Eating sawagani at Tachinomi Otokoya

Two nights ago, I was eating and drinking at one of my favorite standing bars (立呑おとこや), and a Japanese salaryman who I was talking to offered me one of these to try.

These little crabs are called sawagani (サワガニ　沢蟹) in Japanese.  These little crabs can be found everywhere in Japan.  

When they are cooked, they are deep-fried in oil and eaten whole.  They are usually with a lemon wedge or a wedge of sudachi (a small Japanese citrus fruit).  The taste is similar to soft-shell crabs. When first trying them, you think you are eating popcorn and not crab.  These are the popcorn shrimp of Japan.  If you are drinking beer, sake, or shochu, try these little crabs as an おつまめ otsumame (a bar snack). 

Here is a video of me eating one of these crabs.  Please enjoy!!

Eating sawagani at Tachinomi Otokoya

Tachinomi Otokoya (立呑おとこや）in Kanayama, Nagoya, Japan.

You are finished at work, and you are looking for a place to eat and drink.  However, you do not want to spend money.  I found the perfect place for you near Kanayama Station in Nagoya, Japan.  You have to go to Tachinomi Otokoya （立呑おとこや) that is located underneath the tracks of the JR Chuo Line.  Just look for the following signs and you are at the right place.

Here is a short video tour of the bar.  Click on the link below.

Tachinomi Otokoya (立呑おとこや）

When you enter the bar, one thing will certainly surprise: no chairs, bar stools, or tables.  This a classic example of a standing bar.  This ubiquitous bar that can be found near many train stations in Japan.  Standing bars are targeting salarymen (business men and women) to have a drink and eat some food before going home for the night.  If you are looking to save money and still looking for a fun time, these places are great.

Be forewarned, some knowledge of Japanese will be really helpful when going to these bars.  The menus are writing in Japanese.

Beer and alcohol at standing bars are usually cheap.  A draft beer will be around 300 yen.  Shochu (think Japanese vodka) is around 250 to 350 yen.  Food is, also, affordable.  The reason why I love this bar is that a large part of the menu changes everyday.  The daily specials is written on a whiteboard.  The regular menu is written on wooden blocks that are placed over the bar.

The Daily Specials

The food at this particular standing bar is outstanding.  Here are some things that I ate last week Friday when I went there with a friend.

鯛刺身(sea bream sashimi) with みそ串カツ (deep-fried skewered pork dipped in a red miso sauce)

焼きレバー（grilled skewered chicken liver)

揚げ出し茄子（deep-fried eggplant)

手羽先スモーク(smoked chicken wings)

カレー風味ビーフン (curry flavored fried rice noodles)

Yamaya: The Store for Cheap Foreign Foods and Drinks in Japan

Let me introduce you to one of my favorite foreign food stores in Nagoya, Yamaya.  Yamaya is a national chain of supermarkets and liquor stores.  You will find a huge selection of foreign foods and liquors as well as a fine selection of Japanese products.  

I was introduced to Yamaya about eight years when I first came to Japan.  I was living in Osaka, and my roommate told me about a great foreign food in the OCAT building.  When I first went there, I was amazed by their selection of liquor and food.  Ever since then, I have been a patron of this store.

At one time, Yamaya had two branches in Nagoya, one in Sakae and the other one in Fujigaoka.  About 3 years ago, the Sakae branch closed down.  So, the only Yamaya in Nagoya is located in Fujigaoka at the end of the Higashiyama Subway line.  From the station, it is about a five minute walk to the store.  Below, there is a video on how to get to the store and a tour of the store.  Please enjoy!!

Now, you will find pictures that have taken inside the store in order to show off the great selection of foods and drinks.

They have a wide selection of Kinsachi Beer, the local beer from Nagoya (名古屋の地ビール) at reasonable prices.  You will find a green tea flavored lager, a red miso lager, hatcho (sweeter darker red miso from Okazaki, Aichi, Japan) lager, and, also, the highly recommended Platinum Ale.

Also in their cold case, they have a selection of British beers ranging from organic Wychwood Hobgoblin Goliath to Belhaven's Twisted Thistle Ale.

They, also, have a selection of cold Echigo Beer (according to their website, Japan's first microbrewery) ranging from their American Wheat to their Red Ale.  Quite tasty and affordable, which is quite hard to find in Japan.

They have a small selection of ports and sherries at reasonable prices.  A bottle of Sandeman Ruby Port is only 1280 yen.  Other stores will have the same bottle for about 1800 yen or more.

If you like to cook, then I suggest using grape seed oil instead of the regular canola or sunflower oils.

If you are looking for whole wheat pasta, this is the place for you.  A reasonable sized bag will set you back 138 yen instead of 270 yen found in other supermarkets.

If you are looking for cheap liquor, this is the place for you.  A 750ml bottle of Bombay Sapphire is only 1480 yen, and a bottle of Tanqueray gin runs for 1380 yen.

A good selection of cheap flavored vodkas brought to you by UV.  I love their Espresso flavored vodka.  This is quite a new product for this store.

A good selection of your basic rums ranging from Bacardi to Meyer's.

If you are looking for flavored liquors such as cassis or Campari, you will be certainly be pleased.

If you are a bourbon, whiskey, single malt, or cognac drinker, this place will be your heaven.  Their prices are quite reasonable when comparing to other foreign stores or, even, liquor stores.

