Sesame-Ginger Steak

I LOVE Asian cuisine, but ordering Chinese/Thai/Sushi every night would be very un-Graduate Gourmet of me. So to cut back on my eating out budget, I've recently tried my hand at some of my favorite carryout dishes. They are not 100% authentic of course, but this recipe get the job done for less money than a delivery fee....ok, at least less than a delivered meal.

Like most budget-conscious people, I usually stick with economical chicken for my protein in my Asian dishes. However, this time I was craving some steak.  I found a nice looking rib-eye, trimmed it of most of it's exterier fat, and marinated it to give it some great flavor! What I especially love about this dish is that although the marinating took a half an hour, the cooking was complete in less than 5 minutes! Pair the steak with some brown rice and sauteed Asian veggies and you've got yourself a meal!

Ingredients

1 ribeye, new york strip (or whatever is priced the best that day) steak

2 inches of ginger, peeled & chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled & chopped

1 T rice wine vinegar

1 t dark sesame oil

2 T low-sodium soy sauce

Directions

• Prep Meat.  First you want to trim you meat of all the exterior fat, then slice the meat into thin strips.
• TIP: When you get home from work, throw the steak in the freezer while you mix up your marinade. By the time you're marinade is complete, the meat will be just cold enough that it will slice much more easily!
• Mix Marinade. Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl.
• Marinate Meat.  Gently toss the meat in the marinade and place in the fridge for 30 minutes; mixing the mixture again halfway through.

Not the prettiest picture....but what raw meat is?

• Saute. Grab a large skillet and heat over high heat.  Carefully place the meat and marinade in the hot pan, stirring frequently. Cook until the meat is to your desired doneness (about 3-5 minutes).

• Serve. I like to put some brown rice in the bottom of a bowl, add some Asian veggies (shown is the frozen Asian Veggie mix from Trader Joe's), and the meat/sauce.  Serves 2. 

Reveiw: Teaism

I received a gift certificate to Teaism Restaurant for Christmas, so my good fortune has translated into another review!

Teaism has 3 locations in DC and I visited the one that is between Lafayette and Farragut Squares. I have actually been to the Teaism in the Penn Quarter and was not impressed with their afternoon tea.  This may be because I was hoping for a traditional "English Tea" and was given an "Asian Tea".  Being a self-proclaimed "tea snob" I am very particular about my tea.  I wanted an English Breakfast Tea with scones and clotted cream, but instead received green tea with wasabi sandwiches and ginger cookies. 

So with this Asian-influence in mind, I headed to Teaism for lunch.  Of course before venturing out in the cold DC weather, I first checked online to see Teaism's lunch menu. It is a fairly concise menu with your typical bento boxes and your not-so-typical portobello and goat cheese sandwich or veggie burger. I chose a pot of Dragon Well green tea and the Tuna Bento Box, which includes "rare tuna & wasabi sauce, sweet potatoes & miso sauce, broccoli & brown rice".

Everything in the box, except the tuna which had little to no flavor, was delicious.  The Wasabi sauce was supposed to enhance the tuna flavor, but it did not have the right balance. To quote Top Chef, I think it was lacking "acid" (usually a vinegar or citrus flavor). However, the sides were cooked perfectly.  I think my lunch companion and I could have eaten a barrel full of the sweet potatoes with it's awesome miso glaze.  I would love to get my hands on that recipe!  Also, the brown rice was fluffy with just the right amount of sticky texture to it that shows they know how to cook brown rice properly.  Notwithstanding the tuna, this was one of the better bento boxes I have had in the city.

Although, my eating companion said that her Chai tea was tasty, I would suggest sampling Teaism's green, white or oolong teas since they are stereotypically associated with Asian cuisine. This is a great chance to try a new and interesting tea.  Most Americans really only drink black tea, or brew green tea improperly which causes it to be bitter.  Teaism properly brews their tea, so it is the perfect opportunity to see how green, white, and oolong teas are supposed to taste.  But again, I'm a biased tea-snob...so you should discover all that Teaism has to offer for yourself!

