His baseline Futomaki was arranged differently than the other one (similar ingredients but different mouthfeel and also way they were cut), made it literally into a roll from the inside to out. Kanpyo, marinated shiitake, kyuri, ebi oboro, kurumaebi, anago, a sweet dashitamagoyaki, and cucumbers. Superb.
Discovered a Chablis 1er cru that paired fantastic with sushi and I bet this one would be a winner with N/Naka’s bento particularly the shellfish items
Yeah when I removed the lid for the sushi platter, the aromas were amazing to say the least! The rolls were not, and madai had no sauce but the natural flavors shined nicely.
I missed kohada in this omakase by about one or two days…
@J_L
yes they’re artichoke hearts! A fun protein substitute that totally worked.
@paranoidgarliclover
Though no socarrat, The paella was delicious and the rice took on a great sweet, caramel flavor.
The ginger bite in the soup was perfect, as were the slices of ginger that seemed to vary in size. I love getting unexpected bursts of flavor that also vary, like a more substantial slice of ginger vs smaller slice.
That brownie was so called for! The rice krispie was pleasant but I’m a tough judge because they’re my favorite treat.
Pistachio gelato, strawberry gelato from Bulgarini, and strawberry ice cream from Antico.
Taste test: Bulgarini strawberry is less intense, sweeter, reminds me of Maeda Ichigo ice cream, Bulgarini’s is more expensive than Antico’s I prefer Antico’s and declare it the winner
Bulgarini’s pistachio is hard to beat though
My wife and I have been on an ice cream kick, I almost went to Carmela’s to see if they had their strawberry buttermilk which used to be my favorite strawberry ice cream.
But maybe you just don’ know enough Italians? The ones I know are thinking about just a few things ALL the time (and gelato happens to be one of those things).
I imagine they’d be so completely horrified by what passes for Italian food in most of America and would probably be okay w/ paying $35/pint for amazing gelato once in awhile, if that’s what it took to get the good stuff…
On a totally unrelated note, someone on Nextdoor said said she was new to the area and asked for recs for “authentic” Mexican and specifically said “no Tex-Mex.” She got recs for Lares and Don Antonio (which I both love but would never recommend for something looking for “authentic” Mexican), Tocaya (WTF???), and… CASA ESCOBAR in Santa Monica. GROSS!!! The food there borders on inedible.
Thank God some people wrote about Monte Alban, Chichen Itza, and Holbox.
I’m all for gluttony, but $35 for a pint of ice cream is absurd. I paid $26 (with tax and tip) for Antico’s strawberry this past weekend. It was obscenely good, but it’s an embarrassing amount of money to spend on something like that, even if one has the means.
. Washed it down with a cold brew from Peet’s not far away
