Fun Playing With Our Two Favorite Gulf Coast Restaurants, Part 2

During our first decade visiting Destin (2002-2012), we had heard through the electronic and local grapevines that the best sushi around would be found at Sushimoto in Miramar Beach, but somehow, we never got to try it. In 2017, Cooking Channel's Emeril's Florida featured the restaurant. After seeing that, I knew that the next time we were in the vicinity, we would get there. 

Both of our visits offered wonderful food and service, despite the restaurant being filled to capacity most of the time we were there. We can't wait to eat there again.

Even on the Emerald Coast, it can be a challenge to find restaurants serving shrimp that has not been dipped in Sodium Tripolyphosphate. Most shrimp is dipped and frozen on the boat, even if it is local. Sushimoto not only serves snapper and tuna from local waters, but offers pristine, not dipped local shrimp. This shrimp is cooked, as it must be for safety. 

On our first visit, we learned that Omakase needs to be ordered in advance, so we saved that for our last "dining out" night in March. We parked ourselves at the sushi bar (and were served by Andy's wife Sophia, a native of Taiwan who is as expert a sushi chef as he is). How to choose? There are so many options!  A full menu of more Americanized sushi rolls. Meat dishes. Ramen bowls. Vegetarian entrees. And a large list of Nigiri and Sashimi, topped off with a small "specials" board. We started with a "fish jerky" listed on the "Specials" board. 

Though incredibly savory, this turned out to be the one type of fish I don't love to eat - one of the oilier varieties like Mackerel. Fortunately, we were very hungry, and the mayo-condiment on the side helped tame the gaminess. It was beautifully prepared, and reminded me a little of the Mojamo Tuna Walter Sanchez used to make at Cafe Tango a few miles east. It was however a far more intense fish than tuna, and that intensity was made deeper by the drying process. 

Next up - the only type of shrimp that is safe to eat raw. 

Sweet Shrimp Nigiri

These Sweet Shrimp are imported from Japan, and tasted like candy of the sea. The heads are deep fried and make super duper Shrimp Chips. Yes, you just pop the whole thing into your mouth, and it's delicious.

Of course, the second best way to sample the largest number of different tastes (after Omakase, or Chef's Whim Tasting) is to order Chirashi - an assortment of sliced fish, cooked eel, and Tamago (omelet) over a bowl of sushi rice.

Chef Andy brilliantly serves his Chirashi in a bowl that crowds all of the goodies together on top of the rice such that you have to dig a little for the rice - he doesn't want you to fill up on it! And the portion was so large, we could each barely finish (and quite a bit of rice was left over). The Snapper and Tuna, as well as the Shrimp, were locally sourced. As noted, the Shrimp was served cooked but cold, and it was exquisite. The other fish, which included Escolar (which I normally avoid, but that is how much I trust Chef Andy), Salmon, Hamachi, and Eel, were also pristine. The house made Tamago (omelet) brought back memories of the film "Jiro Dreams of Sushi," which demonstrated how sophisticated Tamago is supposed to be. Chef Andy explained that most Sushi restaurants use a food service Tamago product, because it is so time and labor intensive to make properly. His is made in house and melts in your mouth (and he will proudly show off the pan he makes it in - which is what really triggered the Jiro recall!). Eel is also not one of my favorites, but Andy made it most enjoyable. The top of the bowl rounds out with a helping of Daikon Radish noodles and cucumber slices. A truly special meal.

For our Omakase, which we reserved several days in advance, Chef Andy called the day before to ascertain our budget and whether we had any food restrictions. We asked him to avoid the super oily fish, and that was it.

Dressed Crab Leg, Special Chawanmushi, Cold Octopus Salad

The octopus salad was the only thing we ate in two visits to Sushimoto that wasn't stellar. The texture of the octopus meat was tough, though the papaya, avocado and other accouterments were a shiny blend of bright flavors. The Chawanmushi (egg custard) was the star of this plate, with a special treat hidden at the bottom.

Nigiri Tasting

Local Tuna, Local Snapper, and Salmon. Each morsel was individually and expertly seasoned and enhanced, so no extra soy sauce was needed or desired.

Next to the Salmon, beautiful slices of Scallop were reined in by Nori and topped with roe. The Tamago got a bit short-changed by this photo, but it's taste sang, as it had on our first visit.

