I’M GOING TO JAPAN!

It’s my dream to go to Japan, so I am beyond excited for my upcoming trip to Tokyo in October! I am going to eat so much amazing food!

I have begun researching vigorously for what and where to eat in Tokyo, starting with this super informative list here.

1. Fu-unji for Ramen
2. Katsukura for Tonkatsu
3. Mentsu-dan for Udon
4. Tsunahachi for Tempura
5. Kyubey for Sushi
6. Hajimeya for Yakitori
7. Saiseisakaba for Horumonyaki
8. Tochoo for Japanese Cafeteria food
9. Nakajima for 1-Star Michelin Dining under $10
10. Sadaharu Aoki for French pastries

I am super excited! I hope I would at least be able to try half of this list. I will only be staying in Tokyo for about 6 full days, so there’s a likely chance I will not be able to try all these.

I sure can try, though!

Deliciously yours,

Annie

Okonomiyaki with Octopus

So I wanted to make takoyaki and had even purchased the octopus for it. Unfortunately, I was not able to get the takoyaki pan (cast iron pan shaped like a cake-pop maker) in time. So I opted to make okonomiyaki instead.

Both takoyaki and okonomiyaki start off with a batter made with flour, baking powder, dashi stock, and egg. However, takoyaki is shaped into a ball and okonomiyaki is shaped into a pancake. Another major difference between the two is that the batter in okonomiyaki is mixed with a lot of cabbage.

I had consulted this video from Cooking with Dog.

I am actually glad the takoyaki plan didn’t work out because I found this much better. I love the combination of Japanese mayonnaise and okonomi sauce is to die for! I especially loved the crunch and sweetness from the cabbage.

Deliciously yours,

Annie

Poured the batter into the pan. There was a lot of cabbage compared to batter, as intended. The batter is meant to barely cover the cabbage.

Successfully flipped the okonomiyaki! I had to use two spatulas in order to balance the heavy pancake.

Finished frying, and plated, ready for the sauce and toppings. Both the batter and cabbage has completely cooked through.

First on is the okonomi sauce.

Second is the Japanese mayonnaise.

Nori (roasted seaweed) flakes goes on next. I didn’t have nori flakes handy, so I ripped up a bit of nori sheets and used a blender to pulverize it into flakes. It worked out pretty well.

Finally, bonito (dried tuna) flakes goes on top.

My Favourite Restaurant: Kiriri Japanese Cuisine and Sushi Bar

Of all the cuisines I’ve tasted, I love Japanese cuisine the most.

The one thing I love most about it is the flavor balance inherent in Japanese cuisine. I love the use of sweetness to balance the saltiness in savory dishes. I love the clean yet deep flavors that yields from the use of dashi broths. And I especially love the use of sweet fresh fresh that can be light but richly flavored, chock-full of umami.

With that in mind, I must tell you about Kiriri Japanese Cuisine and Sushi Bar.

I had briefly listed Kiriri among my top picks for Asian restaurants in an earlier post. But that little blurb can never do justice to the beautiful offerings of Kiriri.

Here are a few stand-out dishes you must try!

1. Ankimo, a terrine made of monkfish liver, is a wonderfully rich pâté-like dish. It is served in a citrus soy sauce with grated daikon radish and thin slices of cucumber pickles. The flavors are rich and overwhelmingly umami, however, the acid in the sauce and crispiness in the pickles lends reprieve, and freshens up the palette so you can have more.
2. Ageudon, deep-fried udon noodles are served with a side of shiitake broth, which is eaten by pouring the hot broth over the fried noodles. This star of this dish is the broth, which is deep and rich yet clean in flavor.
3. Chawanmushi, a steamed savory egg custard made with dashi broth and filled with an assortment of shiitaki mushroom, chicken, and seafood. It is extremely comforting and filled with sweet umami flavors. I simply can’t get enough of this dish.

These are just my top favourites from Kiriri, but they have so much more to offer!

Deliciously yours,

Annie

Gnocchi with Pesto

I really love the fluffiness of potato gnocchi. So when I found only potatoes in the fridge, I decided to try to make some.

