Samurai Japanese Cuisine in Fargo has been open for only a few weeks, but it has already generated a lot of buzz. (Last week I got 2 emails from my friends urging me to check it out!)

I have so far tasted their Chirashi, Mackerel (saba) sushi, Ikura (salmon roe) sushi, spider roll, volcano roll, green curry with tofu, shrimp and vegetable tempura and tempura ice cream. I was skeptical at first as they have such a huge menu that ranges from nigiri sushi to Singapore noodle and general Tso’s chicken, but everything I had was surprisingly good.

First of all their fish quality is probably the best in town. The white tuna and salmon on my chirashi were of very good quality. (although it did not have a lot of fish considering the price at $17.95) Many new restaurants tend to put out their best in the first few weeks and then eventually downgrade. But I hope the ingredient quality at Samurai will continue to be good.

I also liked the way they cook their sushi rice. (In my humble opinion, sushi is as much about rice as it is about fish.) Of course you can’t compare it to the sushi you eat at great restaurants in Japan, where the sushi master takes amazing amount of care for their vinegar, rice, particular kind of salt, etc. But at least it was not sticky or gummy or too sweet as some of other sushi places in town, and the rice-other ingredients ratio was very good as well.

Ikura sushi was good enough, but the seaweed outside was a bit dried out. Probably it would be better if I sit at the sushi dai and eat the sushi as soon as it’s made. Spider roll and saba sushi were good, too. Volcano roll was tasty but probably won’t order again as it’s a bit too big and on the pricey side without being special.

Shrimp tempura was very good. Japanese tempura is not made with panko, and it should have light and crispy texture to it. The tempura at Samurai was better than any other tempura that I had in town. To my taste it had a bit too much little “tempura flowers,” but still very crispy and light. The shrimp quality was good, and the oil was drained very well. Tempura sauce was also good.

Thai green curry  was tasty, too. Unusual to have fried potato pieces in Thai curry, but everything else was well balanced and it was made with good ingredients. Salad and miso soup are OK. I looked at other tables, and all the food looked good. (Pad Thai, Crab cake, tuna dumpling, etc.)

I talked to the manager, John, for a little bit. I asked him how he manages to have such a big menu, and he told me that there is a “master top chef” who knows everything in the kitchen, and there is also a chef only dedicated to doing teriyaki stuff. There are also 2 sushi chefs at the sushi dai. Interior is very modern and minimal, (the blue light makes you feel like you are in the Tron: Legacy!) and the service is good. Since my husband liked eating at Samurai and won’t refuse to go, I think I will be back for sure. At least it’s worth trying for more than once, just to check out the menu.

They don’t have a website up yet, so here are a few essential information:

Address & Phone number: 1775 45th Street South, Suite B/ 701-356-8882

Open hour: Monday-Thursday 11am till 10pm (11am - 3pm, lunch hour)/ Friday and Saturday 11am till 10:30pm/ Sunday noon till 9pm

Sample menu:

Miso soup $2.5, Tom Yum Soup with shrimp $3.95

Samurai seafood salad $10.50

Gyoza $4.95, Beef negimaki $7.50, Crab cake with pineapple salsa $6.95, Shrimp tempura $7.50

Usual items for nigiri sushi and sashimi from $4.50-$7.95

Many choices for special rolls and what they call “sashimi roll” $4.95 - $19.50/ Chirashi $17.95/ Unagi-don $15.95

Fusion Asian entrees such as lychee duck, grand manier shrimp, soft shell crab Thai style

Other items include Thai curry and basil sauce stir fries/ Japanese noodle soup (Udon)/ Chinese items such as eggplant with garlic sauce and Genera Tso’s chicken, Japanese teriyaki, etc.

UPDATE (as of February 10, 2011) - I have visited three more times after this initial review and tried many other dishes. I think sushi is still OK, and some Thai dishes (green curry and pad Thai). Udon was not good at all (broth was salty and not flavorful/ had same vegetables as the Tom Yum), and the tempura had an odd detergent (?) taste.

Still a very nice service, good sushi rice, and variety that a lot of my friends liked. Not sure if I want to keep this in “Good eats in America” category, but it’s the best Asian/Japanese restaurant in FM area in my opinion.

“Ssam” in Korean means something wrapped. What David Chang serves at his Ssam-Bar is a variation on something called “Bo-ssam”, which is steamed pork belly with radish kimchi, bossam kimchi, or cabbage leaves. There are many restaurants in Korea specializing in Ssam, and the fare usually includes rice (sometimes seasoned and shaped nicely), various kinds of wrapping leafy-things, and many condiments and toppings.

