Restaurant Review: Ryoko’s

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A few blocks from Union Square, tucked away on Taylor Street (between Sutter and Post) you’ll find Ryoko’s. This late night, hole-in-the-wall sushi joint has been turning out quality sushi, sashimi, and other Japanese fare for the past 23 years.

With its nondescript entrance, Ryoko’s can be pretty easy to miss—that is, unless you go during peak hours and see the line of people out the door. The restaurant is actually located below street level, so once you step inside you descend a set of stairs to reach the dining area. The atmosphere inside is warm and inviting. Cave-like, even. It’s the type of place where you think “Cool, I had no idea this place was here.” Lighting is dim, ceilings are low, and the walls are painted a deep cobalt blue. The brightly-lit sushi bar takes up half the space, while small tables set close together take up the rest. There’s a baby grand piano squeezed in amidst everything too, though I have yet to see anyone play it.  Overall it’s cozy and lively.

Everyone that arrives is greeted by the staff with a boisterous “IRRASSHIMASE!” which means “welcome” in Japanese. It’s in all caps because they literally shout it at you. With Ryoko’s being the popular place that it is, people are always walking in so you hear a constant sing-song of “IRRASHIMASE!” throughout the night. It’s not too noticeable though, given the high decibel degree. If anything, it just adds to the friendly and jovial vibe of the place.

On to the food.  The food here is simple, not flashy.  It’s best to order from the daily specials board above the bar. That’s where you’ll find the freshest stuff. If they have it, I recommend the Hamachi Toro (toro being the fattiest part of the fish). It’s flown in from Japan so it’s not too cheap—usually $9 for two pieces—but my god, the flavor and buttery texture…perfection!

Hamachi Toro (and some other fish I can’t remember)

The sushi rolls are decent. They’re not fancy, but they’re executed nicely and the fish is always fresh. However, the portion sizes are a bit small in comparison to other places of the same caliber quality and price range. [SIDE NOTE: for fancy sushi at reasonable prices, check out Sushi Bistro in the Richmond.] Specialty rolls range from $7-$14.50 and usually only comprise of five pieces (sometimes six, if it’s a smaller roll). Continue reading →

Snack Time in Brussels

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Hello Brussels, I never thought I would be in you, but here I am—fresh from a Eurostar trip from London. I brought my friend Nick Savage; he’s never been to Europe, so this visit is extra exciting to him. I hear you have waffles and fries? Beer too, I do love your beer. And chocolate, of course—who can forget? Oh, right and you have mussels! Holy cow Belgium, is there anything else to do besides eat?

The Magnificent Grand Place in Brussels

Three days in Brussels was a perfect break between London and Paris. With no real plans, Nick and I arrived to Gare du Midi expecting some art nouveau architecture and some fries. We did not expect to find a real snacking culture in Belgium that is completely lacking in other parts of Europe (France, Italy—no snacks). In this two-part post, I’ll take a look at a couple of the defining foods that make a visit to Belgium a worthwhile experience, especially for anyone who likes to eat.

Waffles
There are two main types of waffles in Belgium: gaufres de Bruxelles and gaufres de Liege, named after their respective cities of origin. Bruxelles waffles are similar to the types of waffles Americans are accustomed to eating. They are made from a batter similar to pancake batter. Once they are cooked on a cast-iron waffle maker, they are light and chewy on the inside and remind me a bit of funnel cake. Liege waffles are made from dough and are a bit denser. What really makes them special is that they are made with pearl sugar, so when the waffles are cooked, the sugar caramelizes and forms a great sugary crust on the outside.

Gaufre de Liege with Strawberries

Upon arriving in Brussels we immediately sampled both types, plain, just to be fair and objective. Liege waffles were absolutely our favorite; I don’t think we even bothered with gaufres de Bruxelles after that initial taste test. Nick wisely declared that a proper waffle is neither a cake nor a cookie, but rather something in between. Sure, the Liege waffles we had were good enough to eat on their own as we wandered through the Grand Place, but who could resist the seemingly endless list of optional toppings? Fresh fruit, Chantilly cream, Nutella, chocolate, and of course, ice cream. While there are several places to get a waffle in Brussels, especially around the Grand Place, we always ended up at a tiny waffle shop that seemed to be run by a gaggle of teenage girls. Continue reading →

HOT POT OR NOT: Where to Soak in Reykjavik

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When visiting Reykjavik, you will notice the same street sign all over town: a head floating above two squiggly lines and an arrow. This is the universal symbol for “hot pot.”

This way to the hot pot!

In Iceland, the hot pot–their term for what others may call a pool, hot tub or public bath–is an integral part of the culture. Many Icelanders regularly visit hot pots to relax, catch up with friends, gossip and debate the latest political issues. Since the water is geothermally heated and not treated with any chemicals, visiting the hot pot is also considered part of a healthy routine.

