Recipe: Hiyashi Chuka (Cold sesame ramen salad)

It's mid Summer here in San Francisco and the heat is turning everyone to cool salad dishes. One of my Seasonal favourites is this cold salad ramen dish. You can top it with just about any leftovers or vegetables you have in the fridge!

Hiyashi Chuka (Cold sesame ramen salad)

Noodle salad:

1 pack of fresh ramen noodles 

1 boiled egg

1/4 cup diced ham or chicken

1/4 cup julienne carrot

1/4 cup julienne cucumber

1/4 cup sweet corn

2 tbspn benishoga pickled red ginger

Dressing:

3 tbspn Japanese rice vinegar 

2 tbspn soy sauce 

2 tbspn sugar 

2 tspn sesame oil

Method

• Buy good quality fresh wheat ramen noodles at your local Asian supermarket like Sun noodles "instant ramen" style noodles will not do this justice
• Follow the instructions on the noodle packet - generally boiling in water for 2 mins until al dente is enough
• Pour your noodles into a strainer and rinse with cold water, this cools the noodles as well as removing the starch.

• You can prepare the noodles early and cool in the fridge but if you do this you should sprinkle with a half tbspn of sesame oil and then shake the oil through the noodles so they do not stick together. 
• In a small jar mix the dressing ingredients - vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil. If you cannot find rice vinegar white vinegar  will work as a substitute

• Dice your salad vegetables and cold meat and slice your egg
• You can use whatever you have in the fridge - cold meat, vegetables and pickles. This combination of egg, meat, cucumber, corn, carrot and Japanese pickled ginger (benishoga) & eggplant (shibazuke) are classic.
• For a vegetarian / vegan adaptation omit the meat and egg and replace with firm silken tofu and more veges. 
• Lay the noodles into a shallow bowl and then arrange the salad ingredients on top - using contrasting colours adds to the effect
• Serve the dressing on the side so that the diners can add at the last minute - this ensures the noodles stay chewy and the salad ingredients crisp and fresh
• Serve with your favourite sushi and a cold drink!

Review: Izakaya Kou, San Francisco

Izakaya are Japanese gastro pubs that serve up small tapas style plates that pair well with your favourite drink or 10. Unsurprisingly this makes it one of my favourite cuisines, and in particular it's great for large parties where everyone can find something to nibble while you chat and drink. 

Izakaya Kou is one of my favourite establishments to take visitors to San Francisco. There's great nibbles, import Kirin on tap and it's not far from our house in Japantown. Kou makes a great stop for work drinks or after a theatre visit in Japantown or the Fillmore district. 

The plates are fairly small which allows you to have a little bit of everything, buy a table full and share with your friends!

Tsukemono $5USD

Start with something light and nibbly while you peruse the menu. Their pickles are a mix of store bought and fresh Japanese vegetables like daikon, nasubi, carrots and cucumbers

Edamame $4USD

Boiled salted edamame are beloved by just about everyone and the fresh sea salt makes the ice cold beer go down faster.

Maguro sashimi $10USD

Raw tuna is one of my favourite things in the world. Sadly I think this tuna has been frozen but is still well textured and tasty. There are a number of healthy alternatives like this sashimi, vegetables and vegetarian sushi if one is trying to eat sensibly, though that can be hard when everyone else digs into the beer and fried delights. 

Kou sashimi $18USD

Raw salmon, big eye tuna and yellowtail are served on a fresh bed of ice with shiso leaf and wasabi. The fish is fresh and reasonably well cut and the decoration is sweet even if inedible garnishes annoy me. 

Gyoza $6USD

Who doesn't love dumplings and beer? These gyoza are freshly made with super thin skins and a light  pork filling with lots of scallion. If you're not adventurous these are delicious for any age and  contain no seafood. 

Tori karaage $7USD

Once the drinking starts it's time for some fried food. Their karaage chicken is slightly spicy but lightly breaded in a sesame batter that is crisp without being too oily. The spicy pepper aoili that comes with it is not traditional but is simply delicious.

Chicken Tsukune $6USD

Tsukune are one of my favourite bar snacks that we discovered after a boozy night out in Kyoto. Ground chicken is spiced with garlic and ginger and then grilled with a sweet barbecue sauce. I generally recommend several of these since they disappear in a snap.

Okonomiyaki $12USD

Okonomiyaki is some of the best drinking food there is. Mixed vegetables are stir fried with egg then formed into a cake (think Japanese bubble and squeak) and doused in toppings. The okonomiyaki at Kou is made with American smokey bacon which pairs swimmingly with the sweet sticky sauce and mayonnaise. Topped with heapings of shaved dried tuna, scallion and seaweed this is all kinds of savoury deliciousness. Okonomiyaki is very hard to find in the US and this is a great rendition. 

