Mikawa Zezankyo (tempura)

This is the third post in the series titled Tasting Tour of Tokyo detailing my recent trip to Japan. Other posts include Kikunoi Akasaka and Rokurinsha.

Rick Bayless called his meal here "one of the most impressive, most intimate meals of my life."

Michelin deemed it worthy to receive one Michelin star.

Chef Tetsuya Saotome has been called a "living treasure", a "maverick", and even "idiosyncratic."

Opened only since 2010, Mikawa Zezankyo has quickly become recognized as being one of the top tempura places in Tokyo.  It's not that surprising, actually. After all, Chef Saotome spent over thirty years making tempura at his original Mikawa restaurant in Kayabacho. It became so popular he eventually opened up a second, larger location in Roppongi. Chef Saotome estimates he's made over half a million pieces of tempura in his lifetime.

Mikawa Zezankyo is Chef Saotome's newest project. After handing off his other two successful restaurants to his apprentices, he opened Mikawa Zezankyo in 2010. Hidden in a small residential street east of the Sumida River, this tiny restaurant is not that easy to find.

There are only nine seats, so reservations are very difficult to get. Furthermore, Chef Saotome works alone to create the actual tempura. The assistants will help with everything else, but only Chef Saotome does the actual frying. If he's on vacation, the restaurant closes.

According to Chef Saotome, "I am able to see the scales on the fish that other people cannot see and then just coat each piece in the appropriate amount of batter. After that the trick is simply to count the seconds the fish should be cooked for." [source]

It's an art that takes extreme precision and skill. Come here, and you know you'll have the master himself cooking for you.

I had originally tried to book this place through my hotel concierge, but had no luck. Thankfully, my friend and fellow blogger Shirley from Lovely Lanvin (who happens to be a local!) called them and was able to reserve a table in the private room upstairs.

I couldn't wait to see what kind of magic would arise from Chef Saotome's expert hands.

I love places that already have something for you to taste at the table as soon as you arrive. Here, the table was set with these lovely seabeans with sesame and bonito, a small cube of  jelly with fish egg and scallions, and octopus. On the right, we tasted a simple broth with a seafood cake of sorts inside. It was as great mini-appetizer.

Traditionally, you can dip your tempura into a sauce made of ground up daikon and soy sauce. Oftentimes, however, I preferred to just enjoy my tempura with a bit of sea salt. It's really up to you.

Chef Saotome cooks in the edomae tradition. This means he only serves seafood and produce that was available during the edo period when Tokyo was a shogun capital, about a hundred fifty years ago. Most of the seafood would come out of Tokyo Bay.

We started with ebi, or shrimp. Lightly fried to perfection, there was not a hint of oiliness in this shrimp. The shrimp was fresh, sweet, and very good.

As is traditional in Japanese tempura places (as I've learned from past experience), they always follow up a shrimp "tail" with the deep fried head. Though I'd typically be a bit squeamish, I actually thought the head here was fantastic. It had a stronger, deeper shrimp flavor than the tail. It was light yet very crispy.

Next we tried kisu (whiting), which was also sweet, tender, and (again) flawlessly fried. I enjoyed it with just a touch of salt, which brought out the natural flavors of the fish without overpowering any flavors.

The ika, or squid, was beautifully soft and tender. I am impressed at the sheer delicate nature of the batter, which almost seems paper-thin at some points. I preferred enjoying this just with a touch of salt as well.

Because it was autumn, we had the opportunity to sample some seasonal ingredients. On the left is shiso wrapped uni (sea urchin), while on the right is a skewer of ginko nuts.

I must say that the gingko nut was my favorite discovery of this trip. This classic Japanese fall ingredient looks like an olive, tastes starchy like boiled peanuts, and has a lovely, complex flavor that's sort of sweet and earthy. I had tried them boiled earlier for the first time at Kikunoi and I had fallen in love. It was equally fantastic fried.

Shiso and uni are really a match made in heaven, and this was no exception. I think I am still more impressed with the version at Tempura Kondo, but this one was still excellent.

Next we had meguchi (3 little fish), which was soft and flavorful. At this point I realized I was hardly using the daikon soy mixture as a dipping sauce. I guess I really like to savor each piece with just a touch of salt. I find it's easier to really taste all the nuanced flavors of each piece.

