Foodie Dan

Address: 6640 Washington St, Yountville, CA 94599
Phone: 707-944-2380
Hours: Daily, by reservation only, 5:30-9:00 p.m., lunch on Fri, Sat, Sun 11:00-1:00p.m.

The French Laundry. As one of the best restaurants in the world, the French Laundry is the holy grail for all foodies. Thomas Keller’s flagship restaurant in Yountville (in Napa Valley, CA) is recognized as the epitome of dining in not only the United States, but also the world. It is also one of the few multiple michelin 3 star restaurants in the world.

Not surprisingly, a reservation at the French Laundry is one of the most difficult reservations to get in the world. If you are lucky enough to get a reservation, you cherish it and plan your work vacation schedule and entire Napa Valley trip around that reservation.

There are 3 ways to get a reservation:

1) Go to http://www.opentable.com and register for an account. They release two seatings (5:30pm and 9:15pm) per day. Reservations are available up to 2 months in advance. There are almost never any reservations available but they release two seatings each day (exactly 2 months out) so you can get lucky. There are a few secrets and if you want to know them, email me…:) Also, read this link for some official hints.

2) Call them at 707-944-2380. Like opentable, they have reservations available 2 months in advance so call them exactly 2 months before you want to go there. Call them in the morning and keep calling.

3) Have a contact on the inside. This is obviously not feasible for everyone but if you know someone who works there (sous-chef (like I do…:)), waiter, chef, busboy, Thomas Keller, Thomas Keller’s grandfather, etc.) they may be able to get you in. They have a few tables (maybe 2?) that they have saved off to the side for people they know or VIPs and you might be able to snag one of those.

My final advice on reservations is this…keep trying. If you want a reservation for a specific date/time, it’s going to be tough. But if you are flexible, keep calling them every day and in a few days you’ll probably get lucky and you’ll get a table. Then go ahead and plan your trip up there.

For the guys out there, the dress code is “jacket required”. It is one of the few restaurants in America that still has this requirement.

On December 13, 2006, I was lucky enough to get a reservation for 4 at 9:15PM on February 13, 2007 at the French Laundry via opentable.com. I knew that my wife and I would head up there for dinner (to celebrate her 30th birthday) but since opentable.com only takes reservations for 4 for dinner, I had to find another couple.

I promptly sent out an email to all of my friends letting them know that I had 2 slots available. One of my friends quickly grabbed the spot for herself and her boyfriend and our group of 4 was set!

My wife and I spent 3 days in Napa Valley scheduled around this reservation. We visited a few wineries, drank lots of wine, got massages, etc. It was a nice weekend but we were there to go to the French Laundry! I took some pictures but my gear and technique were not quite as good as now so I’m not very happy with the pictures. Anyway, here is what we ate.

When you first sit down, you are greeted with a napkin held by a laundry pin. This pin is later given to you as a souvenir so I have this in my car as a constant reminder of this excellent meal.

Salmon ice cream cones with creme fraiche. This is the classic start to this meal. As most dishes here, it’s only 1-2 bites and it leaves your palate yearning for more. It is an excellent start to an excellent meal.

Oysters and Pearls. This dish consists of oyster and caviar served on warm savory pearl tapioca custard. I love caviar and I love oyster and the custard was the perfect delicate balance to hold everything together.

The pearl spoon for the oysters and pearls.

I opted for the supplmenent add-on which was the foie gras. The foie gras was actually more like a pate or a terrine. It was very good and came with a variety of salts from around the world and bread cooked from Bouchon (Thomas Keller’s bistro). The foie gras was one of the best I have ever had.

Japanese hamachi (yellowtail) sashimi with nuts, plum, pear, and avocado sauce. This was certainly different from sashimi dishes that I have had at Japanese restaurants. I liked it a lot because it was nice and refreshing. the fruit was great but the nuts were a little odd.

Back sea bass on a bed of parsnip, celery, etc. The sea bass was moist and fluffy.

lobster knuckle meat

I think this was quail. It was flavorful and moist.

Snake River Farms kobe beef. This is the best kobe beef made in the US. It’s good but if you’ve ever had the real thing, sorry but this stuff doesn’t really compare. It was good though.

Venison was another option. I didn’t get it but one of my dining companions got it. I tried a small piece and it was very good. I stayed away because I thought it might be a little gamey but not this venison…

Pear sorbet. I love sorbet and this pear sorbet was the perfect palate cleanser.

