Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Restaurant Review: Tokio, Denver

     The chef at Tokio has the enviable, taut, unblemished, Asian complexion that makes his age unknowable.  If it weren't for his shock of white buzz top, I would say he's 40, tops.  But because I know he hails from the venerable Japon in Wash Park, which successfully ran for almost 20 years, I know he is probably much older.  Not only is his face fit for a painting, he has the lithe physique of a twenty year old.  All the better for fitting into the tight space that is the open kitchen.
     The restaurant is located in a newly developed high density community a stone's throw from Coors Field.  On a balmy spring day, it is bustling with loads of young urbanites seeking dining options.  We met one gregarious transplant from Florida who referred to this neighborhood as Central Platte Valley.  Adjacent to Tokio is a pizza joint, a Santiago's, and a bar named Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot (WTF).  Happily, they have shared parking in back as well as a larger covered garage.
     Both times we've dined at Tokio (misspelled intentionally), we have sat at the sushi bar although it is a two story establishment.  The lower floor has a scattering of tables with one long communal table made of gorgeous petrified wood.  The bathrooms are some of the cleanest I've observed.   
     Tokio is not strictly a sushi bar, and it is more elegant than most ramen dens.  I think what sets it apart is the Japanese charcoal grill called a bincyo-tan which is typically known for delicious street food in Japan.  This is the coolest thing.  The unique charcoal gets super hot without any smoke so you don't end up smelling like what  you just ate!  Items are a la carte and choices include goodies such as Berkshire pork and Kobe beef as well as more pedestrian chicken wings and chicken liver.  We opted for the whole squid.  It was a masterpiece in its simplicity.  The squeaky clean  and very fresh squid was sliced by the chef and briefly char grilled imparting the perfect amount of smokiness.  The tentacles were toothsomely crisp and the rings tender.  A very light ginger soy dressing added a nice umami flavor.  
     The first time we dined at Tokio, we stumbled upon Happy Hour.  We ordered so much food that we did not have any room for the ramen, which apparently is the house's specialty.  The happy hour items were delicious but I am a big fan of ramen, so I made sure we did not make that mistake again.
     There are nine different ramen broths to choose from.  I ordered the Spicy Shoyu which is a pork and chicken broth and Don got the Cremoso Diablo which has cheddar and jack cheeses added to a miso base to provide creaminess.  All ramen except one comes with cha syu (Asian barbecue) pork and a soft boiled egg as well as assorted vegetables.  
     My broth had just enough heat to make you choke if you inhaled wrong.  The noodles were timed and cooked al diente in special ramen strainers.  Garnishes such as sliced scallions and bean sprouts are standard ramen fare.  I found the pickled bamboo shoots a bit limp.  There were some brick red filaments that the waitress explained were dried chilis.  I loved the soft boiled egg.  The yolk was creamy but did not run.  The description said my ramen came with a fish cake which I was chagrinned to find missing.  
     Don's creamy ramen was very garlicky and seemed designed for a gaijin (foreigner) with all the cheese.  Both bowls had plentiful noodles, although Don's noodles seem to have a less uniform and more homemade appearance.  They are not stingy with their pork slices although for $2, you can get extra pork.  
     I was not blown away by the ramen.  It seemed somewhat lacking in depth of flavor as compared to my old stand by, Oshima Ramen, which has sadly shuttered.  Surprisingly, I much enjoyed the happy hour fare.  For $3-5 dollars, you can sample a variety of small plates.  Some highlights include the seaweed salad.  It was beautifully plated, very fresh and came with two different types of kelp.  The Kara Age was marinated boneless chicken lightly battered and quickly deep fried.  The portion was generous especially for happy hour.  The chicken was juicy and well flavored and the batter nice and light.  My favorite were the blistered Shishito peppers.  Finger length green chili peppers are pan fried until their paper thin skins blister.  Sweet and bright with little heat, they make a delicious snack, especially when paired with sake or a Japanese beer.  
Stone Warriar (A Sapporo Dark Ale)