I am a huge fan of anago (conger eel). The meat of the eel is naturally really tender and sweet. It tasted excellent fried, although this was the only piece where I thought the tail portion was just a tad greasier than I would have liked.

I decided to cough up the extra yen and add matsutake mushrooms to the tasting. Matsutake mushrooms are very seasonal. You see them pop up all over the place in restaurants during autumn. I had tried these lovely, earthy mushrooms in many forms at Kikunoi earlier that week. They were absolutely fantastic fried - though I still wonder whether matsutake mushrooms are really worth their extremely high costs.

I love vegetables, and these fresh asparagus and shitake mushrooms were delicious - fresh and flavorful, I could really taste the essence of the asparagus and the mushrooms. It was also a nice, lighter way to wind down the meal.

Finally, going along with tradition, we ended the meal by enjoying kaibashira, deep fried clams over rice with pickles and miso soup.

The pickles were fantastic. Fresh, super crispy, and not too sour or salty. The flavoring just right and did not overpower at all.

I was quite stuffed at this point, but I still managed to eat a few bites of this lovely ending part of the meal. You can also opt to have a tea-based soup poured into the rice, which results in a lovely congee of sorts that's extremely flavorful. Shirley preferred this style because the clams stay crispy. If you're here to enjoy this chef's incredible frying technique, why not enjoy it as much as you can? We did try the tea soup version at Kondo, so you can see pictures over there if you're curious.

Finally for dessert, a few huge, sweetened beans. I enjoyed these - they reminded me of sweetened bean desserts I used to eat as a kid. It was a nice ending to an excellent meal.

Thoughts
There's no question about it, the tempura here is excellent. I did find it interesting the number of similarities between my two tempura experiences in Japan. There must be all these traditional steps that make up the authentic tempura meal in Japan. It's something I've yet to see in the States.

It's worth making the trek to come try this place. The decor alone is unique and whimsical, and the intimate experience is hard to beat. On the flip side, the restaurant is not easy to find. Definitely use a GPS and/or write down detailed instructions. We used the instructions under the "How to Get There" section of this article, which worked out well.

If you're short on time, I think the tempura at Tempura Kondo in Ginza is just as good, if not better in some cases.Tempura Kondo is also more centrally located in the bustling area of Ginza, which is nice.

All in all, you can't go wrong if you pick either of these places. Along with Rakutei, these three restaurants are often hailed as the top tempura places in the entire city.

Sources
Nick Lander (Financial Times writer)
Japan Times
Eater

Giulia

This is the fourth restaurant post in the series, Welcome to My New Hood, focused on restaurants in the neighborhood between Harvard Square and Porter Square. Other posts in this series: Rafiki Bistro (no longer open), Super Fusion Sushi, and Temple Bar.

 "Why Giulia?" we asked.

Giulia is the name of a street in Italy where Chef Michael Pagliarini's brother works.
 
In fact, there are little hints of Chef Pagliarini's Italian roots all over the restaurant, from the generous sprinkling of Italian words all over the menu (we had to ask several times, "what does this mean?") to the traditional Italian cookies offered for dessert - baked by his mom - who  learned these recipes from friends in Italy.

If you haven't heard, Chef Pagliarini, who previously worked at Via Matta in the Back Bay, has just opened up a new Italian restaurant in Cambridge.

There has been much pent up demand for this place. In the past, people regularly bemoaned the lack of Italian restaurants in Cambridge, especially on this stretch between Harvard Square and Porter Square where gastropubs rule. Sure, you can head up north to Gran Gusto (excellent place, by the way) or to Huron Village and check out Trattoria Pulcinella . . . but for a place that's really close and convenient?

As you must know by now, Bryan loves fresh pasta. When we heard that Chef Pagliarini would be making fresh pasta daily right at the chef's table, we absolutely could not wait for this place to open.

Last week it finally opened on Tuesday. We immediately called them up and made a reservation for four (plus a baby!).

The inside is warm and cozy, with a long bar (yay, I love eating at the bar) and a chef's table at the back which functions as a pasta-making table by day. It has a similar layout as the old Rafiki Bistro, but it's much more spruced up and, frankly, looks much nicer.

