Okinawan food in Toronto

It's pretty unusual to find us in a Japanese restaurant, let alone one with a regional specialty.  My dining partner doesn't eat raw fish so Japanese food is seldom on our list. But I received a voucher for a complimentary meal at Ryoji Ramen and Itzakaya and it opened our palette to an entirely different aspect of Japanese food.

With the help of Akujiki, Food Sparks' resident Japanese food expert, we had picked three representative Okinawan tapas dishes from the online menu since Ryoji's parent restaurant is located in Okinawa.  However, the lunch menu is different from the online one although the braised pork belly and signature deep fried chicken were both there, at half the price and in substantial quantity.  The bitter melon on the dinner menu was not on the lunch menu but when we asked the chef it it would be possible to have it made, he very kindly obliged as the restaurant was not busy.  This is the Labour Day weekend - half the world is out of town and the rest likely at the CNE and Blue Jays game.  Extra star for flexible service.

The pork belly was prepared sous vide.  Have to confess that while I've heard a lot about this method of cooking pork belly, I was a little skeptical until I tasted it here - it was melt-in-your-mouth and full of flavour.  It came with half a piece of dried okra, which I initially thought was just decorative but when I bite into it, it was crisp and crunchy.  You can also see below how fine the pepper was - looked like shrimp whiskers - I could actually taste the flavour.

Okinawan Rafute (braised pork belly)

Kara-age - traditional Japanese deep fried chicken - dipped in sweet and sour soy, nice thin batter, crispy outside, soft and moist inside.  Perfectly done.  The slight tinge of sour in the batter took away any taste of grease.

I love chewy noodles so wanted to try the Okinawan soba noodles, even though this lunch is turning into a gluttonous feast, we ordered it.  It came with tasty pork backribs. seaweed, scallions and ground fish slices which has a crisp chewy consistency, much preferable to the soft ones we're used to in Chinese stores.  The soup was a very tasty, delicately flavoured bonito and pork broth.  

Okinawa So-Ki Soba in bonito and pork broth

The soba was served with a side of "koregosu" vodka infused with chili peppers.  Love it!

The most unique dish was the bitter melon stir fried with scrambled eggs, tofu and pork belly slices and we were glad the chef went out of his way to make it for us.  This Okinawan dish is topped with dried bonito fish flakes that swayed to music like they were still alive.  They were kept moving by steam from the hot stir fry for at least five minutes. (see video below)  What an amazing show dish, if it weren't slightly grisly.  Tastewise, I found this a great mix of textures and flavours.  I like how there was no detectable sugar added to the bitter melon unlike in Chinese cooking.  It tasted suitably bitter, the way it should be.

Okinawan Goya Champru (bitter melon stir fry)

Hope this video works!

Finally, the dessert.  We can't leave our first foray into Okinawan food incomplete!   I seldom go near donuts so was slightly skeptical about these "Okinawan donuts".  But I was pleasantly surprised!  These are not soft and starchy but firm and crunchy - I could taste the egg in them.  Perfectly paired with vanilla ice cream and dark chocolate sauce, strawberries, cream and mint.  A gorgeous ending to a very well-prepared meal.  

Sata Andagi (Okinawan donuts)

Diwan - a gem within a gem

Who would have thought that we would find the best bread pudding ever at a restaurant serving Middle-eastern, North African and Indian food!  But we did - the Egyptian coconut bread pudding at Diwan Restaurant in the Aga Khan Museum was the best we've ever tasted. It was totally unexpected - we were smitten! 

It turns out that Um Ali is a legendary Egyptian dessert with various myths behind its creation, but basically it was something created for a royal feast.  No wonder it's so good.  Beautifully presented and served warm, it was soft and moist but with a crunchy crust.  The contrasting cinnamon ice cream and walnuts, with cooling mint leaves made this a feast for the senses.

We hadn't planned on dessert when we sat down - it was going to be a light lunch to use up the refund the museum gave us for parking.  Of course, the museum administrators are smarter than we were - what a great way of drumming up business for the restaurant.  The appetizer and the entree was so good, we were enticed to try the one item on the dessert menu that caught my eye - the Um Ali.

And now back to the beginning.  We had not expected the appetizer to be anything exciting but the Turkish egg plant dish was excellent with some unique delicate flavours - no ordinary spread.

The chicken entree, tender and moist, was almost a backdrop for the interesting starch and salad.  The mix of soft Israeli couscous and crisp beluga lentils (my second taste in as many days!) provided contrasting textures that made this a winning combination.  The chick peas salad was a complex mix of chopped peppers, onions, radish and corn. Refreshing!

Diwan, both in its food and elegant decor, complete with19th century carved wood panels, complements the exquisite architecture of the Aga Khan Museum and the Ismaili Centre beside it.  Gems, in more ways than one.