Beef tataki $10USD

Raw beef is lightly seared and served with red onion and a lovely herb salad. The beef is corn fed but the preparation is very nice. 

Kabocha croquette $8USD

This is their winning dish, soft morish and delicious, fried but not heavy yet sticky and savoury. Prepared a little like a vegetarian Scotch egg with a soft boiled egg in the middle covered in mashed kabocha squash, breaded fried, then covered in sticky okonomiyaki sauce. Yum!

Best enjoyed in groups!

Izakaya Kou also has some more standard Japanese fare like soba or ramen noodles, sushi and tempura. There are plenty of vegetarian options like salads, gratins and tofu dishes. They also have a fair number of grilled meat options like bacon wrapped asparagus, kurobuta pork sausage or crispy pork belly. The staff will also bring gluten free soy and other options if required, all in all this makes it a great destination for groups with varied food requirements. 

Admittedly the service can be a bit variable; on the weekend they sometimes seem overwhelmed but as a mid week destination for a small group or a date it's a great option. There are small party rooms available for those seeking privacy - booking is recommended and a $200 minimum spend is required. 

Izakaya Kou

http://www.izakayakou.com/

1560 Fillmore St

San Francisco, CA 94115
(415) 441-9294

Japanese gastro pub and small plates

Imari, Hilton Waikoloa Hawaii

During our trip to Hawaii we stayed at the Hilton Waikoloa Resort which is an absolute flagship location for the Hilton brand. Honeymooners and group activities abounded and the entire location was magical. Set on acres and acres of sculpted gardens the resort features live Pacific animals, a central lagoon and of course numerous high end restaurants. 

Imari is the Japanese fusion restaurant at Hilton Waikoloa with fresh modern American Japanese food and fresh Hawaiian ingredients. 

The restaurant is set in a floating teahouse pavillion setting surrounded by gorgeous Koi ponds. If you have kids or just love fish they offer a nightly fish feeding at sunset. 

Of course it wouldn't be a team event without a few drinks. The drink options were varied and suited to each taste - Japanese specials like sake and Japanese imported beers were available. Tropical and classic cocktails and high quality wines also abounded.

Oshinko $5USD

I love Japanese pickles while drinking they offer a sharp bite between cocktails to cleanse the palette.

Vegetarian hosomaki - kappamaki and kanpyomaki $5USD each

Vegetarians needn't miss out at a sushi restaurant these traditional small rolls using fresh cucumber and pickled gourd are a great choice. 

Assorted sushi - tekkamaki $12USD, Imari Roll $20USD and Hawaiian Rainbow Roll $18USD

Both traditional and modern American sushi rolls were available to every taste. The rainbow roll featured a large number of fresh local seafood options with avocado and cream cheese - like an ultra decadent California roll. The Imari roll was a fried tempura shrimp topped with spicy tuna and green onion. 

Note that they were careful to separate the seafood hosomaki to ensure the vegetarian plate was unsullied. This kind of attention to detail shows the kind of excellent customer service one would expect at such a first class Hilton establishment.

Assorted sashimi - 15 pieces $39USD

Large and small sashimi samplers were available but both featured fresh tuna, salmon, walu, hamachi and squid.

As well as our vegetarian comrade the resort was wonderfully in catering to a gluten free diner in our group as well. They ensured that there were plenty of sashimi and sushi options that were suitable to his diet restrictions. They also made sure to use wheat free soy sauce on all of the shared dishes and provided tamari for dipping with the sushi.

Hiyashi Chuka $15USD

Hiyashi chuka is the perfect dish for tropical settings - a cold seasoned noodle salad made with sesame dressing in the yoshoku "Western Japanese food" style. 

Marinated beef kushiyaki $16USD

Kushiyaki are small bites grilled on sticks and this beef was perfectly seasoned with soy and sesame with green onion.

Miso butterfish $28USD

Rich butter fish is seasoned in a miso sauce and served with tempura grean beans and sauces.

Macadamia Nut Tofu Katsu $16USD

Tofu has a really bad rap in the US and it's often presented in really boring fashion but Imari elevated it with this Japanese/Hawaiian fushion cutlet dish.

Tempura banana split $15USD

Banana fritters are fried in a tempura style batter and topped with cream, fruit and toasted coconut.

All in all it was a great experience - the customer service was immaculate and they tended to our dietary needs with great care. The drinks were plentiful and the food was delightful, it suited perfectly the mixed Asian and Western holiday crowd at the resort. The restaurant was beautifully designed and who can beat a Hawaiian sunset setting? Much recommended if you are lucky enough to find yourself at this tropical paradise.

Imari

http://www.hiltonwaikoloavillage.com/dining/imari

69-425 Waikoloa Beach Drive
Waikoloa Village, HI 96738
Ph (808) 886-1234

Modern Japanese/Hawaiian fusion and Teppanyaki in a tropical resort setting