Infernal Blog of Doom » Food Review

Fugu – The Taste of Death

yeyenman — Wed, 20 May 2009 03:03:22 +0000

The Sinister Blowfish

Swimming through the tank
He dreams of being caught and
Poisoning the chef

This is listed as one of those things I just had to do before I die. Well, hoping not exactly right before I die but a little way before allowing me to live and share my experience in the least – eat some deadly blowfish.

I first read about the fish and the art of risking one’s life in eating it in some National Geographic magazine we had when I was kid. Fugu it was called and was a delicacy found in Japan. Fugu was of such high praise that the Japanese pay millions of yen a year and actually endanger their very lives to eat it. They knew of the impending peril and even inspired haikus such as (translated):

“I cannot see her tonight
I have to give her up
So I will eat fugu”

- Yosa Buson (1716-1783)

and

“Last night he and I ate fugu,
Today I help carry his coffin”

- Anonymous

and such maxims as

“To throw away life, eat blowfish.”

but still ate fugu anyway. I became very intrigued with what was with fugu that was just to die for. I swore to taste some before I die. Again, hopefully not exactly right before I die.

Being an expat to Japan, I had a lot of opportunity asking friends around how fugu was like. Unfortunately, the fugu reviews of my friends were mostly underwhelming – the fish was bland and well, they didn’t die However, the thought of playing Russian roulette with fugu still has its pull on me, so when my friend, Justin invited me for some fugu dinner, I gave a definite yes

Fugu Dinner Buddies

Clockwise: Koike-san, Justin, Tha, Jem

We went to this fugu specialty restaurant in Chofu-shi called とらふぐ (to-ra-fu-gu: tiger blowfish). Apparently とらふぐ has a lot of branches and was quite popular which made our choice rather safe and lessened the odds of our premature deaths

とらふぐ　(To-ra-fu-gu) or Tiger Blowfish

Fugu was a bit pricey compared to an ordinary Japanese dinner-out meal but it wasn’t as pricey as I had expected. I was expecting to spend more than 10,000 yen (~$100) for my fugu dinner as most western websites I’ve read said it would cost an arm and a leg but it only cost me around 5,000 yen. However, I think 5000 yen is still freaking expensive given that it might already cost you your life

Justin spent the most among us since he was also the bravest to try some 白子 (shirako) or Fugu sperm sac. Well, he didn’t know what he ate until he got home and searched it in the internet though

7,380 Yen for a Fish?!

Most of us ordered the fugu 6-course meal which included 皮刺し (torafugu skin sashimi)、とらふぐ刺し身 (torafugu sashimi) 、とらふぐなべ (torafugu nabe)、なべ皮 (torafugu skin nabe) and 雑炊 (rice gruel).

Before actually going to the restaurant I did a couple of research and found that one fugu has enough Tetrodotoxin (pufferfish poison) to kill 30 people. Tetrodotoxin is 100 times deadlier than cyanide and is 160,000 times more potent than cocaine. Tetrodotoxin is also used in the voodoo art of zombification and causes nerve paralysis which can lead to a very painful death via aphyxiation. Some 14 people died from fugu between 2002 and 2006 and in 1975, fugu liver cost Japan’s then living national treasure, Kabuki actor Bando Mitsugoro VIII his life. Nevertheless, what the heck. I still want to eat fugu.

Alas, To Taste Death

I am rather adventurous when it comes to anything but this is the first time I’ve actually put my life in the line for food. I was anxious.

皮刺し (Torafugu Skin Sashimi)

The waiter first served 皮刺し (torafugu skin sashimi) which looked rather like colorless rinds of orange peel. It was time to dig in. Alas, to taste death! I have been waiting for this moment for about 18 years. I took my first bite and savored it. What followed came as a shock. Death tasted like… well it didn’t taste like anything. It has no taste at all. It was also firm and crunchy It reminded me so much of the gulaman in the Filipino refreshment sago’t gulaman

What was the big fuss? Did I just blow 5000 yen on something I could get the same satisfaction with sago’t gulaman? I savored eating more of the fugu skin. Torafugu Skin Sashimi is eaten with spring onions and ponzu sauce. It was growing on me. Hey, what do you know, it was delicious!

