EmPower Breakfast at Rialto

Happy Friday everyone!

I had a wonderful chance to attend a charity breakfast to benefit ATASK (Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence) a few weeks ago. For those of you who many not be familiar with ATASK, ATASK is a Massachusetts-based organization that provides support for Asian families and individuals who suffer from or are at risk of suffering from domestic violence.

This event was held at the lovely Harvard Square restaurant Rialto, definitely one of the best restaurants in the Boston area. Bryan and I personally love having dinner at the bar at Rialto. It's a great way to enjoy a taste of Rialto (especially on Monday nights when raw oysters are only $1) without breaking the bank.

This breakfast was special, as we got to hear from some really inspirational women.


Jody Adams from Rialto

Jody Adams is the chef-owner of Rialto. She competed (and performed quite admirably) on Top Chef Masters last season. She has been phenomenally successful with her restaurant. She also spends a lot of her time and energy on charity events, especially the organizations she supports, such as Partners in Health. This summer Jody will be biking for 2 entire days in the Pan Mass Challenge in order to raise money for cancer research.

Janet Wu from Channel 7

The host, Janet Wu from Channel 7, asked Jody what inspired her to do so much to give back to the community.

Jody’s answer really made me think. She quoted someone (I wish I could remember, but it went by so fast). Here’s a paraphrase:

We have been given two lives to live. Unlike people in places like Haiti, who spend all of their time and energy just trying to survive, we are abundantly blessed, and in essence have two lives to live. We should use that second “life” to give back and help others.

There's no question that Jody has done so many things with the second "life" that she's been given.

Jody Adams and Joanne Chang

Joanne Chang is the pastry chef who founded Flour Bakery and Café as well co-opening Myers + Chang with her husband. Joanne is a super busy woman. Not only does she run three bakeries and a restaurant, she recently published her first book. Despite all that, she has donated countless hours (and baked goods!) to various charity events throughout Boston and beyond.

Finally, Atsuko Fish is the co-founder of the Japanese Disaster Relief Fund in Boston. She has chosen to dedicate her energy to a wide variety of charitable causes. He latest efforts involve looking for ways to help those who suffered from the earthquake and tsunamis in Japan.

The breakfast, of course, was quite pleasant. We had a lovely starter of asparagus antipasti with horseradish aoili, roasted baby beets, and chevril.

The next course was "Gypsy Eggs" - farm fresh, perfectly poached eggs on polenta, spicy cappicola, peppers, tomatoes, and scallions – really perfect food for a women's breakfast.

Dessert was decadent! Bittersweet chocolate cream, skyr yogurt, fresh berries, and a cookie crisp.

More important things . . .
Honestly, though the meal itself was delightful (I even ran into Fun and Fearless In Beantown there!) the food was quite secondary compared to the content of the morning. Jody Adams’ comment especially touched me deeply. I personally feel really blessed in this world, but only recently have I really been convicted to think about how I can give back more.

I came away from the breakfast inspired, refreshed, and excited to think about what's next.



Thanks so much to ATASK for giving me the opportunity to attend such a unique event.

Rialto
1 Bennett St
Cambridge, MA 02138


Disclaimer
Time to time I receive free products, meals, etc. as a food blogger. I do not receive any payment for blog posts/reviews nor am I required to write a post when I receive free products, meals, etc. The views expressed in this post are completely my own. I was invited to attend this event for free.

Sushi Kanesaka

Today we come to the end - the culmination of the Tribute to Japan series. I purposely chose to write about this special restaurant last because it's the epic, gastronomic pinnacle of our dining experiences in Japan.

You would think it would be hard to beat perfection.

After our last trip to Japan, we returned to the US unable to eat sushi for months because it paled in comparison to the incredible dining experiences we had in Japan, most particularly at a wonderful place called Kyubey (frequented by none other than the likes of Steven Spielberg and Nicholas Cage!!). We had fond memories of that place, and even went back for a second visit this time around.

Our epic meal at Sushi Kanesaka completely blew all those previous experiences away . . .

Sushi Kanesaka is a tiny, non-descript sushi bar hidden in the basement of a building in Ginza. 35-year old Chef Kanesaka trained at Kyubey for years before opening up his own place nearby. He is a huge proponent of "Edomae-style" sushi, simple sushi and sashimi made with an emphasis on the pure flavors from the fish. You won't find any funky fusion rolls here.