The Boiled Salmon Skin, surrounded by a delicate sauce, was an unusual texture. Chef Andy said he only makes this for Omakase. We enjoyed it.

"Asian Cajun" Shrimp (local shrimp) over rice. 

Sophia had created this dish a few weeks prior, to bring Sushimoto into the spirit of the recently concluded Mardi Gras celebrations. Pristine local shrimp, bathed in a Cajun inspired, chile infused concoction, thankfully served over plain rice to help with the heat. This was a spicy meatball! But though we were sweating, we couldn't stop eating it!

Umami Spaghetti in a Nest

This deceptively simple looking dish was, as the name suggests, an Umami Bomb. I don't recall exactly what Chef Andy mixed into those spaghetti noodles, which were stuffed into a fried noodle basket, but again, we found ourselves unable to stop consuming it. Until we reached "Uncle." Chef Andy was disappointed that we didn't have room for one more dish, but we simply couldn't. A shame too, because it was pork belly. Oh well.

Housemade Ice Cream, Moochi and Cookies

But there is always room for dessert, yes? This one was thankfully light, and delightful to eat.

Stuffed as we now were, Chef Andy decided to share one more delectable bite with us, and a very special one. Soaked Kumquats, from a tree in Chef's own back yard. I don't recall what they were soaked in, but they were the perfect bites to conclude an amazing meal.

Given the spice level of the shrimp dish, I was grateful for the excellent Sake selection available (beer and wine are also on the menu). Service was as good as it gets on both of our visits.

The warmth and hospitality of Sushimoto will make you want to come back for more! Reservations are strongly encouraged, and Omakase must be requested in advance. We can't wait to play with their Neptunian delights again!

Here's a link to a clip from Emeril's show.

Sushimoto
11394 US Highway 98 W
Miramar Beach, Florida (look for the "Melting Pot" sign - but eat at Sushimoto!)
(850) 424-5977
Mon-Thurs: 11am-2pm; 5pm-8:45pm
Fri: 11am-2pm; 5pm-9:45pm
Sat: 5pm-9:45pm
Closed Sunday. (Closed Monday also during the winter - call to confirm hours.)

Fun Playing With Food in Richmond VA

Once again, we headed for Virginia Beach to ring in the New Year with friends. In order to avoid wasting the first beach day with an all-day drive, we spent the night before in the Short Pump suburb of Richmond VA. Our Richmond resident friend Amy recommended Lehjah, an Indian restaurant literally one step from our chosen hotel. We got there at 9pm, and enjoyed a lovely dinner. Lehjah is not your momma's Indian restaurant - drawing from culinary traditions not restricted to the Punjabi style usually featured in US Indian restaurants, the unusual combinations of spices and seasonings danced on our tongues.  

Special Lamb Appetizer

This tasty cross between a kebab and a kofta (meatball) packed some heat, especially when dipped in either of the two sauces on the plate. A bit of white radish balanced out the spice, which stood up to the lamb but did not overpower it. 

Achari Warqi Paratha - Paratha with Achar (Indian pickles)

The achar cooked into the loaf merely accented the buttery bread, without overtaking it.

Bob's: Chicken Chettinadu: Chicken Morsels, Coconut, Roasted Coriander Powder, Star Anise, Chilies

Mine: Paneer- Asparagus Lazzatdar: Paneer Chunks, Awadhi Style Garlic-Tomato-Cilantro Sauce, Asparagus

Both entrees presented different palates of flavor, and the house made Paneer (cheese) was worth the price of admission all by itself! You can see the Basmati rice, and other omitted photos from this set, by clicking through any photo to the Flickr album. Good thing we stuck to "medium" on the heat with these!

Though our Hyatt House offered a made-to-order eggs breakfast until 9:30am, we decided to hold out for Virginia Chef Peter Chang's latest venture - a noodle and dumpling house literally across the sprawling shopping mall from our hotel.

Dumplings are made by hand

There is a magnificent spread of condiments and sauces to try

The beet-colored one features, well, beets. And ginger. Recommended for the Bao, which we did not sample, I tasted it with the pan fried dumpling and thought it worthy of tasting. 

