Aw yeah - it's not a Yelp party until Sidney S. makes it a Yelp party! We were invited to a neat private Yelp event hosted by the guy that everyone and their mother seems to know at one of the places that we love, love, LOVE! Sushi Noguchi is the place to be. What a fabulous turnout and great way to meet people from all walks of life. With nearly a full house, I could not believe how Sushi Noguchi was able to provide everything for everyone with perfect execution and pacing. Also, $40 pre-tax per person for this particular omakase is honestly too good to be true.


We started off with some introductions and announcements from Jun Noguchi herself and then all proceeded to chitchat with those we were seated around. Somehow the assigned seating worked out perfectly though perhaps I am a tad biased as my lot was at the sushi bar where I could watch the action (and feel tortured!). As always, watching the meticulous arrangement and assembly of the gorgeous cuts of fish is a treat in itself. I sat with Duc, Roy, and Drew as we drooled over the beautiful work put together by the team at Sushi Noguchi.


In addition to Hiro-san's omakase menu for each of us honored people, Yaegaki Corporation USA was there presenting their award-winning sakes for an optional sake tasting. Ever curious about the alcohols of the world, I opted in and got to collect some neat "trading cards," as we called the sake info cards. Each pour was accompanied by an explanatory business card-sized placard that showed a map of where the sake was made and listed details on its SMV, classification, polishing rate, and grain. The ones tasted were the Mu Junmai Daiginjo (our favorite as it was sweet, fruity, and delicate), Hatsumago Junmai Kimoto (the cleanest and crispest of them all that had a distinct bright taste), Shichiken Junmai Ginjo (bitter upon first sip but my palate warmed up quickly to it), Kawacho Junmai Ginjo (not as sweet as the first one but still subtly sweet with a sharp finish), and the Yaegaki Nigori Sake Unfiltered (smooth and creamy with a refreshing aftertaste). We ended up buying a 300ml of the Yaegaki Nigori at the end. They were all very great, and if you're interested in getting them, it looks like Mitsuwa,  Marukai, and Whole Foods carries them too!


Anyhow, we crunched on fried eel bones as we talked and watched preparations. These salty bones were a nice starter, serving the spot of perhaps pretzels in a sports bar or chips at a house party but with a bit more refinement. I was curious myself as I picked up each deep-fried spine to think that I was gnashing my teeth together on what was the backbone of a sea creature but it wasn't too long of a ponderous moment each time as I just enjoyed the food and show behind the bar.


The wait was worth it once the first plate came out in all its glory. Would you take a look at the beautiful, beautiful fish? Forget about the freshness for a moment and drop your jaw at the presentation. What lovely planning. With arguably the freshest, cleanest uni in Orange County as an eyecatcher as it sat in its own urchin couch, the plate contained the wonders of sweet shrimp, scallop, amberjack, toro, and snapper. Each very well melted in my mouth as I got bites of the freshest cuts the market had to offer.


After the raw goodness, we were treated to some courses of cooked meats as the kitchen prepared for the next round. The first to come out was a fantastic and large red snapper head with peel-away white flesh upon a plate of onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers in a tangy sauce. Next were juicy morsels of Kurobuta pork that were perfectly pan-fried and salted just right. In all that deliciousness, we were surprised even further by the tender and flavorful cubes of Kobe beef that got chomped up in mere moments.


Then everyone was treated to individual plates of nigiri five ways. There was shrimp, albacore, hamachi, red snapper, and salmon. Once again, perfect execution. It was a nice change of pace to have a little bit of the vinegared rice (what sushi "actually" is) this time around. The shrimp was smooth. My favorite of the bunch was the albacore which was highlighted with some crunchy tempura. The hamachi oh so fresh. The snapper had a big kick to it from the garnish. Lastly, the salmon was melt-in-your-mouth buttery. I've never had it do that before to me but wow, this was something else.


When it seemed like there could be no more, Hiro-san treated us again with some crunchy, salty prawn heads to get our primal instincts going. I saw that some people seemed either hesitant to bite into these bug-eyed deep-fried creatures or were too full to stomach anything more. I had no problem myself though just destroying each head between my gnashing teeth. The crunchiness and saltiness definitely satisfied. Lastly, we received one of the most famous things Sushi Noguchi is known for - their mille feuille crepe dessert. Think of a light and delicate dessert that was crafted with meticulous care. This dessert takes hours to put together, and you can taste it in each mindblowing bite. Loved it!

Thank you to Jun & Hiro-san for hosting us for this event and Sidney for putting it on. It was a fabulous time with the best sushi around and the coolest people!

Photography by Duc Duong. More photos available on Facebook.

This Test Kitchen post's material was a point of excitement for me because it was the first time I've ever used the oven at Duc's place...because he just moved into his new apartment on Friday! The other places he's been have never had working ovens so you can just imagine how awesome it was to finally use one. The ingredient for last week was acorn squash and while yes, there are plenty of recipes roasting it just as is, I wanted to do something different. So, a soup was necessary. This one's pretty simple and also easily made vegetarian so I would suggest you take a shot at it to brighten up your day! It's sweet and smooth, a loved combination. Enjoy!

