Musubi Kai

Whenever I'm in Hawaii, it is more about the food than anything for me.  Yes, that doesn't seem like a revelation, given that I absolutely love to eat!  Okay, I do enjoy the scenery and the sights in Hawaii too.  So whenever I'm back at home or anywhere on the mainland, I am excited to see anything related to Hawaiian cuisine.  How about a place called Musubi Kai in Seattle?  A restaurant dedicated to Musubis?  Just like the one in Honolulu???  Well I'm game!

So let's get right to it shall we?  We got a selection of Musubis including the classic Spam Musubi.  The slice of meat was thick and evenly-seared.  There was a certain sweetness to it from the glaze.  Sushi rice was moist but still had a great chewiness.  Perfect ratio between meat and rice.  Delicious.  We also had the Spam, Egg and Avocado which made things a bit heartier but not heavier.  Again, it started with the base classic musubi with a thin slice of fluffy egg omelet and ripe avocado.  More of a breakfast item here that cut down the saltiness with the other ingredients.  The next one we had was the Spam, Egg and Eel which was extra savory and more robust due to the buttery eel.  It added more sweet saltiness and this would be great for those who like it hearty.

Onto the next 3 options, we had the BBB Eel and Pickled Daikon.  Okay, no Spam here, so it was a bit less heavy and considerably less salty.  This was all unagi with its soft texture and accompanying sweet sauce.  The crunch from the pickles added texture and also tanginess.  With a whole halved wiener, the Beef Frank & Egg was just as filling as the Spam versions.  It had a different saltiness and naturally a more bouncy texture compared to the Spam.  Lastly, we had the Shrimp Katsu with 2 ebi.  This was the most different since it had a crunchy texture to it.  Combined that with some katsu sauce and it was sweet and tangy.

They also have other items to supplement the large Musubi menu.  What better to represent Hawaii than some Poke?  We had the Salmon & Tuna Poke Bowl with all the fixins' including seaweed salad, edamame, imitation crab and corn on top of a mix of rice and mesclun greens.  This was a good poke that wasn't over-the-top.  There was enough fish to match the amount of rice and this was plenty for a meal.

Sticking with Hawaiian favorites, we found the Curry Loco Moco.  This was a hearty portion of chewy rice that was bathed in a curry sauce.  It was only mildly spicy with sweetness and equal parts savoriness.  I actually preferred this sauce over the usual gravy.  The burger patties were more like cutlets being soft and a bit bouncy.  With the addition of pickled ginger, furikake, crispy onion flakes and scallions, it kept things from getting too heavy with acidity and brightness.  Of course, there was a fried egg to offer up its yolky goodness.

Now for the overseas influence where they offered Nong Shim Cup Noodles as well as Udon.  You would find these in Korea and Japan where people happily eat them in store.  We did so too and although it wasn't anything they made or "cooked", it was satisfying nonetheless (especially on a cold day).  Overall, the Musubis were good and filling.  We liked how they had some other Hawaiian options to compliment.  Also, no joke, the instant noodles were great too!

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Even ratio of rice-to-Spam
- Other Hawaiian dishes other than Musubis
- Loved the instant noodles!

The Bad:
- Parking in the area is limited (could park in the adjacent parking lot though and buy something from Staples)

Sumo All You Can Eat (Kent)

So you've heard me talk about the comeback or revival of AYCE (All-You-Can-Eat) in the past few years right?  Well, there are a few reasons for that, but the biggest is to do with the prevailing shape of the economy.  People just want good value when they go out to eat.  Hence, restaurants are adapting to consumer behavior.  More often than not, these AYCE spots will be Asian (in particular, Japanese, Indian and Chinese Hot Pot).  So that has brought us to Sumo All-You-Can-Eat in Kent.  Unlike many other AYCE Japanese joints, Sumo has some pretty good reviews.

To order food, you scan the QR code and then select items off your phone.  Dishes are brought to you by robots, so in reality, you could have very little interaction with the staff.  We started off with some smaller dishes in the Sushi Bomb, Tuna Tataki and Yellowtail Jalapenoa.  On a cube of crispy rice, the Sushi Bombs featured spicy salmon on top.  This was a crispy bite that wasn't as heavy as it looked.  As for the Tuna Tataki, it was somewhat spicy due to the dusting of togarashi on the outside.  The Yellowtail was buttery and had a kick from the jalapeno and spicy sauce.

