For Forks Sake Reviews

TAKASHI - Salt Lake City, Utah Review by Ryan Yokley

2009-12-13T17:24:00.001Z

Sushi isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of the high desert of Utah. In a place where the only significant body of water is the near-lifeless expanse of the Great Salt Lake, one could easily make the assumption that seafood isn’t road worth exploring. And so it is that most people visiting Utah for the world-class skiing, or to see the Mormon Temple square, get their buffalo burgers and their southwestern food fix and never look twice at places like Takashi.

Takashi is nestled in the middle of the Salt Lake City downtown, an area that still has some life on a Saturday night, but may seem, to the weekday traveler, like the ghost of a metropolis, rather than the largest, most populated city in the state. Just off Main Street, in view of the Trax metro light rail station, and just behind the zombie of the chain fondue relic of the 1980’s that is the Melting Pot, Takashi is a hip, Zagat-rated Japanese restaurant that’s packed with locals on the weekends. They come for the modern sushi bar and the trendy ambiance before jumping next door to the connected lounge Martine for an after-dinner cocktail.

The first thing a weekender will notice when stepping into Takashi, aside from the paper lanterns and giant mesh fish sculpture hanging from the ceiling, is the number of people waiting for a table. Takashi is not a huge restaurant, and its popularity leads to some waits, but there is a small bar in the restaurant where you can get drinks and even appetizers, and the hostess invites guests to either hang out there or at the neighboring Martine bar for a table to come available. The longest I’ve ever had to wait was an hour, but the average wait is about 30 minutes.

People coming for the sushi bar will be taken care of by one of Takashi’s numerous talented sushi chefs, who provide very personal service and are always eager to treat guests with the freshest ingredients and a nice mix of classical and fusion techniques. The table service is a little less personal, as the wait-staff always appears to have one too many tables to handle, but I’ve never had an order misplaced or the wrong roll brought to the table.

Let’s talk about the food now, shall we? Takashi has a fairly extensive set of appetizers and starters if you’re not there exclusively for the sushi. The green papaya salad with chile lime dressing and cilantro is a favorite, as well as the wonderfully crisp and flavorful cornmeal encrusted calamari. The appetizer on special was a pan-seared sablefish, prepared very simply with some shredded daikon and lotus. Takashi offers a few traditional non-sushi entrées for the non-fish eaters in the group. A range of tempura and sukiyaki, as well as some noodle dishes. The star here though, is the sushi. For Sushi, it’s hard to top Takashi in the Salt Lake area (without heading up to Park City, but that’s another review). All of their fish is flown in fresh every day, so while there is a premium for the luxury, all the fish we tried tasted clean and flavorful. Takashi mixes a traditional nigiri and sashimi menu with a set of fusion specialty rolls that should be experienced. Make sure to check the specials on the written menu adjacent the sushi bar. The Strawberry Fields roll, which mixes fresh tuna, strawberries and jalapeno peppers is a unique and surprisingly delicious original, and fans of salmon will want to give the Little Mermaid roll a try. There are also a number of vegetarian sushi offerings like the Buddha roll (tempura sweet potato and veggie) and riceless rolls such as the Summit roll, which replaces the typical nori wrap with thinly sliced cucumber. As this is the Utah, there are a number of spicy and southwestern inspired creations such as the Ceviche roll with a very sharp lemon sauce accompaniment.

The roll special was a sablefish and tobiko roll with seasame and habanero sauce that was fair. Deserts change at Takashi, and the wait staff will provide a separate dessert menu on completion of your meal. We had the crepe dessert which paired fresh fruit and custard in a basic sweet crepe, and the rum chocolate torte which had a nice bittersweet flavor. The real star of the dessert however was the heavenly black sesame ice-cream that came paired with the torte.

There is a full selection of sake, beer and mixed drinks available, as well as a curious mix of non-alcoholic drinks. Give the lavender soda a try.

To sum up, Takashi is a great trendy sushi restaurant frequented by locals with hip modern ambiance, delicious fresh sushi and a few surprises in the menu that will leave your tummy happy. As a tourist if you can be pulled away from the slopes or the tabernacle long enough to explore the oft untrodden territory of Utah seafood, you’re guaranteed to find a gem in Takashi. Price: Included drinks, appetizers, sushi and dessert, approx. $50 per person.

LA SALSA RESTAURANT - Bolton

2009-12-13T12:01:00.000Z

This review may be a litle wooley... so apologies - it's pretty difficult to write a review two days on from way too much pre-Christmas booze with and after a meal - but here goes...

