bmwracer wrote:
Zojirushi...! :mrgreen:
That's too high tech, man! :beaten:
That's too high tech, man! :beaten:
Food, Food, and More Food Thread
Started by bmwracer · 6 Oct 2004 · 25,210 replies
General Discussion
That's too high tech, man! :beaten:
http://latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-find-20100520,0,3606576.story
[image]
The Find: Oumi Sasaya noodle house in Lomita
By Miles Clements, Special to the Los Angeles Times
May 20, 2010
A queue of naked noodles waits to be dressed with delicate daikon sprouts, quivering poached eggs and oil-slicked strips of blackened bell pepper. Ingredients are plucked from bowls, plates, bottles and jars and laid onto the loose nests of udon, each shard of seaweed and ring of green onion in its right place. Lomita's Oumi Sasaya is a noodle house of seemingly effortless elegance, minimalism maximized to the fullest.
It's a feat achieved in the details. Here, waitresses pour pitchers of broth with one hand guarding against even the smallest splash, and hourglasses accompany orders of hot sake, which aren't to be sipped until the last grain of sand tumbles down to the dune below. The restaurant is dedicated to these simple rituals of service that reflect its meticulous Kansai-style noodling.
But whereas some shops strive for completism, Oumi Sasaya doesn't dabble in soba or ramen \ the restaurant concerns itself solely with udon. And those chubby noodles are taken seriously: The South Bay eatery imports its wheat flour and other essential ingredients directly from Japan and makes its udon fresh every day.
That exactitude is what packs the place with a loyal congregation of Japanese-speaking diners. Reservations aren't a consideration (they don't accept them) \ simply show up, sign in and wait for your turn.
Those who prefer to slurp stick to soups, but there's a quiet brilliance about Oumi Sasaya's udon plates. Most are understated, like the sesame chicken tempura udon. Atop a tangle of supple, silken noodles boiled just beyond al dente are filament-thin slivers of cucumber, cabbage, nori, sweet roasted bell pepper and hunks of just-golden chicken tempura. A cup of toasty sesame dressing is served on the side. It's a composition in every sense, a dish that balances color with flavor, texture with scent.
Bolder is the tororo udon with beef and dou ban jiang. Tororo is a starchy Japanese mountain yam grated and transformed into a wet, glutinous mass that oozes along like something from an elementary chemistry class. It acts like a tasteless, mucilaginous adhesive, binding the udon to wisps of tender beef, green onions, nori and dots of dou ban jiang, a ruddy, spicy paste of fermented broad beans. Capping it all is an unctuous poached egg.
There are about a dozen soups with which to keep warm, traditional options like kitsune udon (a Kansai favorite blanketed with sheets of fried, sweetened tofu) and powerfully oceanic wakame seaweed udon. Or cozy up to the curry udon soup with shrimp and mochi tempura. The broth is a mild mahogany curry reminiscent of what you might find ladled over pork katsu. The shrimp are beyond jumbo, the mochi a chewy contrast to the slippery noodles.
Oumi Sasaya's udon-suki is noodle soup at its bubbling best, a communal hot pot of seafood, meat, vegetables and udon all cooked in a bowl of boiling broth. Clams are laid in first, shells opened to the katsuobushi-rich stock. Next, a server arrives with a bamboo tube packed with ground chicken from which she methodically scrapes bite-sized pellets into the bowl. They briefly sink below the surface before buoying back into sight, reemerging from the depths as chicken meatballs. A plate of udon is then carefully slid into the soup.
The rest of the cooking is up to you: ribbons of washu beef, scallops, shrimp, tofu, fish cake, chicken, shiitake mushrooms, mustard greens, cabbage and green onions. It's an elaborate meal of shared efforts and experiences, one of mothers lovingly feeding their families and couples crossing chopsticks in search of that last scallop.
