Gonoe Japanese Sushi

The Korean sushi restaurant features live seafood freshly flown in from South Korea. Live seafood is cheap and readily available in Korea unlike Canada, so these specialty delicacies are what people are crazy wanting to try at Gonoe. These include Urechis Unicinctus (Sea Penis; yes you read correctly that’s their other name!), Sea Squirt (Sea Pineapple), Abalone, Sea Cucumber, Sea Snail and live Octopus. But, if you are not so adventurous they do serve typical Korean and Japanese fare (because the appearance of some “specialty” seafood can be quite scary).

We went to Gonoe with expectations to try the Urechis Unicinctus and Sea Squirt, so we didn’t order the other “specimens” as you can get them elsewhere plus we have had them on several other occasions.

 

 Urechis Unicinctus

Anyways these dishes are only offered on their separate Korean Fluke sashimi set menu and if you order their large sashimi set ($159.99 feeds 4-6 ppl), you get all of the above mentioned delicacies with assorted tempura, grilled fish, spicy seafood soup, rice, dessert and bottle of soju. Given that we only had 3 people, we ordered the small Korean Fluke sashimi set plus the Urechis Unicinctus and Sea Squirt (because the small set consists only of one whole fluke served with the accompaniments).

The appetizers: Abalone congee and Salad

 

Urechis Unicinctus (left) and Sea Squirt (right)

I apologized for not remembering to take a picture until after we started eating. It was $20 each, but they only charged us for one set.

 

Surf Clam: It was on the house. *We started eating before the picture again.

 

Grilled Salmon Collar: Average, but nothing special.

 

Korean Fluke Sashimi: The texture is firm and chewy in comparison to most fish in Canada. I didn’t mind the texture but I was expecting it to be sweeter, in fact it kind of tasted bland. It came with garlic, hot peppers and bean sauce to be added to the ssam (lettuce) wrap.

 

Spicy Fish Stew: It came last with rice as if we weren’t stuffed by now! 

The stew was cooked with the fluke bones, but surprisingly it didn’t taste any sweeter.

Conclusively, the food served in this restaurant is really good and most importantly very fresh! The so-called “exotic” seafood delicacies were delicious and nothing to be scared of, so I would definitely recommend you to give Gonoe Japanese Sushi a try. As for their other fare, they are pretty good as well from past experiences. But I only return to Gonoe whenever I am in the mood for their specialty delicacies. And the servers were very nice, mind you that they might not be as attentive at times. If you happen to be there when their manager is around, she is quite pleasant and accommodating.

Simple Lemonade

 

This is the simplest and best lemonade, but technically it is lemon simple syrup.
You will see what I mean in a second, so here goes let’s make lemonade together.

Ingredients:

-a cup of water

-a cup of white sugar

-zest of 1 lemon

-juice of 1 lemon

Tools:

-a small saucepan

Pour a cup of white sugar and a cup of water into a small saucepan, and then turn on medium heat. Slowly bring the sugar & water to a boil and as the temperature rises add the zest & juice of one lemon. Once the sugar has fully dissolved into a simple syrup (do not overheat or you will end up with burnt caramel), turn off the heat and you are done.

In total it should only take 5 minutes.

After the lemon syrup has cooled, transfer it to a glass jar (Mason jar).

So whenever you want lemonade, simply add 2 Tablespoon of the syrup to a glass and add cold water 

(I prefer carbonated mineral water) and ice. Enjoy!

Easy-Peasy Sangria

The summer flew by and is coming to a close soon, so enjoy it while you can. According to the weather network, it is going to be quite warm the next couple of days (finally more summery days!), which is perfect for Sangria. This drink is so easy & delicious and best of all it can be made ahead of time. Hence, it is the perfect drink to share with friends on a hot summer day.

Ingredients:

-a handful of Pineapple slices

-half a lemon cut into wedges

-1 lime cut into slices

-1 Tblsp of honey or simple syrup

-a cup of red wine (any wine you like, but preferably medium-bodied)

-a can of sprite (optional)

Place the pineapple, lemon and lime slices into a 1L jar, then add about 4-6 large ice cubes and pour a cup of red wine (remember nothing fancy, because using an expensive wine for this drink will be a waste & committing heresy against the wine gods).

Next, if you are like me you enjoy fizzy drinks then add a cup of Prosecco or a can of Sprite (if using Sprite, disregard the honey). But, if you just like flat Sangria then just simply add another cup of red wine.

That’s it, you are done! You can drink it right away, but it’s best to let the flavours mellow overnight in the fridge.

PC (President's Choice) Key lime Cheesecake

Recently, as I was doing my grocery shopping at Loblaw’s I saw these adorable little Key lime Cheesecakes by President's Choice. They are in small individual servings, which is a great way to end a meal with your “other” because what is better than dessert.

The cheesecakes themselves come in glass ramekins.

As for the flavour, they are pretty good considering they are frozen desserts. 

It has just the right amount of sour and tartness, best of all not too overly sweet.

So, next time if you are at Loblaw’s or Canadian Superstore give these a try. They also come in other varieties including: Crème Brule, Panna Cotta, Apple Crumble, Decadent Chocolate Cheesecake

Colossal Cherries

Throughout the summer I am sure that almost all of you had been enjoying a lot of cherries,

 but surprising even though it is the end of summer already there are still many cherries to be found in supermarkets.

And also I don’t know if it’s just me or what, on average this year there seems to have been more 

colossal-sized cherries (pictured above) then previously. So enjoy the cherries while you can!

Lamb Provençale

Lamb is one of my favourites to eat; usually I just sear off a rack of lamb then throw it in the oven. But, every now and then I like to make a fancier version. I learned the following recipe from one of my favourite Chefs, Raymond Blanc. It is really simple.

Ingredients:

-a rack of lamb

-1 tsp salt

-1 tsp pepper

-2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

-2 Tbsp Breadcrumbs

We begin by searing the rack of lamb on medium-heat after seasoning and when the pan has become hot. About 2-3 minutes each side. It’s best to use a cast-iron pan.

 *Do not use high heat, because it will cause the outside of the lamb to be overcooked while the centre is still raw.