Akasaka Restaurant - The Best Sushi In Northern Virginia!

To change things up a bit, I decided to share some of my favorite places to eat with you.  Living in Hawaii for 7 1/2 years, and dating my now wife, afforded me the opportunity to try several variations of cuisine.  None have I enjoyed more than Sushi.  Unfortunately, living in Hawaii, also made me a sushi snob.  You can imagine the amazing fresh fish that you get, it literally goes from ocean to plate in a matter of hours!  Having said that, Akasaka Restaurant in Alexandria, VA reminds me of that sushi.  This is, hands down, the freshest sushi you will get in this area. 

When you enter the restaurant you are welcomed with the traditional Japanese greeting of "Irrashaimase" an immediate indication that you are in the right place!  The staff bows when they finish speaking to you and it is considered polite to do so in return.  When you are seated, they bring you a complimentary starter dish to prepare you for the meal ahead.  It consists of a few pieces of edamame and some cream cheese and scallion gyoza.  The gyoza is so good that you should order it as an appetizer, which they offer.

Anything you order will be amazing but I believe that good sushi is defined by a select few items.  The most important of these is Maguro (Tuna) Sushi also known as Ahi Tuna.  The reason this is the cornerstone to great sushi is because of the simplicity of the dish.  It is nothing more than a delicate cut of fish with some rice.  The Maguro here is buttery soft and full of flavor.  We have to get it every time we eat here. 

The next is a Spider Roll for which the main component is soft-shell crab.  This is a difficult roll to make because the soft-shell crab is very easy to overcook.  They cook it to perfection at Akasaka and it is simply breathtaking.  (Hands down the best spider roll I have ever had!) 

A personal make or break is the Spicy Tuna Roll.  (Again a simple dish that consists of rice, nori [Seaweed], tuna, and spicy sauce.)  I am a complete snob when it comes to spicy tuna rolls and Akasaka delivers one of the finest.  Other sushi restaurants mask the flavor of the tuna with the spicy sauce and it completely takes away from the roll.  Akasaka offers the perfect medley of spice and tuna making it a personal favorite. 

The Hamachi Roll is another simple, delicious masterpiece.  It consists of yellow tail, nori, and rice.  One word, amazing.

We believe that although you have your "go to" favorites, you should try new things and last night was no exception.  We decided to try the Mexican Roll and in doing so, found another "go to" favorite.  It consists of spicy tuna, tobiko, avocado, and cucumber.  The avocado really sets this roll apart in both presentation and flavor.  This roll literally melts in your mouth and is one that I highly recommend.

As far as presentation goes, here is what it looked like.

The little dish on the side was a complimentary one from the chef.  It was a seared tuna and daikon radish salad.  Whatever sauce the chef used to tie it all together was brilliant!  The tuna was beautifully seared with a peppery finish and the daikon radish complimented the dish perfectly.  Unexpected and delicious!

Here is a link to their menu, although not complete.  http://akasakasushi.com/menu.html

You can find them at 514 South Van Dorn Street, Alexandria, VA 22304 and their hours are Mon. - Fri. 11:30am-2:30pm, 5pm-10pm; Sat 12pm-10pm; and Sun 4pm-9:30pm.

Insider tip:  They have half price a la carte items on Monday and man is it worth it!  You get the same meal but for half the cost!

Enjoy!!

-Chris

Grilled Lamb Chops with a Blueberry-Balsamic Reduction, Baby Red Potatoes and Asparagus

Sticking with the "summer grill" theme I am adding one of my favorite dinners to date.  If you are a lover of all things lamb (As you very well should be!) then this is the dinner for you!

For the lamb chops you will need:

2 Lamb Chops (We get ours at Springfield Butcher and if you are in the area, we suggest you do the same!)
2 Tbsp. of olive oil
Salt & Pepper

Sprinkle the lamb chops with salt and pepper and prepare to cook!  The first, and most critical step in the cooking process, is to sere the lamb chops in a skillet.  Add the olive oil to a skillet and crank the heat up on the stove!  Once the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the chops and sere for about 30-45 seconds on each side or until a golden brown color is achieved.  (Ensure to do this to all sides of the lamb, including the outer edges.)  Once you have sered the chops, and locked in the juices, place them on the grill 400-450 for 5-6 minutes on each side.  (Anything more than this and you will be doing a disservice to the meat!)  Do not forget to let the lamb rest on a plate,covered in aluminum foil, for approximately 5 minutes before you eat it.