Up next was the semi-translucent とらふぐ刺し身 (torafugu sashimi) which was served elaborately arranged to form a chrysanthemum. Ironically, the chrysanthemum is also the Japanese flower of choice for funerals I’ve read somewhere that the chrysanthemum is also Japan’s national flower and fugu is also the only dish forbidden to be eaten by the emperor. Fugu is indeed ironic.

I’ve read that fugu sashimi is supposed to be as “subtle as the fragrance of spring rain dripping upon a stone”. I had absolutely no idea what that zen crap actually meant but it was again time to dig in.

とらふぐ刺し身 (Torafugu Sashimi)

Torafugu Sashimi is eaten with chives and spring onions and dipped into the same ponzu sauce (dark soy sauce + mirin + lemon juice) served with the Torafugu Skin Sashimi. I’d say I like the Torafugu Skin Sashimi better. After finishing the plate, I couldn’t still quite get the “subtle as the fragrance of spring rain dripping upon a stone” thing but it’s mild taste together with the sauce’s flavor was delicious nonetheless.

And what do you know, I am still alive

"Subtle as the fragrance of spring rain dripping upon a stone"

とらふぐなべ (torafugu nabe/torafugu hot pot) and なべ皮 (torafugu skin nabe/torafugu skin hot pot) was served next. The soup was to be cooked in a paper basket which I thought was really cool.

Cool Paper Cookware

The fugu meat was still moving when it was served which was a bit freaky but was also awesome thinking of how skilled the chef was at his art

It's still alive!

Fugu meat looks a lot like chicken and the fugu skin imprints are snake like. It doesn’t look anything like fish at all. It looked more like some alien creature from another galaxy. Since the meat was still moving when it was served, I kind of felt sorry for the fugu when we put them inside the boiling water

Fugu Meat

The fugu nabe was tasty. Fugu meat however was a bit tough. My lips were also starting to itch Was this supposed to be the addictive, tingling, novocaine-like effect that comes with eating fugu? I don’t think the itchy feeling was addictive, though and it sure didn’t feel like novocaine I sure was feeling pretty happy though

雑炊 (Rice Gruel)

After we’ve finished the last piece of our fugu nabe , rice, eggs, onion leeks and some more herbs were put into the our fugu nabe’s remaining broth. The outcome looked so much like doggers But don’t let the appearance fool you. The Rice Gruel was tasty and as hobbits would say would “fill in the corners” of your tummy.

It was a fun night spent with friends. No one broke into seizures which made the night rather normal but fugu is by no means underwhelming It was aslo Justin’s birthday the next day and he is still around to celebrate yet another year

I’ve survived fugu! I’m still around to tell about it. Maybe I’ll try some fugu liver someday for more action. Now that would be exciting

Cafe Russia, Kichijouji (March 21, 2009)

yeyenman — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 09:09:59 +0000

Tabaka /Табака - Russian (Georgian) Version of the Lechon Manok

———————————-

Went to meet with my Jap class friends to check out a new Russian restaturant Mayuko-san,our Jap class teacher, found in Kichijouji. Since we all loved Russian food the first time we tasted it in Smetana in Kunitachi, we headed to Kichijouji to sample more of this exciting cuisine. The theme from 007 From Russia with Love can’t stop playing inside my head

———————————-

Cafe Russia Menu

———————————-

The restaurant’s name was Cafe Russia. The name screams of its ethnicity so you won’t be able to miss it’s Russian The restaurant is actually Russian-Georgian but being the uncultured me, I wouldn’t have known the difference The restaurant is just a 5-minute walk from the Kichijouji station so catching the last train going home would not be a problem.

