Dinner at Zenkichi

I was invited recently to dine at Zenkichi (77 N.6th Street, at the corner of Wythe, 718-388-8985), the Japanese Brasserie that offers a range of traditional Japanese items, not the usual Sushi and Yakitori. You can order items a la carte, (like Wasabi cured Octopus, Duck Salad or Sashimi), but what's recommended is the seasonal 8-course Chef's tasting menu that changes every 5-7 weeks that provides plenty of opportunity to sample a number of items in a mostly small-plate format. The maze-like space, with dark lighting, mirrors, and private rooms with bamboo screens that roll down to enclose you and your dining companion in your own little room, creates a quiet and slightly mysterious atmosphere and allows you to focus on the food, which is definitely worth paying attention to.

The 8-course tasting menu started off with a bowl of miso soup, which, unlike previous experiences, had little pieces of some kind of starchy root vegetable instead of tofu. Slices of scallion were also mixed into the delicious, soothing broth.



The second course consisted of a platter of four different items: a spoon of Hamachi Tartar (yellowtail & scallion), a tiny bowl of shredded cabbage with vinegar, seared scallops and a small bowl of creamy tofu topped with uni sea urchin. The fresh tofu was of a consistency I've never had it - creamy and soft, with the strange textured sea urchin paired with it. The Hamachi Tartar was excellently fresh and flavorful, the cabbage refreshing & tart and the scallops tender and meaty. Everything was also beautifully presented.



Our next course was Jidori and Shinoko Salad - grilled free-range chicken & mushrooms on a bed of greens with an onion-ginger dressing. The chicken was so tasty - expertly grilled and seasoned, on a full bed of greens with a savory, full-flavored dressing.



The Shrimp, Uni Sea Urchin & Cod Fish Cake Tempura, wrapped in Shiso Leaf and Lotus Root was next, and it came with a bowl of tempura sauce and a dish of green tea salt that was so delicious and appealing, we were dipping our fingers in it! The tempura batter was light and the shrimp was tender and fresh. Each course was only a bite or two, which made for fun and exciting eating, enjoying one course and then expectantly waiting for the next.



Then we were brought a dish with Japanese Eggplant and Mochi Sticky Rice Cake in a light broth. The juxtaposition of the mushy, tasty eggplant and the chewy mochi rice cake was so strange and intriguing. I loved it!



Next was my favorite - the Grilled Black Cod in a Miso Marinade. The sweet & salty blackened skin was delicious next to the dense and meaty cod. It made us swoon! A little pink flower of daikon radish accompanied the fish.



Finally we received a bowl of Soy-Marinaded Red Snapper over a bowl of Rice. Again, the fish was so tender, so fresh and tasty, it was almost unbelievable. Some pickled radish was served with it to provide some tang.



All along we were sipping glasses of Kokuryu Sake, which was a strong, round, rice-y sake that I loved. The Sake Sommelier, Motoko Watanabe, made a few suggestions prior to our meal and brought out tastes of a few bottles. There was also a young, first-batch sake (Harushika), Bosha which was very floral, and the Daishichi which was very sharp and strong. And, after all that food, we had dessert to look forward to.

The chocolate-based Frozen Black Sesame Mousse that was incredible, silky and strangely nutty.



We also got an order of the Japanese-style non-baked Cheesecake with Pear. It was creamy and light and the touch of pear was a lovely addition.



So let me sum-up! I know I often speak in hyperbole, but this really was a most perfect and delicious meal. The sake was delicious, the food was amazing, the service impeccable and attentive. At only $48 per person for the 8-course tasting menu, it really is an affordable way to have a decadent, luxurious meal.

Dinner from Wild Ginger

After an evening of shopping with my mom and my sister, we were hungry and in need of sustenance. Both of them are vegetarian so when we got out of the subway, we headed straight for Wild Ginger (112 Smith Street, Between Dean St. & Pacific St., 718-858-3880) to get some takeout. The space is really nice though, and I'd like to go back to have dinner there. It's very tastefully decorated, dark and cozy with dark mirrors that make the space feel twice as big as it is. Within minutes we were on our way home with dinner.

I chose the Satay Tempeh, cubes of tempeh grilled in a satay sauce. It was really good, but I was a little disappointed as I was expecting a peanutty satay sauce - instead this was slightly BBQ flavored.



My mom ordered the Hijiki Salad - marinated black seaweed with edamame peas. Slightly salty, peppered with edamame - it was a lovely dish.



She also got the Tofu Salad because it was described as being made with beets. That was just a little misleading. Little strings of shaved beet sat atop big, pale chunks of tofu and mixed greens. It was good, if on the plain side. A citrus-ginger dressing came with.