I had followed this gnocchi recipe here.

The biggest challenge really was the boiling part. Since the worst thing to do to gnocchi is to overcook them, it was seriously nerve-wracking to not overcook them. They only take about 3 minutes to cook, so I was watching the clock really closely.

And I am proud to say it was a success! The gnocchi turned out super soft and fluffy with a hint of natural sweetness from the potatoes. It went perfectly with the pesto I had left over in the fridge also! (The pesto was, sadly, not homemade. It is from Costco).

Deliciously yours,

Annie

Rolling out the potato dough. The dough was super soft and easy to work with. I broke out my new pastry cutter just for this!

Rolling the gnocchi with a fork is really not that easy. It took some to get the right shape. But some did end up a bit lopsided.

After quickly bowling the gnocchi, I tossed it in some pesto I had left. (The pesto is from Costco).

Peking Duck with Steamed Wrappers

I love Peking duck! I love the crispy, oily skin wrapped in thin chewy wrappers and sauced with sweet and savory hoisin sauce. So when my dad brought over a whole roasted duck, I just had to try it.

Since the duck was already prepared, I only needed to make the steamed pancake wrappers. For this, I had consulted this wonderful instructional video on making these delicate wrappers.

It was a lot of work but super fun to make those wrappers. It all paid off when I got to eat it! It tasted just like in restaurants, the combination of the crispy skin, sharp green onion, sweet hoisin sauce, and chewy wrapper. Yum!

Deliciously yours,

Annie

Mixing the ingredients together. Here I have flour, a pinch of salt and most importantly, hot water.

After the hot water cools a bit, the dough is kneaded and shaped into a ball.

After resting the dough a bit, separate the dough and shape into smaller balls.

Rolling the little dough balls into thin round pancakes. This is my first. It is not at all round.

Rolling out more wrappers. Getting rounder with more practice.

Ready to steam!

After steaming for 10 minutes.

The first wrapper, paper thin.

Finished product with the crispy duck skin, green onion, and hoisin sauce.

The spread!

Vancouver food has me spoiled.

My hometown is Vancouver, BC – a beautiful multicultural city filled with amazingly affordable delicious eats! Vancouver, or more precisely, “Metro Vancouver” is made up of 23 cities and municipalities, according to wikipedia.

Of all the foods Vancouver has to offer, I love Asian cuisine the most – Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Vietnamese, I love them all!

So here I have compiled a short list of a few restaurants I think you simply must try!

1. Kiriri Japanese Cuisine and Sushi Bar in Richmond is among my favourite Japanese restaurants in Vancouver. Despite the restaurant’s simplistic decor and surprisingly fair prices, I would describe Kiriri’s food as Japanese fine dining.
2. India Gate Restaurant in Downtown Vancouver has the best Indian food I have ever had. Since it looks like a “hole in the wall” from the outside, many people will simply pass on this place without ever knowing the wonderful flavors of “bhuna chicken”.
3. My Chau Restaurant in the Kensington, Vancouver area is a local favourite for Vietnamese phở (vermicelli noodle soup). Their flavors are authentic, with slow cooked beef and chicken broths full of deep rich flavors.
4. Hokkaido Ramen Santouka in Downtwon, Vancouver is a standout among it’s many competitors. Other than their beautiful ramen, their gyoza are also a must-try.
5. Ba Le Sandwich Shop in Chinatown has the best Vietnamese bánh mì (French bread sandwiches) I have ever had. For something under $4.00, if you want a chance to eat one of these sandwiches, you will need to go early as there is only a limited number sold each day.

Hopefully you will have a chance to try one of these restaurants! And if you have already, keep eating!

Delicious yours,

Annie

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I know I am missing Chinese food in this list. That’s because there are simply too many to choose from!

I live in Richmond (or what I’d like to call “New Chinatown”), where the food court Chinese foods are among my top go-to eats, I really could not choose just one. The Chinese food scene here is just simply too competitive to find a clear winner!