Fearless Kitchen

Book Review: Asian Grill

Trang, Corinne.  Asian Grill.  Chronicle Books, San Francisco, 2006

 

Anyone who has read this blog more than once is very well aware of the love of grilled food in my house.  My husband is particularly enamored.  He is also able to withstand temperatures far below my comfort zone, so if we can physically get to the grill we can use it.  He's become even fonder of the grill since we obtained a Big Green Egg, which is a combination grill and smoker that is called an egg but looks like a giant hand grenade sitting on my back deck.  It makes fantastic food.  At any rate, I've been trying to find new sources of things to grill, and one of the sources I've most recently acquired is Asian Grill. 

 

I actually really enjoyed this book.  It's not a long book, and Asia is a big place.  Trang therefore can't go in-depth into each individual ethnic group's recipes.  This is too bad, but I guess that if I wanted a 500-page treatise on Hmong outdoor cooking techniques I should have bought one.  (I haven't seen one for sale, either.)  The recipes are just different enough to be a breath of fresh air and rarely call for ingredients that are difficult to find.  The author draws from a wide variety of cultures to build this book, so it is a safe bet that people with a wide variety of tastes will find something to enjoy about this book.

 

As I mentioned, this book is kind of short, and it doesn't go into the kind of depth that a true nerd like me would prefer.  Not every recipe is illustrated, although there are more photos than in other books that I've reviewed recently and the pictures that exist are certainly lovely.  Those are really my biggest complaints about the book.  My husband had some issues with the techniques, but I am not a grill master or even a grill journeyman, I don't understand his issues so for me to go into them would not make much sense.  I'd probably get them wrong anyway!  Seriously, though, I enjoyed this book.

 

Technorati Tags: Corinne Trang,grilled food,Asian food,Asian Grill,book reviews

Recipe: Pan-Fried Tofu with Caramelized Sauce

Recipe Source: Kazuko, Emi.  The Complete Book of Japanese Cooking.  Anness Publishing Ltd., London, 2001 p. 188

I know I've mentioned before, but I've been trying to serve more meatless meals.  While my husband and I are really, really bad about observing fast days, we are trying to eat healthier and eating less meat is a great way to do just that.  Besides, tofu keeps longer in the refrigerator than meat or even fish.  As a result, we've been eating more tofu.  This recipe appealed to me because of its deceptive simplicity and its interesting use of garlic. 

I didn't make a lot of changes to this recipe.  I halved it, because the original fed four and there are only two of us, but for most things (like the marinade) I left the amounts the same.  As always, I used more garlic than called for.  I screwed up on the butter, cooking it all instead of topping the tofu with it at the end, but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing .  I think that the sauce came out with a more velvety texture as a result, and besides - I doubt my husband would have eaten it if he'd seen butter on the top of the tofu!  Anyway, the recipe that follows is the way I prepared it, with all my changes.  I was pretty happy with the result, and my husband ate all the leftovers so I guess he liked it too! 

Pan-Fried Tofu with Caramelized Sauce (serves 2, approx. $2.77/serving)

1 block of extra-firm tofu

8 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons butter, cut up into 5 pieces

4 scallions

4 tablespoons sake

4 tablespoons soy sauce

4 tablespoons mirin

Equipment:

• Large, wide-bottom pan
• Paper towel
• Two plates

1. Unpack the tofu and drain off the liquid.
2. Wrap the tofu in multiple layers of paper towels - 2 or 3. 
3. Put the wrapped tofu on one plate, then put the other plate on top of it.  Leave this for at least 30 minutes.  You're draining excess water from the tofu here; skipping this step will greatly inhibit the crispiness of the final dish.
4. Prepare the marinade.  Start by cleaning and finely chopping the scallions.
5. Mix the scallions with the sake, soy sauce and mirin.  Leave for at least 15 minutes.
6. Slice the garlic cloves very thin to make garlic chips. 
7. Remove the tofu from the towels and slice into equal-sized blocks.  Marinate for 15 minutes.
8. Heat the oil in your pan and add the garlic chips.  Cook until golden. Do not let them burn. 
9. Remove the garlic chips from the pan. 
10. Add the butter, piece by piece, to the pan. 
11. Reduce heat to medium.
12. Add the tofu blocks to the pan, keeping them in a single layer. 
13. Cook for about 5 minutes per side, until the pieces are browned and quite firm. 
14. Remove the tofu from the pan and reduce the marinade for about two minutes, or until thickened and syrupy. 
15. Pour the sauce over the tofu .
16. Sprinkle with the garlic chips.
17. Serve. 