They also have some torched sushi on the menu as well, so we got the Aburi Salmon Nigiri as well as the Aburi Scallops.  I gotta say that these were fantastic, especially for AYCE.  The salmon was buttery and the sushi rice was quite decent being chewy and not dry.  The scallops were buttery and fresh (and we weren't forced to eat any rice with it!).  We got a selection of their sushi rolls including the Rainbow, Dragon, Pink Lady and Sweet Heart Rolls.  They were neatly-constructed and that was surprising for AYCE.  In the end, they were also quite good where the rice was just right and the amount of components exceeded the amount of rice.  I especially enjoyed the heart-shaped Sweet Heart Roll since it was wrapped in soy paper, which made it easy to eat.  The spiced imitation crab filling tasted great too.

Moving onto some fried appies, we had the Chicken Karaage, Tempura Shrimp, Coconut Shrimp and Fried Oysters.  The Chicken Karaage was okay, maybe a little dry, but crispy.  The Tempura Shrimp was a bit overbattered, but the shrimp was buttery.  Oysters were crunchy on the outside and buttery soft with brininess inside.  The star of the show was the Coconut Shrimp as there was a crunchy breading while the shrimp had a moist snap.

Our next set of dishes including Seaweed Salad, Imitation Crab Salad, Takoyaki, Nigiri and Unagi Don.  Strangely, I really enjoyed the crab salad even though it was drenched in kewpie mayo.  The crunch from the veggies did add texture.  As you can see, the Nigiri was pretty legit looking and it also ate well with a proper fish-to-rice ratio.  The Unagi Don was serviceable with buttery pieces atop chewy rice.  Takoyaki and seaweed salad were typical and decent.

In addition to ordering from your phone, there is a small section with serve-yourself dishes including Sesame Glutinous Balls, Calamari, Spring Rolls, Korean Spicy Wings, Edamame Salad, Jellyfish Salad, Bamboo Shoot Salad, Shrimp and a host of fruit and small cake desserts.  Of note, the Salads were actually quite good and well-seasoned.  Nice texture on them too.  Wings were okay, but a bit dry.  There was also Miso Soup in this section too.

Normally, AYCE restaurants serve crappy Ramen.  But believe it or not, the one at Sumo was passable.  Sure, the broth wasn't really that great, but the rest of it was.  The noodles were al dente while the chashu was buttery and torched.  It has legit soft eggs, scallion, wood ear, fried garlic and nori.  Also, the selection of Sashimi was decent as well.  Fish quality was acceptable and you can order as much as you want from a variety that included red tuna, tuna, tamago, ebi, tako, unagi, hokkigai and amaebi.

So far, the meal was great and I wasn't even taking into account that it was AYCE.  However, nothing is ever perfect and the cooked meats were a bit hit and miss.  Although the Grilled Beef looked fantastic, it was actually quite chewy.  The same could be said about the Grilled New York Steak.  Although prepared nicely medium, it was also not tender.  Both were seared well and had good flavor though.  As for the Beef Short Ribs, they were the best of the bunch, being fairly tender for non-tenderized short rib.  Once again, good sear and properly seasoned.

To end the meal, we had the aforementioned sliced fruit and sheet cakes in the self-serve station, but there was also a freezer near the front entrance.  In it, we found various Popsicles and Ice Cream Cups.  Nothing amazing, but satisfying and refreshing after a filling meal.  In fact, if you wanted to take it to go instead of eating it, you could do so!  Considering the quality and variety of food on the menu, the AYCE at Sumo has to be one of the better ones I've had in recent memory.  Of course we always need to have reasonable expectations for AYCE, but even with that, most of the food was "regular menu" quality (except for the grilled meats).  In that case, I do recommend you try this if you are hangry and don't want to sacrifice all the quality for quantity.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Reasonably-priced

- AYCE menu is extensive

- Overall food quality is good

The Bad:

- Avoid the grilled meats

- Was funny watching the robots get stuck sometimes

Mee Sen Thai Eatery

Right next to Churn Cafe and their fabulous fusion brunch, you will find an authentic Thai eatery in Mee Sen Thai.  We took the opportunity to hop on over for a meal since we were in the neighbourhood already.  I've already mentioned that the Thai food game is strong in Portland compared to where I come from (Vancouver, B.C.).  In addition, what I've noticed is that the Thai food is also more diverse with an array of dishes I've never seen before.  This would also apply with our visit to Mee Sen Thai Eatery.