For the asparagus you will need:

1 lb. Asparagus (Thinner asparagus always tastes better!)
Drizzle of olive oil (Don't be afraid to use it!)
Salt & Pepper
1-2 Sheets of aluminum foil

Snap the ends off of the asparagus and then rinse them.  Use the sheets of aluminum foil to create a makeshift tray that you can place on the upper rack of your grill.  Place the asparagus in the tray, drizzle with olive oil, add salt and pepper to taste.  Cook on the upper rack of the grill, 400-450 for 10-15 minutes or until desired tenderness is achieved.  (We prefer the tips to be crispy and charred.)

For the potatoes you will need:

1 lb. Baby Red Potatoes
3-5 Garlic coves (Chopped or Minced)
3-5 Tbsp. of butter
Drizzle of olive oil (Don't be afraid to use it!)
Salt & Pepper
1-2 Sheets of aluminum foil (You will cook them in this.)

Chop the potatoes in to quarters and place in water for 3-5 minutes to get some of the starch out.  Drain them, and place them on a sheet of aluminum foil.  Add the garlic, olive oil, butter, salt and pepper and seal in the aluminum foil.  Cook on the grill, 400-450 for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.

For the blueberry-balsamic reduction you will need:
(This recipe was adapted from a fellow blogger website and can be found at the following link http://arlene-thefoodoflove.blogspot.com/2008/07/pork-loin-with-blueberry-reduction.html)

1/4 c. Onion, finely chopped

1 Garlic clove, finely chopped

1/2 c. Fresh blueberries

2 Tsp. water

1 1/2 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar

1 c. Chicken broth

1 Tbsp. of fresh basil, chopped (We grow our own!)

1/2 Tbsp. of unsalted butter

Place the onions in a skillet and cook for about 5 minutes. While the onions are cooking, place the blueberries and water in a microwave-safe dish and smash them with the back of a spoon.  Cook them in the microwave for about 1 1/2 minutes.  Add the garlic to the onions and cook another minute. Add the chicken broth and scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan with an appropriate utensil.  If you have expensive pans like we do, you do not want to scrape the pans.  (I recommend using OXO products, they are pan friendly.)  Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer until the sauce is reduced by half, about 7 minutes.  Add as much as you want to the chops, it's nothing short of amazing!!

The result is this...

Enjoy!!

 

-Chris

Let's Make this Interactive...

So I've gotten some requests for recipes or meal ideas via Facebook and I think I want to bring it over here and make it 'official' - or as official as this blog can be, which is to say, less official than the Westminster Dog Show but maybe more official than a Toddlers & Tiaras competition in a town of 200 people? But I digress. In the next week, I will be whipping up a Thai Peanut Sauce dish per a request from devoted follower Erika Desimone ...and I am more than happy to field more. Maybe this is the coffee talking on this Wednesday morning, but I think my co-bloggers will also chip in and we can get this done for our few, but EXTREMELY loyal, followers.


1. So, in the comments, write what you want us to make, tell you about, explain, etc.


2. Try not to be jerky - i.e., don't request imported New Zealand rack of lamb unless you plan on a) sending PayPal money over or b) you are flying out to eat with us, in which case, lamb would make a great 'welcome guests dinner' and you're on.


3. Whoever of the blog staff is going to make it will acknowledge your request and then make it in the next week or so (I mean, we do have lives and stuff, so it may not be that very night), unless you inundate us with requests which will be AWESOME but also make the process a little slower.


4. If you want anything that is extremely unhealthy (by that I mean a deep-fried twinkie) you will either get a response from our silent partner Nate, who owns a deep frier, OR a healthier option since we want you all to live. By that same token, if you want me to teach you to make Hamburger Helper we're going to talk about a few things offline.


5. Tell your friends. The more followers, the more inspired I (we) are to keep doing this.


Let the games begin!


- Melissa

Grapefruit & Garlic Brined Pork Chops

Admittedly, I sort of stole this concept from an episode of "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" but I figured I could explain how it worked out in real life...which was best described as good, but a lesson learned in the process.

