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.

Taxim: A Mediterranean Experience

         Stumbling upon Wicker Park, you find people spilling out of laid-back bars and cozy looking restaurants. Wicker Park referred to by some as “hippie town” is a neighborhood where you can never be too casually dressed and should be ready to talk to some friendly Midwesterners. It is the perfect place to get casual drinks and dinner with friends. Unexpectedly, tucked away in Wicker Park is Taxim, a Greek restaurant serving up delicious food and a fun decor. The unassuming almost dark exterior, which we passed by without realizing it was our destination, does not prepare the diner for the ambiance within. The ornate chandeliers, hanging from the domed ceilings, dimly light the waiters carrying the dishes on golden trays to the guests in the decorated seats. Resembling a Grecian palace with an Meditarranean feel, the restaurant steers just clear of cheesy, evoking a more fun atmosphere that does not take itself too seriously.

Photo courtesy of Taxim Website

          In deciding what to order, we were severely limited as the majority of main dishes were not vegetarian. We instead decided to order with an assortment of hot and cold appetizers, in my opinion, always more fun anyways. The beginning the meal, consisting of a basic Greek salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, feta, olives and onions coated in oil, is how I wish the majority meals would start. The fresh ingredients and simple tastes did not disappoint . The second small dish, politiki style wood fire roasted eggplants with sesame and house-made pita was my favorite dish of the night. The eggplants proved the perfect topping for the pita and left us scraping the plate with our spoons once the pita was gone. The third small dish, roasted red beets with greens, Thracian style walnut skoralia and Feta, combined just the right number of ingredients to create a clean but creative flavor. The combination of the base of the beets with the tartness of the feta and overtone of walnut was delicious. The fourth small dish of green lentils, barrel fermented sheep’s feta, balsamic reduction and semolina bread, was a nice side to our other dishes. The plainer green lentils were filling and dense without as much flavor as the other dishes.
   The fifth dish, not that I am counting at this point, of wood-grilled octopus, fennel root and red onions, combined simple and fresh ingredients with the delicious fish for a delicious finishing touch.     

Photo courtesy of Taxim Website

   Although filled from our variety of small plates, we could not deny ourselves a traditional greek dessert of rolled phyllo pastry with almonds, walnuts and cretan clotted cream. Living up to expectations, the dessert’s combination of the flaky layers of the phyllo pastry with the nutty interior satisfied my sweet tooth for Greek goodies.

            Overall, Taxim serves traditional Greek fare with fresh, delicious ingredients, making for a dining experience that not only satisfies the taste buds but makes you forget you are in Chicago.

Taxim: 1558 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL 60622

(773) 252-1558

http://taximchicago.com/index.html

Mon.-Thurs. 5:30 p.m. -10 p.m., Fri. –Sat. 5:30 p.m. – 11 p.m., Sun. 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Girl and the Goat

           This post is a bit delayed as I have put off writing about my experience at Girl and the Goat, one of the most talked about new restaurants in Chicago. Started by Stephanie Izard, winner of Top Chef, the restaurant was nominated for the 2011 James Beard best new restaurant award. Despite its three-month waiting list, the unassuming restaurant welcomes walk-ins at its communal tables. Naturally, the night we had planned to go was the night of a massive blizzard in Chicago. As a reward for making our way through the blizzard, there was no wait for a table once we arrived. Seated at one of the long tables in the dimly lit, cavernous restaurant that somehow maintained a cozy feel, we immediately felt part of a communal dining experience. The menu featured a variety of small plates, all for sharing. Unsurprisingly, from the name of the restaurant, the vegetarian options were not abundant. While I don usually mention the bread at a restaurant, the bread was a part of the culinary experience. The beet bread accompanied by a spread of goat cheese spiked our excitement of the meal to come. 

             For our first course, we settled on the roasted cauliflower with pickled peppers, pine nuts and mint. The combination of textures and subtle and spicy tastes made for an complex but fresh taste.

            The second course, grilled sepia with hazelnut-parsnip puree and smoked tomato bonito, combined the toughness and simplicity of the sepia with the soft but sharp taste of the tomato.

            The third course, steamed mussels with goat sausage croutons, cilantro and a bit of Caesar, allowed the fresh taste of the fish to stand on its own, the seasoning simply accentuating this taste.

