Fun Playing With Birthday Sushi at Pacific East Solon

Bob and I shared two fabulous meals for my birthday on Monday. First - lunch at Pacific East Solon. We started with two items from the sushi bar "specials" board, then completed the meal by sharing three rolls and two inari.

Toro Nigiri

The fatty tuna offered rich texture and great flavor.

Torched Waygu Beef

Asparagus Roll

Victoria Roll

Lobster salad, tuna, escalor tuna, avocado, masago, mini rice puff wrapped w/ soy bean paper (they held the cucumber at my request). 

Iso Maki 

Tuna, salmon, yellowtail, avocado, mayonnaise, bonito flake, seaweed flake wrapped w. special seaweed (they again held the cucumber at my request).

Inari 

Bob had never before enjoyed this delicacy; I had forgotten how much I love this simple dish. Fried tofu skin is stuffed with slightly sweetened sushi rice and sesame seeds. 

I don't know why we don't visit Pacific East more often; their raw fish is pristine and their service exquisite. Happy Birthday to me.

Fun Playing With Sushi in Tallahasse FL

Our recent journey to Florida found us driving from Boca Raton to Destin - a projected distance of just over 600 miles. Our bellies were full from brunch at The Bagel Tree - but that is a lot of miles to drive without the satellite radio I've become accustomed to. We were prepared, however, though motivated by a recent sad event.

Scotland's Gerry Rafferty has long been one of my favorite singer-songwriters. There is so much more to his music than his hit singles Baker Street or Stuck in the Middle (with Joe Egan as Stealer's Wheel). I have loved his music for almost forty years, and was devastated at his January 10, 2011 passing, purportedly from liver disease related to alcoholism. Haunted by his music, and knowing that I had a nine-to-eleven hour drive ahead of me, I made it my task to burn my Gerry Rafferty/Stealer's Wheel catalog to disc for our drive through Florida. RIP Gerry.

The CD on the bottom right is one of Gerry's last albums - North and South - the only one of his albums that I have only on CD.

Thursday February 10 was the only bad weather day of our trip, though it was cloudy more than it rained. Our route would take us from Boca to Destin in 4 turns - Fla. Tpk./I-75 to the north, turn left on I-10 and go west, turn left on Route 331 for the southern side of the panhandle, then turn right from the 331 Bridge onto Route 98 West and take that into Destin. Sounded simple. And, singing along to some great music, we got all the way to Tallahassee before the empty gas tank and our empty stomachs required a significant stop. 

My original plan had been to get an earlier start and stop for lunch around Orlando, then reach Destin in time for dinner. A Chowhounder had recommended the lunch place, so we were set. Except that we started too late in the day for that plan to work - and based on the "Food Available" signs we passed as the gas tank ticked towards empty, it looked like fast food or similar pot luck might have to do. We exited I-10 where Routes 319, 261 and 61 come together, and made a beeline into a Taco Bell to relieve our bursting bladders. The freestanding Taco Bell was on  a small rise - once the call of nature had been answered, we noticed a respectably sized strip mall across the street. We decided to drive into that parking lot and select our dinner from whatever was available in the strip mall. It was either that, or the Waffle House across the street on the other side (I've yet to actually eat at a Waffle House).

Our choices included a Bonefish Grille, chain sub shop Moe's Southwest, and a TCBY Yogurt. And one independent restaurant - Kiku Japanese Fusion. Even though Bob is not a huge lover of raw fish, we decided to take a flyer on Kiku. The restaurant was fully attended around 7pm on a Thursday - hopefully a good sign. We waited only a few minutes before sitting at our table.

Loved the way the name is laminated into the tabletops

During the long drive, it had become increasingly apparent that I was catching a cold. My sister had been sick while we were in Delray, and I'd learn that my mom would also come down with it right after we left - so it looks like the family that played with food together got sick together. Anyway - soup was the first order of business for a scratchy throat:

Chicken Paste Soup With Sliced Mushroom, Onion & Scallions

We both enjoyed this rich, yet delicate broth (and Bob benefited from my mushroom pieces) - a great start.

