Wooden Spoons & Muffin Tops: 2012-09-16

This is a pretty late post. I haven't been able to update these past few weeks because of scheduled exams and now that it's Friday night again, I can finally work my fingers to the bone as I get back to typing an entry that has been long overdue! You'll notice how I start my Kimono Ken post off by talking about the long weekend that happened several weeks back. Just pretend we're currently at that point in time. So here goes! :D

I'm starting to get used to these long weekends that I almost forgot how every week begun with a Monday. I've been enjoying myself too much. Well, me and my digestive system that is. And I don't think this three-day break could have ended better than having lunch at Kimono Ken. My uncles, aunts and mum, being the food devotees that they are, rambled after their first fill of the Japanese food at the restaurant a month ago. So when Ate Teyet, my kuya's girlfriend, arrived from the States a week ago and everyone was free, we wasted no time gathering our hungry selves to celebrate. It was all in good timing.

Salmon Sashimi

I can easily count the number of times I've had raw salmon. I think it's because whenever my family and I eat at a Japanese restaurant, I always go for tempura and gomuku chahan and it stops there. This particular serving of salmon sashimi was incredibly creamy! We ordered this dish to share and there were around 9 of us so I had to tone down my inner food monster and save some for the rest. Had I ordered this to myself, I would have savoured each millisecond my teeth spent sunken into the salmon. It was that good.

My modelesque uncle Bing

Ate Teyet and my brother Kyle

Practicing a new dance move that involves...crab hands.

Miso Ramen (P200)
Miso based soup with minced pork and vegetables.

I rarely order noodles when I got out to eat mainly because I often opt for rice or bread. For some reason, I had a rumbly in my tumbly that day, and it was rumbling for a big serving of warm, thick-noodled ramen. The serving would feed 2 to 3 people, but if you don't like sharing really good food (like me sometimes) you can be a little selfish and have one all to yourself. The soup was creamy (First the salmon, now the soup. I'm beginning to think Kimono Ken was a creamery before they put up this establishment) and bursting with flavor. I was surprised to find myself eating the vegetables in this dish. I mysteriously felt inclined to do so. The ramen must have put some sort of spell on me.

Sakura Roll (P150)
Fresh salmon, unagi and takuan

Oh how I love Kimon Ken's maki selection! Not only do they offer a variety of rolls, but they also come in big portions too. One bite wouldn't be enough to finish one piece of this wonderful rice roll. The crunchy exterior complemented its center stuffed with salmon, freshwater eel and Japanese preserved vegetable made from radish.

Dynamite Maki (P200)

Contrary to the use of spicy salmon as one of the main ingredients of this maki, it was hardly noticeable. Perhaps we were all too focused downing all the other food that the expected "hot" taste escaped our taste buds. Fish roe, another element to this making this maki what it is, has a natural golden brown color to it. Although as they clump together, it appears orange. That explains the color of the topping.

Kani Salad

Chicken Teriyaki (P195)
Chicken thigh with teriyaki sauce

Ebi Tempura, 5pcs (P300)

One of the best things about eating tempura is the crunch that comes after the munch! The shrimps were big and juicy, which made it even more enjoyable to eat. There's a slight change in the taste of the batter they used, something I normally don't have. Nevertheless, it still brought me straight to tempura heaven!2

Chahan (P65)

Japanese rice is something I really enjoy eating, especially their fried rice. It is flavorful, colorful, short-grained and its sticky texture makes me feel like I'm ingesting more since the grains are all clumped together.

Coffee Jelly (P90)

Uncle Tony & Auntie Rachel

Mango Tempura A la mode (P120)

When I came across this item on the menu, I found the idea of dipping mangoes in tempura batter quite peculiar. Some might even think of it as gut-churning. But worry not! No gastronomic nightmare took place in the eating of this dessert. It was pleasant to eat, given the crunch element of the tempura batter, the tanginess of the warm mangoes and the sweetness of the ice cream. The different flavors and textures kept me guessing as I spooned each serving into my mouth.