Bincyo-tan Grill

Grilled whole squid

Spicy Shoyu Ramen

Cremoso Diablo Ramen

open kitchen and sushi bar

lower dining room
  
     

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Los Chingones, Denver

     As I sit munching on house made tortilla chips at Los Chingones, I am suddenly transported beachside to Playa del Carmen, the much more serene little sister of Cabo San Lucas.  Part of the charm of eating out is the serendipity of remembrance.  Good food and setting can invoke memories of happy times.  
     An abstract mural with a collage of Mexican themes graces one wall and extends to the upper roof top deck which was closed during our visit but soon to open.  Whimsical pinatas dangle from exposed ceiling beams.  Seating is divided into communal high tops or tables.  The space extends out to the large patio, perfect when warmer weather arrives.
     Shortly after opening for lunch at 11:30, the place was bustling with shiny, happy, and young twenty somethings.  Located in mega hot RiNo (River North) district, Los Chingones (a Mexican slang for fu __ing great!) holds its own amongst other new and rave eateries such as Work and Class and Cart and Driver.  This is our third time trying to get into Los Chingones.  I think the key is to get there first thing on a week day as they do not take reservations.    
     Los Chingones is not fine dining.  Drinks are served in nostalgic plastic school cafeteria cups, at least during lunch.  No formal flatware here.  I don't even think we got knives, just a fork.  Napkins are a spool of paper towels on the table to share.  However, this does not exclude a true foodie.  Menu items cater to the adventurous eater and some verge on the exotic.  
      Upon perusing the menu, I concluded that tacos were a must have.  At Los Chingones, you can choose from non traditional meats such as lamb neck and exotic ingredients such as rattle snake.  They offer a selection of lunch specials at $10, one of which is three tacos of your choice.  This includes house made aqua fresca (water lightly infused with fresh fruit) or iced tea, and chips and house salsa.  Both drinks and chips are refilled to your heart's content.  The aqua fresca of the day was a lime and mint concoction so refreshing that I drank two glasses.  The chips were golden, crispy, and but unevenly salted.  The salsa was an interesting contrast of smoky and sweet.  
     The kitchen is wide open to better observe the cacophony.  I was happy to see cooks donning hair restraints which is a vanishing compliance these days.  There was a minor hiccup with our food delivery.  A single plate was brought out to us that was meant for another table.  Luckily we had not started eating.  Our taco trios were delivered shortly thereafter.  Heaping mounds of meat with a variety of garnish sit atop flour tortillas.  I ordered one of each of the lamb neck, pork shoulder, and mahi.  The lamb was my favorite by far.  Tender, juicy, and gamey shredded lamb, perfectly seasoned, melted into my mouth.  The grilled onions offered contrasting crunch and sweetness.  The pork shoulder, although well cooked, had more fat than meat.   I was disappointed with the heavily battered and deep fried mahi as I prefer grilled or another lighter preparation method.  The accompanying pineapple salsa and Fresno peppers made for a colorful presentation.
     Don's taco trio consisted of steak, shrimp, and chicken leg.  The steak taco had strips of tender grilled steak with thin sliced avocado, poblano peppers, and oaxaca cheese.  The shrimp taco had plentiful small shrimp in a chipotle aioli (garlic mayo).   And the chicken leg was slow cooked and shredded and topped with a crunchy green cabbage slaw.  
    I found the service friendly and efficient.  The staff is young to compliment the high energy vibe.  We met Mike from Miami, a manager/trainer who gave us the tip of calling ahead with an ETA (estimated time of arrival).  This should help with the actual wait time.  
     This place makes me smile.  We'll definitely return to try some of the other items on the menu such as the empanadas and the rattlesnake chorizo taco.  
Interior of Los Chingones


Pork, Mahi, and Lamb tacos

Shrimp, Chicken, and Steak tacos

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Bastien's Steak House, Denver

