Manhattan's Japanese Street Food

I recently ate at Saki Bar Hagi, which is located in the theatre district in New York City. I heard a lot about the subterranean restaurant, which serves diners Japanese street food and was featured on Anthony Bourdain's show "No Reservations."

I had the octopus balls, which reminded me of Spanish croquetas, just with tentacles instead of ham. Surprisingly, they were tasty and satisfying, and the octopus wasn't overcooked. In contrast, the marinated eggplant appeared to be packed with flavor, but we quickly realized that it had a bland taste instead. Afterwards, we ordered the fish collar which had a wonderful, fatty flavor. To finish off our meal, we had a plate of skewers which included quail eggs, steak cubes, pork belly and lamb. The skewers were exactly what you were expecting from protein dishes sold on the street and nothing more.

While Saki Bar Hagi's Japanese street food certainly beats the hot dog stand around the corner, the flavors did not meet up to the hype that so many foodies raved about. Perhaps it's because I'm Asian and the unique ingredients don't surprise me, or perhaps it's because I don't have the nostalgia for Japan that its regulars have. Nonetheless, the restaurant was okay...nothing more than good, old street food.

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Recipes to Make Brussels Sprouts Palatable

Brussels sprouts are probably the most disliked vegetable around. And I don’t blame anyone for thinking this. How can one possibly salivate over something that exhibits such a strong, bitter, cabbage-like taste?

Yet it’s hard to ignore how good this vegetable is for the body. It’s rich in fiber, folic acid and vitamins A and C. It also contains a lot of sinigrin, which is believed to protect the body against colon cancer.

So, to ensure that you don’t miss the great nutrients brussels sprouts have to offer, I’ve included three recipes for you to try. Hopefully this will help make your sprout consumption more enjoyable.

Choux de Bruxelles Sautes

Since it was the French who first brought brussels sprouts to America (settlers planted them in Louisiana), let’s start with a simple recipe I learned from the country’s guide I Know How To Cook.

First, remove any wilted leaves and cut off the hard-to-chew ends. Boil them in salted water for about five minutes. In a separate pan, turn the burner on high heat and melt the butter. Throw the cooked sprouts in the pan and cook until it is browned. Afterwards, season the sprouts with salt and pepper and add more butter to top it off.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Do you remember the MTV VJ Karen Duffy? I recently bought her cookbook for $1 from the Strand Bookstore. She offers easy-to-make dishes for beginners and has a great recipe for brussels sprouts. The recipe also includes bacon, garlic and olive oil.

Cook the bacon until it is crisp and set it to the side. Steam the sprouts for about seven minutes. Once they’re done, cut them into smaller pieces. Afterwards, put the sprouts, bacon and garlic cloves into a baking dish. Pour a bit of olive oil over them and toss the ingredients to make sure everything is coated evenly. Afterwards, roast them in the oven for about half an hour.

Brussels Sprouts Salad

My friend Shaina Kohanzadeh is a health nut and always finds ways to ensure that her meals are packed with nutrients. In fact, she created a salad for lunch that uses brussels sprouts instead of lettuce.

Boil the sprouts until they are cooked, and cool them afterwards. Once they are cooled, chop them up into small pieces. Add canned tuna, tomatoes and avocado to the mix. Dress the salad with either Dijon mustard or balsamic vinaigrette; both work well for this dish.

Let me know how these work out for you. And if you have any recipes of your own, please feel free to share!

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