August 31st, 2010
 Real, fresh wasabi on the left vs. what is usually served as wasabi on the right.
Remember last week when I had that sashimi craving? Well, it must be that it happens once a week. The week-end was over and I figured Rehoboth Beach was probably a little slower at the beginning of the week. Remember, summer as we know it, here at the Delaware and Maryland beaches, is coming to an end sooner than expected.
Back to the Cultured Pearl I was last night. They are located on 301 Rehoboth Ave. I do eat other foods but lately I want it. I feel healthy when I eat my sashimi. Not full; just content.
In my opinion the best seat in the house at a Sushi restaurant is the bar or counter. You are sitting just a few feet from the people that will be responsible for feeding you.
By sitting at the bar you can observe the quality of the seafood, the chef’s technique and the preparation of various Sushi meals.
One of the other benefits of sitting at the bar is that you are able to interact with the Sushi chefs. Last night I was again sitting in front of Yasuhiro Sano, Master Sushi Chef at the Cultured Pearl. He is not the only one there, but I have gotten to know him more by sitting on that spot.
My friends tell me that I am the type of person that has never met a stranger. I will say hello to anyone; even establish conversation in the grocery line. I just like to know what make people tick.
Last night I met Sean at the Sushi Bar. He is from Washington, D.C., has a house in Rehoboth and has been visiting the area since his teens. He felt the same way as I did. Loves sitting at the sushi bar.
As our dinners were about to make their entrance he told me that I should order real wasabi. I thought that’s what I have been eating all these years. Hey, that was not it.
Wasabi is sold in the form of a root which must be finely grated before use.
The wasabi that is usually served at a restaurant is a mixture of horseradish, mustard and food coloring. Very little or no wasabi is found in that paste.
In a good restaurant the paste is usually prepared as needed by the customer. Once the paste is prepared, it will lose its flavour within 15 minutes.
I was amazed, the flavor is so different; don’t get me wrong, it is still strong, even a little sweet with no burning aftertaste in one’s mouth.
The cultivation of real wasabi is difficult and expensive, therefore, restaurants will charge about a dollar more if you do request it. Not all restaurants have it, though. The Cultured Pearl does.
I really liked it. It was perfect with my sashimi and I hope that you try it and experience the difference, just like I did.
Thanks for the tip Sean.
Have a great day. Another beautiful one in the Delmarva Peninsula….talk to you later….
August 24th, 2010
Every week I say that I should not be eating this much raw fish; once again I had that craving for sashimi.
If you are a frequent visitor to the Delaware Beaches you know that we do have excellent restaurants in all the beaches. So many choices and so lucky to be able to experience the best.
On Monday night my craving took me to the Cultured Pearl located at 301 Rehoboth Avenue right on downtown Rehoboth Beach. The telephone is 302-227-8493. Website www.culturedpearl.us. Telephone for carry out is 302-227-4217.
I have been a customer of the Cultured Pearl for many years, going back to their old location on Wilmington Ave. Rob and Susan are the owners of this very popular Asian restaurant.
It is decorated with an inspiration in traditional Japanese architecture; bamboo, flowing water, koi, and live birds.
During the summer months I usually try the downtown restaurants during the week because it is hard to find parking. Actually, I have to be honest with you, it is a pain. But, last night I figured that being that it was a Monday night, and the weather was not the greatest, well, it would be better. And it was.
At first the restaurant did not seem that crowded, that changed later on. On good weather, it is great to sit outdoors. The roof top area has a lake effect; koi below and gazebos on top.
I usually sit at the sushi bar. I go to this restaurant to strictly eat sushi and sashimi, but if you have not acquired a taste for it, don’t worry because the Cultured Pearl is restaurant that also offers American Cuisine.
Those 2 first seats at the sushi bar are the ones I go for. Right in front of Master Sushi Chef, Yasuhiro Sano. Last night he fixed us a little something to wet our appetite. The Firecracker is a roll that is so delicious. It has a kick to it because of the fresh jalapeno. It has tuna, salmon, wrapped in Nori Hasomaki style, tempura battered, topped with spicy mayo, fresh jalapeno, crab meat, sriracha. It is slightly warm and we always order it.
I have ordered Miso soup in every Japanese restaurant, but I must admit that the one at the Cultured Pearl is one of the best if not the best, in my opinion.
Last night I was looking at it wondering how this soup was made. Miso soup consists of a stock called “dashi”, which is a simple broth made by boiling edible kelp and preserved, fermented tuna; then straining the liquid. Hmmm… Then softened miso paste is mixed into it. Miso paste is a seasoning and it is produced by fermenting rice, barley and or soybeans, with salt and the fungus kojikin. Hmmm…again. Miso is high in protein and rich in vitamins and minerals.