     For the past three years, we have celebrated my step daughter's birthday at her favorite restaurant in Denver, Bastien's on Colfax.  If surviving WWII, the Civil Rights upheaval, the tech bubble of the early 2000's, and the recent economic depression does not qualify one as an institution, I don't know what would.  If you have not visited this family run institution, I would urge you to stop by.  It's worth the trip just to see this unique circular structure designed by Mr. Bastien himself.
    Bastien's is open nightly for dinner, and the regulars pile in shortly after opening.  The decor is old time, gilded glamour in the style of art deco.  Even the vertical blinds are gold and glamorous!  Black and white photos of cinema icons such as Marilyn Monroe further add to the nostalgia.  Old Blue Eyes softly croon in the back ground.  Classic cocktails are served in metal martini glasses.  The tables are set formally with crisp linens.  It harkens back to more formal times when dining was a leisure.
     Bastien's menu offers plentiful classic appetizers such as stuffed mushrooms and mussels.  They specialize in generously sized steaks of various cuts, but also offer seafood, pasta, chicken, and specialty burgers.  Entrees come with your choice of a soup or salad and choice of potato including baked with the works, mashed, twiced baked, and French fries.  Or you can opt out of the sleep inducing starch and get extra veggies as I did.
     Our attentive and knowledgeable hostess promptly provided their signature, hot out of the oven, garlic bread sticks with a shallot and cheddar compound butter.  Even though it was only 4:30, we had a very hungry 7 year old who devoured his bread stick as well as the rest of mine and mom's. The mussels arrived hot and fragrant.  They were large and meaty and well cooked.  Abundant sliced French bread accompanied the mussels for dipping into the buttery broth which was a bit over salted.
     The dinner salads were lovely to look at.  Crisp greens, graced with garnet beet curls and julienned carrots, were dressed with just the right amount of the pecan vinaigrette.  Toasted pecans provided crunchy texture.  Fresh ground pepper is offered for your desire.
     The much anticipated steaks were beautifully presented.  I opted for the 10 oz "sugar" steak since this is its birthplace.  A mouth watering boneless New York strip was flanked by bright, al diente, and well seasoned vegetables.  Sometimes the vegetables can be a mushy, tasteless after thought, but not here.  The broccoli and red cabbage had such nice crunch, I found myself wanting more.  More on the meat.  The "Sugar" steak did have a nicely caramelized crust and appealing grill marks.  The cut was well marbleized throughout and provided great flavor.  No other accoutrements needed here.
     Don ordered the daily steak special, a 16 ounce bone in New York strip with a Bernaise (a derivative of Hollandaise) sauce.  The sauce rested under the steak as not to obscure the star.  Again, the meat was well cooked, nicely quadrillaged (grill marked), loaded with great flavor, with just enough perfectly nappe (preferred consistency) sauce.  Kudos to the saucier, it remained unbroken.  The veggie was an adorable bundle of asparagus bound by a slice of bacon.  The twice baked potato looked comforting albeit dense.
     My step daughter ordered the steak David, a 10 ounce New York smothered with Cajun shrimp Bernaise.  This was a rich dish to be sure, but it's only your birthday once a year.  The baked potato was drenched in butter and sour cream, she wisely withheld the bacon.  The large count shrimp were halved length wise and not over cooked.  
    Since my grandson is only seven, he loves burgers.  The Bastien burger which he opted with cheddar did not disappoint the epicurean in training.  Looks like they gave him two sweet potatoes worth of fries.  Hard to mess those up.
    To round out our satiating meal, we ordered the Molten Lava Cake to share.  The server, upon hearing it was a birthday celebration, brought an additional NY cheesecake, gratis.  Not only was the cheesecake super creamy, it was unblemished without a crack.  The molten cake unfortunately fell short both in texture and the amount of "lava".  
    I have had non- steak dishes at Bastien's which were good, but they definitely know how to finesse a steak. I would agree with the many accolades on Bastien's website including "hidden gem".  I am not sure who at Westword with such deep pockets is judging Bastien's as "low end" and "really cheap".  Maybe great value would be more veritable.  You do get a lot of steak for your money, but it is not cheap.  Bon Appetite!
Mussels appetizer

Salad with entree

10 oz Sugar Steak, Yes, that's an orchid

16 oz Bone in NY Strip Special

Molten Lava Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream

NY Cheesecake