Cizuka Seki

We circulate skate into our menu when we make a dish called "nanbanzuke" (南蛮漬け) -- it's basically the Japanese version of the Portuguese escabeche, or escovitch. The Portuguese were some of the first Westerners to land in Japan and there are several dishes that are influenced by the cuisine. For skate nanban-style, we fry the skate with the cartiledge intact and then marinate it for 24-48 hours in a rice wine vinegar brine flavored with sesame oil, onion, carrots, and red chilis. It *rules*. We've used several different white fish in the past -- monkfish, mackerel, etc -- but skate has been my favorite. I'll remember to post something about this on our facebook page next time we have it.

Same here -- when i went, two women (they looked like sisters and i'm not being racist) looked like they were in training while a man was showing them how to pinch off the dough. my skins weren't terribly delicate or thin AND some of the dumplings started leaking but i still enjoyed the meal overall.

Most restaurant owners cannot eschew the monitoring of their yelp reviews. The writers are generally not insightful but occasionally, they are. Mike G. from Washington, DC, THANK YOU for your feedback!

helllooooo, i just saw this post. ok, map linking noted. we use a font that requires me to make pdfs that are then pasted into the hosting site. anyway, i didn't realize that you can't cut and paste it because you can highlight it....anyway, it's the fonts fault. i purchased it from a japanese font designer and it requires me to make pdfs of all the text before posting it on the site so that it'll be consistent in any browser, or whatever. all i know is that this seems to be the only way to apply the font. i use godaddy.com as the hosting site and their font selection is pathetic. just look at this font though! it's so cute! it's so ME! my handwriting looks like this when i try to write neatly. but i guess it's not practical so i might need to change it so that it's more user friendly :-( anyway, thank you for the comment. it is genuinely helpful and appreciated. i welcome more since i suck at this. my only real objective was to have a simple site with only necessary information and where the menu is not a fucking pdf/flash/pop up/musical/seizure-inducing disaster. we're a restaurant for god's sake! and that's the only thing i cared about when i put it together....

my point wasn't so much that there is a problem with cooking bacon in an oven. it's big time saver and very practical. the problem is with the manner in which someone decided a dish would sound more appealing if they included the words "oven roasted" to "bacon" in the description. it's a superfluous gesture and it doesn't provide any helpful information for the diner because true to Monavano's point, bacon is basically going to taste like bacon regardless of how it's cooked. cow fart fumes, however, are a very serious source of methane gas (a potent greenhouse gas that is thea source of climate change). so if bacon were cooked using methane sourced from a cow, i'd be totally down with this. *that* would be a useful dish description. i suppose this is more appropriate for the Spare me thread.

recently, i came across a menu that included a description of the dish with "oven roasted bacon".... perhaps that's not apt for a trite list. but it certainly is for the bullshit list, which i think would be much more fun to read through.

Thanks you!

Where does a girl get some spumoni* ice cream in the DC/MD/VA area? It's something I grew up with in St. Louis where most of the nice "Aitalian" restaurants offered it. While I kind of despised it in the beginning, I grew to love it and have been thinking about it recently. it seems like the world has outgrown it...or do I just not get around enough? please help! *it's not spumoni (to me) if it doesn't have pistachios and pistachio ice cream layered or folded in.

I've never seen it on any distributor's product listing but I also don't deal with every distributor....

JimRice, I see this is a super old post but thought I'd weigh in anyway in case you were still wondering... Over the past few years, there have been many many sake breweries that have hopped onto the craft beer (in Japanese, we call it 'ji biru', or 'local beer') movement to balance the dip in the sake market in the 90s. Some of these beers have become available US market. We carry about 15 beers from five breweries -- Hitachino, Coedo, Echigo, Oze no Yukidoke, and Ginga Kogen. We also carry Orion, which was only ever a beer brewery. I've seen that in New York, you can find Yebisu, which is owned by Sapporo and is a line imported directly from Japan. Yebisu existed before Sapporo and then Sapporo bought them out and retained the line. Unfortunately, none of the distributors in this area have access to Yebisu (T_T)......I'd carry it in a heartbeat if I could.