———————————-

Nas-chan and Me

———————————-

The restaurant has a relaxing cozy pink interior. Marina-san (the owner, I think) came all the way from Moscow and it was very amusing to listen to our friend Nas-chan speak her native tongue to place our orders It pays to have a Russian friend who can choose everything to be ordered since we have absolutely no idea what should taste good Love you, Nas-chan

———————————-

Borsch/борщ - The Sweet, Sour and Salty Russian Red Soup

———————————-

Nas-chan ordered the Russian soup borsch/борщ which is a red vegetable soup made from beets, cabbage, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots and onions topped with smetana/сметана or sour cream cheese. This soup, served hot is sweet, sour and salty (♪ nanonano… ♪). The sour cream cheese makes it perfect. It is by far one of the best soups I’ve tasted in my life. I loved it

———————————-

Georgian Appetizers - Mushroom Pickles and Ajapsandali

———————————-

Our appetizers were mushroom pickles whose name I forgot and can’t somehow search in the internet and Ajapsandali, Georgia’s version of the Ratatouille . This is by far the best ratatouille I’ve ever tasted. The combination of eggplants, bell peppers, tomatoes and seasoning was perfect. We ate these with Georgian rye bread and Pirozhki/пирожки, baked buns filled with meat or vegetables. Pirozhki is not far from the Empanada

———————————-

Suluguni(?)

———————————-

Other stuff we ordered were beef stroganoff (about the “safest” one we ordered ), Suluguni (I’m not sure about this name though ) – baked tomato topped with a thick layer of cheese and Russian Kebab which according to Nas-chan is called Comlula. All of these we downed with Georgian sparkling wine and that despite of already having poor results in my liver exam I can’t help but get more refills because they were just so damn sublime

———————————-

Apple Cake and Russian Tea with Rose Jam

———————————-

We ended our meal with Russian apple cake and Russian tea with rose jam. The jam was to be put into the tea to act as its sweetener. It was my first time to taste rose jam or any jam from a flower for that matter. I didn’t know flower jams actually existed. I never thought rose petals could taste that delicious either. I’ve tasted my mother’s roses when I was a kid and don’t remember them as pleasant I liked the rose jam so much that I bought a whole jar for myself to enjoy during my tea time

It was a great night spent with great friends. I would definitely go back to try more of their dishes. Perhaps I’ll muster enough guts next time to sample their scorpion vodka which has a real scorpion being fermented in it’s bottle. The scorpion could be eaten if requested. Now, that would be a some experience

———————————-

Cafe Russia details:

Location: B1 Building Nine 1-4-10 Kichijouji Honmachi, Musashino City, Tokyo

〒180-0004 東京都武蔵野市吉祥寺本町1-4-10 ナインビルB1

Tel No: 0422-23-3200

Business Hours: 11:30 am – 12 mn

Average Budget: 3000円

Reservation: Recommended (it was crowded when we got there)

Map and access can be viewed here.

Happy eating

———————————-

Circles Event Cafe

yeyenman — Thu, 01 May 2008 08:04:34 +0000

My friend, Marnie, dragged my jologs ass last Saturday to have buffet lunch with him at the swanky Circles Event Cafe at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel. I’ve read reviews that Circles has one of the best buffets in the city and so despite being in a drunken state till the wee hours of morning, I could not pass this opportunity to satisfy the budding connoisseur in me. I skipped breakfast to make the most of my three hour stay and to give in to one of the seven deadly sins.

When I entered the restaurant, the amount of food struck me. There was so much of it! I mean a roomful of bread, cheese, greens, roasted meat, seafood, curry, dimsum and chocolates. For a moment there, I kinda forgot that I was actually living in a third world country and that we currently have a food crisis. But then again, Circles is definitely not the place to ponder on such things.

