Archive for March, 2008

On my second stop on the culinary tour of Washington, D.C., we chose the country-French “bistro” if you will, called Bastille, located in Alexandria on N. Royal. It’s a small dining room, with a friendly waitstaff, bar dining, and plenty to choose from on their modernized French menu. This isn’t fussy French, old-school French; instead, it’s modern, tasty, and nostalgic, all at the same time.

Course 1

First up for me was a beet carpaccio, with freshly made Boursin cheese. Served with some garlic toasts, olive oil, and sea salt, this was a freshing, delicious combination. It’s something simple enough I could make at home, but something richly unusual that I wouldn’t have just “through up” on my own. Texture and flavors were sublime. More cheese and crisps would have made the dish even stronger.

My companion had their soup special, cauliflower and broccoli cream soup with crispy pancetta. He thought it was not salty enough, and could have used another element for “punch.” The amount of pancetta was lacking, in my visual opinion.

Course 2 Next up for me was foie gras “two ways.” I’ve had both before. A sweet accompaniment made the sautéed version delicious, it reminded me of the once great version served at 1 North Belmont in Richmond with cherries. The cold preparation was also good; it came alive with some sea salt on top. Delicious. I had hard time deciding between this one and a homemade duck trio, including duck prosciutto.

Our server was helpful, but he seemed stretched. Other servers and bussers were all very friendly. We really enjoyed the vibe at Bastille.

Course 3

Next was my entrée which was a special. “Melt in your mouth” beef short rib. This was served with oniony flair, trumpet mushrooms, and some creamy mashed potatoes. The “greens” weren’t my favorite, they were difficult to chew; but their flavor was a nice match.

The wine I was recommended was a real winner. It perfectly matched the mushroom flavors. For the life of me, I forget its name although I have it archived. It was French, and quite delicious.

My companion ordered their version of seafood stew. He liked most everything except for the fish, which seemed to be a salted cod. He compared it more favorably than others he’s had.

Course 4

For dessert, I had the 3-cheese plate. Again, I forget my options; one was a smooth creamy cheddar (unlike you’ve ever likely had, more like brie), and each had a little “side” flavor to go with the cheese. This by far was the most delicious aspect of the whole meal. Each cheese was unique, each one a rich combination of flavors that was simply divine, for mouth feel and texture, to the ripe flavors. Add a little sweet here, or some honey and nut there, and it was the highlight of the meal.

Bonus Course

Our waiter, he was a pushover for a taste of chocolate mousse. He was great in helping us get the name of my wine and the artist’s name whose work was featured on Bastille’s back wall. Their chocolate mousse was flavored with a liquor-masticated cherry and a shard of white chocolate. All together, a perfect ending and delicious both in flavors and in textures.

Final Thoughts

I am not sure if everything on Bastille’s menu is excellent; but with our server’s help, I had one winner after another. While the attention and details aren’t what you’ll find in a super fussy place with higher prices, the food here is honest, well-thought-out, and rich without being overbearing. And you can dine well here too, with special pre-theater, early-bird, and tasting menu options.

Makoto is located on MacArthur Boulevard NW in Washington, D.C.

I keep hearing about Japanese restaurants not being “the real thing,” and I’m psychologically disappointed to be missing out on what might actually be. With a trip to Japan out of the question in the near future, I’m always on the look out for more authenticity.

While in D.C., I noticed that Makoto scored on Washingtonian Magazine’s top 100 list, and after reading reviews promising authenticity, I had to try.

We arrived promptly at 8:57 PM, 3 minutes early for our reservation. I heard if you arrived 15 minutes late, they’ll charge your credit card (given at the time of reservation) $70. Well, you can imagine I was disappointed having to wait some 25 minutes for my seat. Be sure to wear “proper attire” whatever that means, and socks, as you have two options: wear your socks, or wear their slippers; no shoes are allowed.

We chose the “dinner” menu which was $60/person for the basics in what they term 7-10 courses, it depends on the nigh and the mood of the chefs. You can also upgrade certain items (I did two fish upgrades), and you can also upgrade your beef, should you choose it, to Kobe (Waygu). I didn’t do that; it was $20 alone for that upgrade.

The first course was interesting: a real sea shell filled with broth, mussel, and bamboo shoot. The broth was the most satisfying in terms of flavor; the other items were a bit bland. But it got you prepare for sure with tuning your mouth to more subtle flavors. Yeah, and it was flaming too.

The second course was a trio of items, including raw shrimp, calamari (with heads), and a vegetable dish. This was one interesting; I liked the wasabi sauce on the calamari and the sweet shrimp the best.

The best course was next: the sashimi.