There's more than just udon \ rice bowls for lunch, grilled salmon for dinner \ so consider the beef and vegetable tagine. In Japan, the conical Moroccan vessel has become a popular tool for healthy cooking. And the restaurant uses it for exactly that. Beef is steamed until it almost evaporates, vegetables (cabbage, okra, bell pepper, mushrooms, zucchini and kabocha squash) are moist but not mushy. With an accompanying cup of ponzu, the tagine is umami at its lightest, most potent.
At Oumi Sasaya, there's transcendence even in the elemental.
Oumi Sasaya
Location: 2383 Lomita Blvd., Suite 101, Lomita, (310) 530-4661 (reservations not accepted), http://www.oumisasaya.com.
Price: Udon plates and soups, $7.50 to $12; udon-suki, $18 to $28; dinner entrees, $5.50 to $14; salads and sides, $1.20 to $9.50.
Best dishes: Sesame chicken tempura udon, tororo udon with beef and dou ban jiang, curry udon soup with shrimp and mochi tempura, udon-suki, beef and vegetable tagine.
Details: Open 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. Beer, wine, sake. Lot parking. Credit cards accepted.
[image]
![[image]](http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2010-05/53803543.jpg){kind=link}
The Find: Oumi Sasaya noodle house in Lomita
By Miles Clements, Special to the Los Angeles Times
May 20, 2010
A queue of naked noodles waits to be dressed with delicate daikon sprouts, quivering poached eggs and oil-slicked strips of blackened bell pepper. Ingredients are plucked from bowls, plates, bottles and jars and laid onto the loose nests of udon, each shard of seaweed and ring of green onion in its right place. Lomita's Oumi Sasaya is a noodle house of seemingly effortless elegance, minimalism maximized to the fullest.
It's a feat achieved in the details. Here, waitresses pour pitchers of broth with one hand guarding against even the smallest splash, and hourglasses accompany orders of hot sake, which aren't to be sipped until the last grain of sand tumbles down to the dune below. The restaurant is dedicated to these simple rituals of service that reflect its meticulous Kansai-style noodling.
But whereas some shops strive for completism, Oumi Sasaya doesn't dabble in soba or ramen \ the restaurant concerns itself solely with udon. And those chubby noodles are taken seriously: The South Bay eatery imports its wheat flour and other essential ingredients directly from Japan and makes its udon fresh every day.
That exactitude is what packs the place with a loyal congregation of Japanese-speaking diners. Reservations aren't a consideration (they don't accept them) \ simply show up, sign in and wait for your turn.
Those who prefer to slurp stick to soups, but there's a quiet brilliance about Oumi Sasaya's udon plates. Most are understated, like the sesame chicken tempura udon. Atop a tangle of supple, silken noodles boiled just beyond al dente are filament-thin slivers of cucumber, cabbage, nori, sweet roasted bell pepper and hunks of just-golden chicken tempura. A cup of toasty sesame dressing is served on the side. It's a composition in every sense, a dish that balances color with flavor, texture with scent.
Bolder is the tororo udon with beef and dou ban jiang. Tororo is a starchy Japanese mountain yam grated and transformed into a wet, glutinous mass that oozes along like something from an elementary chemistry class. It acts like a tasteless, mucilaginous adhesive, binding the udon to wisps of tender beef, green onions, nori and dots of dou ban jiang, a ruddy, spicy paste of fermented broad beans. Capping it all is an unctuous poached egg.
There are about a dozen soups with which to keep warm, traditional options like kitsune udon (a Kansai favorite blanketed with sheets of fried, sweetened tofu) and powerfully oceanic wakame seaweed udon. Or cozy up to the curry udon soup with shrimp and mochi tempura. The broth is a mild mahogany curry reminiscent of what you might find ladled over pork katsu. The shrimp are beyond jumbo, the mochi a chewy contrast to the slippery noodles.