I am not thinking again how this soup is made. I love it, anyway.
Two entrees were ordered. Well, look at my sashimi. The live scallops are one of my favorites; eaten with the thinly sliced lime. On the picture, they are on the right hand side. Red snapper in the middle, salmon, tuna, eel, etc. etc. A feast, no less.
The other entree that was ordered was very well received, as well.
By the time we were finished the restaurant was crowded; it was a rainy night in Rehoboth Beach, the people eating outdoors had to come in and I took off to meet Paula so that she could show me what else the beaches had to offer on a Monday night.
Have a great week!!
P.S. The Cultured Pearl is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. Check their website.
Note: The Cultured Pearl is also aware of customers with a gluten allergy. Wheat free soy sauce is served upon request.
July 26th, 2010
I have mentioned before that I practically go to the grocery store every day. Regarding dinner, I never know what will strike my mood as that favorite time of the day approaches.
Some times I like to cook but in order to write a post to the blog I need to go out and have someone else cook for me.
Such was the case last night. My mood? Sashimi. That’s what I eat when I go to a Sushi restaurant. You know, sashimi is usually the first course in a formal Japanese meal. The reason is that it is considered the finest dish; it should be eaten before other strong flavors affect the palate.
I went last night to Saketumi. It is my favorite at the beach for sushi or sashimi. It is located at 18814 Highway One, (Rt1 or Ocean Highway), Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971. Tel. 302-645-2818. Website www.saketumirestaurant.com.
Saketumi is a modern restaurant specializing in Asian cuisine. They have take out, catering, Japanese, Thai, and Chinese. They serve lunch, dinner and brunch on Sundays.
Saketumi has plenty of parking available. And, if you are visiting or are a resident you know how important that is at this time of the year.
I like to sit at the Sushi Bar. I get to see what is going on and interact with the Sous Chef. At Saketumi, this would be Tanaka San. He is an artist when it comes to presenting the food. Just gorgeous. You hate to disturb the plate.
Tanaka has always presented me with an appetizer. I have asked him so many times what it is that I am eating, but to tell you the truth I cannot understand what he says to me, so, I just eat and enjoy it. The fish is in a vinegar sauce with a little bit of onion and I love it; I really do not know what it is, though.
I could not help but take pictures of some of the dishes being prepared.
The tuna sashimi looked delicate.
The Tuna Tuna Surprise or TTS was so colorful. It had inside-blackened tuna, asparagus, sweet goma sauce and wasabi aioli. Outside-akami tuna, tobiko, chive.
The Dynamite was also beautiful. It was a baked California roll, with spicy mayo, scallop, fresh crabmeat and masago on top.
A version of the Dynamite was ordered. To make it gluten free no masago was put on top. Extra tobiko on top. Tobiko is flying fish roe. Very good.
My dish was called Pine Sashimi. Strictly Sashimi for me. It had tuna, yellowtail, salmon, sawara, albacore, kampachi, madai, izumidai, hirame and botan ebi. Got it? It was to die for. The presentation? A work of art.
The albacore (tuna) was white. I had never had it. It was meatier, soft and buttery; melting in your mouth.
What else can I say? I have gone so many times to Saketumi and I can honestly tell you that my service at the sushi bar and the food have been excellent.
Talk to you later….you know I will….
March 6th, 2010
Just 3 small posts that might be of interest.
The Doorman of South Florida – All of a sudden I could not open one of my garage doors. Immediately I called Michael, who is my Property Manager (he advertises on my blog, check it out) and he suggested this family operated company. Jim Falzone came and immediately fixed it. No need to replace any major parts. They are bonded and insured. Their specialties are garage, entry and French doors; residential and commercial. Their address is 1300 SW 10th St., Delray Beach, FL 33444. Tel. 561-272-3667, the website is www.PalmBeachDoors.com. You may e-mail them at mydoorman@bellsouth.net. Thought you might want to know and even visit their showroom.
