Goteborg Bites with Spicy Ahi

Goteborg Bites with Spicy Ahi

Yes, the fascination with Goteborg sausage continues.  TJ's serves this variation, topping each bite with a dollop of spicy ahi, then dusting it with sesame seed furikake.  And, somewhat surprisingly, the spicy ahi improves the dish by lending some salty mayonaise-y goodness to the proceedings.  Umami believes it cost something like $12, which is typical TJ's pricing . . . what can he say . . . it made sense at the time.  You can obviously make this for much less at home, so no need to go to TJ's for this.  But, if you're so moved:

TJ's Sports Bar & Grill
600 Kapiolani Blvd
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 545-2424

Formaggio

Quick pau hana the other day at Formaggio Wine Bar in Kaimuki.  You can tell it's a wine bar because the menu has four pages of wines, plus daily wine specials, and one page of food, with a couple of daily specials.  One thing that's kind of fun is that you can basically make your own tasting flights with any of the wines on the menu, because they do 2 oz tastes in addition to 6 oz pours.  So Umami tried the "Interesting Whites," described as follows:

• Hugl, Gruner Veltliner ~ Niederosterich, Austria 2007 Gruner Veltliner is the flagship grape of Austria marked by it’s crisp acid and slight white pepper aromas. Martin Hugl focuses on green (eco-friendly) harvesting to produce higher quality wines. 2oz taste 2.99 6oz glass 6.99 bottle 27.96
• Beaulieu, Picpoul de Pinet ~ Languedoc, France 2007 One of the best pairings with Medditeranean seafood, a light Medditeranean white. Picpoul is the grape, taste of lime zest, and exotic grapefruit 2oz taste 2.75 6oz glass 6.99 bottle 27.96
• Domaine De Couron Rose ~ Coteaux De L’Ardeche, France 2007 Real men love pink...Great on its own, better with food.  This approachable wine carries ripe fruit flavors and thirst quenching freshness. Dry Rose? Absolutely! 2oz taste 2.50 6oz glass 6.99 bottle 27.96

They were all on the dry side, including the rose.  But the picpoul was the most interesting of the three, more complex, with a bit of wood, maybe?

Paired the flight with the Fennel Fennel Pizza ($12.99), which is their Margherita (mozzarella, vine-ripened tomatoes, basil and extra virgin olive oil) topped with Fennel and Fennel Sausage. 

Fennel Fennel Pizza

It's good stuff, thin, crispy crusty, rustic with tomato, cheese, sausage, and fennel.  If you like fennel (and Umami does), this is the pizza for you.

Next, a glass of Mollydooker 'The Maitre D', which is a big cab from Australia.  Paired it with the "Baked Lobster 'Mac' n' Cheese" ($16.99).

Baked Lobster 'Mac' 'n Cheese

This is obviously, absurdly decadent.  It's chunks of lobster & Bowtie pasta tossed in lobster cream, with a crust of baked cheese.  The lobster was unfortunately a little dry, but overall it was adequately creamy.  Honestly, one of those things that has to be tried "just because."  Fortunately, it comes with a nice side of greens . . . because unless you're a twelve-year-old mac and cheese freak, the lobster cream and cheese combination is lethal!

Dessert was out of the question after all that, but it was a fine meal nonetheless!

Formaggio Wine Bar

Market City Shopping Center (lower level, across from Kaimuki HS)

2919 Kapiolani Blvd.

Honolulu, HI 96826

808-739-7719

http://www.formaggio808.com/

Sushi Izakaya Shinn

Last night, Umami and Maki-chan went to Shinn . . . actually, it's "Sushi Izakaya Shinn," but everybody calls it Shinn.  It's relatively new place on Beretania near Mini-Garden, so Umami recommends making reservations if you want to go before 8 or so.  Umami made reservations for Friday on Wednesday and the earliest he could get was 6:30 at the robata . . . and that was the last seating for 6:30.

View from the robata bar.  Main entrance is beyond the screen in background.

