Makoto

6/28/2008

Washington DC: 4822 Macarthur Blvd NW - (202) 298-6866

Price Range: High End

Rating (1-10): 5

Full Review:

My recommendation for this place is easy: pass. If you're considering going, it probably means you're willing to spend some cash, and if you're gonna do that, you can find a more enjoyable experience elsewhere. At Makoto, treating patrons with tact or a true sense of hospitality is apparently optional. The food would actually be pretty average in Japan but they seem to be pretty impressed with themselves. What concerns me is that people will walk away thinking that Makoto and its austere, cold service are characteristic of authentic Japanese; that's not how it is supposed to be done. Both the food and the service should be artful, and they only come close with the former. I don't buy the hype about Makoto; I'm convinced it gets the kind of praise that it does largely because there's just a dearth of good Japanese restaurants in Washington DC.

A while back, I stopped in for a fine lunch, but our service at dinner was strikingly bad. Upon arriving at the restaurant, we were greeted with a curtain, and were unsure if we should peek in and announce our presence. When a server clad in a kimono emerged, she informed us that we would have a short wait in the shoebox sized waiting area, and gave us a wooden box to sit on. It was a few minutes before our 8 o'clock reservation (which required that we give a credit card number); we waited until 8:40 to be seated, with untruthful promises that we would be seated shortly sprinkled in periodically.

In one awkward moment during our wait, a couple entered the shoebox waiting area and two servers emerged - and then got into an uncomfortable exchange bordering on argument. After a momentary pause, the servers turned their attention back to the couple and found that their reservation was lost. The matter was sorted out and the head server then yelled (literally) that she needed to speak with her subordinate immediately in the kitchen. Once the comically uncoordinated servers left the shoebox, we looked over the at the couple and all of us acknowledged the strangeness of the exchange we had just witnessed.

It's also interesting to note the signage that greets you as you walk into the restaurant, and prepare you for the experience here. On the center of the front door is a gold plaque reading "Proper Attire Required." Then, inside the door, another plaque more specifically stating the dress code, prominently displayed on an otherwise undecorated wall. Directly below that is a sign telling you to turn off your cell piece. And finally, on the opposite wall, another sign declaring that the restaurant is not responsible if any of your stuff gets taken from the foyer area. Not exactly the most welcoming decor.

After being seated, we were hungry. We knew that we would be ordering the tasting menu, so my mother asked on her way to the bathroom if we could order as soon as possible. Before she was able to return, the head server flew over to me at the sushi counter and forcefully explained that I should order because we had asked to do so, shoving the menu in my hands and pointing vigorously at my options. There was a false friendliness that barely masked the server's overall impatient, temperamental, highly abrasive demeanor. How could a restaurant put their front of the house in the hands of such a colossally unpleasant woman?

After ordering, we were brought a kind of sake that we didn't actually want. It turns out we had ordered the wrong kind, partly because we ordered in Japanese and our server did not understand. At the risk of sounding insensitive, I found it troublesome that a server at Makoto would not speak Japanese - not only because it's a place that seems to insist so strongly on being traditional in its ways, but also because items on the menu, including the sake, are written in Japanese. What's the point of this if you have to translate it for the server anyway? In any mid to high-end French restaurant, I would expect that the server will have the training to recognize any item written on the menu in French, even if he/she doesn't actually speak fluently. So should it be anywhere where a menu item is written in a foreign language.

Before the food came out, I checked if I had any new text messages on my phone which was on silent. The head server flew at me once again yelling (again), as if I had stepped on the baby Jesus. She said that I had to turn off my phone immediately and that they would stop service if the chef saw me checking text messages. Perhaps what I did was insulting to the chef, which I take the blame for - but I cannot accept the reaction as a rational way of dealing with the situation.

And this was emblematic of the way our experience was in general: I understand why they have their rules and I understand the spirit behind it. But at almost every turn, they lack grace and tact in the way they enforce those rules. As a result, it feels contricted, stiff, and unfriendly. For example:

• I probably shouldn't even be checking my phone, but I don't need to be screamed at or told that they might not serve me. An alternative is to ask politely to refrain from using my phone in the restaurant; or better yet, if she had explained that the chef takes his craft very seriously and would like me to focus fully on the experience he is trying to deliver. Not only would I respect that, it would be a learning experience for me.
• They don't have to display prominent gold plaques that tell you all the things you're not supposed to do as you walk into the restaurant.
• They don't need to take your credit card number when you make a reservation, which comes off as some kind of veiled threat; rather, they could ask for your phone number and call to confirm your reservation prior to your arrival.

I don't find the reasons for what they do objectionable, it's the manner in which they do it.

The food is good - but as you might guess, it really was not the focal point in this atmosphere. The meal was nicely presented and sometimes quite delicious. For $60, the tasting menu is a decent deal because you get 9 courses including dessert, and the plates are probably about as good of Japanese food as you'll find in DC. Unfortunately, there isn't much drama or excitement as the dishes are brought to you. Instead, it feels like the courses are churned out in a machine-like fashion, as if there's a dish on deck for you as soon as the one you're working on can be bussed away. All the better though: with the service the way it was, I was ready to pound out the courses like a set of push-ups and get on my way. Here's a rundown:

#1: Opener of smoky, smallish green beans and conch. The conch is light, tastes nice.
#2: Nice sashimi plate was nice and came with a fresh grated wasabi which is always better. The tuna in particular was flavorful and meaty but still tender.
#3: A playful dish - salmon sashimi wrapped in a thin layer of radish in a cream sauce with a tomato, in a yellow boat-shaped dish. That was good, although somewhat unremarkable other than the visual. On the side was a piece of unagi (eel) on toasted bread sprinkled with cheese - weird and unnecessary. The other part of this dish was kombu (kelp) on a scallop which was outright disgusting. The strong kombu flavor complemented the scallop in a way that made it taste rotten.

