Daimaru

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Usually when my husband and I go out for sushi in Topeka we go to Kiku, but yesterday we didn't feel like driving all the way across town. Daimaru is in our neighborhood so we decided to try their sushi. I was pleasantly surprised.

Pulling up, I was skeptical because there seemed to be nobody there. Going inside I felt the same way, but I had to keep reminding myself that just because it wasn't busy like Mr. Stirfry because it's not a chain. Plus it was 4 p.m. on a Thursday. We were the only two customers, which I decided was fine by me. It was nice not having to listen to people around us and to have a private meal.

The room is set up with hibachi grills, booths and tables. The bar is for sushi rolling as well as drink pouring, and is also where their specials are featured. The specials are what I was after - that's how I like to try new sushi, for cheap.

We didn't want hibachi, just sushi, so we sat at a table by the bar. I ordered the rainbow roll, (my favorite), which is a California roll with sashimi and avocado on top. My husband ordered the hot roll, which is a spicy tuna roll that was dipped in tempura batter, fried and topped with their hot sauce. Then together we ordered a third roll, the troublemaker roll. I ordered this because I feel like we are both troublemakers and the waitress said it was a good choice.

            We were served the soup, typical of most sushi places, cloudy broth with shiitake mushrooms and green onions. This one had bok choy and soft tofu, which I really enjoyed. I don't usually go for the soft tofu, but in the soup it was perfect. No salad was served, but I looked at the menu and there are meals one can purchase that will come with soup and salad. We just ordered a la carte so I was surprised we even had soup so I was happy with that.

            The sushi came shortly after.

            My favorite roll of all time is the rainbow roll, and most people stick their nose up at it because of the sashimi. Most people think sushi is all raw fish but they are wrong. Many types of sushi come with cooked fish or no fish, only vegetables. The Nori may have a fishy taste to it but that is only because it is made out of seaweed, so most people think they are tasting fish, but it’s really the green wrap. Sashimi, on the other hand, is raw fish. The rainbow roll usually has five to seven types of sashimi on top, and that is my favorite part. Yellowtail, tuna, scallop, salmon, snapper, and even shrimp – although it’s cooked – can all be on top. I am not sure of the exact fish that Daimaru serves on theirs, but it was tasty. Inside the roll is just like a California, avocado, crab and cucumber, rice on the outside, Nori on the inside.

            The hot roll was pretty tasty as well. The sauce they drizzled on the top was to die for, spicy and sweet at the same time and a perfect compliment to the spicy tuna on the inside of the roll. It was warm because it was deep fried, but not hot. The crunchy paired well with the softness of the spicy tuna and the texture was perfectly balanced. Sometimes spicy tuna can be too spicy but this was not, and I ate more than my usual one piece. Sometimes the chef will put cucumber in the middle with the spicy tuna, but this one only had spicy tuna. With it being fried I think this was the best choice

            The third roll, the troublemaker roll was pretty damn good. It was the special on their board and I was glad I tried it. It included spicy tuna, tempura battered shrimp and more of that awesome spicy/sweet sauce. I was in heaven.

            I will definitely b returning to Daimaru to try more of their food. I only wanted sushi yesterday but I am intrigued and ready to try the hibachi, and when I do I will let you all know how it goes.

            Please leave comments to let me know what you think of my reviews, and take my poll too! If you have a suggestion of a restaurant I should try, let me know, I am always up for suggestions. Happy tasting!

Fryer Shack!!!

View Larger Map I recently came across this awesome place near my house called the Fryer Shack.

            The name says exactly what the place is, a shack. The walls are made of metal, there is a single-unit air conditioner and there is extremely limited seating. With a bar area for four or five people to sit, two booths and two small tables, it’s pretty crowded and definitely feels like one is standing in an actual shack. Fortunately the day I chose to go was cool outside so it was bearable to sit out in their patio area.

            Each day, the Fryer Shack posts on their Facebook page their available specials. Then what you need to do is tell the cashier which five-dollar deal you want. They don’t even charge extra for sales tax so it comes out to five dollars even. This time, I chose the pulled chicken sandwich and curly fries, which also came with a fountain drink. I just don’t think you can beat that.

            When I received my meal it came in a little red basket, overfilled with curly fries. They also offer a variety of other sides, including sweet potato fries, onion rings and fried dill pickle bites. The sandwich was a decent size and comes with pickles and barbeque sauce, which I thought was sweet with a touch of spiciness. The curly fries looked strange to me, but tasted pretty amazing. They are crispy and curly but aren’t like your typical curly fries that have some sort of seasoning on them. These were normal French fries but curly. I liked them better than McDonald’s fries.

            I was impressed when I left the first time and decided I needed to return to try other menu items. During my second go-round I ordered the number two, which is a single cheeseburger with all the fixings. I already knew I loved the curly fries so I wanted to give something else a chance. I chose the fried dill pickles and wasn’t disappointed. Most fried pickles are greasy and sometimes the batter is all wrong and falls right off the pickles. These, on the other hand, weren’t greasy at all and the batter held up well to the pickles. The portion was large and I could not eat all of them.

            One thing that caught my eye on their menu is their hot dogs. They use all beef hot dogs and deep fry them, then top them with interesting ingredients. Usually you can get the hot dog meal for less than five dollars, and it is served with a side and a drink. I will definitely be returning to try one of the hot dogs, or the deep-fried burger.

         Go check it out and let me know what you think. The Fryer Shack is located at 1221 SW Huntoon Street.

China Pavilion

                                 
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The other day for lunch, my husband and I decided to go to China Pavilion, my favorite Chinese buffet in Topeka. I have been going there since I was around 12 years old, when my grandma Pat would take me and sit in the smoking section. We would always order hot tea, and although it’s been almost 2 years since she passed away, I still do.