This thread is remarkable. I just found this post from 2007 and naturally felt compelled to mention that if you missed this sake tasting opportunity at Paul's, we carry all of these sakes (except for the Manotsuru) at Izakaya Seki (www.sekidc.com). My dad is originally from Niigata and we have a strong preference for sakes from our area (holla!) -- although we also carry a much wider selection too. I can't compete with these Wal-mart prices though. They are, frankly, well-below current wholesale so I'm assuming (and will do research to confirm) that the yen-dollar exchange rate was a big factor.

There is row of restaurant supply stores in Rockville -- JB was mentioned earlier. Best is still very much open albeit a little hard to find. But it's still down the block from A. Litteri's. Best has a pretty decent selection of sheet pans and baking-related wares. Also some very good cutting boards. There's also http://www.webstaurantstore.com/ and http://www.chefscatalog.com/ George's is....not the greatest. It's not particularly cheap and for a lot of items, you might have to run it through an industrial dishwasher/use serious elbow grease several times and then some. Also, depending on what you're looking for, H Mart and Lotte and the like have some good cooking equipment for the home cook....small wares like spatulas, tongs, as well as some pots and such that I find incredibly handy and very inexpensive.

Just a quick update on our reservation policy -- we take reservations for parties of 5 to 8 people. We'll seat parties smaller than 5 on a first come, first serve basis. These days, the average wait times are much less than when we first opened. On weeknights, there is often no wait. On Fridays and Saturdays, however, the wait might be up to an hour. If this is the case, we'll take your name and number so you can grab a drink nearby until a table is available. All in all, it's been a very smooth and efficient process. We'll take reservations for even larger parties but with additional terms and depending on the size. Our full reservation policy is posted on our website: www.sekidc.com/reservations.htm Sorry for any confusion regarding the reservations. It took a while to figure out what works best for us and our patrons.

brussel sprouts, trite. bacon, post-trite. (i'm just waiting for someone to add hamachi kama, uni, and quail eggs to the list... :-) ) it's easy to recognize the ubiquity of ingredients and say that you're sick of seeing it on menus everywhere. i'm just curious, however, if the forum is saying that these innocent ingredients are now something you don't want to ever see on a menu again. or that you can appreciate the ingredient if it's used well and thoughfully. Doesn't the trite or cliche really only bother when a chef goes to absurd lengths to convert an already great dish (like say, brussels sauteed in bacon fat) into something that is purely a product of the ego and forgetful of taste?

Yep. Also, we cook it in a gas cooker. It might be worthwhile for the home cook to cook it on the stove top. I get better results when I can control the temperature myself than in an electric rice cooker and it's not necessarily more time.