We discussed our fish options with the young server, who happily requested more information from the kitchen to guide our order. Tuna would be the only locally sourced product, though the shrimp was also very fresh. Complicating the choice a little further was Kiku's "*Sushi Roll* Buy 1 Get 1 FREE All Day Everyday! Dine in Only Limited Time Offer." What to do? We settled on six selections for sharing (and the least expensive three were on the house):

From the top left, going clockwise: Tuna Avocado Roll, Tempuraed Sweet Potato Roll With Eel Sauce, Half of Spicy Tuna Roll, Tuna Roll, Candy Bar Maki (Spicy Tuna, cucumber, tuna, white tuna, fruit sauce), Tempuraed Shrimp Roll, Second half of the Spicy Tuna Roll. 

All of the tuna-based items melted in the mouth against perfectly vinegared sushi rice. No off smells or tastes on the crunchy shrimp. And the tempura sweet potato with eel sauce, below (across from the Tuna Avocado Roll), surprised us with it's umami flavor - rich but not at all fishy (or of old eel) - great ingredients, prepared well, at very modest prices. It was good to the last drop!

After gassing up the car, we hit the "play" button on the CD and continued across the Florida Panhandle to Destin, where our story will continue with sunshine and more fun food in the next installment!

Fun Playing with Hiroshi's Pub's Sushi

In July 2010, Cleveland area Chef Hiroshi Tsuji (CIA graduate and owner of Shuhei Japanese Cuisine and Sushi Bar in Beachwood, Ohio) opened Hiroshi's Pub at 3365 Richmond Road, Building B, Beachwood, OH.  A sleek, beautiful space, the Pub contains a sushi and ceviche bar in addition to a fully stocked cocktail bar, private dining area and regular restaurant space. Most important, Hiroshi's Pub has a broad and ambitious menu that ranges from salads, sandwiches and mac and cheese, to BBQ and smoked meats, to the above referenced sushi and ceviche. 

A friend and I lunched there shortly after the opening, and I decided not to post about it because, honestly, we didn't have a lot of positive things to say about either the food or the service. Still, I wanted to give them another chance. That opportunity presented itself last week, as a group of four hungry lawyers agreed to join me for a Hiroshi's Pub rematch.

The front dining room was lively, but the sushi bar and cocktail bar were both quiet. And the cavernous room in the back, completely empty. I describe this to more fully explain an important problem I noted on my first visit, that still hasn't been solved: parking. We got the only empty spot in the entire bank of spots in front of Building B, except for the spots reserved for the Physical Therapy place, and the restaurant wasn't even close to well populated. Spots in front of Building A are mostly reserved for tenants of that building (and restaurant Moxie causes most that are left to also be filled at prime dining time). The space now occupied by Hiroshi's used to house various take-out food ventures that needed a lot less parking - I hope they figure out a solution by the time nice weather returns.The first time I visited, my handicapped friend couldn't get a handicapped or other close spot, and had to park in the PT-reserved area.

Three of us ordered a "Sushi Lunch Special" on the blackboard ($13.95). One person ordered a sandwich and the fifth ordered sushi a la carte. The sandwich-eater enjoyed his Grilled Eggplant and Artichoke with grilled onions, Provolone cheese, sundried tomato tapenade and side of potato salad or cole slaw; from the look of it, this dish was considerably improved from the one I'd sampled in July.

The lunch special started with this salad:

And choice of house-made dressing:


Balsamic Vinaigrette

The other lunch special eaters both had the ginger dressing, which they loved. I really liked the dressing,  which tasted rich without being too indulgent. Though the salad was nicely fashioned from actual (versus food service) vegetables, it was so cold so as to be nearly inedible as presented. Clearly, each salad plate had been assembled early in the day and the plates put in a chiller. This was a shame because the dressing tasted nice and the salad was crisp and fresh - just too darn cold.

