January 23, 2012 in Chewings, Products, reviews
Oh sweet potato fries, thank you for being so delicious, nutritious, and…delicious. I ate Alexia’s Sweet Potato Fries for the longest time, but I recently switched over to Trader Joe’s brand of Sweet Potato Fries. While the price of the sweet potato fries from Trader Joe’s did play a role in changing brands, they just taste better! Below is a completely non-scientific comparison of the two brands.
March 4, 2011 in Chewings, reviews
In a continuation of my Japanese-themed posts, today I’ll be writing about the treats that I brought back with me to Chicago. Towards the end of my trip, I had some Yen left over and instead of converting them back to American currency, I decided to spend it on Japanese confectionaries. It’s nice to see some thought also went into the design of the packaging as well. These snacks are compliment well with a hot cup of green tea. Commence the sugar highs!
Shinsaibashi Potato - A delicately sweet home-style confection made only using Naruto Kintoki Sweet Potatoes grown by contract farmers in Tokushima
Very moist and delicate, cake-like, yet reminiscent of custard. Wish I bought more of these.
Hiyoko – A famous chicken shaped snack.
The wrapping shows one chicken dominating the other one…or is it just me who sees this?
It’s like a chicken nugget, but it’s made of cake. The filling in the inside is a bit creamy.
Azumaji – Sweet red beans wrapped in herb (mugwort) sponge cake.
I expected the sponge cake to be moist and springy, it wasn’t. It was rather dry and brittle. I was disappointed with this one. It definitely looks better than it tastes.
Tokyo Banana Wa-Gashi – Japanese style cake stuffed with banana-flavored white bean paste.
One of my favorites. The banana flavor was spot on and I rather enjoyed letting it melt in my mouth. It’s clearly one addicting morsel.
Tsukigesho – Western-style manju filled with milk and butter white bean jam.
My favorite confection out of all the ones purchased. Smooth, milky, and buttery, the description on the box pretty much nailed it. This stuff brings a smile and a sense of satisfaction when it hits the taste buds. Should’ve bought more of these as well.
March 3, 2011 in Chewings, reviews
I got rather thirsty making my way through the Asakusa ward in Tokyo, and with the amount of vending machines that run rampant in the city, staying hydrated would be the easy part. The hard part was trying to decide what to purchase from the machines.
One of the machines I encountered must have had over 20 different kinds of drink selections, my goodness, I just wanted some damn water. Browsing through the selections, the craving for water was clouded by indecision, all of a sudden, water was no longer a priority. Most of the choices revolved around different varieties of water, green tea, soda, coffee, soup, and as a foreigner, I was drawn to the creamed corn flavored drink and Morinaga’s pancake flavored drink.
Creamed corn, well, I’m not too crazy about it, but the pancake drink, as a self-proclaimed pancake slut, well, I just had to try. I mean, just look at that can! Three fluffy pancakes topped with butter and laced with syrupy goodness, how could I resist! After depositing 110 Yen into the machine and after a quick tumble of the can, I reached into the machine and noticed that the can was considerably warm right when I got a hold of it. Well, after all, who wants to eat or drink cold pancakes? I felt the urge not to drink it right then and there. I wanted to bring a couple cans home to share with friends so that we could all experience it together. After stuffing the cans into my book bag, I went back to the machine and purchased a bottle of green tea and went on my merry way.
Back home in Chicago, my friends and I had a pancake drink tasting party. I was telling them about it during our group dinner and many of them thought I was joking, that was until I showed them the cans later in the night.
I reheated the cans in a pot of hot water, and when they reached the right temperature, I poured the drink into small plastic cups. The color and consistency of the beverage reminded me of milk tea, it even smelled like it. As the cups of pancakes were being handed out, I could see the hesitation and apprehension on everyone’s faces.
After taking the initial swig, I thought to myself, “wow, this is damn good!” Everyone else was in agreement and was as suprised as I was. A sweet milkiness with the addition of butter and maple syrup flavors really does make it taste pancakes. The drink wasn’t overpowering or overly sweet. It’s one of those drinks where you just sit down and enjoy bit by bit, taking in the mix of flavors.
Still, it’s no substitution for real pancakes.
January 25, 2011 in Dining Out, reviews
My business trips to Los Angeles are rather limited in mobility. In fact, my meetings are located within LAX, so as you can see, I am rather far from where the action is. One of my favorite foods to eat in LA is Japanese cuisine. With Sushi Gen and Sushi Komasa being two of my favorites within the city, it would take me over an hour and multiple hops to different rail lines just to get downtown. In fact that is exactly what I did one time, never again. Renting a car is always a possibility, but the thought of being stuck in traffic sends shivers down my spine. I’m from Chicago, so I know how grueling it can be to be stuck in the highway with traffic being backed up as far as the eye can see, so, pass. Yet there is a silver lining to my day trips to Los Angeles, I do get to satisfy my sushi cravings after all. Not too far from LAX is Kanpai Japanese Restaurant.
My favorite was the chirashi, which breaks from tradition and is served in three separate rice bowls, each presenting different flavors and textures. The uni is also a nice touch. Ah, uni, ocean’s butter.
