Japanese Foodie Adventures in a (non-allergenic) nutshell

I know what you're thinking: it's been 3 months since you were in Japan! Why are you only sharing your pearls of wisdom with me now? I do apologize for running behind with updates, but do not fear I am back to share with you everything you need to know about eating in Japan!

Let us begin at the beginning, the first meal of the day: breakfast. The Japanese do not eat a breakfast like you or I (unless you are Korean or Chinese and then I am told it is quite similar), though they do begin with an egg. Not scrambled, or poached, or sunny side up but served to you as it came out of the womb. You also get a bowl of steamed rice (as with most meals in Japan), a miso soup, some seaweed and a delicious little bowl of some mysterious sticky beans (azuki).

 

Japanese breakfast

First things first, don't panic! When in doubt slyly look to those next to you and mirror as best you can. My strategy was to mix the egg and seaweed in with the rice and dig in. I really can't help you with the beans, it gets everywhere and is impossible to separate. I later asked a local how to eat it and they just chuckled at my question, still giving no real answer. I think the best system is to pretend like the gooey bits are not getting all over your chopstix and face and eat it as casually as possible. You can find this traditional breakfast (as well as other varieties with meats) for under 400 yen, mostly from fast food restaurants where you order by vending machine, so if your Japanese is not up to snuff look for a place with pictures. To us western folk this can be a strange breakfast combination, and it is more of an acquired taste than most Japanese food, but I have grown to find it refreshing and fueling and it is certainly worth a try!

On to the later meals! The obvious choice for us gluten freebies in Japan is sushi. You need to skip the soy sauce or bring your own, but it is still hard to comprehend how such a simple combination can be so delicious. Sushi can get a bit pricey for the budget traveler, but even the to go packs you will find in any 7/11 or grocery store is on par with what you would get in a restaurant in the western world and considerably cheaper. You will find good sushi scattered all over the country but the best place to eat it is the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo. The market opens and closes sporadically, and the website is not english friendly so you must find a local or tourist info office to find the right day to attend!

If you are an early bird you can visit the 'inner' or wholesale market where you can watch the fish auction and see many real live fishermen and fish guts from up close.

 

Once the excitement is over and you venture to the outer market, you can sample a variety of the fresh fish in raw or cooked form. You will also find a variety of other goods like plenty of great fish cutting knives.

There are an overwhelming amount of options and many English menus which is a pleasant change, but it seems hard to go wrong at this place. I first sampled a roll of minced tuna, from one of the first stalls you will see if you are walking from the subway station, right on the corner of the market. Minced tuna is not a thing I knew existed until I arrived in Japan, and I highly recommend you to try it (unless you are noble enough to cut out tuna from your diet). After walking around for an hour or so and trying to decide where to get my sashimi from, I decided on the cheapest place I could find and walked in. I was the only one there and it was a standing sushi bar. For 650 yen I got ten pieces of sushi. As I ordered another man, who was a local, walked in making me feel a little better about my choice. I stood awkwardly, trying to make small talk with the chef in very limited english until my fish had been prepared. Luckily it took only a few minutes and from the first bite I knew my choice had been true. I did not know the names of all the fish that I bit into, but the assortment of colours, textures and flavours was enough to make even the least observant sushi eater swoon. I generally don't like to think of any sort of meat melting in my mouth because it seems unnatural, but this fish was so fresh and tender that only the faintest chews and a sip of green tea could give it a pleasant ride through my digestive system.

Sadly I didn't take a picture of my meal at the market but sushi train is good too

 

Sadly, many Japanese noodles are made from wheat, making trying one of the many cheap noodle eateries rather difficult. If you are keen to try noodles your best bet is soba (buckwheat) noodles, but many of these can also contain wheat. If you have a gluten free translated card, or are feeling daring, I would recommend trying these. Many varieties exist including those in a warm broth, a cold broth (my favourite), or a broth served on the side that you dip the noodles into. They are served with a variety of toppings and rank only second to ramen in the hearts of the Japanese.

