A Terrific Non-sushi Japanese Meal at Zōtō Sushi😊

 Twice in a couple of weeks, I’ve had a terrific meal at Zōtō Sushi. 

 at UTC – University Town Center Mall – in Lakewood Ranch. Having lived in Japan for four years, I have certain high hopes when I dine at a Japanese restaurant. Zōtō Sushi exceeded my hopes.

 I had miso soup, shrimp tempura, and maitake tempura. Maitake is a type of large mushroom.

 The shrimp tempura was so terrific the first time I was there that I had to return and have it again. It was equally delightful. It’s the most delicious I’ve ever had. It comes with a wonderful, mouth-watering sauce. The three shrimp were huge. I’d guess they were six to seven inches long. (There are only two in the pic because I had to devour one right away.) $18

 

 There were five very large maitake mushrooms. They came with three spice toppings that one could sprinkle on the mushrooms. I used two. The third was probably a bit fiery. (I’m embarrassed to say that I don’t remember the spice specifics.) I’ve never had maitake. They were incredibly scrumptious. The texture was such that I might have thought they were seafood if I’d been served them without being told what they were. (You will also notice that one mushroom is missing from the pic. Yum!) $16

  

 I normally enjoy miso soup, but I don’t get excited about it. This was WOW! It’s also the best I’ve ever had. $6

The first time I dined there, I had a fruit-flavored sake. It was nice, but I’m not a sake fan. This time, I had an Italian white wine – Allegrini Oasi Mantellini, Lugana DOC, made from Cortese and Turbiana grapes. It’s from the shores of Lake Garda on the Veneto side. It went very nicely with the dishes. (I not only recommend this one, but I love Allegrini’s red wines, such as their Palazzo della Torre Veronese red, which I’ve found at Total Wine, Costco & Norman’s.) $15

 My server was Ty. He was super professional.

While  Zōtō's main focus is sushi, it does offer a number of other dishes. Its menu can be found on its web site - https://www.zotosushi.com/

 I plan to return.

 The only things that could have improved the experience would have been if it had been in Japan with family and/or friends.

 ご馳走様でした (GOCHISÕ SAMA DESHITA = Thanks for the feast – what one says when leaving a Japanese restaurant after a nice meal.)

 I think “Zōtō” is probably “贈答,” which means, “exchange of gifts.”

Wake Up Hungry in London? Try a "Full English Breakfast"

This morning, I checked off another item on my To Try British food list - the Full English Breakfast.

On the recommendation of my hotel staff, I went to Mike's Cafe in Notting Hill to try one of these huge breakfasts. It was very good, but more than I could finish.

The version at Mike's comes with a fried egg, two sausages, bacon, hash browns, baked beans, grilled tomatoes & mushrooms, toast, & coffee for £18 ($24.30). I chose mocha coffee and told the server to hold the toast. 

The item on the right side of the dish that looks like toast is actually hash browns.

An Extraordinary Persian Meal in London

I was very fortunate to find  Beluga, a Persian restaurant in Notting Hill. My experience there was a perfect combination of food, atmosphere, and service. The decor inside is upscale elegant.

I am only familiar with a few Persian dishes. One of them is Fesenjan, which I really, really love. It is a mild stew with walnuts and pomegranate juice. It can be made with duck, lamb, chicken, or other meats. It is generally served with Persian rice. 

Beluga serves a unique and wonderful Persian rice, Polo ba Tahdig, that is topped with crispy potatoes & saffron further topped with pistachios & barberries. It is incredible.

In this photo, a bit of the stew is to the left of the rice.

To get these dishes at home, I would have to drive to a restaurant about 120 miles away - out of the question.

I accompanied these dishes with a slightly sweet Armenian pomegranate wine. It was a great match.

My server, Arezoo, was wonderful. She showed me how to eat the Fesenjan.

The total, with coffee came to £45 ($60.75).

Beluga has many other dishes that I would love to try and that I've never seen before. It's worth looking at their menu just to get a sense for Persian food

https://www.beluganottinghill.co.uk/menu/

I have tried making the Fesenjan and rice. The results were decent, but did not begin to compare to the Beluga versions.

Dishoom - An Indian Dining Delight in London

In view of Britain's deep historical connections to India, London is a great place to find savory flavors of India. 

My good friend Wayne recommended the Dishoom restaurant on Derry St. In Kensington. It's one of a number of Dishoom eateries in London  It was a great choice. It's clear that lots of diners feel that way because the restaurant was packed. The decor was warm and the atmosphere was vibrant.

I started with lamb samosas with Gujarati filo shortcrust & filled with minced lamb, onions, & spices. They came with three toppings:

- mint & coriander, 

- tamarind,  

- spicy  

I really loved the samosas and the first two toppings. I didn't try the third topping. The price was £7.90 ($10.67).

