Crazy Sushi Review

If you're looking for affordable, yet quality sushi, one of my favorite spots to recommend would have to be Crazy Sushi in the Rittenhouse area. An added bonus? It's BYO! 

It's a slim, sleek space with comfortable seating and a sushi bar at the end. 

Apologies in advance for the grainy cell phone pics - didn't have my personal phone charge for this impromptu dinner! 

Salad
 

Salad was fairly standard with fresh Romaine. The ginger dressing was clearly freshly made. 

Vampire Bowl [$9]
Spicy tuna tartare, avocado bowl
  

A must order in my mind is the Vampire Bowl, their unique take on tuna tartare. I loved the contrast in textures with the crunch from the tempura and the creaminess of the avocado bowl. The sweet wasabi mayo was balanced by the light heat from the spicy tuna. 

Vegetable Tempura [$5]

The GF's a sucker for veggie tempura and this didn't disappoint. A thin layer of tempura coated mushrooms, sweet potato, and carrots. It came accompanied with a light tempura dipping sauce. 

Beef Negimaki [$6]
Scallion, thin-sliced beef, teriyaki
  

On this trip, the negimaki was a bit disappointing. The beef could have been more thinly sliced and better seasoned, though I appreciated the bite of the scallion amidst the teriyaki glaze. 

Triple Sushi [$25]
Tuna, salmon, yellowtail, tuna roll

The triple sushi featured some of our favorite nigiri rolls, including salmon, tuna, and yellowtail. All very clean-tasting and fresh, the platter also came with a tuna roll. I appreciated that the tuna was whole and not minced within the sushi. 

Uni Sushi [$8]
 

I was also in the mood for uni so asked for an order of uni sushi. Then again, when am I *not* in the mood for uni? Sourced from California, these were creamy, light, and buttery. 

Bloomingdale Roll [$13]
Spicy tuna, spicy salmon, spicy kani, spicy yellowtail, spicy shrimp, avocado, longan
  

I was also intrigued by their Bloomingdale specialty roll. The pink seaweed seemed a bit more delicate in texture and taste, supporting the sweetness of the lychee. This contrasted with the subtly spicy mixture of tuna, salmon, crab yellowtail, and shrimp (whoa!). Due to the laundry list of items, the flavors were a bit muddled, but definitely veers toward the sweeter side of a sushi roll. Interesting! 

Sweet Potato Roll [$5]

Of course, we also had to try our standard sweet potato roll. Crazy Sushi has one of the best iterations, with a wonderful juxtaposition of creaminess from the sweet potato and a light crunch on the exterior. The black sesame seeds studding the surrounding rice made for a perfect bite. 

So if you're not looking to go omakase and want a relaxed sushi meal, I'd recommend checking out Crazy Sushi. Whether you're looking for Americanized rolls or nigiri done right, they've got you covered. 

Yakitori Boy Review

When I first came to Philly for grad school, I thought about getting a group together to head over to Yakitori Boy. It was reputed to be the place to go if you're looking for some deliciously grilled bites. And calling out to my inner Korean, it's also one of the few karaoke halls in the city. Somehow, the event never transpired though Yakitori Boy's remained on my list of places to check out. And yes, there's an actual list that's some 50+ places long.

Left to Right: Geo [Geo's Table], Megan [SwagFoodPhilly], Joanie [PhillyPRGirl, Associate Director], Gianna [SwagFoodPhilly], Kate [PhillyPRGirl, Owner], Andrew [PhillyFoodPorn].

In a bit of fortuitousness, the GF and I were talking about sushi and sake when I received an invitation from Philly PR Girl to sample some bites along with some fellow food bloggers. The added bonus of finally meeting Kate aka Philly PR Girl and fellow foodie fanatics? Who could say no to that?

One Smashed Monk 
Yamazaki 12 year, yuzu, bitters

We were seated in a back room, but had a clear view of the bustling Friday night crowd. Despite 8 years in the business come December, Yakitori Boy's still able to pack the restaurant and karaoke lounge (more to come on that!). Truly a testament to the fact that they're doing something right. And this Japanese whiskey-based tipple was all kinds of right for me. It was essentially a twist on an Old Fashioned, with the wonderful foundation of Yamazaki 12 year, the tart citrus from the yuzu, and a dash of bitters.