Sushi Machi – This restaurant is north of Delray, in Boyton Beach. Oh, not another Sushi restaurant!! Well, it is another one but it was good. The location is not attractive; the shopping center is just a little run down. The restaurant is very down to earth so don’t get dressed up. Just come as you are. This restaurant was suggested to me by Donna. She and her husband, Dick, go all the time. The sushi was delicious but if that is not what you want, they have plenty of other dishes on the menu. One person in my group got the chicken livers sauteed in ginger sauce. And, by the way, they were aware of people with a gluten allergy, they just did not have the wheat free soy sauce, but we did and they used it. I had a new roll called the Salmon Mango Roll. It had salmon, avocado inside out with salmon and mango. The mango really made this roll; the combination of its sweetness with the salmon and avocado, was just perfect. My other roll was the Birthday Roll, which had barbecued eel, shrimp tempura and cream cheese inside out with sesame seeds. Very good, as well. Another person had “Hibachi” from the Grill; the NY Steak. It really was perfectly cooked; medium rear. Sushi Machi is located on 9832 S. Military Trail, Ste. G-2, Boyton Beach, FL 33436. Is on the northeast corner of Military Trail and Boyton Beach Blvd. between Winn-Dixie and CVS. The tel. is 561-369-8823. They have take-out, delivery to a limited area, and party trays available. Their boats are gorgeously prepared. Tate was our waiter and he is there every evening. We really did liked it, but it is a very simple restaurant.
 Salmon Mango Roll 
The Snappy Turtle – If you are a woman, and you like shopping and have been in Delray Beach, then you probably already know this store. It was established 28 years ago by Carole Harvey. It is known for the pink and green colors; a very preppy store. This store carries a wide variety of Jack Rogers Sandals year round and some of the color combinations are exclusive to Snappy Turtle. Lots of t-shirts, shirts, skirts, sweaters, bags and jewelry are always displayed very attractively. In the back of the store you will find their Home and Gifts section. Plenty of times I have bought hostess gifts at Snappy Turtle. Their website is very complete and you can really view their shop and see a good amout of the very pretty things that are available, plus their shipping information. Please go to www.snappy-turtle.com. The address is 1100 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, FL 33483. Tel. 561-276-8088. e-mail is sales@snappy-turtle.com.
Well, that’s all for now….The Delaware Beaches are calling…talk to you later…
December 17th, 2009
We managed to get together again Tuesday evening. It was so nice of Donna to open her home to us. We all brought appetizers to eat and some wine as well. It really turned out so well because some of us had not seen each other in a long time and we were able to catch up in a comfortable setting instead of a restaurant.
The topics of conversation were varied and interesting. It was an all women’s soiree, what can I say?
Donna’s house was fully decorated for the Holidays. I love the traditional colors and her house had all those beautiful reds and greens; so pretty and festive this time of the year.
I decided to make an Asian Noodle Salad that has been pretty popular for some time. The recipe was given to me a long time ago by Mary Jo. I used to make it a lot but then I took a break from it. I thought that for our get together it would be the perfect dish since it is easy to assemble and it is served at room temperature. So, here it goes:
Asian Noodle Salad
1 lb. fresh or dried Asian wheat noodles. I used regular thin spaghetti.
8 ounces snow peas cut on the diagonal into rectangles
1 cup finely chopped green onions, including some green tops
1 cup coarsely chopped unsalted dry roasted peanuts
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
1 cup chopped poached chicken breast, roasted duck, or cooked shrimp (optional)
Asian-Style Vinaigrette:
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce (I use reduced sodium soy sauce)
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
1 teaspoon minced or pressed garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2/3 cup cooking oil, using equal parts sesame oil, vegetable oil and hot chili oil
In a bowl or covered jar, combine rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, salt and pepper. Whisk or shake well to blend. Add the oils and, again, whisk or shake until emulsified. Use immediately or let stand at room temperature for as long as overnight.
In a large pot, bring water to a rapid boil; drop in noodles and stir. Cook, stirring frequently until barely tender and still quite firm to the bite. About 1 minute for fresh noodles or 5 to 8 minutes for dried. Do not overcook. Drain; rinse quickly under cold running water and drain again.
Transfer the noodles to a large bowl; add about half of the vinaigrette and toss well. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally to keep noodles from sticking together.
Bring water in a large saucepan to a boil. Add the snow peas and cook until tender-crisp, about 1 minute. Drain, then plunge into ice water to hald cooking and preserve color. Drain well.
Add the snow peas, green onions, peanuts, and cilantro. Then add chicken, duck or shrimp, if desired, and remaining vinaigrette to the noodles and toss gently but thoroughly.
Serve at room temperature.
This recipe will serve approximately 10 people as a salad course and about 6 for a light main course. It is the perfect entree to take to someone’s house, just like I did.
Note: To make this recipe a day ahead, omit snow peas, onions and peanuts when tossing. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature; add snow peas, onions and peanuts. Toss and serve.
I would like to mention that you may be able to make this recipe gluten free by using rice noodles or any other gluten free noodle and wheat free soy sauce. You will also have to make sure that the peanuts do not contain any wheat.
So, enjoy it and make it your own….See you later….
