Gyu Kaku Pasadena- You Can't Relive the Past


A couple of months ago, my husband and I were walking around Old Town Pasadena when I saw a sign that read "Gyu Kaku, Opening April 2006." I shrieked and jumped up and down, tugging on poor J's (husband) sleeve yelping about how I used to go there often when I lived in Japan, the good times I had there with friends, the great yakiniku and jockey (mugs) of cold beer, etc. I know there are other Gyu Kaku locations in L.A. that have been open for awhile but none even remotely convenient to my Eastside residence so I was extremely excited about the Pasadena opening.

Gyu Kaku is a chain of yakiniku (grilled meat is the literal translation but it's basically Korean barbeque, Japanese-style) restaurants all over Japan. Unlike most yakiniku places, Gyu Kaku Japan is reasonably priced and therefore popular with young people. My coworkers and I would go when we wanted to treat ourselves- again, Gyu Kaku isn't expensive compared to other yakiniku places but yakiniku, in general, isn't a cheap outing. We'd sit and grill our own gyu tan (beef tongue), kalbi (short rib meat) and ebi (shrimp) while guzzling massive mugs (DAI jockey) of beer. It was a festive place with good food and I have such fond memories of our boisterous Gyu Kaku outings.

Last night, we made our maiden voyage to the Pasadena Gyu Kaku. We walked into a half-empty restaurant and were greeted by no fewer than three hostesses and a manager who all seemed extremely flustered. When we asked for a table for two, it seemed to make the already confused head hostess a bit nervous. "Oh.....er....do you have a reservation? Oh no? Ok, we will get back to you one minute please..." Their inexperience was palpable. NOT the best way to get started but the place sure did smell good, so I was hopeful. We waited for about 10 minutes and were seated.


Our young waiter came straight to the table with a quick explanation of the menu and pointed to a specials sign. Monday through Fridays, you can get a mug of Kirin for $1.99, which I immediately ordered. They also offer one dish per weeknight that is 50% off the regular price. Since last night's special was the ahi tuna w/ salt, we went for it. We also ordered the garlic mushrooms in butter wrapped in foil, garlic shrimp, kalbi w/ tare, sliced roast with garlic and white rice. I was excited to start the meal.


In about 3 minutes, the foil packet containing the mushrooms landed on our table and we threw it on the grill. The tuna arrived next, and I could see why it was 50% off. There were three measly little slices of tuna on the plate- no wonder it's 50% off! It's less than 50% of the regular serving. So actually, it isn't discounted at all. In fact, they're making more money from it. This really, really irritated me. Do they think customers are that stupid? Since it wasn't the waiter's fault, I decided to keep my mouth shut and just tossed it on the grill. It was not even good- it was actually quite fishy. I tried to remain positive but doubt was beginning to creep into my brain.


The roast came next- the meat was good but again....the plates were very very small. I was expecting the nice amount of thinly sliced beef spiraled onto a large round plate that you get in Japan. Instead, you got about 7 slices (thumb-length) of meat on a small, rectangular plate. For $6, I guess it isn't awful but can you believe that the Japanese counterpart is actually bigger than the American? Hell just froze over. The kalbi was also good but again, was gone in a flash due to the small portion. We got 4 butterflied shrimp for $7.95 and about 1/4 cup of kimchee for $4. When we opened the foil packet, it contained about 1/2 cup of quartered, regular 'ol button mushrooms. I guess I was expecting some enoki or shimeji or some other kind of Japanese fungi.


The main thing you noticed (other than the Lilliputian portions) is that all of the wait staff are YOUNG. I mean, maybe barely 21 (since you have to be 21 to serve alcohol right?). Young and amateur. Every time one of them enters an order into the computer and yells "O-da onegashimasu! (Order up!)" all of the remaining staff yell back "Yorokonde! (with pleasure)" which is cute, but it's so forced that you feel bad for them. You can tell that the staff has been drilled on the Gyu Kaku way: filling up the water glasses every time a customer takes a sip, taking the plates off the table the MINUTE that last piece of meat has been put on the grill and asking repeatedly if you'd like anything else. I appreciate the effort but it's just impossible to relax when you've got more wait staff than customers (honestly- there must have been 35 waiters) buzzing around you constantly. Not only that, but you just sense that each waiter has been groomed to be void of personality and simply repeat the Gyu Kaku chants robotically.


