Kenji's Bag of Tricks8/27/2011 Kenji is working on our bathroom remodel. Trained in Japan, he still uses traditional Japanese saws when it suits him. He also built the cabinet that we had in the bathroom and are saving to re-use again. Click here for a link to Kenji's website.
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Nervous Novitiate8/20/2011 19 August 2011: Today I climb the stairs to an unknown future. I feel like a nervous novitiate about to enter a monastery and start a new life - excited and apprehensive at the same time. I start the three year long training program at the Asian Art Museum. Most of the 60 of us are unfamiliar faces to each other, yet in the course of three years, we will be comrade in arms.
If I start talking about Asian Art a bit more on this blog you will know why. Fun Neon8/14/2011 Hong Kong Neon Signs Just as I've been lamenting the demise of the Balboa Theater and the loss of another neon sign, I snapped a photo at a Chinese restaurant of a neon sign. Somehow it would seem that Chinese characters would be difficult to render in neon, but somehow it renders well. The fluidity of the brush doesn't seem to be lost. Perhaps the master craftsman shaping the fluid quality of the hot neon glass has a kindred spirit with the calligrapher. Although neon signs may be getting scare in this country, they still seem to be thriving in Hong Kong and another Asian cities where commercial streets are still filled with neon signs - each one a veritable Broadway of lights. Porridge King - Daly City8/11/2011 Porridge King in Daly City is located in the same mall as 99 Ranch Market, a mecca for Asian food on the peninsula. I go there when I don't want to fight the crowds and parking in San Francisco. I find the BBQ items in 99 Ranch a bit sub par so I usually go over to the Porridge King for something better. Seeing a whole roast pig hanging on a hook can be a bit off-putting, but it can also be a thing of beauty depending on your perspective. Photo of Jook - wikipedia Porridge refers to a thick rice soup called "jook" in Cantonese. Chinese eat it for breakfast, a light lunch or snack. Koreans also call this soup "juk", but usually serve it to small children or someone ill. It's easy to eat and easy to digest. You would think that naming your restaurant the Porridge King, would mean the jook was really good -- not necessarily so here. The jook here is somewhat bland saved only by what condiments you add to it. The roast pork at porridge King on the other hand is really good. Sweet succulent meat with crispy skin reminiscent of chicharones. A whole roast pork is a signature dish at many important Chinese events, skillfully carved into serving pieces and re-assembled to maintain it's whole appearance. Look for it at your favorite Chinese deli. There is nothing more important in my circle of family and friends than a reliable Chinese restaurant with good food and reasonable ("cheap") prices. At Golden Horse (Hyde and California Streets), we ordered off the the "wo choy" (fixed price) menu that included soup, five entrees, and dessert. In the old days, the wo choy menu was printed only in Chinese. You either had to be able to read Chinese or have a waiter who was willing to translate it for you -- good luck! We had mustard greens with salted egg soup, beef stew tofu clay pot, crispy flounder, salt and pepper pork spareribs, seafood and greens, Chinese broccoli with Oyster sauce, and tapioca coconut dessert. The standout dish is the whole crispy flounder -- deep fried with succulent meat. Amazing they can produce all this food for $33.88! The owners and staff are friendly and welcome you as old friends when you come in. Golden Horse is well-known among the San Francisco cheap good Chinese restaurant cognoscenti. If you go, take a good look at the Cala market across the street with it's distinctive swooping concrete shell roof-lines. It's scheduled to be demolished soon. As a kid I used to drive by and stare at the interesting architecture of the building. I recently blogged and included a recipe for Kimchi, a dish found in almost every Korean meal. I mentioned several uses for aging kimchi and one is kimchi fried rice.
If you like your fried rice spicy, then use the kimchi straight. If you want a mild version, rinse the kimchi with water before using. This is the ultimate emergency meal when you don't have anything else in the frig. See my recipe here. Dry Fried Chicken Many restaurants serve a version of dry fried chicken. I first had it in a Mission Street Chinese restaurant where it was called "Korean Chicken". The definitive version currently is at the Shanghai House. Shanghai Dumpling House Shanghai House in the Outer Richmond at 3641 Balboa sits opposite the Balboa Theater. The sleek glass and chrome facade belies the folksy slow service inside. The wait, however, is worth it. Service may take awhile because there is only one server and she moves to her own rhythm. They specialize in steamed dumplings called "xiao long bao". Ten in an order, everybody seems to order them as well as the dry fried chicken wings. The chicken wings aren't on the menu, but everybody seems to know about them and want them. These are big juicy chicken wings with a battered crispy skin that's hefty enough to carry the spicy sweet and sour sauce. Order the dumplings and chicken wings and then try out a couple of other things and you've got a great dinner. The Making of Pine Street Kim Chi6/29/2011 I go in cycles making kim chi and will go for long periods of time without making any - buying it at the Korean grocery store. A Koren grocery store with excellent house-made kim-chi insures a steady stream of customers. A store with mediocre kim-chi makes me want to make my own.
I made a batch of kim chi last week and here is a photo of it in progress. The "perfect" kim chi is pleasantly salty, has a crunchy bite, a bright orange red color, and at the right moment, a slightly effervescent quality. Timing and technique can make a big difference. Perhaps the most important technique is the preliminary salting of the cabbage. My rule of thumb is to salt the cabbage until you think you have added too much -- and then add some more. Besides napa cabage, my recipe also includes daikon, garlic chives, garlic, ginger, red pepper powder and yes - "jut". See my recipe here for a discussion of jut and the kim-chi technique I have developed. Paragon Book Gallery - Chicago6/28/2011 Paragon Book Gallery at 1507 South Michigan Avenue just south of downtown Chicago is a paradise for Asian Art lovers. Hidden in a non-descript building with no storefront windows, you need to be buzzed into the store. Once inside it's like a warehouse filled with books on Asian Art and related topics. Slightly musty with the smell of old books, the ceiling is at least 14 feet high and the space is filled with rows of bookshelves filled with new and used books. Under various owners, the original 1942 store opened in Shanghai before moving to Manhattan in 1948 and finally landing in Chicago in 1991. Symbolism in Korean Ink Brush Painting Hard to find books can be found here and their on-line catalog is astounding. Each book coming into the store seems to be photographed and cataloged. You can search their catalog by country and then refine it by category. I spent an entire afternoon there drooling over books of every kind. If Asian Art interests you, then check out their web site and sign up for their email notifications of sales and new publications. Paragon Book Gallery has the most comprehensive source of Asian Art books I have ever seen. Hokkaido Seafood Buffet - San Mateo6/27/2011 Hokkaido Seafood Buffet - Steam Table Buffet we all shouted! Gluttony and guilty pleasures can't always be avoided. We promise ourselves, we'll just have a "little" and not overeat. Hokkaido Seafood Buffet in San Mateo was our destination. It's located in a suburban mall and you enter by walking by a skating rink to get to the restaurant. If you look at their website, you'll notice that the choice of languages is either English or CHINESE. Hmm, not the best indication of a good "Japanese" restaurant. The space is large and cavernous, but reasonably decorated as buffet restaurants go. There are lots of choices and several items can be grilled to order at one of the counters. This isn't gracious dining as your party is either coming or going and loading up their plate. I suggest sticking to the salads, hot entrees, or perhaps some of the Hokkaido dim sum. Not a date place and I'd pass on the sushi. AuthorCatagories
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