When Koreans eat grilled meat, meat is not the main actor. We put small pieces of meat in the middle of red leaf lettuce or sesame leaves and top it with many kinds of sauces and other vegetables.

I cooked “ssam-bap” with tofu and grilled beef Bulgogi (marinated ribeye) for New Year’s Eve, and my friends all loved it. So here is a list of simple recipes and ingredients.

1) To Grill

Bulgogi - I got Ribeye steak and sliced it myself. You can purchase really thin slices for “Bulgogi” at Korean markets. Or you can freeze the meat 20 minutes and then slice as thin as possible. Season with salt and pepper.

Easy way: Marinade 1lb beef with 3TB soy sauce, 2TB sugar, 0.5TB sesame oil, minced garlic 1TB, chopped green onion, little bit of black pepper, and 1ts rice wine (Not mirin, but cooking rice wine or sherry or sake). Some recipes will call for more sugar, or some mirin, some chopped green onion. But this is the basic and you can adjust with what you like. (more sesame oil, more sugar, molasses, brown sugar, honey, etc. I don’t put any vinegar in my beef marinade, though.)

Fancy way: Marinade 1lb of beef with 2TB Asian Pear juice, 1 TB sugar for 10 min.

Then add to this marinade for 30 min: 1 TB cooking rice wine (or sake), 1 Tb Sesame oil, 3TB soy sauce, 1 ts sugar, 1TB chopped green onion, 2 clove chopped garlic, 1 TB honey. (Taste this and adjust seasoning. You don’t have to use all of the marinade. Originally it’s for about 600g of beef, and a pound is 450g)

For pear juice, grating Asian pear would be the best option. If not available, you can use canned juice (shown in the picture gallery) instead.

Also you can just grill small slices of your favorite steak cut with some salt and pepper.

Tofu - this is not a typical item to grill for ssam, but my vegetarian friends liked it very much. Prepare firm organic tofu. Salt and let it sit for 20 minutes. Wipe off excess water with kitchen towel. Fry in oil until golden brown and crispy.

Pork belly (”Samgyeop-sal) - you can find thinly sliced pork belly in Korean grocery stores. You just grill the sliced pieces until they are golden crisp.

Mushrooms - enoki and shiitake are very good. The “Sae-Songi” mushrooms at Korean grocery stores are really good, too. They are long and fat white mushrooms.

Green onions (2 inch long)  and onions (sliced as rings)

2) Wrapping vegetable

Red leaf lettuce, sesame leaves (you can find them at big Korean grocery shops such as H-Mart.), mustard greens, steamed cabbage leaves, etc. (Romaine lettuce doesn’t work so well, though.)

3) Sauces - you can prepare as many or little as you want!

a) Ssam-jang: 3 TB gochujang (Korean chili paste. Get Soonchang brand or Haechandel), 1 Tb doenjang (Korean fermented bean paste), 1 TB chopped garlic, 1 TB sesame oil, 1 TB sugar, 0.5 Tb corn syrup, 2 Tb chopped green onion (optional: 1 Tb toasted sesame seeds)

b) Sesame-Salt oil: 1 part pepper, 3 part salt, and 2 part sesame oil. Mix with this proportion. This mixture is very good for pork belly and any non-marinated meat.

c) Tuna ssam-jang: 1 can of tuna in olive oil, drained. Chop 1 serrano chili and half an onion. Put 1 TB sesame oil in a medium sauce pan. Put the tuna and stir fry a few minutes. Put 2TB doenjang (Korean fermented bean paste), 1TB gochujang (Korean chili pepper paste), 1TB toasted sesame seed, 1TB chopped garlic, 1/2 ts ginger juice, 1/2 TB sugar, 1/3 cup water and 1TB mirin (Japanese sweet cooking rice wine)

d) Ground beef with Korean chili paste (Yak-gochujang): Prepare 1/4 lb ground sirloin. Marinate with 1 ts soy sauce, 1 ts sugar, 2 ts chopped green onion and 1 ts chopped garlic for 10 minutes. Put 1 TB sesame oil in a medium sauce pan. Add the marinated beef and cook until about 80% done. Add 3 TB Asian pear juice and cook until the meat cooks and the water evaporates a bit. Add 1 cup of gochujang, 1 Tb sugar. Stir and cook for 10 minutes. Mix with 2 TB honey.

