It’s RA, part two! After a really excellent dinner, we finished the night at RA with a light dessert. It’s always sad to finish a refreshing meal with a really thick, heavy dessert… like rice pudding… or chocolate lava cake. For something like sushi, a dessert “sushi” is a truly fitting option. RA’s Banana Maki Roll is a crispy-wrapped banana roll with chocolate in the middle topped with fresh fruit, whip cream, and chocolate sauce. It was really as pretty as it looks & gives the fishy version a good fight for winning “Most Tasty.”
Now the rice pudding doesn’t sound like such a bad idea as a midnight snack…
7501 Lone Star Dr. | Plano, TX 75024
469.467.7400
Other locations nationwide.
Listed under “The Finer Things in Life,” excellent sashimi is one of the best culinary indulgences. It’s luxurious and smooth, sensuous on the tongue, and refreshingly light. After the Japan trip, I was worried that sashimi in the States would never be the same, but this weekend’s dinner at RA Sushi proved that wrong. But perhaps I’m jumping ahead, so let’s start at the beginning and work up to that…
This weekend we visited RA Sushi in Plano for the first time. Located in the Shops at Legacy, the place has such ambiance, you’d be shocked to find out they’re located nationwide. Choosing some of their newly added cocktails, we started dinner with a customary round of drinks…
Shiso Naughty: A good mix of sweet & sour. Sweet pineapple vodka & bright citrus yuzu is a nice combination. They incorporated a favorite savory herb, Japanese shiso, for balance, as well as something called X-Rated Liqueur (which sounds kinda gimmicky, but I’m willing to overlook because it was tasty).
Tea It Up: This is the Far East version of one of my favorite Summer drinks: Iced tea spiked with Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka. The idea is translated into Japanese with a zen green tea liqueur and a citrus twist.
Strawberry Soju Sunrise: The ultimate girly drink featuring Soju, yuzu, and fresh strawberry. Overall, their cocktails had a distinctly unique flavor that set them apart from the usual. I think this was because of the yuzu element, but I’m not completely sure. Call it drinker’s intuition.
White Sake Sangria: An updated take on a classic: Sauvignon Blanc, sake, peach, orange, and pineapple juice, plus a splash of yuzu sour. Delicious.
In addition to cocktails, RA also has some new additions to their menu, which (by the way) features a lot of options for those who don’t share in my exaltations of sashimi. They definitely won’t be relegated to boring chicken teriyaki.
To start, it was RA chips & salsa. Tasty & clever, it was a tuna tartar dip with avocado, jalapeno, cucumber, and cilantro. Served with fried wonton “chips” that would be delicious dipped in almost anything, it was a welcomed alternative to the usual edamame starter.
We also tried their Spicy Rice Crispy Treats for two reasons. One, because they sounded delicious. Two, because of the name. Cute! For the roll, they flash-fried sesame rice into strips of crunchy goodness, added spicy tuna, fresh lettuce, and avocado, and then wrapped them in soy paper. They were plated with two sauces: one soy-based, and the other a wasabi cream. Toasted nuts & bright red tempura flakes finished the dish, which I loved. Great taste and texture. If you like hand rolls, this would definitely be your thing.
Grilled Short Ribs with wasabi mashed potatoes found more favor with Brian than they did with me. They had a nice flavor & the potatoes were fabulous, but I’m always more interested in sushi. However, it was the perfect example of what I mentioned earlier: excellent options for those guests who don’t want to go raw. One other thing, these were under $8. Crazy.
Finally, the real highlight of the meal (where we started in the beginning) were the sashimi plates. They’re being offered as “RA Tapas” for the uber-reasonable price of $7.50. (Something that all of RA’s menu items seemed to have in common).
We chose the yellow tail with a garlic citrus ponzu sauce & scallions (above), as well as the salmon with marinated sweet onion dressing (below). Both were killer. Kill-ah. If you go to RA, you better try some of them or the little dish will wonder about your judgement.
While we have NEVER really talked about service on the little dish (we focus only on food), we feel we would be remiss not to mention our server, David. He was attentive and funny and knowledgeable, which is like a triple-threat in almost every profession.
Check back tomorrow when we post pictures of the beautiful dessert that finished the meal. Hint: It could also be eaten with chopsticks!
7501 Lone Star Dr. | Plano, TX 75024
469.467.7400
Other locations nationwide.
This weekend was probably one of the worst to have a potluck, for me at least. I had my wisdom teeth taken out Thursday and spent the weekend sleepy, puffy, and sipping soup. That being said, I would never miss a date when this crew gets together and cooks. So, I nibbled my way through most of the dishes, appreciating the mouth-friendly orzo, chocolate mousse, and melt-in-your-mouth tuna the most. Everything was delicious though. Thanks to everyone for coming! It was so much fun. Next time, we’ll do a better job of snapping everyone’s picture, but it’s so hard when it’s time to eat!