Step 1: Ingredients (yields 2-3 servings)

• 1 medium acorn squash (about 1.5 lbs)
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 tbsps olive oil
• 1 cup chicken/vegetable broth
• 2 tsps nutmeg
• 1/2 tbsp paprika
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Step 2: Roasting the squash
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Drizzle olive oil onto a large baking sheet - determine the amount by how large your acorn squash is as you want to cover the entire cut surface. With your acorn squash, remove the top part so that you have a flat side. Then split it in half and remove seeds with a spoon. Place face down on the baking sheet in the oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes.


Step 3: Prepping the puree
While the squash is roasting, chop up your onion and place into a large saucepan with 2 tbsps of olive oil. Cover pan and turn on medium-high. Cook until translucent. When the squash has finished roasting, remove from the oven and let cool before scooping out flesh into a food processor (see? easy way not to have to peel it prior to cooking!). Add onions to processor and pulse until smooth puree forms.


Step 4: Finishing
Place puree back into saucepan and turn on medium heat. Slowly stir in broth until well incorporated; you should do this bit by bit so as to evenly distribute. If it is still too thick for your liking, you may add more broth. Stir in nutmeg and paprika. Take off heat and serve with freshly ground black pepper.



Photography by Minerva Thai.
There won't be a Test Kitchen ingredient this week as I will be doing OC Restaurant Week posts all that time! Tune back in for Test Kitchen to resume March 5th!

1668 Robson Street, Vancouver, BC V6G 1C7 (Neighborhood: West End)
Pricing - $/$$ | Dining - Casual | Cuisine - Sushi
www.sushimart.com


Sushi Mart was one of the restaurants my friend was jumping at the bit to try out because of its high ratings online. We saw it the first night we were wandering up and down Robson - it was a small place with little seating but had a simple atmosphere that was inviting to those of us who like that lowkey feel. The ordering is set up just like a mart where you go up to place your order and can go down the line to watch the chefs whip up your meal or sit down and wait for it to be brought out piece by piece.


Free miso soup and hot green tea at the table? My body is listening. Haha, they were both actually quite good and warmed us all up after being out on such a chilly night. My friends had ordered their own assortment which are the first two food pictures I posted.


As for myself, being still a little full from the izakaya outing we had had just five minutes before coming here, I only opted for three items - the hamachi at market price, unagi roll, and a single inari. The hamachi was thickly sliced and just beautiful in sheen and cut. I found the texture firmer than I had imagined it would be but it was not an unpleasant surprise. Since it was so thick already, I definitely had to give pause between slabs for some ginger and perhaps a bit of my roll. Nevertheless, a gorgeous cut of fish. The roll had a bit more filler than I would have liked - I didn't taste the unagi as much as hoped. Still good little morsels to have between my sashimi. As for the inari, I always like inari. Sushi Mart really made theirs fat as a penguin. It was stuffed full of vinegary rice in a sweet shell that it made me pretty much go unghhaahngh in happiness. Neat little place!

Photography by Minerva Thai.

I can't help it - I bought the huge pack of chicken wings at Costco and am still trying to get through it all. This just means that I have a lot of experimentation to do! I had some jalapenos to get rid of so after thinking a little bit of how to incorporate it into my cooking, I came up with this slightly tangy, spicy appetizer to please your tastebuds.

Step 1: Ingredients (yields 20-24 pieces)

• 2 jalapenos, sliced
• 2 tbsps whole grain mustard
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsps olive oil
• 10-12 chicken wings (about 2 lbs)

Step 2: Prepping the ingredients
For chicken wings, separate the wing piece from the drummette by slicing right at joint. Remove wing tips; you can save these for later if you wish to make stock. Set pieces aside.

Step 3: Creating the marinade
In a bag or large mixing bowl, slice in the jalapenos. Remove seeds prior to adding if you want it to be less spicy. Add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Taste test and add more of lime if too sweet or more sugar if too sour. Add in chicken wings and coat well. Place into refrigerator at minimum of 2 hours but can have for longer.


Step 4: Finishing
I would suggest that you broil these wings as frying on the skillet proved to be messy AND lacking in extra sauce (it pretty much turned black and made the skillet hard to clean). If broiling, do it for approximately 5 minutes per side. If using a skillet, clean well afterward, hah. Enjoy!



Photography by Minerva Thai.