4) Side Vegetables

a) Shredded cabbage and onion with mustard sauce: Mix 2 Tb soy sauce, 1 ts prepared mustard (or wasabi), 1 Tb rice vinegar, a bit of sugar - add to very thinly sliced cabbage and onion. If you can find Asian chives (very thin, pungent smelling green vegetable), add some of them here.

b) Green onion salad (”Pa-Jeori”): You need to find thick green onions called “Dae-Pa” from a Korean grocery store. Slice it as thinly as possible. Make the seasoning with 1ts salt, 1 ts sesame oil, 1 Tb toasted sesame, 1 Tb powdered red chili (”Gochugaru”) and 1 ts sugar. Season right before serving.

Prepare the sauces/ Prepare the meat/ Make the side vegetables/ Wash the wrapping vegetables/ Set the table/ Grill the meat…then ENJOY!

Alas. Silver Moon closed. I am so sad. I hope something good will take up that lovely place again soon.

But there is a good news, too - Lucy’s North China Cuisine on the 32nd Avenue South, Fargo, expanded their menu! Now it has tea-smoked duck, lion’s head meatballs, home-style tofu, eggplant with garlic sauce, Szechuan style shrimp and quite a few more.

(From left to right: Dumplings with Chinese chives, Vegetable delight, Tea-smoked duck/ Second row: Szechuan style shrimp, my table with take-outs, and eggplant with garlic sauce)

First of all I like Lucy’s steamed dumplings a lot. They seem that they are made daily - they sometimes run out of dumplings, and there are 3 kinds of stuffing - Chinese chives, onion and celery. Lucy’s grandma noodle is spicy and yummy, although it sometimes comes with too much oil. Tea smoked duck was good. Eggplant with garlic sauce was very tasty, although a bit oily. (I hope this oily problem will go away soon..!)

Fried flat breads are also very tasty. Oh, and one must try their green onion pancakes - very similar to the ones I ate in Taipei! Lucy’s also has special menu written on a whiteboard near the cashier (e.g. Szechuan boiled beef in fiery sauce), and if people like the special menu enough it will stay on the menu. More to come, they said.

I think the vegetable delight was better when the restaurant just had opened. It had more garlicky/ smoky taste. Now it’s a bit too sour and watery. What they call “Szechuan shrimp” is more like fried shrimp with sweet and sour ketchup sauce with a bit of kick to it, but tasty enough. (I often make it at home, and it’s sometimes called “Chili shrimp” in Korean Chinese restaurants.)

Lucy’s is doing really really well, and I think I will go to Lucy’s for a while when I crave Chinese food.

P.S. I don’t know how their standard Chinese items such as General Tso’s chicken and Sweet and sour pork taste like. But why would you order them when you can order other fun stuff?!

Lucy’s Northern China Cuisine: 701-356-5100/ 3003 32nd Ave S.

11am-9pm, 7 days a week

If you want to see a lot of good lo0king young people hanging out, or taste the “it” food for those young people, or hear Korean indie rock bands performing, you need to visit the Hongik University area (aka Hongdae). I have a soft spot in my heart for this area, but it is so far away from where my parents live or anywhere that I visit regularly that I rarely have a chance to go there whenever I am in Seoul.  But this summer I had a mission - visiting the rising star cafe of this area, Chan’s Espresso.

Their machines are very fancy and justly famous among Korean bloggers - Synesso and La Marzzoco espresso machines, the Clover coffee machine, Mazzer grinders, Everpure water filtration system, and even the orange Smeg refrigerator. Instead of roasting their own beans, Chan’s imports beans from the famed Tim Wendleboe of Oslo and Intelligenstia of Chicago. Unfortunately, that means that the beans will never be completely fresh due to the shipping time from Norway and USA to Korea. However, I think it works better than roasting poor quality beans, which happens often in a lot of new roastery-cafes in Korea. Also they don’t do the latest Korean cafe fad of cakes, sandwiches, or waffles - only coffee. I like that.

Let’s get straight to the point: I was highly impressed with the Tim Wendleboe double shot cappuccino! It was a totally new experience for me to enjoy espresso so deep and layered with so much complexity. It also looked much thicker than the regular espresso shot, and had an almost terra cotta-like color. I usually prefer espresso on the sweet side and not too acidic, but this Tim Wendleboe cappuccino had a really pleasant acidity that I enjoyed very much. Also it had a deep sweetness as well as really great body-feel to it. I wish I had been able to compare the Tim Wendelboe espresso to a shot of Intelligentsia, but by then I had already consumed too much coffee and could not handle any more! Oh well - such was my luck.

