At Last Chicago!!! Part Four

Hope you aren't tired of Chicago yet. I know I 'm not, even after being there for 16 days. I just wish the weather had been a bit warmer. It would have got me out and about more.

Myself and WW#1 (Work Wife) Ashlun had the opportunity to make it to one of our favorite Chicago haunts…Kamehachi while she was in town for the first convention I was working. This was my first exposure to japanese/sushi cuisine back in 2000 and like they say, you always remember your first! I'm just glad the place is still here. I can't imagine Chicago without Kamehachi.

These are the view from my table. I just love that they have taken typically Japanese features and used them in unusual ways. If you look into the background of the second photo they have shoved bamboo into the wall and created a water feature with water trickling out of select pieces. Course I wouldn't want to get shoved into it…that could hurt.

Dinner at Kamehachi always begins with Sake. This is also the place I was introduced to the lighter, fruitier taste of unfiltered Sake. Unlike it's warm, anti-freeze tasting counterpart, you can down bottle after bottle of this silky-smooth chilled delight without passing out.

Looks like milk…that's what I tell the kids.
"Daddies just drinking his milk. Does a body good!"

I no longer need to look at a menu in this restaurant. I do look at it, just to see if there is something I have missed these past 11 years. But I always get the same thing.

I start off with an order of Edamame. Who knew lousy old soybeans could be so wonderful! I love wrestling them out of the shell with my mouth, it's so hedonistic. I also love the little bite of Sea Salt you get as you slide the shell across your tongue…just perfect!

The Edamame are followed by Gyoza. A complicated term for dumpling.

Nice lamp reflection mimicing the dumpling shape…so artistic!

I am a huge fan of dumplings, potstickers, call them what you will. I just call them delicious. There is a place in NY that all they do is dumplings of every flavor and assortment you could possibly want. I wish I had the patience to make them here at home. My dumpling making is limited tho to Chef Boyardee Mini-Ravioli. Yes, ravioli is considered a dumpling :-)

So far so good, a light meal. Considering Hub 51 was the night before…I need light. The lighter the better! On to what I consider my main course.

I know…it looks like sushi, but it's not. Well, in terms of it's presentation it is. But this dish is comprised of asparagus wrapped in very tender roast beef and then it is broiled. This way it cooks very quickly and the beef is tender and medium-well, while the asparagus retains it's crunch. The sauce is some sort of soy glaze, not too salty and so flavorful. Now these I could make…and I have made something similar as the folks at Fire Pit Frenzy can attest. This is what, 11 years ago, gave me the idea for Soo Shee. Get it now?

There you have what I would consider a perfect dinner. I've had all my food groups, nice and balanced. I'm not needing to loosen my belt. AND I still have room for dessert!!!

All done. Look! I still have Sake to finish…yum

Now across the street from Kamehachi there used to be a Jamba Juice. I'll save my praise of Jamba Juice for another post. But, it was always dessert after Kamehachi. Ashlun and I discovered that there was a BerryGood Yogurt place across the street now. I'll also save the whole frozen yogurt rant for another post as well. Wow, I have a lot of post ideas piling up!!! Anyway, a small cup of vanilla yogurt was the perfect end to my Kamehachi experience…both nights that I ate there. Yogurt tho, wasn't the same without Ashlun. She is very serious about her frozen yogurt. It's a little scary almost to watch her pick her toppings.

Well folks, that's Chicago! I hope you enjoyed the travelogue.