Lobster Udon 

For our first course, Yakitori Boy brought out a heaping cauldron of culinary delights. There was a deep, umami-laden broth, with what was seemingly a whole lobster tossed in, along with enoki and shiitake mushrooms, scallions, and spinach. Perfect for the cold nights and definitely kept me warm throughout the dinner - or was it the sake pairings?

Sake Pairing

Did someone say sake? Paired with the sushi and sashimi platters that were to come, we were brought two bottles - one was an unfiltered and sweet nigori sake, which is always a treat. The other was Murai Family Sugidama sake - really smooth and floral on the finish. 

Sashimi Platter

We were all amazed at the generous portions provided by Yakitori Boy. But I was blown away more so by the variety and the freshness, which admittedly should always be the case with sashimi! A veritable kaleidoscope included glistening salmon, sweet and snappy amaebi, fried ebi heads, tuna (yes, they had chu- and o-toro!). In addition to sweet, raw hotate (scallop), a generous heap of uni and ikura rounded things out nicely.

Sushi Platter

Don't worry - if simply raw isn't your style, Yakitori Boy has plenty of specialty rolls on offer! We tried some of their greatest hits. Did you know Yakitori Boy does plenty of charity work with the Eagles and other Philly-based sports teams? In fact, they've got a number of co-creations with them. The Eagles roll was our favorite, though the hero and magic rolls were winners as well. With subtly "spicy" sauces and crispy tempura toppings, there were plenty of textures and tastes to tantalize your palate! 

Yakitori Platter

From there, we moved on to their namesake yakitori. Grilling skewered items is truly an art in Japan and Yakitori Boy does the grilling culture proud. The "karubi" skewer was synonymous with the marinade you'd expect from Korean galbi short-ribs - tender, sweet, and succulent. The chicken scallion skewer was moist and juicy. And the bacon-wrapped quail egg? It tasted like breakfast, with a creamy quail egg yolk and tasty bacon melange. 

Beef Negimaki

The beef negimaki was beautifully basted in the sweet, soy-based sauce, though the beefy essence of the sirloin steak was not denied. The accompanying bean sprouts had good bite and a nice vinegar essence to cut through the richness of the beef.

Shrimp & Vegetable Tempura

Tempura should not be greasy or heavy. Thankfully, Yakitori's veggie and shrimp tempura was neither! The tempura was delicately crisp, with the shrimp having wonderful snap and the veggies having a tenderness that showcased technique. I appreciated that they had the proper mirin-dashi tempura sauce as well, rather than just a heavy salt-laden soy or God forbid, teriyaki. 

Dessert Sake Pairing 

Kate and Joanie from Philly PR Girl were excited to see that their favorite dessert sake was brought out to pair with dessert! And I can see why - described as the Japanese counterpart to limoncello, this yuzu-infused sake was sweet, tart, yet smooth. Yamamoto Yuzu Omoi's "Citrus Dream" sake is hard to come by in these parts, with Yakitori Boy being one of the few, if not the only, places to carry it! When they're out, it may be months before they get another so be sure to try it if it's available. Already added to my holiday gift-giving list for friends and family. 

Mochi Ice Cream

I did mention dessert right? Asians aren't really known for going all out for their dessert, but Yakitori Boy has got you covered with a favorite - mochi ice cream! They've got a variety of flavors available including the ubiquitous green tea, strawberry, mango, and red bean! It's a texture thing, to be sure, with the sweet chewy mochi encasing the flavored ice cream within. 

From there, Yakitori Boy's F&B director, Carlos, whisked us off to the second floor karaoke lounge. They've got private rooms available for $30 to $70 depending on the night and size of the room. Keep in mind, reservations are appreciated (and needed!). In fact, they're currently booked a week or two out. But if you're feeling frisky (and brave!), you can opt to pay a few dollars per tunes to sing and showcase your talents to the entire bar area. Clearly a popular choice with the Friday night crowd and it's always great fun to watch strangers belt out some of your favorite hits. 