Nick & Caitlin – Organic sweet potato orzo with pecans and parmesan; local pan-sauteed okra with lemon (pictured top left)
Michael – Golden brown chorizo empanadas (black bean version on hand for the vegetarians) (pictured top right)
Brian – Pasta shells stuffed with creamy ricotta and parmesan chessse, choped parsley, spinach, and sweet Italian sausage. Cooked in a spicy arrabbiata sauce (sausage-free version for the vegetarians!)
Andrea – Chocolate-topped toffee bars (which surprisingly did not contain toffee)
Mark & Kendall – Chocolate pudding with a crispy, nutty crust, topped with whipped cream
Michelle & Jen – Chocolate mousse
Jen – Spicy tandoori chicken with a tomato. onion, and Serrano jam, topped with creamy herbed yogurt, served atop pita bread (pictured bottom left)
Matt – Seared tuna slices with a mixed citrus, bell pepper, and red onion salsa, drizzled with a red wine vinaigrette (pictured bottom right)
The Japanese are in love with presentation. Everything is precise there; dishes are beautiful and meticulously plated. During a cooking class at a culinary school in Tokyo, we got a first-hand lesson on how highly they pride accuracy. When making sushi, each individual piece should be very close to the same weight. The sushi rice for each piece is traditionally weighed to 20 grams, but good sushi chefs don’t have to measure that because they can do it by feel. The fish is then sliced a particular way to be laid out over the rice, and each piece of sushi is formed by hand following a step-by-step formula. They make it seem effortless. Of course, doing it yourself is a lot more complicated. One of the chefs did say that my sushi was “very cute,” so I basically felt awesome about it.
Most helpful tip: Keeping your hands moist with a mixture of vinegar and water while rolling sushi helps keep the rice from sticking to your fingers!
During the cooking lesson, we also made some tempura. Not nearly as precise a dish as sushi and something that we, as Americans, can really get behind. (It’s deep fried, ya’ll!) Surprisingly, the authentic thing really doesn’t differ from what we enjoy here. Even the variety of vegetables they recommended were the same (eggplant, zucchini, etc.) However there was one exception: shiso. This Asian herb is like a fennel-y basil and almost completely dissolves on the tongue after it’s been tempura fried. They dipped the batter on one side and let it stay in the hot oil until it turned a golden brown. Best. Snack. Food. Ever. I’ve been told that you can find it in the States at asian markets, so I’m going to keep by eyes open. (Although, I think the deep frying part should be kept at a minimum. Maybe I’ll find another way to cook with it?)
So, we’re safely home and finally feeling caught up on sleep; the fourteen-hour time difference made for a rough day of jet lag! As I mentioned last post, we had the amazing opportunity to go on a culinary tour of Japan, primarily in the Tokyo and Kyoto areas. The trip was unbelievable. If you haven’t been to Japan, you must put it on your vacation wish list; the closer it is to the top, the better. (Deacon, congrats on your engagement. You are going to LOVE Japan!)
I’m part Japanese, so going into this trip I thought I had a pretty good handle on Japanese food. My grandmother (in Japanese, obachan) would cook us all kinds of dishes like okonomiyaki, sushi, soba, sukiyaki, and curry. I grew up with those foods and felt comfortable with the things other kids looked upon as “strange” like wet, black seaweed on sticky rice or red bean paste for dessert. Eating in Japan, I wasn’t expecting too many surprises. After all, this is part of my heritage…right?
After my first real dinner in Japan, I realized how wrong I was. In the world of Japanese fine dining, there is so much that is unknown. Almost every night (and even for some lunches) we were served the most elaborate multiple-course meals. Each tray would arrive with little dishes, usually holding just one or two bites of food (Japanese amuse-bouche, if you will). And then one after the other, the procession would continue: little soup pots, little trays, slices of sashimi, and squares of marinated tofu. Some dishes were definitely more identifiable than others; I ate the freshest sushi, steamed lobster, rice speckled with whole sardines, wheat-gluten balls(?), and whole baby squids. Plus some of them I’m still not even sure of. We’re talking not even remotely identifiable. Some of it was really delicious. Some of it was more about a “cultural experience” than an enjoyable taste. Either way, it was amazing.
The meal above features different variations of yuba, the skin that is skimmed from boiling soy milk. It’s commonly referred to as tofu skin and it tastes kinda like tofu, but rubberier. To be sincere, I didn’t really love it. The taste was ok, but the presentation was much better. Accompanying dishes included pickled veggies, sashimi, freshly cooked tofu, and thinly sliced raw beef.
There’s so much more to say about Japan and the food we had, so consider this part one with more to come 
Thanks for your patience so far and the kind comments while we were gone! It’s good to be home.
