18690 Wed Feb 06 15:00:40 -0800 2002 32 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 60155 Today the San Jose Mercury News had the folloiwng article. Link: http://www0.mercurycenter.com/premium/arts/food/docs/tastings6.htm Wed Feb 06 15:00:40 -0800 2002 0 Hiko Ikeda 1 60163 As bad as the Chron is, the Merc is copying it. The Chron Food Section tested teriyaki sauces just three weeks ago (and did a better job). That said, I disageed with their findings -- I love Soy Veh! Link: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/01/16/FD112524.DTL Wed Feb 06 15:53:34 -0800 2002 60155 0 Ruth Lafler 2 60176 Well, to most of Americans, teriyaki is only Asian food they cook. Wed Feb 06 17:55:16 -0800 2002 60163 0 Hiko Ikeda 3 60206 I always thought teriyaki was largely an American invention; I have never run into it in Japan. Have you? Wed Feb 06 23:57:44 -0800 2002 60176 0 Wendy-san 4 60246 Some types of fish cooking have been using teriyaki in Japan LONG before the birth of California. Thu Feb 07 13:47:36 -0800 2002 60206 0 Hiko Ikeda 5 60302 Yes, I know. But I think the American version is vastly different from anything previously done in Japan. And I think it's become the Japanese equivalent of "chop suey" here in the U.S. :-) Fri Feb 08 01:11:36 -0800 2002 60246 0 Wendy-san 4 60248 Teriyaki is definitely an authentic Japanese way of cooking -- "teri" means shine (sort of), and "yaki" means grilled. It's quite a bit more subtle though than the US version. That said, I like Soy Veh also! I met the co-founder at the Fancy Food Show. Thu Feb 07 14:11:26 -0800 2002 60206 0 chowhoundX 3 60222 oh, give us a break, hiko. that is just the silliest thing to say. Thu Feb 07 01:50:49 -0800 2002 60176 0 ankimo 4 60303 Actually, I think Hiko is right. Not for chowhounds, but there was a time when many Americans thought they'd eaten Japanese cuisine because they once ate a steak with teriyaki sauce. :-) Fri Feb 08 01:13:35 -0800 2002 60222 0 Wendy-san 5 60312 there was a time. i dare say that american appreciation of japanese food is far more advanced than japanese appreciation of western food. Fri Feb 08 03:26:50 -0800 2002 60303 0 ankimo 6 60330 I would disagree with you there. Some of the best Italian, French, Spanish other mediterranean cuisine I have ever had outside their native lands I found in Japan. It's all those 17-year-olds who study under some Italian grandma and come back to Tokyo to recreate it exactly (and then, if they were lucky, got challenger invitations to Iron Chef). The best squid-ink paella I ever tasted was in Fukuoka. Fri Feb 08 12:07:03 -0800 2002 60312 0 chowhoundX 7 60335 "american appreciation of japanese food is far more advanced" You mean keep eating ONLY sushi in any season??? Even on this board, basically ONLY sushi is reviewed. Fri Feb 08 13:10:54 -0800 2002 60330 0 Hiko Ikeda 8 60352 Hiko, do you have any non-sushi Bay Area discoveries that you have been hiding from the board? Fri Feb 08 13:59:39 -0800 2002 60335 0 chowhoundX 9 60398 I went to Yachoo in Santa Clara several years ago with my husband. I don't know if it is still the case now, but at that time they had mainly Japanese clientele. I think their sign didn't have any English -- just kanji. I am Caucasian and my husband is Japanese (from Japan). But many times in Japanese restaurants they'll assume he's Japanese American because he is with a Caucasian woman. It's not a racist generalization --it's just been our experience. Anyway, the first thing the Japanese woman said to us when we walked in was (in English), "We don't serve sushi." We said that was okay and proceeded to have a nice meal. A long time ago Japanese were shocked that Americans ate sushi; now they think that is ALL they eat. :-) Fri Feb 08 23:30:08 -0800 2002 60352 0 Wendy-san 10 60407 Where is Yachoo in Santa Clara? I live in SF, but make it down there once in a while. Sat Feb 09 02:58:09 -0800 2002 60398 0 chowhoundX 11 60435 Mmm. It may no longer be in business. They used to have an ad in the Japanese paper "Bay Spo" all the time but I don't see it in the latest issue. And it's not listed in the Japanese Telephone Guide. It's been quite awhile since we were there. I've included the URL for the San Mateo/Santa Clara Counties listings of Japanese restaurants from the Telephone Guide. It's pretty complete. Link: http://www.telephoneguide.com/SF112270-restaurants-japanese-san-mateo-santa-clara-counties.htm Sat Feb 09 15:03:42 -0800 2002 60407 0 Wendy-san 12 60437 Responding to the following; it is very good to go to non-sushi Japanese restaurants because qualities of food have become worse thanks to gaijin customers who intimidate servers/chefs working in a "holly" non-sushi environment. [Anyway, the first thing the Japanese woman said to us when we walked in was (in English), "We don't serve sushi."] Sat Feb 09 15:22:55 -0800 2002 60435 0 