Okonamayaki made with Soba and egg

 

The Japanese are often portrayed as reserved, but a venture to one of the many Izakaya around the country will show you a different side of their culture. Part tapas bar, part pub, part restaurant and part unique Japanese eatery, the Izakaya is a great place to sample local cuisines and sake amongst friends. Most menus have pictures but no English explanations, so it is best to befriend a local and get them to order you their favourites. Sake or beer is the drink of choice, but you can also order an assortment of wine and cocktails. Menu items are often grouped by price, sometimes entire Izakaya have a one price menu. The menus usually have budget prices, and while the food is better than western 'pub grub' people are mostly there to drink and socialize, so don't expect many fine dining options.

My Japanese hosts cooking the meat

 

The best part of any gal's day is usually desert, and we are spoiled with gluten free choices in Japan. There are a range of options of deserts that include a chewy rice pastry stuffed with red bean paste or other flavoured jam like fillings. I know it doesn't sound the most appetizing but it is probably the food I miss most from Japan. For those not eating with diet allergies, there are also great looking cakes and cookies and French inspired deserts for you to choose from.

In Japan it is pretty hard to go wrong when it comes to food. However, English is very limited and many people will not understand what gluten intolerance is (luckily there is not much dairy or nuts in Japanese cooking) so be sure to get a gluten free card translated into Japanese that you can carry around with you. There are so many options when it comes to Japanese food, and all are good, so if you have limited time in the country choose the safest option, as having an upset stomach when surrounded by so much deliciousness will be like torture to a foodie!

 

 

Summerlicious Begins

Well, it began 11 days ago but today was my first summerlicious meal! We went to Wildfire Wine Bar and Steakhouse at Yonge and Lawrence. I have heard mixed reviews of Wildfire, but my parents are known to never pass up a good steak, so we gave it a go. The greeter happily opened the door for us and was wearing a lovely full length dress as she showed us to our table.

I had peaked at the menu online a few times already, so I knew what decisions lay before me, but I still had a tough time. I finally decided on the escargot, the salmon (in a steak house, I know) and the flourless chocolate torte cake (gluten free diners rejoice!). One of the hard things about summerlicious is most restaurants are not willing to make substitutions for dishes so it can be hard for the allergic/sensitive diner. However, Wildfire asked about allergies on the phone when I called to make the reservation, and while some of their dishes aren't guaranteed to be uncontaminated (with gluten) they checked all of the ingredients for me. I am lucky to be not as sensitive as others, so a bit of gluten in a sauce or on a utensil will not upset me too much, so those with more sensitivity make sure to let them know ahead of time!

I have only had escargot once before, so I am no expert, but this was by far my favourite part of the meal. Covered in garlic butter, they were nice, warm, chewy and flavourful. I love sauteed mushrooms and I kind of think of escargot as super mushrooms (perhaps giving offense to the culinary world), I would go back here just for another round of this dish...and maybe a glass of wine during one of their happy hours.

For some reason the main dish is never as exciting as the appetizer or desert, but the salmon was cooked superbly, and the bean and corn salsa was nice (though I'm not sure what qualifies it as salsa as it was just beans and corn on top of the fish). The grilled vegetables had a nice smokey flavour to them. My only complaint was the rice pilaf that was a little dry and bland.

The desert was my easiest course to choose, because there was only one flourless option. Even before going gluten free I was a lover of a good torte cake. This one was drizzled with chocolate and raspberry sauce, and tasted like light and silky goodness. They also used dark chocolate which means much less dairy and much more deliciousness.

I love going to summerlicious at lunchtime, because it is always a treat to have a nice long relaxing lunch in the middle of the day, and as another bonus the food is just as good but $10-$15 cheaper! Enjoy, and let me know what some of your summerlicious favs are!