I booked La Salsa for myself and a couple of friends in lieu of a "real" Christmas get together, as circumstance and family commitments have meant we needed to celebrate early. Bolton is hardly the nerve centre of gastonomy, and so I wasn't expecting much of tapas in a Bolton style.

This review would have been somewhat easier if I had written a few notes - but La Sasa isn't that kind of place. It's a nice medium size eaterie, with a good, sort of, relaxed party atmosphere. Even at 7pm it had a good buzz and full tables. The staff are very friendly and helpful too, which adds a little something to the atmosphere.

They have a "special", all you can eat for £13.50 deal - which in the spirit of three guys out for a night of drinks, seemed appropriate. It turned out to be great value (I'm somewhat dubious about the concept of "all you can eat", as psycologically, I fear it will be horrendous, cheap, abbatoir scrapings - the good news is that at La Salsa, it wasn't). Our lovely (Latvian - we played guess the nationality with her) waitress was a little confused when I handed her the menus and said "surprise us". After the bemused clarification that we would eat whatever the chef chose for us, she went away for a couple of minutes and sent out the manager to double check... it seems that nobody had done that before. He appeared to be happy with this and started to bring out the food.

I can't say I was blown away by anything in particular, it was all pretty good - there weren't any bad dishes, just nothing outstanding. As I noted earlier, specifics are a little hazy at this point, but we were served a nice selection of chicken, fish, prawns, mussels, a little feta salad, paella, potatoes, a little beef stew, meatballs and mushrooms. My only real complaint was the bread served with olives and dip - just too lightweight and thin.

So... La Salsa.... not really a place to take the missus or to go on a date to, but a cracking, good value, pre night out with a few friends joint. Two rounds of tapas for threee plus two bottles of house red (very drinkable) came to a nudge over £60 - we chucked £25 a piece in, which seemed right and set us up for the night ahead.

"TOTAL" Greek Yoghurt

2009-12-01T23:49:00.015Z

I've been asked to do a little consumer review of the Fage brand "Total" greek yoghurt (why do some people spell it with an "h" - I usually don't, but as Fage do, so will I, for this review anyway.

So... yesterday, a bag landed on my desk full of yoghurt - the "full fat", 2% and 0% (and a couple of twin pots with honey - which stayed there for lunch time dessert this week)

Over the next week or so, I wil add to this post my thoughts on the product and some notes and pics of what I've tried with it.

here goes....

TOTAL TWIN POT (2% - HONEY)

I tried this for lunch, as is, unaltered. At first I was a little dubious - I'm no fan of twin pots, I find them fiddly and a little pointless (probably because I'm a "tip it all in" person) - there seemed to be way too much honey, so I spooned it in and mixed it up, bit by bit. To my surprise it was, in true Goldilocks fashion, just right for my taste, sweet but not tooth achingly. It was nice and creamy and to be perfectly honest, I didn't notice the reduction of fat at all.

Would I buy it? probably not - but only because of my twinpotaphobia - as it is genuinly very nice.

TOTAL 0%

This one is actually my girlfriends review. She liked the "set'ness" of it, but found the whey on top a little off putting. She found it to be a little grainy and not as smooth as her regular brand of greek yoghurt. A slightly cheesey taste - not bad but not a winner.

TOTAL 0%

Thought I would give this a whirl myself, but "pimp it out", as I'm so very down with the kids...

I'll put the method in my recipe section, but basically, I strained it out so it was pretty dry (like a curd cheese), soaked some raisins and sultanas in a little dark rum, added the fruit and booze back in to bring it back to a yoghurt consistency, also added a couple of teaspons of ginger preserve and a dash of honey for sweetness and to balance out the rum.

Verdict: DELICIOUS. Turned a reasonably bland fat free product into a fairly elegant adult pudding.

UPDATE TO RUM&RAISIN - I didn't take into consideration how the rum would intensify after 24 hours - which makes it WAY too strong. Suggestion - just add the rummy raisins, not the rum as well, and thin it out with milk!

Here's what it looks like..

TOTAL 2%

For my first attempt at using Total in a hot meal, I tried a creamy mustard sausage pasta dish (inspired by Nigel Slater). Bacon, Chorizo, Sausage, Dijon, Wholegrain, Parmesan and Garlic, all cooked up, add a small pot of 2% and stir through until all heated...

Worked well, nice creamy flavour (in fact, the slight "cheesyness" noted previously about Total works well), with a slightly acidic back note.

Verdict: seems good for cooking - I would use it again if I wanted to cut out the fat element of cream without losing the creamy taste.

