hello?

ah, the hotly-anticipated (maybe just in my world?) moshimoshi sushi spot in ballard! this old fisherman's warehouse's windows were papered over for months and months with the promise of "moshimoshi sushi, opening winter 2009." with the addition of shiku to ballard's sushi roster, i was wondering what aspect of japanese fare moshimoshi would provide.

i was hoping to catch mm's happy hour, but i was dining with a visiting minor...not gonna fly. instead, we ate dinner after picking him up from the airport! "perfect. he loves sushi. this is going to be great," i schemed.

i apologize for the poor picture quality. i forgot my phone in the car and had to use a blackberry with its flash and extreme over exposure.

the setting is nice. simple, bamboo tables, long banquettes facing chairs. lovely stoneware. clean. simple. japanese. i would even say spa-esque.

the best part is the central cherry tree. this picture does it no justice, but it's basically a giant tree with twinkling, pink cherry blossoms dangling over the bar. it's stunning.

we started with the octopus sunomono, which was awesome. just the right amount of vinegar, briny seaweed, and tender octopus. mmm. definitely one to add to the list of tentacled delights around town. after much prodding, we got out 17 year old companion to try it. his words: "not that bad," which, when translated from teenager, means "the shit."

T ordered the vegetable tempura which came with the usual suspects: lotus root, carrot, kabucha, onion, mushroom, shiso, spring onion, eggplant. i didn't have any, but T said it was tasty time.

M and I tried the seafood tempura, which included ebi (shrimp), scallop, crab leg (shelled), and two kinds of fish that i've now forgotten. i thought it was alright. i wasn't a big fan of the batter, which i found to be a little soft. i love a somewhat untraditional take on tempura with soda water + rice flour + panko for extra crispiness. one of the fish was on the skunky side, but i didn't mind the flavor. i think the main problem was that everything lacked salt. also, i felt like it was a travesty to eat crab like that. i like my crab cold. but i know M enjoyed every bit of that plate.

our sushi included a california (for our californian), spider, and moshimoshi roll. the cali roll was nice. just what your would expect. the spider was good, though mashiko's absolutely kills this one. moshimoshi, see also: more flavor.

the moshimoshi roll included "king crab, cucumber, shiso, & umeboshi plum wrapped in seared sea scallop," or so the menu promised. i love pickled umeboshi, so i thought the house namesake was right up my alley. plus, i'm pretty committed to trying restaurant specialties because they're usually where the chef can show off her creativity. anyhow, the roll did had some scallop on top, but it was more like chopped scallop that was lightly passed over by a pastry torch. not exactly wrapped. not exactly seared. oh well. overall i thought it was fine. it just lacked flavor, buzz word if you didn't notice. M said it was gross because the plum didn't belong. i didn't find the umeboshi so offensive, as much as overall flavorless.

sigh. moshimoshi, i had such high hopes for you. i do want to try their happy hour, which sounds like some nice small plates, but again, i know what i like and were i like it (see: mashiko's and maneki).

sometimes mediocre hits the spot

a couple friday's ago, my friends called me up to see if i felt like sushi. better question is, when do i not feel like sushi?!?! J suggested shiku in ballard, which she and her husband enjoyed several weeks earlier. i'd never been, so of course i was into it!

of course it's a friday. and ballard. so by the time we walked in at 6:30, all the tables were full and the wait was approximately an hour longer than we were willing to stand around in the freezing cold. so we walked to sam's sushi just up the street across market.

in all my years living in ballard, i had never eaten at sam's...gasp! i figured that if i wanted sushi, i would go to the places i already loved (maneki, mashiko, etc) instead of this amazingly-convenient, 2-block-away restaurant next to my old shoe repair go-to.

as soon as J and i walked in, we saw the place was pretty packed, but there was only one couple in front of us. we weren't greeted and there was no visible wait list. after wondering if i would have to walk across the crowded restaurant to the "front" desk for 10 minutes with no acknowledgment from any of the staff, i got up and asked someone who i mistakenly identified as the host how long the wait would be. she said she wasn't sure. i let her know we had a party of 5, and she said about 10 minutes. during those ten minutes, i watcher her approach a solitary patron seated in a booth if he could move to a 2-top, and he obliged. weird, right?