My wife’s 30th birthday! They put a small candle on her dessert.

One piece of advice: save room for dessert! Here you can see the creme brule, chocolate covered macadamias, and a chocolate friend cookie-type thing (dunno what it’s called but it was good).

Closeup of the creme brule.

Chocolates. The waiter came with a big dish full of what looked like 100 pieces of chocolate. I grabbed a few pieces.

More chocolate and caramel, etc…This finally concluded the 3.5 hour meal. One of the best meals of my life.

Address: 218 N. Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills
Phone: 310-247-8939
Hours: Daily, by reservation only, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. & 5:30-9:30 p.m.

Michelin: 2 stars

Opinionated About: #1 in the USA!

This was my 4th trip to Urasawa and each time I go there, the experience is unforgettable. The first time I went was back in October of 2006. It was so good that I wrote up a quick review which quickly became one of the most popular Urasawa reviews on the internet. In September of 2007, I went there again and the second experience was every bit as unbelievable as the first trip. And again, I went in November of 2007 which was barely a month later so it felt like Hiro-san and I were best friends by then. On April 4, 2008, I went to Urasawa for my 4th trip and as usual, it was the best!

If you combine the best ingredients, the best skills, the best service, and the best location, you end up with Urasawa. Hiro-san sources only the best quality ingredients available in the world for his signature dishes and sushi. His knowledge and skill is unparalleled as he sources the best fish and explains how certain fish is best from various areas of Japan, while other fish is best from Santa Barbara, etc. As a diner, you can catch a glimpse of Hiro-san’s vast knowledge and enjoy the fruits of his painstaking labor.

Dining at Urasawa is not simply a meal. You can get a meal at any restaurant. Dining at Urasawa is a once in a lifetime experience. Each dish for the evening is carefully planned before it is ever served to you. Hiro-san and his staff start preparing for dinner early in the morning from the various preparations, to Hiro-san himself cutting the ice sculpture for the sashimi, etc. The experience can be divided into 5 sections: whet your appetite, kaiseki (signature dishes), sushi, dessert, and tea. Everything is absolutely perfect…the pace, the food, the preparation, the presentation, and the service.

Below is my description as I walk you through a my dining experiences at Urasawa. I hope my pictures whet your appetite for this unforgettable experience. All pictures were taken from my last 3 trips to Urasawa. Since Hir0-san changes his menu frequently, you may not get exactly the same dishes shown here. I have also taken a compilation of dishes over my 3 trips so your experience will likely have a combination of a subset of these dishes + some new dishes that I have never had!

I am an amateur photographer and these photos are free for use by anyone. I only ask that you credit me for taking the picture. Thanks.

The restaurant is located in a building on Rodeo Dr. You enter the parking lot off a side street (Dayton St.) and proceed to valet parking.

Once you get out of your car, you see this sign in the parking garage that says “URASAWA By Reservation Only”.

Once you enter the building, you see this sign next to the elevator. There are 2 elevators but the one next to this sign takes you right in front of the restaurant.

This is the entrance to the restaurant when you get off the elevator. It may look like an unassuming entrance but behind those doors lies a magical place. As you walk to the door, you will be greeted by his staff.

The counter is made of smooth unfinished wood and is sandpapered daily. Simply running your hands over the smooth wood is an unforgettable experience. There are 9-10 seats at the bar + 1 table off to the side that seats 4 and a back room that seats around 6 people. The staff usally use the side table for coats, bags, etc. I have seen a group use the back room once when he had a large group come in. In my opinion, part of the Urasawa experience is sitting there at the actual sushi bar with Hiro-san and interacting with him as he hands you one piece of sushi after another. The sushi bar is shaped like an L with 6 people along the long side and 3 people along the short side of the “L”. My favorite 2 seats are in the corner where the 2 lines meet.

All of the ingredients are the best anyone can find anywhere in the world. All wasabi is hand grated from the root (no powdered wasabi used here), authentic kobe beef from Japan, etc. All fish is wild fish (Hiro-san never uses farm raised fish).

Wasabi root. Hiro-san grates it by hand every now and then when he needs more wasabi.

Hiro-san just received a shipment of white truffles!

Appetizer: Cold Citrus Soup. This was our first dish on one of my trips. It consisted of a refreshing citrus taste that you quickly drink in one shot. The was a good palate cleanser to start the meal.