Sake Bombs

Reliving my college days, a round of sake bombs were bought out to provide us with some liquid courage. A few of us gave it a good try with the mic, but I'll be the first to admit, probably not our finest moment! 

But in the end, it's all about having a good time at Yakitori Boy and it was clear that everyone was enjoying themselves. Highly recommend stopping by if you're in the mood for some happy hour, sushi/sashimi, yakitori, and karaoke. You don't even need to sing, it's great fun watching others have at it! I know I'll definitely be hitting up Yakitori Boy again with some friends in the near future. Perhaps even some karaoke, but I think it's safe to say that we'll limit the cacophony to the private rooms! Special thanks to Kate & Joanie from Philly PR Girl, Carlos, restaurant manager Tina, and head chef Alvin for a fantastic night! 

FTC Disclaimer: This dinner was provided gratis by Philly PR Girl & Yakitori Boy. Regardless, all opinions are mine alone and, therefore, unbiased. 

Tinto Review [2]

This is for a series of posts related to Iron Chef Jose Garces including:

Amada, Distrito, Rosa Blanca, Bar Volver, Buena Onda, The Blue Anchor, PHS Pop Up Garden, JG Domestic, Tinto [1], Tinto [2], Tinto [Brunch], Village Whiskey, and The Olde Bar.

Regular readers know that the GF and I are big fans of Iron Chef Jose Garces' restaurants. And one of our favorites is Tinto - his ode to Spanish tapas. It's a beautifully intimate space, especially by the open kitchen in the back. 

So for the GF's bday earlier this year, I didn't hesitate to take her back to one of her favorite spots. 

White Sangria [$9]
White wine, brandy, peach, lemon

The GF always get the white sangria. Not overtly saccharine with a nice brandy backbone, there's a great balance between the citrus and sweet. 

Negroni de Jerez [$12]
Amontadillo sherry, house made rose, vermouth, aperol

I enjoyed the negroni, which was amped up with the addition of sherry and rose. I enjoyed the smoothness of this easily quaffable drink. 

Amuse

As always, dinner at Tinto starts off with a small amuse. Apparently moving on from the Mahon crisps we had the last time around, we enjoyed these mini breads, which were paired with a smoky pepper dip with a bit of kick. 

Cheese Mixto [$16]
Boucheron, Idiazabal, La Peral

The cheese plate featured boucheron, which was soft, yet semi-firm in texture with a mild tang that's prototypical of goat's milk cheese. Idiazabal was lightly smoky and is typically made from unpasteurized sheep's milk. La Peral blue was also on offer and was tempered in its funk. It had a nicely soft creaminess, with accents of sweet. Quince paste with espelette pepper, Granny Smith apple slices, and acacia honey was paired with the trio of cheeses, along with some baguette slices. 

Foie Gras Torchon [$21]
Chilled foie gras, cherry, pistachio, toast 
 

I couldn't help but order the torchon. While I could have used a warmed butter knife to effectively slice through the foie, I enjoyed the surprisingly light essence of the liver. An elegant cherry gelee served as the counterbalance, along with some lightly macerated and sliced cherries. Pistachio crumble and toast points provided texture for each rich bite. 

Figs [$5]
Serrano wrapped figs
 

Figs were simple, but showcased the quality of the ingredients. The glistening flavors of the serrano ham came on the forefront, though admittedly, the dish ran a bit sweet for my taste as the figs and accompanying sauce could not be denied, 

Dungeness Crab Croquettes [$12] 
Avocado, sauce donostia, mojama 

I wasn't sure whether the mojama was integrated into the nicely textured crab croquettes, but there was a great hit of salinity that may have been emblematic of the cured tuna. This was nicely balanced by the sweetness of the crab. A duo of sauces were provided as well. 

Tuna Tartare [$11]
Bluefin tuna, pickled guidilla, chorizo aioli
 

The tuna tartare came atop a soft, buttery pastry not entirely unlike a croissant. There was plenty of unctuous bluefin, which was lightly dressed. A bit of fried chorizo and pickled guidilla pepper provided additional accents of flavor. 

