NYC: Takashi

Friday night for our 2nd dinner. I had made a reservation at Takashi at 9:30PM. I normally don't eat this late, but to fit all these food places in... I guess that's a sacrifice I have to make. haha. :P 

Takashi 
456 Hudson St. 
New York, NY 10014 
(212) 414-2929 
http://takashinyc.com/ 
Price: $$$$+

This was recommended by a foodie friend. Unfortunately he had to work late and ended up cancelling last minute. We're so glad we still went though, despite being so full already. haha. I made a reservation for 6 people, and was able to fill that last spot before dinner. 

It's a small place. We almost walked past it because the sign outside is so small. But it's cute. Reminds me of the yakiniku places in Asia. Their menu is beef... all beef. Sounds pretty awesome to me! The beef comes from sustainably raised cattle with no antibiotics or hormones. On their website they list the farms where the beef comes from. 

Everything on the menu looked interesting and tasty. Unfortunately due to the uni shortage, they didn't have the one dish I really wanted. :( Oh well... maybe next time. Each of us ordered 1-2 things. 

Stewed Beef Tendon Casserole with White Miso $15~ 

 

This was my choice. As an appetizer for the table. It comes fully cooked. So freaking delicious. It's just just the chewy tendon parts, it was mostly the meat next to the tendons. Stewed to perfection, it was soooooo tender. And tons of flavor. 

Squid Ink Rice, Miso-Marinated Sweetbreads (spicy yuzu saffron aioli, served on a magnolia leaf) $20~ 

This was interesting. I'll eat sweetbreads but I'm not a huge fan. Normally they are just kinda mushy. For those who don't know, sweetbreads are either the thymus glad or pancreas of young animals like calf or lamb. I love offal, but I can live without this. I thought everything in this dish was good though. Really enjoyed the squid ink rice. 

Bakudan (rice bomb with Korean seaweed and pickled sesame leaf) $8~ This was to supplement the meats. It was pretty good, but we probably could've done without it. 

Sukiyaki-Style Round Steak (with tartare rice bomb and egg yolk) $30~ 

This was probably the coolest yakiniku dish of the night. It's like a DIY beef taco thing. You grill the meat, dip it in the egg yolk, put a ball of the tartare and rice and roll it up. The beef was super tender. I loved the tartare rice bomb on it's own too! Fun!! 

 

Kalbi (US Kobe Premium Short Rib) $26~ Really quality meat. 

Beef Belly (US Kobe Beef belly) $20~ Also delicious. 

Tan-saki, Tan-suji & Tan-moto (the tongue experience) $25~ The tongue tasting was interesting. I've had really tender beef tongue before but these were more chewy. But still good. 

Tsurami (beef cheek) $16~ The most bang for your buck. The slices were really thin though. It was like beef bacon. Yummers! 

It was so much fun! At first we thought we weren't going to have enough food since it was pretty expensive and the portions are not very big. But we were all satisfied at the end. The meats and flavors were all amazing, I totally recommend this place. The quality is comparable to the places I've been in Japan/Korea. Also, they have midnight ramen... yes, only starts at midnight. And you have to make reservations. Might be something fun to do next time. 

Oh yea... on the way back to the subway, we stopped at Big Gay Ice Cream, and several people got desserts. Wow. haha. I wish I had room! So I just watched them eat it. :P 

 

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Hopdoddy Burger Bar - Addison

Ahhhhh... I can't believe I haven't really blogged about Hopdoddy yet. I've done their fries and shakes but not their awesome burgers!

We were running around looking at venues this past Saturday and realized it was time for lunch! I suggested Hopdoddy and my fiance immediately said yes, let's go. We decided to go check out the new one in Addison since it's close to the next venue visit.

Hopdoddy Burger Bar
Village on the Parkway
5100 Belt Line Road #502
Dallas, TX 75254
(972) 387-2337
http://www.hopdoddy.com/
Price: $$

It's in the same shopping center as the new Whole Foods on Beltline and Montfort but those familiar with that area, also knows that's a pretty freaking huge shopping center. I hadn't been since all the new shops went in so I didn't exactly know where it was. It was a beautiful day so we just parked and started walking around. We walked all the way to Whole Foods and realized it wasn't there so I called the place. She told me they were on the complete opposite end of Whole Foods, by the AMC theater. I had no idea where the theater is either haha. But we just started walking to the other side.

Finally we found it! And there was a line... not really a surprise. But it was almost 2pm by then. The line wasn't too far out the door so we decided to wait. I wasn't hungry when we arrived but was close to starving when we got to the register. haha. It gave me plenty of time to decide what I wanted though. I couldn't decide between 3 options.

You order at the counter, but while in line, someone comes and assigns you a table number. We chose to sit outside cuz it was so nice! The Luther Lane location doesn't have any outdoor seating but the Addison one has lots! :) And then they bring your food to your table. And everyone's so friendly there! From the guy that's directing the line, to the girl at the register, and the guys that bring your food out to you.