Appetizer: This was a nice refreshing start to our meal at one of our other trips to Urasawa.

Appetizer: Kinuta maki - red snapper and shrimp wrapped in radish with scallion garnish. It was cool and refreshing. The explosion of fresh flavors in your mouth mixed with the slightly tart sauce just made the dish refreshing. To call this dish a palate cleanser would be an injustice because it was so much more.

Dish: Taka Maki. Sea eel wrapped in cucumber with mygo vegetable. The sauce did have a slight citrus tart to it as well. The sea eel was cooked and the cucumber gave the roll a nice clean taste. The Mygo vegetable is the pinkish vegetable used as garnish on the top. This vegetable was sweet and accompanied the maki very well.

Dish: shrimp, radish, vegetables. This dish is nice, cool, and full of clean flavors. I liked this dish for it’s pure simplicity. Each ingredient is crisp and clean but the combination of eating one after another brings a unique dynamic to this dish.

Dish: Vegetables - pumpkin, shitake mushroom, radish, snow pea, scallion. The vegetables were fresh and flavorful. The pumpkin was especially good.

Dish: Toro Tataki in ponzu topped with radish, scallion, and 24 karat edible gold leaf. This is one of the classic Urasawa dishes and I love it every time. The toro is just perfect.

Dish: Edamabe Tofu with Sea Urchin, Salmon Eggs, Shrimp, Vegetable and 24K Gold Flakes

This is one of the signature dishes that Hiro is known for. The 24-karat gold flakes makes the dish look very nice. The salmon eggs are fresh and slightly salty. Most salmon eggs are way too salty but these are just perfect. Once you eat through the gold flakes, scallion garnish, and salmon eggs you find the edamabe tofu. Once you eat through the edamabe tofu, you are rewarded with sea urchin (uni) in the middle!

Dish: Squid marinated in soy mixture. There are 2 small squids marinated in a soy mixture. Hiro-san explained that this dish goes very well with sake and I believe it! I don’t usually drink alcohol but I think next time I will order a bottle of sake just to try it.

Dish: Sashimi on Carved Ice

Hiro carves his own ice blocks every afternoon to prepare for the evening meal. Today’s sashimi included toro, red snapper, and yellowtail. Hiro mentioned that the toro is from Boston and the yellowtail is from Japan (caught in the Sea of Japan). The sashimi is excellent. The toro melts in your mouth, the red snapper has a slight citrus flavor, and the yellowtail has the right combination of fat and flavor.

Dish: Chawan Mushi. This is the best chawan mushi I have ever had. Hiro-san’s staff explained to mix the top portion of this and then dive in and eat it.

Dish: Tempura. This tempura was unique because it had bamboo and fish. The bamboo was on the top and bottom to make it kind of like a sandwich.

Dish: Adobi Mushi

Soup with shrimp, red snapper, ginko nuts, special mushroom This is a hot soup but it comes in a small kettle. You pour the kettle into a small tea cup to drink the juice and you use your chopsticks to eat the shrimp, red snaller, ginko nuts, and mushroom inside the kettle. The soup was excellent. The pouring does get a little messy (even the wait staff kept spilling a bit here and there).

Dish: Sea Urchin and Abalone

This is another of Hiro’s famous dishes. This is a cooked dish with sea urchin and chunks of abalone. Personally, I like sea urchin raw but it’s pretty good cooked as well. The abalone is nice and chewy. I don’t know what the sauce is but it’s think and gooey.

Dish: Dumpling. This was a round dumpling with shrimp in the middle. It was a warm dish and the flavors were very good.

Dish: Seared Toro. The hot black stone sears the toro perfectly to bring out the marbled fat. The toro literally melts in your mouth.

Dish: White truffle risotto. This was a Japanese style risotto. Hiro-san then picked up a truffle and proceeded to add slices of truffle to the top. Knowing that I like truffle, he gave me a lot…I couldn’t even see the rice since I had so much truffle. Wow. This dish was awesome. Simply awesome.

Dish: Slow Cooked Beef

The chunks of beef are marinated in a sake marinade for over 24 hours and then slowly cooked in another sauce (soy sauce based?). The result is a dish with slow cooked tender chunks of beef. This is a little like a Korean dish called “kal bi jjim” (steamed short ribs).