Any complaints that I might have had about the food, however, disappeared when this plate was set in front of me. Four nigiri (l. to r. "white tuna," probably Escolar, Salmon, Hamachi, Tuna) were joined by both a Spicy Tuna Roll and a California Roll. And the ginger, not seen here, was actual ginger-color and not electric red, indicating a quality product (which it was).

All four varieties of fish offered pristine smell and taste, complimented by expertly prepared sushi rice.

No - those are not strands of cucumber to the right of each piece of the tuna roll, but cilantro! Which I much prefer to cucumber, so I especially liked this roll. The "spicy" part was in evidence, but not overpowering. The sprinkle of roe added a bit of crunchy textural contrast.

I'm normally not a big fan of California Rolls for a number of reasons, including the use of processed crab stick and the ubiquitous insistence on filling the roll with cucumber. This roll, which did contain crab stick, used a creamy avocado spread instead of either chunks of food-service pack avocado or cucumber. Also, the crab stick was a better-quality product, and instead of being halved or quartered, was left whole, giving the roll more toothiness. All in all, I'd happily order this lunch again. Our a la carte sushi eater was also pleased with his fish.

Hiroshi's Pub does not have a dedicated lunch menu, though most sandwiches can be had for $6-9 and other less-than-ten dollar options are available. Salads range from $7-12. Entrees and sushi/ceviche will set you back a bit more for meal-sized portions. My experience this visit demonstrated that the quality of the product definitely justifies the price points, at least for the fish. I need to return and give the BBQ meat another try. In the meantime, I had great fun playing with Hiroshi's sushi!

Fun Playing with Sushi and Malay Cuisine at Pacific East Solon, OH

In his book Kitchen Confidential, Anthony Bourdain wrote about restaurant locations that would become almost jinxed by housing repeated failures, such that any new restaurant moving into the space would be doomed before it started. This analysis certainly applied to the building located at 33003 Aurora Road, Solon, Ohio - a short drive down the road from my home. When I first moved to Solon 14 years ago, it held a red-tablecloth, red-sauce Italian restaurant that we may have patronized once. It then held a series of Asian themed restaurants, each with a declining quality of food, and ending with a somewhat bizarre marriage between Chinese and Cajun themes. When word came that the owners were closing it down for good, I was not surprised - the Avis Rental Car location that had opened in the building during its last renovation seemed to be doing a better business than any of the last ten years' worth of restaurants. 

And then, a small sign went up on the property, which brought joy to my heart, and hope that perhaps, on this occasion, Mr. Bourdain might just be wrong. "Coming soon: Pacific East." The same folks who own Pacific East in Coventry and at Eton would soon be bringing their pristine fish and fiery Malaysian menus to Solon!

The problem I've always had with dining at Pacific East Coventry was deciding between the two cuisines; Pacific East Eton is a much smaller restaurant and does not offer the Malaysian temptation. But Pacific East Solon offers not only both Japanese and Malaysian cuisines but also a full beer, wine and liquor selection. I couldn't wait to try it!

Our first visit was dinner with a dear friend. I was delighted to see bubble tea among the offerings.


Taro Bubble Tea

This is my preferred flavor, and Pacific East did a good job with it. My favorite bubble tea in town, however, remains at Koko Bakery  in Cleveland's Asiatown. 

Also a first for us at any Pacific East - we were offered an amuse:






Baked Mussels Bechemel

I am not a huge fan of mussels, but this one was very tasty. The treatment is one seen sometimes at Dim Sum, applied to scallops in the shell - very luxurious on the palate. We placed our dinner orders with great anticipation.


Miso Soup

All Japanese entrees are served with a cup of  miso soup and salad (and salad came with the Malaysian entrees, also). This miso had rich flavor, which bounced sprightly off of the tofu cubes. The salad, which I didn't photograph, was your basic food service mix. But it was crisp and topped with a tasty peanut dressing.