Gluten Free: With Some Difficulty

Dairy Free: With more difficulty and only if you are willing to skip desert

Nut Free: Yes!

A Jane's Farewell to Nova Scotia

My posts since I have arrived back in Halifax have been all about lasts', and this is the last of the lasts' post. My very last meal in Halifax and Nova Scotia. After this meal I would drive from Halifax back to Toronto. As usual, we were running late getting out of the city, so we wanted something quick and on the way. After several weeks in Newfoundland, and a week back in Halifax gorging myself, I also wanted something a little bit healthy, so we settled on Jane's on the Common; a cute little joint on Robie St. on the North side of the commons. Jane's is very famous for its weekend brunch menu, but any good Haligonian will know they also have a killer lunch.

The menu kindly points out the Gluten Free and Vegan options, so it is easy to navigate for those with dietary restrictions. I was with my parents who are both usually meat and potato kind of people, but they both found satisfying options, and I went with the Harvest Vegetable and Quinoa Stew; a stray from my usual smoked salmon and potato latke choice.

Jane's has never disappointed me and this excursion was no exception. Quinoa is a grain I discovered a few years ago from a very stealthy healthy roommate, I was intrigued and delighted by it, but it really became my best friend when I had to go gluten free. It just goes well with everything and has more protein and fibre than other grains! This stew (term used lightly, could also be called a Quinoa Salad) was perfectly spiced, and paired excellently with tender orange squash and red kidney beans. Some highlights were using red and white Quinoa, as well as a tofu "cream" as garnish, giving it a delightful creamy taste without the sore stomach! This is one of my favourite restaurants in Halifax for going Gluten or Dairy free, just remember to arrive early if you are going to try the brunch!

Gluten Free: Yes (many options)
Dairy Free: Yes (many options)

Nocular Nachos

Just one week ago, if I had been asked about the best Nachos in Halifax, I would probably rattle off pubs like the Economy Shoe Shop or Rogue's Roost, but I have now lived to spin a different tale.

Most tortilla chips that exist outside authentic Mexican restaurant are a mix of corn flour and wheat flour and thus not gluten free. That is why I was pleasantly surprised to notice the little gluten free symbol next to the nachos after several plates had been ordered for the table. I had eaten lunch at the lower deck once before, and had not been overly impressed, so my expectations were pretty neutral. I had already eaten a big lunch so I was content to just order something light and pick at it for most of the evening, I had no need of an amazing meal, I was really only there to support my friend. However, as usually happens whenever I am in the near vicinity of food I began to get peckish, and by the time the nachos arrived I was ready to devour whatever was in front of me.

I picked up a chip with not much on it, (I was trying to avoid the cheese), scooped up some salsa, and took a bite. My first emotion was surprise- "holy moly"! These chippies were good. Much better than just your average tortilla chip. I grabbed the menu to learn more and saw these were cooked in basil oil, the secret to success?

The nachos were covered with the normal dressings, cheese, peppers, jalapenos, etc. They also had the brilliant idea to caramelize the onions before dumping them on top, giving a bit of a sweet kick to the plate. I began eating shyly, I was sharing the plate with 4 other friends, but soon the chips started to disappear much too soon and I began feeling a little frantic. In a moment of fateful luck, some of the other appy's started to come out at that time, and I was left to polish off the plate of nachos, complete with picking at the little pieces of pepper and tomato stuck on the wax paper on the bottom.

While my surprise at getting amazing food when I was expecting mediocre may have added to my delight, these nachos are definitely in the top 3 of the city, so before you go running to the Shoe Shop for your favourite bar side snack, give the Lower Deck a try.