I went on a Thursday afternoon and also on a Tuesday night, and if it wasn’t for reservations on both occasions, I would have been standing in line with the rest of the crowd. Kanpai is not a large place and it can feel a bit claustrophobic. When the dining room is full, it does get noisy. The sound waves produced from the loud and obnoxious seem to bounce all over the walls until they settle off into oblivion.
The service could have been better. The servers seemed rushed, dashing frantically from table to table. They need to relax! The second time I was there they forgot to refill my tea when I asked them to, and the customers next to me never go the appetizer that they ordered. Other from those observations, I thoroughly enjoyed my meal. Recommended for the food – if they remember to bring it out…
Food: 4 out of 5
Service: 2.5 out of 5
Ambiance: 2.5 out of 5
Kanpai
8325 Lincoln Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90045
January 24, 2011 in Chewings, Dining Out, reviews
There’s no shortage of food trucks in Los Angeles serving up the addicting fare Korean and Mexican fusion. The kimchi quesadilla and the short rib tacos from the Kogi Truck left a lasting impression on me, and it had to be some of the best eats during my visit. I headed back home to Chicago wondering when I would return to LA for another run in with the Kogi Truck, or something like it. Well, it looks like I don’t have to travel that far anymore.
The Korean and Mexican flavors pair together so well, that they shouldn’t be confined to the streets of LA, in fact, Korean Short Rib Tacos should be shared with the rest of the world. Well, the folks over at Del Seoul Korean Street BBQ are sharing the love with their fellow Chicagoans. There is one item of note though, it’s not exactly served on the street, and don’t go looking for a food truck, search all you want, it’s not going to be there. Due to strict food vending laws in Chicago, food trucks are not permitted. Fail.
While my friend in LA called it downright blasphemous when I told him LA Korean street food had arrived to Chicago’s revered food scene, I couldn’t be happier. Would my cravings for Korean street food be satisfied, or will I leave with an empty void in my stomach? It was time to gather the boys and head out to Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood to get our grub on.
I have to admit, the Kalbi Short Rib Tacos from Del Seoul are better than what I had from Kogi in LA. What a pleasant surprise! I had expected a less-than-worthy clone of its West Coast brethren, but instead Chicagoans are treated to great eats. The presentation, quantity, and quality of the food is just better. One of my friends who just moved from Los Angeles agreed, and I think I saw him wince when he said that. There’s more meat, more toppings, and most importantly, more flavor. Almost all of the taco real estate is used up, and that means really messy goodness. Way to raise the bar Del Seoul.
Aside from the crowd-pleasing short rib favorite, the spicy pork and panko crusted shrimp tacos are worth a try as well.
The kimchi fries seemed like an odd item to order, so I went ahead and ordered it for the group. Surprisingly, the cheese, pork bits, green onions, and kimchi complemented each other rather well. I guess this is the Korean answer to American cheese fries. This was gone in no time at all.
Del Seoul has also jumped on the Banh Mi bandwagon, selling their ‘Korean-ized’ version of the popular Vietnamese sandwich. I didn’t get a chance to try it out, but my friends who was eating it was giving it much love and his undivided attention… I’m pretty sure he wasn’t aware of his surroundings. We could’ve shaved off his hair, robbed him, and he still wouldn’t have noticed.
Chicagoans should feel privileged that Korean street food has arrived into the scene. It’s the type of cuisine that everyone should end up trying at least once. Not having to sit down on the curb of a sidewalk and watch my food bits drop all over side walk and sometimes my Pumas is most welcome. Recommended.
Del Seoul
2568 N Clark St
(between Deming Pl & Wrightwood Ave)
Chicago, IL 60614
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
Food – 4 out of 5
Ambiance – 3 out of 5
Service – 3 out of 5
January 16, 2011 in Products, reviews
It’s been two weeks since I received the Calphalon Unison 10” Nonstick Omelet Pan and I’ve been putting it through my daily gamut of cooking. Below are just some of the items I’ve been cooking.
Overall impressions: The non-stick surface noticeably creates less friction than traditional nonsticks and hard-anodized nonstick surfaces, as if Calphalon infused a tube of lube onto the pan. The surface is downright slick (literally) and it stays true as advertised. It retains heat as well as my stainless steel collection, which is also by Calphalon. The surface is extremely easy to clean and most of the time, the oil can be cleanly wiped off by a soft paper towel. Transitioning from other types of nonstick surfaces to this one was a non-issue and it felt pretty natural to use right out of the box.
Omelet – An omelet pan should stay true to its name and it does. Cooking omelets is a cinch and no egg remnants are left on the pan.
Breakfast Potatoes – No problems here as expected. No difference between using this and a traditional non stick
Pan-Seared Salmon – Fears of having the skin-side stick to the pan are no longer an issue. The skin comes out evenly cooked and crisp.
Sautéed Gnocchi – Coated the surface with a bit of butter, evenly browned the gnocchi with no stickler in sight
Rib-Eye Steak – Pan-seared on high heat then transferred to an oven set to 450 degrees for 5 minutes. The result: Crisp, evenly brown outside, medium-rare inside.
Fried Rice/Stir-Fries – No problems here, results no different than using a traditional non-stick pan.
Reductions – Reduced balsamic vinegar over high heat. Resulted in a smooth, sweet, and glossy finish. The pan was pretty much spotless after I poured out the reduction.
Final Verdict: One pan to rule them all. Stainless and other non-stick brands should be afraid. Recommended, but be prepared to pay a premium.