Sushi Kanesaka has received a ton of accolades, including two Michelin stars. The prices are crazy steep and the menu is simple. You have your choice of three omakases (set menus): 20,000 yen, 30,000 yen, or 50,000 yen. At today's exchange rates, you're spending a minimum of over $230 per person, plus drinks!

Bryan tried to order the 50,000 yen meal, but something was lost in translation, and we ended up receiving the 30,000 yen meal instead.

Unlike Kyubey, this restaurant is tiny and seats just 14.  There are only two sushi chefs, each one serving around 6-8 people. Although Chef Kanesaka was there that evening, we were served by another sushi chef. This quiet, intense young man prepared each piece with a focused concentration that clearly demonstrated the seriousness with which he regarded his craft.

Now onto the meal!

30,000 Yen Omakase at Sushi Kanesaka 
Disclaimer: I have tried my best to name each dish accurately, but I can't guarantee they are all completely accurate. I typed the names of the dishes as quickly as possible into my iPhone as he presented us with each dish. Sometimes he would just give us a rough English translation, so some of the descriptions may not be super detailed or precise. I apologize in advance!

We began with a lovely mixture of tai and ebi (red snapper and sweet shrimp). The red snapper is the dark red stuff on top, while the sweet shrimp is on the bottom (the pale pink/white mixture). The ingredients were extremely fresh - not a hint of fishiness at all.

We moved onto some "fish liver" (sorry I can't be more detailed than that) which was sitting in a light ponzu-like sauce with freshly cut scallions.  The slight tartness of the sauce and the crispness of the scallions perfectly offset the creamy, decadent liver. Update! More than one commenter has told me these are probably cod sperm sacs! Glad I didn't know that WHILE I was eating it!

A traditional omakase always begins with sashimi first and ends with sushi later. Here we began with our first piece of fresh fish: a simple slice of yellowtail.

We then moved onto chutoro sashimi (medium fatty tuna belly). In general, toro is one of my favorite types of raw fish, so I was super excited. These high quality slices were perfectly cut and luxuriously soft and flavorful.

A small amount of grilled fish with a spicy chili sauce followed . . .

Next up, katsuo or bonito (Skipjack tuna), a fish that is also commonly used to make the Japanese dried fish flakes (bonito flakes or katsuobushi) commonly used for making dashi.

I loved the fresh, simple, yet beautifully rich flavors coming from these humble cuts of octopus (tako) and abalone.

This next piece of otoro (super fatty tuna belly) was absolutely decadent. I think I still prefer it just slightly seared (just like my favorite toro experience ever), but this was so good I actually forgot to take a proper picture of it after he put it on my plate! Thankfully I have the picture of him slicing it!

Grilled Tuna Cheek
Next up came one of our favorite and definitely most memorable dishes of the evening. Surprisingly, it was a cooked dish that stole the show! Slightly grilled tuna cheek is simply out of this world. It is buttery soft, takes on a beautiful sear, and has a wonderfully full and rich flavor that's really hard to describe.

I was quite sad when I finished my piece - it was so good. We later on found out that one difference between our meal and the 50,000 yen meal is that they get more tuna cheek.

This stuff's so good . . . gosh, it might actually be worth considering . . . .

After several pieces of sashimi, we moved onto traditional nigiri sushi, which is rice mixed with vinegar topped with fish. The first one? Otoro (full fatty tuna) with just a brush of soy sauce. Unlike in the States, many high-end Japanese restaurants do not give you wasabi with your nigiri. The philosophy is that there is already a perfect amount of wasabi inside the nigiri (between the fish and the rice) -- so there's no need to add more.

Maguro

Furthermore, in almost all cases, the chef brushes on soy sauce (or some other sauce) for you, so you do not even need to dip the fish into soy sauce. The nigiri that he hands you is already perfectly formed, perfectly seasoned, ready to eat with absolutely no additional intervention on your part.

I loved the texture of the rice at Sushi Kanesaka, which was perfectly al dente. You could really taste each individual grain of rice. The assistant sushi chefs brought out new rice frequently in small batches, which meant we always had the freshest rice possible with every nigiri piece.

When our chef brought out the tiger prawns, visions of horror from my last "prawn" experience at Kyubey popped into my head. Thankfully, there were no live beheadings or anything of that sort. Instead, the prawns had already been cooked, and he merely made some simple but perfectly executed nigiri with them.