We got an order of the Cold Noodles for my step-dad, which are made with green-tea noodles and topped with a sesame sauce. This, too, was on the light side, subtle and a bit disappointing if you were hoping for a more peanutty crunch. Not that it was bad; it was very good, but not your typical cold noodle flavor.



We love our appetizers, so my mom also got an order of Shumai stuffed with spinach. These cute little green packages were very tender and tasty, especially dipped into the soy sauce that accompanied them.



I ordered the Singapore-Style Mei Fun noodles, cuz, how can you resist that name? Thin, angel-hair noodles in a slightly curry-flavored sauce, with nicely cooked strips of tofu and slices of mushroom and bell peppers were tasty and quite filling. I ate half of the dish and it looked like I had barely made a dent!



My sister got the Vegetable Yaki Udon, sans tofu, as it's her favorite but she hates tofu. This was the best dish of them all as far as I was concerned. It was the most flavorful and had lots of different veggies (peppers, cabbage, mushrooms) packed in.



So, a big Thumbs Up to Wild Ginger. I'd definitely go back here for dinner sometime as the food was good and the space was lovely to be in.

Ki Sushi To Go

A friend of mine who lives in Manhattan has been spending a lot of time recently in Brooklyn, and told me I should check out Ki Sushi (122 Smith St., between Dean & Pacific Streets, 718-935-0575). So after a long day of work, when I wasn't feeling much like cooking, I ordered delivery.

I got a Garden Salad to make sure I got some greens. There was some iceberg, some mixed baby greens, and a few grape tomatoes - all of it fresh, plus the citrus, ginger dressing was great. Tangy, zesty and light.



I chose three rolls as well. The Yellowtail with Scallion and the Lobster Tempura Roll are pictured below. The yellowtail was flavorful and fresh albeit small, but the Lobster Tempura tasted very much like a Soft Shell Crab Roll, so that was a bit disappointing. It was also wrapped in thinly sliced cucumber which was nice, but took away from the subtle lobster taste with it's distinct flavor and papery texture.



I also ordered an Angel Roll - seared tuna & asparagus inside, topped with salmon, avocado, eel & tobiko. The pieces of eel were a bit chewy, but the rest was incredible. Fresh, tasty and packed with fish and crunchy asparagus.



Ki Sushi was good, but a bit on the pricey side. My guess is that it's better for a dining in experience, and if you just want take-out, another spot would suffice and be easier on the wallet.

Dinner at Hibino

A cousin of mine was in town from Austin and since she studies Japanese, we thought it'd be fun to go to Hibino, (333 Henry St., on the corner of Pacific St., 718-260-8052), an authentic Japanese restaurant that offers more than just sushi to sate your appetite. It's a simply decorated, clean and open space, and we were seated in the back, near a window.

There is a large menu with appetizers, salads, entrees and Daily Obanzi, Japanese-style tapas. We ordered a mix of everything, with mixed results. I started with the Kamo Salad with duck, mizuna, daikon and carrot in a shiso dressing. The pieces of duck were plentiful, the dressing was tangy and sweet and everything was crispy & fresh.



I also got the Hirousu, a soy broth simmered fried tofu cake, which is handmade there on the premises. It was interesting; kind of dry, with an even consistency. It tasted slightly sweet, but overall was kind of bland. It made a nice reprieve from the more strongly flavored items, but it wouldn't be good as the only thing you ordered. Maybe the fresh homemade tofu is better?



I also got a side order of Tsuke Mono, Japanese pickles, an assortment of pickled veggies, some of which were delicious, some were a bit too funky for me. Not sure what everything was though.



There were two orders of the Yaki Nasu, the roasted eggplant from the Obanzi menu, which was not a hit at the table. It too was a bit bland, and had a chewy consistency. Maybe it's an acquired taste?



The Edamame was perfect - tender, well-salted little pods of green that burst in your mouth.



There was an order of Hibino Teriyaki Chicken which was great - light, tender and mixed with organic Spring vegetables.



The Salmon Miso Zuke was terrific as well. The fish was cooked to perfection, the sauce was lightly sweet and savory and the vegetables weren't overcooked one bit.



Another item from the Obanzi menu were these Daikon nugget things. Breaded and fried, they were just a bit too hard for me. My BF loved them however; another acquired taste!



We did get some sushi too. The Salmon Salad Roll and an Avocado Roll. The sushi was some of the best I've ever had. Fresh, soft, flavorful - all the ingredients popped, instead of getting lost among the mix.



I will definitely go back to Hibino for more of their sushi; it's clear that they take pride in what they're doing and pay close attention to the details.