Not your every day dinner at Scaramouche

We celebrated a special occasion at Scaramouche tonight and the food was certainly special.  There were a few things I've not had before so it's worth talking about them.

I perked up when I saw Tempura Squash Blossoms on the menu.  The first time I had zucchini flowers was in Tuscany a couple of years ago when the cooking class teacher showed us how to deep fry them.  They were very flavourful then so I was eager to see how chef Carolyn Reid would prepare them. The zucchini flowers were stuffed with king crab meat and buffalo ricotta which contrasted nicely with the crunchy batter.  Have to say that while the combination was delicious, the delicate flavour of the flowers was lost.  

But all was redeemed by the Foie gras terrine with sea salt brioche, pickled grapes, maple jelly and sour cherry glaze.  The terrine was melt in your mouth delicious.  

Tonight's special was Muskovy duck breast from Quebec.  The first time I saw a Muskovy duck was at Too Good Pond, spring of 2007 - never thought they could be eaten, or that they would be so delicious!   It is a big bird so the breast meat was very thick.  It was served medium rare with beluga lentils, crab apple puree, confit carrots, wild mushrooms and pistachio crumble (love the crunch).   The beluga lentils was another first for me - looks like caviar but texture is crunchy. 

Our other entree was stuffed partridge breast wrapped in bacon with crispy confit legs served with Italian farro, sweet corn and toasted hazelnuts, foie gras jus.  This is another winner.  The breast stuffed with chanterelles and herbs was tender and moist while the bacon wrap really gave it that extra oomph and crunch.  The addition of the crispy and tasty leg confit made this generously portioned dish almost good enough for two.  I've never had farro before until earlier this month and now it's the second time in two weeks - I like it.  It matched perfectly with corn and nuts.




The raspberry tart with vanilla ganache, raspberry lychee sorbet and pistachio brittle was the perfect ending - simply delicious!  Kudos to the pastry chef Lindsay Haddock.

'Tis the season for morning glory

It never used to be so available in Chinese supermarkets, but in recent years, morning glory is fairly common when it's in season (right around now) in Toronto markets.  They are considered "special" in restaurants with corresponding special prices.  In reality, they sell for under $2 a pound and are surprisingly easy to make.  I made it a couple of times last year after I came back from a trip to Vietnam where it was "the" vegetable.  All I used was oil and soy sauce and it tasted great.
When I saw them this week at the local market, I bought some spicy fermented bean curd to make the veggie the traditional Chinese way - 腐乳通菜.

Morning glory, or water spinach (you'll recognize it by its hollow stems), tastes better than it looks. The hollow stems gave the impression that it might be chewy.  But cooked right, the stems are crisp and crunchy, contrasting nicely against the soft texture of the leaves.

After you've washed it, cut the leafy part from the stems and cut the stems up into 3 inch pieces.  Heat up oil in a pan - you may need to use a bit more oil than usual because morning glory likes oil! While oil is heating up, mash up 1-2 bricks of spicy fermented bean curd.  Add the bean curd to the hot oil and when you can smell the flavour, add the stems first.  Stir and mix the bean curd sauce with the stems until it's almost cooked (you can tell from the bright green colour), then add the leaves, a dash of sugar and stir some more.  A couple more minutes and it's done!  
Note:  No need to add salt or soy sauce as the bean curd is very salty as is.

Spicy fermented bean curd in a small jar

Spicy bean curd mashed up

Morning glory cut up with stems on top

Done - you can tell from the colour

First foray into Middle Eastern cuisine

Well, it's not the first time we've tried Middle Eastern food but the first time we have ventured into a restaurant serving it in Toronto.  We've visited Morocco and have served hummus forever at home but to taste it at an actual Middle Eastern restaurant is a first for us.  Our Summerlicious experience at Tabule was tasty and fun - from the water jug to the hanging lamp and quaint teapot, it was all a new experience.

The appetizer - a combination platter of humus, babaganuj, tabule and falafel served with chewy flatbread (I love it!) - was a meal in itself.  The falafel was delicious - I could have gone home then and not need anything more for the night.  But I had my eye on the dessert, the Knaffa Ashta, angel hair filo topped with custard and topped off with rosewater syrup.  So I stuck around for the skewered ground beef and lamb (nice sauce but the meat was a little overcooked).  It was served with tasty spiced rice and grilled veggies.  But truly, the highlight was the Knaffa Ashta, served warm - it was a heavenly dessert!

This is just a foretaste of what we might expect on our upcoming trip to Istanbul - a variation on similar themes, no doubt - substitute an "a" for an "e" and it's the same dish, almost...

Love that water jug!

