i am an avid YELPER. if you don't already know what Yelp is, let me be the first to introduce you to it. YELP is a website, originally based in San Francisco, that lets regular people like you and me help each other out. how? by letting us rate businesses and review them. you can rate and review all kinds of different businesses, from dentists, to restaurants, hair salons, pretty much anything! if you're unsure of a restaurant you'd like to try, you can search it, and read reviews from other people to see what they thought of it. i usually check the "Hot New Businesses" on Yelp, and came across this restaurant : WADA. it is a Japanese restaurant, open since August of 2011. they did not advertise much for it, so business started out slow, but after a review in the newspaper about it, it started to pick up speed... and now that its on Yelp's radar, more people have gone to eat there.... i mean hey - that's how i found it! dining with 3 friends, we chatted with the waiter, and got some suggestions from him. because we were going to share everything, he suggested about 5 or 6 appetizers, and a stone pot. GREAT suggestions! up there you'll see the Renkon (lotus root) and Broccoli rabe in sesame dressing. here we have their Gyu tongue miso zuke... it is fresh beef tongue slow simmered in miso. this is so, so, so, tender it practically melts away in your mouth. and those pickled garlic pieces were really good too! that plate of hot deliciousness is homemade arabiki sausage with tomatoes in a chorizo miso butter. if you just licked your screen, i don't blame you, b/c this dish was amazing. here we have the buffalo mozzarella agedashi. if you've have tofu agedashi before, then you'll have an idea of how this is prepared. however, because this is buffalo mozzarella, it has a different texture. the cheese, when prepared this way, ends up tasting like a really good mochi! strange, but really good. this is their washugyu beef tongue, the front and back parts. this is when they bring out the stone pot for you to cook the tongue on - and later, they cook the next part of your meal.... i'll get to that in a sec. i had no idea, but the front part of a beef tongue, and the back part of a beef tongue are different experiences. the front part is slightly softer in texture and little more beefy in taste. the back part has a little more texture, and i think that is what you usually get when dining in restaurants that serve tongue. also, that ponzu like citrus sauce on the side of it was hands-down the best, BEST, sauce i've ever had. EVER. here is some house made ponzu sauce that they serve with the dish below......... the main attraction is the stone pot. it is harami beef and vegetables (mainly onion, garlic, and some okra). it also comes with several Japanese mushrooms. the waiter cooks this in front of you at the table, which gave us the chance to talk to him a little bit. they're friendly, and very helpful! and this dish was really good. it is so simple, yet full of flavor. the harami beef is some of the softest beef i've ever had. here is the Shiso Gohan. if you have not had Shiso before, it is not for everyone. it is a strong tasting herb used in Japanese foods. you know how some people will just cringe at the thought of eating chinese parsley (a.k.a. Cilantro)?? well, people feel this same way about Shiso - it is just not for everyone. fortunately, i like shiso :) this dish is basically a fried rice with shiso, nori, and bits of beef tongue. it was a really great complement to the stone pot. the last dish we tried was the Donko shiitake ramen in spicy ox tail broth. the noodles were egg type, Japanese ramen noodles, and cooked the Japanese way - slightly chewy. the broth was not overly spicy, but just the right amount of spicy. this is something i could easily eat all the time. it was one of the best ramen dishes i've ever had. they also have dessert selections (you have to ask the waiter what they have for dessert that night), but b/c we were so full, we decided to make the ramen dish our last. at the end of dinner, they serve you hot tea - even the tea tasted delicious!!!
this is probably one of the best meals i've ever had.... so far anyway :) keep in mind however, this is an EXPENSIVE place to eat. i recommend bringing a date here (wink wink!), or eating here for a special occasion (mother's day, father's day, birthday, etc.). to give you an idea: there were 4 of us, and INCLUDING tip, dinner was a little over $200 - thats about $50 per person, without drinks (we had water), and with no sushi/fish items. if you add sushi items, your bill will be much higher i'm sure. speaking of sushi - they also have a sushi bar you can sit at and watch the sushi chef in action. many people appear to order the raw beef and uni sushi, which looks really good - but i can't eat it, so i can't tell you. it breaks my heart. but if you get to try it, please let me know what i'm missing b/c i'm sure i'm missing something amazing :( ************************************ Wada 611 Kapahulu Ave Honolulu, HI 96815 Ph: 808-737-0125 - reservations are recommended! www.restaurantwada.com
2 Comments
Yo gud fren dat stay in Texas
4/27/2012 12:03:31 pm
You and your beef tongue.
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t-dawg
5/4/2012 05:41:48 am
beef tongue be delicious yo. holla.
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