I know it all sounds harsh- and it is probably my fault for hanging onto the dear memories of my many fantastic dinners at Gyu Kaku in Tokyo. My father always tells me that you can't relive the past- even if you go back to the exact same place with the exact same people, each experience will always be different. Life changes, and although you can create many wonderful new experiences, you can never totally recreate ones you've already had. Although I realize this, I guess sometimes I need to be reminded. And that's what my trip to Gyu Kaku Pasadena did last night.

Japanese restaurants

Tha-thon tha-thon thon thon.....

Ok, I couldn't resist spoofing The Thong Song- many apologizes. As you can probably tell by the title of my blog, I love my thon. That's tuna in French. Canned, raw, broiled, grilled, sandwiched, pasta'd, pizza'd, cracker'd, salad'd or spread on toast (Tuna Toast!), it's one of my all-time favorite foods.

I think my love affair with tuna started with the gorgeously bubbling and panko-topped tuna casserole that my dad would make for me as a kid. It continued with mom's tuna sandwiches and tuna macaroni salads during the summer. In Japan, I was thrilled to find tuna tomato spaghetti at Caprichosa and ordered it every single time I'd go to any of their multiple locations. For a chain restaurant, they had amazing pasta dishes and pizzas. Bakeries in Tokyo carried beautiful "tsuna pan"- golden, buttery rolls with flaked tuna and Kewpie mayonnised baked right on top. Last summer in Nice, every single pizza I ate was topped with tuna and I couldn't have been happier. Yes, I love the little fishy.

When I spotted a recipe and photo for Bouchons Au Thon on Oswego Tea (by way of Orangette) I knew I HAD to try them. These cute litte wrinkly bouchons were a simple combination of tuna, crème fraîche, tomato paste, gruyère cheese, eggs, onion and parsley. What on earth could sound any better to my tuna-loving ears?!?!

Mixing in the onions and parsley

Ready for the oven

Warm and browned...


What did my tuna loving taste buds think of this creation? Oh, it was love at first creamy, flavorful and tuna-filled bite. Not quite a quiche and not as eggy as frittata, the slightly dense yet surprisingly light bouchon paired perfectly with slices of crusty baguette, a spring salad and a glass of crisp sauvignon blanc.


The salad was made with yet another purchase from last week's Farmer's Market- beautiful golden beets. After wrapping them individually in foil and baking for 40 minutes, they came out tender, earthy and sweet. My husband is as crazy about beets as I am about tuna so we sat and ate giddily as our cat looked on, probably wishing she could have a little bouchon of her own.

A very balanced photo....er...dinner

Cooking,Tuna dishes

Rainbow Swiss Chard......I love thee so.....


A few days ago I reported that I had brought home a bounty of fresh produce from the local farmer's market. One of the most beautiful and interesting items was the bunch of rainbow chard that were as bright as Jakob Dylan's eyes. I had to bring such beauty home....but I had never prepared chard before. I did have experience in mustard greens and kale, so I wasn't too timid but I wanted to make sure I cooked it in a way that fully presented it's natural, vibrant nature.


After searching on several sites, I came across a simple recipe on Epicurious which looked good and had gotten positive feedback. It made sense to me that the tougher stalks and ribs were to be boiled for 5-10 minutes before sautéing it with the leaves. A big bunch of kale or chard can look intimidating with their thick, strong build and I must admit, I sometimes shy away from making greens for fear that they will be bitter. Not so, my friends. I'm sure the main reason the chard was so tender and sweet was the fact that I bought them at the Farmer's Market instead of some huge, neon-lit grocery store. This preparation, however, really enhanced the natural flavors and let the taste and texture of the vegetable shine through. The added bonus of it's gorgeous appearance doesn't hurt either! I think this will be making frequent appearances at our dinner table from now on.