Pork Belly Montadito [$9]
Berkshire pork belly, honey lacquer, shaved apples 
 

Obviously, I always get the pork belly bites. Wonderfully crisp on the outside and gorgeously unctuous within, the hefty slabs of belly seemed lacquered in a bit of honey to provide some balance along with the crisp shaved apples. Easily a favorite of mine. 

Prawns [$12]
Shrimp, chorizo, grape tomato, espelette chile 

Another must order in my mind are the prawns. The GF's a bit wary of head-on shrimp, but luckily for her, I'm a head-man myself and have no problem saving the rest for her. The bit of crisp chorizo provided smoky heft, while the grape tomato and lemon aioli provided a nice countervailing balance to each bite. 

Diver Scallops [$18]
Uni emulsion, parsip 

Our first experience at Tinto was where the GF realized she actually did like scallops. And while these were cooked to perfection, the accompanying vanilla-parsnip puree ate a little too sweet and was a little out there for us. The vanilla seemed to perfume each bite so that the innate sweetness of the bivalve was lost at times. Any of the uni emulsion remained undetected. 

Brussels Sprouts [$12]
Crispy guanciale, black truffle, pine nut escabeche, Meyer lemon, Idiazabal 
 

On the other hand, the brussels were on point and plentiful. The Idiazabal cheese made a reappearance and coated the savory brussels, which had nice bite. The bits of guanciale added a salty hit, with the Meyer lemon providing that acidic twang to wake up the palate. The black truffle essence kept the base savory though, with the hits of strong mustard really making the dish on the finish. 

Overall, there were some misses for us in this recent Tinto experience, but you can't deny the kitchen's creativity. While the mainstay dishes like the pork belly montaditos and the prawns will keep Tinto a favorite of ours. it's the constant broadening of our palates that will keep us coming back for more. 

2015 Forbes Under 30 Summit Food Festival

The Forbes Under 30 Summit highlights some of the world's top entrepreneurs and innovators. One of this year's featured speakers is Elizabeth Holmes, the CEO of the novel lab company, Theranos. She founded it at the age of 19 and Theranos is poised to dramatically change how labwork is performed. Talk about game changers! From the food perspective, Forbes announced 2015's class of 30 under 30, which includes the founder of Caviar [Jason Wang], Chef de Cuisine at Publican [Cosmo Goss], and John Lasater from famed Hattie B's, among others. The summit also features several culinary speakers including chefs Kelvin Fernandez and Aditi Malhotra, both of whom competed at this year's food festival, along with Chef Lasater. 

The food festival was held at the Kimmel Center, on the first night of the conference. It was a great way for young entrepreneurs from the health, media, tech, and entertainment industries to socialize and mingle, all while enjoying top notch food from some of the nation's most promising young chefs.

Left to Right: Jason Pfeifer, Joseph "JJ" Johnson, Kelvin Fernandez, John Lasater, Jesse Schenker, Giorgio Rapicavoli, Aditi Malhotra, Christopher Coombs, Jeff Mahin.

Shortly after the start of the event, the Kimmel Center lobby became crowded with the Summit attendees. Luckily, I was able to get in early to talk to some of the chefs and sample their creative bites.

Chef Jeff Mahin | Summer House Santa Monica

Sacchetto Negro | Shellfish consomme, uni, citrus, chive, chili, squid ink, olive oil 

Chef Mahin offered up a spoonful that successfully embodied the ocean. Nicely al dente squid ink pasta was immersed in a shellfish broth that had great depth. The heat from the chili was unexpected and lingered, but the sweetness of the uni came through.

Chef Jesse Schenker | The Gander and Recette 

"BEC" Bacon, Egg, & Cheese | Sherry caramel pork belly, circulated chicken egg, buffalo taleggio, biscuit crumble, black pepper, chives

2014's Food Festival winner, Chef Jesse Schenker, brought forth a mix of modern and comfort in the form of a deconstructed bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit. Sherry caramel pork belly ate liked pulled pork with an unctuous richness. The circulated chicken egg and buffalo taleggio providing some additional substance to each bite. The crispy bite of the tiny biscuit provided great texture. 