Dish: Shabu Shabu

The hama fish, kobe beef, and foie gras. Some people don’t like foie gras (I love it) but even if you don’t, I highly recommend that you try the foie gras here. It is soft, tender, and slowly melts in your mouth. It’s sublime. Once you finish with the shabu shabu, you drink the broth. I wouldn’t drink it all as it will fill you up and you have a long way to go. I have had foie gras everywhere in the world and I still think Hiro-san’s foie gras is the best.

Hiro-san removing the lobster tail

Dish: Cooked lobster with a sauce made of uni, sake, and a little bit of soy sauce.

Sushi Course: Sushi

The main course portion of the meal is over and Hiro-san brings out the sushi plates. He places a plate in front of each person in preparation of placing sushi on top of the plate. He explain that you should eat sushi with your fingers and you should eat it quickly (as soon as he places the sushi on the plate). The sushi portion of the meal is long and seemingly never-ending. It seems like Hiro-san just makes piece after piece after piece for you.

It is amazing to watch Hiro-san cut fish. The closest thing I can compare this to is a diamond cutter cutting a diamond out of a rock. Hiro-san cuts the fish so that you (the diner) only gets the best part of the best fish. He cuts and discards until you have a small piece of the best fish available. This is amazing because not only does Hiro-san source the best fish in the world, he cuts off big chunks of it and throws it out until he is left with only the best part of the best fish to serve to you. Amazing.

Sushi: Toro
Sushi: Maguro (Bluefin Tuna) (not pictured)

The toro melts in your mouth.

Sushi: Red Snapper

Sushi: Seared toro

This one is THE BEST! My wife loves this and I think it’s one of my favorites too. The combination of the seared burnt part of the toro with the fatty toro is just sublime!

Sushi: Shira Ebi (White Shrimp). This is actually made up of small shrimp that is brought in from Japan. Each piece of sushi has around 20 of these small shrimp.

Sushi: Clam

Sushi: Abalone

Sushi: Spanish Mackerel

Sushi: Sea Urchin (uni)

Sushi: Orange Clam

Sushi: Cooked Shitake Mushroom

Sushi: Shrimp. This was a special shrimp that Hiro-san flew in from Japan. He said that he got 20 of them but 16 were bad so he only got 4. There were only 4 of us eating that night so we had a special treat.

Sushi: Japanese Herring (Kohada). The quality of Hiro-san’s Kohada is second to none. You cannot get Kohada like this anywhere in the world (except for maybe the very best and very few restaurants in Japan).

Sushi: Needle fish (sayori). I always think this is the most beautiful piece that Hiro-san makes.

Sushi: Scallop

Sushi: Pike Mackerel

To conclude the sushi course, Hiro-san hands you a piece of tamago cake. It’s soft, fluffy, and the perfect end to the sushi course.

Dessert: Pear Jello with Plum Sauce

The pear jello was excellent. The plum sauce was a little sweet. I thought the pear jello would have worked better without the plum sauce because I found myself trying to eat the pear jello and wiping off the plum sauce with my spoon.

Dessert: Red Bean Ice Cream

Hiro even makes his own ice cream. He buys red beans, soaks them in water for a long time, and makes ice cream. He topped the ice cream with gold flakes.

Dessert: Ripe and chilled persimmon.

Dessert: Sesame ice cream. This is my wife’s favorite. The ice cream has a naturally sweet nutty flavor.

Tea: Green Tea Macha

The green tea is unlike any green tea that you will likely ever have. It is actually pretty bitter but it’s good for your health and it’s the real deal.

The bill comes out to about $800 or so for 2 people drinking water. It is worth every penny.

Hiro-san said that most of his customers are either coming for the first time or they visit once a year. He calls those customer who visit once a year his “regular” customers. Since he saw me twice within a 45 day period, he said I’m one of his true “regulars”. So as a regular, my advice to anyone paying Hiro-san a visit is this…go hungry. It is a long dinner and you will need to pace yourself to experience each dish. If you are full halfway through the meal, you will not appreciate the sushi and desserts.

Most of you know that in 2004, a friend and I started a mobile wireless software company called Juice Wireless. We made a product called JuiceCaster. I love this product and I spend an unbelievable amount of time and effort working on my company. If things continue to rock on and go well (knock on wood), this company should have some unbelievable success.

This may sound a bit cliche but my career goal has always been to “change the world!” I think JuiceCaster will change the world by making multimedia blogging from your cell phone a part of every day life for many individuals. When major events occur in the world, I believe it will be people posting on JuiceCaster that bring the most up to date and groundbreaking news.

