EATS: Sushi Night With Fisherman Dave & Mr. Fox

It's cold and rainy outside so what better day to stay in and make some home made sushi? It's been awhile since I made sushi hand rolls. I was real rusty at first but after a few tries, I finally got it down perfect and started to make rolls like a mad woman! The best part is that we used the Tuna that my buddy Fisherman Dave caught at the end of the summer (it was freeze dried since then FYI.. haha). We ate Avocado Tuna Rolls, California Rolls and Avocado Maki for Mr. Fox (he doesn't eat fish). Sushi night was a great success! Thanks to Fisherman Dave for hanging out and sharing his Tuna. It was really fun and easy. Oh, and I'll promise to work on better presentation and better ingredients the next time around...

The Tuna that Fisherman Dave caught during the Summer... We ate the Toro (middle) or the belly for Sushi night!

My Sushi rolling area!

Our left-overs! I made the assorted giant rolls and Fisherman Dave made the Tuna Sushi Ngiri.

That's a pretty and colorful California Roll! Isn't it? ;) 

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EATS: Mitsuwa Marketplace in Edgewater, NJ

Want to experience what it's like to be in a supermarket in Japan where you can buy groceries and then grab a bite to eat? Check out Mitsuwa Marketplace in Edgewater, NJ! My family and I decided to troop out to NJ for a post July 4th gathering a few weeks back and it was such a great idea! Mitsuwa has an amazing supermarket and a great variety of eats in a big cafeteria space. Groceries are quite on the expensive side but the food is great for the price!


Here's my fatty foodie journey:







I walked around and checked out all the wax food displays to see what I was in the mood for... My stomach was thinking "uhh.. I want EVERYTHING! Duh?"



I made my choice! Kayaba it is!



What's for late lunch? Pork Tonkatsu Don! They serve it with salad (with a mayo dressing), miso soup, pickled veggies and a slice of orange to finish your meal.



What's a Tonkatsu Don? Deep-fried pork cutlet topped with egg and toppings on a bed of rice.


Overall the food was good. I'd say the best part is the price. Kabaya gives you a lot for about $7. I've tasted better Tonkatsu but I think it was the experience that made the my food experience worth it. I'd go again next time and perhaps try the Chicken Karagi or the Shrimp Tempura Udon Bowl.



It was so hot that day! Especially after eating so I cooled off with a soft serve green tea ice cream! ;)



Then I walked around and discovered Japanese candy land! Woo!! I was good. I only bought one thing! :P Besides the candy, they have an amazing assortment of fresh seafood for sashimi. Sorry forgot to snap a pic!



Then when I walked out from the grocery and  my cousins asked if I wanted a creamyaki. It's like a spongy cake filled with custard. How can I say no?



So I ate a half. It was good. The cake wasn't super sweet and the custard which tasted like egg and vanilla was really good. It was rich, creamy and super silky. The cake and filling inside was a good balance.



My godson Max liked it! Heheh.


Overall, what an awesome experience! I ate a whole lot that day! But at the end of it all, my belly and I were really happy. I mean, how can you turn down shopping and eating? I know I can't! :-X If you're a huge Japanese foodie like me, this place is a must. You can find everything here. Plus- Edgewater, NJ is a really nice area. So head on over while you can!


Mitsuwa Marketplace
595 River Road
Edgewater, NJ 07020
201.941.9113
www.mitsuwa.com


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Cooking With Suki: Japanese Omu-rice

After work, I decided to head on over to Greenpoint, BK to catch up with darling homegirl Suki Sayaka. She offered to cook me dinner (she knows how to win my heart) but at the same time I was skeptical. Does she really know how to cook and what the hell am I going to eat? HAHA. As we walked to the grocery she explained that she will be cooking a Japanese dish called, "Omu-rice" (or Omu-raisu) which is an omelet + fried rice. Interesting I thought. Never heard of the dish even though Japanese food is my fave. I'm always brave enough to try something new so I was looking forward to eat Sayaka's home cooked meal.   

To prep, Suki cut her vegetables which consisted of minced garlic, onion, green bell pepper and carrots. She also diced some salt and pepper marinated chicken breast to add some protein in our meal. 

She sauté her diced chicken breast in garlic and olive oil until it was brown and fully cooked. When finished, she set the protein aside to cool. 

Next, she sauté her mixed vegetables in olive oil and added some salt and crushed black pepper.

Suki grabbed another clean pan and drizzled some olive oil. She stir fry three cups of mixed white and brown rice with a little bit of ketchup.

TIP: When making fried rice, it's good to use rice that is about a day old because all the moisture is soaked up. Also when cooking rice, it would be good to add a bouillon cube as it cooks for more flavor. 

Next, she placed her ketchup rice in a big bowl, added her cooked diced chicken and sautee'd veggies and mixed it all together. After mixing, she set it aside to cool.

Then she beat a mixture with two eggs, splash of milk, and a dash of salt and pepper.

Next, cook the egg omelet in a pan.

Then, grab a plate, place some of the mixed rice onto the plate and somewhat shape it like a mound. 

Next, place the cooked omelet on top of the rice.

Then add some ketchup! It just so happens she wanted to have some fun and spelled my name out. :P 

NOTE: Ketchup is optional if you like. 

