Friday, December 23, 2011

Izakaya and Kamameshi

12-23-2011 Fri. mild, cloudy.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- soup dumplings with fillings of scallop and watercress
AFTERNOON-TEATIME
--- tea
DINNER --- ( at Kushi Izakaya ) monk fish patte with ponzu sauce | seared and simmered scallop | robata wood grilled miso black cod | grilled skewer of duck breast & scallion | grilled eringi mushroom | seared and simmered beef | beer || (at Kotobuki Kamameshi ) shumai dumplings | sunomono salad ( seaweed, cucumber, salmon, flounder ) | clam miso soup | kamameshi ( seasoned rice , eel and vegetables in traditional iron kettle ) | sashimi of tuna and flounder | pickled vegetables | simmered greens with bonito flake | beer



small plates at Kushi

wagyu beef

****


at Kotobuki

shumai, miso soup, sunomono salad


sashimi, pickled vegetables


kamameshi , a special traditional iron kettle rice dish
(the right-side picture is from a Kyoto restaurant)




seasoned rice with eel and vegetables


  • a two-stop dinner of Japanese cuisine.
  • Kushi Izakaya serves small plates mostly grilled, ingredients pretty authentic, but the restaurant does not feel like an izakaya.
  • Kotobuki Kamameshi is very cozy and warm neighborhood place with great traditional food with no pretension. It probably is the only place in the US to serve kamameshi iron kettle rice, the flavors and the rice crust at the bottom resemble the best paella in Spain, at Restraunt L'Alter.