            However, the pinnacle of the meal without question was the chocolate cake combined with pomegranate seeds, left milk compote and chocolate ice cream. It was one of those dessert experiences that you just don’t want to end. This dessert is on my top ten desserts in all of Chicago, of which I have tried quite a few. Overall, the meal was surprisingly affordable for a restaurant which has generated such hype and such a long waiting list. Each of the dishes ranges from $10 to around $20 and it is suggested that each person gets around two. Although if splitting the dishes, that can even be too much food.

While the meal at Girl and the Goat can be classified as a culinary experience necessary to try at least once, it is not a place that I will become a regular. The tastes were delicious but left a heavy feeling due to the richness of the ingredients. 

            Even if I do not make it back to Girl and the Goat, I definitely plan on trying Little Goat, Izard’s new restaurant that is planned to open this summer. Little Goat will be a spin-off on the traditional diner replete with a bar, shuffleboard table, photo booth and of course delicious food.

Girl and the Goat: 809 W. Randolph Street, Chicago, IL 60607

(312) 492-6262

http://www.girlandthegoat.com/

Sun.-Thurs.: 4:30 p.m.-11 p.m., Fri.-Sat.: 4:30 p.m.-12 a.m.

Chilam Balam: Small Plates

Living without a car in a suburb of Chicago, getting into the city takes a little extra motivation. The celebration of the opening of the Boystown branch of Forever Yogurt with the distribution of free frozen yogurt for a year to the first fifty people in line, provided just the push. Forever Yogurt, a self-serve frozen yogurt place where the price is determined by the weight of your ice cream and toppings, is any frozen yogurt lovers’ dream. While I consider myself one of the top frozen yogurt fans, to my dismay we found a line of people who are a bit more loyal and had been there since hours before opening time. After watching a somewhat anticlimactic distribution of envelopes, we decided to walk to a Mexican restaurant we had wanted to try, Chilam Balam.

 Prepared for a long wait, we were unsurprised that the tiny yet boisterous restaurant located down a small flight of stairs was packed at 7 p.m. on a Friday night. After a 45-minute wait, we were seated at one of the small tables and confronted with a small menu that we soon discovered is changed monthly. The menu features a variety of small dishes all for table sharing. The likable and honest waitress informed us that the shitake mushroom empanadas we had planned to order were not the best the restaurant had to offer. Confronted with dishes with names from “memelas” to “flautas” to “succotash gorditas” we decided to rely mainly on the waitress’ selections.

Roasted cauliflower with chimichurri, jicama, pineapple, cucumber and mango. 

The first two dishes were the corn masa memelas and the roasted cauliflower with jicama, pineapple, cucumber and mango. The memelas were a delicious start to the meal, the savory black beans topped with goat cheese was a perfect complement to the simple but tasteful corn exterior of the memela. Yet the cauliflower dish, although a beautiful presentation, did not quite compete. The combination of mango and cauliflower was inventive and served for a fresh side but the spiciness of the sauce took away from the otherwise clean flavor of the dish. We followed these dishes with the grilled vegetable succotash gorditas and the grilled salmon. The grilled vegetable succotash, although not quite as good as the memela, was also delicious in its bean and veggie interior and corn exterior. The quintessential salmon complemented with wild rice, was similarly light yet filling, but less original than the other dishes on the menu.
Upon looking at the website later in the night we found our surprisingly honest waitress was actually the owner of the restaurant, Soraya Rendon. According to the website Soraya had moved to the U.S. at the age of 18 and only a few years later had learned English and played an integral role in the creation of the restaurant. The down to earth feel of the owner serving her own dishes only adds to the charm of the restaurant.

Overall this Mexican restaurant stands out from its competition due to its evident dedication to  obtaining its ingredients from local farms. The freshness of its ingredients in confluence with its inventive combinations create simultaneously rich yet clean feeling meal. The fun atmosphere is enhanced by the encouragement to BYOB in addition to the many small dishes that make for a fun experience. 

Chilam Balam: 3023 N. Broadway Street, Chicago, IL 60657

(773) 296 - 6901

http://www.chilambalamchicago.com/

Tues - Thurs: 5 p.m. - 10 p.m., Fri - Sat.: 5 p.m. - 11 p.m.