Chef Christopher Coombs | Boston Urban Hospitality 

Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup | Duck confit, four cheese grilled cheese

Chef Coombs showcased an engaging personality. Even better than his showmanship was his take on classic comfort food. A nice melange of muenster, cheddar, fontina, and Monterey Jack was sandwiched with duck confit between crisp, buttery bread. The bright acidity of the tomato soup provided the perfect countervailing element to each bite of grilled cheese. 

Chef Joseph "JJ" Johnson | The Cecil

Goat Dumpling | Peanut piri piri, micro cilantro

Harlem's undergone quite the transformation and Chef JJ is a perfect example of the progressive push. Known for his oxtail dumplings, the chef brought forth goat tonight. Not at all tough in texture, the goat was tender and moist within the delicate dumpling. The lingering heat was a nice element, with the micro cilantro adding some fresh celery-like notes.

Chef Kelvin Fernandez | La Marina

Crispy Arepa | Steak, lime-scented sour cream, creamy guacamole, pico de gallo, Cotija

Kelvin Fernandez may best be known as one of the few chefs to "Beat Bobby Flay," with his tasty take on arepas. But it's his innovative takes on Latin flavors that truly brings him center-stage. The crisp sweetness from the corn-based arepa was a tasty, textural delight. A hearty portion of moist shredded steak sat atop, along with well-seasoned guacamole. Levity came in the form of line-scented sour cream. I may have come back for another, or three. 

Chef Jason Pfeifer | Maialino

Broccoli-Parmesan soup, chicken liver Reuben sandwich

Chef Pfeifer's broccoli-parmesan soup may have looked simple, but it belied a surprising burst of flavor. The fresh broccoli was a nice complement to the sharp hit of salty Parm. This was paired with a crisp bite of a not-too-intense chicken liver sandwich.

Chef Giorgio Rapicavoli | Glass & Vine, Eating House 

Huitlacoche Hush Puppies | Crema fresca, Cotija, smoked ancho

One of the more interesting (and tasty!) bites of the night belonged to Chef Rapicavoli. The huitlacoche was nicely displayed in a crisp hush puppy, with a moist, earthy, creaminess within. This was accented by wonderful smoked ancho and a bracingly intense lime crema. What a burst of flavor!

Chef John Lasater | Hattie B's

Nashville Hot Chicken | Chicken roulade, pimento cheese grits, collard greens

Straight from famed Hattie B's, Chef Lasater's hot chicken was definitely another favorite. The juicy chicken roulade was encased by perfectly crispy chicken skin. But it's the addictive heat that's the star here. The intense mix of cayenne, chili, and paprika could not be denied and stealthily crept up on me! Even as a Korean who loves a good spicy stew, I was surprised at the beads of sweat that started to form. It wasn't enough to stop me from getting another though, especially when you've got some great collards and wonderfully textured pimento cheese grits to complement all that spice.

Chef Lasater agreed that hot chicken has really taken off over the past five years and noted that while there are plenty of other great joints (Prince's obviously comes to mind), Hattie B's is distinct in their devotion to scratch sides. In a nod to Kevin Sbraga, Lasater mentioned that he was hoping to steal away to try the Top Chef's iteration over at Fat Ham! 

Chef Aditi Malhotra | Tache Chocolate

A graduate of Glion Institute in Switzerland, pastry chef Aditi Malhotra is the CEO-founder of Tache Chocolate in NYC. She had numerous sinful, yet beautifully crafted delights on offer.

French Caramel Kiss | Apple Pie Truffles | Dark Grignotines | Beer Caramel |

Moroccan 5 Spice | Spiced Chai | Coconut & Watermelon

All were great, but some of my favorites included the kiss-shaped caramel, the apple pie truffle, and the coconut-watermelon! 

There were two awards to be given out at the end of the night. The Summit attendees used an app to vote for their favorite dish. This year's People's Choice Award went to Chef Coombs and his wonderful grilled cheese and tomato soup. Forbes Editor Randall Lane and Taylor & Isaac Hanson (yes, those Hansons!) delivered the judgment for the Judge's Choice Award, which went to Chef JJ and his creative goat dumpling! Congrats to Chef JJ and Coombs on their respective wins, and to all the Chefs for providing creative tastes for some of the world's most innovative minds.

Special thanks to Skai Blue Media and Forbes for the invitation!