If you are looking for good foreign beer at a reasonable price, you cannot beat this store.  They have beers ranging Asian beers (Singha, Tsingdao) to British beers.

For more information about Yamaya and, also, their other stores across Japan, go to http://www.yamaya.jp

Monster Khaos Driver

If you go to any bar nowadays, you will see drinks such as Red Bull and vodka, Red Bull and Jager, etc.  However, you won't see many drinks with any other energy drinks such as Rockstar, Monster, etc.  

If you want to try a new drink that includes Monster as a mixer, give this drink a try: Khaos Driver.

If you have ever drank a screwdriver (vodka and orange juice), try this drink instead.  It will give you an extra kick due to added energy supplements that are in Monster products. 

For this drink, you will need:

A glass full of ice.

A chilled can of Monster Khaos.

A bottle of vodka.  (any brand of non-flavored vodka will due)

A mixing spoon.

To make a Khaos Driver.

1.  Get a glass and fill it with ice.

2.  Add 45ml of vodka.

3.  Top with Monster Khaos.

4.  Mix the drink.

5.  Enjoy!!

Your finished drink should look like this.

Instead of drinking Red Bull and vodkas, buy yourself a can of Monster Khaos and make yourself a Khaos Driver.  You will most likely not be able to find this drink at a bar due to Red Bull's marketing dominance in the bar scene.

The Red Bull French Flag!!

Last month, I was in France for 10 days for vacation.  I was walking around and I was looking for a drink.  I ended up in a supermarket and I noticed something interesting: Red Bull in three colors.  In France, Red Bull is presented in three distinct colors that make up the French flag: red, blue, and white.
Also, I noticed that special edition Red Bull had added flavors.

The Red Edition has cranberry juice added to it.

  If you like vodka cranberry (a Cape Cod), try adding this instead of the cranberry juice.  When I was tasting it, it tasted exactly like cranberry juice with a hint of Red Bull in it.  With that being said, any cocktail that requires cranberry juice, you can easily added this instead.  It is a very refreshing Red Bull.

The Blue Edition has blueberries added to it.

The blueberry taste is little less profound then the cranberry version.  However, it is still a very good version of Red Bull.  If you like blueberries, this drink could be for you.  It would be a very good cocktail mixer.

The Silver Edition has lime juice in it.

This one is my least favorite of the three.  For my taste, it is little too bitter.  The lime juice adds an interesting bitter twang to the Red Bull.  If you like bitter tastes and Red Bull, try this one and you might like it.  An interesting drink would be a shot of tequila and Red Bull.

If you are in France or know someone in France who could send you these cans, give them a shot.  To the makers of Red Bull, please expand the market of these drinks.  You can easily get into new markets or target consumers who are tired of the original recipe and want to try something new.

A Chicago Tangent: Craft Beer in Chicago

      Whenever you talk to a Japanese person and ask them what kind of American beer do you like?  They always tend to answer with beers such as Budweiser, Miller, or, even, sometimes Coors.  I always like to tell that even though the big breweries are popular among Americans, there is a surge in craft beers.  From my hometown, Chicago,  I am huge fan of Goose Island, Piece Brewery in Wicker Park and, also, from nearby Munster, Indiana's Three Floyds.

       Recently in Japan, I am seeing more and more craft beers from America such as Rogue, Stone Brewing, Anchor Stream, and of course Sam Adams (America's biggest microbrewery).  I wish I could see some of the great brews from Chicago in Japan.  Oh well, every time I return to Chicago I am happy to see more and more great beer made in my hometown and its surrounding area.


       Beer West Magazine just published a great article about craft beer from Chicago.

 

DETOUR // Chicagoland

Riding the roller coaster of the Windy City’s craft beer movement

Story by Abra Cohen

Photography by Ellie Pritts

Famous for its original architecture, longtime baseball rivalry, and gluten-filled culinary attractions like deep-dish pizza and Chicago-style hotdogs, the Windy City has another slightly lesser-known draw: craft beer. No longer a subculture, the city’s craft beer industry has drawn national attention due to award-winning, Chicago-based breweries and world-class beer bars. With 16 breweries and brewpubs currently in operation (and 21 in planning stages), a thriving beer bar scene, and a rich history of pairing food and beer, Chicago rates among the best craft beer cities in the country.

Chicago’s craft breweries are relatively late bloomers in the national scheme of things—first it was the Great Chicago Fire in 1871, then Prohibition, and finally the Midwest’s big beer takeover in the ’50s and ’60s. Along the way, small breweries opened but eventually surrendered to economic forces beyond their control. Chicago’s craft beer couldn’t catch a break.

It wasn’t until 1988 and the introduction of an enterprising man, John Hall, that Chicago began building a craft beer industry. Hall had returned from a tour through Europe, where he tasted distinct beers from many different regions, and he felt confident that the Midwest could produce the same high-quality beer. Born out of Hall’s dreams and high expectations for quality, tasty beer, the first Goose Island brewpub, Clybourn, located in the heart of Lincoln Park, opened in 1988, with the goal of educating Chicago residents about craft beer. Seven years later, Hall opened the large Goose Island Brewing production facility and in 1999 opened the second brewpub, Wrigleyville.