An example of such a dish is the Kang Jued.  This was a refreshing and comforting dish featuring a clear soup, egg tofu and minced chicken meatballs with glass noodles, carrots, shiitake mushroom, napa cabbage and bak choy.  The broth was light and a bit sweet while taking on the flavors of the ingredients.  The noodles were slippery and not overdone while the veggies were still vibrant.  Loved the soft egg tofu and the meatballs were moist.

Now 2 dishes that were more typical and I've definitely had before - Moo Ping (Pork Skewers) and Tod Mon (Fish Cakes).  Beautifully charred, the pork skewers were tender with an appealing meatiness.  They were properly marinated where there was some aromatics and sweetness.  As for the fish cakes, they had an incredible bounce texture that was great.  They were lightly sweet and moist.  On the side, we found a sweet & sour sauce with crushed peanuts.

Another dish I've yet to try before was the Larb Gai Tod.  Sure, I've had Larb before, but not with fried chicken breast.  So texturally, this was completely different than the ground meat that I'm used to having.  There was a robust quality to the dish where the usual larb flavors (sweet, spicy and tangy) were still there.  However, the pieces of chicken were not as crispy anymore due to the addition of wet ingredients.  The chicken was tender though.

One dish that I was strangely in love with was the Hoy Tod.  These crunchy pancakes had mussels and scallion hidden inside.  This provided a seafoody chewiness beyond the crunchy exterior and somewhat fluffy interior.  Not complex by any means, yet the textural contrast and the brininess was really up my alley.  I couldn't stop eating these!  This also came with a sweet & spicy sriracha sauce.

Back to the more typical dishes in the Peek Gai Tod (Fried Chicken Wings), we had them sauced in spicy basil.  These wings were ginormous and hence with the modest deep fry, they were also juicy and tender.  Personally, I would've preferred a more aggressive deep fry since the skin wasn't all that rendered.  It was still lightly crispy though and the spicy basil glaze was delicious.  There was aromatics, spice and garlickiness.

Another form of fried chicken arrived with our next dish in the Hat Yai Fried Chicken.  Unlike the North American type of fried chicken, this one featured a barely-there batter.  It was thin and allowed the skin to completely render.  By virtue of using rice flour, it was also very crispy.  Inside, the dark meat chicken was juicy and nicely brined.  I could definitely taste the sweetness as well as the brininess of the fish sauce.

Another dish I've never had before was the Goong Ob Woon Sen featuring prawns with glass noodles.  Albeit, I've had something similar in Cantonese cuisine (just like the Kang Jued), so this was familiar to me.  With plenty of aromatics from the garlic, ginger and cilantro, the slippery and chewy glass noodles were tasty.  There was some pepperiness to the dish and the addition of pork provided depth.  The shrimp were buttery with a snap.

Onto a classic Northern Thai dish in the Khao Soi Gai.  This was a good version featuring a creamy and rich red curry broth.  The egg noodles were still chewy and not clumpy.  They soaked up some of the broth and the aromatics and slight spiciness (nutty smokiness from the chili condiment) made me want to keep eating it.  The chicken leg was fall-off-the-bone tender.  Also, the crispy fried egg noodles helped soak up even more of the delicious broth.

For me at least, a Thai meal isn't complete without both the Pad See Ew and the Pad Thai.  Yes, a bit defaultish, but at the same time, when done right, delicious.  I'm happy to report that the both exhibited good wok hay which meant there was smokiness, nuttiness and caramelization.  For the Pad See Ew, the noodles were not clumpy and had elasticity.  We choose tofu instead of meat and that enabled the flavors from the stir-fry to stand out including a bit of spice (we chose medium) and balanced saltiness with sweetness.  The Pad Thai was tangy from the tamarind and also sweet from the palm sugar.  There was some brininess and of course some spice too.

Saving the best for last, we had the Khao Pad Puu (Crab Fried Rice).  We've already had some great versions on this trip to Portland and I was glad we ended off with another great dish.  The discernible grains of rice were chewy, nutty and caramelized.  There was plenty of other aromatics from the garlic, onions, scallions and sesame seeds as well.  Add in the on point seasoning and plenty of fluffy crab, the fried rice was really good!