I needed to use up leftover potatoes so I made cod & potato croquettes. I love croquettes of any form and it's such an easy and versatile way to get rid of leftovers. I poached some thawed cod in water, salt, bay leaves and pink peppercorns before flaking it and adding it to the mashed potatoes, parsley, garlic, egg and breadcrumbs. After a few minutes in about 1/8 inch of canola oil, they were golden and crisp.

Croquettes before....

...and after


White carrots were another interesting item I picked up at the market. After adding a bit of butter to a pan, I threw in the carrots, 1/4 cup of water, salt and pepper and shut the lid for 5 minutes under a low heat. They had a much more subtle carrot taste than their orange counterpart and the sweetness matched well with the spiciness of black pepper.

Dinner!

Why can't I remember to take a photo BEFORE taking a bite?

On a side note: After dinner I made some stock with the carcass of my roasted chicken from the other night. I didn't take photos because really- who wants to see a big 'ol pot of lifeless vegetables and chicken bones who have given their life for a nice, rich stock? It doesn't look attractive but the end result is so worth it. Stay tuned for a steaming bowl of chicken soup or some risotto in the near future.....:)

Cooking,Swiss chard

Roast chicken and braised fennel dinner on a Monday? Boo yah!


As much as I try to plan quick dinners on the weeknights, there are times where I can't fight my craving for food that requires a bit more time and care. Since Mondays are so, well.......Mondays, I knew I'd want a nice, comforting meal when I got home yesterday.

I had read Orangette Molly's ode to the Zuni Cafe Roast Chicken and knew I wanted to try it. What could be more comforting than a roast chicken? I had done the prep on Saturday- washed and dried the bird, salt, peppered and massaged the skin and slipped a few sage leaves beneath it. On my way home from work yesterday, I called my partner-in-crime (husband) and asked him to preheat the oven to 475 and take the chicken out of the refrigerator so it could warm up a bit.

When I arrived at home I hurriedly heated a heavy skillet on the stove until it was scorching and then set the seasoned bird in it breast-side up. It started to sizzle immediately and I stuck it in the oven.

While listening to the crackle & pop of browning chicken skin (mmmmm!) I sliced my fennel and prepared the braising liquid. I must admit, I've had a hate-hate relationship with fennel in the past but realized that the strong, liquorices flavor of the raw version dissipates into a mellow sweetness when baked or braised. I had never made fennel before but had enjoyed it so much in a pasta dish at Blair's a couple weeks back that I knew I wanted to jump on the bandwagon (the fennel bandwagon, that is).

Browning the fennel

After braising

Now back to the bird. After a few flips and an 80 minutes later, the chicken looked and smelled delicious. I let it rest before cutting through the crispy brown skin and into the juicy meat- and boy, was it juicy. I have to say this is the best roast chicken I have ever made! In the past, I always used a roasting pan and basted the bird repeatedly. Although that method results in a tender bird, it doesn't make for a crackling skin which, as many of you readers would agree, is the best part. It may require a bit of extra clean up of the oven but it's worth it.

Ready for carving......

Ready for consumption

And the fennel? I topped it with a few shavings of parmesan to contrast the sweetness. Although I did like it, it wasn't as meltingly tender as the versions I've had at various restaurants. I need to sharpen my fennel-making abilities, so I ask humbly, my fellow food bloggers, for any advice on the topic.

Dinner is served

Cooking,Chicken dishes

Weekend Farmer's Market & Nihon Ryori Dinner

After a couple weekends of stormy weather, I finally awoke on Saturday morning to the bright sun shining through my curtains. I jumped out of bed, woke up my snoozing husband and insisted we hit a farmer's market. One of my goals this year is to cook more in season, so what better way to see what's in season than to buy all of my produce at the local markets every week?