Okonomiyaki, sushi, inari-zushi, soba: these are some of my very favorite meals. My Japanese heritage comes from my dad’s side of the family. Growing up, my Obachan (grandma) cooked delicious, authentic dishes that inspired my life-long love of Japanese food. When the new Japanese eatery Tei-An recently opened in the One Arts Plaza boasting handmade buckwheat soba noodles, I made it a must to check it out. What could be more enticing than a perfect bowl of soba?
Though there are other offerings (sushi, rices boxes, etc.), soba is the star at Tei-An. The noodles are served in the traditional style: plain with sauces for dunking. I chose the soba sampler to maximize my sauce options. While the noodles are traditional, the sauces certainly aren’t. Local southern inspirations have woven into the menu with sauces like Texas pecan, walnut, and creamy yam. These were served side-by-side more traditional flavors like black sesame and tentsuyu tempura. The sauces were flavorful, well-balanced, unexpectedly thick, and coated the noodles well.
The noodles themselves were perfect canvases. They were firm, but not in the same al dente sort of sense that other noodles are. Making pasta by hand is a labor of love, and in this case it was certainly appreciated.
At the end of my meal, the waitress showed me how traditional Japanese diners finish their soba meals with a teapot of steaming water. You pour the hot water into each of the little sauce cups and then drink the liquid like a soup. Soba-yu: lovely (and resourceful)!
So far, I’ve only had nice things to say about Tei-An. But to be fair, there are a couple things I need to mention. I said that soba is the star on the menu and I recommend that you stick to it. My mom tried a crab rice box that was really flavorless and disappointing. Strike one. Also not working in Tei-An’s favor is their portion sizes. I NEVER finish my meals. I actually hate it when I eat out and get a plate larger than my face filled with food. But at Tei-An, as I finished my entire serving of noodles, my eyes were already roaming to other plates at my table. Unfortunately, theirs were almost empty too 
For the price, you should at least leave feeling like you had an all-around satisfying experience. Strike two.
Fortunately, there’s no strike three. Despite the hiccups, I had a good time at Tei-An. It’s not the best soba that I’ve had but the sauces were innovative, the noodles delicious, and the service ridiculously kind. (See the card they left on the table they reserved for us.) Also, I want to add that their decor is very chic. It’s modern and earthy and the same time with exposed concrete walls, a slate fountain, etc. Try it at least once. And then get dessert on your way home…
Price: $14
One Arts Plaza
1722 Routh Street | Dallas, TX 75201
214.220.2828
I work in Las Colinas, so usually that means my lunch is pretty standard fare. There aren’t a lot of especially wonderful places to eat around the office, so we routinely run to Jason’s Deli, Corner Bakery, and the like.
To my great pleasure, a food-savvy coworker of mine told me to check out Blu Ginger off MacArthur. On a first perusal of their menu, I was immediately pleased to see the several varieties of curry they offer. I forwent my go-to thai dish in order to try their Golden Yellow Curry. In a word, it’s delicious. It’s made like the curry my grandmother used to make: a very familiar stew-like blend of meat, potatoes, carrots, and onions, cooked in a spicy curry sauce and served with rice. I went with medium heat and was a little taken aback by the spiciness, but I will admit that my palate is a little tame when it comes to heat. So, taking a couple extra sips of water than usual, I thoroughly enjoyed this dish. Yes, the golden yellow curry is spicy, but the addition of coconut cream sauce sweetens the dish and gives it such a well-rounded flavor. We don’t usually give “grades” out on the little dish, but if we did, this would be an A.
Price: $7.95 at lunch (served with complimentary veggie crispy rolls and rice soup)/$10.95 at dinner
6550 N. MacArthur Blvd., #150 | Las Colinas, TX 75039
972.373.9799
So I’ve been waiting with anticipation for this day since we decided to participate in April’s Sugar High Friday hosted by Le Petite Boulangette. On Monday, we posted our contribution to the “Asian Sweet Invasion” themed event: Japanese Matcha Green Tea Crème Brulée. Today, in the Sugar High Friday Roundup, we got take a look at the rest of the entries.
I am so impressed with the creativity and talent displayed in the other blogs’ recipes! One of my favorites is Not Quite Nigella’s adorable Panda Sesame, Vanilla & Green Tea Cupcakes. So cute. I also really liked the killer looking tapioca milkshakes from Addicted Sweet Tooth. I am a big fan of boba tea and the thought of making a tapioca drink myself never occurred to me. It’s ridiculous to choose favorites though because there were so many fun ideas. I enjoyed the process of pondering which dish to create and then seeing what other people came up with. Matcha ended up being really popular ingredient and appears in a lot of the other recipes. There was even another crème brulée contribution from Asparagus Thin! Guess we were thinking along the same lines. Their entry though, with kabocha winter squash and Chinese five spice, was definitely a walk on the more adventurous side.
