If you read my love letter to Ichiban's sashimi nachos last week - and updates on a new sushi-themed 5K race, new sushi counter coming to Capitol Market and Charleston's new upcoming Seafood Week - you know I've been a little seafood-obsessed of late.
So much so, that when I was tasked with hosting a large group for dinner this past week, I knew exactly where I wanted to take them.
We rolled into Ichiban for an evening of sake and sushi. And one very big surprise. As good as all the other dishes were, it was an unexpected noodle bowl that totally blew us away.
When we started asking for recommendations on new things to try, nearly every server who walked by pointed to the "Street Noodles & Hot Pots" menu and said, "The first one, without a doubt."
I had somehow overlooked this section before, but won't be making that mistake again. This part of the menu is filled with alluring combinations like:
n Tokyo Ramen noodles in a chicken and soy broth with chicken, asparagus, onions and hard-boiled egg.
n Miso Ramen noodles in a miso broth with chicken, corn, asparagus and scallions.
n Yaki Udon noodles stir-fried with onions, peppers, bok choy and a choice of chicken or filet mignon in a spicy oyster sauce.
n Yakisoba Udon noodles, featuring the same ingredients above but in a sweet sauce.
n Singapore rice noodles with stir-fried veggies in a mild or spicy curry sauce with your choice of chicken, filet mignon, shrimp or just the vegetables.
But the staff was right. It was the bowl listed first that won the night.
The darn near life-changing Udon Nabeyaki features udon noodles in a soy broth with chicken, bok choy, red peppers, shitake mushrooms and egg drop, plus two shrimp tempura dunked in for good measure. The flavors danced and the texture of those noodles - striking the perfect balance between soft give and firm bite - made them the perfect partner.
We were still talking about it days later. If you're into such things, you should definitely check it out.
nnn
Sticking with the seafood theme (yep, might need an intervention), I attended a local media event and cooking demonstration at Capitol Market this past week promoting Charleston's selection as one of only eight cities nationwide to participate in a new Seafood Week promotion backed by the Seafood Nutrition Partnership.
National representatives and local supporters were on hand to hear more about the activities that will be featured around town next month and then watch Buzz Foods corporate chef Paul Smith offer instructional cooking demos - with samples!
Wanting to offer tips and tastes featuring a round fish, flat fish and a mollusk, Paul proceeded to cook up delicious bites of both plain and barbecue salmon (round), sautéed flounder (flat) atop a salad of fresh greens drizzled with vinaigrette, and simply seared scallops (mollusk).
While I kept staring down the leftover barbecue salmon hoping to will it onto my plate, everything prepared was delicious. Even more so thanks to the helpful cooking tidbits Paul shared along the way. Tips like:
n When frying or sautéing in oil, be sure to lay the side of the fish down closest to you first, then let the rest slowly drop into place - causing any oil to splatter away from (and not on) you.
n Don't crowd too many pieces into your skillet, giving them plenty of room to cook evenly.
n Most people tragically overcook seafood, so err on the side of removing it from heat a little earlier if you're unsure. You can always place it back on to finish cooking, but there's no rescuing a dry, overcooked piece of fish.
n Let the fish's color guide you to proper doneness. Whereas meat can often be judged by touch, most seafood "will let you know" when it's ready by the way it looks.
n And my favorite advice of all: Find the best quality proteins and the freshest seasonal vegetables you can - and do as little as possible with them. Sometimes just a little salt and pepper is all you need to let your ingredients' natural flavors shine through.
Couldn't have said it better myself.
Steven Keith writes a weekly food column for the Charleston Gazette-Mail. He can be reached at 304-380-6096 or by email at dailymail foodguy@aol.com. You can also follow him on Facebook and Pinterest as "DailyMail FoodGuy," on Twitter as "DMFoodGuy" and read his blog at blogs.charlestondailymail/foodguy.