Tom Yam Seafood Clay Pot

Bob opted for the Malaysian side of the menu, which brought him this Thai spicy soup w. shrimp, squid scallop, fish cake, clams, straw mushrooms, onion tomato and lemongrass. Although the flavors of the soup fulfilled their exotic promise, the quality of the seafood reflected its price point. All of the casseroles were priced between $11-15 and no item on the Malaysian menu is more than $16. On the Japanese side of the menu, entrees containing fish or seafood start around $16 and go up into the low $20s. So, you get what you pay for and there is a difference. The Malaysian seafood items all seemed to me to be food service pack quality, treated with sodium polytriphosphate and frozen. Now - this did not stop Bob from enjoying or cleaning his plate, but I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much.

Golden Pepper & Salt Shrimp

Betsy ordered this dish. The shrimps were marinated, "golden fried," and tossed with pepper, salt, scallions and chili. The shrimp plate was accompanied by a small bowl of steamed rice. The preparation of the shrimp was perfect, but I could not get past it's chemically smell. As I am especially fussy about my seafood, recognzie that your mileage may vary - if you often eat shrimp at restaurants, you will find this product similar to what you are used to and you will probably enjoy it very much - Betsy did.

I had been unable to resist the siren call of sushi, so my introduction to the Malaysian side of the menu was limited to tastes of my dining companions' meals.


Maki Dinner, 3 rolls: tuna, spicy salmon and hamachi


First - I adored the presentation, and the edible flower decoration, made from wasabi and two shades of chili paste. As at the other Pacific East locations, the pickled ginger is not stained with dye, and has clean flavor. The rice is skillfully prepared and perfectly textured, and the nori is noticeably fresh. And finally, the most important part:



Tuna

The fish! Pristine, sweet, and tender.

 
Spicy Salmon


Hamachi (Yellowtail)

Hamachi tends to be the most hit-or-miss in quality of these three varieties, but on this night, it actually reigned supreme in freshness and flavor.




Dinner (and the lunch to follow) were both served with enthusiasm and care. We regretted being too full for dessert.

To sink my teeth into the Malaysian menu, I met my friend Edsel for lunch at Pacific East Solon on a Monday. We were greeted and seated, and decided to imbibe in the green tea, the only hot tea they have. I'm not a big fan of green tea, but the beverage I was served at Pacific East was lip-smacking good - I wonder if the green tea was blended with another variety; because I thought I tasted some malt or gain flavor in there.

We began our lunch by splitting the Satay sampler:




Beef, lamb and chicken were skewered, marinated and grilled. Different colored skewers were employed so everyone would know which meat was which. The plate was decorated with tasty pineapple and cucumber . . . that Edsel enjoyed.



And this fabulous peanut dipping sauce.


Meat Close-Up

For the entrees, Edsel and I decided to be totally boring and order the same thing. It just looked so good as described in the menu!



Nasi Lemak (Coconut Rice) w. Cloves & Screwpine Leaves, served w.Chili Sambal Anchovy, Chicken Rendang, Cucumber, Pan Fried Peanut & Hard Boiled Egg 

Wow - talk about a ploughman's lunch! The plate held a lot of food, in an array of textures and tastes.



The coconut rice was perfectly prepared - scented with coconut and offering coconut flavors without being  overpowered by it.



The two cold accompinaments at the top of this photo tasted incredibly fresh, with  intense flavors - on the left, a peanutty sauce that had a fruity component (tamarind?), and to the right, chili sambal with bits of anchovy and caramelized onions. Oh, and I guess the cucumbers added yet another taste/textural contrast, but none of those for me, thank you!



The chicken rendang, towards the bottom, benefitted greatly from the use of dark meat chicken, which has the fat content to stand up to the stew pot. It was creamy and tender, with just the right amount of chili kick. The sambal would add additional kick, for anyone so desiring.  The eggs added additional texture, and a cooling flavor. Finally, the warm peanuts drew it all together - a delicious lunch (actually, two lunches for me; half left in a take-out box) priced at $8 (plus the Satay combo we split, which was $9 for six skewers).

