Shunji Togo@West LA ★★★

Amazing Shunji Deluxe Bento Box. The appetizer box comes with a piece of paper telling you what everything is and a hand-signed thank you note. $70 per person. You can wait in the parking lot, and they will bring it out for you. Need to order days in advance, or else it will sell out. Paired it with sake.

Filet-O-Fish & Cold Wakame Udon Recipe ★★★

At Home Filet-O-Fish with Buttered Breadsticks. The Fried Fish Filet from Trader Joe's reminded me of Filet-O-Fish from McDonald's, so decided to give it a try. Just happened to have bread, tartar sauce, and lettuce at home. I skipped the cheese. It turned out amazing. Recipe below. For the Cold Wakame (Marine Seaweed) Udon, I had it with soba soy sauce, sliced seaweed, wasabi, spring onions, and ginger. Wakame is healthy.

Toasted Bread with Butter Spread
not wasting the edges – use as breadsticks

Wakame (Marine Seaweed) Udon from Japanese Supermarket

Filet-O-Fish with Breadsticks ★★★
Ingredients:
Fish Filet from Trader Joe's
Bread - 2 slices, can use breadends
Lettuce
Tartar Sauce
Cheese (optional)

Recipe:
1. Spread butter on bread, cut out the sides (keep them and toast together), and toast in oven
2. Bake Fish Filet
3. Spread tartar sauce on bottom sandwich layer (to keep crispiness on top of the fish)
4. Add cheese (optional), lettuce, then add fish, and finish with break end on top
5. Continue to toast breadsticks (cheese optional) until crisp. Serve as side.

Seared Steak & Chile Butter@Blue Apron ★★★

Seared Steak & Chile Butter with Kale & Cheesy Potatoes. Potatoes are roasted for 24 minutes. In honor of Earth Day, paired it with a bottle of National Geographic 2015 Ocean Reserve Blanc de Blancs from Iron Horse Vineyards. The bottle benefits to marine protected areas and sustainable fishing.

Dukkah-Spiced Chicken@Blue Apron ★★

Dukkah-Spiced Chicken with Pistachio Orange Salsa, Brussels Sprouts, and Brown Rice. Amazed by how easy it is to make grilled meat – season both sides and cook 6-7 minutes in pan for each side. Mix raw spinach with cooked rice, and the spinach will cook itself. Paired it with a bottle of Sangria (+diced fresh fruits) just because I saw the word “salsa”, which was fruity and perfect.

Seared Salmon & Ponzu Mayo@Blue Apron ★★★

Impressive Meal from Blue Apron. They do not disappoint. Learning more about cooking from them. Who knows adding garlic, salt, and mirin to Jasmine Rice would make such a huge difference. Vinegar & sugar to marinate Cucumbers and Bell Peppers. Sear Salmon with skin side up for 4-6 minutes, cover, and turn for another 2-4 minutes. Ponzu & mayo mixture on top, then garnish with Togarashi (7 spices) seasoning. Paired it with Chardonnay.

Bow Tie Pasta with Japanese Sauce ★★

Bow Tie Pasta with uncured black forest ham, fresh tomato, shiitake mushroom, and special Butter & Soy Sauce bought from Don Don Quixote bought from Tokyo, with a side of fried fish fillet from Trader Joe's. Paired with a bottle of Lemon Moscato.

Butter & Soy Sauce bought from Tokyo

Chicken & Wonton Noodle Stir-Fry@Blue Apron ★★★

Blue Apron Meal Kit Delivery Service. They send you the pre-portioned ingredients and recipe. You just do the cooking. I ended up taking 2-3 times longer than their cooking time. This dish is delicious. They premixed the Asian-style sautéed aromatics for you, but I guess it's butter, garlic, ginger, and green onion inside. Other than that, they provided 1/4 cup of Sweet Chili Sauce, 2 Tbsps of Black Bean Sauce, 1/3 cup Soy Glaze, and 2 Tbsps of Rice Vinegar. Chopped Chicken Breast, Carrots,  Green Cabbage, and Snow Peas. This dish is so good that it inspired me to take my cooking to the next level. I paired it with Junmai Sake.

Chicken & Wonton Noodle Stir-Fry
with Snow Peas, Carrots & Cabbage

Nanbu Bijin Junmai Daiginjo Sake