Doesn't TaZte Like Chicken

This cost me an arm and a leg. It was the most expensive cake I have ever purchased! And yet, it’s also the most delicious rum cake I ever had. It’s moist; it’s soft, and it’s has a good amount of rum in it. I used to bake rum cakes but mine never tasted as delicious as this. Got the cake as a present for a friend, I also ordered myself the original flavour with walnuts from the internet. The cake flew all the way from the Caribbean and every slice of it tasted like heaven. Still, it was expensive, especially when I got the bill from the customs a month later asking me to pay duty. Wah :”-( ”’

If you are also a rum cake lover and you want to find out how this one tastes, you can order it the Tortuga Rum Cake website.

Location: Hanako Japanese Restaurant   
205-15135 101 Avenue
Surrey, BC
604-582-8833

If you live in Surrey, or know people who live in Surrey, then you probably have heard what a great Japanese restaurant Hanako is. I admit, I’m a Vancouver downtown type of girl, but I’ve fallen in love with Hanako. With love comes commitment – I’m committed to driving out to Surrey (a long drive for ET and me) just to go to Hanako.

The food at Hanako is amazing. The sashimi is fresh and top quality. Prices are not cheap but still in the reasonable range (~$60 for ET and I). I highly recommend all Japanese food fans try out this restaurant, even if you have to drive for a bit to get there.

On a recent visit with some friends, we had the following:

A crab salad with crab (of course!), tomatoes, radicchio and vinegarette. This is my friend’s favourite and she has all the reasons to like this dish. It’s a pretty and very tasty dish.

UNI! This could easily be the best Uni sashimi I’ve had so far. The Uni tasted so fresh that as it melted in my mouth, I can smell and taste the ocean.

I wanted to get Toro sashimi but it was all sold out. Waaaaaaaaah! :”’( That was a big disappointment because I know this restaurant has very good Toro. We order Hamachi and Salmon instead and they were a good consolation.

Various rolls – all up to standard.

The spider roll was up to standard. There was an adequate portion of crab in the roll and the crab stayed crunchy.

Deep fried soft shell crab. This dish was only so so. I have had better soft shell crab at other Japanese restaurants. It’s all in the fying – the batter has to be light and yet crispy.

Like the soft shell crab, again, the tempura could be improved. The batter was a little too heavy. I guess this restaurant is not the best at fried dishes.

This is Ankimo, which is Monkfish liver and also known as “foie gras of the sea”. As the description suggests, Ankimo is soft, lightly sweet and slightly buttery. I think comparing this with foie gras might be unfair, as Ankimo doesn’t exactly has the rich buttery taste of foie. However, it was still a rich dish.

Finally, agedashi tofu. Strangely enough, this was cooked perfectly. A perfect warm ending to a cool meal.

Location: Kobe, Japan

Author: My Husband

Kobe beef in Kobe. Kind of poetic isn’t it? When we were traveling in Japan, we managed to get our guide to order us a wagyu steak. He got the beef shipped to our hotel via overnight delivery and took us to a self-serve BBQ joint to cook it.

The beef was shipped in a clear air-tight bag along with a piece of fat. We didn’t think it was top-grade wagyu as the marbling wasn’t as extensive or well-distributed as some of the stuff we’ve seen in pictures, but it was still miles better than any steak we’ve seen sold in North American stores.

We threw it on the grill along with some other items we picked up at the restaurant’s food cabinets. We rubbed the slowly melting square of fat all over the surface of the wagyu steak to keep it moist – not that it needed a lot of help in that department.

After browning both sides, we took it off the grill and dug in. It was the most tender piece of beef we’ve had. The reports about the meat melting in your mouth are not far from the truth – it really did melt a little in our mouths, similar to the way foie gras or oh-toro would. Also similar to foie or oh-toro is the rich, pleasing, unctuous mouthfeel. Flavour-wise, there was sweetness and a huge sense of umami. Interestingly, the ‘beefiness’ (or gaminess) was pretty subtle compared to North American breeds. All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed it.

For our readers in greater Vancouver looking for a taste of real Wagyu, visit Nikuya Meats in Richmond. They sell a range of products spanning Japan-raised Wagyu to American “Kobe” beef (along with other interesting meats). Bring money…