“People in Chicago started paying attention [to craft beer] after Hall started Goose Island,” says Ray Daniels, who has been integral in helping to shape and support Chicago’s craft beer scene. In addition to being an early proponent of the industry in the late ’80s through the Chicago Beer Society, which held beer pairing dinners (long before they became popular) and taught people to homebrew, Daniels is also the founder of the Cicerone Certification Program, a nationwide organization that promotes education throughout the brewing and beer service industry.

“Hall had a broad vision with Goose Island. He reached out to the entire community—not just the beer geeks—to educate the city about craft beer. Sure, there was an element of being in the right place at the right time, but Hall really believed in promoting the mentality behind craft beer,” says Daniels.

Another long-time Chicago resident and craft beer evangelist, Peter Crowley, owner and brewmaster of Chicago’s two-year-old Haymarket Pub and Brewery, admits that the craft beer scene in the Windy City is about 10 years behind the West Coast and 20 years behind craft beer giants like Portland, Oregon. It has been a slow but steady growth trend in Chicago, with staple venues like The Map Room and Hopleaf Bar, and Piece Brewery & Pizzeria paving the way for more brewpubs, beer bars, and an increasingly educated beer public.

Tony Russomanno, owner of specialty beer bar Local Option, says that the Chicago demographic has a lot to do with the recent upswing in the beer market: The city is home to a good number of 20- to 30-somethings with jobs, disposable incomes, no kids, and creative, open minds. Crowley, who is also president of the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild, credits other factors: “The economy tanked, which made it more realistic for breweries to get [affordable] real estate in the downtown area.”

Now, I’m sitting with John Hall at Haymarket, located on the banks of the Chicago River in the city’s meatpacking district. We’re sipping Haymarket’s saison-style ale, and we’re surrounded by striped Cubs jerseys. Haymarket, a 300-seat brewpub, draws a young, enthusiastic happy hour crowd of die-hard sports fans into the pub’s 100-year-old, flag-covered walls to watch Cubs and White Sox baseball games. Tall glass windows between the bar and brewery offer views into the fermentation and bottling area, where Crowley is shoveling spent grain into large buckets.

Hall is here to borrow brewing supplies from Crowley. “If people are missing hops or need yeast, we help each other out,” he says. “We don’t see each other as competition; we see people who are doing it and doing it well.”

Other Chicagoans doing it well are Jonathan Cutler and Andy Coleman, head brewer and assistant brewer, respectively, at Wicker Park’s Piece Brewery & Pizzeria. Large flat screens line the walls of this multi-level New Haven-style, thin- crust pizza joint and brewery.

Piece started as a nanobrewery in 2001 (long before nanos were trendy) and has more than doubled its brewing capacity. There are at least two keys to Piece’s success says Daniels: One, they have an ideal neighborhood location, and two, they operate efficiently for brewing on such a small system. In addition to a well-rounded guest tap list, Cutler’s provocatively named beers, including the Top Heavy Hefeweizen, Camel Toe Egyptian Pale Ale, Fornicator Bock, and Dark-n-Curvy Dunkelweizen, are lauded in Wicker Park, a hipster-centric neighborhood known for trendy restaurants, nightclubs, and an Eastern European flair.

Like many passionate Chicago brewers I talked to, Coleman insists he wouldn’t trade hops for any other job. “It’s something I love to do,” he says.

When they’re not stirring the mash or cleaning brewing tanks, Coleman and most of Chicago’s other brewers are regulars at Local Option in Lincoln Park. The eccentric beer bar “welcomes nerds” and keeps 30 hard-to-find craft beers in rotation at all times. “[The brewers] come to Local Option because all their heroes are on draft,” says Russomanno.

They come for the food, too. Local Option pairs their beer with Creole-style comfort food like jambalaya, swordfish tacos, and po’ boys. Dark and spectral (in a good way), this small, cozy bar encourages visitors to get comfy.

“[Local Option] is one of the most cutting-edge beer bars in Chicago,” says Daniels. “I can go there any day of the week and see a beer on tap that I’ve never tried. They are a beer geek bar and they’re really succeeding.”

Another must-see, famous-among-beer-geeks venue is the self-proclaimed “traveler’s tavern,” The Map Room, which has been holding beer court in Chicago since 1992. Just as the name suggests, this beer bar is chock-full of travel paraphernalia, including hanging maps, and shelves of globes garnishing the walls. A variety of craft beer from around the world populates the tap list, and the best thing about this beer bar is the gracious attitude. Admittedly, owners Mark and Laura Blasingame opened The Map Room with little beer knowledge and now are a fantastic resource for all things beer. They even hold educational events like the monthly Beer School and invite local brewers to teach informal beer seminars.

Speaking of beer school, one of the nation’s most widely recognized brewing schools, Siebel Institute of Technology, also happens to be in Chicago. Founded in 1872 (they creatively survived Prohibition by becoming baking educators and consultants), Siebel is an internationally acclaimed study program for brewers and other fermentation science experts.

Alumni of the brewing program span 60 countries, and graduates inhabit many West Coast breweries, like Laurelwood Brewery in Portland, Oregon and Chuckanut Brewery in Bellingham, Washington, to name a few. Siebel expanded in 2008, relocating to the Lincoln Park district, and now is conveniently located near Goose Island Brewing, where staff and students partake in hands-on research in the large-scale craft brewery.

“Siebel has helped introduce people from all over the world to the Chicago beer market; it’s great for local businesses,” says Daniels, who is a Siebel graduate and instructor.

