An ode to Anko (Monkfish)

"Monkfish Wrapped in Pancetta, Braised Leeks, White Wine Broth" 

I nice combo!

Delicious. Absolutely delicious. I think back to sitting in a dimly lit, bustling Chelsea restaurant on a Saturday night, my eyes are drawn to the monkfish. This was over 5 years ago.

Here in Japan, monkfish - known as Ankimo is a wintertime fish, to be consumed in a delicious hot-pot to warm the bones on a chilly night. As much as I enjoy that particular preparation. It was this first introduction to monkfish as a college student that has stuck with me.

As I remember it, the fish came on a bed of braised leeks topped with deep fried leek slivers as garnish, wrapped in a single piece of crisp, delicate pancetta.

This is my interpretation of the dish I had many years ago... I hope you enjoy it as well.


serves 2

2 monkfish filets, about 1/2 a pound each, cleaned.*(See note below)
1/4 lbs of Prosciutto, sliced thin
2 medium leeks
2 stalks of celery, fibrous bits removed with a vegetable peeler
2 tbsps all purpose flour
1 tbsp Olive Oil
Canola oil (For deep frying Garnish)
1 1/2 tbsps Unsalted Butter
2/3 cups heavy cream
1/2 glass of white wine (I used a Spanish White)
White pepper
Salt and Black Pepper to taste
A few sprigs of Lemon Thyme

Preheat oven to 400 F

1. Start by cutting off the tough green leaves then quarter the leeks lengthwise. Rinse thoroughly. reserve an upper two inch segment from half the leeks and slice into thin slivers along the grain. Toss with flour and a pinch of white pepper and set aside. Meanwhile, cut the rest into 1/4inch squares. Finely chop celery stalks.
2. Over high heat, sautee the leeks and celery with butter until softened, season with salt and white pepper. (do not allow leeks to brown)
3. Add the white wine and cook it down until leeks resume frying. Add the cream, turn the heat down to medium and simmer slowly until thickened. Adjust seasoning and set aside.
4.Cut monkfish into thirds horizontally to yield three nuggets. Season both sides with salt and black pepper. sprinkle on the thyme leaves (no stalks.)
5. Wrap each nugget with a slice of prosciutto. In an oven proof skillet, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over high heat on the stove and quickly sear each nugget on both sides until prosciutto is browned and crispy.
6. Put the skillet into the middle rack of the oven for 8-10 minutes, until monkfish is cooked through.
7. While the fish is in the oven, fill a small saucepan with 2 inches of canola oil. Heat to deep frying temperature (340-350 F) and add the leek slivers from step one. Deep fry until crispy, drain on paper towels and set aside.

Assembly:

1. A couple of minutes before the fish is done, gently reheat the leeks in cream and wine.
2. Remove the fish from the oven and place on paper towels to absorb excess moisture
3. Spoon leek mixture onto the center of a round serving plate
4. Arrange the nuggets of fish around the leek mixture.
5. Garnish with the deep fried leek slivers and serve.

*Note about Monkfish in Japan: Getting the fish proved to be a challenge. Monkfish is not often sold in filet form so I had to ask my fishmonger to cut up an entire fish for me.

Autumn, a midweek dinner

The cooling rains of autumn blankets Tokyo in a misty glaze.

Shoes damp, the patter of droplets on vinyl umbrella slide downward.

Dinner Time

It's October and that means a new season of delicious eating.
I'm going to try something different and write about cooking, something I have always loved. Hopefully, its puts a name to some of the dishes one might find at a Japanese restaurant, but not necessarily know the name of.

Here are some recipes for dinner tonight that remind me of vermillion maple and the gold ginko leaves of fall.

These will be broken down into single entries, for ease of reading

1. Chilled Japanese Spinach and Chrysanthemum flowers (ほうれん草のお浸し）

This is a recipe that does well as a simple side dish to a larger meal. The mild flavor of spinach is enhanced with a light broth and the bright yellow chrysanthemum petals add a streak of beautiful color against the dark spinach.

