Quote of the Day 8/29/11

Today’s quote comes from someone I actually abhor–Woody Allen. His voice makes me want to lodge sharp objects into my ear canals, I just can’t stand him. Regardless, as much as I hate to admit it, I agree with this quote, and I would say it applies to me in that I always order my steaks medium well (and also I avoid raw oysters).

“I will not eat oysters. I want my food dead. Not sick, not wounded, dead.”
–Woody Allen

Oooooh. I just want to punch him in his stupid face...

Quote of the Day 8/22/11

Today’s quote comes from the late British writer, John Mortimer. I think I’ve addressed this topic before in my posts, but this does a really good job of summarizing how I feel about dieting. I mean, I’m not for gluttony, but I do think people who perpetually deprive themselves of culinary experiences simply because they want to live to 100. I’ll be quite happy to throw in the towel once I can no longer recognize my family and friends. Or once I have to go back to diapers. Whichever comes first.

“I refuse to spend my life worrying about what I eat. There’s no pleasure worth foregoing just for an extra three years in the geriatric ward.” 

–John Mortimer

Or when I start to look like him.

Quote of the Day 8/15/11

Today’s quote comes from the culinary goddess herself, Julia Child. I’m pretty sure she and I would have been really good friends. At least, I’m pretty sure Meryl Streep’s Julia Child and I would have been really good friends.

“The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.” 

–Julia Child

I keep looking at those knives and picturing Dan Aykroyd on SNL running around, spurting blood everywhere. Classic.

Quote of the Day 8/8/11

Usually I’m not a huge fan of Thoreau, but in the case of this quote, I’ll make an exception.

“He who distinguishes the true savor of his food can never be a glutton; he who does not cannot be otherwise.”
- Henry David Thoreau

He is less recognized for his work as Lincoln's Stunt Double.

Zen Asian Fusion

The sushi at Zen is amazing. There are no two ways about it. I’ve been there like 6 or 8 times and only once has a roll disappointed me flavor-wise. I like my sushi rolls to have a little bit of crunch to them, whether it be from tempura flakes, cucumbers, fruit, etc. The Sweetie roll, although described as containing "spicy crunchy tuna" was not crunchy at all. It tasted fine (if you like tuna, which I do), but I just didn’t like the lack of crunch. Although, the roll itself was very pretty. 

Perfect for the single-cat lady looking to feel extra lonely on Valentine's Day.

The rolls at Zen are all very pretty. They like to use different color soy papers instead of the standard black seaweed, so the different rolls are different colors. They’re all about presentation. My favorites are the King’s Speech, the Paradise Roll, and the Holy Moly. My dad is obsessed with the King’s Speech. He didn’t even like sushi before we came to Zen, and now he’s a sushi addict.

"Hi my name is Russell, and I have a sushi addiction" 

The King's Speech is tempura shrimp and green apple wrapped in Soy Paper, topped with king crab salad and red tobiko. The sauces are really delicious, too. They're all different colors. One of them is a light green wasabi with honey, one is a mango sauce, and one is an eel sauce. They complement the sushi roll perfectly. The Paradise roll is unlike any roll I've ever eaten anywhere else. It's a spicy lobster salad, shrimp tempura, and banana tempura wrapped in soybean paper and topped with a mango sauce. It's the perfect blend of spicy, sweet, salty, and banana. I can't even describe the flavor, you just need to try it. The Holy Moly roll is tuna, crab, avocado and greens, rolled in seaweed and deep fried. It's served still warm, and crunchy on the outside with a creamy garlic sauce. This is one of my mom's favorites.

King's Speech on the upper right, Paradise on the lower left. Delicious all around.

Also, if you go, you need to get the Tuna-tini appetizer. It’s amazing. Becca and I ate one apiece when we went there. It’s basically tuna and crunch and crab salad with ponzu sauce and and seaweed. But it’s so delicious and flavorful and I could eat 10 by myself. It’s so good. So good, in fact, Becca and I are going to go eat there tonight! (all this talk about sushi has got me craving it, and the hot pocket I had for lunch just isn’t cutting it). The service has also been really good every time I’ve been there. The waiters and waitresses are attentive, courteous, and personable. The atmosphere is really nice, as well. It feels very asian inside, with a lot of dark wood and gold accents. It’s very classy.

 Oh, snap! Is that Dexter??

The Thai food from Zen isn’t very good. I got the pad Thai one of the first times I went there, and I could barely finish it. They added something to the sauce, something smoky that rendered it almost inedible for me. And if you know me, you know that something has to be really terrible in order for me to not eat it. 

Don't be fooled by how delicious this looks. It's not.

I've never had any of their chinese food, or any of the other asian food they serve, so I can't speak to how well they do in that aspect. I will say, however, that the sushi is AMAZING (in case you haven't gotten that from my earlier ravings). 

I think I'll be eating this one next... as soon as I figure out what it is.

Summary: Tuna-tini and sushi rolls are delicious. Avoid the thai food. 

I love sushi like a fat kid loves cake. I also love cake.

Zen Asian Fusion

2037 Sam Rittenberg Boulevard

Charleston, SC 29407-4601

(843) 766-6331

Quote of the Day 8/1/11

Today's quote gets a little naughty with renowned food critic Gael Greene. I think it's appropriate because we're entering into the hottest month of the year starting today, so I thought I'd spice things up a bit.

"Great food is like great sex. The more you have, the more you want."

--Gael Greene

Pimp hand strong, Gael.