Yakitori For You

Independent Restaurant Review:

9/13/08 - Sushi Tazu, Denver, CO
(303) 320-1672

You read that post about Yakitori Shio-Yaki, right? If you haven't had it made for you before, check out Sushi Tazu in Cherry Creek. They do it just right and it's a real treat. Model your own creation off this one.

Taking a Saturday "vespa" tour of Denver on the way to see some dear ole friends, I found myself near Cherry Creek with a bellyfull of hunger. Dreaming lately of chawanmushi, and reminiscing my times in the area, it had to be Sushi Tazu. Plus sake is always nice.

Let's just say I worked there as a waiter years ago, for about 2 months. I hope they have forgotten it. At the time, I was not their best asset. But I was certainly a fan, even then. The food is classic Japanese and the people are classy (some Japanese). The taste of their hot house sake, probably the same brand (Gekkeikan?) as every other Asian restaurant in the Denver area, somehow tastes unique ... like something one might find in a feudal era sake inn. Japanromantic.

It was happy hour and sake was 2 for 1. Flying solo, I ordered two small flasks of the house hot selection, a chawanmushi, and a yakitori shio-yaki. This is unquestionably my favorite ninja snack.

Read TWS blog archives for more on yakitori shio-yaki. The best parts about Tazu's presentation: a classy wooden foodservice set with toothpicks, lemon, and shichimi. Love the shichimi. Green onions fat and fresh. Tender chicken. Tops. No place else does this dish so well.

Chawanmushi is a savory mushroom/fish custard served in a lidded crock. The flavor is intense, woody from the (shiitake?) shrooms and salty from the fish, softened and eased into the palate via creamy egg custard. Oh. My. Domo arigato gozaimashita.

The service was impeccably polite and thoroughly Japanese. Several attractive customers sat at tables on the patio around me on this sunny afternoon, and the staff was jovial yet professional. The meal, with appropriate tip, cost under $20.

I'll hit that place again for another review, and also to grab my ninja snack, ninja style so they only remember me as the smiley and genuinely nice guy whom I have grown to be. Excellent service, and a must-visit for anyone seeking classical Japanese food you won't find on the menu anywhere else.

~TWS

Vegging Out

9/15/08 - FSI (Food Selection & Identification, MSCD)

Tour: Coosemans, specialty produce supplier, Denver, CO
303-371-3130
Photo of TWS favorite find at Coosemans, the Lobster Mushroom, courtesy http://www.coosemans.com/

Chef Lamb is da man. He has put together such an exciting and pertinent syllabus for this class. Direct experience-learning is the next best thing to keeping your eyes on the road while driving. I could vividly describe every moment of the tour because I was so fully present ... but here's a summary.

Dan McMaster, 17-year veteran at Coosemans, guided us through a labyrinth of crazy legumes like the dragon tongue bean; cute looking baby bite-sized squash both green and yellow; varietals like funky purple fingerling potatoes; nutty-smelling microgreens called mache; wierd sea beans; onion and garlic offerings; mystical mushrooms like the maitaki ("hen of the woods"), renji (king oyster), wood-ear, shiitake, and my personal fave ... the lobster mushroom. Yup, it is the color and scent of a lobster. Then we moved on to tarot root; cactus pears; malanga; tamarind; carambola (star fruit); rambutan (lychee); quince; ti leaves; cactus leaves ... and finally lovely & fragrant florals like orchids, carnations, pansies, and lemon leaves.

We saw lettuces and peppers, fruits and herbs. Way more than listed here. And we'll never be the same again.

My philosophy, dear readers: Education is zilcho unless you put it into practice.

The day after this tour, I saw some of those bite-sized squash at the local store. Roasted them with butter, oil, salt, pepper, oregano, onion powder, and a little beer. Aw yeah.

Need some inspiration? Though a wholesaler, check out Coosemans' website. Ask your local grocer to order in your favorite oddity, and mention that Coosemans stocks it.

~TWS

Cheese us!

9/22/08 - FSI (Food Selection & Identification, MSCD)

Guest speakers: Mike Przestrzelski; Val Landrum - United Sales & Services, LLC, specialty food brokers. 720-898-8181

Chef Lamb delivers the goods, again.

Denver's largest deli broker came down on our class with a spread of cheeses to make any dairyphile melt onto a toast round. Cheese. Cheese. More cheese. School is awesome.

We sampled the finest, and sometimes a couple of the finest marks of each natural cheese variety.

Talking about: Sheep's milk chevre so dank; marscapone like buttery whipped cream; boursin smacking of garlic & herb; mozzarella smooth like no oth-ah; creamy feta from Israeli sheep's milk ... not your usual cow / salt cheese from the local store!; Reny Picot 60% butterfat brie (I ate more than 7 slices myself); havarti flavored with horseradish, chive, and mustard seed to kick your tastebuds into submission; unbeatable Jarlsburg swiss; 18 & 30 month-aged parmesans beyond description; chipotle cheddar, aw yeah; and of course bleus: Maytag, Danish, Roquefort.

Rounded out with handmade specialty crackers, fine salami, and an olive selection. High class.

Whew. I may have missed listing a fontina or two here, but I sure ate 'em! Had a plate of the bluest, fuzziest Danish bleu all to myself ... Chef Lamb could see the fire in my eyes when he asked to take it away and kindly let me eat it all. Thanks, Chef!

Mike layed down tons of good info and history. This guy knows his business and is an impressive personality. Val is an accessible and passionate presenter, generous with his product and a really nice guy.

If you missed this class for any reason, go sign up for it next semester. Enroll in MSCD if you must! Contact me if you want more info on this event or these nice people.

~TWS

Yakitori Shio-Yaki, Chicken Skewers

Simple & delicious. Yakitori Shio-Yaki is grilled chicken on a stick with simple seasonings. Try it on the grill or in a convection toaster oven. Prep time: 10 minutes, plus marinade time of at least 24 hours. Cook time: approx. 20 minutes. Yields about 6 skewers, depending on construction.

Yakitori Shio-Yaki

by The Wrapped Scallion

1 x Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast

1 x Onion of Choice

4 x Green Onion Stalks (thicker is better)

1 x (20 ounce) Bottle Soy Sauce

1 cup Sesame Oil

Sea or Kosher Salt & Pepper to taste

Skewers

Prepare the marinade

Pour half the bottle of soy sauce into a bowl.

Add 1/2 cup sesame oil, salt & pepper. Set aside.

Prepare the food

Wash and peel all vegetables, discarding skins.

Slice the onion in half. Finely dice half the onion and set aside.

Chop the remaining onion into large chunks to fit onto skewers. Set aside.

Grasp the white end of the green onions, pull from the other end.

Slice the dark green portions which pop off into small circles. Reserve in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.

Chop the rest of the green onion into barrel-shapes, the same width as the onion chops. Discard the onion top. Set aside with onion chunks.

Wash the chicken.

Cut chicken into bite-sized chunks to work with the onions.

Arrange chicken, onion chops, and green onion barrels onto the skewers. Make it pretty, like a Zen flower arrangement! Balance meat and vegetables appropriately.

Place into a shallow dish large enough to let the skewers lay flat. Pour marinade over skewers. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours, turning at least once.

Prepare the dipping sauce

Add the diced onion to the remaining soy sauce and refrigerate until ready to eat.

Add fire

Discard the marinade. Brush skewers liberally with remaining sesame oil. On all sides: Salt them well, and then add pepper.

Cook the chicken over a flame or in a convection toaster oven until internal temperature reaches at least 165F.

Oiishi-desu.

~TWS