My main course was Tandoori (grilled) lamb chops They are marinated overnight in papaya, yogurt, seeds and spices. They are then grilled and finished with lime, butter, and masala. They were very, very savory. I would have liked a sharper knife to cut them with, but none was available £19.70 ($26.60)

I had a side of Basmati rice for £5.10 ($6.89) Unsurprisingly, it was nothing to write home about.

For dessert, I had Basmati  kheer - rice pudding cooked with vanilla infused coconut milk, cardamom, & cashews, & topped with blueberry compôte for £8.70. ($11.75). I love rice puddings; and this was one of my favorite.

I finished with a double espresso. for £4.30 ($5.81)  For my taste, it captures the record as the worst after-dinner strong coffee I've ever had; and I've had espressos, Arabic coffees, Turkish coffees etc. all over the world. 

The service was excellent. 

Coffee aside, I highly recommend Dishoom. Thanks Wayne!!!

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Maramia Cafe - A Palestinian Culinary Surprise in London

In doing restaurant research prior to my trip to London, I was quite surprised to discover two Palestinian restaurants in the Notting Hill area not far from my hotel. One of them - Maramia Cafe - had a wonderful menu and two venues. The other one had a very limited,  uninteresting menu.

I grew up eating a variety of delicious Palestinian dishes which my mother used to make. However I have never seen a Palestinian Arabic restaurant. I have enjoyed very similar Levantine Arabic cuisine at a number of Lebanese Arabic restaurants.  I was very excited at the prospect of dining Maramia Cafe.

The cafe exceeded my expectations for delicious food. There were only two things missing:

1. I wish my sister and brother had been here to have shared the delights with me.

2. The menu I saw online showed several Palestinian wines. Unfortunately, because of the conflict in Gaza, the restaurant is no longer able to acquire these wines, which are produced in the West Bank. So, I had a Spanish Rioja instead.

I struggled to choose from among the many enticing selections on the menu  I ended up selecting:

Kibbeh Maklieh - Lamb & bulghur wheat shell filled with marinated minced lamb & onions - deep fried for £9.50 ($12.83).

Sujuk  Palestinian sausages with lamb, tomatoes, garlic, & dipped in lemon juice £8.50 ($11.39)

Fattoush salad - greens tomatoes, toasted Palestinian croutons, marinated with sumac, mint, thyme,  & pomegranate molasses - £9.50 ($12.73)

The meal came with a very thin, unique, wonderful pita bread (which Arabic speakers never call pita bread they use Arabic words instead).

After chatting a bit with a very nice staff member, who had escaped from Gaza five months earlier, he kindly brought me on the house some hummus and some yogurt for dipping the kibbeh in.

I finished off the meal with some wonderful Palestinian coffee.

The cafe is very casual, with both indoor and outdoor seating. Vibrant modern Arabic music adds to the atmosphere.

Traditional British Sunday Roast - Comfort Food at its Very Best

 

One of the must-have culinary experiences on my London food list is the traditional British Sunday Roast.

On the basis of reviews and proximity to my hotel, I chose to experience it at the Duke of Wellington on Portobello Road in Notting Hill. It was a great choice.

The food was savory; the atmosphere was warm and welcoming; and the service was great.

The meal comprised West Country Beef Rump with horseradish sauce,  rosemary and garlic roast potatoes, maple roast carrots, charred hispi cabbage, celeriac puree, Yorkshire pudding and gravy - for £23 ($30.82).

Everything was very tasty. I loved the carrots & the cabbage.

The photo is very deceptive. The large bowl-shaped item at the top is Yorkshire Pudding. It's hiding the other generous components of the meal ("Pudding" has a very different meaning in British cuisine from the American use of the word. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yorkshire_pudding)

I accompanied the food with a nice glass of Bodega Norton Fince La Colonia Malbec.

Despite being busy, friendly server Jack took the time to answer my food questions & to chat a bit about language differences.

A Delightful Culinary Surprise - from Georgia - the Nation

I had noticed a few doors down from my hotel a cafe/bakery by the name of Entrée. I hadn't paid much attention to it until today, when I felt like a pastry for lunch.

When I arrived, I saw that it said "Tbilisi bakery." That was very intriguing becauseTbilisi is the capital of the nation of Georgia. I had never seen any place offering Georgian cuisine.

Inside, there was a large table where a number of the Georgian baked goods were displayed; and there was a counter where Georgian dishes were displayed.

A woman behind the counter explained the various Georgian dishes to me; and I chose one - Chakhokhbili  -stewed chicken & tomato with fresh herbs. It came with freshly baked Georgian rye bread for £16.10 ($21.57). I confirmed before ordering that it is mild.

Both the stew and the bread were absolutely fantastic. The stew has a very unique flavor.

(The "kh" in the stew's name is pronounced like the Spanish "j.")

It turns out that Entrée is an international family chain headquartered in Georgia with a number of outlets there and three in London.