We didn't let a mediocre brunch (at a place that shall remain nameless since the ladies working there were just SO nice...) get us down, and we made our way to the Pasadena Farmer's Market at Victory Park. The bees were buzzing, the weather was perfect and I excitedly made my way from stand to stand- I told my husband that we had to do a once-over before committing. I looked over the gorgeous produce, artisan breads and flavored honeys before deciding that the produce at one particular stand looked the best.

What did I end up getting? Take a look:



Fava beans, white carrots, golden beets, fennel, oregano, sage, cara cara oranges (THE BEST!!), rainbow Swiss chard, strawberries and a big, beautiful if slightly off-center tomato. It's a bit early still for an abundance of tomatoes but this one caught my eye- I just know it will be juicy and sweet.

I've already got the sage under the skin of a big roasting chicken which is waiting for me in my refrigerator, and I plan to serve it with either braised of roasted fennel and a simple salad. Although I have some plans for the beets, I'm still undecided on what to do with the chard and white carrots. As usual, any suggestions from my fellow food bloggers are more than welcomed.


Last Friday night I came home from work and just had a major craving for gohan (rice), miso soup and a salad. I had a couple of cans of my beloved saba no ajitsuke (mackerel braised in sweet soy) which I made into my own sort of sushi roll. After toasting some nori, I simply spread it with rice (not seasoned, since I thought unseasoned would work best with the saba), flaked saba and minced green onions and rolled up into maki. My favorite thing to put into miso soup is cabbage which I had to use up anyway so I did, along with some cubed silken tofu. Served with some ginger-sautéed red bell pepper and daikon salad, it was a nice accompaniment to the cold sake.



I mean, the sake was a nice accompaniment to the meal;).

Japanese Food,Cooking, Farmer's market

Beef.....it's what's for dinner

No no, this isn't the beef but I didn't take enough steak photos so bear with me....and she is quite a beefy little thing, no?

When your formerly vegetarian husband instant messages (yeah, I think that's a verb now) you at work with "I feel like eating a steak for dinner," it's only natural to pack up your things, tear out of the parking lot and head for the nearest Trader Joe's to pick up two fat filets for the newly ordained carnivore (he's been eating meat for over a year but I still get excited when he's so blatant about it!). Although we initially toyed with the idea of going out to eat, I didn't feel like paying restaurant steak prices especially after doing taxes (the bane of my existence).

Before I knew it I was perusing the meat case at the Eagle Rock TJ's. I knew exactly what I wanted. It's funny- some days I find myself unable to come up with the food combination that will eventually make that night's meal. My brain goes batty with thoughts like, "Should I make broccolini with the salmon cakes? Wait....a salad? Oh- forget the salmon cakes, I'll get some nice salmon steaks. Oh wait....I have shrimp in the freezer...but I feel like chicken" and so on. But not last night. I went into the store with the focus of a Jedi Knight. I deftly moved through the narrow aisles and grabbed one bag of haricot verts, a bag of small yellow potatoes and a bag of (I know- a bag of this and a bag that but how else am I supposed to say 'bag'???) of baby spring greens. Next I picked up a pack of two perfectly plump Angus Beef filets, one cab and one zin. I was in and out in 15 minutes- a proud moment for the normally hour-long supermarket lurker.

The minute I got home I started boiling the water for the potatoes, put the haricot verts in the microwave (don't cringe- they come out perfectly crisp/tender this way) and heated a touch of butter in my pan for the filets. It was all coming together. After searing the filets and getting that lovely crust, I popped them in the oven for a minute more while I finished off the vegetables in a small pan with another wee pat of butter, sea salt and black pepper. I almost got smoke inhalation though, when I poured the red wine in my still blazin' hot pan to deglaze and create a wine reduction- I simply didn't pour enough at first so it started fizzing and splattering like mad while the kitchen filled with winey smoke. I quickly recovered with a splash of beef stock (phew) and the whole meal was complete. I considered stacking it all à la Alfred Portale of Gotham Bar & Grill fame, but I did want it to be functional so I decided against it.