Tiger prawn with shrimp powder and wasabi

Next, a mackerel ginger seaweed roll. Check out those perfect individual grains of rice!

Although I've put the next four pieces together in one photo, they actually came out one by one. In fact, every single piece comes out separately, served moments after it is made. The chefs really want to ensure that you enjoy the piece at its best and not a moment later.

Clockwise, from top left: aji (horse mackerel), ikura (salmon roe), clam, and anago (sea eel).

I discovered that I actually love uni (sea urchin) after trying it in Japan. Before, the ones I had tried in the US were always strong smelling and, in my opinion, stinky. The ones I've had in Japan are very fresh and actually quite sweet and creamy. This beautiful piece was deliciously creamy with a lovely fresh uni flavor without a hint of stinkyness.

The final fish "course" - toro temaki (fatty tuna hand rolls).

We capped off the dinner with the most elegant and refined piece of tamago (sweet egg omelette) I'd ever had in my life. It was like a delicate custard, yet denser throughout. I absolutely loved it.

It was truly a perfect way to end such an incredible meal.

General Thoughts
We loved our meal at Sushi Kanesaka. Every single small bite was a brand new experience, delighting the senses and surprising the palate. There was a super high level of sophistication in the execution of every single piece. It was like we were watching a master artist exercising his craft right in front of our eyes.

Our sushi chef was quite serious and didn't talk too much, so we did miss out a bit on the fun, jovial atmosphere that we enjoyed at Kyubey. I believe Chef Kanesaka himself is actually a bit more talkative, so the overall experience could vary wildly depending on which sushi chef you get.

Overall, food here is absolutely incredible and hands down the best sushi experience I have ever had in my entire life. I still dream about that tuna cheek . . . .

Tribute to Japan Epilogue
In short, I hope this series has given you a bit more appreciation for the richness and depth of Japanese culture. It's a country with which I have always been fascinated. I never tire of Japan, and I am always seeking opportunities to learn more about the country.

Let's hope they can recover as quickly as possible from the aftermaths of the earthquakes and tsunamis.

Still praying for Japan . . .

Posts in this Series

Part 1: Kappabashi Dori

Part 2: Tapas Molecular Bar

Part 3: Suzuran

Part 4: Matcha and Azuki Breads

Part 5: Masamoto Tsukiji Knives

Part 6: Maisen (Tonkatsu)

Part 7: Snacking in Japan

Part 8: Sushi Kanesaka

Related Post: Everything I Learned About Sushi I Learned from My Mom . . . . And Kyubei

Greetings from Greece!

Greetings from Greece!

Well, technically speaking, I'm not in Greece anymore. After a super long flight (2 layovers, one of which was 5 hours long!), I finally arrived in Boston last night. It's been a whirlwind trip (2 weeks in Europe) and I've got tons to share with you. Right now, though, I'm soooo exhausted, so I'll finish off this week by sharing with you a few pictures from Greece.

Soon though, I do plan on writing both a London Series as well as a Greece Series!

For now, please enjoy these snapshots of this beautiful country. :) Have a wonderful Easter holiday!

If you love history, Greece is an amazing place to visit. The ruins here span back to thousands of years B.C. It's awe-inspiring just to stand in the presence of such magnificent structures built without any benefits of modern technology.

One of the biggest and most well preserved ancient theaters - the acoustics here are simply astounding. A few friends and I sang some songs (a cappella!) on the stage below and you could hear us clearly from the very top. Simply incredible. And you can't beat that mountain view in the background!

The island of Santorini is absolutely stunning, with the cities built on top of soaring cliffs overlooking the ocean. Here is the main town of Thira.

We stayed in the town of Oia (pronounced "Ee-ya"), which is well known for its picture perfect blue domed churches.

How could we forget the food? Greek salad is classic and you see it everywhere. Unlike in the US, it never  has lettuce, and instead just has cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, olives, and capers tossed together with olive oil and topped with a big chunk of feta. I much preferred this version to the US version.

Lamb is huge in Greece, and you see it much more frequently than beef. These souvlakis were cheap and simply divine.

My favorite Greek cheese! This simple, hearty cheese (called halloumi) is one of the few that can be grilled, and tastes perfectly fine just simply prepared.

I loved the gyros here. They were much less greasy than the ones I've had in the US, and nothing beats fresh pita bread!

We tried so many different varieties of baklava! I liked how the ones in Greece tend to be less sweet than the ones I've tried here. They were really really good!