Technorati Tags: Japanese food,tofu,recipe,sake

Book Review: The Complete Book of Japanese Cooking

Kazuko, Emi.  The Complete Book of Japanese Cooking.  Anness Publishing Ltd., London, 2001

 

I love Japanese food, when I can get it.  Very often Americans envision the Japanese as living on a diet consisting entirely of raw fish and beer with penguins on the label, but the reality is that Japan is home to a very complex food culture that puts even France to shame.  It's hard to find a Japanese restaurant here, though, that doesn't focus on sushi - or fellow-diners who are not looking to stick with the raw fish.  Don't get me wrong.  I like the raw fish myself and eat far more of it than is probably good for me, but the cooked dishes are well worth eating.  I picked up this book to help expose me to those cooked dishes.

 

This book does a great job of exposing readers to Japanese cuisine.  There is a section on Japanese history and the impact of that history on the food culture, which I think is a great way to start a book on ethnic cuisine.  The section on the Japanese pantry is also very helpful, and offers a section on Japanese cooking equipment too.  The recipes are organized into sections that describe the type of dish: Sushi and Rice, Soups and Noodles, Vegetables and Seaweed, Beans, Tofu and Eggs, Fish and Shellfish, Poultry and Meat, and Desserts and Cakes.  The recipes are well-written and easy to follow.  Each section offers a wide variety of dishes, with lovely and appetizing illustrations that one shouldn't look at if one is on a diet. 

 

I must say, however, that I have never prepared anything from this book.  It frustrates me, unlike most of the offerings from Anness' Hermes House line.  First, this book is very clearly intended for a Western audience.  While I understand that Japanese cooking requires some specialty ingredients, it isn't really reasonable to expect that a Western home cook is going to recognize what those ingredients are just by having glanced through the Pantry section once.  It would be less frustrating, at least to me, if the author had described the ingredient in the recipe.  For example, if the recipe calls for kezuri-bushi, it could be explained in a side note or in parentheses as dried, shaved skipjack tuna.  It isn't listed in the index; you have to flip through the section on fish products (after flipping through other sections in order to figure out that it's a fish product) and read the descriptions of each ingredient until you figure out that kezuri-bushi is related to katsuo-bushi, which is in the index.  When I'm sitting around trying to make up my menu for the week so I can get to the store before it gets too crowded, I don't have time to do all that flipping around.  I'm just going to put the book aside and find something else to cook.  Also, dashi stock is an important ingredient in many Japanese recipes.  It's called for in many of the recipes in this book.  Perhaps, if the author had simply listed the page for the recipe when calling for it, I would have been more likely to use the cookbook instead of writing off the recipes as "things calling for ingredients I can't find and don't know how to substitute for." 

 

On the whole, I think that this is a very good book if you have the patience to understand all of the terms used.  If you don't have that kind of time or patience, it is still a good book, although more valuable from an educational perspective.