The restaurant was surprisingly accommodating for my friends' newborn (only 4 weeks old!). They have a nice table that's right next to the window sort of separated from everyone else. We arrived right when the restaurant opened (5:30PM) and my friends were able to keep the stroller with the sleeping baby right next to our table the entire dinner.

The menu is divided up into five sections: Sfitzi, which are like little bites, cost from $3-$5. Antipasti ($10-$16) are appetizers, and include dishes such as a burrata salad, salumi plate, crudo, and bruschetta (just to name a few). Then there are various Pasta 'della Nostra Tabola', which are fresh pasta dishes made in-house (right on top of that loooooong chef's table) which are "primo" sized (starter portion) and cost between $15-$22. The Meat & Fish section contains various cooked meat and fish entrees ($18-$42), and then there are Contorni (sides), which cost $5-$7. Desserts come on a separate menu and includes dessert cordials, sweets, and cheeses.

One of my favorite bites of the entire evening came first. The Warm Semolina Cakes with Lardo ($5) was fantastic. Soft, light, fluffy, yet super moist inside, these bite-sized cakes were topped with a paper thin piece of lardo, which virtually melted on top of the warm cake. It was absolutely fantastic.

The Tiny Clams 'in brodetto' ($16) came cooked in a fragrant broth with pancetta, garbanzo beans and spinach. The flavors for this dish were excellent, beautifully aromatic and well seasoned. We couldn't help but soak up the broth with our bread in order to savor the flavor a bit longer.
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'Carne Cruda' crostini ($11) was beef tartare served with mini-toast (crostini) and pickled, roasted, and fresh "allium" (garlic, shallots, the like). Unfortunately, this dish was a bit disappointing. The beef pieces were just a bit larger than we liked, and the beef itself was slightly undersalted and not particularly flavorful. The accompanying mix of pickled vegetables was OK, but a bit too sweet for my tastes.

The Burrata di Puglia ($14) was served with charred peppers, golden raisins, and pine nuts. The ingredients were definitely good quality, and the overall combination of flavors was solid, though nothing particularly special.

We've been enjoying some incredible salumi at home lately, so Bryan was really keen on trying the Assorted Salumi ($15), which consisted of mortadella, soppressata, fincchiona, and wild boar.

Overall, the salumi plate was OK ("it's fine" according to Bryan), but probably not something I would order again. Bryan and I both enjoy the salumi we buy at the local gourmet market a lot more. To be fair, at the market we get to try a bunch before picking which to buy, which makes it a lot easier to get the ones that we love.

The staff was a bit confused about the salumi. At first they indicated that it was "local", but then affirmed that it was from Italy. When they served it, they were unable to distinguish between two of the types (they looked really similar), and told us we should be able to find out once we tasted it.

The fresh pasta is really, really good.
We love the fact that they make the pasta daily on that huge chef's table. Nothing beats homemade pasta, and all of theirs are excellent.
I loved the unusual Spelt Fusilli with Roasted Mushrooms ($15). Loaded with fresh herbs, this simple pasta is tossed with butter and grana padano. The spelt pasta adds a lovely nuttiness to the dish, which was excellent. Of course, the texture of the pasta was great - very dense and chewy. This was definitely one of the favorites at the table.

The Boston Bluefish Puttanesca ($16) was quite an unusual dish, made with with maltagliati (a type of pasta), capers, anchovy, tomato, and hot chilies. I personally found the very strong bluefish flavor to be a bit weird. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't my favorite flavor either. My friend thought the strongly flavored sauce worked well to stand up to the strongly flavored bluefish.

The Papardelle with Wild Boar came with black trumpet mushrooms, juniper, and aged parmigiano. Again, the homemade pasta texture was excellent, and the flavors of the dish were perfectly balanced and really came together nicely. The wild boar was soft and tender, and everything was executed well. This was probably Bryan's favorite pasta dish.

The Bucatini all'Amatriciana was my least favorite of the bunch. Even though I fell in love with this dish in Rome, this version was not nearly as flavorful. The tomato sauce was a bit too acidic and lacked a deep, sweet "tomato" flavor. Several of us thought it was a bit too salty, though one of us really liked it because it had a nice, real spicy kick. Of course, the texture of the bucatini was perfect - I just wished the sauce had something more . . .