Then repeat the last 5 steps for every person's dish! Japanese Omu-Rice!! YAY! 

NOTE: This was her room mate Tod(d)'s plate. We didn't have room to add another "D". Sorry dude!

So after tasting Suki's Japanese Omu-rice, I am now a fan. I've concluded that 1)Suki can cook and 2) I'm coming over for dinner more often! haha. Thanks to Sayaka for an amazing dinner and fun times! Until next time...

Big Belly Man (Japanese Version)

I got a little bit of Reggae in my system. Reason being? Well I worked at Classickicks in Elizabeth Street a few years back. Nick, the owner would play Reggae/Riddims all day every day and I learned to appreciate and love it. From classics to new sh*t he'd bring back from Jamaica, the store was always poppin'. OK, I'm rambling.. Anyway, for you Reggae heads out there- do you remember Admiral Bailey's song called "Big Belly Man"? If you do, check out this hilarz YouTube video from rapper Bigga Raiji with his Japanese rendition titled, "The Stomach Song". Even though it's in Japanese, I am laughing my ass off because the only words I know are "diet", "calorie", and "cholesterol". I thought it would be relevant to post since my last two entries have dealt with Japanese food. Check out homie, it's official tissue! LOL.

This joint is dedicated to my homegirl Sayaka aka Suki, I see you booboo! HAHA

LINK: Mighty Sweet

OTAFUKU: Crazy For Takoyaki!

I am a sucker for Japanese Food. There's just something enticing about it. It's so fresh, tasty and light. I can never turn it down and I always manage to eat it atleast once a week. Every time I hang with the homies, we always pass by Otafuku, a little hole in the wall in the East Village. Since I had an ill craving for Takoyaki (aka Octopus Balls- NO BALLSACK!) since Sunday, I decided to give it a try today. Thank god the bestie @WilliamYan was off so we grabbed a quick bite.

Ahh, the MENU! There's 3 specialty dishes that are offered in Otafuku:
1) TAKOYAKI, a baked savory wheat-flour ball with chopped boiled Octopus inside. If you're not a fan of Octopus, it also comes in Cheese and Plain.
2) OKONOMIYAKI, A Japanese style Pancake made of made out of shredded cabbage and batter. You can top it off with Pork, Beef, Shrimp, Squid, or Corn with Scallion. Some people also call it a Japanese Pizza.
3) YAKISOBA, Japanese pan fried noodles.
Out of the 3, we decided to try the first two- Takoyaki and Okonomiyaki. DEELISH! They do combo dishes so you can mix and match to your flavor palette's desire!

They bake the Takoyaki on a griddle and use chopsticks to form them into their round shape.

TAKOYAKI! mmm..


I had Combo D: 6 pcs of Octopus Takoyaki and Edamame. I must say, the Takoyaki batter was real tasty and creamy. The brown sauce is slamming! I found myself trying to chase the flavor of the brown sauce by clean dipping the plate. They also add a drizzle of mayo just because I heard that Japanese people LOVE mayo. It's also topped off with dried fish flakes. The edamame was plain, just had to get something green in my meal!

Look how creamy it is inside. It was bursting with flavor! When you slice it with your fork, the little Octopus bits come out to say hello. LOL

Will had Combo B: 6 pcs of Octopus Takoyaki and a Beef Okonomiyaki. Out of the two, I think he enjoyed the Okonomi the most. He ate around the pancake especially because the edges were crunchy. I had a taste of the pancake and I regret not ordering it. Even though its pan-fried, it tasted so light. Maybe next time..

I highly suggest this joint for some authentic Japanese street food. Prices are super reasonable and start anywhere from $3-9. The guy making the Takoyaki was cool because he let me take pictures and was polite. Drake's new single, "I'm Goin In" was also pumpin' in their sound system. Anyway, you can eat the food on the go or sit on the bench. Waiting time is not too bad- at most it will be 10 minutes. They cook the food in front of you. This place is just awesome and it hits the spot! Make sure to try it if you're in the mood for something new! :) I highly recommend it.

OTAFUKU
236 E. 9th St
New York, NY 10003-7503
212.353.8503‎

A Vampire's Meal!

Yesterday was a pretty long day at work. So on my way home (I go through Bayridge in Brooklyn), I did dinner and a book at one of my favorite Japanese restaurants, Omiya. I wanted to try something new instead of the usual (Spicy Tuna & Ginza Roll) so while browsing the menu- I got super excited when I saw that they were offering a dish called "Vampire Bowl". Could this be any more perfect since I'm reading Christopher Moore's funny vampire novel called Bloodsucking Fiends?! What a great way to tie my vampire theme together! Anyway- the Vampire Bowl is basically Spicy Tuna Tar Tar (MY FAVE!!) rolled in a ball and stuffed in an avocado bowl on a bed of salad with house special sauce. Their Spicy Tuna Tar Tar is amazingly different because it's mixed with crunchies and it totally adds a whole new texture. The house special sauce drizzled on the plate is creamy yet sweet. You can't go wrong with this meal for $9.95!


OMIYA
8618 4th Avenue
(between 86th & 87th Streets)
Brooklyn, NY 11209