Service was timely and attentive.   Umami deferred to Maki-chan for most the dishes, which guarantees some interesting choices!  First up, though, two salads.

Beef Tataki Salad

The Beef Tataki Salad ($12) is dressed with Ponzu Sauce, and lemon and tomatoes, because you can never have too much lemon.   Very bright, zesty dish, but not really a green salad, so if you want veggies, you'll have to look elsewhere.  And vegans obviously need not apply.

Salmon Skin Salad

Shinn's Salmon Skin Salad ($8) is a straightforward interpretation of the dish.  Only wrinkle is the fried vegetable strips garnish.  Maki-chan thought it was gobo, Umami thought it was sweet potato.  Means it was probably squash.  Maki-chan also thought dish was overdressed, but Umami thought it was fine.  Means more for Umami!

Shio Motsuni

Motsuni ($5) is a stew of pig intestines,  "other" internal organs, and vegetables.  Yes, offal stew!  Shio Motsuni is salt-based broth, as compared to Miso Motsuni, which is a J-pop boy band.  Pungently aromatic, definitely not for everyone, Umami found it intriguing.  Maki-chan, of course, loved it.

Tsukune - shio

Can't sit at the robata bar without ordering some skewers!  Tsukune ($2.50 per skewer) is chicken meatball.  This one is shio style, with a little lemon for zest.

Shiitake Mushroom - shio

Shiitake Mushroom ($2 per skewer) - very simple, smoky.  Earthy.  Might say it exhibited umami, heh!

Shishamo

Shishamo ($2 per skewer) is a salt-water smelt.  Grilled and eaten whole, very subtle, mellow, not overly fishy taste.

Gyutan

Gyutan ($3.25 per skewer) is grilled beef tongue.  More tender than you'd think, and an intense, albeit slightly different, beef flavor.

A Little Sushi - Uni on the left; Chutoro on the right

There's also a sushi bar in Shinn, that served up a couple of beautiful, like buttah, bites of uni (sea urchin roe, $7 per piece) and chutoro (fatty, but not too fatty, tuna belly, $6.50 per piece).  Sooo good!

Chawanmushi

Chawanmushi ($7) is a savory egg custard.  Umami's not a fan generally, so Maki-chan had it all to herself.  Sadly, she didn't care for it either!  Oh, well!

Just an aside:  Umami loved the wood counter at the robota bar . . . give the place (and Umami's photos) and earthy integrity!

Karaage Chicken

Karaage Chicken ($6.50) was beautifully done, delicately seasoned, fried enough to crisp the batter, but leaving the meat juicy.

Finally, two soups:  Miso soup ($3) was dark, salty, but not spectacular.  

Miso Soup

Shio Udon

Shio udon ($5) was also not spectacular, but was warming and comforting and a nice way to end the meal.

Plenty of other menu items to try, so Umami will be back!

Sushi Izakaya Shinn

2065 South Beretania Street
Honolulu, HI 96826
(808) 946-7466

Waiting on Tsunami

Umami's waiting on a tsunami to hit Hawaii.  Projected ETA is 3:07 a.m. HST, so he might well be asleep.  It was caused by a huge earthquake off the NE coast of Japan and now there's a tsunami watch for basically the entire Pacific Rim.  Hawaii residents typically freak out and mob gas stations and supermarkets for supplies when there's a severe thunderstorm warning, so they are of course going absolutely bananas now.  If he can bear it, Umami will have to wander out to fill up on gas and pick up some food and water.

A must have for tsunami readiness kits.

But, really, not much more to do but sit and wait and hope for the best for friends and family around the Pacific.  Ciao, for now.

Double Secret Menu at Aloha Island Grill

Umami was waiting in line at Aloha Island Grill . . . not thinking much of anything (which is not unusual for him).  When, suddenly, a stray thought made its presence known.  "What if," said the Thought, "we ask for a Steak sandwich instead of chicken??"  So Umami asked Michele, who said, "we were just talking about that!"  So Umami said, "Let's do it then!"  And Michele said, "It will be the first one we've made!"

