Page 18 - Boca Club News - May '24

Page 18, Boca Club News

The Good Life: Dining, Drinks, Destinations

Dining Out: An Excellent Translation of the Word “Omakase”

By Alan Serinsky of Bocaire Ikura–Salmon Roe soaked in a marinade of soy sauce confection consisting of a soft, pounded sticky rice
Country Club. Hungry Al’s love or salt and wrapped in seaweed; dumpling that surrounds an ice cream filling. Along with
for food started very young. Bincho–Albacore has a mild savory taste–not to be the traditional flavors of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry
Never satisfied with his Mom’s confused with common tuna salad; you’ll find it in other flavors like we did, such as; Kona
dishes, he started to cook his Maguro–Chopped Pacific Bluefin Tuna is lean, has coffee, plum wine and green tea. Don’t “mocki” until you
way through her “Betty Crocker striking red color; try it!
Cookbook.” During the years Hotate–Scallop usually farm-raised are of high quality, Check Please: Obviously, this is not your weekly
to follow he spent many hours clean and sweet; sushi outing. But for a special occasion, a special treat, or
working in restaurants, both as server and cook, attending Gindara–Miso Cod is rich and buttery, but firm to the when you wish to upgrade your sushi palate without a trip
cooking classes and traveling the world in an effort to bite; to Japan, I recommend this fantastic experience at Sushi
expand his palette. As a professional writer, Hungry Al Toro–Tuna from the fatty part of the belly is often Boū. As you know, everything good comes with a price.
offers his perspective on current food trends and guides considered the most expensive cut; But compared to the last Omakase I shared with Hungry
you through your local restaurant options. Sake–Salmon that is best from the chinook salmon and S to the tune of $680, this one was very reasonable. The
the tastiest; bill for two of us without the premium Sake and special
Sushi by Boū Boca Raton Wagyu Uni–High-quality beef sliced over sushi rice, cocktail totaled $150, including tip and taxes.
409 SE Milner Boulevard torched to produce a lightly charred flavor; Fortunately, Hungry Al never complains about cost
Boca Raton, Florida 33432 Unagi Eel–A tender Japanese grilled freshwater eel when it comes to quality of company or food. Spending
954-440-5270 that is brushed with unagi sauce and rice. three wonderful hours with my son-in-law, enjoying
sushibybou.com From The Dessert Tray: Our very attentive waiter what he loves is enough to make me feel like an emperor.
highly recommended we finish our fish feast with a How can I not give
Food For Thought: My first memories of eating sushi refreshing cold sweet dessert called Mochi. Not familiar Sushi Boū of Boca
date back three decades ago. If my recollection is correct with this after-dinner delight I was happily surprised five golden pieces of sashimi?
there was not even one sushi restaurant in Boca (hard to by a Japanese-style ice cream. Mochi is a small round
believe). I actually drove to Coral Springs where the only
sushi restaurant existed, and most of the way I complained Grape Expectations:
why I thought eating raw fish didn’t sound appetizing. I
was such a novice I thought a California Roll was a surfing
term. I confess that, after struggling through the meal, I Wine Pairings to Avoid!
was never going to eat sushi again. Boy, was I wrong!
That was then…and this is now. It seems every corner
in Palm Beach County now has a sushi restaurant and By Ed Wolfarth, who recently with food can be tricky. Do you match the weight of the
the difference between them is hard to decipher. When moved to South Florida after food, or consider the sauce it comes in? Do you always
it comes to dining on sushi, most of us have become retiring with his wife, Vicki, as drink wine from Italy with Italian fare? (I do!). Listed
complacent in our own individual experiences and taste. Professor of Sports Sciences & below are a few examples of pairings you need to avoid.
It seems everyone states that their sushi restaurant is the Physical Education at both Queens Let’s start with veggies, especially asparagus, and why
best. College and Hofstra University. He it is so hard to pair with wine. Artichoke and asparagus
For me, when it comes to sushi quality I always defer is a nationally ranked senior tennis contain a compound called cynarin, which makes
to my son-in-law Hungry S, who claims he’s a “Shogun” player and long-time USPTA Elite everything taste sweeter than it really is, including water!
when it comes to this cuisine. And I would not want to Teaching Professional. Ed has This plays havoc with wine. So if you are drinking a big
test his opinion because I know I would lose. Actually, as written many educational and tennis articles in the past. red with asparagus it’s going to make the wine taste like
I write he’s in Japan eating his way through the country Over the past few years, Ed has turned his hobby of wine moldy marshmallows running through a rusty drain pipe.
and at some of the most famous Omakase establishments. collecting into a way of continuing his passion for writing, Instead, try a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc or any vibrant
For those who have never heard of the word Omakase, and has written on the subject for publications. As a self- slightly acidic white.
it literally means: “leave it up to you.” That translates to proclaimed “wine snob,” he has collaborated on many How about having a light white wine with roast beef?
giving a very experienced sushi chef (Itamae) to use his wine lists for private clubs and a few restaurants. Ed can The roast beef is too heavy in flavor and weight. So you’ll
full discretion on what to serve. This multiple course meal be reached at wolfarthe@msn.com be tasting a swamp with a hint of paint thinner! Could be
is served to fewer than a dozen patrons at the countertop. When it comes to pairing wine with food my mantra Sherwin Williams, but I’m not sure.
Each plate is an individual serving of high-quality fish has always been, “Drink the wine you like with the food Instead, match the roast beef with a big red like a Petite
utilizing artistic and theatrical techniques. you like, with a few exceptions.” Of course, I wouldn’t Syrah (nothing petite about it) or a hearty red Zinfandel
First Impressions: To locate this buried treasure of have a big tannic Napa Cab with Dover Sole, but I would
Japanese cuisine you’ll have to use your map skills for it is consider a buttery Chardonnay with steak. Pairing wine Grape Expectations on page 19
in a hidden alley. Actually, it’s in the old location of Alley
Cat in the east section of the downtown “Pink Mall” off
Federal Hwy. The interior is where all the magic happens.
Dining is mostly at the sushi bar, which is a beautifully lit
art deco style counter. The sushi chefs are front and center
and allow you to watch every aspect of this food art in
person. They are easily approachable and happy to assist
in any questions about sushi or its preparation. Hungry S
carried on a conversation like a professor of sushi, and I
was simply lost in translation.
The Experience: I recommend that if you ever desire
to participate in this method of dining (and you should), I
would come with a strong appetite. Usually, an Omakase
menu can include anywhere from 12 to 25 courses and
can take about two or three hours to complete. Hungry
S bragged to me he had a 50-course Omakase in Japan.
Next, he’ll be taking up sumo wrestling!
At Sushi Boū there’s a great specialized cocktail menu
you must try. I couldn’t resist the Shiso Southsider ($18). It
was a mix of Suntory Haku vodka, lime juice and a floating
shiso leaf. Also, there’s an extensive list of Sake to choose
from; go for the Born Gold Muroka Junmai Daiginjo.
So, for the next two hours we completely sat back and
watched two master sushi chefs perform their artistry with
the knives that slice like butter and fish dishes that seemed
to fly off the hook in a well-paced nonstop performance
that would win any skilled Itamae an Iron Chef trophy.
The Omakase Courses: With 12 courses and a
dessert it would be overwhelming to explain each dish
we consumed. So, in an eye toward brevity, allow me to
give you the highlights. Here’s what followed:

Hamachi –A Yellowtail/Amberjack sushi-grade fish
noted for its high fat content;
Akamai–Lean tuna found on the back side that contains
less fat than Toro;
Botanebi–Spotted Prawn found in deep seas–offers a
sweet and luxurious flavor;