anyhow, enough talk. not enough pictures.

we ordered the large sashimi appetizer plate, which took about 20 minutes to arrive. isn't the point of an appetizer to come before the entrees? if so, sam's missed the point. we were all ravenous by the time any food arrived! perhaps hunger and nothing to eat is the best appetizer of all.

m chose the lobster roll. i actually didn't have any because i'm not a huge fan of lobster, and since there were only 5 pieces, i figured everyone else would appreciate a taste more than me.

next came the rainbow, spicy scallop, and spider rolls. the rainbow roll is a perennial favorite if only because of the variety of fish draped over the top. it was solid. the salmon, maguro, and whitefish were nothing special. in fact, it wasn't flavor but texture that really distinguished them. hrm. the spicy scallop was nice. sushi is pretty much the only application where i enjoy scallop crudo. however, it was severely lacking the "spicy" portion as advertised on the menu. the spider roll was the best out of these three. sweet, fried softshell crab...i mean, c'mon. the only way to ruin this is to use old oil or burn the crab.

hmm, caterpillar roll. i don't think i had any. or did i? apparently this was an extremely memorable dish. success!

and last were the red dragon and california crunch rolls. the red dragon was supposed to be spicy (i assume...either that or a super-secret, underground ninja crime syndicate!), but 'twas not. the maguro and mild kewpie mayo stripe-age was nice, though. ah yes, the california crunch roll was basically a california roll (amateur, i know), but with tempura shrimp millefiore'd inside and them tempura-ed itself! again. frying. hard to eff up.

overall sam's was nothing special. it was solid. no offensive errors. no stellar standouts. sam's hit the spot when we needed it the most. ...and were on a schedule (K had to work at 9).

happy hour surprise

i've been to i love sushi several times over the past ten years but have only recently discovered their new (as of 10/27/08) happy hour. a few months ago, my coworker took me out to lunch as a thank you for watching her dog, so when my girl, M, asked if i wanted to happy hour-it for dinner, i thought, "wtf, why not try out i love sushi's hh at lake union?!?"

$3.00: we started with a wakame salad. i was surprised when three different kinds of seaweed came out on the plate! they were all tender, briny, and tasty. there's one type of seaweed that is kind of rubbery that i absolutely cannot stand, but none of these were of that variety! i loved that they were simply tossed with white sesame seeds instead of overwhelmed with oil or any type of sauce.

$5.00: usually i go for the spicy tuna roll at any sushi spot just as a litmus test. instead, we ordered the spider roll (fried soft shell crab, avocado, cucumber, tobiko, radish) which was tasty, but not as out-of-this-effing-world stellar as mashiko's. the crab was super fresh-out-of-the-fryer hot but severely under seasoned. it just needed a hit of acid, vinegar, lemon, something!

$8.00: the priciest item was the variety sashimi plate which comes with your choice of albacore, salmon, maguro, and/or yellowtail. this was by far my favorite dish of the afternoon. in the past i've wonder if ordering sashimi at any given place around the city would be significantly better or worse than anywhere else. i'm delighted to let you know that i love sushi's chefs are real pros. each cut was smooth and free of any connective tissue. i usually don't like salmon sashimi because i can never bite through it without looking like a slob pulling silly putty out of her mouth. the albacore was un-effing-believable, too. to be completely honest, every bite of sashimi was better than the one before.

if you're in the SLU area or even downtown and in need of happy hour with a parking space, hit up i love sushi. the food is on point, the prices are fair, and the green tea flows freely.

maneki: a not-so-secret japanese treasure

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maneki is one of my two favorite japanese restaurants in seattle (the other being mashiko's in west seattle). if you want traditional japanese fare served in a space rich with wwii, japanese-american history, maneki is the place for you. the interior is softly lit with paper lanterns and faux rice paper fixtures and adorned with japanese artwork. there are two tatami rooms for special occassions, but you must call in (206.622.2631) early and leave a message to reserve one. i love eating here because first and foremost, the food is awesome, but also because it feels so old school. from the well-worn carpet to the beer served in tiny glasses to the old ladies who serve as maitre d's, maneki is a restaurant that reminds me of my grandparents.