To make ほうれん草のお浸し（Hourensou no Ohitashi), you will need:

1.) 1 Bunch of Japanese Spinach (18-20 plants) 

2.) Seasoning liquid:

1 1/4 Cup of Dashi (Bonito Broth)

A Pinch of Salt

1tsp of Mirin (Sweet Japanese Cooking Sake)

4 tsps Soy sauce

2 tsp Rice Wine Vinegar

3.) 6 Edible Chrysanthemum Flowers, petals picked, centers reserved for later use

4.) 3 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar  

5. Bonito flakes, for garnish

Directions:

1. Bring Dashi to a boil, add salt, mirin soy sauce and 2 tsp rice wine vinegar. Simmer for a minute then remove from heat. Let it rest until cool (Can be made in advance)

2. Salt a pot of boiling water and blanch spinach until just tender. Drain and shock in ice water to stop cooking.

3. Gently Squeeze out excess water from spinach, cut off and discard the base then cut into 2 inch pieces. 

4. Place into a shallow dish and pour over cooled seasoning liquid. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours

Before Serving:

bring 1 cup of water to boil, add 3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

Add the Chrysanthemum petals and blanch very briefly (10 seconds or so) Transfer the petals to ice water then drain.

Remove spinach from the seasoning liquid (reserve), mix with the chrysanthemum petals then arrange on a serving dish.  Spoon over a few spoons of the seasoning liquid and sprinkle over some bonito flakes.

Finished Dish!

 

Eggs 'n Things (Harajuku/Omotesando)

Eggs 'n Things

The "Normal" amount of Cream

If there is one thing that is difficult to get in Japan, it is a satisfying American breakfast. That was why I was eager to finally have the chance to eat at Eggs n' Things, in the trendy Harajuku district of Tokyo.  We arrived on a chilly Monday evening and was greeted by a line that stretched around the block - not bad compared to the weekend according to my dining companion. We were seated after a 50 minute wait and were promptly told that we had 90 minutes to dine.

After a period of trying to get the waitresses attention, we spared no time in ordering a feast. The night's dishes comprised of Ahi and Eggs, Sirloin and Eggs, Portuguese Sausage and Eggs, Spam and Eggs, Loco moco and the Berry pancakes.

After a rather impatient 20 minutes or so our food started to arrive, we promptly dug in. 

The Ahi and Eggs were really disappointing; one of the more expensive menu items at 1700Yen a pop, it was simply unacceptable.  Instead of a thick juicy slice of tuna, we got a thin, overcooked sliver of tuna that was dredged in cajun season and was already waving goodbye to well done. The scrambled eggs, which should have been fluffy and cream instead came undercooked, under stirred and lacked any seasoning whatsoever. In fact, the egg was runny to the point where un-coagulated raw eggs were running all over the plate. I am convinced that they do not salt their eggs here - no salt and pepper on the table either. I ended up having to smother the entire thing in ketchup to get it down.

Runny scrambled eggs and that's not a piece of driftwood, its the Ahi..

The sirloin (1500 Yen) was also a shadow of what a sirloin should be, served unrested and drenched in its own juices before being smothered in sauce. The eggs, also scrambled were in the same dire situation as above. 

The Portuguese sausage on the other hand was tasty, but I'm pretty sure those were not made in house. The two sunny side eggs were fine, but again lacked seasoning.

 The Spam and eggs, well - can't really mess that up right? We won't go there.

All the dishes above came with a small side of pancakes and a pat of butter. I don't know what is was, but the pancakes were just alright. They were a little tough and unleavened which I suspect is from the batter being stirred to often and left out too long; rendering the initial chemical leavening without the power needed to generate fluffy, thin pancakes. They tasted fine, just not great. 

The syrups that they provided table side were (Artificial) Maple, Pink Sugar Syrup masquerading as Guava and industrial strength coconut syrup.  

The loco moco was the best dish of the evening, a touch more soy sauce in the gravy than most places, but a juicy hamburger, a runny sunny side up egg really hit the spot. Would probably recommend this if you intend on going.

And at last, the monstrosity of 6 or so dinky pancakes topped with a foot of solid whipped cream begging to be put out of its misery. What is with the cream fetish at this place? I shudder to think of what the "extra cream on your pancakes" could mean after seeing this. 

 I am by no means lactose intolerant but I think my stomach churned at the site of this particular dish. Again, pancakes were alright but the scarcity of the fruit and the excess of the cream was just not appetizing - give the dish a few minutes and watch the cream slowly deflate and sort of just spread limply over all the pancakes.

For the price of what everything cost, the amount of people waiting to get in and the well received Hawaiian branch, this should have been a great breakfast joint. Instead, what we got was spotty service, alright food and a few hours of my life I won't get back. Oh, and throw in a good measure of faux Hawaiian fixtures trying to desperately to distract you from the food while we are at it. Next time I want pancakes and scrambled eggs, I think I'll stick to my own kitchen.

