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 Jewish Soul Food Again: Kasha Varnishkes

Last weekend, I had a hankering for some Jewish Soul Food. We had most of the ingredients in the pantry - I decided to add broccoli because I wasn't sharing this with Bob (who hates broccoli) and darn if I just didn't feel like adding some. Kasha Varnishkes is a relatively simple, straightforward, yet addictive-when-made-well dish of comfort food. Mushroom would be the normal vegetable of choice, but you all know how I feel about mushrooms, don't you?

The dish begins, of course, with kasha, also known as  buckwheat groats:

I prefer Medium or Coarse Granulations, but it is really your choice. 

Raw Kasha

Since this was just for me, I made a half-recipe. So, a half cup of kasha would be mated with one cup of boiling water. But first, a bath in beaten egg. It turned out to be a mistake to use the whole egg for a half recipe; the final product was a little too eggy and clumpy. Oh well.

As the kasha soaked up the egg, and the pasta water boiled, I sweated some onion in butter and ghee, then added my cleaned and cut up broccoli to the saute. If one was using mushrooms, they would go in here.

I actually cooked the broccoli a bit longer than optimal before emptying the contents of the saute pan into the now-empty pasta cooking pot. The next step, which I neglected to photograph, is the sealing of the kasha in a hot pan with hot fat (onion Nyafat would be ideal for a meat meal if it still existed and if one cared about not mixing dairy and meat; I used more butter/ghee). This can take two to five minutes, as the soaked kasha mates with the egg to create a new texture and flavor. Once the sealing is done, boiling water (or broth) is added to the pan, together with salt and pepper. Covered tightly, the kasha then steams for 7-10 minutes.

Small Bowtie Pasta Cooked Al Dente Awaits the Kasha Pan

Not farfalle, not shells, not noodles - small bowties are the proper pasta for kasha varnishkes. At least in my house.

The cooked pasta is combined with the hot kasha and the set-aside vegetables and tossed with more butter, salt and pepper, and minced parsley.

 

Dinner is served, perhaps with a cold glass of Snowville Creamery Milk or, as tonight, an Egg Cream (Snowville Creamery milk, Fox's U-Bet Chocolate Syrup, Seltzer). Yum. Fun Playing With Jewish Soul Food, milchiks (dairy)!

Fun Playing with Dim Sum in Cleveland

Inspired by last week's episode of Top Chef, "Dim Sum Lose Some," my friend Tom asked if we wanted to visit Cleveland Asiatown Dim Sum stalwart Li Wah for lunch on Sunday. Hmmm - I'd been thinking the very thing! Looking at my photography records, I realized that, for no particular reason, it had been two full years since I've dined at Li Wah. While I have honestly had better dim sum in my life (and what was with those flimsy bamboo chopsticks?), our meal was mostly satisfying and very tasty. And lots of fun to play with!

Six of us convened. We were seated right by the roasted/BBQ meat stand:

Ducks and Chickens and Pigs, oh my!

That tiny specimen of roast pork on the upper right started out as a full side of pork that I tried (and failed) to photograph as the cooks schlepped it past our table towards the food stand.

Eggplant Sandwich

Our first bite. A shrimpy filling generously sandwiched between two slices of Chinese Eggplant is battered and fried - delicious!


Stuffed Bean Curd Skin

Whereas the first dish of eggplant was a little cold, these morsels were piping hot!

Right about here is where the shao mai, or steamed meat/shrimp dumplings go - looks like I didn't photograph them. They were hot and tasty. I also missed the Har Gow (steamed shrimp dumplings). Oh well.


Chicken Feet

The Top Chef episode had our mouths watering for properly made chicken feet. These were ok, but weren't cooked to fall-apart creamy perfection. Better than Casey's, I'm sure, but I've had better.


Baked Coconut Bun

These lacked profundity.


Prawns

The smell of soduim polytriphosphate hit my nose before the meat could reach my mouth.  These last three items were the most disappointing dishes of the day. Fortunately, we got them out of the way early, and the rest of the meal was much, much better.


Taro Dumplings

Shredded taro surrounds a scrumptious ball of minced taro, creamy pureed taro, pork, and shrimp. Yum.


Chive Dumplings



Fried wheat-starch based wrappers stuffed with fresh chives, pork and shrimp - more yum.


Roast Duck

Skin crisped to perfection enveloped the ducky goodness.


Turnip Cake

Though not as ethereal as the Wonton Gourmet version, we all agreed that we enjoyed these fried squares of cooked turnip/Chinese radish, pork and dried shrimp.


Fried Rice Noodle

These noodles had intense flavor from dried shrimp (and they may have had other shrimp components) - a little too intense for my taste, but we again enjoyed the dish.


Shrimp Stuffed Bell Pepper

Though I'm not a huge green pepper fan - the exquisite freshness of the vegetable combined with a very agreeable shrimp-based filling for a lovely bite.


Shrimp and Chive Dumpling

I love this wheat-starch based dough, which surrounded inoffensive shrimp and more fresh chives.


Pork Fun Gwoh



One of my favorite dim sums - this version satisfied with chewy, slightly sweet dough and savory pork.


Beef Rib with Black Pepper Sauce

Black pepper sauce is one of my favorites, and the meat fell tenderly off the bones. We were actually offered a choice between pork or beef for this dish.


BBQ Pork Bun (Steamed)



These buns were lovely. The dining companion to my right ate three of them. 'Nuff said.


Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce

We lamented how it seems that the green vegetables always seem to show up after the table is gorged on dumplings, rice and buns. However, since we'd skipped the rice and gone easy on the buns (well, most of us had gone easy on the buns) we decided to share one last plate. It was the one thing we'd been lacking - roughage! And tastefully done. Though in retrospect, the other thing our meal lacked (which was not remedied) was any truly fresh or auspicious fish or seafood - a hallmark of genuine dim sum. Still, being in landlocked Cleveland, I can say that no one at our table left hungry or unsatisfied.

Tom had saved room for a bubble tea from Cleveland's venerable Koko Bakery, and we all decided to pick up some sweets for later.




Dan Tac or Egg Custard

No one in Cleveland (or anyplace else I've ever tasted this) makes it as well as Koko Bakery.



Chocolate Stuffed Bun



Don't be fooled by the apparently small bit of chocolate. Trust me that behind that little spot flowed a veritable river of chocolaty goodness.


Taro Bun

Monday's breakfast.



Moon Cake



Proprietor Jessica handed out mooncakes to all at the register. These were wrapped in cellophane and I do not know if they were made at the bakery or not. I'm guessing that they were - I've never had a more silken, gentle mooncake; it was delicious. Usually a dry, tough dough, this tender specimen surrounded a thick, fruit-based filling (think Fig Newtons on steroids). The mooncakes were welcome tidbits for the holiday season that continues for our Asian friends through February, when Chinese New Year is celebrated beginning February 3.

We had fun playing with the heart's little treasures in the heart of Cleveland, Ohio at Li Wah and Koko Bakery!

Fun Ringing In The New Year with Dante's Food!

We were fortunate to ring in the New Year with good friends and Chef Dante Boccuzzi at his Restaurant Dante in Tremont Ohio. Diners had the option of a prix fixe tasting menu or the full a la carte menu. Three of us did the tasting and one created her own tasting from the regular menu.

My evening commenced with a lovely cocktail, which I did not photograph, that had been featured in a recent Cleveland Plain Dealer article - a Ginger Sidecar created by Dante Mixologist Alesya Pochynok, made with Hennessy cognac, fresh lemon and lime juice, simple syrup and Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur. 

Once seated, we were each presented with a complimentary glass of champagne and this amuse: 

"Shot" of Lobster Cappuccino, Vanilla Oil

A luxurious start to our repast - rich with cream (one small taste sent me running, happily, for my Lactaid) and deep lobster flavor, with a gentle touch of vanilla.

Maryland Crab Parfait

I couldn't decide which flavor I liked more - the pristine crabmeat, or the creamy avocado mousse above it. The bitterness of the arugula and the blood orange vinaigrette cut the richness just enough.

Truffled Spaghetti Carbonara

This was most definitely NOT the simple carbonara that Chef Dante demonstrated on Good Company Today last week! The deftly cooked, made-from-scratch pasta took my breath away (I'm a sucker for pasta). Mated with a buttery, creamy, truffly sauce, pancetta, parsley, black pepper and a perfect poached egg (sorry, no yolk porn, you'll have to take my word for it) - this was heaven on a plate and a truly special dish for the auspicious occasion. All three of us doing the tasting menu reached for the bread basket and wiped our plates completely - it was that good.

3 Preparations of Duck: Roasted Duck Breast, Cotechino Sausage, Foie Gras Mousse, Lentils

I was already reaching satiety when this plate arrived (and indeed, most of the breast meat came home in a leftovers box). So, I slowly savored the amazing foie gras mousse, both on its own, and combined with the toothy Italian Lentils (an Italian tradition for New Year's Eve) and the house-made duck sausage. That multi-tiered bite may have been the single most amazing morsel of food I tasted in 2010. 

"Surf and Turf": Braised Beef Shortribs, Roasted Sea Scallops, Celery Variations

I did reach "uncle" during this course - but not before I enjoyed every bit of that scallop! I skipped the big hunk of raw celery on top of the beef, and most of the slice of root atop the scallop, but the pureed interpretation on the plate did not tip my anti-celery meter and was a creamy accompaniment to the scallop and the two bites of shortrib that I managed. Most of the shortrib joined the duck breast in take-home mode, simply because it would have been gluttonous to try to consume any more.

predessert: Comice Pear Salad, Pomegranate Sorbet

This is what the menu said, though none of us tasted much pear flavor - and the fruit slices in the bottom were most certainly citrus (probably blood orange) and not pear. My guess would be that Chef Dante was not pleased with the quality of the pears he received, and changed the dish up accordingly. No harm done; we loved it.

Chocolate Tasting: Spiced Hot Cocoa, Ganache Tartlet, White Chocolate Ice Cream

What better way to end a celebratory meal than with a chocolate tasting! Like most house-made ice creams, this one melted a little fast - but that was fine with me. I dipped my bites of the tartlet into the creamy pool and I was very happy.

We, together with a number of other customers, lingered at the restaurant through the dropping of the ball, sharing in party favors and a complimentary drink with Dante, his wife Monica, and the rest of the staff, to toast the new year, and then we all trundled home to the first hours of 2011.

New Year's Eve is often referred to as "amateur night" for a lot of reasons - I am delighted that our experience at Restaurant Dante was reasonably priced ($110 with wine pairings/$70 without) and everyone in attendance (and, for the most part, on the road driving home) was well behaved. I'm not big on New Year's resolutions, but I did make one this time: to get back to Restaurant Dante to play with Dante's food again soon! Ok - I also resolved to try Dante's new Japanese restaurant Ginkgo promptly when it opens, hopefully by the end of March 2011.