Sustainable Dining at Brown Trout

This weekend my mother came to visit me on one of the coldest weekends in Chicago this winter. As the temperature dropped to a biting zero degrees, the thought of outdoor sightseeing chilled us to our bones. We instead chose to focus her trip on a culinary tour of Chicago. We began our gustatory weekend with Thursday night dinner at Brown Trout. The restaurant is the brainchild of Chef Sean Sanders who decided to create this restaurant while honeymooning with his wife in New Zealand. Hoping to emulate the sustainable lifestyle of New Zealanders in the U.S., Chef Sanders uses sustainable foods with seafood from natural waters, meat from sustainable farms and vegetables and herbs from their own garden. 

Located in the North Center area of Chicago, the restaurant has a natural décor of chestnut colors with a long communal table in the center, creating a warm ambiance. Wanting a filling meal to warm us from the cold, we chose to get two main courses. My mother ordered the seared tuna which was accompanied by grilled lettuce and cauliflower. As my mom loved the dish so much, I only snagged a small bit. From the small bite simplicty I did get of the dish, the fresh flavor of the tuna was apparent.  My trout was equally delicious in its fresh. The trout itself was glazed in a carrot ginger sauce that only served to enhance the flavor. The plate was decorated with grilled brussel sprouts and an assortment of chestnuts and mushrooms, which unexpectedly served as the perfect compliment. We were so satisfied by the meal, we made a decision we rarely make. We decided to forego the dessert, wanting to preserve the clean taste left by the meal. The moderately priced Brown Trout impresses with its simplicity and freshness.

Brown Trout: 4111 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL
(773) 472-4111
http://www.browntroutchicago.com/Default.html
Sunday: 11 a.m.-3 p.m., 5 p.m.-10 p.m., Wed.-Thurs. 5 p.m. - 10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 5 p.m.-11 p.m.

Karyn's Raw Café: Vegan Chicago Pizza

The wintertime in Chicago drives the heartiest of souls into the depths of their comforters, ordering take-out from any and every restaurant that offers free delivery. My friend and I fought this common inclination to trek from Evanston to downtown Chicago to try Karyn’s Cooked, a vegan restaurant, started by Karyn Calabrese, a proponent of holistic health. Starving from our brief trek through the cold and sleet and our stint huddling with strangers under the heat lamps waiting for the ever delayed El trains, the cozy café with warm lights was a welcome destination. Passing by the pastry case filled with notoriously good vegan goodies on the way to our table, we resolved to save room for the desserts. We began the meal with the Ron’s Salad, a disappointingly conventional mixture of garden greens. While the salad was complimented by a tasty dressing, it was not enough to salvage the lack of originality of the rest of the salad. For our main meal we split the Jerry’s Pizza. The whole-wheat crust was topped with an subtly sweet but natural tasting tomato sauce topped with bits of vegan cheese, wild mushrooms, olives, broccoli, fresh garlic and basil. The crunchiness of the whole-wheat wrap in addition to the plentiful helping of vegetables created a wholesome and satisfying meal. This vegan concoction may not have been a typical slice of pizza, but it may just have topped my list for best Chicago pizza. After devouring my half of the pizza and feeling more than pleasantly full, we still decided to stick to our pact to split two desserts.

Upon asking our waiter the best option, he guaranteed we would love the carob cake or it would be on him. Although neither of us had ever tried carob cake before, we decided to go along with the waiter’s ringing endorsement and ordered the German Chocolate Carob Cake along with the Carrot Cake. We later found out that carob is a legume from carob trees, flush with vitamins, protein and fiber. Additionally it has three times the amount of calcium as chocolate, one third less calories, seventeen times less fat and none of the caffeine (I definitely hope to use this in desserts at home!). Our table was soon decorated with a massive slice of chocolate cake topped with chocolate icing and coconut shavings in addition to the more understated carrot cake topped with a generous supply of icing. As we took the knife to cut each of the slices in half to ensure that we got equal amounts of the baked goodness, the dryness of the cake was apparent.  Although the icing did not disappoint the cake itself was stale in both the carob and carrot cakes.

Overall, the meal was delicious, despite the disappointment of  the dessert. The waiter stuck to his promise to pay for the carob cake, eliciting our promise to return and give the desserts another try. Although in no hurry to try the carob cake again, we had no problem committing to returning to the restaurant to try the other items on the menu.

Karyn's Raw Café: 1901 North Halstead, Chicago, IL 60614
(312) 225-1590
http://www.karynraw.com/Raw-Cafe
Sun. - Sat. 9 a.m. - 10 p.m.