麻辣牛肉拉面  Mala Beef Noodle Soup

This steamy bowl, combining beef and noodles with Baby Bok Choy, offered a beautiful hit of "ma la" or numbing hot from Szechuan peppercorns. The noodles in this dish, and the Dan Dan Noodles below were also made in house. What a difference a freshly made noodle makes!

四川担担面 Sichuan Dan Dan Noodle, Sichuan bean sprouts, Diced tofu, Scallion

Forget tasting any tofu in the tofu - it merely acted as a foil against the rapier heat of both red chilies and Szechuan peppercorns. Glad we ordered this version "mild."

猪肉饺子或锅贴 Pork Dumplings (Pan-fried), Ground Pork, Napa cabbage, Scallion.

Beautiful made-from-scratch potstickers, served with a garlicky dipping sauce (also available on the condiment bar). These can also be ordered steamed, and the steamed dumplings we saw go by made me regret that we already had leftovers and couldn't try one more bite.

Yes, we sweated a little while enjoying this brunch, but we had fun playing with this food!

Noodles and Dumplings by Peter Chang

11408 W.Broad St., 

Glen Allen,VA 23060

http://www.noodlesdumplings.com

804-918-1352

804-918-1250

918-1352

Fun Playing With Ramen in the CLE

Last weekend, the most famous "Noodle Western" in history returned to the big screen in Cleveland - Tampopo, remastered in 4K and restored with only two small scenes still missing. Ask your local art theaters if/when they will be screening it. 

We originally planned to hit up the Late Night Noodles at Dante for a post-film slurp, but two elements intervened. First, we noticed that a new place, Otani Noodle, had opened at 11472 Euclid Avenue, a stone's throw from the Cinematheque at the Cleveland Institute of Art near Uptown. Second, we got out of the movie at about 9:10pm - way too early for Dante at 10:30pm, and still with plenty of time to try Otani before it would close at 10:30pm. My dining companions, who just didn't want to stay out later than necessary, voted to try Otani, and it proved to be a good decision.

Mine: #1 Char-siu. Roast Pork with Soup (I opted for Shoyu (soy sauce) over the default Tonkotsu), Ramen, scallions, kirurage mushroom, seaweed, corn, and boiled egg.

Bob's: #2 Pork Belly. Pork Belly with Tonkotsu Soup, Ramen, scallions, kirurage mushroom, seaweed, boiled egg.

Note that there was no stinky Naruto to throw around. Utterly channeling the ramen experts depicted in the film, I asked if the noodles were, as they tasted, from Sun Noodle Company, which was affirmed. The noodles were cooked to slurpalicious perfection! The broths tasted of house-made freshness, and I confess that I liked the pork belly just a bit better than the roast pork (you can of course get both in one bowl if you want). I also preferred the Shoyu (soy sauce) to the incredibly rich Tonkotsu broth, but both are worthy, and you may customize your bowl with broth, noodle style and toppings of your choice. My dining companion's Tempura-topped bowl also looked and smelled amazing. How did I not know this place was here! That's ok - neither of the countermen had ever heard of Tampopo.

Since neither Otani's website, nor it's Facebook Page has the menu, a scan of the menu we picked up on November 19, 2016 is below. If you live in Cleveland and enjoy Ramen, Otani Noodle should be your go-to.

There is no liquor license, so the beverages described above are your only choices. Like a true Ramen-Ya, the emphasis here is on the soup and noodles. And smiles. And full, happy bellies. Fun Playing With Food at its best. 

Fun Playing With Asian Food at Nobu Tei, Solon Ohio

Our newest Solon favorite for playing with food is Nobu Tei, a lovely Asian eatery sandwiched between franchises Zoup and DiBella's Subs at 30050 Aurora Rd Solon OH 44139, not far from the Harper Road exit of US 422. They are open for lunch and dinner seven days a week.

The menu ambitiously transports you from Sushi, Japanese Noodles and Tempura, to Hibachi, to Thai selections. For this report, we visited twice with friends, and took out one order. Our first visit and part of the take out focused on the Japanese cuisine (we'll skip the Hibachi, though), for the second visit and part of the take out, we "Thai'd one on" so to speak. Actually, while we couldn't actually "tie one on" during our April 2015 visits because the liquor permit was pending, the website of the Ohio Department of Liquor Control indicates they got their permits in late May - full bar, seven days a week. The bar area looks like a fun place to socialize. We settled for tea on our two visits. 