I ended up with the Goodnight/Good Cause (Angus Beef, Tillamook Cheddar, Hickory BBQ Sauce, Caramelized Onions, Sliced Jalapenos & Sassy Sauce) $8.25~ 

 

And it was for a good cause (hence the name!). $1 from each sale is donated to Heroes for Children to help families affected by childhood cancer. Sassy sauce is their house blend of horseradish, mayo, and honey mustard. I really liked it! I asked for the BBQ sauce on the side which was a good move because it didn't really need it. I'm not a huge fan of bbq sauce so I thought I'd be cautious. Their burgers are LEGIT!! So freaking good. The meat was cooked perfectly. I love the slices of jalapenos, although I could've used more. I dipped my burger in sriracha for some added heat. hehe. I love the buns...buttery, soft, with a slight crispy edge. It held up the the meat and sauce inside very well! And their burgers are always so delicious yet not too greasy. I finished the whole thing and didn't feel heavy or stuffed. I wanted MORE!! :P

My fiance already knew what he was going to get. It's his absolute favorite! Ahi Tuna Burger (Sushi-Grade Tuna, Sprouts, Teriyaki, Honey Wasabi, Nori Chips, Pickled Ginger, Mayo) $12.25~ 

 

I have to say, this is one of the best burgers ever. And it doesn't even have beef!! And everyone I know that's tried it says it's their favorite. Isn't it beautiful? Other than the perfectly seared ahi tuna, my favorite is the nori chips, basically fried seaweed. There's so much flavor and texture in this burger. The ahi tuna is super fresh. He got the mayo on the side, which it doesn't even need mayo... the wasabi was plenty good. Totally worth the wait.

They gave out samples of the Chocolate Stout milkshake to the people in line so we decided to get shakes as well.

He got the Chocolate Stout Shake $5.50~ (left) He's the target market when people give out samples cuz he will buy what he just tried. haha. And this is yummy.

Nutella & Chocolate Pretzel Shake $5.50~ (right) Me, on the other hand, I try a sample of something and then I wanna get something else, so I can try another flavor. hehe. This is my favorite shake here. You got the salty sweet between the pretzel and chocolate. And NUTELLA!! Who doesn't like nutella? There's sooo much crushed pretzels in there, so much crunch. I love it. Use a spoon!! You get more stuff that way. And check out that glop of nutella on the side of my cup there... You know I scooped that up for my first bite! :P

One of my absolute favorite burger places in Dallas. I'm happy they have multiple locations now! Bring one to Rockwall please!! There's always a line, but it moves fairly fast and trust me, it's worth the wait.

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Wasabi - Conveyor Belt Sushi

I went to go check out the new conveyor belt sushi place inside Stonebriar Mall a few days ago with a bunch of friends. It's located on the first floor atrium area under the theater. I was pretty excited when I saw it going in. We don't really have conveyor belt sushi here so I was really hoping it'll be good.

Wasabi
2601 Preston Rd
Frisco, TX 75034
(469) 995-1104
wasabisushi.com
Price: $

It's a cute set up with lots of bright colors. Each color plate indicates a different price from $2.50 to $5. It took us awhile to get situated but then we started perusing. I was already disappointed. The selection didn't seem that great... quality, eh, options, eh, quantity, eh. haha. The cheaper plates had tiny rolls and didn't seem that great. The more expensive plates weren't much better.

I finally got the Tyson Roll (topped with crab and seaweed salad) $5~ Trying to get the most bang for my buck. The portion was ok, but quality was meh.

Salad (with ginger dressing) $4~ I also got this to get some veggies in. It was bigger than I expected which was good. I liked the ginger dressing. But the cucumbers were old... ew..

Salmon & Avocado Roll (topped with tobiko - flying fish roe) $4~ My friend got this. It was decent, but the rolls were fairly small.

Another friend got the Sake Spritzer (blend of sake, grapefruit, ginger and lime) $6~ Bleh... no one liked this. It was watered down. :(

The other stuff weren't really worth documenting. Ultimately, the quality wasn't good and it adds up very quickly. Not cheap at all. None of my friends were full and ended up spending quite a bit of money. We totally hit up Cheesecake Factory after that. hahaha. Btw.. the new S'mores cheesecake? FANTASTIC!!!!!!

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Sushiism

This past Friday I went to Sushiism with a few of my friends. I had bought a groupon when they first opened a few months ago and it's time to use it! Looking at the menu, they have a pretty extensive list of options. Especially their specialty rolls...some of them sounded quite interesting!

Sushiism Restaurant & Social Lounge
1628 W Hebron Pkwy. Ste 120
Carrollton, TX 75010
(972) 395-7800
http://www.sushiism.com
Price: $$

The main downside to this place is that it's out in the middle of nowhere. It's really not that far from Plano if you map it out, but just seems like it's farther away. It's a big place with pretty good decor, very family friendly. As we walked in, we were immediately greeted by the hostess and another waitress. The place was pretty empty at 6:45PM on a Friday night. We opted to sit in the bar area because it was brighter and they happily accommodated.

We wanted to get there before 7PM so we could do happy hour, but unfortunately, if you have the groupon, the food specials do not apply. However, you can still take part in the happy hour drink specials.