Although I’m fully committed to my company, just for fun, I have also been thinking about what to do next. I truly wish to do something that will “change the world!” I believe that my place is in the environment. And rather than say “I’m going to help the environment”, I am going to tackle one specific problem and that is…CARS.

The automobile is part of everyday life for most Americans but it has now been transcended over the past few decades around the world. Even in poor countries such as India, you see cars all over the streets and traffic is a huge concern. When I moved to Korea in 1985, most families around me did not own an actual car and if they did, they owned 1 car for the father to use to go to work. It was a complete luxury because public transportation was readily available. Well today, public transportation in Korea is better than ever (with more subway lines constructed, more bus lines, etc.) but most families I know own 2 cars now. The roads haven’t gotten much bigger so traffic is terrible.

There are hardly any place left in the world that has not been affected by the onslaught of cars. With all of the traffic around the world, there is an unimaginable waste of fuel and an unimaginable impact to the environment. Of course factories and other places contribute to polluting the environment but cars are still by far the #1 contributor to pollution in the environment.

All of this negative impact to the environment is scary because the planet has never before experienced this type of man made impact. Before man, there were only animals and they weren’t making things to pollute the earth. In early man, there were carts and buggies but they were not polluting the environment. But think about the last 100 years. We have built factories, plowed through the rain forests, killed off animals, etc. 100 years is but a blink in the history of the planet yet we have done more to impact the planet in the past 100 years than we have in the past 10000 years.

If I can tackle one big issue such as the car, it can make such a huge impact that the actual planet will change. So again, I will start with the car.

These days, hybrid cars are all the rage. Please seemed to have forgotten but a few years ago, GM made a 100% electric car called the EV1. The EV1 project got scrapped for various political reasons but it was a great start and the best thing about it was that it actually worked! The range wasn’t the best and the charging station was a little inconvenient and it was very small but it was a great start to mass producing 100% electric cars.

Using the knowledge gained from that car along with currently available technology, I would like to work on building a car with the following properties:

1) Range of 100+ miles. This is definitely achievable using the latest battery technology.

2) Rechargeable via renewable energy sources (solar, wind). The top of the car would be all solar cells. If there is a way to integrate solar cells in the actual doors and body of the car while maintaining the standard aesthetics of a car, that would be even better. The front grill of the car would contain small propellers that help charge the batteries. The eventual goal is to come up with a system where enough sunlight + wind would charge the batteries as you drive resulting in unlimited range under the right conditions but for step 1, I’ll take using these other sources for slow recharging. Ideally, you would be able to drive to work, park on the roof of a parking garage (or outside), and have the battery fully charged up by the time you have to go home. To be realistic, I suppose we’ll need 110V plug in technology also available at the start.

3) 110V plug in is great but still not fully solving the problem because we are simply substituting gas for coal (the primary method of electricity). Although coal is much cheaper, it’s still not a permanent solution.

4) The size of the car must be big enough for convenience. A small 2 seater type electric car will not gain mass appeal simply because Americans want to have a 4 door sedan. The size must be around the size of a typical best selling American car such as a Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, etc.

5) The cost of the car must be reasonable. The goal should be to keep the final MSRP at under $25,000. This may be achievable partner with a company such as TATA (in India) who makes a cheap $5500 car (so they have the infrastructure in place to manufacture low priced automobiles). The car must be mass produce-able.

6) And finally, the car must be 100% electric. I do not wish to build YAH (yet another hybrid) or an electric + gas car, etc.

So you may ask…aren’t there other companies doing this? Sure, there are some. There’s TESLA, who makes an electric sports car but it costs $100,000. They are planning to make a sedan for $50,000. There are many different types of hybrids and Toyota is utilizing their hybrid technology across many of their cars such as the Prius, Camry, Highlander, Lexus RX400h, etc. GM has their two mode hybrid which is the next generation hybrid technology and used in larger SUVs such as the Chevy Tahoe Hybrid and GMC Yukon Hybrid. But the most exciting prospect to me is the Chevy Volt, which is scheduled for release in late 2009 or 2010. The Volt is a plug in electric car (NOT A HYBRID) and runs 100% on electric. However, if the batteries run out, you can use alternative fuels (such as gas, ethanol). I think this is a great next step in the evolution of automobiles. The price is estimated at about $25,000 so the the price is right for mass acceptance.