December 1st, 2009
You would think that after the Thanksgiving Holiday eating extravaganza people would not be able to see food for some time, including myself. Well, not in Delray Beach, on Atlantic Avenue. By the look of the restaurants on the Avenue, the coveted outdoor seatings were full even on a Sunday night, when we decided to go to Lemon Grass.
I have forgotten when this restaurant opened but it has to have been at least 6 or 7 years ago. At the time it was half the size that it is now. First, let me tell you where it is located because this is one of those restaurants that you would like to bookmark.
Lemon Grass is located on 420 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, FL 33483, right in the center of the Avenue. Telephone is 561-278-5050, Fax is 561-278-0222. Website is www.lemongrassasianbistro.com. Hours of operation: Lunch Mondays through Fridays from 12 p.m. until 3 p.m. Dinner Mondays through Thursdays 5 p.m. until 10 p.m., Fridays 5 p.m. until 11:30 p.m. Saturdays 12 p.m. until 11:30 p.m. and Sundays 12 p.m. until 10 p.m.
At first I was just going to go to the restaurant and wing it, as they say but when I decided to call they asked if I would mind seating inside. That was fine with me because it had been a little chilly in South Florida so it might not be a bad thing. When my party got there, I wished I had sat outside since it really was one of those beautiful evenings where there was a nice breeze and the palm trees were swaying in their own unique way. I love them!
The interior of Lemon Grass has reds, whites and stainless steel. And, by the way, our table by the big glass window was perfect; very comfortable. This is a busy restaurant with people coming and going. If you are seating towards the rear of the restaurant, you can see the open kitchen with the sushi bar before the kitchen.
You have to admit that everywhere you look there are so many Asian restaurants sprouting. Lemon Grass, as I stated before, stands above a lot of them. The variety of Asian food will please a wide palate.
We started with the Spicy Conch Salad and conch is something I like and every time I am in an area that has it, I will certainly taste it. This salad had spicy conch, masago, scallions and sesame seeds on top of thinly sliced cucumbers. Very refreshing with the right amount of spice and a pretty good size appetizer, as well.
Do you know what masago is? It is a type of roe from the capelin fish, which is a member of the salmon family. It is small crunchy orange eggs used in sushi rolls to add additional texture and flavor. I thought I add that info. to the post since a lot of the Asian foods have it.
For dinner, someone ordered Sex on the Moon. It is a roll of shrimp tempura, asparagus, avocado, scallions, eel, masago, tuna with tempura flakes on top and sesame seeds. People kept going by and asking what kind of roll it was. Eyebrows would raise with the answer. Other rolls are the Lemongrass roll, which has salmon tempura, eel, cream cheese, avocado inside out with masago. A very popular and impressive roll is the Lobster Monster which is crispy lobster, cucumber, scallions, asparagus, masago, spicy mayo and sesame seeds. It is one of those rolls that’s big so it’s probably the only thing you would need for dinner.
My absolute favorite at Lemon Grass is the Holy Snapper. Check the picture I took. It is a fried whole boneless snapper topped with garlic sweet chili sauce. The taste is so delicious and it is such an amazing looking dish. I hope you don’t mind the other dining patrons looking at you eating, because that’s exactly what is going to happen. A lot of people will never consider ordering a whole fish, but if you do find yourself at Lemon Grass, please order it because you will be coming back to this restaurant time and time again for this particular entree.
 Holy Snapper Lemon Grass has restaurants in Boca Raton, Boyton Beach and Ft. Lauderdale. In their family of restaurants they also own Sushi Thai and Fah in Boca Raton. Their website has information on all these restaurants and if you visit the site you will be able to see the different menus. They have appetizers, sushi appetizers, salads, soups, Asian stir, Asian curry, noodle soup, noodle stir, fried rice, sushi rolls, cucumber wrapped rolls, small rolls, entrees, and sushi and sashimi entrees.
Worthy of notice is that Lemon Grass offers catering for private or large gatherings. For the Delray location, please call 561-544-8181. They also have delivery available and you can call 561-900-7060 for that service.
I really enjoyed it and cannot wait to go back to have that Holy Snapper again.
Note: Information on masago was taken from www.catalinaop.com.
From Delray Beach, talk to you later…
October 8th, 2009
Grub Grocery is located at 305 Rehoboth Avenue, in downtown Rehoboth Beach. It is the Cultured Pearl’s sister store. The Tel. number is 302-226-4782 and the e-mail address is sushi@mcshi.com.
This “convenient” grocery store is in the perfect location. Besides its central location, it has parking. You know how important that is during the summer season. This time of the year, it is not so bad; some week-ends can make finding parking a chore, though. Second of all, it really has curb appeal. On a great day you can sit outside and enjoy a sandwich, soup, ice cream, pizza, etc. This store has it all.