Just returned from Bob's Shanghai 66 in the old Bob's Noodle space. Totally renovated with a glassed in room for the soup dumpling makers. The interior has also improved slightly with new paint and a variety of bamboo strainers and decorations hanging on the walls. The menu has also changed in format and copy and I prefer it. They give you the very convenient sushi-style check list. It's double sided and there are a *mere* 130 items to choose from -- this included the weekend only Shanghai dim sum items. The prices range from $1.50 for a sesame roll to $35.95 for a whole tea smoked duck. The average price point is in the $7 range for small dishes and $10.95 range for regular dishes. In contrast, Joe's Szechuan is priced a dollar or so less for comparable dishes. As far as I can tell, the foundation of the menu is still Taiwanese but there are some Shanghai and Szechuan dishes in the mix that worked for me. Two of us had the following: Pork soup dumplings (xiao long bao): you get the standard 6. I'd say they are a must order but they could've been better. It's all handmade and seasoned well. They won't be the best you've ever had but it's the first time I've had them in DC and they did not disappoint. Ours were not particularly hot but it might've been becauase we were there at 3pm when their turnover slowed down. ($5.99) Fried crescent dumplings with leeks (jiu cai hezi): two reasonably sized pan fried dumplings stuffed with leeks, bits of pressed five-spice tofu, and mei fun. It was nothing special but fine. ($4.95) Edamame with mustard greens (Maodou xueluohong): it's such a simple dish but this is the freshest version i've had short of making it myself. plump, steamed edamame with chopped mustard greens -- both vibrant green -- and tossed with small cubes of pressed five-spice tofu and a little sesame oil and salt. I doubt they prepare the tofu in-house -- i wish someone would -- but it was still good. ($4.95) Spicy pork tripe (hongyou dusi): cold dish of sliced and boiled large intestine that were very well cleaned and tender and tossed in chili oil. there were also julienned cucumbers and this was hands down my favorite dish. ($6.95) Cumin lamb (ziran yangrou): shaved lamb seasoned with lots of cumin and stir fried with roughly chopped long horn peppers, red bell peppers, julienned onion, garlic, cilantro, and dried chilis. very tasty and also a favorite. that said, it's not the best version i've had and i prefer joe's. they do the dry stir fry method and the meat is cut differently so it's some bits are almost jerky-like. ($12.95) Scallion noodles (congyou banmian): thin wheat noodles topped with five spice ground beef and some baby bok choy....there were no scallions to be found! the dish was not dissimilar to dan dan noodles but without the ma la. it is the chinese spaghetti with meat sauce. the five spice meat was really good but the dish would been a hit if said scallions were actually included. ($6.95) Stir fried yu cai (their green vegetable of the day): it was fine but not cheap...i never understand this because yu cai is pretty common and not like some of the more delicate super seasonal vegetables....pea shoots, water spinach, etc...($12.95) All done, with tax and tip the bill was $72. We got A LOT of food so I found this quite reasonable. I'd go back to try more but I have a feeling I will still prefer Joe's after going through the menu.

What a great conversation! I've never been to Hokkaido and it's on my hit list of important food places to visit in Japan. Hokkaido is famous for producing a wealth of super awesome foods and ingredients -- dairy and seafood (especially crabs, salmon roe, uni) -- are most well known. Incidentally, the city of Otaru (小樽) is also said to be birthplace of the modern izakaya. There were always sakaguras (sake breweries) and sakayas (sake shops) but historically, they accommodated standing and drinking (tachi-nomi) and did not offer tables. Anyway, as far as I know, Sapporo ramen -- like many a ramen -- originated from a Chinese restaurant called Takeya (竹家) that existed before the war. They started with a shoyu ramen that eventually evolved into the lighter stock version that exists today. Repatriots returned from Manchuria, which was just across the water (sort of like Palin's version of 'seeing Russia' only for reals), with the idea of incorporating pork bones for a deeper stock. And as spaztic1215 already mentioned, incorporating soy bean paste (miso) came into trend from a ramen shop called Aji no Sanpei (味の三平). Aji no Sanpei and Nishiyama Noodle Factory (where Daikaya procures its noodles) have a long history and others have probably studied this relationship more than I. At some point, someone decided that the best way to protect the pork bone broth from the cold Hokkaido weather is to finish it with lard. Therefore, Sapporo stock is commonly on the fatty, heavy side. Sometimes, Hokkaido ramen might incorporate dairy as well for a whole different flavor profile. MASSIVE SIDE NOTE: These spots I list (and many more) have their own special histories (and wiki pages) and it's pretty amazing. The one aspect of Japanese food culture that I really appreciate is that the focus and the history of a particular dish is not on the chef that created it but on the establishment from which it was created. The populist nature of the celebrity chef is a very, very recent phenomenon even in Japan. It's fascinating when you think about how that compares to food culture in the US, which very much revolves around the chef -- I guess because of food shows.... After the war, the famous "Ramen Alley" was developed. I only know about any of this because of an amazing magazine from the 50s called "The handbook for living" (Kurashi no Techo) and it's first editor was obsessed with Sapporo ramen. He also penned a piece on the invention of Sapporo-ichiban instant shoyu ramen, which was classic 50s food. Imagine if Kraft introduced ramen to the US along with it's other Madmen era food stuffs! And so, children, as we've learned today, Sapporo ramen has a deep and long history and has evolved into many forms over time. Naturally, all are good in their own ways and it's worth trying it all!