Technorati Tags: cookbook reivew,ethnic food,Japanese food

Restaurant Review: Sushi Roku, Las Vegas, NV

Overall    Our experience at this restaurant as a whole	I hadn't visited Las Vegas in a while, and so before going there last week, I spent some time on sites like CitySearch and 10Best looking for must-see places to check out while there.  I was thrilled to find that Sushi Roku had a branch in Las Vegas, and I put this on the top of my list of places to eat.  I was introduced to one of the original Sushi Roku locations in Santa Monica many years ago by a co-worker while visiting Los Angeles on business.  It quickly became my favorite Japanese restaurant, and every time I visited LA I made it a point to go there.  When I discuss sushi with co-workers and clients around the country, I often find that Sushi Roku was also their favorite place to go.  With this reputation to uphold, combined with the fact that I haven't been to LA in over a year and was having withdrawal, I had to go to Sushi Roku in Las Vegas to see how it compared.  While I'm not sure it quite matched up to the Santa Monica location I'm used to, the food here was fantastic as usual, and despite its mall location within the Caesar's Palace Forum Shops, the restaurant was quiet and classy.  I certainly recommend Sushi Roku to anyone visiting Las Vegas.
Food    The food we ordered while eating at the restaurant.  If we've eaten here multiple times, the rating will reflect our experience with multiple meals	I've always loved every dish I've ordered at Sushi Roku in the past, and this trip was no exception.  Unfortunately, I was unable to convince any of my co-workers or clients who were also in Vegas to abandon their plans for the evening and join me, so my ability to sample the menu was limited.  Normally when ordering at a sushi place, we'd order a bunch of rolls and share, allowing everyone to try a bit of everything.  Since I had to limit my selection to what I could eat myself, and since I had joined some colleagues for appetizers and drinks before heading over, I only ordered three items.  The first was the albacore sashimi.  I love albacore, and you almost never see it on the East Coast, so I always get it when I'm out West.  This included four good sized pieces of fish.  The taste was wonderful. From there, I ordered two rolls:  an Eel and Avocado Roll and the Tako Roll.  Eel and Avocado is one of my favorites.  I get this almost every time I go out for sushi, and Sushi Roku makes this better than anyplace else I've had it.  I'm not really sure what they do that makes it so much better, but it is.  The blend of flavors really comes together and jumps out at you.  The Tako roll was something I hadn't tried before.  It consisted of spicy octopus topped with spicy tuna, according to the menu.  This was a really unique combination of flavors.  The flavor wasn't as strong as the Eel and Avocado roll, but was very good.  I'd highly recommend this one if you visit, as it isn't something you'd get at any neighborhood sushi joint.   At this point, I considered ordering more, as everything was so good, but I reluctantly decided not to and wandered off to more Las Vegas adventures.
Bar     The variety and quality of beer, wine, and/or liquor available at the restaurant	The restaurant offers a wide selection of sake, both by the glass and by the bottle, which can be seen on their website.   They also have Japanese beers and a selection of wines.  I had already partaken of a few drinks before heading out to dinner, so I didn't avail myself of the drink menu this time.
Menu    The variety and originality of items on the menu	Sushi Roku offers a range of food, including traditional Japanese dishes as well as some creative variations of these items.  The menu includes 28 options for sushi and sashimi, including the usual choices like salmon and tuna, as well as some harder to find varieties like abalone, jumbo clam, and amberjack.  They also offer 23 options for maki (rolls), many of which are available as either hand rolls or cut rolls.  This has some old standbys like spicy tuna and eel and avocado, but even these are really really good.  Then the creativity of the chefs starts to show, with choices like rock shrimp tempura with jalapenos.  In addition to sushi, they also offer a range of other food.  They have a wide range of very creative appetizers - my favorite is the Yellowtail Sashimi with Diced Chilies - along with the usual choices like Miso Soup, Edamame, etc.  There are a range of cooked entrees too, including fish and meat options.  Tempura and noodle dishes are also available.  In addition to the items on the regular menu, there were also a few specials available the day I was there.  I didn't order these, so I can't comment on how they were, but their availability just adds to an already creative and complete menu.
Service    The service received while dining at the restaurant	The service I received at Sushi Roku was good, but not fantastic.  It wasn't too busy when I arrived, and I was able to sit right away.  The hostess offered me the choice of a seat at the bar or a table, but since I was by myself, I chose to sit at the bar.  The waiter came right over and offered me a drink, but took a lot of time before coming back to get my order.  However, one of the sushi chefs noticed that I wasn't eating and took my order instead.  The wait staff kept my water glass full, and checked in a couple of times to see what else I wanted.  When I was done, it took a few minutes of looking around for the waiter to bring out my check.
Atmosphere     The experience of eating at the restaurant, including decor, comfort, and dress code	The owners of the restaurant have taken great care to create a pleasant atmosphere for dining.  Everything is decorated in an upscale, modern-ish Japanese theme.  Little touches, like a smooth river stone in place of the usual little ceramic chopstick rest, add to the ambiance.  From their website, it appears that they've created their own musical soundtracks for the restaurants, though I have to admit I didn't notice this while I was there - which I would say is good since I hate restaurants where the music is too loud.  The only thing that really distracted from the atmosphere was the location.  They are located on the top floor of the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace, a large indoor mall.  From where I was sitting at the bar, I could see out the front window and into the mall, which negated the peaceful atmosphere they were trying to create.  There was another room further to the back of the space that may not have had this issue.
Ease of Access    How easy it was to get to and get into the restaurant, including parking and wait duration	I didn't arrive until nearly 10pm on a Wednesday night, so there wasn't a wait.  The bar area was kind of small, though since they are located in a mall, there is plenty of waiting area outside front door, should it be busy when you visit.  Sushi Roku's Las Vegas location is in the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace, on the top floor.  This is right off the Strip, and attached to the casino, so it's pretty easy to get to.
Value for the Money    Our assessment of whether the dining experience at this restaurant was worth the price of the meal.	This is not an inexpensive place to eat - most of the sushi rolls are priced $10 and up and the appetizers are pushing $20 each.  However, the quality, taste, and creativity of the food makes it worthwhile.  Every time I'm in Los Angeles, I always make it a point to eat at the Sushi Roku location there, and it will now be at the top of my list when I visit Las Vegas too.  I did notice from their website that they now have four locations - three in Southern California, plus the Las Vegas location, and that they will soon be opening in Scottsdale, AZ as well.  I hope they are able to keep up their quality as they expand the number and geography of their stores.
Location and Contact Information	Sushi Roku The Forum Shops at Caesars 3500 Las Vegas Blvd South Las Vegas, NV 702-733-7373 www.sushiroku.com
Menu Available?	http://www.sushiroku.com/sushiroku/index.htm - select menu from the choices at the top of the screen - then select the location.
Reservations?	Reservations can be made online using their website.  You can also make reservations through Opentable
Hours	According to their website, they are open Sun - Thurs from noon till 10pm, Friday and Saturday from noon - 11:30pm.

