Family Sushi Feasting

E was telling us that while she loves sushi and Japanese food, it's hard to come by in Europe. For this reason, we made sure we treated her to Japanese cuisine! (It also helps that this is our food of choice.) From the moment we learned that E would be spending time with us, we knew that we had to take her to our favorite Japanese restaurant in New Jersey -- Umeya. 

Dinner at Umeya is always a lot of fun. We eat a lot, drink a fair amount, and overall always have a great night! We also tend to close the restaurant. To kick off the meal, while my parents enjoyed sake, E and I enjoyed glasses of umeshu (plum wine). 
For appetizers, we ordered quite a selection. I had my usual "ika uni", which is thinly cut pieces of squid topped with sea urchin. It is so fresh and delicious! I absolutely love it! To share, we ordered: eel and cucumber rolls, takoyaki, fresh oysters dressed with spicy radish and ponzu, as well as fried aji (mackerel) bones. So many yummy appetizers. We certainly started dinner with a bang!  
Ika Uni (squid and sea urchin)
Eel and Cucumber rolls
Takoyaki
Raw Oysters with Ponzu and Spicy Radish
Fried Mackerel Bones

Once we were done with appetizers, it was time for the main event: SUSHI! Since the sushi chefs know my family very well, we always ask for "omakase," which means chef's choice. They know what we like and what we don't like, so it's always fun to see what they will serve us. We ate for hours and I enjoyed every mouthful!
Amaebi (Sweet Shrimp)
Fried shrimp heads -- Crunchy & delicious!
Lightly searing some fatty tuna
Seared Ootoro (Fatty Tuna)
Tai (Red Snapper)
Toro (Tuna)
Hokkigai (Surf Clam)
Aji (Mackerel)
Seared Aoyagi (Round Clam)
Ika Uni (Squid & Sea Urchin)
Unagi (Eel)
Negitoro (Tuna and Scallion roll)
Hamachi (Amberjack)
Tamago (Egg)
Ume Shiso (Pickled Plum and Shiso Leaves)

Although we had gorged ourselves on delicious Japanese food, the dinner would not be complete without dessert. E and I both ordered mochi ice cream, whilst my dad ordered green tea ice cream and my mom ordered red bean ice cream. If that wasn't enough, the restaurant surprised us with the most delicious mango I have ever eaten. I cannot describe in words just how sweet the mango was!! The perfect way to end our delicious feast!
Green Tea Mochi Ice Cream
Mango

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Gordon Ramsay's Cheesy Potato Dauphinoise

Image
I am fairly impressionable --- at least when it comes to cooking. When I see a recipe or a dish that intrigues me, I become obsessed and determine to give it a go. I have been obsessively watching Come Dine With Me  for at least one month and a dish that keeps popping up is: Potato Dauphionoise. I've eaten this side dish a couple times in my life, but not recently. It looked so delicious and easy to make, and I was determined to try my hand at this posh looking side. As per usual, I consulted the internet to look for recipes. As most of you know, I am obsessed with Gordon Ramsay. He is always my go to. If he doesn't have a recipe for something I want to make, I'm always feel a little lost, but luckily, that wasn't the case this time. I was delighted to have stumbled upon Gordon Ramsay's "Gratin Dauphonoise." He has yet to let me down and you know what, this dish was a winner! Something that I am adding to my repertoire.  This dish was incredibly e...
Read more

Truffle Cream Cheese & Chive Spread

Image
So, I realize that this post is rather late…but I figure, better late than never, right? Over New Years, I was searching for recipes online, when I stumbled upon a new Gordon Ramsay recipe. As we all know, I LOVE Gordon Ramsay, in fact, I should probably just change my username to that.  Chef Ramsay has a recipe for a deliciously decadent, but oh so easy truffle cream cheese spread, and I couldn't resist. The ingredients are simple, you may even have most of them, and it takes no more than ten minutes to make. Oh, and it's delicious.  Whether you are entertaining guests or spending time alone, this spread is perfect for all occasions. It's great with bread and crackers, it's also delicious with grapes. The fluffiness of the cream cheese/sour cream, coupled with the decadence and amazing aroma of the truffle oil makes this a really luxurious spread that everyone will love! For Gordon Ramsay's video, please click this link .  Ingredients: - small con...
Read more

Tawaraya - One of Kyoto's Most Famous and Oldest Ryokans

Image
On this visit to Kyoto, rather than stay at a hotel, my parents and I were fortunate enough two spend two nights at the very famous and exclusive Tawaraya ryokan . Tawaraya is considered one of the most famous and posh ryokans in Japan. Past guests have included Steven Spielberg, Alfred Hitchcock, and even Marlon Brando! (Many famous Japanese people have stayed here as well, but these three just popped into my head). We made our reservation one year in advance, but even then, we had difficulty getting a room!  To quote Wikipedia: "A ryokan ( 旅館 ) is a type of traditional Japanese inn that originated in the Edo Period (1603 ~ 1868), when such inns served travelers along Japan's highways. They typically feature tatami-matted rooms, communal baths, and other public areas where visitors may wear yukata and talk with the owner…Most ryokans offer dinner and breakfast, which are often included in the price of the room. Most visitors take their meals at the ryokan, which usuall...
Read more