Pickles

Combination platter of humus, babaganuj, tabule and falafel

Skewered chicken breast, tender and moist, served on rice and grilled vegetables

Kefta Banadura - skewered ground beef and lamb

Knaffa Ashta - angel hair filo topped with custard and topped off with rosewater syrup

Pork Belly - Popo's way

Pork belly has become increasingly popular in recent years particularly with the new generation of youthful foodies who are not cholesterol shy.   I recall from when I was growing up in Hong Kong that the best kind of pork belly was the "five layered belly" (五花腩) and this was especially a treat when you saw this cut on the roast pig sitting in the BBQ shop window.  These days, it's not as difficult to find this cut in North American supermarkets as it was 30 years ago.  When my mother (my children called her Popo) made braised pork then, she was stuck with pork shoulder if she wanted skin.  Now we have the luxury of choice.

I was thrilled to find a perfect sample of this "five layered belly" at the supermarket the other day - skin, fat, meat, fat, meat in five thin layers.  The way I cooked it is a combination of my mother's method and Mr. A's method of using Le Creuset in the oven.  My mother would let the pork braise on the stove for a couple of hours, turning it every half hour or so and in general fussing over it.  Mr. A's use of Le Creuset is more streamlined.

Start by dipping the pork in dark soy to colour the skin.  Then brown the skin in a heavy pan over medium high heat. Remove from heat when slightly brown.  Pour off any pork fat that has been rendered.  Heat up a tablespoon of vegetable oil in the Le Creuset pot and sauté garlic and a large chopped up onion.  Add red bean curd for flavour.  

Red bean curd comes in a ceramic jar as you can see below and easily available in Chinese markets in North America (and yes, even in San Jose). One and a half squares of this red bean curd, mashed up with a little bit of sugar added would be sufficient for this piece of pork belly.  Finally add high quality fermented soy sauce, dark soy and rock sugar. When the mixture is boiling add pork belly. Put the covered pot in a 300 degree oven for approximately two hours.  Flip over the pork belly at the half way mark.  It's done when you can easily insert a chopstick.  

For cholesterol shy people, cook the pork belly the day before so you can peel off that solid layer of fat over the sauce the following day.  Like most braised meat, the pork belly tastes better overnight.

"Five-layered" pork belly

Dipped in dark soy

Red bean curd

Braised in Le Creuset pot

The finished pork belly - five layers still visible

Winterlicious inToronto

I discovered this post in my draft folder from more than 6 weeks ago - something started but forgotten. It' seems a little late now since Winterlicious has long gone but it's not too late to look forward to Summerlicious in July, when you can try these restaurants again.

I love the idea of Winterlicious (and Summerlicious) in Toronto.  Restaurants offer a prix fixe menu for two weeks in the midst of winter (or summer) when business is usually slower.  Diners are enticed to try out new restaurants, especially expensive ones which may normally be beyond their reach.  It's a win-win situation.

I typically would try to get to a new restaurant every year but also would return to an old favourite. Pangaea is one that I go back to every year and it almost always live up to my expectations, including this year.  I also tried out Cafe Boulud and La Societé for dinners, both special occasion locales.

Cafe Boulud, after Daniel Boulud, provided an excellent winterlicious dinner  Although the menu didn't look very exciting, the food came out quite exceptionally well-prepared.  We had salmon and pot-au-feu.  Both were surprisingly different, especially the pot-au-feu which came with a delicious piece of bone marrow on the braised beef and three slices of pink flank steak.  The salmon came with brussels sprouts, exquisitely presented and prepared.  Appetizer scallops were okay but slightly overpowered by the cream sauce.  Game hen terrine was interesting and well-presented.  Pear chocolate cake dessert was delicately flavoured.   Service was attentive - overall a four star meal.

Scallops in cream sauce

Game hen terrine

Salmon with a difference

Pot au feu with bone marrow topped by a piece of flank steak

Pear chocolate cake

   

As expected, lunch at Pangaea was excellent.  I have never had a bad meal at Pangaea and I have eaten there for the past fifteen years.  It was one of the first local food restaurants and still did a superb job of it.  The beef carpaccio was delicious although the presentation was a little scattered.   The roast leg of lamb was perfectly done and I love the rosemary barley.  

Beef carpaccio

Roasted leg of lamb on creamy gorgonzola and rosemary barley

Dark chocolate cake

This was my first time at La Societé - I like the decor although it was a tat too dark.  The braised short rib looked and smelled excellent on other tables so all three of us ordered it - we were not disappointed. It was tender and flavourful, with the meat easily detaching itself from the bone with a nudge of the fork. The warm chocolate cake was the best of the three chocolate cakes I tasted over Winterlicious - possibly because of the temperature.   And yet this is the restaurant that I would least likely return to because the service was indifferent.  It was generally okay but compared poorly to the service at Cafe Boulud where the staff seemed to be the best trained and the most attentive of the three restaurants.  

Braised short rib

Warm chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream