A Flick Worth Salivating Over

Upon hearing at the outset of the movie that a sushi dinner at Chef Jiro Ono’s restaurant will cost a minimum of $300, a normal reaction might be that is a ludicrous price to pay for a meal. Yet after the movie, viewers leave eager to shell out that much and more for the exquisitely prepared sushi. This restaurant is housed underground in a subway station in Japan, yet is regarded as the best sushi in the world with three Michelin stars for proof. The documentary reveals the extraordinary care that goes into making each and every piece of sushi. From the trip to the fish market in which each fish is bought from a respective expert to the rice from a connoisseur, no expense is spared in the purchase of ingredients. Furthermore, the rigorous training period that each chef undergoes to work in the restaurant with an apprenticeship of ten years shows the standard of preparation.

In addition to some mouthwatering pictures of sushi, this film also provided some food for thought. The film highlights the problem of too much fishing that is causing a scarcity and even absence of some fish.

            Overall, a wonderful film that left me wanting to venture to Japan!

http://www.magpictures.com/jirodreamsofsushi/#

But in the meantime to satisfy the sushi craving that this movie is sure to create, check out some of the Eater.com picks for best sushi in NYC.

http://ny.eater.com/archives/2012/08/10_nyc_sushi_omakases_to_have_before_you_die.php

Chu Chai: Faux Meat

Fake meat not your thing? Mine neither…until I tried Chu Chai, a vegan Thai restaurant in Montreal that prides itself in its fake meat creations. This swanky restaurant with an outdoor area overlooking the busy street of St. Denis is a fun ambiance to try some daring food. Starting with the crispy seawood appetizer, which we had heard had been ranked as one of the best appetizers in Montreal, we were blown away. The fried seaweed in soy sauce coating was unbelievably delicious. We followed the appetizer with the “duck” in a simple garlic sauce. The duck was actually made from a form of seitan, and as a former meat eater, I can say that this was better than any real duck that I have ever consumed. We also got mixed vegetable dishes with sticky rice that had a complexity of flavor that was complemented with the perfectly cooked rice. The friendly waiter encouraged us to visit the restaurant stateside as the owner is hoping to open a branch in NYC in the near future!

http://www.chuchai.com/

(514) 843-4194

4088 rue St-Denis, Montreal H2W 2M5

Healthy Soft Serve

As an ice cream fanatic, I am constantly in search of the perfect form of ice cream, soft serve or frozen yogurt. While I am willing to spend time sampling many treats in my search for perfection, this weekend I made my own soft serve that came pretty darn close. Using this recipe that I found in Self Magazine, I decided to break the current heat wave in New York with the peanut butter, chocolate and banana frozen yogurt. This recipe can be a great a last minute decision as the few ingredients are probably currently in your fridge. The only preparation was freezing the two cups of greek yogurt (I used zero percent Fage) in an ice tray as well as 1/2 inch pieces of two ripe bananas in Ziploc bags. Throw these ingredients into any blender along with four teaspoons of peanut butter and chocolate chips with some cinnamon sprinkled on top and your healthy summer treat will be ready to eat!

Ingredients
2 six ounce containers of nonfat Greek yogurt, frozen in ice cube tray
2 small ripe bananas, frozen in 1/2-inch pieces
4 teaspoons peanut butter
Cinnamon
Optional chocolate chips

Preparation
1. In blender, combine yogurt cubes and bananas on high for around 3 minutes (be sure to periodically scrape the sides)
2. Add peanut butter and blend on high until has soft serve consistency
3. Optional stir in chocolate chips and add cinnamon

According to Self magazine
159 calories per 1/2 cup, 4 g fat, 19 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 10 g protein

Yoga to the People

In a place where people take pride in their Type A personalities and smartphones are a fifth limb, it is no wonder that yoga has become wildly popular to de-stress. Finding good and affordable yoga classes can be a challenge when it sometimes feels like the only two options are being a member of a swanky gym  that can run you up to $150 a month or buying individual classes at studios or spas that can be as much as $35 a class. Luckily for us New Yorkers, Yoga to the People offers donation based yoga classes seven days a week. With a suggested donation of $10, the studio runs on the donations of class members who can place money in a Kleenex box at the end of class.

A true departure from the aforementioned locations for yoga which display pristine studios, Yoga to the People emphasizes the introspection of the practice, ignoring outside factors such as the decor, other students or even the teacher. Started in 2006 by Greg Gumucio who previously worked with the founder of Bikram Choudhury Yoga, Yoga to the People has became wildly popular with an estimated 900 visitors per day to the NYC studio. As I entered the studio, I was skeptical of the close quarters where it seemed an impossible number of people had fit with eight people to a row. Yet the Vinyasa flow of the movements emphasized both flexibility and strength and there was some communal feeling with the other 60 people in the room focused on both the physical and calming effects of the yoga practice. I would definitely recommend this yoga to yogis and fitness aficionados as the warm temperature and pace of the class make for a challenging cardio workout.

I am definitely planning on reviewing more affordable or free yoga locales around the city, so let me know if you have any suggestions!

Yoga to the People

http://yogatothepeople.com/new-york/

Locations:

12 Saint Marks Pl. 2R New York, NY 10003

250 West 26^th Street 304 New York, NY 10001

115 W. 27^th Street New York, NY 10001

1017 6^th Ave. 38^th Street New York, NY 10018

Techy Snacks

Classic molten chocolate cake ice cream sandwiched
between a vegan chcocolate truffle banana cookie and
a gluten-free coconut almond cookie.

Although the combination of food and technology may not sound so appetizing, Coolhaus, offering gourmet ice cream sandwiches, may make you think otherwise. While the food truck craze is nothing new, the abundance of instantaneous deals offered by the trucks' own websites, twitter accounts and other food sites, such as Eater.com, are motivating to try the newest treats. I made my foray into this technological food craze in my search for a cool snack in midtown the other day. The Coolhaus food truck often tweets secret passwords that allow customers 50 cents off their purchase. Discovering the secret password of the day, I headed over the food truck. The menu offers creative ice cream flavors from butterscotch and rosemary candied bacon to the classic molten chocolate cake sandwiched in between the edible wrapper of a choice of cookies ranging from vegan chocolate truffle banana cookies to snickerdoodles. The flavors alone are enough to draw people from their offices for a midday snack, but a secret password for a deal makes it an irresistible indulgence.

http://eatcoolhaus.com/

Native Foods: Vegan Lunch Spot

Native Foods is a great vegan lunch spot with filling, healthy meals in a casual setting. Originally opened in Palm Spring in 1994, Native Foods now has many locations in the West and Midwest. The success of this restaurant is no surprise as it serves up healthy fare without fuss or overly expensive prices. With the founding goals of using organic and local ingredients, not harming animals and providing healthier meals for all, diners can feel good about eating at Native Foods.

           Placing our order at the register, we decided to split the Greek Gyro and the Yo Amigo Taco Salad. Both dishes were reasonably priced at under $10 each. The friendly woman behind the register offered us Native Foods customer cards, an easy sell once we found out we would have a complimentary beverage with signing up. The Watermelon Fresca, a combination of fresh watermelon juice, a touch of mint and sweetened with organic agave had a clean and refreshing taste. The first dish of the Greek Gyro included thinly sliced seitan sautéed with shallots on quinoa with steamed vegetables and kale. The large portion was filling and the fresh ingredients made for a healthy meal. Yet the many flavors blended together, leaving a more subtle and muted taste. The dish may have been better without the seitan as the quinoa was more than enough to create for a hearty base to the meal. For the second dish of the Yo Amigo Taco Salad, we asked to add their special Native chicken.  Despite the variety of ingredients, the salad tasted relatively conventional. The Native chicken, although moist, was a poor imitation of chicken and was not all that appealing in itself. In the future, I would skip over the salad in favor of the gyro or some of the quinoa concoctions, named soul bowls, on the menu. 

            We planned on finishing the meal with the samples by the register of their carrot cream cheese cupcakes, consisting of fresh grated carrots made with cinnamon and orange juice and topped with vanilla cheese frosting. The samples were delicious, but served their purpose and left us wanting to try more of their desserts. We settled on splitting one of their infamous Boogie Bars, banana bread with almonds, oats, coconut and chocolate chips. The description promised the bar would “make you boogie” and I could not agree more. Deliciously moist with pops of chocolate throughout, it made for a sweet end to the meal.

            Overall, the dishes at Native Foods will not blow you away in flavor, but if they serve their purpose in providing healthy, filling meals at reasonable prices. And the vegan desserts do not disappoint.

Native Foods: 1023 West Belmont Ave., Chicago, IL 60657

(773) 549-4904

http://nativefoods.com/

Mon. – Sun. 11 a.m. - 10p.m.

Chicago Diner: The Vegan Dive

Looks are deceiving. The old diner charm of this Chicago staple leads you expecting a meal of fried unhealthiness, but the Chicago Diner has been serving vegetarian fare since the early ‘80s. Arriving on a wintry night, we were unsurprised that the wait was over an hour. The tens of waiting diners were directed to wait in the heated tent at the back of the restaurant. Rewarded for our wait with tea and scone samples, it was hard to complain as we perused the menu. While the options at the Chicago Diner are healthy, they also satisfy fall under the category of comfort food with options ranging from potato skins to nachos to five alarm chili. Once seated, an hour or so later, we decided to split the avocado tostados and the gyro, recommended by the waiter. The avocado tostados combined healthy ingredients to make a hearty meal that could fill any Midwestern diner. But the standout of the meal was the gyro, a pita bread with sliced seitan with tzatziki sauce. This plain sounding dish was unbelievably tasty. Previously not a believer in seitan, a wheat based food referred to as an imitation meat, I was wary to try the dish. But the seitan was delicious and I have since changed my opinion, now considering it a food of its own rather than a mere substitute for another ingredient. The tzatziki sauce was a lightly zesty compliment to this dish. 

Although the meal was heartily tasty, I would be just as happy to go to the Chicago Diner for the dessert alone. Known for their vegan shakes in flavors from Choc Chip Cookie Dough to Lucky Leprechaun Mint to Chocolate Peanut Butter, this is an indulgent treat that can’t be passed. These vegan shakes do not use dairy products, but instead use beet sugar, real fruit and other natural ingredients to create sweetness. The shakes are deliciously rich, satisfying even the most diehard sweet tooth. I ordered the Lucky Leprechaun Mint and can say that it satisfied every expectation and more. The other dessert selections looked worth a try, but you cannot leave the Chicago Diner without trying one of their infamous shakes.

Chicago Diner: 3411 N. Halstead, Chicago, IL 60657

(773) 935-6696

http://www.veggiediner.com/wp/

Mon. –Thurs.: 11a.m. – 10 p.m., Fri. 11 a.m. – 11p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. – 11p.m., Sun 10a.m. – 10 p.m.