Gluten Free: yes

Dairy Free: no (unless you are crafty enough to avoid the cheese)

Lower Deck: 1869 Lower Water Street
www.lowerdeck.ca

Lifesaving Lattes

Last weekend something horrible happened- I had to come into work on a Sunday. One could say it was my fault for slacking off most of the week, but I'm not here to point fingers, I'm here to relent on how depressing it is to have to drag yourself into the office on Sunday to try and hurriedly finish your work that will determine your legacy (it's my last week). As per usual, when things started to get really depressing I started getting hungry. I waited as long as I could but eventually I had to cave and go get lunch. Coburg Coffee is the closest cafe to my work, and being the cool hipster joint that it is, it is always filled with healthy and sensitive choices.

My first recommendation is not to go into Coburg too hungry, because I always get distracted by the book exchange shelf on the way to the counter. There is something about (free) books that I just cannot resist, and usually spend a good 20 minutes looking through the shelf to see if there are any keepers before I make my way to order.

I always have a hard time when there are so many gluten and dairy free options to choose from- There usually aren't very many options that suit my dietary needs, and I'm just not expecting the staggering weight of a food decision when I've committed to going gluten and dairy free. I was craving a green tea latte so I skipped the salads and went for a soy latte and Pakora, (which I would describe as a giant Indian style potato latke) probably the least healthy of all my options. I had not gone out drinking the night before, but it was Sunday morning so I felt like I deserved at least a bit of grease.

I smuggled the food back to my office so I could eat on a couch and catch up on some TV before I had to get back to work, sipping the latte as I quickly walked, desperate to get to my food. The green tea latte was as flavourful as ever, the best in the city, in my opinion. I usually find when I order tea lattes, they mostly taste like warm milk or syrup, but this one, made with real green tea finds the perfect combination of green tea flavour and creamy soy milk.

The pakora comes with a side of chutney or hummus, the chutney sounded more exotic so I went with that. It was perfectly greasy without the overwhelming breading or bacon grease that these dishes are usually fried in. It had gotten a little soggy on the bottom during my walk, but that did not effect the taste. The chutney gave it a little kick, and the pakora had a hint of spice mixed in with the potato, cauliflower and chickpea flours.

As my show ended I slowly made my way back to my desk to continue my work, anxiously awaiting my next meal.

Stats:

Gluten Free: yes!

Dairy Free: yes!

A Real Francais Lunch at Chez Tess

"we can go anywhere!"

"anywhere?!"

My roommate and I are horrible at making decisions, especially when it comes to food where there is so much at steak (pun intended). So when she ducked out of work to pick me up at the airport earlier today and we decided to stop for lunch, we began the usual "where do you wanna go?" , " I dunno, where do you wanna go?" routine that we so often get stuck in. Luckily for us, we had been planning the staff dinner for our office, and had gotten a few suggestions from the staff about good places to eat. We decided to give Chez Tess a try. From my experience, the North End of Halifax is filled with little dining gems, and we were already outside of the downtown core so it would be a convenient stop. After a little glitch with my inability to tell direction on a smart phone map, we found the place, looking Mediterranean and a little understated next to it's bright bakery neighbor. The interior had a bit of an Italian feel to me, which is strange, because it did not look like any restaurant I had ever been to in Italy, and I have never been to France for comparison, but my instincts began filling me with fear about a menu filled with pasta and pizza.

Fortunately, the main items on the menu were crepes, soups and sandwiches, and they even had Gluten free batter for their crepes! I ended up going with the mushroom salad because I was still full from my holiday meals, and we got the liquid gold tasting platter to start. This is unfortunately not as exciting as it sounds; it is a tasting of oils and vinegars for bread dipping. We had decided this was a special occasion (it's not everyday you get to duck out to a nice restaurant for lunch)and what better way to celebrate that then by ordering a 3 course meal? We got the blood orange olive oil and the fig vinegar. It came out pretty fast with some nice crusty bread (not gluten free, oops). We were both surprised at how much you could actually taste the flavours in the oil and vinegar, we ran out of bread but our waitress told us to keep the rest of the dips because we had some bread with our meals as well. This was turning into a not so light and healthy lunch, but what's a gal supposed to do when faced with such a culinary treat!