My husband ordered Tim Wendelbo’s Kenya brewed by Clover. That was not as good as the cappuccino. It was too muddy, had too much sour flavor, and just not good.  It might also have been the Clover machine, which I find myself liking less and less…

Anyways. Chan’s cafe is cultivating a very serious fan base already, which doesn’t surprise me at all given the quality of their coffee. It’s a place that I will definitely go back next time I am in Seoul.

Location: Seogyo-Dong, Mapo-gu, 409-10 (”Parking lot street”, aka “Joochajang georit”)

To find your way: Take subway #6. Get off at the Sangsoo station. Exit #1. Turn back and go toward “Geukdong Electronics” and look for a restaurant called “Yogi” and 7-11 convenience store. Take the small road between those two and walk toward “Donkatsu cham jalhanun-jib” and you will see Chan’s on your right. (It’s a labyrinth kind of area with many little cafes and restaurants, and Chan’s has a big, black steel door and a big glass window at the front.)

Price: Espresso for 5500 won (about $4.8)/ Macchiato, Cortado, Americano for 6000 won/ Latte, Cappuccino, Mocha for 6500 won

I believe that every town needs a place that incorporates local ingredients and encourages sustainable agriculture. It’s about more than just taste and food - it’s about culture and attitude. In Fargo, the Green Market across the public library is the place to look for that “slow food” goodness.

It’s a mystery that I did not visit this restaurant until the end of August this year. I think that’s partly because this place has been in a few different locations recently. Now it’s located at the building that used to be the Full Circle restaurant and some kind of community food-project office. The kitchen is run by Andrea, a talented and ambitious chef who changes her menu daily.

The first day I visited with a few good friends (and a guest from out of town), the menu read like this:

housemade breads & good butter $3; cheese plate with fruit & crackers $12; house made pate & sausage plate $10; pickle plate $6

chilled gazpacho $6; BBQ beef & bean soup $7

organic greens, herbs & champagne vinaigrette $6; heirloom tomato, gorgonzola & basil pickled shallots $7; corn & okra risotto $7; Provencal stuffed vegetables $7; stir fried miso green beans, carrots & eggplant $6

griddled Raclette cheese sandwich $7; griddled Raclette cheese & genoa salami sandwich $8; tuna nicoise melt with heirloom tomato & mozzarella $8; roasted pear tomato, zucchini & ricotta lasagna $7; chicken & vegetable torta with sun-dried tomato jam $5; Hawaiian walu with heirloom tomato broth $11; filet mignon with herb gremolata $11

panna cotta with mint & berries $4; cantaloupe, berries & coconut cream sauce $4; peach & blackberry crumble $4; chocolate orbit cake $4; ginger ice box cookie $2; carrot cake $4

All the servings are pretty small, but I like it that way as I can order a few different plates just for myself. I think it’s incredible that she’d change the entire menu every day - unbelievable, but I admire and enjoy her dedication. And it is obvious that she likes to try new things. She also tries to use as many local and organic ingredients as possible. The Green Market also has a very nice selection of cheeses and deli meats as well as a few grocery items such as imported vinegars and oils.

My favorite dish on our first visit was the stir fried miso green beans, carrots and eggplant. It had a wonderful smokiness and just the right amount of saltiness and sweetness. The vegetables had a really nice texture, too. Also amazing was the peach crumble - not too greasy or buttery, just perfect.  I have been to Green Market 4 more times after that initial visit, and every time I had something unusual or unusually great. Their cheese & fruit plate is always nice. I also love their hazelnut-sage bread (on Thursdays) and organic flax seed crackers. A few days ago I had “clam and smoked salmon noodle with shiitake mushroom” that was so unusual - like chicken noodle soup, except with clam and salmon! It was so different from anything I have ever eaten, yet so good. The best part about this restaurant is that I can trust the ingredients came from good sources and are made with care. Some dishes were a bit too salty or gooey for my taste, but I am getting better at picking out what I will like from the daily-changing menu!

The location is pretty good, and the almost non-existent decor is not a problem for me. The problem is that the entrance area between the main door and the door to the restaurant has a sort of old-building moldy smell. But once you pass that, you sit down and have a wonderful time. The Green Market is one of the gems of Fargo-Moorhead, and I hope they will enjoy a long and successful tenure in their new location!