Oumi Sasaya's udon-suki is noodle soup at its bubbling best, a communal hot pot of seafood, meat, vegetables and udon all cooked in a bowl of boiling broth. Clams are laid in first, shells opened to the katsuobushi-rich stock. Next, a server arrives with a bamboo tube packed with ground chicken from which she methodically scrapes bite-sized pellets into the bowl. They briefly sink below the surface before buoying back into sight, reemerging from the depths as chicken meatballs. A plate of udon is then carefully slid into the soup.
The rest of the cooking is up to you: ribbons of washu beef, scallops, shrimp, tofu, fish cake, chicken, shiitake mushrooms, mustard greens, cabbage and green onions. It's an elaborate meal of shared efforts and experiences, one of mothers lovingly feeding their families and couples crossing chopsticks in search of that last scallop.
There's more than just udon \ rice bowls for lunch, grilled salmon for dinner \ so consider the beef and vegetable tagine. In Japan, the conical Moroccan vessel has become a popular tool for healthy cooking. And the restaurant uses it for exactly that. Beef is steamed until it almost evaporates, vegetables (cabbage, okra, bell pepper, mushrooms, zucchini and kabocha squash) are moist but not mushy. With an accompanying cup of ponzu, the tagine is umami at its lightest, most potent.
At Oumi Sasaya, there's transcendence even in the elemental.
Oumi Sasaya
Location: 2383 Lomita Blvd., Suite 101, Lomita, (310) 530-4661 (reservations not accepted), http://www.oumisasaya.com.
Price: Udon plates and soups, $7.50 to $12; udon-suki, $18 to $28; dinner entrees, $5.50 to $14; salads and sides, $1.20 to $9.50.
Best dishes: Sesame chicken tempura udon, tororo udon with beef and dou ban jiang, curry udon soup with shrimp and mochi tempura, udon-suki, beef and vegetable tagine.
Details: Open 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. Beer, wine, sake. Lot parking. Credit cards accepted.
bmwracer wrote:http://latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-find-20100520,0,3606576.story
[image]
The Find: Oumi Sasaya noodle house in Lomita
Dayem that sounds good! :drooling:
Kicks the sh*t out of the turkey and steamed asparagus I ate this morning. Too bad I'm on a self-imposed lock down for several weeks. I'll have to bookmark this one for sure.
Thanks for sharing. :victory:
Tu_triky wrote:Kicks the sh*t out of the turkey and steamed asparagus I ate this morning.
Eating healthy sucks sometimes, doesn't it? :(
bmwracer wrote:
Eating healthy sucks sometimes, doesn't it? :(
Hellz yeah...especially compared to the pigging out I was doing over the last few months. Oh well it's for a higher good than merely satisfying the taste buds, man.
I'll think of this restaurant as a reward further down the line after I've made some serious progress at the gym. Tryin' to stay positive. :)
Tu_triky wrote:Hellz yeah...especially compared to the pigging out I was doing over the last few months. Oh well it's for a higher good than merely satisfying the taste buds, man.
I'll think of this restaurant as a reward further down the line after I've made some serious progress at the gym. Tryin' to stay positive. :)
The Food Section in the Times really tests your willpower sometimes. :sweat:
bmwracer wrote:
The Food Section in the Times really tests your willpower sometimes. :sweat:
As does this thread...but I'm the one usually doing the testing. :beaten:
Tu_triky wrote:As does this thread...but I'm the one usually doing the testing. :beaten:
Tables turned. :mrgreen:
bmwracer wrote:
Tables turned. :mrgreen:
Indeed. It's only fair. :say_yes:
![[image]](http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/2triky/SandwichScan.jpg){kind=link}
![[image]](http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/2triky/SandwichScan2.jpg){kind=link}
![[image]](http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/2triky/Langers.jpg){kind=link}
^ The caption under that pic should be "The Orlando Magic."
bmwracer wrote:^ The caption under that pic should be "The Orlando Magic."
Done. Perfectly "cooked."
Harajuku brings Asian-style crepes to Beverly Hills
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When you order a crêpe at Harajuku Crepe in Beverly Hills, you can ask for a knife and fork, but chances are you won't get one. Owner Rio Hirashima is set on broadening your crêpe horizons.
