momopi_IHB
New member
I'm creating a thread for people who'd like to complain about certain restaurants, or specific dishes at a restaurant.
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Fogo de Chao
So I drove all the way to Beverly Hills for my friend's b-day dinner at this place. It's right next to many famous restaurants in the area, like Lawrey's, Stinking Rose, etc.
Expectations were high and the meat selection was decent. The waiters came and refilled our side dishes and wonderful cheese bread. However, the salad bar was... for lack of better word, "cheap".
Yes, I understand that I'm going to a Brazilian steak house and salad bar is not the primary dish here. But c'mon, I paid ~$280 for 4 people. You'd think that they can afford to lay something better on the cold cuts section.
The meats at this place looks good but if you eat too much at a time, it makes you feel "greasy". It's better to eat moderate amounts with bread and salad in between. I think they brush oil on the meat or something. My aunt's family is from Brazil and I don't think I ever had this problem at their dining table.
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Sushi rice (Sushi meshi)
Sushi rice is made with short-grained Japanese rice with just the right level of "stickiness". Depending on the chef, it can be lightly seasoned with rice vinegar, sugar, salt, etc. It's formed by hand to achieve the correct consistency.
Sushi rice should NEVER:
- Fall apart <em>too easily</em>
- Be cold
- Be too dry
- Be mushy
- Be made with wrong type of rice
- Packed too tight (or too sticky) to fall apart in your mouth
If you dip the sushi into sauce, or order a sushi where sauce might soak, then it's understandable that the rice might not hold together.
Kura Sushi, Costa Mesa -- bad sushi rice. If you disagree, compare with Kaisen Kaiten Sushi Bar in Santa Ana:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/kura-sushi-costa-mesa
http://www.yelp.com/biz/kaisen-kaiten-sushi-bar-santa-ana <-- better
Both places are rotating belt sushi, but Kaisen Kaiten's sushi rice is better. Not excellent, but better. Kura's sushi is below expectations for me, but their chicken karage was pretty nice with spicy dipping sauce. If you have to dine there, order chicken karage with bowl of steamed rice and miso soup. Skip the sushi.
Sushi Kappo Suzumaru, Tustin -- this is an old family run place and I really hate to bash them, but their sushi rice falls apart too easily. At some places, you can sort of delicately pick up the sushi and get away with it. This place, no way. You can't even pick it up by hand without having it fall apart.
On the other hand, they have many specialty dishes on the white board that's interesting to try. Bring someone who can read Japanese or ask the Chef's wife (?) to explain it to you. Their home made tofu dish (note: not fried or agedashi) was far superior to Ikko's. However, for sushi, I'd have to recommend Ikko in Costa Mesa over Kappo Suzumaru.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/sushi-kappo-suzumaru-tustin
http://www.yelp.com/biz/ikko-japanese-restaurant-costa-mesa <-- better
=================
Fogo de Chao
So I drove all the way to Beverly Hills for my friend's b-day dinner at this place. It's right next to many famous restaurants in the area, like Lawrey's, Stinking Rose, etc.
Expectations were high and the meat selection was decent. The waiters came and refilled our side dishes and wonderful cheese bread. However, the salad bar was... for lack of better word, "cheap".
Yes, I understand that I'm going to a Brazilian steak house and salad bar is not the primary dish here. But c'mon, I paid ~$280 for 4 people. You'd think that they can afford to lay something better on the cold cuts section.
The meats at this place looks good but if you eat too much at a time, it makes you feel "greasy". It's better to eat moderate amounts with bread and salad in between. I think they brush oil on the meat or something. My aunt's family is from Brazil and I don't think I ever had this problem at their dining table.
==================
Sushi rice (Sushi meshi)
Sushi rice is made with short-grained Japanese rice with just the right level of "stickiness". Depending on the chef, it can be lightly seasoned with rice vinegar, sugar, salt, etc. It's formed by hand to achieve the correct consistency.
Sushi rice should NEVER:
- Fall apart <em>too easily</em>
- Be cold
- Be too dry
- Be mushy
- Be made with wrong type of rice
- Packed too tight (or too sticky) to fall apart in your mouth
If you dip the sushi into sauce, or order a sushi where sauce might soak, then it's understandable that the rice might not hold together.
Kura Sushi, Costa Mesa -- bad sushi rice. If you disagree, compare with Kaisen Kaiten Sushi Bar in Santa Ana:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/kura-sushi-costa-mesa
http://www.yelp.com/biz/kaisen-kaiten-sushi-bar-santa-ana <-- better
Both places are rotating belt sushi, but Kaisen Kaiten's sushi rice is better. Not excellent, but better. Kura's sushi is below expectations for me, but their chicken karage was pretty nice with spicy dipping sauce. If you have to dine there, order chicken karage with bowl of steamed rice and miso soup. Skip the sushi.
Sushi Kappo Suzumaru, Tustin -- this is an old family run place and I really hate to bash them, but their sushi rice falls apart too easily. At some places, you can sort of delicately pick up the sushi and get away with it. This place, no way. You can't even pick it up by hand without having it fall apart.
On the other hand, they have many specialty dishes on the white board that's interesting to try. Bring someone who can read Japanese or ask the Chef's wife (?) to explain it to you. Their home made tofu dish (note: not fried or agedashi) was far superior to Ikko's. However, for sushi, I'd have to recommend Ikko in Costa Mesa over Kappo Suzumaru.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/sushi-kappo-suzumaru-tustin
http://www.yelp.com/biz/ikko-japanese-restaurant-costa-mesa <-- better