For our first adventure, each couple ordered the Sushi Combo For Two (Chef's Choice). According to the menu, the sushi plate should have been preceded by Miso Soup, but it never appeared, and our server didn't seem to think it was included (and we didn't feel like arguing). Also missing was the traditional warm towel to cleanse the face and hands before handling Japanese food.

Overall, this wasn't a bad plate of sushi, though the hamachi (second pair from the right, front) definitely smelled and tasted fishy. And the tamago (egg sushi) third row right, lacked profundity as well; it was stiff and watery and might have been a frozen product. The only other criticism is that this is presented as a dish to feed two diners. When I asked the server why there was only one piece each of tamago, octopus, and crab stick, she explained that it was a 15 piece order (which is stated in the menu, yes). Oh.

On the positive side, the Kimono Roll (4th row), which contained both real crab and kani, had a great combination of crunch and savory and, most important, it tasted fresh and good. The other items ranged from very good to a slightly chewy octopus (hard to share!), but other than the old-tasting hamachi, I'd try sushi there again. Our dining companions ordered two rolls in addition to their Sushi for Two: Eel Cucumber and Spicy Tuna. I enjoyed the piece of Spicy Tuna roll I tasted. Our companions liked the Eel Cucumber enough to order another on our next visit, the following week.

The next week, Bob and I started with Crispy Calamari, Thai Style. $6.75 bought us four large rings of squid and a squirt of spicy dipping sauce. And we liked it, so long as we didn't focus on the cost per ring. Fried to a crispy crunch, with a nice coating that stayed on as the ring was eaten, this was a pleasant dish. I would have liked some tentacles, or at least enough pieces to really share.

This next choice turned out a little strange - the menu says, "Avocado Salad. Sliced avocado, lettuce served with special sauce." As I adore all things avocado:

It was exactly as the menu described it: leaves of Iceberg Lettuce topped with slices of avocado and drizzled with a tingly-tasty sauce. Any avocado lover would like this, but it just seemed like an odd, sparse salad. Yes, I took the leftovers home and yes, I ate them.

Our Thai entrees were all preceded by a standard iceberg lettuce salad topped with a peanutty dressing and served right from the cooler:

So far, most of the food had been rather mundane. Not wanting to be negative, but want to tell the complete story.

But here is where Nobu Tei turned into a blissful experience; they won us over with the next four Thai dishes:

Yellow Curry with Chicken

Drunken Noodles

Swimming Crispy Duck in Red Curry

Massaman Curry w/Tofu

The three curries were each served with a bowl of rice. 

Each of these dishes jumped off the plate and danced on our palates with sophisticated spicing and respectable heat. The complexity of the sauces did not overwhelm the proteins; both tofu dishes were expertly prepared and featured crisped tofu the likes of which I haven't tasted in an NEO Ohio Thai restaurant anytime lately. The Drunken Noodles married fresh rice noodles with egg, onion, scallions, bell pepper, basil and choice of protein (tofu here), topped with a spicy, savory Thai Brown Sauce that made me wish I'd ordered the dish for myself. My Massaman Curry, however, also delighted the palate with complex flavors and assertive but not overwhelming spices. 

But the most exquisite of the dishes was the duck - fried to a perfectly crispy finish, swimming in a delightful red curry sauce with vegetables and cilantro.

The take-out started out similarly to how our last Nobu Tei meal had ended - with their other fried duck entree special: Spice Duck. 

Notwithstanding the rigors of packing and carrying, this duck was crisp and savory, with a slightly different spice profile from the Swimming Duck. The accompanying sauce was not a curry, but redolent of soy, fish sauce and a touch of sweet.

For take out, the sauce came on the side, together with the  peas, bell pepper, red onion, carrot, and basil leaves to accompany the dish. Here is how it looked together on the plate:

My entree came from the Japanese side of the menu: Yakisoba stir fried noodles with red onion, carrot and asparagus and more of that nicely fried tofu (my choice of protein). Though it paled a little next to the wonderfully complex and savory duck dish, it was most enjoyable.