Pacific East Solon, like its siblings, is highly recomended, with the following caveat: if you love pristine, fresh fish and seafood, stick with the sushi bar items. They cost more, but you get what you pay for. If the "usual" shrimp and seafood from your favorite Chinese restaurant please your palate, you may venture happily into the seafood portions of the cooked Japanese and Malaysian menus, otherwise, stay with the meats and vegetables for the best flavors. We had fun playing with the many flavors and textures offered by Pacific East Solon, and we intend to return for more!

Fun Playing With Dante Boccuzzi and Sushi, and a Pitch for a Great Cause

 

Saturday night, we joined the rest of Cleveland Ohio at a cocktail party celebrating the impending opening of the new Dante Restaurant in Tremont Ohio. Some folks didn't get it, but it is a very authentic Italian "thing" to invite the whole community in for a cocktail when starting a new venture - and Chef Dante Boccuzzi did it with style. And fun, fun, fun.

This Chef is an amazing young man. After battling cancer and chemo - he (together with his charming wife, who was checking coats and greeting guests this hideously cold and snowy, and busy, Saturday night) has rebounded to turn an historic bank building into a beautiful dining space. A sushi bar will open downstairs in the spring. But Saturday night it was all about the main Dante space in the main floor of the former bank. The architectural details were meticulously preserved (including the bank's decals on the front door, and the "vault" room, with a cozy 4-top and a carnivore's-eye view of the salumi locker), with lots of new touches added. Unfortunately for me, the crowds did nothing to enhance the somewhat dim lights, so most of my photos are lacking - but I offer you the best that I could do.

Meat Slicer

Not quite as colorful as the one at Michael Symon's Lolita - but fully serviceable nevertheless.

Cheese and Salumi

Though I don't know this for sure, I expect that the salumi was house-made, and sliced on the above slicer. And I most enjoyed my tastes of both.

Sushi Being Constructed in the Kitchen

The entire restaurant was laid open to us - the kitchen is brand new and shiny, and features a 6-seat maximum "chef's table" that lays the process open to all who are willing to give up the beautiful dining room to  view stainless steel and sweat instead.

Fresh Crab Sushi

Yuppers - no crab stick for Chef Dante - this is the real deal, with a lovely green roe atop. Sorry - I failed to get a photo of the Hamachi sushi, which was most tasty.

Butternut Squash Soup

Nutty, cinnamon-y, and most delicious - these soup shots delighted all who tasted them!

Not Exactly Arancini

Traditionally, Arancini or arancine are fried (or, less commonly, baked) rice balls coated with breadcrumbs, said to have originated in Sicily in the 10th century. Chef Dante's version were filled with creamy cheese and smooth polenta - simply lovely!

 

 

Smoked Salmon, Aoli over House-Made Gauffrette

This bite was also wonderful.

Cake with Espresso Taste

I actually liked this, even though Bob got most of my espresso-filled tasting tube. I expect nothing but good things on the dessert side of the new Dante.

Six of us had tucked ourselves, fairly early, into one of the "first-come, first-sit" tables - but Dante (the restaurant, not the Chef!) got so frenetic, crowded and noisy that we decided to repair to Parallax for some "dinner" food and a gentler scene. Though we were sad to leave, we were comforted by the knowledge that we'd be back soon, for a full meal!

Unfortunately for me, the light at Parallax wasn't much better than the light at Dante had been, so most of my photos were 86'd. Here are a couple of views of my sushi plate - Dante had whetted my appetite with his lovely sushi, and Chef Zach Bruell finished me off with fresh and tasty salmon and tuna:

 

 

Bob opted for Grilled Hanger Steak with truffled cauliflower, parmesan fingerlings and cabernet sauce, but you don't want to see those photos - though I tasted, and can assure you, it was perfectly cooked and a very tasty, if not photogenic in low light, dish. My taste of Fred's tempura was likewise delicious.

