Food Project- Soy Sauce Egg Yolk

This entry will be something new for me- I will be featuring something that I actually made! While researching on a Japanese breakfast where you break an egg onto hot rice and add soy sauce, I found something more interesting… and potentially more dangerous. So a fair bit of WARNING, this involves raw egg yolks so this is something to take note especially if you are cautious about salmonella and other forms of food poisoning. That being said, I just realized that this may not be the best first “I just made this” entry but I wanted to feature this since it was really easy to make.

And the ingredients are:

Eggs

Soy sauce

Mirin (Japanese cooking wine)

Nothing too complicated here, separate the egg yolks from the whites. Set aside the whites since you do not need them… you can make a nice egg white omelets or maybe meringue. Next, prepare a marinade by mixing the soy sauce and mirin. The proportions for the marinade are two parts of soy sauce and one part mirin. Just make sure you have enough of the liquid and a large enough bowl so that the egg yolks are all floating on the mixture and are not cramped. Place the egg yolks and marinade in the refrigerator and the waiting begins. I do not know how long they will last even if refrigerated but, personally, I would consume them within four days.

The idea of this recipe is that the salt in the soy sauce will draw out some of the liquids of the yolk while it and the mirin impart some flavor to the yolks. Over time, the flavor will become stronger and the texture changes. I noticed that after eight hours, the yolks have already started to change color, with the edges darkening and starting to turn translucent. I started making this batch in the late afternoon and I decided to wait until the 16-hour mark until I finally try one.

After 16 hours, you can really see that the edges have become darker. I had that one piece for breakfast with rice and shredded seaweed. The yolk was still slightly runny and had a slight salty taste to it. I really went well with the seaweed and I was pleased with the results, even if I accidentally used too much seaweed. The remaining yolks I planned to eat on the fourth day, just to see how it is. Yes, that really is stretching the limits of my personal preference for food safety but it was worth experimenting.

On the second day, the yolks were starting to sink into the liquid and the edges are becoming darker. On the fourth day, the yolks have stopped floating and are completely submerged in the liquid and losing practically all the yellow color. Now here is the day of reckoning… this time with less seaweed and twice the yolks. Funny thing is, the whole thing ended up looking like a Kamen Rider. This was not on purpose; I just wanted to use the seaweed as a partition to the yolks. Outside of the liquid, the yolks look like soft jelly chews and have a more “solid” texture. Even when you cut into it, the yolk has already become thick and viscous and does not run. After four days, I can say that the wait has been worth it, especially if you like your eggs cooked sunny side up and the yolks runny. I do not know if I will be making this again in the future since this recipe uses a relatively large amount of soy sauce and mirin but the results were good and definitely worth the wait.

 

Shack Stack at Shake Shack

Shake Shack should be one of those places that visitors to New York should go to. During a trip to the Grand Central Station, we decided to have lunch there because the branch in Madison Square Park was closed when we visited a few days prior. Having been to the Grand Central Station eating area, we had an idea that it was going to be a food court-type eating experience but we completely forgot how crazy the lunch-time rush can be, especially in a big city like new York and then even more so in a main transportation hub.

All things aside, we were lucky enough to find a small table right in front of Shake Shack. I proceeded to line up for maybe 15 minutes and was it worth it? Of course! One neat feature of Shake Shack is that your order number also has a light and vibrating function to alert customers when there order is ready. I once joked that the “shake” in “Shake Shack” was from their alerts since it shakes. As a creature of habit, I have only ordered one burger from Shake Shack ever since I discovered it in 2010- the Shack Stack. That burger is a combination of a cheeseburger and their vegetarian burger- the ‘Shroom Burger, which is crispy, breaded Portobello mushroom stuffed with Muenster and cheddar cheese.

The two types of patties do add up to the height of the burger. The main draw for me is the nice grilled beefy taste and the cheesy mushroom “topping.” Portobello mushrooms are very expensive in the Philippines and I will take any excuse to have them in my meals. The Shack Stack is a really delicious take on a mushroom cheeseburger and should be something everyone should try at least once. I do not think I can try anything else… maybe the Smoke Shack but that remains to be seen.



Burrito at Chipotle

Most people have a list of their favorite eating places to visit when they go to New York and Chipotle is at the top of my mom’s list, so we decided to go to the branch near Union Square. My mom and my sister got tacos and a taco salad, respectively, but there was only one thing on my mind when I walked through those doors- burrito time!

Ever since I discovered Chipotle, I have always ordered their burritos. What I like this restaurant is that customers have a degree of customization where they can choose three of the items that go into their burrito. That being said, customers have their choice of meat (steak, pork, chicken, etc.), the rice (brown or white) and the beans (pinto or black). It has been roughly two and a half years since my last Chipotle burrito, so I decided to live dangerously and ordered a steak burrito with black beans and the cilantro-lime brown rice. I was even feeling adventurous enough to add guacamole to my order, a first for me. The end result was a massive burrito that gave the server a lot of difficulty rolling it. In fact, the tortilla ripped and the server was about to throw it away but I told him that it was alright. To keep it from falling apart, they just used an extra layer of foil to keep everything intact.

This extra-stuffed burrito was admittedly quite a challenge. It was bigger than a can of soda and when I gripped it, my fingers did not close… and it was then I realized I was in trouble. The steak was cooked just right and went well with the fillings. Plus the guacamole added a nice little zing to the whole burrito… and the size… yes, the size… well, let’s just say that I was full until dinner and I still needed to go to the gym to run off all those extra calories. But that was definitely worth it.