This was the best tuna I’d ever eaten: it was creamy, flavorful, and like the best candy (although not sweet). Freshly grated wasabi (not horseradish) was presented, and it is far more mild than what you might be used to.

A bowl of very lightly flavored vegetables with beef. Subtle, for sure, but you appreciate the “raw” or “naked” flavors of these items. Intellectual.

The worst course was the crunchy fried soft-shell crab. This was awful, in my estimation. It was too crunchy, lacked crab flavor save for one bite, and was bitter in taste. The flavored salts on the edge of the plate were novel, but the dish was a failure in my book.

Next was a cooked fish dish: salmon in Yuzu (think lemon) and two seaweeds. I never care for seaweed; the green stuff was fine. The fish was flavorful, but overall, I wanted at this point for flavors to be getting stronger. This lacked punch in the strong flavor department.

Much better was the (small) 3-piece sushi course. Each piece was delicious, especially the last. My dining companion remarked at this point it wasn’t the best best he’d ever had, but all the seafood here was very fresh.

Next we diverged: he had cooked yellow tail tuna, it came charred on one side, rustic style. I had the beef with mushrooms. The flavors and texture of the meat were sublime. True art here.

Next to last was a small bowl of soba noodles. The broth I had was incredible, as I chose mushroom flavor. I could have eaten much more. The small mushrooms were hard to eat with my chopsticks.

The final course was light: fresh, cold ice, sweet, with the subtle flavors of aloe and yuzu. It was fitting to the aesthetic of the meal.

Despite all the variety, you don’t leave stuffed. I should mention the dining room is extremely small and tight (maybe 26 diners total would fit) but service is very attentive.

What I ultimately didn’t like about the experience were service related. The wait for a table. Being rushed-out at the end. I should not get a bill before I finish dessert. Come on. And while parties finishing earlier were offered an opportunity to order more food, we were not. “Time to go,” they must have been thinking. We were the last seating of the night.

Oh well, they won’t see me again. But don’t let that stop you—I think the experience was good enough and adventurous enough to warrant an entertaining, authentic meal with the myriad flavors of Japan.

A reader recently suggested I try TaraThai again at the Short Pump Mall. I’ve never been a huge fan; now I remember why.

The food tasted fine. But it was served cold. And service was an issue. See them buzzing around the queen bee? That’s where they hang out the entire time! Getting someone to come to your table is a royal chore, and when I asked for a refill, I was was given an eye.

Sorry; wasn’t too impressed. Voted best, sure…

Today I visited a Stuffy’s for lunch. Not the best idea. The sandwiches are hard to fold, and half the ingredients keep falling out. It was okay, but far too much bread, and not enough “dressing.”

Tonight I had a grand menu planned, sadly, two of the three dishes were lacking. My duck was a bit too dry (I don’t think it was my fault, entirely). The mashed potatoes turned out as soup. Yuck! Don’t ask.

But the dessert was a raving success. I attempted my own version of Zed’s Banana Chocolate Bread Pudding dessert. Yummo!

• brioche or other eggy-bread; torn
• half-half
• vanilla paste (or freshly scraped vanilla beans)
• dark chocolate shavings, nibs, or chunks
• 2 bananas
• 2 eggs
• rum
• sugar, powdered sugar

I wisked a few Tablespoons of sugar with the eggs; added vanilla; added half-half. Tore-up brioche, covered in custardy mixture. Splashed rum all over the lot; added and folded in sliced bananas and dark chocolate.

Let sit for 5-10 minutes; grease a baking pan with water.

Fill the pan with the mixture; it should be not dripping wet, but very moist.

Place the container in a water bath (bigger container with water) to insulate the baking dish. Bake from 45-60 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve warm. I garnished mine with powdered sugar.

To guild the lilly, as they say, a white chocolate custard sauce would have been awesome. Rave reviews from my 3 tasters.

I recently was searching out websites for Richmond places to eat, and came across Zed Cafe, a new venture that focuses on the local/responsible quality of ingredients.

Located on Richmond’s north side on Lakeside, Ave., Zed is located in what appears to be two former storefronts in a small strip mall, conveniently located right off I-95.

The space is modern, with original art adorning the walls, an exposed air duct following the ceiling, and spartan tables with butcher paper for covering. It reminded me in certain terms of Oxo in Charlottesville; here, however, the mood is darker, the ambiance less grand.

I started with a wonderful brioche and cheese “sandwich” appetizer with apples and walnuts. This dish was absolutely sublime. It was so good, in fact, I could have eaten a mountain of it. The textures and the flavor of butter, apple, an apple-spirit, and the cheese all came together in an interplay of texture, savory flavor and luxurious sweetness. I at once could forgive my dining partner for choosing the appetizer I wanted first, a marinated mozzarella salad with garlicky dressing. This was better.