The selection of entrees is satisfactory, and usually include vegetable lo mein, general’s chicken, beef and broccoli, general tso’s chicken, sweet and sour chicken, black pepper chicken and mooshu pork, among many others. Fried egg rolls and crab rangoons are two of my favorites, as well as the egg drop soup. The only thing on the buffet I don’t enjoy are the sugary doughnuts, they are not very fresh. If you can get them when they are fresh they are great, but usually they aren’t.

They have a cold buffet too, with a small selection of fruit, pudding and jello. I enjoy the bananas in strawberry sauce, and occasionally the cantaloupe is sweet and I will get some of that, but of course it’s hit or miss with that. The ice cream is a little icy, but I think I may be used to it, because it doesn’t bother me. They always have chocolate and vanilla cookies next to the ice cream, but I only like the vanilla ones, the chocolate ones are off I think.

I love the atmosphere there, the walls have Chinese paintings and red archways. They also sell merchandise which they ship directly from China which make one feel as if they are in a real Chinese restaurant.

China Pavilion is full of sentimental value for me but, I also love the food and the people working there are always nice and helpful, which is a plus. The price is low and keeps me coming back after all these years – I think it cost us $14.

A Taste of Lawrence

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The other night my husband and I decided to get out of Topeka to try a restaurant in Lawrence. With his recent experience working in a brewery, he wanted to try Lawrence’s local brewery, called Freestate Brewing Company – and I am glad we did because the food was amazing. The service was pretty snappy, as well.
Not only did their menu have surprising selections - like the Cuban sandwich and baked goat cheese, both of which we ordered – everything tasted great too. It was extremely hard to choose what to order, as the menu wasn’t your typical bar menu, which is what I was expecting. I don’t drink much beer so I can’t really comment on the their brews, but because they were a brewery I assumed the emphasis would be on the beer, not the food. I was so wrong – you know what they say about the word assume, right?
I wanted the onion rings because the batter is made with their beer, but the menu doesn’t say which beer, just that it’s “Freestate’s beer batter.” The rings are served in a basket, piled high, with stone-ground mustard and ketchup. They are crunchy and golden on the outside and the onion is tender and juicy on the inside. The portion size is substantial for an appetizer.
The second appetizer we ordered was the Spanish baked goat cheese, and stands out the most in my memory. This app consisted of goat cheese combined with a garlic tomato sauce, with melted Swiss cheese and it’s topped with fried capers. The cheese and the tomato sauce blended together create a creamy, flavorful dip with the stringy Swiss cheese and crispy capers adding texture and character. The tartness of the goat cheese, and the acid in the tomato sauce combined with the tanginess of the fried capers, the flavor was deliciously unique. It’s served with slices of toasted baguette for dipping, but we also liked dipping our wedge-cut French-fries into it and that was pretty amazing as well.
I ordered the smoked turkey sandwich, and opted to have it grilled - which you don’t have to. The turkey is smoked, (hence the name, “smoked turkey,”) and it comes with Swiss, cream cheese and a side of mayo. It stood out to me because it is served with fries and a cluster of red grapes, which I don’t see regularly. I love grapes so this influenced my choice. The turkey was sliced thin, with cheese layered throughout the sandwich, the cream cheese was spread on the bread so I didn’t really need mayo, unless you really want it, I guess. I tried putting it on mine, but decided it wasn’t needed, the sandwich is great without it – and who needs that extra fat anyway? The grapes added a sweetness that I welcomed, and I found I liked to take a couple bites of the sandwich, then, I would eat a couple grapes. Their sweetness paired nicely with the smoke on the turkey.
Freestate Brewing Co. is located at 636 Massachusetts Avenue Lawrence, KS and their website is http://freestatebrewing.com/ where you can check out their menu, specials and what beers they have on tap. I would definitely recommend checking this place out, and trying their beer and their food. Happy tasting!

More photos of the food I have eaten recently

I know this blog is called Tasting Topeka, but I have decided to include a few photos from Freestate Brewing Co. in Lawrence Kansas. It's not too far from Topeka and the food is delicious, so check it out sometime. 

Return Customer

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Wow, I just had a really awesome lunch. Juli's Coffee and Bistro at 4010 SW Huntoon in Topeka is the place to go for an awesome sandwich, good coffee and friendly service.
Every time I go there, the service is great, the seats are full and the food is awesome. I follow them on Facebook and saw that they started new items on the menu, and I decided to check them out. The one I tried is called the Wild Bessie, with roast beef, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato and bistro ranch all served on a ciabatta roll. Each sandwich is served with your choice of chips. The selection varies in flavors and brands. Usually I see Block & Barrel and Sun Chips, but sometimes there are other kinds too.
The bistro ranch has a little kick to it, but it's not really spicy, and makes the sandwich pop. The roast beef is tender and not chewy like some, and the roll is soft and a little chewy like ciabatta should be. This sandwich is pretty awesome, and if I didn't want to try the other items I would order it every time.
Another thing to be mentioned is the service. I am always impressed that two people can take care of their customers so well. They look to be extremely busy, but they still have time to smile, say hello and get your order to you in a timely fashion. I love this local business and will be coming back many times in the future.
Oh yeah, the coffee is pretty good too, they serve Roasterie coffee, which I talked about in my last podcast. Happy tasting :)

Post #7 - A few words on coffee

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In my podcast I talk about a couple awesome spots for coffee right here in Topeka. Listen, check them out, then let me know what you think! Just post your comment on the podcast :) Thanks, and happy tasting.