So, for the brine: just 1 part olive oil, 1 part ruby red grapefruit juice (bottled works, though fresh squeezed is better) and about 2 minced cloves of garlic. You need enough to cover the entire piece of meat you are brining, so be sure to increase incrementally to accomplish this, and then let it sit in a covered container or ziploc bag for at least 8 hours in the fridge. When you are ready to cook, preheat the oven to bake at 375 and then place the chops on either a cookie sheet or a grilling pan - both of which you'll need to spray with a little Pam to prevent sticking. Next, brush some of the brine liquid over the tops and add a little freshly ground pepper. Now I was working with bone-in pork chops, about 1/2" thick, so the cooking time was 30 minutes, give or take how your oven runs.

The finished product was moist and garlicky, though not as fruity as I'd anticipated, which was ok, but if you are looking for more sweetness, feel free to add more juice to the original brine. The thing that I realized as I ate though was the potential the brine mix could have....if paired with a pork tenderloin, which is meatier than a chop and often has a bit less fat, plus then it could be topped with some fresh apple chutney. MMMMM. However, this is not what I made for dinner....this time.

So we ate the chops, which were good but lacking a little due to the cut, and served it with some simple cut wax & green beans and stuffing. So the take away from this is a good brine mix that can offer up some new flavor for pork.

- Melissa

How to Grill a Steak...Properly

Grilling a steak is something everyone should know how to do...yet that isn't the case. While it is not necessarily considered gourmet, preparing a steak well is an art.

The first step to a great steak dinner is choosing the cut and thickness of the meat.  I would not buy a steak less then ¾” thick because you will lose a lot of the flavor and juices during cooking. Type of steak is very much taste dependent, and your tolerance for fat will also drive you to a specific cut. Fat makes steak more flavorful, but how marbled you get like your steak is a preference thing. I encourage everyone to try as many cuts as you can and see what you like.

•Tenderloin: The tenderloin is a cut of meat that is the tenderest (and therefore usually the most expensive). The tenderloin is found in the middle of the back between the sirloin and the rib. It is extremely tender because the muscles that make up the tenderloin are rarely used. When the tenderloin is cut into pieces, it is called fillet mignon steaks.

•T-Bone: The T-bone is a bone-in steak from the short loin. This cut has a T-shaped bone that separates the tenderloin section from the larger portion of the top loin. These steaks are not as tender as the porterhouse steak.

•Porterhouse: The Porterhouse steak is a large steak from the thick end of the short loin containing a T-shaped bone and large piece of tenderloin. Porterhouse steak is one of the most popular types of steaks.

•Strip or Top Loin: Porterhouse or T-bone steaks that have been stripped of the choice tenderloin portion.  Top loin steaks are usually expensive.

•Rib-Eye: The rib eye or ribeye is a beef steak from the beef rib. When cut into steaks, the ribeye is one of the most popular, juiciest, and expensive steaks on the market. Meat from the rib section is tender and fattier than other cuts of beef. This extra fat makes ribeye steaks and roasts especially tender and flavorful.

•Sirloin: The sirloin is near the rump. Sirloin steaks are tougher than cuts from the loin or the rib. 

•Flank: Flank steak is a beef steak cut from the belly muscles of the cow. Long and flat, the flank steak's best known application is London Broil. The flank steak is much tougher than the loin and rib steaks. Many recipes for flank steak use marinades or braising. Flank steak is best when it has a bright, red color. You can tenderize flank steak by marinating it in a tenderizing liquid, including acids like tomato-based products, lemon juice, wine, vinegar, pineapple or ginger.

•Skirt: The skirt steak is a cut of beef steak from the belly primal cut. The skirt steak is a long, flat cut that is flavorful, but tougher than most other steak cuts. Most people use skirt steak to make fajitas.

Once you have it home and are ready go, I usually salt the steaks and leave them on a plate in the fridge for an hour or so before they go on the grill. For London Broil, I’ll try and marinate and leave it in the fridge for at least 12 hours.