 

Tsukemen at Kambi Ramen House

Not knowing where to eat, my friend and I were wandering around the East Village and we came across Kambi Ramen House on 14^th Street. It was a cold night and I could not say no to the thought of getting something warm.

And of course since it was a ramen house, my first instinct is to look for tsukemen on the menu. Yes, that’s right, I have a fondness for tsukemen for two reasons- 1) It is a different noodle soup from your typical ramen; and 2) I have been looking for a place that serves good tsukemen ever since I discovered it roughly two to three years ago. Just like ramen, tsukemen has your noodles and broth. Unlike ramen, the broth comes separate from the noodles, which are served cold. My friend calls it dipping noodles (because that is how you eat it) but I call it deconstructed ramen. One other difference is that the broth is thicker than that of ramen, allowing the noodles to get a nice coating of broth before eating.

I ordered the miso-flavored tsukemen and a bottle of beer, because… beer. I also received some sidings- chopped green onions, bamboo shoots, some brown strands that might be seaweed, half a boiled egg, a spoonful of corn and two slices of seared chashu (pork belly). The broth also came with a nice heaping of bonito (dried fish) powder for added flavor.

 

Overall, this was one of the best orders of tsukemen I have had- the sidings were a nice surprise that you use to flavor your order to your heart’s desire, the pork had a nice charred taste and, most importantly, the broth was clean, with no tiny bits of pork on the bottom that I dislike. The only drawback is that the restaurant is so far from the Philippines, but that is easily forgivable.

Buffet at POC

While visiting my friend in New Jersey, we could not decide on where to eat dinner so we turned to her son who happily said "POC!" I asked what "POC" was and she said it was a buffet place called Port of Call they sometimes go to. Looks like we found a place to have dinner!

Located in Hackensack, NJ, this place has the tagline American Fusion and Sushi. The first thing that came to mind was the Crossover buffet in the Triple V restaurants back in the Philippines where you get your American food from the Dads section and the Japanese food from the Saisaki section. My friend told me that one of the main reasons they go there is because the restaurant prioritizes the taste of the food more than the number of dishes… so quality over quantity in this case. And I have no problem with that!

I started with a plate of various nigiri sushi and rolls.

Then lamb from the carving station. I also got mint jelly, sautéed mushrooms, stuffed potato half, fries, bacon-wrapped potato with a bit of macaroni and cheese. There was a sign that due to a limited supply of lamb, they only gave two servings per person. We took that to also mean “on each trip to the carving station” so we still go our fill of lamb.

Then steak from the carving station with more mushrooms, rice, mashed potatoes and a side of creamed spinach.

And to sashimi, with a piece of tamago nigiri sushi, grilled shrimp and hot shrimp salad.

My last plate before dessert was a cocktail platter- crab legs and shrimp with some edamame (soy bean) since I have not had that in a long time.

And finally dessert- crème brûlée and soft serve ice cream with a cookie and chocolate I swiped from the chocolate fountain. I was hoping that the chocolate would turn into a nice crunch shell but it did not in this case.







I was happy we ended up going to POC. I had good company, satisfied my cravings for sushi (only one week into my New York trip and I could not believe I wanted sushi) and had a lot of yummy food, what more could you ask for?

Lox and Bagel from the Bagelsmith

Early this year, my family and I visited my sister in New York and I was surprised to find out that my mom wanted to have bagels as our first breakfast in Brooklyn... because New York and bagels are always a good combination. Located on 189 Bedford Avenue, this is a small but cozy bagel shop that has the convenience of being open 24 hours, perfect for a late-night bagel craving or early morning hangover treat.

Interestingly enough, my traditional "last meal" for all my New York trips had always been a lox and bagel. I was not going to change that so it would be a nice thing to have one for my "first meal" this time around.

With over ten types of bagels to choose from, I got lazy (or smart depending on how you look at it) and decided on the "everything" bagel which had all their bagel toppings- sesame, garlic, poppy, onion, etc. I haven't had anything close to that in the Philippines and I like the different bits of flavors with every bite. And then we have the lox and the cream cheese. Again, contrasting to a similar order in the Philippines, I got a lot of salmon and more than enough cream cheese, probably enough for two-and-a-half more orders. Do not get me wrong, I enjoyed the whole thing- salmon, cream cheese and all.

Coming from a 20 hour flight, that was a really good welcome breakfast.

Sushi at Seryna

It has been a several years since my last entry and I thought it would be fitting to go back to where it all began- Seryna. This restaurant can be found in Little Tokyo, near Makati Cinema Square and Mile Long, and is my go-to place for good Japanese food. As a creature of (food) habit, I decided to change my usual order of kaizen gozen (also known as chirashi don) with the sushi lunch special. Previous attempts to wean myself off the kaizen were met with disappointment so I was in for a pleasant treat.

The tray had the usual soup, seaweed, salad and dessert that normally come with the lunch specials. But the main star is a plate with six pieces of nigiri sushi and 6 pieces of maki. The nigiri consists of tamago, tuna, squid, salmon, shirmp and an unknown fish. The maki uses something I do not see in other places- minced tuna. This gave the maki a softer texture when you eat it.

I read that you should eat sushi and sashimi starting with the light colored pieces and working your way up to the darker fish, which tend to be more fatty and/or flavorful. So, the order I ate was shrimp, squid, mystery fish, tuna, the six maki, salmon and the tamago last because it was sweet. The tamago holds a special place in my heart since I have cooked it at home before and it is a big slice covering a relatively tiny ball of rice.


All-in-all, this may not seem like much but it is still quite filling and, to my surprise, a good alternative to the kaizen gozen, even if it does not have as much variety as its deconstructed counterpart. If you are looking for something to fill that sushi craving, this does not disappoint.