Mmmmmmmm..........meat

The filet was medium rare and juicy......it was just SOOOO GOOD. Sometimes nothin' beats a nice piece of meat- especially when the entire steak dinner comes in at under $10 a person!

Just another gratuitous steak photo.....

Happy Friday!

Steak,Cooking

The Springform That Wouldn't Budge + Tuesday's Dinner

Good olive oil....but we'll get to this later

With the weather being so cool lately (I know, I know- it isn't so bad LA girl!)I thought I'd bake something for my coworkers. I'd bake it for myself but the chances of my husband and I spending the better part of our waking hours eating all of it prevents me from keeping an entire cake in the house. I had found a recipe for a berry cake on a blog and didn't really pay much attention to the actual recipe since I was completely smitten by the lovely photo that accompanied it. I printed it out and knew I'd found the sweet treat that would take shape in my kitchen the following weekend.

I was talking to my best friend on the phone as I gathered the ingredients so I wasn't paying too much attention to the fact that the cake started with 3 sticks of butter. And yes, I said started with.....and continued with the addition of a block of cream cheese and six eggs. By this time I was off the call and my mind really started to focus in on the 3 cups of sugar (yeeps!) that followed , I thought, "What am I making? " See what happens when you fail to show the proper reverence demanded by baking? Not wanting to waste the truckload of ingredients already in the bowl (and, admittedly, curious about what this butter-laden cake might taste like!) I continued. After all was said and done, the batter came almost to the top of my 9-inch springform pan. I topped it with the berries and crumble and heaved it into my oven.

An hour later, the cake still wiggled tremendously so I kept it in for another 20 minutes. I checked again, and it still moved like a water balloon. I went through this routine a couple more times until the total baking time was over two hours at which point it finally seemed set. The entire house smelled like a bowl of vanilla buttercream and I set the nearly 5 pound cake (I'm guesstimating!) on the table to cool a bit before unmolding. After 20 minutes, I clicked the hinge on my springform and prepared to see the entire cake in it's naked beauty when.....nothing. The sides of the pan did not move. I pulled on both sides with all my strength- NOTHING! My husband put forth a mighty effort but the thing refused to move even a millimeter. I finally reached into our tool drawer and used two pairs of pliers (what is this, American Chopper?) to get a good grip on each side, all to no avail. My springform had failed me for the first time and was ready to retire, apparently. Too bad it didn't tell me before I poured a gallon of batter into it.

I let the cake cool a bit more and decided to simply flip the cake onto a plate upside down, then invert back onto another platter. It worked, thank goodness. The crumble even managed to stay on.

I don't WANT to come OUT! Leave ME!

So, how was the cake? The sides of it had turned quite dark due to the long baking time and high butter/sugar content, but the inside was a golden yellow. Slicing through it felt like cutting through a massive chunk of fudge- the density was incredible. I must admit, it tasted more like sweet butter than any pound cake I'd ever eaten. I allowed myself a very, very thin slice (which probably contained the a day's worth of calories) before doling it out to my coworkers, who were delighted. That said, I don't think I'll ever be making this cake again. I'm no health nut, but it's almost....morally reprehensible to make a cake of that buttertude. Actually, I just don't feel like baking anything that requires two hours in the oven and a virtual grocery store's worth of ingredients ever again.


Onto dinner last night. I'd been dreaming of a white bean and arugula combination of some sort and put together this simple dish. Whole wheat pasta with garlic, arugula, white beans and parmesan. Drizzled with a bit of extra virgin olive oil, it was a nice combination of nutty flavors and I realized how much I love creamy white beans. If any of you have a great recipe for escarole & white bean soup, please pass it my way!



Quite a refreshing change of pace from the Granddaddy Butter Cake- my affectionate nickname for the big lug.