The Brussels Sprouts, Orange Zest, and Hot Peppers ($5) was another one of my favorite dishes (it's just a side dish). How come I never thought of roasting Brussels sprouts with hot peppers? It is ingenious and so good. One of my friends didn't like how charred the sprouts were, (he thought the food was burnt), but I personally really enjoy sprouts when they are a bit charred, so I didn't mind one bit.

For $5, I would totally get this again.

Secondi - Meat & Fish

Rohan Duck Breast ($32) came with Umbrian lentils, cippolini, and pomegranate saba. This duck was quite fatty, and because the skin was not scored, none of the fat was rendered. This resulted in pieces duck that were attached to a rather thick and chewy chunk of fat. According to my friend, "the fat to meat ratio is off." Bryan thought the flavor of the duck was fine, though not particularly memorable. We did love the lentils, which were extremely flavorful and had a nice, al dente texture.

The Grilled Branzino ($24) was roasted with anise and potatoes and topped with sea urchin. The fish was perfectly seared and we loved the crispy skin on top. The fish itself was also nice and tender. We wished for more uni (that little dollop on top was not quite enough for the whole piece of fish). Other than that, the dish was pretty good. Solid execution, quality ingredients, and overall good flavors.

House Made Lamb Sausage ($18) came on top of a pile of broccoli rabe, pepperonata, and "gigante" beans. These beans were definitely huge ("gigante"!) and were really tasty, reminding me a bit of starchy mashed potatoes. I loved the flavors of the beans together with the vegetables underneath. The lamb itself was a bit salty to eat on its own, though it went well with the vegetables and beans.

Sicilian Style Swordfish ($24) came with autumn vegetable caponata and fresh oregano. Although I would have loved for them to cook the swordfish just a hair less, it was still executed reasonably well, better than most restaurants. The fish was tender yet fully cooked through. Though I found the caponata to be a bit too sweet, overall the dish was OK.

The server highly recommended the Cheese Plate ($14), which comes with these gorgeous homemade tninly sliced crackers that are filled with all sorts of goodies, like almonds, raisins, and walnuts. The crackers were absolutely fabulous. They were so delicate yet so flavorful at the same time. I longed for more than three slices to go with my cheese, which were all pretty enjoyable.

The Cookie Plate consists of cookies made by the chef's mother, who learned how to make these while she was in Italy. These were authentic and solid, though definitely quite sweet for my tastes. I can only nibble a bit before I need a big swig of coffee!

First Impressions?
Overall the food is very good at Giulia. Their strength is definitely the homemade pastas, which have excellent texture and really nice flavors. The starters were mixed but there were definitely some standouts (e.g., the clams). We fell in love with the semolina cakes (I hope he never takes that off the menu), but were a bit disappointed with the beef tartare and uninspired by the salumi plate. Except for the duck, we really enjoyed the "secondi" main dishes as well. All the fish dishes were executed well, with quality ingredients and nice flavors.
 
If you're a huge pasta fan and you live in the area, you'll be thrilled that we finally have some really nice pasta options right here in Cambridge. Instead of heading out to Boston for a nice Italian dinner out, you can just walk down the street.

It's actually quite expensive to eat at Giulia's. Although the individual menu items don't cost that much, expect to order at least a few courses (if not more) to equal a regular meal elsewhere. In fact, the server told us that the menu portions are designed to allow diners to eat all five (!) courses.

I couldn't believe it at first, but evidence speaks volumes. Four of us ordered two "sfitzi" (small bites), four "antipasti" (appetizers), four pastas, four entrees, a cheese plate, and a dessert. We ate everything, and though the women felt a bit stuffed, the men felt just right.

I think the "antipasti" are actually reasonably portions (comparable to an appetizer at any other restaurant), though I agree the pastas are a bit too small to really count as a regular entree. Bryan definitely thought he needed to order two pastas dishes if he wanted to eat it as a dinner, which means spending around $30 just for the pasta entree.

The place is priced like a higher-end Italian restaurant in the North End, but we're not quite sure if the ambiance, service, and location quite match the prices. I guess time will tell if this neighborhood is willing to pay those prices on a regular basis.