TOTAL "FULL FAT"

I decided to give the full fat version of Total a try with a quick and simple Tandoori Chicken (made it up as I went along, and seem to have made a Chicken Tikka Masala type of dish.

Anyhow - the Total worked perfectly, no splitting, no fuss - I would certainly use it again.

Recipe posted soon in recipe section - but basically, mix tandoori spices with yoghurt, olive oil & lemon juice - marinade chicken breasts for 20 minutes or so. Pop it in a screaming hot griddle pan, one side for a minute or two, flip it over and in a 200degree oven for 20-25 minutes - mix remaining marinade into passata and heat through to cook out the spices. Dry fry some onions - serve! This is SO good!!

and here's what it looks like

I also used the full fat for creamed leeks (in fact, I accidentally used the 2% which split instantly, however, I rescued the dish by tipping in the full fat, which either hid the split very well or brought it back together (not sure of the science behind it). the full fat worked well, the slight cheesey'ness, mentioned earlier about both 0% and 2% was also OK - to be honest, I would prefer real cream in future, but it's good if you are looking to de-fat/de-calorie a dish like this.

For dessert, I knocked up an apple crumble and served with a spoon of full fat - which was good too.

Herewith a couple of pics...

CONCLUSION:

0% - THIS IS FINE FOR PEOPLE WHO REALLY MUST HAVE NO FAT, BUT, IN MY OPINION, ISN'T WORTH HAVING OTHERWISE. NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT UNALTERED OR TO COOK WITH, BECAUSE OF IT'S GRAINY TEXTURE.

2% - THIS IS A GOOD EATING YOGHURT, SMOOTH AND CREAMY, EXCELLENT WITH A BIT OF HONEY STIRRED IN. IS OK FOR COOKING IF ITS A LAST MINUTE STIR IN AND ISN'T DIRECTLY HEATED.

FULL FAT - THE KING OF THE TOTAL RANGE, COOKS WELL, EATS WELL, NO SURPRISES. IF YOU WANT TO BUY AN ALL PURPOSE YOGHURT WITH NO BOTHER IN DOUBLE CHECKING BEFORE YOU USE IT, THIS IS THE "TOTAL" PACKAGE. WILL BE PUTTING THIS ON MY SHOPPING LIST IN FUTURE.

SWEET MANDARIN - Manchester

2009-11-29T14:39:00.000Z

A five minute walk from train, tram or secure parking, just in the super trendy Northern Quarter of Manchester is the Sweet Mandarin restaurant - contemporary Chinese food, cooked up and served by three smart and cool anglo-Chinese sisters, Lisa, Helen and Janet Tse.

I've had the pleasure of chatting via Twitter and email with Lisa over the last few weeks since starting my blog, and recently read Helen's touching account of her familys journey over the past 100 years from rural China to present day Manchester, in her first book; Sweet Mandarin.

All of which left me eager to go eat there.

It seems I made my reservation just in time - a few days before the girls appearence and convincing victory on Gordon Ramsey's "F Word" show - I hear the phone has been ringing off the hook with reservation requests since the show aired earlier this week. Judging by the amount of turn-aways at the door on Saturday evening too, I confidently predict that SM will continue to go from strength to strength.

so.. on to my review;

We arrived ten minutes early on a freezing Saturday night, walked in to be greeted by a really sociable buzz, not too loud or boisterous, but enough chat circulating to know that this was a casual, happy and hip place (a diverse age group of people all sat eating and talking - for me, always a good sign). The ever smiling Helen greeted us and quickly had one of her waiting staff sort out our table - no messing, no waiting - 10 out of 10.

We both had a cocktail - my girlfriend had a tasty "Orchid", whilst I decided on the more macho sounding "Snake Blood" made using Snake Liquor. Both were delicious and fruity, although I'm not convinced that the Snake Liquor brought anything other than an exotic idea to the drink - but for me, they weren't alcoholic enough...

We ordered a pleasant bottle of house red and then onto the meal.

For me, Beijing Dumplings, served with a little vinegar, delicious and morish - to be perfectly honest, I could imagine sitting in front of the TV with a mountain of these silky smooth, meaty, veggie, parcels and being tempted, Mr. Creosote style to keep eating them until the inevitable explosion. The vinegar dip worked perfectly. My girlfriend had the Tempura Prawns - again, totally delicious. The super crispy batter wasn't exactly my idea of tempura, it was more like the best fish&chip shop batter you've ever tasted, light but dense with a real crack to it. A purist may well sniff, but both my girlfriend and I loved them (although the soy dip was a little over-powering in salt'ness for my taste - I would have liked a sweet chilli instead).

