Adventures in Asia - Part V

Decided to stay in for the night at the Pullman Dongguan and try one of their own, Sakura Japanese Restaurant. This evening I was in good company with two coworkers from my U.S. office. It was especially a treat, as I had the pleasure to introduce them to the fine art of teppanyaki.
The 10 course meal over the next 3 hours was meticulously prepared and executed by our master chef, artistically rendered and presented before our eyes, and most importantly, each dish was fresh and delicious. Here were two of the appetizers we had to kick off the night with. That wasabi was unlike any I've had before. It was about 10x as potent as any other I have tried and went right to the brain!
For the main courses, there was lobster (still wriggling), shrimp, scallop, fish fillet, and kobe beef. Our chef took her time with each preparation, as this meal was all about sight, sound, smell, texture and taste. I must say the kobe beef did live up to it's tenderness, and was quite flavorful.
The fried rice was kicked up a notch making good use of the night's main ingredient. As a final course, a sculpted seasonal fruit dish was a nice way to end the show.

Adventures in Asia - Part III

2nd night in Hong Kong
With limited nights to spare, I set out for the world famous award winning Taiwanese dumpling house, Din Tai Fung, in Tsim Sha Tsui. A must stop dining venue, as the only one in the U.S. is in Los Angeles. As usual, the wait to be seated is a minimum half hour. However it's well worth it, as the food does not disappoint! Wetting your palate to start is a refreshing, moist and tender, perfectly deboned Drunken Chicken, served cold. Hints of Chinese wine tickle the taste buds and alter the senses of those with lesser tolerances. Then moving onward, the main star of the evening makes it's entrance in a hot bamboo basket, the treasured crab-filled steamed pork soup dumplings. Each one, bursting with a rich essence of the sea uniquely of the crab, and pockets of a soupy broth explode into your mouth, as the delicate thin skin attempts to cradle the balance of goodness remaining from the bun. Then there was a Chinese meat sauce with noodles dish, which would be most similar to a pasta with Bolognese sauce. Always interesting to see how each restaurant individualizes their version based on ingredients, spiciness and heat, and noodle type. The edamame beans were an added plus, and again, well balanced and proportioned for a delicious savory treat.

Appetizing Appetizers

Always a crowd pleaser at any brunch or dinner party, you cannot go wrong with Spicy Crabcakes and a Chipotle Mayo dip. Here, it was garnished with oven roasted asparagus as a first dish. Crispy yet delicate panko encrusted, double sided, pan-seared, lump crab meat melded with minced jalepenos offering a nice hot kick to tingle the tongue and senses. Anyone up for seconds?

Looking for an Eatery on the Whym

It was Father's Day and plans were set to try out Eatery, in the Hell's Kitchen scene on the West side. Unfortunately, a place that didn't take reservations, and a table of 7 was doomed for failure. As it turns out, they recommended we stroll several blocks north to their sister restaurant, Whym, just reopened and renovated, with similar style new American fusion flavors, and more stylish decor, in a less boisterous and chaotic space.


Appetizing appetizers - the Calamari with a sweet chili sauce had a nice zip not overly spicy and somehow, it maintained a nice crispy texture. A Grilled Flatbread with cambezola cheese, gaeta olives, grilled zucchini, charred tomatoes had a slightly subdued blue flavor, tart and salty. Perfect for snacking on!


With our group, we basically ordered one of every entree on the menu, and they delivered with a speedy turn-time to boot! This was a Chipotle Spiked Meatloaf with sautéed spinach, vermont cheddar mashed potatoes, double smoked bacon-mushroom gravy. The subtle smokiness and heat rises from the back of your throat, while the decadent gravy cohesively ties the package together. Comfort at its best. There was also Barbequed Short Ribs with caramelized baby carrots, sweet potato mash. Now that was the epitome of very tender, fall-off-the-bone, braised beef.

"There's always room for dessert." A Banana Cream Pie with caramelized banana, chocolate, caramel, toasted coconut. Pillowy and airy on the top, more fragrant, creamier and resolute in between, and a firm, substantive and hearty crust at the base, entangled by drizzles of sweet deliciousness.