We also shared an order of Chicken & Vegetable Tempura: 

Chicken strips, onion, broccoli, carrot, and mushroom were served with a mild dipping sauce (we actually liked the sauce for the duck with it better). Some of the foam container had melted, a tribute to the initial heat from freshly fried tempura. 

Overall, despite a few growing pains, Nobu Tei is a fun addition to Solon and the East Side Suburbs. While the sushi needed a little work, it was mostly very good and the complexity, depth and freshness of the Thai sauces and curries will win you over also. During our second visit, a group engaged one of the Hibachi tables nearby; it certainly sounded like they were having a good time. And despite the AWOL miso soup on our first visit, service is generally energetic and pleasant. So, based on our first three experiences, I look forward to playing with more food at Nobu Tei. 

Nobu Tei

(440) 318-1714

30050 Aurora Rd Solon OH 44139

No website, unofficial Facebook page here.

Fun Playing With Xiao Long Bao Before the Storm at Gourmet Chopsticks

This post is almost a month late. In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, I just couldn't get myself to focus on our doings in New York that weekend. Even after my brother on Long Island finally got his power back after two weeks in the dark (down seven trees, a backyard and a roof) the surreal feeling about the whole weekend remained. My heart goes out to all affected by the storm. 

Passing through New Jersey en route to Family Ground Zero the last Wednesday in October, we dined again at Fairfield's Gourmet Chopsticks (14 Rt. 46 East). Since there were only three of us, we faced a bit of a culinary dilemma; we knew if we ordered entrees, we'd be stuffed in no time. Working strictly from the Chinese Menu (shared in my last Gourmet Chopsticks post), we worked it out deliciously:

Crab Xiao Long Bao

Remember that these are entitled "Steamed Crab Meat (or Pork) Juicy Bun" on the menu, under Noodle & Rice. Though I'd like a little more soup in them, these dumplings were most serviceable.

Long Hot Pepper With Beef Noodle Cake

This was item #11 under the same menu section, a thankfully appetizer-sized portion. We had no idea what to expect when we ordered, but it sounded tasty and it was. The peppers were zippy but not exceptionally spicy, and blended well with the toothy dough of the "noodle," which was thicker and chewier than a mu shu wrapper, but not really a noodle in the Western sense. The tender beef melted against the peppers, and benefited from a little crunch from the bamboo shoot. Noodle, schmoodle - may I have another please?

Shanghai Smoked Duck Appetizer

This item is #3 under the "Shanghai Style Appetizer" section of the Chinese Menu. What can you say about perfectly smoked duck covered in crispy skin?   

Shanghai Style Hand Pulled Noodles with Pork

Jo-Mel would disown me as her culinary student if I didn't agree to an order of Hand Pulled Noodles. She did not, however, have to twist my arm. Hand pulled noodles are a treat that can't be beat, and Gourmet Chopsticks does them well. Do ask for chili paste on the side if you are inclined as they are a little mild.

Chinese Turnip Cake

We've had this type of turnip cake before, at Petite Soochow (also in New Jersey). Item #2 under "Noodles & Rice" starts with a crispy skin, which is stuffed with shredded Chinese radish; this version had a nice creaminess to it which none of the waitstaff could identify for us. While I prefer the more common pudding-like turnip cake, this version was freshly made, hot and tasty. 

Braised Dongpo Pork Appetizer

This dish was our winner for "best of dinner." Located at Item #8 under Shanghai Style Appetizer, this luscious pork is not to be missed if you visit Gourmet Chopsticks! The belly was "red cooked" to utter tenderness with dark soy and anise. It takes a while to make, but is so worth the wait!

Indeed, by the time I'd eaten half of my portion of the pork, I despaired as to how I'd manage to consume the final dish we'd ordered, again from the Shanghai Style Appetizer menu, Smoked Fish in Suzhou Style. Serendipitously, our server informed us that they were out of smoked fish and he'd forgotten to tell us - so the last morsels of pork made it down. Oh fun, oh food - Gourmet Chopsticks, I will miss you this winter, but we'll be back to play with more Shanghai style food in the spring!

Gourmet Chopsticks

14 Rt. 46 East

Fairfield, NJ 07004

(973) 808-8328