We were pretty hungry so we got started!!

Seaweed Salad $3.99~ Pretty standard.

Broiled Cod Fish with Miso $8.99~

This was even smaller than I expected. :( But it was delicious. Cooked perfectly and so buttery it melted in my mouth. I would need like 6 of these to even fill me up though...

We ordered a bunch of Specialty Rolls:

Sushiism (tuna, scallop, shrimp tempura, cucumber, soy sheet, eel sauce, spicy mayo) $13.99~

I liked the large pieces of fish in here and they were pretty fresh. My friend thought it was a bit bland. But that's where the soy sauce and wasabi comes in! haha. I liked the concept of the soy paper, it changes things up a bit, but it was overall too soft. The roll as a whole needed a bit more texture. Not bad though.

Jade (yellowtail, avocado, wasabi flying fish roe, green onion outside) $11.99~

This was my favorite of the night. The fish was fresh and all the elements complimented each other. The avocado provided the right amount of creaminess and the roe added that "pop" of texture and a hint of wasabi flavor. If you like wasabi, try this roll. I would definitely order this again.

Spicy Tuna Tempura (spicy tuna, spicy mayo, deep fry whole roll, green onion, eel sauce, spicy mayo) $10.99~

My friend ordered this since he only eats fried spicy tuna rolls. haha. The presentation was nice with all the contrasting colors. The flavor was good but pretty normal as far as deep fried rolls go. It had a nice tempura crunch but the batter was a bit too thick. Good but not memorable.

Fire Snapper (shrimp tempura, wrapped with sliced snapper, baked with garlic olive oil, eel sauce, ponzu, spicy sauce, scallion) $11.99~

I ordered this by accident. I actually meant to order the Firecracker (see next item). And it was a mistake to order this. First of all, I think they forgot the snapper on top, which I didn't realize until I went back and looked at the pictures. It had a lot of different flavors and sauces on it and all got muddled. Plus the shrimp was small and too much batter. There was one piece that was all batter and no shrimp. :( Boooo.

Firecracker (salmon, cucumber, wrapped with sliced tuna, tempura crunch, spicy mayo, chili powder, eel sauce) $13.99~

Since we ordered the wrong thing, I decided to order this again. I really liked it. Again, it was very pretty to look at with all the colors. The tempura crunch on top definitely made it. The crunch was almost buttery tasting and added a textural contrast. Yum!

Caterpillar (spicy tuna, cucumber, wrapped with avocado, spicy mayo, sriracha sauce) $10.99~

The presentation was super cute. The eyes were made of cream cheese so unless you like to eat a scoop of cream cheese, you can set that aside. It's just for decoration. haha. It's not your usual caterpilla roll since normally they are made with eel. They seem to really like their spicy tuna here. It's in the majority of the specialty rolls. It was a good roll. The avocado was fresh and creamy and paired with the spicy tuna well.

This place is owned by a couple. The wife was out in the dining area while the husband is the chef. She came to talk to us several times. Very nice lady and gave us some interesting background on them and the restaurant. Her husband is Japanese and comes up with all the different ideas on interesting menu items. She told us that their ramen broth is made from scratch and takes over 8 hours to make so they get all the flavors developed. Sounds yum, I'll have to go back and try it!

I wanted some dessert (of course) and saw that they make their own ice cream in the restaurant and had some super exotic flavors!

Homemade Ice Cream $3.99~ each:
I got the Wasabi and Squid Ink ice cream. I've always wanted to try wasabi ice cream, but squid ink??? I've never even heard of that as an ice cream flavor.

The squid ink ice cream was uber black. A little scary yet I'm so excited to try it. I totally loved it! It was sweet and creamy but had an undertone of the sea. That's the best way I could put it without making people scared to try it. haha. There IS a hint of fishiness so none of my friends liked it. But I really enjoyed the sweet and savory nature of the ice cream. The term "umami" is often used in Japanese cuisine and it represents the "fifth taste" which is a combination of all the other 4 tastes together. It's something extra and not always achieved in foods. I experienced umami with this ice cream. I would totally have it again. And I urge all the adventurous foodies out there to try it as well. (Just FYI, it turns your entire mouth black, so keep in mind if you decide to take a date there! haha)

The wasabi ice cream was good as well.

The owner told us that you don't really taste much of the wasabi at first, but as you eat more, it'll definitely clear up your sinuses. It won't be like actual wasabi and bring tears to your eyes because the sweetness kind of cuts that. But it gets pretty close. It even had tiny bits of grated fresh wasabi in it. I liked it a lot too but I couldn't eat the whole thing. About 1/4th into the ice cream the wasabi impact was pretty strong! Worth trying out too just for the experience.

I liked the meal overall. The majority of the rolls were fresh and good and the ice creams were an experience. The rolls do get a little pricey though. Even with my groupon we still paid quite a bit. They gave us the ice cream on the house though! :) The service was good and the owner (wife) was really friendly. I hope their business picks up, they seem like good people. hehe. So next time you want sushi or something out of the ordinary, go check them out. I'll be back for their ramen and the squid ink ice cream again!!

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~