Though Chicago is an undeniable craft beer destination led by pioneering entrepreneurs, big beer is still lurking around the corner. In 2011, Anheuser-Busch acquired Goose Island for $38.8 million. There was, understandably, criticism and shock in Chicagoland regarding the buyout, but Hall insists that Goose Island brewing practices haven’t changed, and that the influx of capital will simply allow more money to be invested in the beers. “Everything that has happened has only enhanced what we were already doing. We have more access to raw materials like scarce hops varieties and other resources that we didn’t have before.”

While growth in the Chicago craft beer scene may have taken its sweet time, now it’s catching on like wildfire. And unlike the Great Fire so many years ago, this is a welcome flame and one that’ll hopefully continue to burn strong for years to come.

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Beyond the deep (dish, that is)

Thanks to the Chicago Beer Society, which began educating consumers about beer and food pairings in the late ’80s, Chicago’s culinary leaders understand that the two things should not exist exclusively. Along with terrific tap lists at neighborhood restaurants, the city’s brewpubs, beer bars, and gastropubs are redefining the way Chicagoans view beer and food pairings. Check out our picks for some of the best beer and grub in the city.

The Bluebird

773.486.2473 // bluebirdchicago.com

Chalkboards adorn the barnyard siding and rustic brick walls here, and low lighting makes for a cozy drinking and dining session. The sophisticated food menu combines American and European influences to create dishes to pair with beer and wine.

Pairing/beignets with Brasserie Dupont Monk’s Stout

Fountainhead

773.697.8204 // fountainheadchicago.com

This Old World-style pub opened two years ago and features beer, wine, and spirits (with an emphasis on whiskey) as well as an eclectic, European-inspired menu that is best sampled on the 70-seat roof deck.

Pairing/Monkey Bread and Venison Spatzle with a bottle of Three Floyds Robert the Bruce Scottish-style Ale

Goose Island (Clybourn)

1.800.466.7363 // gooseisland.com

Goose Island’s original location showcases a classic pub menu by chef and Certified Cicerone Andrew Hroza to pair with a rotating lineup of creative house beers brewed by Jared Rouben, who works closely with top Chicago chefs to brew collaboration beers.

Pairing/Oysters Rockefeller with Goose Island Matilda, a Belgian-style pale ale

Hopleaf

773.334.9851 // hopleaf.com

A classic, 65-tap Chicago beer bar, the Hopleaf recently finished an expansion that doubled the pub’s size. Now serving lunch and dinner prepared by chef Ben Sheagren, who keeps Hopleaf favorites on the menu but plays with fresh new recipes, too.

Pairing/Montreal-style Brisket with Revolution Eugene Porter

The Publican

312.733.9555 // thepublicanrestaurant.com

This stylishly simplistic gastropub is located in Chicago’s dining-centric Fulton Market district, and the menus include meat-focused, unfussy farmhouse fare served in a European-style beer hall setting.

Pairing/Sunday brunch with a Publican Bloody Mary accompanied by Jolly Pumpkin Oro de Calabaza

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Who knows you better: your family or your favorite restaurant?

The New York Times recently had a great article on how restaurants are taking the extra effort to know their customers.

September 4, 2012

What Restaurants Know (About You)

By SUSANNE CRAIG

WHEN Tim Zagat dines out in New York, many of the restaurants he goes to know that he prefers his soup served in a cup and enjoys iced tea with cranberry juice in a large glass over lots of ice. Jay-Z’s fondness for white Burgundy is also no secret among the city’s headwaiters.

But what is perhaps more surprising is that when Arnie Tannen, a health care consultant in Brooklyn, sits down for his regular Friday-night dinner at Gramercy Tavern, his server always knows that he prefers a black napkin (less lint) and wants only the ends of a loaf in his breadbasket.

Those details are carefully logged in the restaurant’s computer, and Mr. Tannen suspects that the tavern has also noted his love of French fries, even though it does not serve them. For his 68th birthday in 2011, his waiter surprised him with hot fries hurried in from a nearby spot.

“You never have to say anything more than once,” Mr. Tannen said of the service.

Part of the attention paid to his preferences can be chalked up to the owner, Danny Meyer, and his well-known obsession with highly personalized hospitality. But what most customers don’t know is that hundreds of restaurants are now carefully tracking their individual tastes, tics, habits and even foibles.

Increasingly, restaurants are recording whether you are a regular, a first-timer, someone who lives close by or a friend of the owner or manager. They archive where you like to sit, when you will celebrate a special occasion and whether you prefer your butter soft or hard, Pepsi over Coca-Cola or sparkling over still water. In many cases, they can trace your past performance as a diner; how much you ordered, tipped and whether you were a “camper” who lingered at the table long after dessert.

“We will write if the person is kosher or can’t eat shellfish,” said Ed Schoenfeld, who owns RedFarm in the West Village. “And we take note of the people who sat for six and a half hours last time, so next time we are sure to give them an uncomfortable seat.”

Even a single visit can prompt the creation of a computer file that includes diners’ allergies, favorite foods and whether they are “wine whales,” likely to spend hundreds of dollars on a bottle. That’s valuable information, considering that upward of 30 percent of a restaurant’s revenue comes from alcohol. Some places even log data on potential customers so that the restaurant is prepared if the newcomer shows up.

That a waiter you have never met knows your tendency to dawdle or your love of crushed ice may strike some diners as creepy or intrusive. But restaurant managers say their main goal is to pamper the customer, to recreate the comfort of a local corner spot where everybody knows your name.