Marnie and I attacked the salad bar first. Growing up in Baguio, I would die for salads and if you love greens as much as I do, Circles is the place for you. You can create your own version of a scrumptious salad by adding on from a variety of greens, cheese, smoked fish, chicken, fruits and dressings. If only the buffet lasted longer and there were no other entrees to try, I would have stuffed myself to death with different salad combinations

After having our salad, Marnie and I went straight to sample the sushi and seafood bar. Well, after having a rather satisfying plate of salad, you can’t blame me for having high expectations. Unfortunately, though, the seafood, sushi and sashimi were such a disappointment. I’ve tasted better sushi and sashimi and there was no uni (sea urchin) so it was really such a let down. Granted that maybe, seafood is just not Circle’s forte but crabs and prawns having flavor next to nothing is just unforgivable. Fancy sauces and dressings can never compensate for lack of natural flavors. The only saving grace of the seafood bar were the mussels. Yes, that’s how mussels should be.

Before we knew it 2 hours went by so quickly and our tummies were almost full. We just grabbed some more dimsum, veggies, risotto and buttered fish, stuffed them into our mouths and went straight for the dessert. And I can say, Circle’s desserts are something they could be proud of. Everything was just sublime. The dessert bar was overflowing with dark chocolate, fruits, pudding, cakes, ice cream and have I already mentioned chocolate? Chocolates galore! I had tiramisu, blueberry and cheese pudding, creme brulee, pudding, leche flan, chocolate flakes filled with ganache, strawberry ice cream, white wine jelly with blueberries, fresh fruits and fruits dipped in chocolate. I loved everything! Too bad we had limited time. Next time I would go to Circles, I would sample everything! For dessert lovers, don’t forget to try their white wine jelly with blueberries. It truly is something

Many thanks to Marnie for bringing me to Circles Event Cafe Next year ulit pag-uwi ko galing Japan

I Want to Sulk

yeyenman — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 01:37:48 +0000

… but Lem brought Royal bibingka from Vigan (which is by the way, the best bibingka in the whole wide universe)! And that pretty much made my morning Mamaya na ko magnyo-nyornyor about my sullen existence. Hehehehe Salamat, Lem!

Gumbo

yeyenman — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 06:14:55 +0000

I love food and I love checking out new restaurants. People have been goading me to write about my food experiences but I have been unable to due to my deadly sickness called sloth.

But then, I’ve changed! First jogging then my very first food review! I must really be inspired. Hehehe.

First stop, Gumbo! The two branches I know are in the The Block and SM Mall of Asia. I’ve also recently found out that there’s a branch at Robinson’s Place Manila. Jenny-sensei and I went to Gumbo, the Block last night betraying our jogging mates of our sacred pact of eating healthy, low fat foods until Sir Tibo’s wedding (I’m very sorry, guys!). Babawi na lang kami mamaya. hehehe

We had their best-seller, Jambalaya, Buffalo Wings and Hurricane (and because I wasn’t listening closely enough, I didn’t quite get it if this was a rum-based drink or something else ). The Buffalo Wings was good especially if you are particularly fond of the moldy aftertaste some cheese have (the dressing was made of some cheese concoction and I hope the moldy aftertaste was really how it should be. hehe). The Jambalaya however, did not meet my expectation. I mean what’s all the hype? The flavor was good enough and the seafood was cooked the way it should be but I guess I’m just not a big fan of mushy rice. The texture reminds me of a lot of disgusting things. Hehehe. The Hurricane was sooo sweet, Jenny-sensei and I weren’t able to finish our glasses.

But Gumbo isn’t really all that bad. That’s why I came back. The first time I visited Gumbo was with my siblings last December. We had putanesca, some sort of marinara pizza, which I forgot the name (Sorry, walang kwentang food blogger. Ang tagal na kasi nun eh, hehe) and the complimentary Buffalo Wings. The putanesca and pizza was great! You can distinctly taste the different ingredients and they all blend perfectly. The servings were huge, too. This gives Gumbo a big + in my book. The food would have been sublime if we were able to wash them down with some white wine. But unfortunately, Gumbo does not serve white wine by the glass and we can’t finish a whole bottle so we just had to content ourselves with some beer. I should also give it to Gumbo for its excellent service. Our service charge was not wasted. Hehehe.

Overall, I give Gumbo an A- rating. Good food, great ambiance, excellent service

(By the way, since I didn’t bring a camera with me, the picture above was just shameless taken from this site. I would like to extend my thanks to the author and photographer )