No trip to Iceland is complete without at least one hot pot stop, and if you’re staying for more than a couple days it’s worth it to fit in a few. But if you only have time for one, it can be difficult to figure out where to go given that there are so many in Reykjavik alone and each offers a distinct experience.

On one end of the spectrum there’s the spa-like hot pots with huge pools, on-site cafes and additional services like massages and facials. On the other end are the no-frills municipal hot pots, which are closer to community pools. So which will give you the best hot pot experience?

Laugardalslaug

Representing the municipal hot pots is Laugardalslaug, the largest in Reykjavik and considered by many to be the nicest. It has all the facilities you’d expect to find: six hot pots at different temperatures ranging from 37 to 42 degrees Celsius (98.5 to 108 degrees Fahrenheit), indoor and outdoor swimming pools kept at moderately warm temperatures, a sauna and a steam bath. Additionally, there are two water slides into the large outdoor pool, which are great fun for kids (and adults). Laugardalslaug is Continue reading →

Wine for the Weekend, Vol. III: Acre and Red Diamond

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It’s that time again for a new installment of our cityseekr featured series, Wine for the Weekend. Last time we gave you our impressions on two delicious wines from Bogle Vineyards on the Sacramento Delta. This week we’ll be looking at two wines selected from the shelves of Trader Joe’s: Acre Russian River Chardonnay and a Shiraz from a favorite label of mine, Red Diamond. Both wines can be had for a mere $7.99 each, or perhaps even less.

In addition to being featured on TJ’s “Frequent-Flyer” mailer, the cashier mentioned that the staff had a tasting event earlier that week and the Acre Chardonnay was a favorite among most of them. It was hard to determine if this sudden showering of praise upon this lesser-known chardonnay was indeed authentic, or merely a ploy to quickly sell the bottles they have. After tasting the wine for myself, I came to the conclusion that perhaps it was a mixture of both.

The 2011 Acre Russian River Valley Chardonnay (ABV: 13.5%) is an exclusive among Trader Joe’s much celebrated stock of affordable, but delicious wines–known colloquially as “Two-Buck Chuck.” There is some mystery surrounding who actually makes the wine, given that the bottle is an exact replica of the much more expensive wines produced by the now-defunct Acre Wine Company. However, despite the confusion surrounding the wine’s genesis, it really isn’t that bad at all. I’ll be the first to admit that Chardonnay is not my favorite grape, and while some winemakers really understand how to bring out its subtle complexities, a much larger number, in my opinion, can’t  seem to get it right at all. Like the reasoning behind Trader Joe’s sudden “craze” for this particular wine, I feel that the Acre Chard doesn’t necessarily get it right, or wrong–but somehow meets somewhere in the middle. Don’t look for something to knock your socks off, but also, don’t expect to spit out your first sip. I’d recommend this as the perfect PC wine to bring to a party or event.

Label: 5/5 (Despite being a copy, the label is indeed quite attractive)

Aroma: 4/5 (Nice, complex fruity/floral aroma)

Flavor: 3/5 (A little too dry for me; flavors tend to messily blend together instead of remaining distinct)

As I mentioned earlier, my experiences with the Red Diamond label have always been good. I’ve tried many of their reds and whites (their white wines are inferior, in my opinion, to the reds) but never happened to stumble upon the 2008 Red Diamond Shiraz offering until only recently. Shiraz is another name for the Syrah grape, which is a personal favorite of mine. I typically enjoy the peppery and rich flavors that often accompany the wines made from these particular grapes. However, I never really tasted a Shiraz that had such full-bodied, fruit-like qualities as this charming Red Diamond selection. In fact, the hints of pepper and chocolate I had come to expect from Syrah/Shiraz was noticibly subdued if not completely absent–which, to me, was unfortunate. However, the refreshingly smooth texture of the wine combined with a very distinct flavor of blackberries in the finish made this Red Diamond selection a very graceful and elegant wine for the price.

Label: 4/5 (Very interesting, if somewhat uninspired, minimalist design; the red and black colors are, of course, eye-catching)

Aroma: 3/5 (Nothing particularly captivating about the aroma; a rush of berries with a hint of spice)

Flavor: 4/5 (One point off due to a personal preference for a spicier Shiraz, but the flavor of this one is nothing short of smooth and delicious)

That about does it for this entry in our continuing series on delicious wines you can score on the cheap. As always, your comments and suggestions are always welcome. We hope you enjoy!

Have you tried the wines reviewed this week? What did you think? Let us know via the comments section, and don’t forget to follow cityseekr on Facebook or Twitter!