“We call it the ‘Cheers’ effect,” said Ann Shepherd, vice president for marketing at the restaurant reservation service OpenTable, referring to the Boston bar in the 1980s sitcom.

Restaurateurs are also looking after their own bottom line. In a cutthroat industry, this kind of intelligence gathering can make or break a business.

“The ability to know and read your customer is critical for staying on top, particularly at the power restaurants,” said Clark Wolf, a restaurant consultant.

Much of this information is discreetly embedded in an alphabet soup of acronyms that pops up on the computer screen when a restaurant employee checks you in, managers and employees at a number of high-end New York restaurants said in interviews. The wine whale may show up as WW. If a free appetizer lands on your table at Osteria Morini in SoHo, chances are your file says SFN — something for nothing.

The restaurant may have given you the freebie because you are a FOM (friend of the manager) or a PX, a person extraordinaire. PX used to be V.I.P., but most restaurants stopped using that label years ago because it was so widely recognized and offended non-V.I.P. customers who heard it being used. Some PX’s are also flagged NR, for never refuse.

At some restaurants, HSM is short for heavyset man; at others, LOL stands for little old lady — two types of diners who may need special seating. Customers with bad reputations are often flagged HWC, handle with care. And if there’s an 86 on your profile, chances are you will be making alternative plans for dinner. There are also some more profane acronyms, though most managers say they have been all but phased out for fear of lawsuits.

As if all this isn’t enough, most restaurants, particularly those owned by big companies like the Altamarea Group and Mr. Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group, have a separate computer system that catalogs old bills. Managers bristle at the suggestion that they keep this information so they can analyze an individual’s spending patterns; it is used primarily, they say, to answer customer billing questions and to provide receipts to those who have lost them.

That restaurants strive to know their clientele is hardly news. For years, customer information was scribbled in a big book at the front of the house. And the headwaiter or the manager played a crucial role, remembering things that weren’t written down, like a guest’s anniversary or favorite wine.

But computer software and Internet companies (particularly reservation systems like OpenTable and Rezbook) have pushed service to another level, allowing restaurants to amass a trove of data with ease. When a reservation is made on OpenTable, the restaurant is sent a bare-bones listing: the customer’s e-mail address, any special requests and a note indicating whether the person is an OpenTable V.I.P., someone who has used the service at least 12 times in the last year.

OpenTable’s software then allows restaurants to add information, which is called up when a customer arrives. (Restaurants owned by large groups typically share the data with one another.)

In bigger establishments, the data is often printed on a slip that is shared with as many as a dozen people, including the pastry chef and the sommelier. The slip typically shows up in several spots in the kitchen, chiefly to let everyone know if the customer has a food allergy. The server also gets a peek.

Managers are usually the ones to enter notes, and they concede that too much information can be a problem.

Chloe Nathan Genovart, who worked at the elite restaurant Per Se for seven years, including several as headwaiter, said the details that restaurants log can be powerful, but the trick is in knowing how to deploy them. For instance, a headwaiter may know the name of a customer’s wife, but should never use it unless he or she knows the woman.

“Sometimes a man will come in with another woman, not their wife,” Ms. Nathan Genovart said. “You have to be very careful about what you say.”

Mr. Meyer said that out of curiosity, he recently examined the profile his restaurant group keeps on him and his wife. Hers is fairly straightforward, he said; it notes that she is his wife, an actress, allergic to crustaceans and left-handed. Mr. Meyer is less certain how he feels about his own profile, which points out that he is “the” Danny Meyer and likes extra cheese with his pasta.

“I am happy that someone cared to note I want extra cheese on the side,” he said, “but I don’t necessarily want to be that predictable.”

Mr. Clark, the restaurant consultant, said the information restaurants have should remain invisible.

“If you say, ‘I know you like a white Burgundy from the 1970s,’ that is creepy,” he said. “Instead, you ask them what they like and point them in the direction of that white Burgundy.”

In interviews, restaurant managers said they agreed that data-compiling can be overused, and that it can’t replace a great bartender or waiter.

“High tech will never replace high touch,” said Richard Coraine, a senior managing partner at Union Square Hospitality Group. “Data just gives us an opportunity to understand someone better.”

At Marea, Michael White’s Italian restaurant on Central Park South, for instance, the hedge fund manager William A. Ackman is a regular and one of many customers who rates an NR, never refuse. What the computer does not say (but the general manager, Rocky Cirino, knows) is that servers can never seat Mr. Ackman next to Carl C. Icahn, another big Wall Street name. The two have sued each other.

Mr. Cirino reads the business press and watches CNBC in an effort to know his clients better. “If a chief executive comes in and that day he announced a bad quarter, I want to know,” he said. “It changes the tone of the conversation.”

Altamarea Group, which runs Marea, also compiles information on prospective customers. Management added a list of important people from Singapore, anticipating that some would visit an Altamarea restaurant, a company spokeswoman said. Mr. Cirino said he once saw Hutham Olayan, an executive and director of the Olayan Group and a director of Morgan Stanley, on television; he entered her name and titles into the reservation system. Eventually she came in, and he was prepared.

Still, Per Se’s general manager, Antonio Begonja, said collecting data on potential customers smacked of overreach. “At some point you have to draw the line,” he said.

