Day 4 - Pantry Challenge - Dinner out at Grace's Manadarin

Steven and I finished our evening by having dinner at Grace's Mandarin. We have been to this restaurant several times now and each time our experience is always memorable. When you first walk up to the restaurant you are greeted by glass and steel doors that gently swing open to let you in, as if they knew you were coming....very magical We were even more wowed when we walked in and saw a larger than life Buddha (33 feet tall to be exact) greeting you and inviting you to venture further into this very sexy chic Asian restaurant. The staff further welcome you and if you are lucky they will seat you at the window which has a wonderful view of the newly built Woodrow Wilson Bridge.

The home page of their website says it all:

"East meets west in a sensual fusion of tastes at Grace’s Mandarin at the National Harbor, Maryland. Pan Asian flavors come together to arouse your taste buds in a casual, elegant atmosphere with views of the Potomac River from every table. Enjoy our sushi bar or our intimate lounge featuring stylish cocktails, an expansive selection of wines, and the area’s largest selections of sakes. Our three-story waterfall and 33-foot Buddha will heighten your experience.Flavors that will stimulate your senses. Service that will seduce you. A view you’ll fall in love with."

When we sat at our table we were greated by Grace herself. What a wonderful and "graceful" lady. Being that she is the mastermind behind such a wonderful restaurant it was nice to meet the insipration that came to be Grace's Mandarin. I always love the special touch of the owner coming over to welcome you. We felt right at home and after we commented on how lovely her chopstick rests were and she surprised us by giving us a pair of our own complete with chopsticks. Thank you, Grace!

We started out with a spring mix salad and miso soup. The salad was a fresh spring mix topped with a nutty and sweet sesame dressing and the miso soup was described as soy broth with tofu, scallions and seaweed, what they forgot to mention was the exotic blend of mushrooms added. We ordered the crunchy scallop roll as an appetizer which was a roll made with avocado (my favorite), scallop, sirachi sauce and tempura flakes. The sirachi sauce gave it a nice kick, the kind of kick that hits from behind the palette and sneaks up on you. Steven ordered the sesame chicken and I ordered the sushi deluxe platter. Both were equally good.

Over all I would give this a 5 star rating. The atmosphere was warm, the food superb and the service was top notch. If you are looking for a restaurant for a special occasion or to impress a business client or a date, then Grace's Mandarin is the place to be. We will visit again the next time we come to the harbor even if we don't have an excuse to celebrate.

For the Day 4 of the Pantry Challenge Maddie made rotini and used some of the Olive Garden spaghetti sauce I made.

Reception at Art Whino

Before dinner we stopped off at Art Whino, which is an art gallery with art from the underground world. It's off the wall art and reminds me of Gus Fink who is one of my favorite artists. They were having a reception and served appetizers and had a cash bar. I tried a bite of each of the above. The first is a beet terrine which is layers of yellow and red beets and a layer of creamy goat cheese in the middle. The second is a walnut and bleu cheese salad served on endive. Both were beautifully displayed and delicious.

Iron Chef Morimoto

We didn't cook dinner tonight because we still had chicken and rice leftover last night, so I decided to highlight my favorite chef, Iron Chef Morimoto and his restaurant in Boca Raton, FL. Last December my best friend, Jackie and I traveled to Boca Raton, FL for my birthday. We have been best friends for 10 years and every year for my birthday she always does something extra special. I didn't know when we were traveling there that it would turn out to be one of the most memorable moments of my life. When we checked in we were asking about Chef Morimoto's restaurant, Morimoto that had just opened. The manager overheard us asking and told us that he would be there shortly to do a photo shoot and if we wanted to watch to make our way down there, so we did. It was surreal because we got a front row seat to the photo shoot. After the shoot I had the pleasure of meeting Chef Morimoto and got his autograph. He is a very soft spoken man and demands your respect because of his humble spirit.

The restaurant was a beautiful small space with a long marble bar where you can get up close and personal with the friendly sushi chefs and be hypnotized by the videos shown on the array of flat screens behind the bar. An extensive and expensive menu of traditional sushi/sashimi along with a wide assortment of innovative offerings. Morimoto offers his own line of sake and beer to pair with your selections. We started out with a beautiful salad that was topped with a lovely orchid flower. It was served with a jasmine tea that was very aromatic and soothing. They had items rare for south florida; all grades of tuna > otoro, maguro, chutoro along with suzuki, tai, kinmedai etc. We were told that 80% of the fish is flown in from Japan daily, 15% from New York and 5% locally. We ended up ordering a few rolls and shared. The restaurant definitely had some pluses; a beautiful space• artfully prepared dishes• friendly, experienced, knowledgeable sushi chefs• wide selection of appealing seafood, however the quality of the sushi was not worth the money we paid for our meal. Our lunch was over a $100, but worth every penny to meet the Chef personally and get his autograph. It was magical and I'll never forget it.

SUSHI ETIQUETTE 101

DO
Sit at the sushi bar whenever possible, observing and requesting items you see that look interesting to you.
Introduce yourself to the sushi chef if dining omakase, and make clear what you prefer without stressing what you dislike.
Eat sashimi before maki, ordering as you go rather than all at once.
Eat maki with your hands, if you like.
Use the hand towel that finer establishments provide in between pieces.
Use fresh wasabi whenever possible.
Share comments, questions and sake with the chef.

DON’T
Eat sushi on Mondays. Traditionally fresh fish is flown in Tuesday through Friday.
Rub your chopsticks together or leave them crossed; these are considered ill omens.
Spear pieces or pry them apart.
Pick up sashimi by hand.
Take a partial bite then place the remainder down; sushi is intended for one bite.
Put wasabi in soy sauce; only a dab is required per piece, applied directly to the fish.
Place sushi in soy sauce rice-first; soy sauce is intended to gently flavor seafood.
Put ginger on pieces of sushi; ginger is intended only as a palate cleanser between pieces.
Pass a piece of sushi with chopsticks, unless they are turned around to the end that has not touched your mouth.