Was a fun little project; bravo to everyone who participated. We’ll definitely be back in May!
This month we’re really proud to participate in Sugar High Friday for the first time! If you’re unfamiliar with the idea, here’s a summary in the words of its founder, Domestic Goddess:
It’s your best excuse to make something sweet and different, at least once a month. And to do it with tons of other people from around the world. It occurs during the last week of every month, entries due on the Monday and the round-up posted on the Friday (the Sugar High Friday that is!). The rules and regulations – really, anything goes! Just make your favourite dessert that revolves around or highlights the specified ingredient, which is always something different every month.
This month’s Sugar High Friday theme was selected by La Petite Boulangette. Her delicious category of choice? Asian Sweet Invasion! Feeling a little bit like I was on Iron Chef, I decided to do a very classic dessert with an asian inspiration. My start? A simple, creamy crème brulée. To that, I added Japanese matcha green tea powder. You can find it easily in asian markets and I believe I’ve even seen it in the grocery store. I made this recipe twice to get the amount of green tea flavor just right. The finished dessert had a very mild, yet still detectable green tea flavor, and luckily the same creamy consistency as the classic dessert.
It’s a sophisticated-sounding dessert that’s very easy to make. The best plan of action is to make it the day before. That way, the custard has ample time to chill all the way through and your caramelized top will be crisp. Also, in this recipe the crunchy sugar topping is caramelized in the broiler. If you have a mini-torch, that’ll work better. However, mine was having some problems (I think it was low on gas), so I used the broiler and it worked fine.
Japanese Matcha Green Tea Crème Brulée
(as adapted from the Bon Appétit June 2002 recipe)
Yield: Serves 8
6 large egg yolks
7 tbs. sugar
2 tbs. matcha green tea powder
2 1/4 cups whipping cream
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 tbs. sugar for topping
Preheat oven to 325°F. Whisk yolks and 7 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl until thick and pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Add green tea powder and whisk until incorporated. Bring cream to simmer in heavy small saucepan. Gradually whisk hot cream into yolk mixture. Whisk in vanilla; divide custard among eight 3/4-cup custard cups. Arrange cups in 13×9x2-inch metal pan. Pour enough hot water into pan to come halfway up sides of cups. Bake custards until gently set in center, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove cups from water and refrigerate uncovered until cold, at least 3 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.)
Preheat broiler. Place custards on baking sheet. Sprinkle 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar onto each. Broil until sugar starts to bubble and color, turning sheet often to prevent burning, about 2 minutes. Chill until topping is hard and brittle, at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours.
If I told you that the city’s best pad thai doesn’t come from a small, authentic, family-owned and semi-unpronounceable restaurant, you’d probably be really surprised. If I went even further and told you that it’s made in some trendy West Village joint, you’d be shocked. Well, get ready. As potentially controversial as it is to throw around the term “best”, I feel pretty confidant when I declare that Tom Tom Asian Grill’s pad thai is the best in Dallas.
I love pad thai. It’s a dish that I’ll order anywhere that serves it. I’ve had it pretty great at some places (Asian Mint) and even good at fast-eating places (Pei Wei). I’ve eaten it in weird strip malls, little asian marts, and even out of a box. I have to say though that no one I’ve come across does it as good as Tom Tom does. The base of noodles tossed in spicy sauce has a fantastic flavor. I order mine with tofu which is always firm and browned around the edges. The vegetables (finely-shaved carrots and bean sprouts) are served fresh, not sauteed, which I think is one of the reasons why this pad thai excels. The crisp veggies make it fresh and add a lovely texture. On top lies delicate ribbons of egg, crumbled peanuts, chili slices, and the traditional wedge or two of lime. I actually feel sad as I get full when I’m eating this because I don’t want my meal to end. My only (and I really mean only) complaint is the heat. It can be so inconsistent. Sometimes, it can be really, really spicy. This particular occasion, it was child’s play. If they could work out some sort of medium between the two, it’s perfection.
My hairstylist came here from Thailand and while he was cutting my hair, I thought it’d be a great time to ask him where to find some good authentic pad thai. Expecting to hear about some hole-in-the-wall (as described in the beginning of this post), I was surprised when he laughed and said that believe it or not, it’s around the corner at Tom Tom. So affirmed by his answer, I can still trust my taste buds for now because it seems they’re leading me in the right direction…
If you can think of a pad thai that can rival it, please let me know! Either I’m right, or I’m wrong and have a new favorite dish. Either way, I win!
Price: $10.95
Tom Tom Asian Grill
West Village
3699 McKinney Ave. | Dallas, TX 75204
214.522.9866