there are the usual suspects for beverages. we went with green tea, a sapporo, and a sho-chu which i can't remember the name of. the taste was distinct, though....reminiscent of wet bamboo and mildew, but not really in a bad way (if that's possible).

next came the vegetable tempura. i love tempura. who doesn't? i like that maneki serves each vegetable in pairs so we didn't have to argue over who got the kabocha and who got the onion. their veg tempura consisted of mushrooms, carrots, kabocha (squash), onion, shiso leaves, eggplant, and zucchini. hot, simple, crisp, delicious. why don't more bars serve tempura during happy hour? i think it's the perfect bar food..??

next up: tuna bata-yaki. i panicked when we ordered because i wanted to make sure we had enough food (we did), and went with this dish. it's pieces of tuna sauteed in butter with mushrooms and japanese red pepper. the spice was nice, but overall, this dish was nothing special. i wouldn't order it again, but that's mostly because there are so many more amazing things on the menu.

ah, suge's favorite! the miso-braised black cod collar is pretty amazing. the collar is one of the fattiest parts of a fish, and keep in mind that black cod is a really oily fish to begin with! the flavor of the miso combined with the crispy skin is a revelation. if you order this dish, be prepared to get messy. you have to dismantle the collar with your fingers because it's so slippery, and you don't want to miss out on any hidden pieces of meat. trust me, it's worth it.

oh-emm-gee, the salmon namban was my favorite dish of the night. namban is a style of dish that's done with really any type of fish you want. maneki serves both tuna and salmon versions. the fish is lightly battered, quick-fried, cooled, then served with a lemon-laced, clear mirin dressing, paper-thin slices of lemon, and sweet onion whiskers. the dish is light, slightly sweet, and ice cold. it was the perfect counterpoint to the sizzling, in-your-face savory miso cod collar.

suge's favorite dish of the night capped off our meal: a spider roll. he spent the entire dinner thinking about the end piece of the roll which has nearly half of a fried soft-shell crab sticking out of it. the roll was great. crisp. savory. sweet. spicy. perfect end to an outstanding meal at maneki.


304 6th Ave S
Seattle, WA 98104-2714
Phone: (206) 622-2631

NB: maneki is NOT open on mondays and is only open for dinner service from 5:30 to 10:00. they do not take reservations, but if you have a party of 6 or more, they will accomodate you if you call in early and leave a message.

rice 'n' roll & red mango

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ah, rice'n'roll....i remember when this small chain opened up downtown along madison, and there was a huge buzz because it was cheap, fast, and affordable downtown lunch fare. several months later, an outpost opened up in bellevue square, a nice addition to the sparse food selections in that mall.

white pepper went with the combo #2 meal, which was a neat little package of 4 slices of california roll, 4 slices of spicy tuna, and a side of edamame. it looked so perfect! there were so many options on the menu, i panicked and didn't even see the combo meals (or the awesome handwritten bento options on a sheet of paper by the register, stupid!). she can comment more on her meal, but it looked great, and in the end, there was nothing left but a pile of edamame shells and a whisper-thin slice of pickled ginger.

i went with the double tuna: spicy tuna topped with slices of more tuna! boy do i love maguro. it's seriously been one of my favorite things in the world, ever since my grandma (rest her soul) introduced me to the goods when i was but a wee babe. rice'n'roll did not disappoint. since i just ordered the roll, i got a hefty 8 slices of tasty tuna. i was surprised that the spicy tuna was actually spicy (my heat tolerance is quite high), and it was good. i'm not going to go into the texture/flavor of the rice and the technique because, come on, this is mall food, and it did exactly what i wanted. it was quick, inexpensive, filling, and delicious.