My appetizer was good, but not superb. I ordered the crab cakes which were served amid a basil butter. Between the two broken cakes were cheesy grits (they were good).

The crab cakes were dusted in corn meal and fried; they lacked the cake-yness that many folks complain of; instead, it was mostly all crab on the plate. Nothing was wrong with this, of course; the flavor profile however was a bit bland. Some sort of sweet drizzle over the crab would have heightened flavors; more salt in the grits… we could have had a real winning combination. The size was good, not overly large.

Along with bread, I was getting full. But our waitress tempted us with desserts; I could not resist the idea of banana/chocolate bread pudding.

This is something I’d like to try and serve guests to my home; I know it couldn’t have been difficult. The flavors were delicious. It could have been even better with a real vanilla crème anglais sauce on top; maybe even one with some white chocolate folded in. Instead, we got simple whipped cream. Not awful, but a more sophisticated sauce, offering more wetness, and maybe even a more fragrant chocolate (a Guittard or even a Schaffenberger) would have sent this thing over the top.

We both would like to return to Zed. But a few notes:

• my dessert was served on a chipped plate.
• new silver is not brought out for each course; I think it should be.
• food service was quick.
• our waitress was a smoker. I didn’t like finding that out.
• our waitress bumped into another waitress twice. Tight spaces.

Umi Bistro restaurant is a new Japanese restaurant off W. Broad Street in Richmond’s far west end, across from the Short Pump mall.

While Umi features sushi as the star, for my first visit, I steered away from the seafood and instead tried one of their signature entrées: Plum Duck.

Before I get into the food, I wanted to make a few comments about the entire experience at Umi (or perhaps umi). The décor, fit and finish of the restaurant, etc., are on a higher-end than what you most likely expect from a new restaurant in a strip mall. Perhaps it is the “Bistro” portion of their name that elevates things. From a modern, lit bar area, to the dark wood floor, to the classy branding of the name on the wall and menus, Umi Bistro seems poised to be aiming at more cosmopolitan diners.

Being seated was an odd experience. I said as much to one in my party. “That was odd.” “Yes, it was,” he said. The server who showed us to the table lacked the experience that the atmosphere suggested. She stood in the way of us all being seated trying to hand out all the menus. Why they would have so many menus is beyond me… one for drinks… one for “special entrées” (some of which were sushi platters where it all looks like sushi candy wrapped in sweet, colorful sauces all over the plate), and then a real, honest-to-goodness menu. Variety wasn’t to be found in the menu. Instead, one of those check-off sheets for sushi contained all the real stuff: the special rolls, the uni (sea urchin), the eel rolls, etc., etc. So ordering was a sticky process when you had one copy (each) of the drink menu, the specials menu, and the sushi sheet. They gotta work on that.

That aside, their Umi Breeze drink was potent and refreshing. The plum duck I ordered was fine (the duck was plentiful and delicious) and was served with rice.

You can see from the photo it had a nice presentation from the kitchen. It wasn’t particularly starchy (with just a small bowl of rice), but I would have liked a different vegetable underneath other than cucumber. The waitress told me it was a favorite of hers, and the plum sauce came “straight from Japan.”

I know you cannot see it on the plate, but it reminded me (as did the presentation) of something you’d see in a fancier New York restaurant. Just like the bar, the floors, and the gradient of blue to black color on the walls… impressive, but dig deeper, and you began to tell it wasn’t the “real thing.”

The plate: the big rim around the plate wasn’t absolutely clean. It wasn’t dirty, per se, but it wasn’t spotless. It had residue on it, and lots of non-shiny spots, like it had come out of a dishwasher that wasn’t stocked with Cascade. Residue, for sure then, a small detail that I’d expect corrected for an otherwise tasty dish that was little more than duck and cucumber with a sweet sauce poured over top for $26.

I like Japanese cuisine, especially when it’s done right. For just opening, Umi wasn’t bad at all. The wait time was fine; the dining room was filing up by the time we left, and I left with the attitude that I’d like to return and try more of their menu. (Incidentally, our dining companions enjoyed their sushi.)

But if I might proffer any advice, it would be in the areas of detail. The small things can separate you from average to extraordinary.

1) Work on the customer experience at entry. 2) Simplify the menus and ordering. 3) Fix the hot/cold water control in the bathroom. 4) Ditch the paper napkins. This place deserves cotton.

I’m going to reserve my ratings until a future visit takes place.