Cambie St & W 33rd Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Y 2M5 (Queen Elizabeth Park)
Pricing - $$/$$$ | Dining - Dressy Casual | Cuisine - Seafood
http://www.vancouverdine.com/seasons-park


Who doesn't love brunch? Okay if you don't, but wait. How would you refuse loving brunch in the middle of a gorgeous park overlooking Vancouver? Yeah that's right. You have to. That's what drew us to this place - the fact that it was pretty much on a cliff overlooking the city. What a beautiful idea. Also, it was brunch. Anyhow, my friends and I made reservations for this place before even we had finished our housing arrangements for our trip to Vancouver. When we finally got to the restaurant during our stay, it was quite awesome both inside and out. It also had the air of being only a place where "important" people ate but we were pretending to be high class too that morning, and we did dress the part. Overall, we were still treated well despite our apparent age difference from other diners. I give them kudos for that.


For a nicer restaurant, their bread and butter were quite bland but I tried to pass that over since I was looking more forward to the food. One of my friends ordered the Market Greens Salad (sherry vinaigrette, goat cheese, pecans, beets, and greens), a fun and fresh starter with a nice sweetness from the yellow beets. The other friend got their Truffled Mushroom Soup which made him close his eyes in ecstasy upon first sip. I managed to get a little bit to try myself, and that was surely one very creamy and truffle-rich soup. I loved it. I had been eyeing it on the menu myself but when he said he was going to order it, my eyes shifted to the Tomato & Bocconcini Salad (olive oil, basil, balsamic syrup). The Mozzarella was some of the freshest I've had and was bursting with flavor. The balsamic syrup had the perfect amount of sweetness to complement the cheese's vibrance and the tomato slices' tanginess. I could eat this every morning, really.


So one friend got the Smoked Sockeye Salmon Benedict (with spinach & roast potatoes) which she so happily munched away on that we didn't really take any. The yolks on that benny burst all over the plate in such a bright and creamy yellow that we knew it was good. The other friend got the Seafood Linguine Carbonara (bacon, prawn, snapper, scallops), an abundance of seafood all in one pasta dish. I got a small taste, and it was wonderful. He made happy eating noises too.


My entree was definitely the hardest of them all to eat since I had gotten the Shrimp Pizza (spicy mascapone, fresh dill, and red onion). It came on its own paddle and all the toppings nearly hid the tasty crust. I'm not a fan of pizza but when I do get it, I get it done right. The greens were all so fresh on this pizza that I felt like I was eating a garden with crunchy yet fluffy ground beneath. The dill and red onions showed no mercy on my nostrils and in my mouth. The shrimps' texture was spot on in terms of being cooked to the right doneness. It took me a very long time but I finally made it through the beast. Then, out of curiosity, I ordered their Lemon Sunburst Pie which actually was a fairly measly slice with unnecessary plate decor (it looked more like ketchup & mustard than lemon and raspberry droplets). The filling was great in tartness but the crust was very poor. I kind of wished that I hadn't finished my meal off with the pie because everything else had been excellent. To top off the meal was our after-meal walk around the beautiful Queen Elizabeth Park! What a fun place to dine at.

Photography by Minerva Thai.

Here's a generally healthy and simple recipe to make that won't make you feel guilty about your new year's resolution about eating better (it's already February - are you still going strong?). My Test Kitchen ingredient last week was Chinese five spice, and since I've been trying to keep myself aware of what I've been eating, it was time to work with tofu again. Luckily for me, it's a fun protein to work with. What's neat about this recipe is that it's also vegetarian for all of you who veering towards that direction with your meals. Did I mention it's simple? Yeah, it's simple.

Step 1: Ingredients (yields 2-4 servings)

• 1 cup green lentils, uncooked
• 1 1/2 cup chicken/vegetable broth
• 1 14oz. package firm tofu, thickly sliced
• 1 tbsp Chinese five spice
• 2 tbsps sesame oil
• 2 tbsps soy sauce

Step 2: Prepping the ingredients
Pour broth over lentils in a medium saucepan and let sit for approximately 10 minutes for the lentils to soak up some moisture prior to cooking. For tofu, remove from package and press to release excess liquids. Turn on stove to medium heat for saucepan and bring to a boil. For tofu, mix together five spice, sesame oil, and soy sauce in a separate and shallow bowl. Slice the tofu into thick slices and place in marinade.

Step 3: Finishing
For lentils, after the boil, bring to a simmer for 15-20 minutes until most of the water has been absorbed and/or the lentils themselves can easily be mashed with a fork. Drain. In a medium or large skillet, heat some grapeseed or low-fat oil over medium heat and then add tofu slices. Fry until golden brown all around. Serve with lentils!


This week's Test Kitchen ingredient: acorn squash
"Acorn squash (Cucurbita pepo), also called pepper squash or Des Moines squash, is a winter squash with distinctive longitudinal ridges and sweet, yellow-orange flesh. Although considered a winter squash, acorn squash belongs to the same species as all summer squashes (including zucchini and yellow crookneck squash). The most common variety is dark green in color, often with a single splotch of orange on the side or top." [Wikipedia]

I'm excited about grabbing a particularly beautiful squash. Let me know on Facebook what I should do with it!



Photography by Duc Duong.