The job of assembling and deploying customer information becomes trickier for restaurants that do not take reservations. At RedFarm, everyone who shows up is put on a computerized waiting list, which becomes a file on each customer. Mr. Schoenfeld, the owner, said regulars get first dibs on seats when there is a long line at the door.

“We try to take good care of everyone,” he said, “and we take better care of some people.”

​Good Service Starts With You

YOU don’t have to be a PX (restaurant lingo for a very important person) to be treated like one.

Experts say communication is key: let the restaurant know if you are celebrating a special occasion, or if you have a food allergy or aversion. As for getting even more personalized service, there is no magic formula, but speaking up always helps.

OpenTable, the online reservation system, has a “special requests” box that diners can fill out before sending their reservation request. Ann Shepherd, vice president for marketing at OpenTable, had simple advice: “Use it.”

OpenTable sends only a few details to a restaurant, including a diner’s e-mail (if you work somewhere impressive, use your company address). But the restaurant then builds on that information to create an in-depth profile.

“We always try to encourage customers to share allergies and dislikes,” said Will Guidara, the general manager of Eleven Madison Park. “But it’s difficult, and fine dining can be intimidating. I will approach a table and say: ‘I don’t like sea urchin. What don’t you like?’ We want to give you something you love and stay away from what you don’t like.”

Danny Meyer, the chief executive of Union Square Hospitality Group, suggested that anyone looking for special treatment start by eating at the bar, developing a relationship with the bartender, who can become an advocate in dealing with other staff members.

The No. 1 tip for getting great service: butter up your server.

“You can impact the quality of your dining experience by serving your server,” Mr. Meyer said.

The restaurant consultant Clark Wolf said diners should let waiters know what brought them to the restaurant, whether they live nearby and how they heard about the restaurant — from friends, say, or a good review.

“They don’t usually hear positive news,” Mr. Wolf said. “So if you are there on a recommendation or because you have heard good things, pass it on.”

Chloe Nathan Genovart, a former headwaiter at Per Se who now runs SoLo Farm and Table in Vermont, said diners should never underestimate the power of being nice.

“I am more inclined to do something extra for someone who is respectful, versus people who are entitled and think who they are will get them extra service,” she said. “How you act goes a long way.”

In a world in which restaurants are suffering from an economy in which people are rather to stay at home then go out to a restaurant.  It is great to see businesses taking the extra effort to get to know their clientele.  It makes common sense for restaurants to do this.  They are improving their customer service skills and the customer feels right at home.  How many times where you at a restaurant and the service was horrible or nobody even recognize you?  These businesses are taking the right step forward when it comes to customer service.  I wish that more restaurants would do this.

For the restaurant, this entails a risky proposition in that they are putting all this time and effort into a first time customer.  They are not certain that the customer would return.  However, it seems that the restaurants who take the extra effort in getting to know their customers have no problem in making the customer return for a second dinner. It shows that these restaurants are respecting and appreciating their clientele.

Organic or Non-Organic Food: The Debate Rages On

As reported in the LA Times,

1atimes.com

Organic food -- better for you or not? A study takes a look

By Rosie Mestel

Los Angeles Times

3:25 PM PDT, September 3, 2012

Many people shell out extra money for organic food in the belief that it's safer and more nutritious. What are the facts? Scientists at Stanford decided to take a look.

Study first author Dr. Crystal Smith-Spangler said she is often asked by her patients whether organic food is worth the trouble. To get at the answer, she and her colleagues sifted through the scientific literature and found 17 studies comparing effects of organic and conventionally grown foods on human beings and 223 more that didn't involve people but examined the levels of nutrients and contaminants in the items.

The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, included fruits, vegetables, eggs, grains, dairy, poultry and meat. Processed foods weren't part of the review.

Smith-Spangler, who is an instructor at Stanford's medical school and treats patients at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, said the data didn't reveal too many differences. But there were a few:

Overall, based on three human studies, the scientists found no detectable difference in rates of allergies such as eczema. Very few studies examined clinical outcomes in this way.

In the case of nutrients, most studies were conducted on fruit and vegetables. "We did not find strong evidence that organic foods are consistently more nutritious than conventional foods," Smith-Spangler said. The exception was for levels of phosphorus, which were higher in organically grown produce.

Those differences are not likely to be of any health significance, she said. That's because "basically if you are eating you are getting enough phosphorus."

Organically grown food was also somewhat higher in total phenols, plant compounds that have antioxidant activity. These results varied a lot, however, possibly because of conditions under which plants were grown such as amounts of rainfall, soil type and ripeness at the time of harvesting.

There was also weak evidence that organic eggs and chickens contained higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids. But again, Smith-Spangler said, the data are scant and quite variable.

For pesticides residues, the authors found a 30% lower rate of detectable contamination in organically grown produce. Two studies found that children who ate conventional produce had higher levels of pesticide residues in their urine, and the levels fell when the children switched to organic foods.

But, again, it's not clear whether there would be clinical consequences, Smith-Spangler and coauthors wrote. Studies generally found that levels of contamination were within safe ranges and may not differ much between organic and conventionally grown food.

What about bacteria? The review did find higher rates of microbes resistant to multiple antibiotics in conventionally reared chicken and pork, but when considering non-drug-resistant  E. coli, "both organic and conventionally grown foods were at similar risk for contamination," Smith-Spangler said. 

"It's important to make clear that the studies included raw fruit and vegetable as well as chicken. Consumers should remember to use the usual safe food handling practices to avoid food-borne illnesses," she said.

