Tag Archives: Japanese

12.04.19
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[Seattle, WA] Katsu on a Feeling

Katsu Burger
Multiple Locations
Seattle, Washington

Hours: 11:00 am to 10:00pm

Hamburger patties can flame grilled, air-cooked or microwaved (for those in a rush). Frying it in a vat of oil is not altogether strange. That’s what make certain innovations interesting. Katsu Burger is a Seattle-based chain offering deep fried hamburgers. It’s supposed to be one of the latest things coming out of Japan, but one look online shows they are lightyears ahead with other innovations–like adding lotus root, fried noodles or using rice-based buns to a classic fast food dish.

The idea using fried bread is not above me. The thought of a protein patty sandwiched in between Indigenous style bannock is going to have me experimenting.

In what makes a Katsu katsu is with breading the meat before getting deep fried. With pork or chicken, the meat is pounded until it’s suitably flat. Though with ground meat, that’d be tough to do. Slabs of beef can be buffeted with honey to have a shine, and it’d certainly change the flavour profile.

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11.06.19
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[Seattle, WA] Come Sail Away with me at Sushi Kashiba

Sushi Kashiba
86 Pine St #1
Seattle, WA

Phone: (206) 441-8844
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
5:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

During the busy holiday weekends in Seattle, my advise is to make reservations if you want to insure getting a seat to dine at Sushi Kashiba. This port city is known for many things, and despite what anyone says about Pike Place Market, it’s home to many secret delights. I’ve known about this particular dining establishment for a while and keep on getting sidetracked when I discover something new. Even though I had a special fund just to dine here, it can get spent fast on other delights.

When considering Chef Kashiba trained under Jiro, a sushi master, I knew I’d be in for a treat.

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06.26.19
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Not Quite Kissing the Fish With Ki Sushi in New West

Ki Sushi Restaurant
45 8th Street
New Westminster, BC

Phone: (604) 521-1833
Hours: 11a.m.–9:30p.m.
Friday & Saturday: 11a.m.–10p.m.

Even when I’m in a different part of the Lower Mainland, I gravitate to my dietary staple, fish. If only I was in Japan, I’d find most of it bought from tsukiji market, or caught right from the river and cut up for consumption. If only that was the case out in New Westminster, since it’s by the Fraser River.

Ki Sushi is voted as the best sushi restaurant 14 years in a row by some reader’s choice awards. Of course, that means by mostly locals. After travelling far and wide, just where they rank in the bigger leaderboard is not all that high. Their tuna is mid to lower grade in taste; I could tell by the colour. My recall of what I tasted at Sushi Kashiba (Seattle’s very best) and Fūdo’s when compared to this place told me there’s a huge difference and you get what you pay for, especially when concerning tuna. The BC salmon was far better.

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03.06.19
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Making a Beat to Miku Vancouver

nullMiku Vancouver
200 Granville St #70
Hours: 11:30am – 10pm
Phone: (604) 568-3900

Around the Vancouver Convention Center are plenty of eateries. They range from the cheap with Subway to expensive with Miku. This Japanese restaurant is certainly worth the price, and when I was in town for Fan Expo Vancouver, I can finally answer the question of where to go if money is no object. Normally I don’t fall into this trap of hitting those operations in this area. But with Star Wars in my head and a pang of hunger the size of the moon … those lights staring across the street from me from where I stayed had drawn me in like a mosquito to a flame.

Miku has an excellent location to watch the sunset fall and to nibble on the best sushi in Vancouver! The servers are very friendly and were easy to talk to. I asked where they get most of their fish. Unlike Fudo back home, they don’t import as far and wide. They do source from Japan, but the uni I had was British Columbia than from California. I was told by a patron next to me that some of the best are near Santa Monica. We agreed that this place is one of the very best.

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04.11.18
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[Burnaby, BC] Yaguchiya Ramen has a secret …

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Yaguchiya Ramen
4679 Kingsway St,
Burnaby, BC

Hours: 11am to 3:30pm, 5-9:30pm
Phone: (604) 620-4679

… and they are willing to tell noodle lovers one of their recipes “of toppings for nice ramen.” Okay, the grammar is odd, but I suspect the image I took makes up their soup base and this revelation will have many reproduce it at home. I doubt this will work for instant ramen (we have sake for that) but for properly refrigerated noodles, to have that perfect broth defines the experience.

I’m enjoying this freedom to discovery establishments when travel lust hits. James R. Shaw to do his research than take chances. For me, I simply look at a map and either decide or roll a die than to depend on what other people say. I’ll gladly ask afterward, but definitely not before! After a long day checking out Metropolis at Metrotown, I did not want to simply visit the food court. Instead, I walked across the street to sample one of a handful of diners occupying this street block.

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01.31.18
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C’est Bon Koto Sushi Izakaya

20170805_215301_HDRKoto Sushi Izakaya
510 Fort St
Victoria, BC

Phone: (250) 382-1514

Late at night, folks do not have to wait long to get a seat at Koto Sushi Izakaya. Just how they compare to other places depends on what you are wanting to have. I usually go for the sushi rolls, and it was tough to decide on what to get without killing my wallet. Since this place specializes in Izakaya, where you are able to get quick bites (pub-style food), I went for the simple dishes first, hoping they will fill me up. The baked oysters were certainly wonderful, warm and lucid to the tongue. I also ordered deep-fried quail eggs, and could have gone for more. They were the highlight of my meal, given how filling they were over the rest of the items I ordered. The grilled fish was unusual. Sanma is a mackerel which had a distinctively salty taste. It was quite soft and was like eating a sponge cake. The texture took little getting used to, but I found enjoyment after the third piece.

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