GM makes “flex fuel” cars that can take both gas or ethanol. Ethanol is not a solution. The farmers use gas (tractors, etc.) to grow the corn and it takes gas to convert corn to ethanol. The only thing that ethanol does is make the midwest corn farmers richer.

The automobile problem is hitting a critical stage in the ecology of our environment. Of course we all know of global warming but the scariest part is the impact we are making that we don’t know about. I believe that helping “solve” the automobile pollution issue by converting all cars to electric will save the earth.

Restaurant: The Hump

Address: 3221 Donald Douglas Loop S. 3rd Fl, Santa Monica, CA

Phone: 310.313.0977

Website: http://www.thehump.biz

Additional Pictures: http://www.danpaik.com/gallery/4324656_sH5S6

On February 11, 2008, I went to Hump in Santa Monica. Hump is considered one of the best Japanese restaurants in Southern California so I wanted to check them out.

The reservation was pretty straighforward. I booked a table via opentable.com without any difficulty. They called me on the morning of the 11th to confirm my reservation.

Our reservation was set for 6:30 but we got there at around 7:00PM. They didn’t seem to mind. We did call them a few times while enroute to let them know that we were running late.

The restaurant is difficult to find if you are not familiar with the area. It is located in a building at Santa Monica airport but there are many small buildings here and there. If you drive along Airport Ave., you will eventually see a sign that says “Typhoon”, the restaurant in the same building as Hump.

Eventually, we did arrive. The decor of the restaurant is nice, clean, and modern. It is not a big restaurant but there are roughly 15 tables or so and a fairly large sushi bar that will seat around 10 people. We were greeted immediately when we entered the restaurant. The restaurant was pretty empty and they sat us at an excellent table at the window.

The menu consists of various items ranging from sashimi, cold dishes, hot dishes, combinations, omakase, and the back page is their sushi and rolls. These types of restaurants are so much more than your fairly typical salmon sushi and spicy tuna rolls so it would be a sin to just order off their sushi menu. I have heard that their specials (e.g. lobster sashimi) and the omakase is excellent but very expensive. I don’t have exact prices but I would guess that the omakase ranges in the $200/person range. We opted to order sashimi and various dishes from the menu. We concluded with some sushi and rolls.

Most of the sashimi ranges in price from around $20-$30. There are a few market price items like toro, etc.

Yellowtail Sashimi - I ordered the baby yellowtail sashimi but they didn’t have it so I opted for the regular yellowtail. The yellowtail sashimi was prepared in a soy based sauce with a mint leaf and hollowed out serrano pepper. It didn’t have a kick because the pepper was hollowed out. The mint did give a fresh clean taste but did overpower the yellowtail a bit. This dish is very similar to the “Yellowtail sashimi with jalapeno” at Matushia but without the spicy kick. The fish was exceptionally fresh.

Albacore Tuna Sashimi - One of the ways that I gauge the skill and quality of a restaurant is through their albacore tuna sashimi. Do they sear it just right or is it seared all the way? How fresh is their albacore tuna? Does the tuna melt in your mouth because of the searing or it is a dry blob? Hump passed this test by slightly searing the tuna in a way to keep just the edges seared. The balance of slighly cooked fish with mostly raw fish was superb. The soy based sauce had a little bit of oil and the garnish brought out the subtle flavors of the fish. Again, the fish was exceptionally fresh.

Ankimo (Monkfish) Liver - Another dish that I always order if I see it on the menu is ankimo. The quality of ankimo is critical to the success or failure of this dish. The ankimo was perfect. It was soft, melt-in-your-mouth but still consistent, and balanced perfectly with sauce and garnish.

Amaebi Sashimi - The key to amaebi is fresh kicking shrimp. The shrimp needs to be alive but also strong and powerful in the tank. If you simply pile live shrimp on top of each other in a crowded tank, you end up with lifeless and lethargic shrimp. The amaebi sashimi comes with 4 pieces of shrimp. the shrimp heads are still moving and jerking on your plate. For some, this may seem a bit gruesome but for me, this is a sign of good healthy shrimp. The sashimi was also nice and strong and full of pop and flavor. It was rather pricey at around $38 or so but it was worth it. This was some of the best amaebi I have ever had. They do fry the heads for you later.