Technorati Tags: Restaurants,Restaurant Reviews,Las Vegas,Sushi,Sushi Roku,Japanese

Recipe: Grilled Scallop-Stuffed Onions

Recipe Source: Morimoto, Masaharu.  Morimoto: The New Art of Japanese Cooking.  DK Publishing, London, 2007 p. 118

I knew that I wanted to make something from the Morimoto cookbook, but I wasn't sure what.  I opened the book randomly to this page.  When I noticed that it called for sake, I realized that I might be able to enter it into Sugar Plum's St. Patrick's Day Pub Crawl Event.  Not only that, but it allowed me to surprise my loving husband with one of his favorite foods in the whole wide world: scallops.  Scallops tend to be a little on the pricey side, but when presented in this way they pack a lot of punch into a very little space.  I'm listing it as Japanese, because the name of the book is "The New Art of Japanese Cooking," it involves sake and it's a recipe by Masaharu Morimoto.  Except for the use of sake, for which we would probably substitute white wine, this could easily be an Italian recipe. 

As always, I made a few changes to the original recipe.  These changes were the result of expedience and my own screw-ups.  Screw-ups?  I meant innovations!  I used pancetta in place of prosciutto, because the deli line at the Whole Foods was long and full of pushy people and that would have resulted in prison time.  And I still wouldn't have gotten the prosciutto!  So I substituted pancetta.  I wound up using a disposable aluminum baking pan, since my baking pans of the appropriate size were all out of commission.  This meant that I had to pour the onion jus into a separate pan to reduce it.  Finally, I pan-seared the scallops indoors and then wrapped them in the pancetta.  The following is the recipe as I prepared it, with apologies to Mr. Morimoto.  (It looks like a lot of steps, but really, it's very simple once you step back.)

Grilled Scallop-Stuffed Onion (serves 4, approx. $4.11/serving)

4 large sweet onions

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for searing the scallops

Kosher salt

1/2 cup sake

4 very large, extremely fresh sea scallops

8 thin slices of pancetta

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, quartered

Equipment:

• Aluminum baking pan
• Aluminum foil
• Grill
• Small saucepan
• Medium Saucepan
• Smallish ice cream scoop