And now, a "commercial," from Cleveland Foodie Michelle V:

Do good. Eat Good.

After writing this blog for nearly four years, I think I can safely make some assumptions about you, my readers. Assumption one: you like food.  Two: you like food prepared by one of our many talented chefs. Three: You’re pro Cleveland and will always support local when able. Four: You care about this community and supporting others when in need. Five: You have $5.

(and I’m willing to bet you’d happily exchange that $5 for free dinner out the rest of the year.)

After meeting Farming Lee Jones, I learned about the Veggie U initiative, a national program that promotes the well-being of children through a healthy lifestyle with a focus on making wise food choices, combating adolescent and juvenile disease, and attaining an understanding of sustainable agriculture. The program is embraced and loved by teachers and students alike. Locally, 150 schools in the Cleveland Metro School District have been using the 4^th grade Veggie U science program. Unfortunately, they don’t have any funding to continue as $200 per classroom is needed to fund the kits.

On the way home from that initial meeting and fabulous dinner, we had an idea to try to help these students and teachers. Would you be willing to donate a minimum of $5 to help this cause? That’s your morning Starbucks. If we all help and spread the word, we have an opportunity to make a difference here. And if you’ve watched the news lately, you know Cleveland students can use a little bit of good news.

If you donate $5 to Veggie U, you will automatically be entered to win more than $1,200 worth of gift cards to all your favorite eateries and shops. Want to increase your odds? Donate $10, $25, $50 or more (I promise you won’t miss $25). For every $5 you donate, you will earn another entry into the drawing. The more you donate, the greater your chance of winning. You have until February 13 to donate and be entered. It’s easy – just call 419.499.7500 ext 119; you must reference Cleveland Foodie (a winner will be picked using random.org).

As soon as we worked out all the details with Veggie U, I reached out to the chefs and owners to share the idea and ask for support. Almost immediately I started to hear back. The backing of our food community and willingness to work together to help all sorts of causes beyond this is inspiring, admirable and personally greatly appreciated by myself. Thank you to everyone for your generosity and willingness to pitch in.

One incredibly lucky diner will spend the year eating and drinking their way throughout Cleveland:

Western Reserve Wine / $50 gift card

Tartine / $50 gift card

Momocho / $50 gift card (Eric Williams also generously donated an additional $200 to fund one classroom)

Lola / $50 gift card

The Greenhouse Tavern / $50 gift card

Heinen’s / $100 gift card

Blue Canyon / $50 gift card

The Flying Fig / $50 gift card

Fire / $50 gift card

Erie Island Coffee / $50 gift card

Fahrenheit / $50 gift card

Miles Farmers Market / $50 gift card

Jekyll’s Kitchen / $50 gift card

Moxie / $200 gift card!!

Touch Supper Club / $50 gift card

Parallax / $50 gift card

L’Albatros / $50 gift card

Chinato / $50 gift card (opening very soon!)

Crop Bistro / $50 gift card

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And to top it all off, the winner will receive one ticket to their choice of upcoming dinners at The Culinary Vegetable Institute (you’re in for a real treat here) and The Chefs Garden will send you one of their e-commerce family boxes.

To kick it off, Jamie and I will donate $100 (we will not be counted for the drawing). Would you also consider making a pledge? I know times are tough for many, and if you can’t, it’s completely understandable. But if you’re able to give something back and if you’re a follower of this blog I can only assume it’s a greater cause that matters to you, please call. Let’s follow the lead of our chefs and local owners and show what the Cleveland food community can accomplish when we work together.

Thank You.

Update: Just learned that The Culinary Vegetable Institute will give a copy of the 2009 official cookbook of the Food & Wine Celebration to the first 20 people that donate $50 or more!

Plays With Food says - I do not need to add that winning this prize will enable a lucky donor to have serious fun with a lotta great Cleveland food! But I will add it, because I can. Please support Michelle's worthy cause, if you can!