Named for the hip Tokyo neighborhood where crêpes are king, Harajuku's start out like the more familiar French-style crêpes: large and thin, with slightly crisped edges.
But these get a slight chewiness from mochi flour, and once filled, they're rolled up and served as neat handheld cones. No plates or silverware are needed.
Flavors go beyond the norm, too. Matcha adds an intense color and distinct green-tea flavor; get them filled with sweet azuki beans or a scoop of strawberry ice cream ($5). Hirashima custom-grinds tea leaves for the subtly flavored Earl Grey crêpe; the aroma really shines through with a simple butter-and-sugar filling ($5). The fried egg, ham and cheese combo ($6.50) goes best with the buckwheat crêpe's nutty, earthy flavor--it's a perfect on-the-go breakfast.
There's also an original-flavor crêpe that you can stuff with strawberries, Nutella and real whipped cream ($5.50). You know, for you traditionalists.
http://www.harajukucrepe.us/
[image]
![[image]](http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/2triky/harajukucrepe_sm.jpg){kind=link}
When you order a crêpe at Harajuku Crepe in Beverly Hills, you can ask for a knife and fork, but chances are you won't get one. Owner Rio Hirashima is set on broadening your crêpe horizons.
Named for the hip Tokyo neighborhood where crêpes are king, Harajuku's start out like the more familiar French-style crêpes: large and thin, with slightly crisped edges.
But these get a slight chewiness from mochi flour, and once filled, they're rolled up and served as neat handheld cones. No plates or silverware are needed.
Flavors go beyond the norm, too. Matcha adds an intense color and distinct green-tea flavor; get them filled with sweet azuki beans or a scoop of strawberry ice cream ($5). Hirashima custom-grinds tea leaves for the subtly flavored Earl Grey crêpe; the aroma really shines through with a simple butter-and-sugar filling ($5). The fried egg, ham and cheese combo ($6.50) goes best with the buckwheat crêpe's nutty, earthy flavor--it's a perfect on-the-go breakfast.
There's also an original-flavor crêpe that you can stuff with strawberries, Nutella and real whipped cream ($5.50). You know, for you traditionalists.
http://www.harajukucrepe.us/
Tu_triky wrote:The fried egg, ham and cheese combo ($6.50) goes best with the buckwheat crêpe's nutty, earthy flavor--it's a perfect on-the-go breakfast.
"Breakfast Crepe" doesn't sound as good as "Breakfast Burrito." :mrgreen:
Off-topic: The food items coming to America aren't the only thing: I heard that Uniqlo is on the way and that they purchased a pretty sizable and pricey building to sell there stuff...
bmwracer wrote:
"Breakfast Crepe" doesn't sound as good as "Breakfast Burrito." :mrgreen:
True. Definitely doesn't sound very masculine. :)
Off-topic: The food items coming to America aren't the only thing: I heard that Uniqlo is on the way and that they purchased a pretty sizable and pricey building to sell there stuff...
Yeah, Uniqlo has been in New York for a while, I think. Moreover, they have shops all over London which I saw when I visited back in '08.
Tu_triky wrote:Yeah, Uniqlo has been in New York for a while, I think. Moreover, they have shops all over London which I saw when I visited back in '08.
Odd that there isn't one in California considering we're closer to Japan than NY... :grumble:
bmwracer wrote:
Odd that there isn't one in California considering we're closer to Japan than NY... :grumble:
Yeah, but I think as far as FASHION is concerned I think the Japanese consider New York more of an epicenter, and rightfully so...
Tu_triky wrote:Yeah, but I think as far as FASHION is concerned I think the Japanese consider New York more of an epicenter, and rightfully so...
Yeah, that's true... But since they've been around for a number of years, you'd think they would've spread out by now.
bmwracer wrote:
Yeah, that's true... But since they've been around for a number of years, you'd think they would've spread out by now.
True. True. I'll take the food though...they can keep the fashion. <chomp chomp> :)
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