Rating (out of *****): ****
Price (out of $$$):  $
Address: 800 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington D.C., DC 20006
Website: http://www.teaism.com

Review: Wasabi

I love Sushi! So when I find a decent sushi place for not a lot of money, I cannot help but go back often.  Wasabi has become a monthly/bi-monthly staple for my friend Liz and I.  If you've never tried sushi, Wasabi is the best place to go to to learn.  Instead of going to a restaurant and trying to figure out what the rolls look like and what its made of, you have multiple plates of sushi whirling past you at all times.  When you see something you want, you simply pick it off the conveyor.  If you don't see a roll you like on the conveyor, or want something hot, you can still order off the menu.  What is nice about Wasabi is that they label the plates on the conveyor as well, so if you cannot figure out what's on the roll, you can look on the menu to see what it is made out of.

How the pricing works is that each plate is a different color.  Above is a picture of the plate prices.  Wasabi does not offer many "yellow" or "orange" plates, which is a downside, but they do have an awesome happy hour special.  You can get 5 plates of any color and a drink (cocktail, soft drink, hot tea, etc) for $20.  If you do the math, that's an awesome deal!  Especially since some of my favorite rolls at Wasabi are either blue or purple plates.  I've only been able to eat 5 plates once, so come hungry!

 

Above is one of Liz and my favorites.  It is a volcano roll, which is basically a California roll ramped up.  I tried their rainbow roll this time as well, and most of it was good, except the white fin portion, which was a bit "fishy".  I know people laugh when I say that, but good sushi should never have a fishy taste to it.

So if you want a fast place to get decent sushi, this is the place.  I would not suggest bringing someone who is a sushi conoseur, however if you want good value and speed, this is the place to go.  They also have boxed sushi rolls, salads, and entrees in the front, so if you want to pick up a quick healthy lunch or dinner, this is also a great option.  For those of you in the Foggy Bottom area, they also have a Wasabi to Go in the Shops on Penn Ave.

Rating (out of *****): ***+
Price (out of $$$):  $
Address:   906 17th Street Northwest, Washington D.C. 20006 (Farragut Square)
Website:  http://www.wasabisushi.com/

Sorry for the photo quality...I took them on my phone.

Review: Bangkok Bistro

Today I visited one of my favorite Thai places in Georgetown: Bangkok Bistro.  It is located only one block from M Street and has TONS of seating. This is especially important for days like today when I went to lunch with around 14 people.  Every time I go here they are fast, efficient, and delicious. 

One of the reasons I love Bangkok bistro is that the lunch price also includes a bowl of sweet and sour lemongrass soup.  It has just the right amount of kick and tang to get your taste buds ready for your main course.  They also put tofu and mushrooms in the soup, which gives the soup a bit more substance than other Thai restaurants in the city.

I ordered the Panang Curry (pictured top) and one of my friends ordered the Drunken Noodles (pictured below).  I wish I could say this was the best curry I have had in DC, however today it was slightly off.  I have had their Pad Thai here and can attest that it is quite good.  I have also had friends who have tried the sushi and have said it's not bad for a thai restaurant.  All in all, I would say that my experience with the quality of food at Bangkok Bistro over the years have been above average.

Overall, for $16 (including tax/tip) I got a great cup of soup, and fast, not amazing curry.  As far as value for what you get, I think this place is great.  A graduate student always takes the chance to break one bigger meal into two, which can easily be done here since the portions are so large. You can enjoy the company of your friends, enjoy leftovers later, and enjoy the fact that your wallet has been spared.  This new cost is $8 per meal, which is much more reasonable for a DC lunch.

Rating (out of *****): ***+ 
Price (out of $$$):  $
Address:  3251 Prospect St NW, Washington D.C., DC 20007 (Georgetown)
Website:  http://www.bangkokbistrodc.com