Eureka! I finally found a cafe that has good philosophy about coffee, great machines and brewing equipments and good beans - in Fergus Falls! I tumbled upon this place at a reception for a recital that I played at the Center for the Arts. Cafe 116 both hosted and catered the reception, so I did not get the whole cafe experience then, but the wonderful roast beef sandwich with horseradish sauce and gorgonzola was unforgettable. I’ve since been there on my own three more times and have just fallen in love with this little gem.

First of all, their espresso machines mean business: Synesso and La Marzzoco GS3 espresso machines & Mazzer and Rio grinders. You see these machines and you know that someone cares about their coffee and has put some resources behind that passion. Both Synesso and La Marzzoco at Cafe 116 are smaller machines, but this establishment isn’t turning out a shot every 45 seconds for hours at a time like some places, and a bigger 3- or 4-group machine would just be overkill. The espresso macchiato I had yesterday was pretty darn good (almost as good as the one that Ben makes at home and close to what I had at Gimme! Coffee, Ithaca), with beautiful milk foam and even two little hearts on it. Their espresso lacks that tiny touch of sweetness that I look for in espresso, but still it was easily the best espresso macchiato in the region. Period.

For their brewed coffee, they have three options: normal machine brewed coffee at $1 (with a ‘reasonable’ number of free refills), Micro brewed cup with Hario V60 ($2.25), and Yama Siphon pot, 16oz ($7). Microbrew (also known as hand-dripped coffee) is THE way to brew coffee at any reputable cafe in Korea and Japan, but somehow not a lot of American cafes are doing it. Intelligentsia has developed an interesting way of doing it a bit faster (and more organized), and I hope more  places will catch up soon since it brings out so much more aroma and flavor from the coffee grounds - If the beans are freshly roasted and ground. And since the Cafe 116 has their own roastery at the back, the beans are likely to be fresh! (The roasting company is called Stumbeano, which supplies a few places in Fargo, including Nichole’s Fine Pastry.) Siphon is not my favorite method of coffee brewing, but it’s fun and Greg, the coffee person, is always studying the perfect combination of bean, roast, grind, and brewing method for the Siphon. It’s definitely worth checking out.

On top of this, the food here is great, too. The menu is simple soup-sandwich-salad fare, and there is nothing fancy about it. But what they have is simply good food made with good stuff. Cafe 116 uses organic breads from the Falls Baking Company, and Jenny, the food person, says that she tries to use local and seasonal ingredients as much as she can. “The Union” sandwich with roast beef, gorgonzola and horseradish ($5.95 full/$3.75 half) is so delicious. Spicy shrimp and sausage gumbo ($5.45 bow/ $3.45) is spicy yet well balanced. (Something I miss about the South is a goo d bowl of gumbo, and I think I will go to the Cafe 116 on many Tuesdays to come..!) Sesame noodle salad and sugar snap peas ($4.95 lg/ $2.95 sm) is flavorful yet not too sweet or oily. Reuben sandwich was yummy (not as yummy as The Union, but still very good). Oh, and the potato salad is more vinegar and less mayo - so tasty and again, really well balanced with right amount of saltiness, sourness, and green onions. Creme brulee ($4) was also the best I have eaten in the area - not too thick or eggy, very smooth , and real vanilla bean speckles! An order of Beignets ($2.75 for 4 small triangles) make a very good afternoon snack or dessert for sharing.

As you can see the price is nice, too! You can order about 5-6 things between 2 people and not pay over $25. Plus I hear the breakfast items are great as well. And they also have a small but nice wine list and good beer selection.

I just wish this place was closer. But then..it gives me a very good excuse to drive down the highway and see my wonderful friends in Fergus Falls! I highly recommend anyone visit this place whenever you are in Fergus Falls or on the way to Minneapolis.

Cafe 116: 116 South Union Avenue, Fergus Falls, MN (Phone: 218-998-3780)

Downtown Fargo now has a new pizza place - and it’s got good, cheap pizza, too!

Spicy Pie is a new pizza restaurant on the corner of 4th Ave N. and Broadway in downtown Fargo, where a.k.a. men’s clothing store used to be.  That corner has been under construction for a while, and then I saw it buzzing with people just a few days ago. It was closed on Sunday, so I checked it out today (Monday, May 24, 2010) with my husband.