Rock Shrimp Tempura - The rock shrimp tempura comes in a ponzu based sauce. It was excellent. I would highly recommend this dish for your dining companions who are a bit squeamish about eating raw fish.

Black cod with miso - This dish is virtually identical to the one that Nobu serves at Matsuhisa. I tried it just to compare the two dishes and they were pretty much the same. This one was burned a little more but overall, it was nothing exciting. It was a little too sweet (just like Matsuhisa).

Sushi / Rolls - We had some salmon and halibut sushi, spicy tuna rolls, shrimp tempura roll, and avocado rolls. The fish was great so the sushi was great. The rolls were well made.

Overall, the dining experience at Hump is excellent. The service was excellent and the quality of fish is second to none. The dishes that I tried were all fairly typical in terms of preparation but the freshness of the ingredients really brought out the best in the dishes. I did not try anything that was highly imaginative or anything like that but for standard classic Japanese food unadulterated with excesses, Hump is an excellent restaurant. I did hear that some of their omakase dishes are a bit more imaginative but either way, I was very happy with the food and experience.

The restaurant stayed pretty empty (less than 1/2 full) during the time I was there. I don’t know if that is typical or not but perhaps the prices keep people away. The location was kind of fun watching planes take off every now and then. Dinner for 2 people including 1 beer was $225 (inclusive of tax, tip).

Restaurant: Khyber

Address: 145, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Kalaghoda Fort, Mumbai, INDIA

Phone: 022 - 22673227-29, 22673584

Additional Pictures: http://www.danpaik.com/gallery/4280278_M2e7M

This restaurant came highly recommended by my guidebook (Fodors) and our concierge at the Intercontinental Hotel (on Marine Dr.) so I went there on 2/1/2008. The restaurant is located along a busy street in a busy area in Mumbai. It is not too far from the major attractions along Queen’s necklace including places like the Gateway of India, etc.

The restaurant opens at 7:30 and my friend and I arrived at 6:30PM so it was closed. We decided to go for a walk and maybe go shopping in the area to kill some time. Along the walk, we found a nice guy selling coconuts. The guy uses a really sharp knife to quickly cut the top part of the coconut. When he’s done, he sticks a straw in there and hands it to you. You take a long drink of coconut juice. If you thought that was it, you’re wrong. You had back the coconut to the guy and he then shaves a little bit of the inside, cuts a little sliver to make a spoon for you, and you scoop up little bits of coconut. It’s kind of fun and cheap (only 15 rupees which is 40 cents).

Anyway, we also found some nice stores with random clothes, etc. Soon it was 7:30 so we walked back to Khyber.

The entrance to Khyber is very nice. It is a large wooden door and the interior walls have lots of clay and wood. The floors look to be a modern marble. We were greeted immediately upon entry and led to a table upstairs.

The menu is leather bound and consists of all of the fairly standard Indian dishes including pakora, chicken tikka masala, tandoori chicken, samosas, etc. There was also stuff like garlic naan, butter naan, and a lot of shrimp and other seafood type dishes. Most dishes were along the range of 200-400 rupees (~$5-$10).

Each tables get a plate of onion appetizer (which wasn’t very good) and 3 bowls of chutney, onions, and pickles (which were ok, but nothing special).

We started with fried samosas and fried vegetables. The portions were huge. There must have been around 10 pieces of samosas and 15 pieces of vegetables. If my friend and I finished this, we would not have been able to eat the meal. We ate 2-3 pieces each and that was it.

The daal was excellent. I suppose it may have been a little bland but I don’t like daal with too much spice of flavor added. I like the clean taste of the vegetables that make up daal.

The shrimp masala and chicken tikka masala were pretty much the same. I guess it’s what should have been expected since they both use the same spice. Both were very good.

We ordered the garlic naan and butter naan. Both were full of flavor. They had a good amount of seasoning which fully brought out the flavor and taste of the naan. You could pretty much just eat the naan without any actual curry if you wanted to.

Overall, I thought the food was excellent. My friend is Indian and thought the food was mediocre but oh well.

We had bottled water, beer, vegetable samosas, pakora, daal, shrimp masala, chicken tikka masala, 2 orders of garlic naan, butter naan, and steamed rice. It was about $80.

I thought the food, ambience, cleanliness, and service were all good. The service was a little slow and our waiter and busboy were a bit lethargic. This place is probably not “authentic” Indian cuisine and is probably a lot closer to what you eat in the US but for me, I like that kind of Indian food.