(Although I have been meaning to try out Bills)

I don't know if it was an off night or what, but I probably would not go back willingly. Here is the address if you would like to check them out:

Eggs 'n Things

Jingu-mae 4-30-2

Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

(東京都渋谷区神宮前4-30-2)  

Restaurant Hours

Monday to Friday:9:00～22:30

Saturday to Sunday:8:00～22:30

A tale of two Tsujita's: Ramen diary (Part 2)

二代目つじ田味噌の章 (Ni-dai-me Tsujita Miso no Shou)

Part 2 of this entry brings us to another branch of Tsujita's ramen - this time, its their shop selling only miso ramen. Located across the intersection from  めん徳二代目つじ田神田御茶の水店  (Men-toku Ni-dai-me Tsujita Kanda Ochanomizu-ten) These two restaurants are wreaking havoc on my diet to say the least.

Miso ramen is a staple hailing from Hokkaido, where the colder climate has moulded a miso based ramen into something fantastically comforting, especially in midwinter. While there are quite a few places that do miso ramen here in Tokyo, there are only a handful that I have enjoyed, Tsujita being one of them.

The shop is smaller than its Tsukemen brethren but seems just as popular. I would recommend going during off hours, just to avoid waiting too long. As usual, purchase your order at the ticket vending and head on in, where a member of staff will usher you to the nearest available seating. This time, I went with the Spicy Miso Ramen with egg 玉子入り辛味噌ラーメン(Tamago-iri kara miso ramen.) Going at a price of 1000 Yen.

Again, in about 10 minutes time, a beautiful steaming bowl of noodles arrives and the deliciousness begins....

Topped with slices of tender, moist chashuu, Japanese leeks, onions, bean sprouts, deeply flavored and darkmenma, a beautiful soft boiled egg and a generous scoop of vermillion spicy miso, this bowl is definitely easy on the eyes.

The golden yellow egg noodles are thinner than that used for tsukemen but still are cooked to al dente perfection. Slurping these springy stands of dough is immensely satisfying and for me, the perfect portion size. (Oomori also available)

The soup is a rich and creamy consistency, highlighted by the specks of lard and the lustrous sheen of piping hot oil on its surface. Make sure you remember that before digging in, the oil can burn your mouth! Before stirring in the spicy miso, I always like to taste the original soup first; a delectable combination of porky goodness and the savory unctuousness of their miso blend. There is a faint aroma of ginger that lingers for just a second before melting into the sweetness of stewed garlic after every sip. This is definitely a soup that a finish without question every time - the stick-to-your ribs goodness cannot be emphasized enough here.

After a few good slurps of the noodles, its time to move onto the add ons; a very pleasant selection to say the least. There is the usual bottle of pulverized garlic which adds a sharp bite of garlic to the broth, a yuzu shichimi which employs the wonderful fragrance of the yuzu citron with a mix of spices and lastly nori - yes, powdered nori, not unlike what you would top your yakisoba or okonimyaki with. The nori adds a nice briny taste to the broth but I would advise a light sprinkle before adding more, as the flavor is quite noticeable.

All in all, this is a great bowl of miso ramen, one of my favorite spots for it, actually.  Slightly on the pricier side, it is well worth every yen. I would recommend anyone in town to try this bowl of Ramen - I hope and am sure you wont be disappointed! 

Head over there next time at:

Address: Chiyoda-ku Kanda Ogawacho 1-1, Tokyo Japan. (東京都千代田区神田小川町1-1）
Open 11:00-23:00 on Weekdays and 11:00-21:00 on Weekends.

A tale of two Tsujita's: Ramen diary (Part 1)

めん徳二代目つじ田神田御茶の水店  (Men-toku Ni-dai-me Tsujita Kanda Ochanomizu-ten)

Tsujita Ramen is a place I frequently visit here in Tokyo. Located unreasonably close to my office, it usually wins against my battle with the bulge.

At this particular location,  a second generation store of the Tsujita empire (branches also found in Los Angeles and Bangkok!.) This Tsujita Specializes in つけ麺(tsukemen), a style of ramen that Tokyoites can call their own. Essentially, tsukemen are noodles that are dipped into an extremely concentrated broth and slurped. Much like the quintessential Zaru-Soba noodles, it is a delicious treat.

