Sunday, July 19, 2009

Hiro's Yakko-san (North Miami Beach)

Tonight I went to Hiro's Yakko-san in the North Miami area. It's always a joy to eat there as my boyfriend and I find that no matter what we order, everything comes out superbly cooked. We always try a new dish when we go, but tonight we went all out and ordered a bunch of plates that we had never tried before. As usual Yakko-san's did not fail to amaze our palates!

I was so engrossed in the feast before me that I forgot to take pictures. XD Gomen nasai! Well my boyfriend picked up the camera at one point, but the ensuing shots weren't the best. I took one picture, but as I clicked the shutter my boyfriend grabbed a shrimp to eat. Next time I promise I'll have better images for you guys to ogle. Anyways, on to the review!

Crispy Bok Choy: The Boy Choy by itself is rather unremarkable and honestly a bit oily for my tastes. However when paired with the sauce it is served with, the dish transforms completely. The combination of flavors and textures blew my mind. I believe the sauce was a light soy sauce with garlic and a hint of onion. It provided the perfect flavor profile to accompany the bok choy. The crispness of the leaves of bok choy, the accompanying sauce, as well as the slight bitterness of the stalk joined harmoniously together.


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Curried fried rice: Mmm, their curried fried rice is always spot on. This was the one of the few dishes that we repeated from previous visits because we love it so much! It has both a good curry flavor and just the right amount of heat which keeps you coming back for more.


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Simply Grilled Shio Shrimp: That's not the exact name of the dish, but I honestly don't remember the name of the shrimp. I saw the dish being taken out to another table and due to its brilliant orange color and size of the shrimps, I knew I had to order it! The server informed me that it was one of the specials of the day and that the shrimp were flown in from Australia. The portion given was quite generous, three large shrimps - each of them grilled to perfection. What caught me off guard was that even though they were only seasoned very lightly with shio (a Japanese salt) the flavor of the shrimp itself was very strong (in a good way). They were plump, juicy, and extremely flavorful. This dish truly was the epitome of great shrimp, simply yet masterfully executed.



Sea Bass Miso: Honestly, you just can't go wrong with sea bass. The fish was light, well cooked, and perfectly seasoned. The miso marinade added the perfect final touch to the flavor profile. Even though the portion seemed a bit small for the price we paid, I want to say that Chilean sea bass is just always expensive.

Chicken Live Itame: I loved the small "salad" of beansprouts and chives atop the pieces of chicken liver. I daresay that I loved the salad a bit more than the chicken livers themselves. It was light, crisp, refreshing, and lightly sauced/marinated. The chicken livers themselves were cooked well, however I find myself without much else to say about them.

Ginger Pork: Probably the least satisfying dish of the evening for myself personally. My friend ordered this and I'm just not a huge ginger fan. Mind you, I love ginger as a side kick in my foods, but not as the main flavor profile. From a completely objective point of view, the sauce provided a strong taste of ginger without being overwhelming (however, I just don't like ginger...so the dish still wasn't going to be a hit with me). The pork was a tad dry (when I say a tad, I'm just being nit picky. The dish was not dry by any means!), but still cooked very well.

Volcano: Our traditional ending to a meal at Yakko-san's! Sure it's definitely something I could make at home since it's just ice cream scoops stacked between butterfly cookies from the Asian market, but I honestly don't know how to make their wonderful red bean sauce/reduction. It's their red bean/"volcano" sauce which is poured over the dessert which makes it a stand out from a normal sundae. I'd seriously put this sauce over pancakes, waffles, cakes, and just about anything else I could get my hands on if I knew how to make it.


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The entire meal was quite affordable at a little less than $25 dollars for three very stuffed and happy patrons. We even had leftovers to take home and enjoy the next day! I love Hiro's Yakko-san and it's always a treat to visit the establishment.

Hiro's Yakko-san
17040 W Dixie Hwy
North Miami Beach, FL 33160
(305) 947-0064
Hiro's Yakko-San on Urbanspoon

Edit Note: I've updated this post with pictures I've taken on subsequent visits.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Oishii!

     While researching where to eat for an upcoming trip to the Los Angeles area, I discovered a plethora of wonderful food blogs which gave me insight into the restaurants of the area (GourmetPigs, Food Marathon, LA&OC Foodventures, etc). I found myself reading post after post of their foodie experiences! I loved reading about their different experiences, what they enjoyed, what they didn't, etc. "Surely there must be blogs like this for South Florida", I thought to myself. However, I was saddened to find that these types of blogs were far and few between (and those I did find weren't very comprehensive)! As such I decided to start a blog all of my own and post all of my adventures as a foodie in South Florida.

     I'm not a professional food critic, just a girl who loves good food. ^_^ Though honestly everyone's taste buds are different and what I may like or not like for that matter, may not reflect your own tastes. Never the less, I hope you enjoy reading about my never ending foodie quest for "Oishii Noms"!

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