For dessert, we were served a Thai Tea Cake that was reminiscent of cheesecake in texture.  Specifically, a Basque cheesecake where it was fairly dense and creamy.  It wasn't as sweet as it appeared but definitely wasn't flavorless either.  In the end, the meal at Mee Sen Thai was satisfying with some real highlights.  The wok hay was evident, especially with the noodle dishes and also the fried rice.  Also had some unique items we've never had before as well.  Portions are large, so bring some people to help share!

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Dishes had wok hay (good caramelization and smokiness)

- Large portions

- Cute decor

The Bad:

- Maybe the wings could've been fried more golden brown and crispy 

Churn Cafe

On our last day in Portland, we headed up to the Boise neighborhood in the Northern portion of the city.  Along N Mississippi Ave, we visited 2 places starting with the Asian-infused brunch and beverages.  The place is rather cute and has lots of character.  We did our ordering on the big screens in the front and all the food arrived promptly at our table afterwards.  The places was bustlin', especially for a weekday.  After we dug into our food and drinks, it was quite apparent why.

If there was any confusion about the fusion, it was easily understood with the Coffee Flight featuring a bit of influence from many different Asian cultures.  The Vietnamese Coffee was not as strong as other versions I've had, yet, that was a good thing as it was went down smooth with balanced sweetness.  As for the Ube Latte, it was sweet and aromatic.  While the Pandan Latte was nutty and aromatic, it could've been stronger.  Also sweet, but with bitter notes, the Strawberry Matcha Latte had some milky fruity vibes.

Probably my favorite dish of our meal was incidentally the first one to hit the table.  It was the Okonomiyaki Crepe.  This fully-loaded creation had bacon, sautéed cabbage, eggs and Swiss cheese topped with okonomi sauce, kewpie mayo, bonito flakes and nori.  We added smoked salmon for good measure.  This definitely captured the essence of an Okonomiyaki with all of the components.  There was a smoky element to it from the bacon and salmon.  Loved the texture of the crepe as it was light and slightly eggy but had some chew to it as well.

Moving on, we had something quite Southern with Chinese twist.  We found 2 pieces of Fried Chicken with a house-made biscuit and Chinese sausage gravy.  The chicken itself was pretty textbook with a crunchy batter and rendered skin.  Inside, the meat was super juicy and tender.  The chicken itself as well as the batter was properly-seasoned.  As for the biscuit, it was buttery and featured a soft interior.  The gravy itself was classic white sauce, but with the sausage, it had a cured saltiness.

We also tried a pasta dish in the Yuzu Cream Pasta with shrimp, masago and mushrooms.  This would look completely at home in a Japanese pasta joint, so kudos to them for its on point preparation.  Featuring al dente spaghetti, the dish started off on the right foot.  It was enveloped by just enough yuzu cream sauce, which was bright and well-seasoned.  The plethora of masago provided pops of the sea in every bite.  On top, the shrimp were buttery with a sweet snap.

Back to the fried chicken, we had the Fried Chicken and Pandan Waffle.  This was another take on the classic dish with the addition of pandan to the waffle.  Although you can't really tell from the outside of the crispy waffle, the inside was beautifully green.  It was lightly sweet with aromatics and a bit of nuttiness.  I liked eating it plain, but there was syrup on the side.  As for the fried chicken, it was the same as the previous dish being juicy on the inside while crunch on the outside.

That previous dish was heading somewhere towards sweet, so it was nice transition to the stunning Ube French Toast.  Exhibiting its beautiful shade of purple, the ube came through mildly with sweetness and aroma.  The toast was well-soaked being a bit custardy with a lightly crisp exterior.  Since it was rather light-tasting, the addition of custard cream and ube condensed milk provided all of the necessary sweetness.  Furthermore, it gave the dish some creaminess.  

Ending off things on a lighter note, we had the Very Berry Crepe.  The crepe was somehow a bit more moist than the one in the okonomiyaki for some reason.  That was a good thing though as it had a nice tender chew to it with elasticity.  It was topped with fresh whipped cream and sliced strawberries.  The plate was finished off with a mixed berry compote.  Overall, the brunch at Churn Cafe was impressive with its diverse options where many had an Asian twist.  Portions were generous and the people are nice.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- On point Asian twist on brunch
- Large portions
- Cute spot

The Bad:
- Parking in the area can be tough to find
- On the pricier side

Afuri Kara Kurenai Downtown Portland

There are certain restaurants that have so many locations in the world, you won't have a problem finding an outpost in a major city.  We all know that Greater Vancouver (the one in BC) has 2 locations of Afuri Ramen, one in Richmond and one in Vancouver proper.  I've had differing experiences with the Vancouver one being better in my opinion.  Now, I got the chance to compare with the one of the locations in Portland (the spicy Afuri Kara Kurenai), right next to the original Voodoo Donuts (yes, we did get some of those too, although Bluestar is better!).

