Aloha nui again. I am reiterating my penchant for fusion style cuisine. I was exposed to this style early in life, although I was not aware of it until I relocated to Hawai'i.
When I was still living in Brooklyn, I would frequent the Chinese restaurant in my neighborhood. I would order half a fried chicken with French fries. The chicken is admittedly Chinese, the fries obviously are not. I remember pondering the matter while eating my meal.
When I did move to Hawai'i,I was quite certain that I would find splendid Chinese food. I knew that locating an edtsnlishment was merely a matter of trial and error.
I ventured into a Japanese restaurant to add variety to my dining. I ate my first Japanese meal at Satsuki. It was an unpretentious, simple looking restaurant. The vibe was casual and wholesome. I was quickly taken aback with the menu because it was of course in another language. I did not let the lack of understanding another language impede me from ordering my meal. I simply pointed to a photo corresponding to what I wanted to eat. My choice was a safe one, rice with shrimp and vegetables. I allowed myself to believe that Japanese cooking was the commercial, franchise type of cooking one will find at Benihana. I later learned thst style of Asian cooking is tepanyaki.
What was served to me seemed ordinary enough. Steamed fluffy short grain rice, shrimp with sevrral shrimp in a golden brown, crispy; not soggy, batter. The accompaniment to the steamy, sweet crustaceans were seversl slices of pickled cucumber, and julienned slices of carrots. Chilled bean sprouts marinated in sesame oil and vinegar were side items fir the plate. I chose simple food because the Japanese people prefer minimalist preparations to cumbersome theatrics when food is involved. They try not to muddle things.
I never had tempura, which is the batter preparation for my shrimp, and dashi was another treat for me. Dashi is the dark, sweet, thin sauce that is usually accompanies food that is presented tempura style. To me the flavor and textures were sublime. I thought the combination of crispy food with a thin sauce was quite genius. Now when I eat tempura, it must be served with a dashi sauce, not tartsr sauce. That fusion of styles is not a combination that appeals to my tastes.
I will get into more detail about confusing fusion in the next post.
A hui hou( Until we meet again).
When I was still living in Brooklyn, I would frequent the Chinese restaurant in my neighborhood. I would order half a fried chicken with French fries. The chicken is admittedly Chinese, the fries obviously are not. I remember pondering the matter while eating my meal.
When I did move to Hawai'i,I was quite certain that I would find splendid Chinese food. I knew that locating an edtsnlishment was merely a matter of trial and error.
I ventured into a Japanese restaurant to add variety to my dining. I ate my first Japanese meal at Satsuki. It was an unpretentious, simple looking restaurant. The vibe was casual and wholesome. I was quickly taken aback with the menu because it was of course in another language. I did not let the lack of understanding another language impede me from ordering my meal. I simply pointed to a photo corresponding to what I wanted to eat. My choice was a safe one, rice with shrimp and vegetables. I allowed myself to believe that Japanese cooking was the commercial, franchise type of cooking one will find at Benihana. I later learned thst style of Asian cooking is tepanyaki.
What was served to me seemed ordinary enough. Steamed fluffy short grain rice, shrimp with sevrral shrimp in a golden brown, crispy; not soggy, batter. The accompaniment to the steamy, sweet crustaceans were seversl slices of pickled cucumber, and julienned slices of carrots. Chilled bean sprouts marinated in sesame oil and vinegar were side items fir the plate. I chose simple food because the Japanese people prefer minimalist preparations to cumbersome theatrics when food is involved. They try not to muddle things.
I never had tempura, which is the batter preparation for my shrimp, and dashi was another treat for me. Dashi is the dark, sweet, thin sauce that is usually accompanies food that is presented tempura style. To me the flavor and textures were sublime. I thought the combination of crispy food with a thin sauce was quite genius. Now when I eat tempura, it must be served with a dashi sauce, not tartsr sauce. That fusion of styles is not a combination that appeals to my tastes.
I will get into more detail about confusing fusion in the next post.
A hui hou( Until we meet again).