Cool . . .

Vill asked if Umami wanted Spicy Sauce (of course!).  Michele said, "Put some of that Korean Sauce on it too!"  (Cool . . . ).  Then, some Teriyaki Sauce and some mayo.  Oh, and some steak and the secret menu Steak Sandwich was born.  (It's double secret because the Spicy Sauce was secret by itself).  And here it is:

Double Secret Steak Sandwich

Okay, it's not much of a picture, but it's a good sandwich, just enough steak, multiple sauces, fries, lettuce representing the chlorophyll group, and some Maui-style ketchup and mustard.  $6.  Nomx4.
Check it out.  Say Umami sent you.  ;)

Aloha Island Grill

1111 Bishop Street (Remington College Building)
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 545-2960

In search of Black Chinese Vinegar and Chinese Rice Wine

Umami got the following e-mail which sent him scurrying to his references for an answer.

Dear Umami:  

I am in search of ingredients! I get Savuer Magazine - which I love - and frequently try different recipes. So - my latest one is a recipe for Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup. It calls for black Chinese vinegar, which I have not seen or heard of, and for Chinese rice wine. This is not the same thing as Japanese rice wine is it? Any good suggestions for a market...I'm guessing I need to go downtown, but would not know where to go? Oh - and have you seen or tried that new place on King Street near the new Panda Express?? Looks interesting. Aloha!  Chris

Dear Chris:  For Black Chinese Vinegar, Barbara Tropp's "The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking" says:

There are a variety of terms in Chinese to describe dark vinegar, a vinegar with a distinctive dark color and depth of flavor that is made from a fermented rice base.  A lighter dark vinegar will be called red vinegar (Mandarin:  hoong-tsoo; Cantonese: hong-tso), while a more deeply colored and flavored dark vinegar will be called black vinegar (M: hey-tsoo; C: hut-tso).  The best and most richly flavored of the dark vinegars are known as Chekiang, Chen-Jung, or Chenkong vinegar (M: Jen-jyang-tsoo, C: Chen-goong-tso) all being transliterations of the name of the central coastal province long famous for their production.

Tropp recommends Narcissus brand Black Vinegar, Yongchun Laocu (which means "aged vinegar from Yongchun").  Quick browse of the Web yielded this site:  http://www.nutrisource.com.my/product.php?action=details&pid=498&pcid=32.  It would be fun to take the picture and search the Chinatown markets (which is another way of saying that Umami doesn't know which market would have it).  Could also be mail ordered.

Narcissus brand Black Vinegar, Yongchun Laocu

Or . . . Tropp says that a perfectly good substitute is balsamic vinegar, which is similar in character, but slightly sweeter.  So, Chris, if you use balsamic, use slightly less sugar than the recipe requires.


Chinese Rice Wine (M: Shao-Hsing-jyo; C: Siew-Hing jao) is a staple cooking and wine, brewed from rice and water and generically called "yellow wine" (M: hwang-jyou; C: wong-jao).  Tropp uses Pagoda blue label Shao Hsing Hua Tia Chiew (http://www.nutrisource.com.my/product.php?action=details&pid=111&pcid=31).  The blue label means the alcohol content is 17% . . . "the wine is deep golden-brown in color, rich in aroma, and tastes pleasantly nutty, sweet, and smooth."  Sounds good!

Pagoda blue label Shao Hsing Hua Tia Chiew

If it's unavailable another option is "the staple Taiwan brand that comes in a 21-fluid ounce clear glass bottle with square sides and a black and red Chinese label."  Seriously, that's how she described it.  Or, she says you can use a "decidedly good quality dry sherry with a rich aroma and taste."


Tropp says, "Be certain to avoid using Japanese sake, which is an altogether different taste, mirin, which is sweetened and almost syrupy Japanese cooking wine, anything produced in the West and labeled something like Chinese cooking wine.  These last are invariably pale in color, fragrance and taste, with their only distinction being their price."


Good luck!