For main course, there were two obvious choices on a first visit to the SM for anyone who has read the book - and being an obvious sort of chap, I went for Lily Kowk's Chicken Curry, my gf had Mabel's Claypot Chicken.

The chicken curry, invented by and named for, the girls maternal grandmother, was very pleasant - nothing too challenging or surprising, but still good stuff. I never find that Chinese curry is as complex as a good Indian, but Lily's sauce works perfectly with the simple but excellently cooked chicken and still slightly toothsome onions - with soft noodle, this is comfort food of the highest order. The claypot chicken, again a family recipe, this time from the girls mum, was, I quote my gf "the best Chinese I've ever had". Again, a simple dish made using well prepared, well cooked, good ingredients with no place to hide in their light broth - the flavours were both individual and in harmony with each other (this was the dish that smashed the competition in the F Word).

In all, we had a lovely meal, in a dining room that was modern and welcoming (two things that can be hard to achieve at the same time), the waiting staff were excellent - they are either just lovely people or were glad to see the back of me - I've never left a restaurant, or tbh anywhere, when so many people wished my a good night, smiling and waving as I went. Helen is a superb host; she takes the time, even on a busy Saturday to waltz around all the tables to say hello to everyone and make sure that she has a room full of happy punters.

So - two cocktails, a bottle of wine, two starters, two mains, £70 - pretty decent value in what is now my favourite Chinese restaurant. will I be going back? Hell Yea - and you should go too!!!

Gastronaut by Stefan Gates

2009-11-26T17:58:00.000Z

Listen, and understand, Stefan is out there. He can't be bargained with. He can't be reasoned with. He doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And absolutlely will not stop, ever, until... he's eaten it all.

In short, Stefan Gates is The Terminator of the foodie world - albeit wrapped up in a little, smiley, cheerful package. Don't let him fool you, he ISN'T human, he can't eat what he eats and live

This is pretty much my take on Gastronaut, a real "must read" for anyone who likes their food.

Gastronaut is part recipe book, part science text, part History & Travel guide - and totally good fun. Stefan travels in time and the globe to offer up some strange and even extreme foodie offerings. From make your own margarine, through notes on breast milk, to eating insects - If you want to hear how to stage a Bacchanalian orgy or a Brief History of Washing up, you will not be disappointed, its all here, in one place.

I loved this book, start to finish and can't wait for Gastronaut 2 - he'll be back!

LEON by Allegra McEvedy

2009-11-22T14:33:00.001Z

Nigella Lawson is often seen as a purveyor of food porn, a view that I suspect she quite likes and plays up to, no other author can describe eating a pork chop and make it sound XXX rated.

Allegra would seems to be a whole other kettle of fish - but under closer examination, they have very similar kettles and identical fish... Albeit in a more 1950's style "Health & Efficiency", than 90's Hustler.

Leon: Ingredients & Recipes, is what I call a bed book (something to thumb through on a lazy Sunday mornings alongside the newspapers), split into two sections, as the subtitle indicates, Ingredients and Recipes. At first glance of the cover you could be excused to think that this is a vintage title under re-print, then the style inside carries this forward a little but with a truly "noughties" typographical twist. It's a little like a scrap book: complete with stickers and pull out sheets - albeit it a very stylish one. This book is modern and retro at the same time, but a kind of retro that mixes multiple decades - it should be an appalling mish-mash, but it isn't. IT IS FAB!

Content wise there are no big surprises, the descriptions of ingedients are well thought out and presented in a nice, informal way, with hints on what to look for when buying and how they are best suited and matched. The recipes, in the same style, have a handwritten, family cookbook overtone.

It isn't so much that Leon makes you hungry as you read, as it makes you appreciate what can be done with food in fresh, simple ways - I found it to be more of an inspiration in the sense of "mmmm... Black Eyed Beans, I wonder if...?" than the type of book that you sit on your kitchen island whilst following a recipe (for that type of book, Delia is the Queen, hands down, no contest).

So... if you want a great foodie read, look no further, go and buy Leon: food porn with little cut out stars stuck over the more explicit bits.

SWEET MANDARIN - by Helen Tse

2009-11-18T19:51:00.000Z

Sweet Mandarin is not a cook book - but it is a food book...

This multi-generational story of a Chinese family, starting in China, 1918, through Hong Kong in the 30's and finishing in present day Manchester, is an emotional and very personal journey with many twists and turns, but one constant - a love of food. From subsistance level soy sauce production through to a modern day restaurant, this is one family that lives and breathes food.