And that means organic and conventional, produce as well as poultry. Brush up on the safety tips at the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Bottom line? “There isn’t much difference between organic and conventional foods, if you’re an adult and making a decision based solely on your health,” study senior author Dr. Dena Bravata of Stanford’s Center for Health Policy said in a release from the university.

Read our science blog at latimes.com/sciencenow and our health blog at latimes.com/boostershots.

Follow me on twitter: @LATimesRosie

Copyright © 2012, Los Angeles Times

The debate of whether or not organic food is better for you is raging on.  We live in a world full of health-conscious people in which they urge you to spend more money on organic food.  As a consumer, you are wondering if I should spend more money food that is labeled as "organic", you are probably feeling more confused after reading this article.  What is a budget-minded health-conscious consumer to do?

Shio Koji: One of the hottest food trends in Japan now

Right now everywhere you walk or shop in Japan, you will notice foods containing shio koji.  Shio koji can be found in everything from salad dressings to stir-fries.  If you are considering to eat something with shio koji, it recommended that you read this interesting article from the LA Times for more information.

latimes.com

Japan's ingredient du jour: shio koji

The fermented rice product imparts big flavor to many foods. And it's catching on in the U.S.

By Betty Hallock

Los Angeles Times

August 25, 2012

The latest trendy cooking ingredient in Japan is a fungus. And that fungus is spreading. Professional and home cooks in Japan are crazy for it, and it's flying off the shelves at Japanese markets in the U.S., too.

They're using shio koji -- a fermented mixture of koji (rice inoculated with the special -- and safe -- mold Aspergillus oryzae), shio (sea salt) and water – as a seasoning in place of salt for its powers of umami.

Japanese supermarkets carry bottled salad dressings and sauces touting shio koji as an ingredient. The popular Japan-based burger chain Mos Burger this summer introduced a limited edition shio koji burger. "Moldy Mos Burger Confirms Koji Boom," read a Japan Times blog headline in June. Famed Tokyo ramen chef Ivan Orkin tweeted: "Shio koji burger at Mos Burger umami bomb extraordinaire!"

There are blogs, websites, cooking videos and even a cartoon character devoted to the stuff, which some have dubbed a "miracle condiment," the "new MSG" or the "next soy sauce." (Not bad for something that looks like beige sludge and smells like slightly sweet sweaty socks.) It marinates meat, chicken and fish; makes quick pickles; and can be added to both savory and sweet dishes.

"It's really great for [tempura] fritters, chicken and pork chops," says Yoko Maeda, a private chef and food stylist who recently hosted a shio koji cooking class at her home in Marina del Rey. "I bet it would be good in pancake batter."

A. oryzae has been used for thousands of years to make miso, soy sauce and other traditional Japanese foods. The Brewing Society of Japan has dubbed it the "national fungus" for its importance in brewing sake. Its key selling point: the mold's ability to convert proteins into enzymes, inlcuding glutamic acid -- the enzyme responsible for umami. (It also converts starches into sugar, which is vital to sake making.)

Myoho Asari, a 9th-generation koji maker from Saiki in southern Japan, has been proselytizing the benefits of shio koji, recently leading classes in New York and Los Angeles. Her family has been in the business of making koji – innoculating rice with A. oryzae spores – for more than 300 years, originally for miso and soy sauce. A few years ago she, among other koji makers, saw an opportunity to diversify by marketing salt and koji as a seasoning for cooking.

The shio koji craze tracks a broader culinary trend in all things fermented. The Nordic Food Lab, the research workshop affiliated with the restaurant Noma in Copenhagen, has experimented with koji, growing mold on steamed buckwheat and then fermenting miso made with yellow split peas.

David Chang of the Momofuku empire of restaurants in New York is a confessed fermentation geek who has been using powdered koji as a seasoning. Chang also has contributed to an article in the International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science: "Defining microbial terroir: The use of native fungi for the study of traditional fermentative processes." That includes reports about his experiments in making koji with both A. oryzae and naturally occurring molds in his culinary test lab.

On a recent weekend at Maeda's apartment, Asari stood in a pale blue kimono at a kitchen counter mixing up a batch of shio koji. Through a translator, Asari -- who is also a longtime Girl Scout leader, with a sunny disposition -- tells a dozen rapt students about the goldmine of enzymes in koji: Amylase transforms starches into simple sugars; protease splits proteins into amino acids; and lipase breaks down fats. These are the systems that multiply umami, she says.

Tubes of prepared shio koji can be purchased at Japanese markets. But it's easy to make yourself, and it's far less expensive. The initial mixing of koji (inoculated rice sold in small tubs), sea salt and water requires a modicum of finesse but no more work than heating water and stirring. Then it's just a matter of letting it ferment for about a week to reach full flavor, stirring it once a day. (See step by step.)

Shio koji is substituted for salt in recipes. Asari has written several cookbooks, adding shio koji to soups, salads, pasta, preserves and more; there's shio koji meatloaf, shio koji bagna cauda, shio koji spaghetti carbonara. As a general rule of thumb, Asari recommends substituting 2 teaspoons of shio koji for 1 teaspoon salt. Or, use the golden ratio of 1:10 – that's the weight of shio koji to total ingredient weight, so for every 100 grams of ingredients, use 10 grams of shio koji.

