KANKI in Raleigh

On Friday night Adym and I went to have sushi at KANKI.

This restaurant is located inside the Crabtee Valley Mall. I relate this mall very similar to a Galleria you would see in Dallas or Houston.

I was surprised to see how big it was from the inside. The decor was very jap american flashy. Lots of neon lights and a huge sushi bar. They also have a full service liquor bar and another section in the back for steak lovers. They seemed pretty busy, which is always a good sign.

We sat at the bar so we could watch the chefs prepare all the food. I enjoyed watching one chef stress to a trainee how important it is to plate sushi properly.

For starters, we had cold rasberry moonstone sake. The first thing I tasted was a sweet rasberry nectar. As it rolled past the sweet part of my tongue the gentle flavor of sake swept in. A very enjoyable smooth taste.

We had Unagi, Butter fish, Hotategai(scallop), Salmon, Tuna and the KANI roll.

The Kanki roll is there house special made with shrimp and crab. I was let down a little because they used imitation crab meat.
But I did enjoy the sweet and savory flavor of sweet sushi rice with red roe.

Unagi is very similar to Fish in Clay pot (a Vietnamese dish). The sauce on the Unagi was just right. It was also had a lovely fresh charcoal taste that goes really well with the sushi rice. My only issue was that is was hard to eat. It was rather bony. Had it not been bony, it would be just like the unagi Adym and I had in Hawaii (on our honeymoon).

The Hotategai and Tuna was fresh and edible.

The cut of Salmon we had was stringy and firm. It was not the best Salmon we have had. The best Salmon we have had is somtimes fatty, soft, fresh and buttery.

We really enjoyed the Butter Fish. It was something new that I have never had before. The flavor was very delicate and smooth.

This is the best sushi we have had so far in NC. I also felt healthy the next day. Which is always a plus when you take that chance of eating raw foods. LOL.

The service was ok. Our waitress and other staff came by the bar to make sure we were taken care of. However, the sushi chef was not playful like the pros we have met in our years eating at the bar. I would come here again. However, we are still on a search for our favorite place for Nigri and Sashimi. I recommend KANKI with a 4 out of 5.

Pork Chops and Apple Crumb Crisp

Last week we ate pork chops with savory rice and cheesy peas for dinner. I was in the mood for quick, savory and fast. This whole meal took about 30 minuets to make.

A side note for photographer in you: the star of this image was the porkchops and not cheesy peas. I will need to turn my plate next time. I am not a food stylist yet!

For the pork:

In a glass baking pan I generously covered the bottom with olive oil. Note I didn't grease it.

I just poured about three tablespoons in the glass container. Next, I neatly placed four pork chops on the bottom of the pan.

Generously sprinkle pepper and salt on the top. Then turn them over and

sprinkle salt and pepper once again.

Slice half an onion (keep them as long strips)a nd spread over the top of the

chops.

Mince up a small garlic clove and spread over each chop.

Next, drizzle about 1 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil over the chops.

Add half cup of baby carrots. You can randomly place them anywhere on the bottom of your pan.

Lastly, sprinkle 1/4 cup of brown sugar.

Sprinkle cold pea size bits of butter (Optional).

Savory Basmati Rice:

I used basmati rice. Follow the instructions on the bag.

After you have cooked your desired amount, toss warm rice with butter, olive oil, dill, basil, and a pinch of garlic powder. You can add other spices if you desire.

Cheesy Peas:

In a heat proof bowl add:

1 can of drained and rinsed peas.

1 teaspoon of milk

1 tablespoon of butter

4 slices of american cheese

Microwave in the oven for about 30 seconds or until cheese is slightly melted.

Carefully remove from microwave and fold the ingredients in the bowl (must be done while ingredients are hot).

Adym actually made the cheesy peas and his additional ingredient is love. Aw!

Apple Crumb Crisp: I threw this together with no recipe. But if you want to try it on your own,try out this recipie:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Best-Apple-Crisp-Ever/Detail.aspx

Adym Cooks

Tonight Adym cooked dinner for us. We had steamed dumplings over a bed of french green beans. The green beans were sauteed in bacon bits, garlic, onions and other spices. It was tasty!

This last weekend we went to the Chatham Hill Winery in Cary, NC. They are having a re-grand opening for three weekends in a row. Lots of free tastings and free tours. It's only eight dollars for a tasting and some of the proceeds are donated to charity. Thus, we also did the full tasting.

We bought the Peach wine and the Viognier. The peach wine is a sweet wine with a hint of bitterness at the end. The Viognier is this fantastically buttery wine. It is smooth and rich. Fantastic. I am not sure what I will pair these wines with. Perhaps that is another blog posting!