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. 
2. Place the onions - skins still on - in the baking pan and rub with the olive oil.
3. Cover the pan tightly with the aluminum foil.
4. Roast approximately 1 hour 45 minutes.  The onions will be tender but still hold their shape.
5. Remove the baking pan from the heat and allow the onions to cool until you can touch them.  Do NOT discard the juices in the bottom of the pan!
6. Season the scallops with kosher salt. 
7. Add a little olive oil to the medium saucepan and warm over very high heat. 
8. Sear the scallops on both sides until the surface just starts to brown, no more than 30 seconds per side. 
9. Remove from heat and allow to cool until touchable.
10. Slice the top third off each onion and reserve. 
11. Using the ice cream scoop, remove enough of the center of each onion to fit one scallop.
12. Wrap each scallop completely in the pancetta.  You will most likely have to use two pieces of pancetta. 
13. Put one scallop into each onion cavity.
14. Add 1/2 tablespoon butter to each onion.
15. Replace the top 1/3 onion on each onion.
16. Grill over medium-high heat for 8 minutes.
17. While grilling, pour the juices from the roasting pan into the small saucepan.  Be sure to scrape out any brown crunchy bits!
18. Heat the juices over high heat and add the sake.
19. Bring to a boil and boil for at least 3 minutes.
20. When the onions are done on the grill, remove the tops.
21. Drizzle with the jus you made from the sake and pan juices.
22. Replace the tops.
23. Serve.

Technorati Tags: recipe,onion,scallop,pancetta,sake,Morimoto,Japanese food,Iron Chef

Book Review: Morimoto

Morimoto, Masaharu.  Morimoto: The New Art of Japanese Cooking.  DK Publishing, London, 2007

 

I was going to buy this book as soon as I knew that it had come out, and everyone knew I was going to do it eventually.  How could I, one of Iron Chef's biggest devotees, not pick up such a treasure?  I'm not entirely sure what I expected from the book, but I knew I would love it and I certainly wasn't disappointed.  Since the real Iron Chef went off the air, the book gave me a little taste of what I've been missing. 

 

This book is wonderfully educational.  It begins with a brief biography of the chef, describing his family background, education, and professional history.  I hadn't known that Morimoto was such a baseball fan, and the revelation that he was something of a Yankee fan (a Yankee cap was one of his first purchases upon coming to New York) was a delightful surprise to me.  The next section is about sushi and sashimi and offers a multi-page instructional manual on slicing fish.  I really appreciated this section.  I've always been kind of intimidated by the idea of slicing fish for sashimi or sushi, one of several reasons I don't make my own, and this section makes it a little more practical for me.  He even instructs (via pictures) the reader on how to make a little rosette out of sliced tuna.  I haven't tried it yet, because I haven't had an occasion to do so, but I feel like even my clumsy, unartistic hands might be up to the task.  Many of the recipes offer simple instructions.  There's a beautiful section on plating and presentation, which is one of my biggest weaknesses.  (Anyone coming over for dinner should accept right now that I will never be able to make the stained-glass sushi rolls.  So don't expect it.)  Unlike many more traditional Japanese cookbooks out there, he often uses ingredients that one can find with a little bit of effort, so I'm more likely to try some of the recipes. 

There is also a section at the end: Recipes to Contemplate.  Fans of the original Iron Chef show will remember that Morimoto was kind of famous - or infamous -for making Weird Food.  Strange combinations of ingredients and "inappropriate" desserts like Squid Strawberry Ice Candy (p. 226) might make my mother cringe, but they still display the creativity and verve that have made the man so famous.  And there's nothing about the Squid Strawberry Ice Candy to suggest that it isn't feasible to make at home, unless the repulsed reactions of some of your less adventurous guests counts. 

 

That said, there are a few drawbacks to the book.  Some of the ingredients can be a little hard to find, if not impossible in an area without a large Japanese community.  Also, some of the commentary can come off as being a bit snobbish, which some other readers have told me is a real turn-off for them.  Of course, some people find that kind of attitude appealing, so I leave it up to the individual reader.  Still, in general, I think that the book is very well written and offers very clear, easy-to-follow instructions for preparing dishes to amaze and thrill your guests.  And if you're not cooking for anyone at the moment, well, it provides a welcome opportunity to just sit back, relax and let your imagination wander.  

 

Technorati Tags: Morimoto,Iron Chef,book reviews

Recipe: Miso Soup with Clams

I was looking for some tasty dishes made with either soy or fish for our weeknight dinners when I came across this recipe on the Rasa Malaysia website.  It seemed to fit the bill perfectly.  While I do know a few people who dislike miso soup, I am not one of them.  I thought that the addition of clams would quell any complaints about the soup lacking substance.  Unfortunately, I never got to try the recipe on my husband.  I didn't feel like cooking for most of the week, which meant that by the time I made this dish my husband had left town on business.  This is really his loss, because I liked this dish a lot. 