Just like the last time I was in the Vancouver location, we tried the Buta Gyoza.  These dumplings were prepared textbook-style with a crispy and browned bottom.  As you can see in the picture, there was a uniformly crispy skirt which was nutty and aromatic.  The dumpling skin itself was thin and had bouncy elasticity.  Inside, the pork and leek filling was tender and juicy.  It was also nicely seasoned being sweet and savoury.

Before we got to the ramen, we had 2 rice bowls including the Purutoro Chashu Meshi and the Spicy Karaage Don.  For the chashu don, it was a collection of components that created a flavor explosion.  Beyond the buttery tender pork belly, we found the crunch and tang from the pickled veg and the brightness of the green onions.  This was further enhanced by the addition of tangy yuzu and umaminess from the nori.  As for the chicken karaage, it was plentiful with a crunchy exterior and juicy meat.  The spicy mayo and chili sauce was medium in heat and added plenty of flavoring for the rice.  Add in the pickled ginger, nori and green onions and we had some of tang, brightness and umami to complete dish.

Onto the ramen, a visit to Afuri wouldn't be complete without ordering their signature Yuzu Shiro Shoyu Ramen.  If you've read my previous posts about this bowl of ramen, you know it isn't my personal favorite.  But after all these times, it has started to grow on me.  This time around, the chicken broth was super light and fragrant with the brightness of yuzu.  Was it any different than before?  Probably not, but for those who don't want a heavy tonkotsu broth, this is the way to go.  The thin noodles had a good chewiness and elasticity even while sitting in the hot broth.  There was some super moist sous-vide chicken breast chashu as well as a perfect custardy egg.

Moving from light and mild, we went to the Yuzu Kara Kurenai Ramen in also a chicken broth, but with the addition of yuzu spiced miso, chili powder and spicy menma.  We weren't in the mood to have our tastebuds being scorched, so we went for medium hot for this.  That was actually perfect as the spice level was noticeable, but at the same time, we could taste the richness of the miso and even some background brightness from the yuzu.

Now my favorite bowl here at Afuri is hands-down, the vegan Hazelnut Tantanmen.  Yes, that is not a misprint.  Despite being vegan, this bowl of noodles has all the texture and flavors to make up for the lack of meat products.  Beyond the chewy thicker noodles, the spicy miso tare added salty and sweet depth.  Tying it altogether was the hazelnut broth that gave each strand of noodle a delicious nutty and aromatic hug.  But wait, there was more!  The miso cashews only amped the nuttiness and umaminess of the dish and let's not forget the spice too as it also had some kick.  This was not lacking in impact.

We had one last bowl of noodles and this was the Kara Kurenai Tsukemen.  Also known as "dipping noodles" this dry ramen came with a spicy shoyu tsuyu.  As you can see in the picture, this sauce meant business.  We chose medium hot again, but this time, due to the concentrated nature of the dip and the amount coating each noodle, there was some real tongue-numbing instances.  This had most of the same components as the soup version except with thick noodles for dipping.

At Afuri, they also have a selection of Cocktails and we tried Yuzu Limeade, Ube Colada, Housemade Ginger Ale and Mai Thai on Fire.  Naturally, I gravitated to the non-alcoholic and refreshing drinks more.  They did a good job in cooling down my mouth from the spiciness.  I did enjoy the Ube Colada.  It was light and sweet from the pineapple juice. The Mai Thai on Fire was exactly that with serrano pepper infused rum.  It also had some orange liqueur and lime juice for balance.  Overall, this experience at Afuri was quite good.  In addition to some of their classics, they spiced it up figuratively and literally.  If you want so heat in your ramen and drinks, this is the place to be.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- If you want it spicy, it can be really spicy

- Spacious room

- Solid eats

The Bad:

- Seating is quite communal, so if that isn't your thing...