This particular shop gets very busy during the lunch and dinner rush so it is not unusual to see people lining up during these times. My recommendation is to visit before noon are after 2 pm, where you can get seated fairly soon if not immediately. Upon purchasing your order from the ticket vending machine, a member of their staff will escort you to an available seat.

I got the 二代目つけめん (Ni-dai-me Tsukemen) which is 980 Yen a bowl. From here on out, we start getting into the good stuff...

The noodles arrived after about 10 minutes and even the normal sized serving contains a considerable volume of egg noodles, cooked to the perfect slightly-firm consistency. The medium thick, glistening noodles are accompanied by what can make or break a ramen restaurant- the broth; and boy does Tsujita not dissapoint. 

The bowl is adorned with sliced chashuu pork a soft cooked marinated egg and a healthy sprinkling of menma (marinated bamboo shoots). The noodles come in a separate bowl with a sheet of nori and a half slice of Sudachi - a Japanese citrus fruit that lends a nice zing and aroma to the noodles.

With the primary stock made up of fish, that is the immediate flavor that hits you with the first slurp. It is a concentrated shot of creamy goodness which is mellowed out by a blend of Tonkotsu (Pork bone broth), Konbu dashi (Kelp Stock) and Tori-no-gara (Chicken Stock.) The result is a rich tasting broth that does not overwhelm with the pork or fish flavors. Even with the oil content of this broth, it doesn't taste overtly greasy, much to the protest of my thighs.

Since the noodles are chilled before serving, the gradually cooling broth after every dip does feel a little heavier towards the end, but even so, this is only a minor detail that does not detract from the enjoyment of this meal - especially if you hold off squeezing the Sudachi over your noodles until the last few bites.

According to the menu at Tsujita, the best way to enjoy their tsukemen is in the following manner:

After finishing 1/3rd of your noodles, squeeze in the Sudachi juice. When you get to the last 1/3rd of the noodles, add a generous sprinkling of their famous black chili blend "黒七味" (Kuro-shichi-mi).

These steps gently alter flavor profile of the tsukemen and it is indeed a wonderful and well thought out progression. I would certainly recommend this place to anyone seeking a good noodle joint in Tokyo.

Address: Chiyoda-ku Kanda Ogawacho 1-4, Tokyo Japan. (東京都千代田区神田小川町1-4）
Open 11:00-23:00 on Weekdays and 11:00-21:00 on Weekends.

Money Orders through the Japanese Postal Service

Sending money from Japan overseas via the Japanese Postal Service

I had to send money overseas for the first time today. Needless to say, my searches have been uneventful in providing up-to date information.

Hopefully this blog post can help anyone else looking to how to remit money internationally from Japan.

1. Go to the post office and ask for the 国際送金請求書兼告知書（kokusai soukin seikyuusho danshinn chisho) This is the form to remit money from the post office. 

There are two types - one that directly wires money into the payee's bank account and one that allows you to send a check to an address. This time, I wanted to send a check so I chose the 住所あて送金用　(jyuusho ate soukinnyou) form.

2. Filling out the form is easy enough as there are English translations throughout the form. Do not forget to bring some sort of identification along as they will verify your identity. I simply used my Alien Registration Card (外国人証明書, gaikokujinn shoumeisho）
3. They will convert your currency at the post office with the daily exchange rate in addition to a processing charge which is now 2000JPY per transaction. Once you pay, you must take the check to the window that deals with mail in order to send the check.
4. I chose to be cautious and sent the check by EMS, which incurs an additional 1200JPY. This way, you can track the status of the shipment through the EMS website which can be accessed at: http://www.post.japanpost.jp/int/ems/index_en.html
5. Once that is done, all you have to do is wait for the money order to arrive at its intended destination!

Somewhat down

Sometimes permanently being on the outside really gets to me.

No matter where I go, everything is brushed off as "you are a foreigner, you'll never understand."

I was born in a country not my own, raised in a country not my own and now working in a country not my own. Even going back to me roots leaves me feeling awkward and uncomfortable. Who am I, at the very core of things?

Lately, its seems everyone has their own pace, everything is growing distant. We make plans, only to have them broken when a Girlfriend/Boyfriend decides they want to do the same thing. Off they go, forgetting who initially wanted to go in the first place. Our friendships so easily brushed aside?

Maybe it is just ignorant bliss, I don't know - but its left me feeling more and more distant and not knowing where to head to next.

For me it seems, once a drifter, always a drifter.