January 2013

My Special One feels about sushi the way I feel about French cheeses. We respect the traditions surrounding these food forms, the significance of their names and could live almost exclusively off our respective passions (with the addition of some bread in my case). If we were to order an “Appalachian Tomme” from a local vendor, I would feel obligated to state the case of why the cheese should not have “Tomme” in the title despite its flavor merits. Accordingly, when I order brown rice sushi at more grain-conscious establishments, my Special One feels obligated to tell me brown rice is a bastardization of the very word “sushi,” which refers to the vinegared white rice.

Cheese snobbery and grain preferences aside, this anecdote points to my novice approach to sushi, and why I usually defer sushi menu deciphering to my Special One. His rice reverence brings me to another vocabulary lesson: Fukuda, or Blessed Rice Paddy.

Fukuda is the new kid on the block, and it has a bunch of hits [yes I did just dip into 90s pop culture], which we sampled as part of Pittsburgh Restaurant Week. We had the ideal dining spot, poised right before the sushi chef at work.

A realtor would call this addition to the Bloomfield neighborhood a cozy or quaint establishment. In the case of Fukuda, these words are apt for more than size descriptors. The interior is not what you might expect from a Japanese restaurant. Rather than put bamboo in every nook and corner, Fukuda features the layered and nostalgic aesthetic of artist Ron Copeland. While the space is meant to function as a changing gallery of artists’ work, I do hope a base of Copeland’s work remains.

Restaurant Week Tasting Menu: Chef’s Choice 4-piece Nigiri (left)
Nigiri sampler (regular menu)

Takoyaki
Foie gras butter, roasted beet powder, housemade Takoyaki sauce, scallion

Takoyaki are Japanese octopus dumplings. After the taste of the sweet and tangy sauce, there’s the richness of the foie gras butter, then you bite through the soft texture and arrive at a firm piece of octopus. If you are unsure about octopus, I still recommend trying these!

Restaurant Week Tasting Menu: Kusshi Oysters
Juniper shisho granita, thai chili, fresh lemon

Restaurant Week Tasting Menu: Simmered Pork Belly
Coriander & Japanese mustard sauce, cilantro, togarashi, crispy ginger

Shiitake Chocolate Ice Cream
Chocolate dipped shiitake mushrooms and lavender

The best way I can describe the dessert finale is to tell you to imagine eating a cold, creamy shiitake mushroom with a chocolaty base, at which point, you’ll probably turn up your nose mid-imagining. It’s better just to try this because somehow Fukuda made mushrooms work for dessert! Fukuda makes a lot of things work really well, and it just may be the place that sets me on a sushi roll [and a string of bad puns]! My Special One and I will return soon because the ramen is calling, and I say that as someone who typically has zero interest in ramen.

January 2013

The Regent Square neighborhood of Pittsburgh boasts the every-run-is-a-longer-workout-once-you-get-lost-in-the-woods Frick Park, an independent movie theater, tiny shops, a main drag with an old charm and a few noteworthy restaurants. Having already fallen for Root 174, I was due for another dining adventure in the neighborhood, and Pittsburgh Restaurant Week provided just the opportunity. Since I do spend a good deal of my time wordpressing, it was appropriate that this opportunity was a meal dedicated to Pittsburgh bloggers. For the winter restaurant week, our host was Alma Pan-Latin Kitchen.

Canja Sopa
Alma’s take on this classic Brazilian rice and chicken soup

Frituras de Maiz Tierno
Fritters stuffed with arugula and grilled corn, served with plantain hash and roasted poblano aioli

Ceviche de Hongos
Mushrooms, green onions, pink beans, and avocado marinated in fresh citrus juices

Chuletas de Puerco con Pina y Batata
Grilled pork tenderloin topped with cilantro and jalapeno, served with pineapple and white sweet potato puree

In keeping with restaurant week perks, my Special One and I each ordered from the prix fixe menus and then shared a little bit of everything. Though the starter soup packed comfort and spice, two essentials for a place whose name means soul, the entrees were Alma’s stronger suit in this medley. Corn fritters with the sweet accent of plantains and pork with the bold flavor of the herb and jalapeno sauce could easily occupy the room one typically reserves for dessert. However, I happen to place a very high priority on dessert. I was justly rewarded with Alma’s biscochito. Though the name may refer to a little cake, this dessert was rich beyond its size!

Biscochito de Chocolate con Dulce de Leche y Helado de Canela
Warm chocolate cake with a sweet center, served with cinnamon ice cream

Alma’s owner, James Wallace also founded Pittsburgh’s first Ethiopian restaurant Abay (of which I am long overdue for a return visit). He has a knack for bringing really exotic and authentic cuisines to Pittsburgh, but what I currently find most exciting about his business ventures is his new push to support the local community and local agriculture in the process. This objective comes with its fair share of obstacles for cuisines that feature many tropical ingredients, but Jamie’s wife’s background as an environmental engineer certainly adds a positive push to this momentum. This was a great intro to the restaurant, and I will surely return. Next time I’ll have one of my City Dining Cards in tow!