First of all - it’s not a fancy or gourmet pizza restaurant, although the interior is quite nice with the brick walls and cool tables. There are a lot of TVs, too. Their menu is pretty simple: you can order either pizza by the slice or create your own whole pizza with basic toppings (sausage, salami, pepperoni, bacon, Canadian bacon, olives, green peppers, onions, mushrooms, pineapples, green and black olives, jalapenos, and anchovies).  They also offer a few sandwiches (”grinders”), tacos, and tostadas. That’s all. Oh, and a few beers on tap (Blue Moon, Flat Tire, etc.), cocktails and mixed drinks, and some wine options. You order and pay for your food at the counter, then get your number, and the server brings your food to your table in about 5 minutes.

At first I was quite disappointed that they did not have pizza margherita or any special pizzas with unusual toppings. So I ordered a slice of pizza with onion and pepperoni. My husband ordered a slice with pepperoni, mushrooms, and black olives and another with japaleno and sausage. And we were both pleasantly surprised at the quality of the pizza. The dough was thin in the middle and fluffy at the edge. It was very tasty without being oily or soggy at all. Also the tomato sauce was very simple and  delicious - it’s like smeared whole tomatoes on the dough rather than a thick sauce with dried herbs and other ingredients. It was not salty or grossly sweet. I loved it! (They had a lot of big cans of “Alta Cucina” tomatoes on display: this is a canned plum tomato for restaurants.) The only quibble was that the sausages were too big, and they were more like meatballs. However everything else was far better than any other pizzas we have eaten in this area, except Stella’s. I even went back for dinner and got a slice of mushroom and onion. The onions were sprinkled more evenly than what I had for lunch.

And the best part is the price. A slice of pizza with tomato and cheese for $2! Additional toppings are only 25 cents each. The slices are quite big as you can see in my picture. Canned soda is $1. I am sure the beer and cocktails are priced nicely as well.

Usually great things are not cheap, and Spicy Pie is no exception. Their great pizza at a very low price comes with a small problem - they serve everything on a paper plate, and there is no real silverware in the restaurant besides the cooking tools. I would be happy to pay $1 more if that would help them serve on a real plate. I mean, it would still cost only $4 to get a big slice of pizza with four toppings..!! According to an excerpt from InForum, this is a “New York style pizza restaurant” opened by a company in Minot, N.D.

Anyways. Within just a few days of opening, this restaurant seems to have attracted quite a lot of young people and families. It was packed both at lunch time and dinner time today. Their website is www.fmspicypie.com, but there is nothing up yet.

Sunday - Thursday: 11am - 11pm

Friday and Saturday: 11am - 2am

One more thing to love about downtown Fargo, I would say.

The Fargo Marathon is this weekend, Saturday May 22! I signed up for the 2-person relay with a friend of mine but have not trained myself all that much. So I plan to make it up by eating lots of pasta before Saturday! I have written a few things about restaurants in the Fargo-Moorhead area on this blog, but today I will present a list aimed at fellow marathoners and runners in search of good carb-loading/ pasta options.

Taste of Italy (Formerly Isabella & Stella) - 608 1st Ave. (close to Broadway) 701-365-0608

Stella was my (and my husband’s) favorite choice for Italian food and pastas in FM area, period. Their Ravioli, Pappardelle alla Bolognese, Spaghetti puttanesca (all $13), Rigatoni con porcini ($18), Seafood spaghetti ($21) are all very delicious and reasonably priced. I know they use San Marzano whole tomato cans for their tomato sauce, which makes a big difference. (I persuaded Tony to sell me a can once and made a great Bolognese sauce with it!) Their strengths as a restaurant are how well they do the simple things - the basic pasta dishes and simple tomato sauce that make or break any Italian kitchen.  Chefs here are not afraid of using a lot of garlic, and Stella’s pasta dishes are never salty or soggy. All dinner pasta dishes come with marinated vegetable appetizer, bread, and salad. Be aware that the service can be very slow, and the owner has a “personality.” Oh, and for their food the wine list is a bit sad. But the word is out - today (Monday, May 17th) I reserved a table for Friday (the day before the marathon) at 7pm, and already the restaurant was almost totally reserved for marathoners and carb-loading parties! (This restaurant changed their ownership in 2011. Some dishes are still same, some changed. No more marinated mushrooms, though!)

