe you guys are just starting to hang out, and you don't want her to take it the wrong way or to think too much too early on. Hey, this seems to be sensible choice. Or, you will come out like a Jerk at the end of the night if she can't handle the rejection. I would suggest at least going to the D'amico in Edina/50th & France area. Even if you couldn't afford a fancy dinner, you can still afford a fancy atmosphere offered by the lights and boutiques from the 50th & France area right?

#3. Cafe Lurcat

- Ok, another D'amico's creation. Cafe Lurcat, gotta love the decor. I especially love the vintage style. Wooden furniture, chandeliers, brick walls... oh my. I just absolutely adore the decor. Fine dining services with accessible and easy to understand menu. Yes, easy to understand menu; as in Crab Cake is Crab Cake, not gâteau de crabe or something in foreign language. It has a upscale bar. And did I mention the beautiful chandeliers?
Roses, flowers, or for me, Lilies please. A semi-fancy upscale dinner has to pair with a nice bouquet of flowers right? Since you are already kind of splurging on the dinner, a nice bouquet of flowers should be able to do it. Or if you really like her, a nice pair of earrings, a beautiful necklace. V'day is not about practical gifts, it's all about "awwww" and "You're so sweeeeet" type of gifts. Plus, after a couple glasses of wine, she has to be totally in love with you. wink*

#4. Vincent's

- Speaking of gâteau de crabe , how could a romantic dinner be romantic if there's no French components involved? Sorry to say, I'm a big French snob. I wish I'm living in Paris, eating macaroons and sipping Cafe au Lait. Reality kicks in, it's more practical to live in the US than the dreamy yet expensive and dirty Paris. Still, my French snob side still needs to breathe once a while. And there's Vincent's. Special V'day a la carte or tasting menu, pair with wine flight, for an $100+ per person dinner. It's pricy, but it's French. I guess I could recommend La Belle Vie, another upscale French restaurant. But I personally think La Belle Vie's decor is too old-school and doesn't really have any romantic elements in it. It's just bunch of segregated dining rooms with horrible lighting and no decor at all. Vincent's should be a much comfy and cosy place. You want to be able to sit close and stare into each other's eyes anyway right?
Gifts... Mmmmm. I supposed if you can afford this dinner, you should be able to get her a gift card to a spa treatment or facial treatment or something in those salons right? I highly recommend the Spalon in Edina. Very very well decoration and extremely skilled staff. It's time for my mani and pedi, Honey!

#5. Sea Change Restaurant

- Oh my. One of my top restaurants to go. I love seafood, and this Tim McKee restaurant's newest addition is all about seafood. And not just any seafood, but Sustainable Seafood. You know how they say Tunas are dying too fast because we are eating too much of them. This didn't come out as sophisticated or serious as I intended, but you get the idea. Sustainable growing/farming of seafood maybe the way to go to balance our ecosystem. Unfortunately, I have never been to the Sea Change. But the photo gallery definitely makes me dream about going there. Plus, this one is a easy one. You should have a pair of tickets to the Guthrie theater, which is where Sea Change is located. Nice, extravagant dinner with high class theater entertainment. Man, you've got it!

kisskissangela: Valentine Edition

2010-02-11T13:37:00.000-06:00

Dear Readers,

As this commercially special date is approaching, I'm inspired to put together a special Valentine's Day edition blog post. Of course, it'll be restaurants, from fancy schmuncy to "White Castle" kind of deal. And maybe some little surprises and last minute gift ideas? I'm very excited!

Check back tomorrow for this special S.A.D. =Valentine's Day Edition on kisskissangela!

XOXO,

kisskissangela