Usually, when I order a salad, I feel great about myself at first, and then in the impending moments leading up to the arrival of the food I begin regretting my decision; thoughts of bland lettuce, cold vegetables and over-dressed salads begin to cloud my thoughts and I almost wish I had the guts to ask to change my order (I never do). But on a few very rare occasions, I have actually been presently surprised at the arrival of my salad, and end up enjoying it like it was a plate full of big juicy steak. And luckily this was one of those times. The mushrooms and red peppers were warm and sauteed so that already alleviated some of my concerns. There was a good amount of dressing, and not an overcompensation of lettuce. Now, just having nothing wrong with a dish, may not seem like cause for joy, but as I prepare myself for the release of the upcoming Hobbit film I slowly begin to feel my Hobbit-like features return, and an intense love for the perfectly cooked mushroom is one of those such features.

We had already been eating for over an hour, so a little desert with some tea and coffee couldn't hurt anyone. We got the banana ice cream desert and sat for another hour, chatting, eating banana ice cream and sipping on green tea. By the time we eventually left, it was already after four- too late to go back into work! So we just went home, overly full and satisfied, in true french fashion.

Overall:

Gluten Free: If you have some self control

Dairy Free: Order without cheese

Tastiness: délicieux

www.cheztess.ca 

5697 Charles Street 







 

Market Adventures: Part 1

Foodie haven. Every Saturday morning the seaport is packed with locals, tourists and hipsters alike trying to squeeze their way through the crowds of the double level farmers market to get the freshest catch of the day, a slimy breakfast oyster, dark raw chocolate, marinated chicken skewers or apples; always so many apples.

North America is not kind to us Gluten free folk, but the farmers market sure is, and this Saturday I woke with a craving for a taco or Tostada. There is a great little Mexican place on the second floor of the market, squeezed in between a Greek and bakery stall. An array of green, red, brown and orange dips are displayed at the front of a table, with (gluten free) corn chips for sampling. Beautiful ceramic Spanish pieces line the shelves behind the counter, "all authentically made in Mexico" I am told. The menu features tacos, tostadas, burritos and enchiladas, all either gluten free or with gluten free options. I go for the Tostada, because I need my guacamole fix, and skip the cheese.

There are some people who love a messy meal. They finish eating epically with wing sauce all over their face, burger juice dripping down their shirts, sauce in places where no one is quite sure how it got there- I am not one of those people. I like the food to go to my stomach.

If you've never had a tostada, it is a crunchy corn tortilla topped with exciting things such as black bean paste, lettuce, guacamole, and sour cream. And while some would jump at this challenge I found a space at a table and tried my best to figure out how to get this thing in my belly.

HOW DO I GET YOU IN MY MOUTH!?

The plastic fork was no help, but with a little picking off the top, breaking the tortilla and eating it like chips and dip seemed to work out pretty well, only a few pieces of lettuce made it into my hair and a bit of guacamole made it's home on my nose. The mixture of crunchy chip and creamy black bean spread and guacamole would tempt me to go back for seconds, but I took control of myself to search for other munchies around the market.

Overall:

Gluten Free: yes!

Dairy Free: yes! (sans cheese and sour cream)

Tastiness: extremely

Having family from Poland, I am always drawn to the small Polish stand with rich looking pastries decorated with strawberries, kiwis and cream and homemade pirogi's. Unfortunately, all I see when I walk buy are hand fulls of gluten so I usually steer clear. But today was a special day. I hadn't been to the market in a while, and I had my camera with me so I could immortalize this moment forever and never have to go back again. All I wanted was one pirogi but they came in dozen or half dozen, and how was I supposed to say no now after I had made so many excuses to allow myself to eat them? With my gift for rationalizing I told myself I could bring a few home for my room mate. But once I took the first bite I knew I would eat them all.

look at all that delicious grease.