Since I found this recipe on line, I'm not going to reproduce the recipe here.  Instead, I'll provide you with a link to the recipe here.  I will, however, tell you what I did differently.  First, I doubled the recipe, because I didn't want parts of the ingredients lying around waiting to go bad.  (The chances of my remembering that a half block of tofu has been shoved behind a six pack of beer is minimal at best.)  Second, I used frozen Cape Cod clams.  I did this because I am squeamish about live food (I know I need to get over this) and because I needed the flexibility to procrastinate with this recipe.  Like the author of Rasa Malaysia, I used red miso paste.  I omitted the tofu puffs for the simple reason that I couldn't find any at my local Whole Foods.  I probably would have used them if I'd made time to go to the Asian market.  I substituted extra-firm tofu for the soft tofu called for in the recipe because that's what the store had when I discovered that the tofu I had in the fridge, waiting to be used in this recipe, had gone bad.  I probably still would have made the change, as I've generally found softer tofu to be more difficult to work with.  Finally, I substituted cilantro for the scallion garnish because the scallions I'd been hoarding had gone bad too.

As I mentioned, I enjoyed this dish immensely.  There are no words to describe the scent of the broth as the miso paste dissolved in the boiling water.  The flavor was good too - delicate, which I normally don't have as much of an appreciation for, but very tasty.  The only complaint that I have is with the clams, which is my fault and not the fault of the recipe.  I found their texture to be very tough.  This may be the result of my use of frozen clams, but it's also possible that I might have overcooked them a tad.  Since they were thawed, they required a very short cooking time, and sometimes it's easy to get distracted in the kitchen - especially when one's cooking partner is a Golden Retriever puppy with an unwholesome interest in the stove.  If there were a recipe that could induce me to overcome my reluctance to use a live ingredient, this would probably be it.  In fact, I just might try it again sometime soon, with fresh clams this time.   Or even without clams. 

For those of you who are keeping track, the recipe as I prepared it would have served four as a substantial main dish, with an approximate cost per serving of $2.68. 

Technorati Tags: Recipe,Japanese food,miso,soup,tofu,clam

Restaurant Review: Kagawa Restaurant, Quincy MA

A couple of months ago, some friends introduced us to the Kagawa Sushi Bar and Restaurant in Quincy, Massachusetts. We're grateful to them for doing so. My husband had pretty much sworn off East Coast sushi by that point, but he's opened up again and now we go there on a semi-regular basis. They offer good sushi, actually have nearby parking, and have the added advantage of being open until 11:00 PM.

On our most recent trip, we ordered 6 rolls and Miso Soup. I loved the Miso Soup. You'd think that something that looks so simple would be difficult to screw up, but I've had some pretty lousy offerings in the past. Maybe it's just the cold and the fact that I was in a lousy mood to begin with, but last night's miso really hit the spot. Our rolls were the Manhattan Maki, the Scorpion Maki, the Gokudo Maki, the Shrimp Tempura Maki, the Spicy Ika Maki and the Spicy Tuna Maki.

We always get the Spicy Tuna wherever we go, but both the Spicy Ika Maki and the Gokudo Maki were new to us at this particular restaurant. I particularly enjoyed the Gokudo, which was mackerel. It's a fish that I don't get to enjoy very often, so I relished the chance to try it. The Spicy Ika Maki was also good; my husband in particular enjoyed that one. The Manhattan Maki was good, and so was the Shrimp Tempura Maki, but I was blown away by the Scorpion Maki (shrimp, eel, cucumber and avocado). The flavors were so well balanced, and so delightful, that when my husband offered me the last piece (his by rights, since I'd eaten my half already), I didn't even politely attempt to decline.

The atmosphere here is mellow. They offer seating in the public dining area, in booths or at tables, and they also offer the private rooms I'd previously only seen in movies. The lighting is bright and the staff is helpful and cheery. We tend to go later in the evening so I couldn't say much about the wait during most people's dinner hour, but while we've never had to wait it's usually pretty bustling on the weekends even by the time we show up.

We haven't tried any of the non-sushi offerings from the menu here, so I can't offer any hints about that. Their bar is well-stocked and they offer a variety of different specialty cocktails for those seeking something stronger than tea to wash down their sushi. Some of their special rolls are a little odd-looking, but we've never ordered anything we haven't enjoyed.

Kagawa Sushi Bar & Restaurant

1554 Hancock Street

Quincy, MA 02170

www.kagawarestaurant.com