when we first arrived, we passed by a red mango, which is a korean frozen yogurt joint, much like crazyberry and pinkberry. the selections were a little different than the ones at crazyberry; they had more fruit selections available at the same time, cinnamon toast crunch, ghiradelli dark chocolate, and granola (all of which cb doesn't have). also, if you click on the menu picture, you can see that they have a TWO TOPPING option!!! at crazyberry you either get one topping or three...and you can get two, but you'll just have to pay for three, and then why the hell not get three at that point?!?! yeah, pissed me off, too.

the fro-yo slanger also wears a uniform. unfortunately i couldn't snap a good picture of her get up (since she looked a little self-conscious to begin with). you'll just have to imagine: red visor with logo, mango-hued short-sleeved shirt with white long-sleeved underneath, red apron with logo, side ponytail (i think her creative addition).

i went with the raspberry/slivered almond combo. i love slivered almonds, especially in frozen yogurt. mmm! also, fresh raspberries??? yes please! the yogurt is actually quite distinct. it was more creamy and almost left a greasy feeling around the corner of my lips (gross), whereas crazyberry's is more ice crystal-y. also, red mango's base was lest tangy than crazyberry's (i am a fan of the tart yogurt flavor).


pepp got almonds and coconut. delicious. i love coconut, too...i should have gotten that as my third topping, but i felt like i should take advantage of the two topping option.

the red spoons were so choice! i really liked them, and they were heavy duty! small details count in my book.

overall, i'll most likely visit crazyberry more because it's so convenient (broadway), and i enjoy the yogurt base more. however, thanks bellevue square! i enjoyed your wares and food selections on my eastside foray.

Broadway Teriyaki and Sushi

I was excited to finally go out to dinner this week...because I wanted to write a new post.

L. and I went to Hana (219 Broadway E.) in hopes to get down on some teriyaki and sushi. We put our name on the list and were promised a table within 5-10 min. So time passed....and it looked like we were going to get seated and this couple walks in and the lady sits them immediately. L. walked over and the waitress shot him a glance like, "I'm sorry your next."

But that is not what happened.


Another group came in and got seated.


Boo. I was surprised because we go here all of the time...but they have a few new staff members who do not have their shit together. We debated if we should go in and figure out the problem, but I was so irritated...

We left, went to Aoki, which was great (I have written a post about them before). I didn't have my phone so I don't have any photos....but here is a short synopsis. We shared a few pieces of sushi, the highlight again was the seared tuna! L. had chicken teriyaki and i had oyako don. The teriyaki looked really good, but L. can comment on that. I particularly liked the looks of the cabbage salad that came on the side. I loved the oyako don...but I was so full by the time I got it, I only took a few bites. This don came with chicken, egg and onion on rice. It was sweet and had a very home style flavor. Loved it. When I re-heat it I will add some hot sauce.

I love you Hana but your new hostess needs to get her mind right.

Aoki: Sushi

I forget about Aoki because it is at the north end of Broadway and when it is raining, its not always the firsts choice for dinner. I need to get some rain boots or a damn umbrella because I really like the sushi here and the ambiance...


We started with the agedashi tofu, which was good, but not as good as the agedashi tofu dish they serve at Hana (mid broadway). The tofu was cooked perfectly but the taste was sort of bland.

Next we sampled several rolls including, spicy tuna, spider and salmon skin. We also enjoyed the sweet shrimp and seared tuna (which is what was served in the bowl). This seared tuna was amazing. I would go to Aoki and eat this everyday. The raw garlic matched with the ginger was amazing. All of the sushi was very fresh and the seaweed was not over powering at all. I am a huge fan of wasabi and I found myself using less than I typically do because the natural flavors were BOMB.



The service is fast and the sushi chefs are cool. Although, we did not have any green tea ice cream during this visit, I also recommend getting down on dessert. Not to mention they have a full menu besides sushi...which I still need to check out!

Aoki Japanese Grill & Sushi Bar
621 Broadway E
Seattle, WA 98102
Phone: (206) 324-3633

Hours:

Tue-Thu 11:30am-3pm, 5pm-10pm

Fri-Sat 11:30am-3pm, 5pm-11pm

Sun 5pm-10pm