Although this book tells the story of four generations, the story revolves around the amazing life of one remarkable woman - a woman I suspect would consider herself to be perfectly normal and not special at all, which I think is the beauty of the tale - Lily Kwok.

A tough childhood, and an even tougher adulthood, filled with almost impossible choices and unimaginable sacrifices, which seems to have acted as a filter to pass on a better life for her children and grandchildren.

This is a true life rags to riches story. It made me laugh and it brought a tear to even my cynical eye. It also made me hungry.

Helen, a first time author, is one of Lilys grandchildren, which, for me, makes this book all the more special - whilst the writing may not have the polish or style of an experienced writer, the thing that shines through and genuinely captivates is the passion, the heart and more than anything else, the love.

Go buy it and when you've read it, raise a glass to Lily and her girls - GAMBEI!

"POD" Sweet Potato & Coconut Soup (review by Jonny of Souper Review)

2009-11-10T23:24:00.000Z

Big soup, with free bread - £3.50
Star rating 4 (for me, others may say 1)

The first thing that hits you with this soup is the wiff of tropical coconut gliding across the office’s air conditioned breeze. The second thing I noticed was the heat hitting the back of my throat. This soup may look harmless, but the radiant orange liquor packs a punch.

You’ll know whether you’re going to get on with this dish almost immediately as the first spoonful is virtually identical to the last. There’s nothing hovering under the surface, just mouthful after mouthful of puréed, blended goodness.

If you are a fan of Indian Kormas (it has more than kick than most) then this is for you. My complimentary slice of bread was transformed into a spongey nan bread on contact. The sweet bounty delivers big taste and each spoonful stokes the taste buds with a rich heat.

Note: POD have 5 locations in London - http://www.podfood.co.uk/

How To Eat - Nigella Lawson

2009-11-06T00:03:00.000Z

The original "food porn", light on pictures, heavy on looking fab - and Nigella's prose would make the most faithful man's meringues go stiff.

FrancisFrancis X1 Coffee Machine

2009-11-05T23:59:00.000Z

This really is a super cool piece of kit - more than just a kitchen appliance, it's almost a work of art. The retro looking X1 with old fashioned style toggle switches and analogue temperature dial comes in a choice of colours, from funky Orange and Yellow, to more sedate red, Black and Almond - there's a colour for all tastes.

And then there's the coffee... one word! WOW. I've had this new version (the model has been around for about 10 years, with various internal tweaks along the way) for a few months now, and must say, it is superb - great espresso with impressive crema, easy frothing with the steam wand and easy to clean. What more could you want?

Go on and spoil yourself rotten - you're worth it.

Available from http://www.ilovecoffee.co.uk/ (AKA - CraystoneShop) from £385 including delivery

The Partyrita (cocktail)

2009-11-05T23:56:00.000Z

There are few, if any, things in life as delicious as a well prepared margarita, top class tequila and fresh, natural ingredients. However, sometimes, if you are having a party, feeling a little down & dirty or plain lazy, standards go out of the window. The Partyrita is the answer. A super simple mix of cheap White Tequila, Apple/Prickly Pear/Lime juice drink (available from Lidl) and Lime juice. It's BRIGHT green and tastes pretty damn good. Sounds ghastly, tastes like a fortnight in Cancun - there a few better ways to slum it!

Go To The Recipe>>

Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder (Pulled Pork)

2009-11-05T23:53:00.000Z

Cheap as chips and delicious to boot - shred it up with barbeque sauce and you are in pulled pork heaven. The best thing you can do with (seemingly) ropey bit of pig - legally.

Go To The Recipe>>

The Glassblowing House (Plymouth)

2009-11-05T23:26:00.000Z

Had dinner for 4 on 11th July 2009. The location is good, the dining room and staff are excellent. HOWEVER, they really just miss the mark with the food. It was "OK" with some serious flaws. A few hints to the kitchen: Chips, when "styled" like jenga blocks should be closer to the size of tabletop jenga, not the outdoor version, they are WAY too big, unappetising and just don't work. Belly Pork should be unctuous and not gooey, flabby fat. The steaks are a little on the thin side (which makes a rare steak very hard to do well). Last negative is the WATER - when serving tap water, it really does need to be filtered, as is, it was vile. HOWEVER, all this being said, the Glass Blowing House has great potential, a few tweaks here and there with the menu and it will offer Plymouth a very pleasant experience.

Danish Pole Dancer (Cocktail)

2009-11-05T23:06:00.000Z

A super delish mix of Polish Bison Grass Vodka and "Appletiser" - one of the easiest and tastiest cocktails you can make, and it tastes like a liquified danish pastry.
Go To The Recipe>>