We use Tamaki Gold rice. It's the best available rice grown in the US (from the Sacramento Valley). I'm crazy spoiled because my dad's side of the family are rice and watermelon/melon farmers -- might seem like an odd combination but it makes sense because both require massive amounts of water -- and our home is in the Niigata valley (where the Uono and Shinano Rivers merge) that produces THE BEST Koshihikari rice in the country. Most Japanese people don't regularly eat the amazing quality of rice that we have access to. Not to brag but this rice can run about $30/kg. My point is that my dad knows rice and Tamaki Gold is better than anything else in the US market. I'll keep an eye out at Hmart or Lotte to see if they might carry it. On rice balls -- there is absolutely no steadfast rule as to what to put in it but it is never "seasoned" other than with the aforementioned salt in hand. It is best made with rice that is not right out of the rice cooker. It needs to dry out a bit and not be piping hot in order for it to stay together and also not stick to your hands. My personal favorite ingredients are mentaiko (which is spicy pollack roe) and rice balls with wakame gohan. It's when you mix dried wakame seaweed into the rice itself and it rehydrates and then you shape it into a rice ball. rice balls aren't always about putting an ingredient in the middle. this is why the variations for rice balls are endless!!!

Hi, all. I haven't followed proper protocol and introduced myself. My name is Cizuka and I have been following this site for a little while. I have only recently started contributing but I plan on contributing my two cents more often. I eagerly look forward to the feedback and discourse. During my time off-line, I like to do things like run a restaurant and swim. I also enjoy gardening and expect a nice crop of Japanese cucumbers this year.

egg rice -- it's this thing where you take a "Jidori" egg (a jidori chicken is originally a heritage breed in Japan and these days jidori chickens must have a percentage of the original breed in them.). i didn't know we could get these in the US....i'm a little suspicious that it's playing the same game as American bred "wagyu". anyway, i digress -- egg rice is when you break a jidori egg and add a little soy sauce and mix them really well. then you take a bowl of straight-out-of-the steamer, piping hot tamaki rice (which is what we use for all our rice dishes) and drop the mixture in. "what?", you're thinking....i'm missing the step of cooking the egg, you're thinking. you heard me -- raw egg and rice. IT IS THE BOMB. everyone child in japan has had it. it's the ultimate breakfast comfort food along with a nice bowl of miso soup. here's a huff po piece on jidori chicken: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/Menuism/what-is-jidori-chicken_b_1984579.html

This could be true....that sauce, however, lasts forever...and will provide an excellent excuse to make yakisoba (which basically uses the same ingredients as okonomiyaki but sub batter for stir-fried with noodles), tonkatsu (panko breaded pork cutlets), and chicken katsu (same as pork but with chicken), and then by the time you've made all that, you'll want to make okonomiyaki again. so before you know it, you'll need another bottle!