Grub Grocery has something for every taste. As you come in you will see in front of you all the fresh veggies they offer. Just like in a grocery store, there are a few isles. A good selection of gluten free items, are available, as well.
Because it is a sister store to the Cultured Pearl, you know that their Grab n Go Cultured Pearl Sushi will definitely be fresh. It is made daily. They also offer a full line of Japanese salads, Cultured Pearl dressing, sauces and condiments.
If you happen to be staying in downtown Rehoboth Beach, you might not even have to leave town since this store has meats, good cheeses, pancetta, chorizo, tuna belly, Boar’s Head Deli Sandwiches, toasted bagels and cream cheese, fresh made donuts, and ice cream, among other staples.
One of the unique features of this store is that through the summer months they are open very late every day of the week. Their fall schedule is: 7:00 a.m. thru 11:00 p.m., 7 days a week and late until 2:00 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
This past week Grub Grocery started “Lunch for the Locals”. In addition to their deli sandwiches and Cultured Pearl Sushi they have hot lunches for $6.95.
Every day of the week is something different: Offerings start at 10:30 a.m. and orders can be called in at 302-226-4782.
Mondays – Teriyaki Meatballs, steamed rice and Asian vegetable
Tuesdays – Turkey “wings” and gravy, roasted red potato, stuffing, cranberry sauce, coleslaw.
Wednesday – Lasagna (meat or veggie), Caesar salad, garlic bread. Add on stuffed peppers or sweet Italian sausage and peppers for $3.00 more.
Thursdays – Meatloaf and gravy, herb roasted potato and vegetable medley, fresh baked bread and butter.
Fridays – Fried chicken (2 pieces) with BBQ sauce, chef salad, potato salad, fresh baked bread and butter. All white meat, then add $1.00, or want an extra piece of chicken? Then add $2.00.
There is something in their freezer that I have resisted buying and that is mochi. This is a dessert. Different flavors of ice cream covered in a rice dough. They have them at the Cultured Pearl, but I must warn you, they are addictive.
I think all the locals, natives and visitors alike have received Grub Grocery with open arms in their first season. This week-end could be the perfect opportunity to try it if you have not done so already. I think the weather is going to be great, so try their outdoor eating area. It looks very cute with all the pumpkins.
Until next time….
September 29th, 2009
It was so nice to go back to Ziree Monday night. I have not been back in Delray for some time, but this is a restaurant that we go to every time we are in town. We have been so happy to see it thrive in this community. You find a lot of the local people here and it is probably because their children have been in the local schools. You know how that is, word of mouth is a powerful advertising tool.
Ziree Thai and Sushi is located on 401 West Atlantic Ave., near the tennis stadium. The telephone is 561-276-6549, fax number is 561-276-6540. The website is www.zireethai.com.
On Monday night both sisters were cooking. After all, this is a family operated restaurant. One at the sushi bar and the other in the kitchen. For a Monday, it was pretty busy.
As you come into the restaurant you will notice high ceilings and flowers; the setting has an elegant Zen atmosphere. Comfortable and relaxing.
We brought our own soy sauce, wheat free, because of my husband’s gluten allergy. You never know which restaurant will carry the Tamari brand. They did not have it so we gave it to the kitchen to be used on his dish.
The menu was full of interesting dishes and usually there is a board at the entrance of the restaurant with the daily specials.
You can visit their website and check out their menu.
I have had in the past the Ziree salad and I loved it. So, I got a little worried when I did not see it on the menu, but I asked for it and Ziree made it. It had tuna, strawberries and greens in a light dressing that had just the right amount of heat.
For my dinner I had the Tsunami Roll, which had shrimp tempura, BBQ eel, cucumber, avocado, scallions, spicy sauce, masago, Japanese mayo, topped with tuna tataki, tempura flakes and eel sauce. It was quite a roll. Great!!
My husband had for an appetizer the eel sushi and for his dinner he had fried rice with squid. I know, I know, I cannot imagine what you must be thinking, but if you have not tried squid, you wouldn’t know how delicate the flavor is. Try it next time.
Anyway, we enjoyed our dinner. It was just the 2 of us and we ate a little later than usual. We chatted some with Ziree and then said our goodbyes.
Note: There is free parking in the back of the restaurant. We did not have any trouble on Monday.
Ingredients can be substituted or added upon request. They can alter the hot and the spicy.
Take out is available. Just give them a call. And, gift cards are available, as well.
Ziree serves lunch and dinner and reservations are accepted but not necessary.
 
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