Toscana - 202 Broadway N. 701-235-9100

A lot of dishes here tend to be salty these days. (It was not the case when they just opened, but it has become that way and I don’t like it as much as I used to), but all the pasta dishes are reasonably priced and some of them are still pretty good. My husband likes their gnocchi, and I like their Piselli e prosciutto pasta. Their Arrabbiatta used to be good, but these days it’s too salty and too spicy for my taste. Also their shrimps (in any dish) tend to be too watery. Service is better than Stella’s.

Spitfire- 1660 13th Ave E. West Fargo. 701-478-8667

This restaurant is mainly a rib/roasted chicken joint, but 5-6 pasta dishes are on the menu. (BTW- their ribs are the best in town, if you would rather eat protein than carb.) My husband and I have tried their Diablo pasta with sausage, chicken and shrimp a few times, and it’s cheesy, peppery and tasty. Big portions, and satisfactory taste. Not anywhere near being “authentic Italian” but it’s good. Through many trips, I have not been disappointed at this restaurant, except getting a sad salad once. This would be actually a good restaurant to go after you run a marathon.

Granite City - 1636 42nd Street S. 701-293-3000

It’s been a while since I ate at GC, as they took some things I liked off the menu and their food tends to taste as if it comes frozen or pre-cooked, but a lot of people seem to like this restaurant. This place has 7-8 pasta choices on the menu, and almost all of them are parmesan or pesto-based. I recall trying a seafood pasta special, and it was not bad. Good beer selection and nice atmosphere.

Santa Lucia

This claims to be a “Mediterranean” restaurant. I ate at this place a while ago once, and today I went back to check out again. Spaghetti with bolognese sauce and meatballs (about $13, salad separate at $2.95) was not good at all. It had a very strange canned tomato paste flavor and was really salty, with very dry meatballs. Their Penne Arabbiata with shrimp ($14.95) was better, but it was also on the salty side. Both dishes were gigantic. You can probably go to this restaurant when you don’t want to go to Olive Garden/ when other restaurants are full.  I suspect that the Greek dishes on their menu would be more successful.

There are a few other non-chain restaurants with pasta menu, but I have not eaten their pasta dishes:

Sarello’s is a very nice Italian restaurant in Moorhead (28 Center Ave. Moorhead, 218-287-0238), but the only pasta dishes on their menu are Lobster Ravioli ($24) and Penne Arrabiatta. ($17)

Basie’s is also a nice restaurant inside the Ramada Plaza Suite. (1635 42 St. S. 701-281-7105) I have eaten their steak and fish dishes, and they are what you expect from this kind of restaurant. It would not be my first choice of restaurant, but it has nice service, good food, and good menu. They feature 5 very interesting pasta dishes. (Thai red curry sauce on Linguini with crab and mussels/ gorgonzola cream sauce over linguini to name a few)

Doolittle’s - 2112 25th Street S. 701-478-2200

Doolittle’s pastas all have Alfredo-type sauce, so I have never ordered a pasta dish here. But their food is usually quite good, and the portions are big. Oh, and their kitchen is open until 11pm, which is a bit later than the norm for Fargo-Moorhead.

Lastly, Speak Easy is a locally owned restaurant in Moorhead with an extensive pasta menu and a cute, old-fashioned deco. However their food is not something that I would recommend highly. Their spaghetti with meatballs was only marginally better than Olive Garden or other not so high-quality chain restaurants.

Well, good luck to everybody who’s running! I hope it will be warmer than last year!

Kimchi is probably the most well known and widely misunderstood Korean food. If you have ever tasted really good home-made, well-ripe kimchi, you know that it’s not something just smelly or awfully spicy. Most popular and widely eaten kimchi is Paechu-Kimchi made with Napa cabbage, sliced radish, and seasonings (salt, fish sauce or other kinds of seafood stuff depending on the regional taste, red pepper powder, garlic, green onion, ginger, sugar, etc.) Good kimchi is has balanced taste of sourness, crunchiness, spiciness, saltiness, and it’s very sexy! Think of it as a spicy and more glorious version of Saurkraut.