I concur with Waitman that it's a mystery why this thread isn't more populated. so for shits and giggles, i write. (side note: i am contributing purely as an unassuming diner who just wanted to get a decent meal on her one night off.) I dined at the Red Hen last month and had a swell meal. Between the two of us, we tried the following: Proscuitto Cotto Crostini with Taleggio and Fig Jam -- hard to mess up but in any case, the bread made the dish. Local lettuces with smoked olives -- smoke olives!! they were a little burnt but were a lovely contribution to an otherwise, cesar salad-ish salad. the greens were dressed perfectly. Grilled beef tongue with dill, cauliflower, and bagna cauda sauce -- the one dish that we had that seemed to try too hard. i get the concept but thought there could be room for edits....there was also pine nuts. also the tongue was smokey. so to recap, there's smoke, tongue, dill, pine nuts, cauliflower, and anchovies, citrus, garlic, and olive oil....and maybe something else in their bagna cauda...dare i guess rosemary?? Gnocchi alla romana with hazelnut pesto -- semolina pillows with just the right amount of pesto. roasted scallops w calamari in squid ink and aioli -- i am biased because of my blind love for squid ink and will eat the goya or whatever shit brand of canned pulpo in squid ink straight out of the tin and drink the remaining squid ink out of said tin...but regardless, this was my favorite dish. the scallops were perfectly cooked. the calamari retained a lovely toothsome-ness. the greens (in this case, spinach) were a nice, healthy contributor. the aioli, however, was superfluous. wood grilled hen -- the volume of the dish was impressive for a mere $23. at this point, we decided to leave enough for a late night snack at home. the chicken was well seasoned and smoky. i was, however, still too busy licking the squid ink off the other dish to try much of the sides but there were smoky potatoes and smoky tomatoes and smoky mushrooms. dessert!chocolate egg cream -- i'm pretty sure the egg cream properly used U-bet but i'd like confirmation if anyone knows. the panna cotta -- the panna cotta was nice. the parmesean plate with mostarda. the parmesean was substantial. the mostarda was not mostarda but still a really nice preserve, which there is nothing wrong with....but i had really been expecting mostarda. if italian mustard oil is unavailable in the US, what about testing indian mustard oil? drinks! sebastian is possibly one of my favorite wine-knows (ha ha!). one of his most admirable qualities is his total lack of pretense and his expert ability to select outstanding wines that are in in the $11-12/glass range -- which is about all i'm interested in paying on a random night out. all that said, i had three cocktails, three glasses of wine, and a generous taste of about every amaro they carry so i have only a vague recollection of what i drank. i am very keen on their cardoon-based, cardamaro. i think i saw it at 2 amys recently but this is the first time i tried it. as a hardcore fan of fernet, i may be converting to this for the time being...also, i'm very excited that he is highlighting orange wines. these two points, i remember. i left immensely satisfied and happy and drunk. i am so very happy for sebastian and co. and am excited to go back soon to try the rest of the menu!

You're perspective is interesting and I don't necessarily disagree with you. But I think another way of looking at it is just market economics at work -- there is an enormous population in Japan that dines out and there is a huge limitation on space for restaurant owners so their capacity to offer a larger menu is low. The more items on the menu, the more storage and refrigeration necessary. They're often restricted to focusing on one dish because their kitchen doesn't allow them to procure more than what they absolutely need. Fortunately, they can afford to serve just one dish because there's enough of a local population living in the area that they can rely on.....and then if they're any good, they become a destination place. Also, rather than these specialized places existing because of the "celebration of exceptionalism/perfection", I think the population just has a longer history of being obsessed with the cult of restaurants and with food -- although, it's clear the cult is growing here too.... I'm suggesting all this since there are also plenty of other foodie countries (most obviously China, France, Italy, etc) that have restaurants and shops that have sustained long-term businesses by only serving one item on their menu. Anyway, it would be nice if DC's market could expand in this way but it's still so young....

Izakaya Seki is a small, family-run pub serving casual Japanese dishes along with Japanese beverages. Our kitchen staff is small and the opportunity to learn about Japanese cuisine and techniques is significant. We are looking for a line cook who is available 3-6 nights a week. We value kitchen experience although not necessarily in Japanese cuisine. We are looking for hard-working professionals who are responsible, methodical, and diligent. Pay is hourly and commensurate upon experience. For more information and to schedule an interview, please email us at sekidc@gmail.com or call (202) 588-5841 between the hours of 11am-3pm.

Izakaya Seki is a new restaurant in the U St. NW neighborhood of Washington, DC. We are family-owned and operated casual Japanese restaurant and we are currently looking for reliable, experienced cooks to work full-time (or part-time, if necessary) for dinner only. Our menu will consist of a wide range of traditional, authentic Japanese small dishes (e.g. sashimi, grilled fishes and meats, vegetables) as well as "shokuji" (more substantive dishes of noodles and rice). NO SUSHI. We do not expect applicants to have experience in Japanese cuisine. We are interested in detail-oriented chefs with a solid foundation in all cooking techniques (particularly frying and grilling). Excellent knife skills are a plus. Applicants must have a strong desire to learn new flavors, techniques, and skills. Applicants will be working very closely with the head chef and owner, a cook with 50 years of experience in Japanese fine dining. The chef is happy to support dedicated staff to grow and succeed in the kitchen. Ability to speak English is preferred but not required. Serious inquiries -- please contact Cizuka Seki, cizuka.seki@gmail.com. Salary is negotiable based on availability and experience.