Hiko Ikeda 13 60438 The following Web page, written in Japanese, gives much information about the Japanese restaurant in Santa Clara. Link: http://www.asia-links.com/japanese/restaurant/hatcho_homepage.htm Sat Feb 09 15:48:07 -0800 2002 60437 0 Hiko Ikeda 14 60443 Thanks, Hiko. For others, this place sounds special. The Japanese page says the restaurant is called Hatcho, and that it is a "kappo" place, which means they have all kinds of prepared dishes. It says the favorites are Lobster Ikizukuri (lobster sashimi which you eat off of live, or recently live, lobsters), Natto Steak (steak with some kind of natto-based sauce over it?), and Shake Chazuke (rice with fresh salmon on top in a tea broth). It says, "If you don't know about Hatcho, you can't talk about Silicon Valley." Well, I'll have to go there then. This also comes from the page Hiko linked to: Hatcho 3074 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA 95051 (408) 248-8500 M-F: 5:30pm - 12:00am (reservation required) Sat: 5:30pm - 9:30pm Closed Sundays and holidays Thank you, Hiko, for sharing non-sushi Japanese places. Sat Feb 09 17:00:43 -0800 2002 60438 0 ChowhoundX 15 60453 Yes, this is the same place. But my husband insists that it's pronounced Yachoo. Oh, well. :-) And the lady pictured on the page is the one who spoke to us. Sat Feb 09 19:42:41 -0800 2002 60443 0 Wendy-san 16 60495 The first character in the name is the one for the number 8, which can be pronounced Ha or sometimes Ya. I called the restaurant the other day and the answering machine message pronounced it Ha. Sun Feb 10 14:53:52 -0800 2002 60453 0 chowhoundX 7 60392 true, but that's not speaking to the point. the average japanese--and hiko was demaenaing the average american--eats flourescent orange kare (curry) rice, a hamburger steak with gloppy gelatinous sauce slopped on it, or a breaded pork cutlet that is deep fried. my point is that rude thenic generalizations that he was making are suspect at best. Fri Feb 08 20:23:32 -0800 2002 60330 0 ankimo 8 60393 The items you listed are so much part of everyday Japanese cuisine that I don't think people eating them believe they are partaking in a western food experience (ok, maybe if they believe curry comes from Vermont). Agreed on your point about ethnic generalizations, though. I'll give you the last word if you want, then I'm back to SF chow. Fri Feb 08 20:51:46 -0800 2002 60392 0 chowhoundX 9 60396 Yes, I agree. Those dishes are Japanese, not Western. Fri Feb 08 23:18:52 -0800 2002 60393 0 Wendy-san 10 60401 just like chop suey is american. and pizza. Sat Feb 09 00:43:02 -0800 2002 60396 0 ankimo 2 60209 I agree! Soy Vay is a staple in our kitchen. We like both Island Teriyaki and Veri Veri Teriyaki. (soyvay.com) My Wichita, KS friends used to take it home in their suitcases when they visited us. Now they can buy it in Wichita, KS--at their local hardware store! Thu Feb 07 00:37:04 -0800 2002 60163 0 jenniferfishwilson 3 60367 Hmm...a timely thread. This morning I dropped some thicken thighs into Veri Veri Teriyaki to marinate for dinner tonight. We usually have some in the fridge. Is the pineapple one really sweet? I haven't ever tried it because it seemed it might be, and I don't like the really sweet ones (which is why I've always like the Veri Veri). But I do like pineapple! Fri Feb 08 16:37:03 -0800 2002 60209 0 Caitlin McGrath 4 60400 Caitlin--it's not too sweet although sugar is the second ingredient listed and 100% Hawaiian pineapple juice third. The story on the label is charming (like the original): creator's parents spent early years of their marriage in Hawaii. When he formed the company they said "Oy Vay! At last our son can bring the taste of the Islands into our own backyard!" So he created Island Teriyaki in honor of his parents' 50th anniversary. Fri Feb 08 23:52:31 -0800 2002 60367 0 jenniferfishwilson 5 60429 Thanks! I'll try that one, too. I'd been leery after reading the ingredient list, with all that sugar. I'm starting to wonder what exactly those Chron writers were looking for in Teriyaki sauce; clearly a lot of chowhounds do like Soy Vey. Sat Feb 09 13:16:55 -0800 2002 60400 0 Caitlin McGrath 2 60269 Does Safeway carry Soy Veh? If not where? Thu Feb 07 17:20:21 -0800 2002 60163 0 Wendy Lai 3 60305 Yes, I'm sure you can find it at Safeway. If not try www.soyvay.com. Fri Feb 08 01:21:16 -0800 2002 60269 0 jenniferfishwilson 4 60339 Now more Asian items are found in places like Safeway, and more Asian food stories show up in food sections of major newspapers--for example, this week the Los Angeles Times had its Vietnamese cover story. Link: http://www.latimes.com/includes/pdf/food/20020206/20020206H01.pdf Fri Feb 08 13:21:05 -0800 2002 60305 0 Hiko Ikeda 3 60314 Wendy, I haven't tried the product, but have seen it at Trader Joe's. Fri Feb 08 03:36:39 -0800 2002 60269 0 Melanie Wong