Nevertheless, I'm still really excited to have such quality food in the neighborhood. I'm hoping they think about offering more reasonably priced weekday deals like many of the other local restaurants (both Bergamot and Ten Tables offer a 3-course $39 deal, which is really nice). It would definitely incentivize locals like me to stop by more often on random weeknights for a more "casual" dinner at the bar.

Welcome to the neighborhood, Giulia. We're anxious looking forward to seeing what other cool pasta dishes you'll dream up next.

Giulia
682 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 441-2800

Recent Favorite Food Cities + winner of Giveaway

Thanks everyone so much for your participation in the giveaway. I was thrilled at the response. I really think it's the most popular one I've ever hosted. I guess everyone likes to travel. :)

And the winner is . . . .

Gee Emm!  This was chosen randomly (using random.org) out of 187 entries. Gee Emm said "I would love to stay at the only North American Club Carlson Radisson Blu... in Chicago!"

I must say, I was surprised how many people picked Radisson Blu in Chicago. I didn't even know about the hotel, but it must be pretty incredible. That reminds me, I really need to get myself out of Chicago one of these days - go back to my Midwestern roots!

Anyway, thanks everyone else for playing. It was heartwarming to hear your comments (I hardly get any comments on this blog, so I'm never quite sure what people think about my posts!). It was encouraging to hear what aspects you all liked, and thanks again for some great suggestions!

For fun, in the spirit of this travel-oriented giveaway, I thought I'd share about some of my recent favorite food cities to visit.


JAPAN
Japan is one of my favorite countries to visit. I first got to know the culture when I spent a summer there during college working at a chemical research company. I loved experiencing the simplest parts of everyday life, such as riding my bike to work, shopping for groceries in the market, and cooking in my very Japanese kitchen. I made friends, explored the area, and really fell in love with the culture. It's in Japan that I first learned to enjoy raw fish.

The food in Japan is phenomenal. You won't find better sushi anywhere else in the world. For high end (and very, very expensive) sushi, check out Sushi Mizutani, Sukiyabashi Jiro (post coming soon), Sushi Sawada, Sushi Kanesaka or Sushi Mitani. My favorites are probably Sushi Mizutani and Sukiyabashi Jiro, but you can't go wrong with any of them.

If you'd rather not be forced to eat omakase (which was me after one of those days when I had a huge lunch), some places offer a la carte sushi at dinner, such as Sushi Kanesaka, Kyubey, and Sushi Aoki (post coming soon). It's a way to get that Michelin star experience without paying an arm and a leg.

Another way to save money is to go during lunch. Places like Kyubey have pretty reasonable lunch prices (though be aware - other places, like Sushi Sawada, charge the exact same price for lunch and dinner). Daisan Harumi is a great value, giving you excellent sushi at about half the cost of the highest end places.  Japan is also know for its beef, the most famous being Kobe (though there are many other just as famous types). You can try Kobe beef as shabu shabu at Seryna, where 6 thin slices of the prized meat will set you back over $100 USD (oh but it's so worth it!). There's also teppanyaki, which we tried at Ukai-tei this past time. (According to Bryan, the best steak he's ever had in his life).

The Japanese are obsessive about their pork too. Try Butagumi for specialty tonkatsu (pork cutlet), where you can find over 50 different breeds of pork offered. Maisen is more mainstream (there are several locations) and still excellent. On top of pork, they offer other breaded and fried options, such as shrimp.

For other fried goodness, you must try Tempura Kondo, which is still (to date), the best tempura I've ever had in my life. 
Although I've written mostly about high-end food, there's a ton of really good casual food in Japan as well. Just look for long lines at a ramen stall - it's bound to be pretty good. Rokurinsha is one of the most famous, and branches can be found at both Tokyo Station (Ramen Street) as well as at the Tokyo Sky Tree shopping complex called Solamachi. We also loved Suzuran in Shibuya, which is a little off the beaten path and very, very authentic.

For other fun casual food, try an izakaya (Kago specializes in Kagoshima cuisine) or a fun robatayaki when they grill all these gorgeous seafood and produce right in front of you (Inakaya in Roppongi).