Start by using it simply, she suggests. Dress raw vegetables with it for a quick pickle. Make a tuna poke with it – diced sashimi-grade tuna tossed with shio koji and lemon-dressed avocado. Shio koji's transformative powers work pretty miraculously as a marinade for meats. Asari passes around pan-roasted chicken breasts that have been marinated with shio koji overnight, and it is umami-tastic. "This is the best chicken I've ever had – it's delicious," says one student. "And I don't even like chicken."

betty.hallock@latimes.com

Copyright © 2012, Los Angeles Times

A New Approach to School Lunches

Recently, the hottest new trend in the food world is the "farm to table" movement in which locally produced food is being prepared at local eateries.  Now in California, this movement is coming public schools.  This is a great trend to see because it helps the local economies and, also, encourages kids to try healthier foods.  This is great to see because in the present economy, school lunch programs are suffering from budget cuts and big food conglomerates coming in and serving unhealthy foods.

New ‘food hubs’ connect school districts with local farmers, fulfill new school lunch rules

By Associated Press, Published: September 3

FRESNO, Calif. — The school district in Turlock, surrounded by fields and orchards in one of the nation’s richest agricultural regions, used to get much of the produce it served to students from national distributors who shipped fruits and vegetables from outside California.

But, starting in August, student meals have featured apples, peaches, nectarines, plums and oranges from farms only a few miles away — with the help of a new online company that connects local farmers with school districts.

California-based Ag Link allows school districts to communicate with nearby farmers and buy their produce with the click of a mouse. It’s helping the Turlock district and others meet new federal rules requiring more fruits and vegetables in school cafeterias to help prevent childhood obesity.

“The quality and selection we’re seeing coming right from the farms is incredible,” said Scott Soiseth, director of child nutrition for the Turlock Unified School District. “Children get to eat the product that’s picked that same morning.”

The new rules require among other things that school provide students at least a half cup of either a fruit or vegetable during lunch and at least a half cup of fruit during breakfast. And they must be served a wider variety of fresh produce every week, including leafy greens and red-orange vegetables.

Online companies, cooperatives and organizations helping connect local farmers and buyers have cropped up in recent years. Now these so-called food hubs are facilitating relationships between farmers and school districts.

The Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association, a non-profit cooperative that trains new organic farmers in Salinas, Calif., is working with the Santa Cruz City Schools to coordinate orders and deliver produce. The district, with 13,000 students, purchases more than half of its produce from local farms.

In Vermont, a company called Green Mountain Farm Direct distributes a list of products, coordinates orders and delivers produce to half a dozen schools and other institutions.

And Oregon-based FoodHub, an online networking and marketing platform that connects food producers, buyers, and suppliers in Oregon, California, Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho, has been increasingly working with school districts looking to buy local, said director Amanda Oborne.

“School food directors are under water in figuring out what they have to do to keep up with the new federal guidelines,” she said.

FoodHub currently works with 181 schools and districts, including some districts with as many as 80 schools.

“A lot of schools don’t have contacts with farmers. They’re a few miles away from each other and would never know they are so close. So having a directory and a networking tool at their fingertips is a huge help,” Oborne said.

Ag Link, which also runs an e-commerce platform, was launched this month by a husband and wife team, Rob and Jana Nairn of Ballico in Merced County. Both have degrees in agri-business marketing.

A year ago, Jana Nairn and a school dietitian started consulting with school districts on how to improve menus and comply with the new regulations. The number one question schools asked was how to find sources of fresh, local produce. Ag Link provided an answer.

“There’s all this produce here in our region, but we’re still serving imported apples and bananas year round,” Nairn said. “Why can’t we tap into this bread-basket that’s around us?”

Farmers post their products on the Ag Link site, school officials browse and make purchases. The company handles the billing and verifies farmers’ certification and food safety standards. It charges a small transaction fee: 4 percent for farmers, 2.5 percent for schools. So far, about 15 school districts have registered, as well as about a dozen farmers.

The goal is to save school districts money and time, Nairn said, by cutting down on transportation costs, providing a list of farmers and an e-commerce platform.

“Schools don’t have time to call around farmers and go shopping every week,” Nairn said. “Our site allows that networking to happen online.”

School officials say they must overcome hurdles when it comes to buying local. They must meet nutritional guidelines, follow safety standards, and get competitive bids from three producers. They also need to create procedures to chop, wash and store or freeze fresh produce.

But the extra effort is worth it for food managers like Soiseth in Turlock, where the district this year will double the amount of produce it buys to meet the new regulations. Ag Link already provides about 30 percent of the produce for the district’s 9,000 students.

“It’s revolutionary to our valley,” Soiseth said. “Many of the new farmers we use are in our backyard, and we’ve been trying to reach out to them for a while, but we didn’t know how.”

And the price is right, Soiseth said: the district purchased Gala apples via Ag Link last week for 17 cents apiece, while through normal channels they would have cost 42 cents. The apples grow on a farm a dozen miles away.

Local farmers say Ag Link has helped them tap into a new market — the National School Lunch Program that serves 32 million children nationwide every day.

Noel La Rosa, who with her husband grows nectarines, peaches, cherries, plums, tomatoes, and watermelons on 40 acres in Hughson, Calif., has delivered cases of stone fruit to Turlock schools and is set to make a delivery to the Denair Unified School district this week.

“Our dream was to bring fresh fruit to schools,” La Rosa said, “and this company showed up on our door to help make the connections.”