Baking,Pasta dishes

I Won't Breathe On You: Ina Garten's Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic

Every weekend, I look forward to sleeping in (which, for me is usually 8:30 AM), brewing a big pot of coffee and tuning into the Food Network. Sometimes I'll view the butter-drenched cookery of Paula Deen, other times I may see what budget eats Dave Lieberman is creating. There are only a couple things I MUST do when it comes to watching the Food Network on the weekends- 1) Avoid Sandra Lee or Rachel Ray like the plague and 2) Watch Barefoot Contessa. I love the nice, low tone of Ina Garten's voice as she whips up beautiful meals made with fresh ingredients. Some of her food is a bit on the heavy side, yes, but at least she makes it with fresh cream and locally bought cheese. Don't you love how everything is just fabulous, or how almost everything she makes is for her dear husband because "Jeffrey's going to love it?" I'm sure I'd love pretty much anything if I lived in that beautiful Hamptons house, being waited on hand and foot....but the food really does look very appetizing.

There are quite a few of her recipes I've been meaning to make, but none more appealing than her Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic. It seems like the perfect cold weather food, and with all of the rain/cold we've been having (I know I know- I'm a whiny Los Angelino with nothing to complain about) I thought it'd be perfect for dinner. I love anything that is made in one pot and left to simmer in the oven or on the stovetop while the smells permeate the house, and this is that kind of dish.

The chicken is so easy to make- just brown the chicken, remove from pan. Then add the garlic to the fat (I drained all but 1 TBS of fat before adding the garlic- the recipe does not say to do this but really....you don't need all of it) and brown. Deglaze the pot with congnac, add the chicken, herbs and white wine and simmer for 30 minutes. Make a roux with some of the liquid and flour, add back to the pot and finish off with a bit of cream. You can find the recipe in full here.

Browning the chicken

Add the wine

After adding roux

The flavor of the wine mixed with the garlic and cognac was so deep and delicious. The garlic cloves end up being soft and sweet. I served it with grilled ciabatta which we smeared the garlic cloves on and added an herb salad (Trader Joe's makes an amazing bagged herb salad with mixed greens, dill, Italian parsley, etc)to make the meal complete.

Grilled bread to sop up the gravy and garlic

Dinner is served

As Ina would say "How bad can THAT be?"

Chicken dishes,Cooking

Something Out Of Nothing Meme, hosted by Toast

I'm afraid I am late in posting and submitting this entry but hopefully it will be added to the roundup! About a month a go, I had seen a recipe for steamed pork buns on bakingsheet and couldn't wait to try them. When I was living in Tokyo, I'd go to 7 Eleven and pick up a "niku man" (meat bun) which came in many flavors- the traditional pork, curry, pizza (!!), taco and chicken. ALL of them were great and it was just nice to hold the steaming hot bread in my hands as I walked home in the cold.

Ingredients for filling

Although I followed the dough recipe to the letter, I made up my filling since I had a bunch of stuff I needed to use. Thus, the idea for making this the "something out of nothing" entry. We'll call it Steamed Chicken Buns. I had two whole chicken legs left over from the pack I bought for the lemon chicken I made last week, so I boiled them and shredded the meat. I diced some green cabbage and white onions and sautéed them until they were soft. In a large bowl, I combined the meat, cooked cabbage/onion mixture, chopped green onions, chopped cilantro, bottled hoisin sauce, garlic chili sauce, sesame oil and soy sauce to make the filling.

Chicken filling

Putting filling in the dough

Fold dough over filling and pinch to seal

All ready for steaming

Nic was right in saying that this dough was an absolute dream to handle. The prospect of making your own steamed buns may seem daunting, but it really was so easy. You probably have all of the ingredients for the dough in your pantry and refrigerator, and you can fill it with whatever you like. Have some leftover curry? Perfect. Leftover kung pao chicken or other Chinese takeout? Use it in this dough. It's the perfect way to make something out of, well, nothing!

Before.....

After

Mmmmmmm

The end

Meme,Cooking