A Perfect Spring Lunch

SHIN came to visit in the late morning. An old friend forever, Shin is definitely one of my best buddies. We've always got endless subjects to talk, from economics to drama to philosophy, and often could get more excited than we should. The more importantly, we always have these chats over good food. So, it was time for lunch, and we were sitting there cranking our brains trying to figure out where to go for something special.

We had French last time we met, and Yakitori the one before. So those nice choices were out of our scope. All of a sudden, I thought of a place way up on the top of a high rise building, with great view on this bright sunny spring day - the air is so clear we ought to be able to see miles and miles away from 250 meters above the ground. The place I had in mind was a tepanyaki steak house. What can be better than a nice tender juicy Japanese steak, freshly prepared by a seasoned chef in front of you, and have great service while having impeccable service around you?? The decision was a no brainer. Fantasizing the sizzling aroma arising from the huge cooking plate, we were hasting on our feet!!

The teppan place is located on the 52nd floor of the building. In the cool spring air, walking thru the sidewalk sourounded by good-looking hotels and offices, aligned with cherry trees under the bright spring sun, we were ready to attack the steak before we reached the restaurant. This is the time you started wondering if life could get any better than this, haha.

The lunch started with a totally delicious fresh sweet tomato chunks which were lightly marinated in apple vinegar, fresh lemon and sesame oil. The lightly pickled daikon slices added just enough juiciness and crunchiness to the starter. Boy, are we not ready for the steak?! As a ritual in this service-is-bigger-than-life restaurant, the chef showed us the raw steak for our inspection. We took our most serious look at the steak to make sure it was not moving anymore, and nodded the chef to let the cooking drama start.

The steak was a nicely cut Wagyu (pronounces "wah-gi-you", means Japanese beef, typically what I could not afford in the supermarket) with snow flake texture evenly distributed through it. At the rim of the steak was a nice piece of crystal white fat that the chef cut it to oil and sizzle the teppan plate. We asked the steak to be medium rear (the way you want the nice tender Japanese steak to be, if not served raw, haha), and that was exactly how it came. The first bite was, Mmm...mmm.... jui..seeii... The tenderness was what in between of a red snapper sashimi and cantaloupe, its nicely juicy with very gentle steak aroma. Another secret of Japanese teppan yaki steak is at its sauce, THAT is what separates it from the steaks we are so used to at home. Today, we had an barrel-aged soy sauce blended with vinegar and garlic powder. The steak with the sauce tasted soooo good that I seriously believed that Shin and I were becoming better friends!!

As if to reaffirm with us that this lunch was a total departure from our normal life, after the perfect spring steak ceremony, the manager showed us to a separate room to sit on a bar where we had a clear view of entire western Tokyo expanding all the way to the Mt. Fuji. That, again, made me wonder why we did not do this everyday??? The closing ceremony was presented with a beautifully decorated green tea ice cream and freshly brewed coffee. And we sat on the bar happily talking ever after.....

Squid!! What you can not miss in Fukuoka!!

Ika （いか、烏賊）, or squid in 横文字, is THE grandee royal treat in Fukuoka. Showing here is the art work (AND it is actually edible!!) created by the renowned executive chef Aoki of Kawasho, one of the most exquisite sushi restaurants in Fukuoka. If you happen to be in Fukuoka, and not too concern with your cuisine budget, I highly recommend a dinner visit to the renowned sushi restaurant in town.

Squid sushi is one of those that looks easy to do, but actually requires a lot of effort to excel. Not to mention a lot of practise to perfect the art. Aoki-san would have to peel the squid's almost invisible skin with a towel and lots and lots of patience until its surface was all perfectly smooth and shiny. The next step is to use a sashimi-bocho (Japanese sushi knife) to cut evenly-paced fine and absolutely parallel lines through the squid's entire outside surface. Then the maestro would turn the squid 60 degrees around, and did the same thing. Again, even-interval, absolutely parallel, and exactly the same depth cutting lines to create a stunning delicate grid pattern. Click the pictures to the left for an enlarged picture to see what I am talking about.

There are three reasons to do so: 1) Aesthetics. Without the grids, the squid's smooth surface creates glare which does not look appetizing. Instead, the fine cut grid pattern creates a beautiful image to enhance appetite. 2) Health. More importantly, for practical serving and digestion purpose. Squid has very tough skin which is difficult for a normal person to bite and swallow. The fine cuts in fact divide the tough skin into many small parcels which are easy to chew and digest. 3) Taste. Lastly, to enhance the tasting pleasure and experience. When squid's sensitive meat, or muscle, meets the air it will quickly oxidize. With proper oxidization, the meat becomes softer and sweeter. However, there is a catch: you need to consume it right away. Otherwise it will become too watery to be tasty. Here, Aoki-san's work was a masterly demonstration of craftsmanship, precision and art. The picture is truly for any one's eye pleasure. The taste? It was absolutely surprising and pleasing. What a gracious tasting experience with Aoki-san!! Thank you, Aoki-san!!