And finally, my favorite way to start the day in Greece - full fat Greek yogurt with honey. So simple, yet so delicious.

Have a wonderful weekend!

UPDATE: Here are the posts from the entire series!

Sweets in Greece
Tavernas
Gyros, Souvlakis, and Pitas, Oh My
Eating in the Greek Isles - Santorini
Papa Galos (Santorini)

Radius

This burger is probably the most expensive burger in Boston.

Ringing in at a whopping $19, it beats out Craigie on Main’s famous $18 grass-fed beef bone marrow burger. Its price also blows away other very very famous burgers in the Boston area, such as Bartley’s (around $10), R.F. O’Sullivan’s (around $8), and burgers from top notch steakhouses (Smith & Wollensky’s prime steak burgers, for example, are a bargain at $13).

Is Michael Schlow’s unique burger, piled high with fried onion strings and dressed with horseradish, worth it? Of course there was only one way to find out.

We took a seat at the trendy bar on a cold, blustery winter evening in mid-February. Though we were keen on trying the burger, we decided to use this unique opportunity to try a variety of Michael Schlow’s dishes.

Though Radius is often cited for its burger, it actually stands strongly on its own right for its entire menu.

Here's just a bit of background. Chef owner Michael Schlow opened up Radius as his first restaurant back in 1999 after training extensively in New York. Within a year, Schlow won the James Beard Award for “Best Chef in the Northeast.” Early on, Radius was recognized as one of the top 25 Best American Restaurants by Gourmet, as well as “Best New Restaurant” by Food and Wine.

To get a sampling of the entire restaurant, we decided to try a mix of bar menu items as well as items off the dinner menu (all available at the bar).

Fancy Schmancy Popcorn with togarashi butter ($5), Tasting of Adrienne's Pickles ($6), and Amuse Bouche of a fruity shooter and a tiny bite.

For fun, we began with some starters that looked interesting. The togarashi butter popcorn was priced reasonably at $5, although we found it to be just a bit soggy from the slight over-use of melted butter. Adrienne’s pickles were a delight – we had never tasted pickled cauliflower before and were pleasantly surprised by how much we liked it. The pickled beets were excellent as well.

Handmade Potato Gnocchi - braised rabbit, wild mushroom, celeriac, fines herbs ($18)
The rabbit potato gnocchi (from the regular dinner menu) was flawlessly executed and one of my favorite dishes of the evening. We loved the rich, earthy flavors of the rabbit and mushroom sauce. The freshly made gnocchi also had incredible texture - pillowly soft yet slightly resistant at the same time. I couldn't stop eating it.

"The Burger" - Vermont cheddar, crispy onions, horseradish sauce ($19)
The famous burger was absolutely delicious - perfectly-cooked, juicy, and very flavorful. The onion strings provided an added dimension of flavor as well as a satisfying crispiness to each bite. Bryan loved the strong horseradish sauce, which gave the burger a wonderfully hefty kick.


Vegetables 5 Ways - our changing plate of fresh and originally prepared vegetables ($32)
I'm not much of a meat eater, so I decided to try the "Vegetable 5-ways" off of the regular menu. Personally, this was my least favorite item on the menu. I thought the "soba" with dipping sauce was a bit too salty, and many of the other tastes were only "alright." Overall, this was not worth the $32 price tag. I'd skip this and order something else next time.

Pilon de Chocolat - bittersweet chocolate cone, fenugreek ice cream, peanuts, raisins, caramel ($12)
The waiter highly recommended this dessert, which we both thought was solid.


Overall Initial Thoughts
Bryan and I had a great time chilling at the bar at Radius. The ambiance at the restaurant is elegant yet relaxed at the same time. I like how you can choose to just have a simple drink, a casual burger, or the most expensive entree off the dinner menu - the choice is totally yours. Although we only tried a few dishes from the dinner menu, we can see that the overall quality of the food at Radius is excellent. Chef Schlow and his team are clearly good at their craft and execute some pretty incredible dishes. If you're a burger fan and you love horseradish, you have to try this burger. I would also highly recommend the rabbit gnocchi, one of the best dishes we had that night.

If Radius were just a bit closer, I could totally see this becoming a regular haunt. Alas, it's a bit far from our place in Cambridge, so we'll just have to save it for the times we find ourselves in the city.

Highly recommended - looking forward to going back again.

Radius
8 High St
Boston, MA 02110