You can make so many kinds of yummy dishes using kimchi - kimchi fried rice, pancakes, noodles, and even spaghetti! I plan to write more details about Kimchi and its history some other time, but today I am going to tell you how to make a very simple kimchi soup (”jigae” or “zigae”)

Kimchi jigae with canned tuna [Chamchi Kimchi Jigae]

There are probably as many Kimchi jigae recipes as there are moms and cooks in Korea. You can make this dish with various kinds of meat (canned tuna, pork belly, canned pike, canned mackerel, clams, bacon) and different types of soup stock. Methods varies a lot as well. (Stir fry meat first and then pour water, put everything in a pot and simmer for a long time, season the meat beforehand, cook the meat with kimchi, etc.). Chong-Ga brand’s un-cut kimchi is the best you can get at grocery stores. Un-cut kimchi is made with the whole head of napa cabbage, and you should cut it yourself before eating. If you can’t find it, get the store manager’s recommendation or a pick a jar that still has some liquid in it and has a faint sour smell to it. Kimchi jigae needs kimchi that’s ripe, not too “young.” If kimchi tastes too salty without much sourness, you may add some rice vinegar. Don’t buy small kimchi jars sold at regular grocery stores as they don’t taste good and they are so overpriced.

Ingredients:

About 2 cup (400g) cut Kimchi, mixed with 0.5 Tb sugar and 0.5 Tb sesame oil (See the picture above!)

1 can of Dong-Won brand’s Kimch Jigae Tuna. You can find it at any Korean grocery store. If you can’t find it, use any canned tuna (4.5 oz) in olive oil, and use 1.5 cans/ put a bit more seasonings and red pepper powder.

1/2 Onion, thinly sliced

1 Tb Canola oil (or any oil that has not a lot of flavor. If you want some more kick, use the Korean style chili oil.)

2-3 cups water (enough to cover kimchi, but not too watery) It’s more tasty if you use soup stock made with dried anchovies and dried kombu (”tashima” in Korean), but water is fine.

1/2 organic firm tofu, thinly sliced

0.5 Tb Korean pepper powder/ 2 strips green onion, chopped/ Soy sauce or Kimchi juice (from the jar)  to taste

(Optional: 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced)

How To Make

1) Heat the canola oil in the stainless steel sauce pan (2 quart) or Le Creuset (2 quart) type of pot. Stir fry kimchi for about 3 minutes, on medium heat, until softened a bit.

2) Put water. Then put the onion and canned tuna. Close the lid and cook with medium-low heat for about 10 minutes.

3) Open the lid and cook until the onions are soft and jigae smells good. Then arrange tofu slices around the pot and put 0.5 Tb of the red pepper powder in the middle of the tofu circle. (Add garlic with the pepper powder, if you are using.) Spoon some soup over the tofu slices and gently push them down so that they sits below the surface.

4) Cook until tofu is warmed through, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning either with kimchi juice or a bit of soy sauce.

5) Put the sliced green onion and cook about 30 seconds more and then serve!

This soup with a bowl of rice makes such a quick and comforting dinner. Enjoy~ (Hmingi, I hope you like it! :))

My good friend Hmingi wanted to know how to make the chili oil I mentioned in my previous posting “Jihye’s Spicy Sesame Noodles” (http://jihyechang.com/wisdom/2009/11/27/jihyes-spicy-sesame-peanut-noodle)

Szechuan style chili oil is made with hot peanut oil and dried chili seeds or flakes. However we make chili oil with dried chili powder (”Gochugaru,” 고추가루) and garlic in Korea. Korean style chili powder is very different from “chili powder” that you would use for chili soup, so make sure you get it from a Korean grocery store! I also like to add a bit of grated ginger and salt. There are a few different methods for making the chili oil, but my favorite method is photographed above.

Here’s what you need:

1 cup oil (Canola or Sunflower seed)

4 TB Korean chili powder or powdered chili (Gochugaru), 4 cloves garlic, minced/ 0.5 ts grated ginger/ a pinch of salt

And this is how you make:

1) Heat up the oil in a small sauce pan - hot enough, but not smoking hot. I usually heat it up until the surface of the oil gets a bit shimmery. If the oil’s too hot, it will burn the chili powder. If it’s not hot enough, it will not release much flavor from the other ingredients.

2) Line a big strainer (as in the picture) with a kitchen towel. In a small bowl, mix the chili powder, garlic, salt, and ginger carefully. You don’t have to mix it thoroughly. Put the chili powder mixture over the strainer.

3) Prepare a heat-proof bowl underneath the strainer.

4) Pour the hot oil evenly and slowly over the chili powder mixture. If the chili oil comes through the strainer too slowly, wait a little bit and then pour again.

5) Cool completely and store in a glass jar.

This oil is great for making the best Kimchi fried rice and other yummy Korean foods. I will post something about Kimchi and Kimchi-related recipes soon!