When you are ready to cook, set the grill up to med-high heat (pre-heat so the temp is between 400-450). On charcoal grills, make sure you have cooked down the coals to a nice grey and use a thermometer if you have one.  Make sure that you have a clean grill, grates and burner. Cooking steak at this temp on a dirty grill will cause fire to rise and directly touch the meat which will skew the times and burn the outside.

Once the grill is pre-heated, use the high temp Pam to grease up the grates on the grill. Place your steaks on and salt the top side again. When you think you have put enough salt on it, put a little more. Cover the grill and wait. Try to limit the amount of times you open the cover.

Based on the thickness of your cut, you can sear your steaks at this point. Searing locks in the juice of your steak, but I only really do it if the cut is 1” or larger. To sear, place the steak on the grill and keep it there for 1.5 to 2 min. Then flip it and begin cooking the other side like normal. If you sear, remember that the 2 min of the first side counts towards to total time you should cook that side.

Cooking time at 400-450 for ¾” to 1” thick* steaks will be:

6 min per side – Rare

7 min per side – Med Rare

8 min per side – Medium

Anything more than that is cruel and unusual punishment to the meat and I urge you to turn yourself in to the local authorities.

*Add 3 min per side more for each 1/2” of additional thickness. (Ex. 1 ½” thick steak should be cooked 9 min per side for rare)

When you flip the steaks, salt the other side again and then cover the grill. Make sure to use tongs to flip the steak. DO NOT use a fork and do your best not to puncture the steak at any point during the grilling.

THE MOST IMPORTANT PART of grilling any meat is to let it rest after you have cooked it. I typically will place the steaks on a plate, cover with aluminum foil and leave them for at least 5 minutes before serving them. You can wait up to 10 min before serving them.

- Tim & Melissa

Easy Greek Couscous Salad

So in an effort to not serve the same basic sides, I often try to branch out and get a little more flashy. So the other night we were having pre-made lamb burgers (which we totally buy at the local high end place I keep mentioning and don't make ourselves because they do it so well). Anyway, the burgers have feta cheese and rosemary sprigs mixed in, so my side needed to be of a Greek persuasion, thus I thought of making a mediterranean couscous salad.

First of all, they sell boxes of already 'seasoned' couscous in the store (Far East brand), but for this I opted to make it myself from a big box of plain couscous that I keep on hand. So the beauty of couscous is that it is super quick; we're talking boil the water with a tbsp of olive oil, add couscous, turn down heat for 2 min, then remove from heat and done. So total time is no more than 10 min. I do add some chicken broth in with the water, so its 50/50, which totally adds a little extra flavor. Once the couscous has been removed from the heat, I can take on the salad's accoutrements. 

Chop up some onion, tomato and cucumber. The amount truly depends on how much you like these vegetables....for instance, I went easier on the onion than you might. Move the couscous into a bowl and toss it lightly in a little more olive oil and ground black pepper. Then add the chopped vegetables and mix in some crumbled feta cheese (you can also add in Kalamata olives and let me live vicariously through you since T hates olives)  and toss some more. Finally top the salad with some torn fresh mint and prepare to feel transported to Athens! Best part? You can also make this ahead of time & store this in the fridge for hours...in fact, the leftovers the next day are sometimes even better!

PS - I also made a quick garlic tzatziki for the burgers...1 part plain greek yogurt, 1 part crushed garlic, 1 tbsp dill, juice from half a lemon and then zested cucumber and/or lemon to finish it off. 

- Melissa

Full transparency loyal readers

In order to maintain honesty on the blog: I admittedly failed at dinner tonight....not because I made an error cooking, but because I totally over-estimated how long the key ingredient would stay fresh. The ingredient in question were garlic spears and I totally should've made them two days ago but we had plans and I could not. 

So the rather pricey stalks are in the trash, the defrosted chicken cutlets are now pre-poached in the fridge for when T is in charge of dinner this week due to my work schedule and he is off saving the day getting take-out burritos. 

Please note that the photo was taken yesterday a.m. and that the spears had since lost even more green. Lesson here, believe what the produce manager at the high-end market tells you about an ingredient you've never tried before! 

You might wonder, could I have made something else with the chicken? Well sure. But my heart was set on my adventure and I couldn't rally into some subpar creation. Sigh.

I'll think of something tomorrow since after all, tomorrow is another day {in the kitchen}. 

- Melissa