Finally, if you want a taste of what cutting edge chefs are doing in Tokyo these days, check out Aronia de Takazawa for some really creative, artistic, and whimsical plates, as well as Tapas Molecular Bar for a sampling of molecular gastronomy bites while sitting at the top of the Mandarin Hotel in Tokyo overlooking the city lights.

 
TAIWAN

Taiwan will always bring back fond, nostalgic memories because that's where my family originates. I have been to Taiwan a lot as a kid but not as many times as an adult. I guess because Bryan hardly ever has business trips there, I have less opportunity to catch a "free ride" to Taiwan compared to Japan, where I've been visiting almost annually the past few years.

Of course, my all time favorite place to eat in Taiwan is the original Din Tai Fung for dumplings. The food is excellent at the other locations as well. I just like the ambiance and feel of the original one, which is more traditional, cozy, and less modern & sleek.  For a traditional Taiwanese breakfast, try Yong He Soybean Milk, where you can get all sorts of freshly made goodies such as scallion pancakes, egg pancakes, soy milk, and you tiao (fried crullers) for a mere few dollars. Taiwan actually has excellent food representing many regions of China. Bryan loves Peking duck, so we had excellent traditional (and reasonably priced) Peking duck at Celestial Restaurant. Of course, you can't leave Taiwan without visiting at least one night market. Bryan and I went to Shilin Night Market, one of the most famous ones.

I can't wait to go back again. There are still so many things I have yet to try!

CHINA

China is a vast, vast country and it will be impossible for me to summarize everything in this short paragraph. Check out the China Eating Guide for more details.

 Beijing is well known for its duck, noodles, and dumplings. As a result, we focused largely on those types of food while we were there. If you want to see a cool show of noodle making while you eat, check out Noodle Loft, made even more famous after Anthony Bourdain visited. Of course, there are many other excellent places where hand-pulled noodles are made (e.g., Noodle Bar). In fact, you can even take a class (in English!) and learn how to pull your own noodles and wrap your own dumplings. Frankly for $30 USD, the class was a steal.

We ate tons of Peking duck while we were there. Bryan's favorite is Made in China (he still goes back everytime he goes to Beijing!), while my favorite was Da Dong for their leaner ducks and wide variety of other types of dishes. We sought out several recommended dumplings places and they were all fantastic.  Xian'r Lao Man didn't have any English language menus, so we struggled a bit to understand everything that was offered. Even then, everything we ordered was fantastic. Bao Yuan Dumpling had lots of pretty photos on its menu and some English, which was very, very helpful. Bao Yuan offers different colored dumplings (all naturally dyed with beets, veggies, etc), which is both colorful and fun.

Finally, for a change of pace, check out Beijing's best snacks at Nine Gates Snack Street, right near the touristy and popular spot called Hou Hai.

In Shanghai, we mostly spent time at the World Expo. When we weren't visiting all the various pavillions, we had early morning soup dumpling breakfasts at Jia Jia Tang Bao or Yang's Fry Dumpling (both incredible and super cheap) late night dinners at Din Tai Fung and Crystal Jade (fantastic but expensive for China, even though still quite reasonably by US standards).

ITALY

Bryan and I first went to Rome for our honeymoon over 11 years ago. The past year, we took a spontaneous weekend trip back to Rome. It was my first time blogging about it.

Although high-end dining in Rome was perfectly enjoyable (we had a lovely meal at Il Convivio and Etabli), our favorite meals were actually the simpler ones. We fell in love with Roscioli for their incredible pasta carbonara (among many other things).  We couldn't stop raving about the incredibly thin crust pizza at Pizzeria dal Paino. As always, gelato was fun to get, and I ate it almost everyday. Don't miss the excellent coffee at the numerous cafes, of which Sant'Eustachio Cafe is one of the most famous.

A note from our sponsors: Consider traveling to Turkey! Though many of us food enthusiasts undoubtedly will be excited at trying the food there, Turkey has something for everyone. Check out the link and consider visiting Turkey for your next vacation.

I do want to see Turkey some day. The amount of history in that region alone is reason to visit. I've realized from my visits to Greece and Italy that I really love exploring really old cities. Of course, it would be fascinating to sample the cuisine as well. It's so different from Asian food, and frankly, an area at which I'm a complete newbie. My small exposure to Turkish-influenced cuisine in America has been quite positive, so I'm sure I would love it.