They reminded me of the best Pirogi's I've ever had, mixed with the potato blintzes my mom used to make when we were younger. The dough was not crispy, which was surprising at first, but I don't think I could ever go back to the pirogi's I thought I knew. The dough was a little chewy, this may throw some off, but loving the texture of raw meet and fish and cookie dough this was my perfect treat.

I paid the price the rest of the day with horrible stomach cramps, and I've still to determine if it was worth it, but they score high on the tastiness scale.

Overall:

Gluten Free: no

Dairy Free: possibly

Tastiness: absolute

The Halifax Seaport Farmers Market can be found at 1209 Marginal Rd. Halifax. It is open 7 days a week but has the most vendors Saturday mornings/early afternoons.

Spring BBQ

If you've ever been to Halifax, you know that the weather can best be described as...spastic. It can start off cold in the morning, be boiling in the afternoon, and freezing by night time. Similarly (as is currently happening), there can be a snow day, followed by a couple blistering hot days, followed by more cold and snow. It seems that every spring we are teased with a little hope of summer, only to have our dreams dashed away when the cold wind comes whipping back. Even knowing that it won't last, these small blotches of warmness after a cold and wet winter will always be celebrated with cute summer dresses, shorts, and most importantly beers and BBQ on a friends balcony.

I love BBQ's because they require very little patience and table manners. You bring you food, find a spot on the grill, and when it's ready you take it off and eat it. No waiting for everything to be done and everyone to have food before you can start digging in, no fear of being out of food when others still have tasty treats in front of them. The BBQ is about sharing, sharing food, and chocolate and beer so no one is ever empty handed. The BBQ meal is a delicious art that allows for hours of continuous eating and fun. This is my kind of meal.

Very fittingly, on the first day of spring (and my birthday!) we had a couple of these lovely summer days amidst a cold and rainy winter. So following tradition I trekked over to my friends place with a bag full of salmon, eggplant, shitake mushrooms, pineapple and fudge to kick off the season.

My first project was the eggplant. I've never made grilled eggplant myself but I do know it is delicious, so I chopped it up and put it on the grill. Others had made sausage that I munched on while I waited for more room to clear for the same. It was that cheese filled salmon that is usually only good over the campfire or for a hungover morning, but it was perfect for the occasion and  filled my grease quadrant for the night. A bit of space freed on the grill so I through on the salmon and mushrooms. I nudged the eggplant right on top of the big fire in hopes it would cook faster- the munchies were beginning to set it.

The eggplant looked a little dry on the outside, and it was very hard to bite into. The inside was nice and juicy but not very flavourful. My grilled eggplant was definitely a fail.  Pro tip: next time wrap in foil and throw some sauce in.

Next were the mushrooms, which I made a last minute decision to stuff with blue cheese. These certainly made up for the dryness of the eggplant, they were squishy and juicy and filled with cheesy mushroomy goodness. The juices leaked all over my shirt, but that's what barbecues are all about!

I got one of those pre-spiced salmon fillets, and it didn't grill the greatest. I remember it not cooking in the oven that nicely either, it does flake up the nice way that normal salmon does and it makes me wonder what they actually put on it... I still finished it though, fish is fish and I am a fish girl through and through.

It started to get dark so I brought out the fudge and pineapple. Everyone was extremely full but the fudge made it around the circle twice. So sweet yet so addictive nobody could say no. The pineapple came off the grill tasting meaty, another pro tip: clean the grill before putting on fruit. But we devoured it nonetheless, for people had started to get a little buzzed, and it was still nice and warm out even though it was now dark. The stars were out and we tried to name constellations. I can name about zero. We talked about movies we were excited to see, books we had just read, next semesters, and new degrees. It was a lazy summer night in the middle of spring. And then I got a text, asking me to go back to the office to sign a few things, and the dream was over, I had to head back to reality.

Friday morning was cold and dreary but that nice summer night was enough to get me through to July...hopefully.