#4: A deep-fried crab not with tempura batter or panko but with broken up osembe (rice crackers). It's a novel idea but again not necessary as the layer of osembe (though crunchy, salty, and delicious) overwhelmed the crab both in mass and in flavor. You need a big thick chunk of crab to make this work; anyting that's not the body, therefore, is more like a stick of fried osembe and a waste of crab meat. It's good with lemon and salt.

#5: Steamed fish with greens was one of the best dishes: flavorful, tender fish and vegetables in a broth of typically Japanese stock flavor.
#6: The sushi plate was disappointing considering the praise this place gets as one of the premier sushi places not only in DC but on the east coast. Not only were the sushi pieces too similar or the same as the sashimi plate, it was as small as I have ever seen. This is iSushi and unlike an iPod, smaller is not better.#7: I chose a common Japanese preparation of miso-flavored broiled orange roughy was light and nice in flavor but overcooked and surprisingly tough. Another option, the yellowtail is more tender and a meatier fish. #8: Last of the savory dishes, the soba dish, my favorite partly because of its refreshing nature but mostly because of the broth, which is made at the counter and adjusted for flavor by the chef. It's very good - the most memorable flavor of the night. The noodles are cooked to a perfect texture and there are several options for your garnish. I had the grated yam, which was nice.
#9: Dessert - a yuzu sherbet which was a nice ender to the meal: icy, not too sweet, with the yuzu flavor refreshing your mouth. If this was at an icy stand in my neighborhood, I'd probably get it 5 times a week.

Overall, I just didn't feel that the food was remarkable, certainly not enough to excuse the gruff treatment. In Japan, this place would be average, and there the top notch places may have many rules but they'll be revealed to you in far more subtle and artful ways. You'll follow them out of respect for the establishment naturally, not because they are harshly imposed upon you. And at no point would their sense of courtesy slip; for example, yelling at a customer would be inexcusable. Of course, to be fair, you'll also pay a lot more as well. But at the end of the day $60 per person warrants an enjoyable night out, and Makoto did not deliver that. If all you care about is the food, then maybe it's ok because it's as good as any Japanese food in DC and you'll get a full meal out of the tasting menu.

For me, it's a one and done.

Go! Go! Curry

6/4/2008
Penn Station Area: 273 W. 38th Street (and 8th Ave) - (212) 730-5555
Price: Cheap Eats
Rating (1-10): 5

Full review:
Go! Go! Curry is a fun little joint, which serves fairly good value food for the price, and would be a great lunch break spot or quick and cheap meal to grab for dinner, by yourself or with a couple friends. Be careful though because you'll be really full and might not feel apt to work or do any kind of exercise afterwards.

People who have eaten Japanese curry tend to associate it with comfort and happiness. Mention Japanese curry and faces will light up, and empassioned discussion on the topic quickly ensues. For that reason, Go! Go! Curry, a small, simple joint inspires a good deal of excitement, at least with me.

Japanese curry actually came by way of England, which got it from its former colony, India. The Japanese variety has different spices and less heat than Indian curry, it's a bit sweeter, and usually contains a wider variety of rough cut vegetables (carrots, potatoes, onion, are common) - and of course, the rice is Japanese style, not basmati. Meets are sometimes stewed in it, or the sauce can be accompanied by breaded, deep-fried meat of some kind; it's flexible.

The Go! Go! Curry menu offers only 6 plates and several small sides, and it's all cheap by NY standards. The curry is rich in flavor, and certainly passable as Japanese curry. For less than $15, you'll be able to pick any of the entrees, which are sized as "Singles," "Doubles, and Triples," and get the appropriate fixins (cabbage, pickled veggies, etc.) This isn't the easily congealed-when-cooled Golden Curry variety - it's better than that, with better texture and more marrow flavor. It is a bit too thick however, and comes atop a pile of rice that is a soggy and overcooked. You'd do yourself well to chose one of the plates that comes with a serving of friend pork or chicken cutlet and/or fried shrimp atop your dish as well. (If you're gonna go...go.) Although the deep fried cutlets are very crispy, they're cut too thin and end up being dry and chewy. There's still plenty of reason to get it, but a slightly thicker cut would prevent this overdoneness.

The friendly, quirky, courteous young Japanese staff will take your order and call out your number when your food is up. For a place in this price range, don't forget how indifferent, disconnected, and outright rude cheap eats places tend to be. This is Japanese food with Japanese feel ("Birthday Happy Matsui" sign on the wall). They make an effort to make this place inviting and playful - and it all centers around Hideki Matsui whose number 55, which is everywhere, including in the phone number and name of the restaurant ("go" = 5 in Japanese). Most of the decor is homemade whether newspaper clippings of Matsui and other Japanese athletes or different construction paper cutouts/signs. The restaurant is about as fanatical about Matsui as Matsui is about porn - and both are a little strange. They're trying to provide atmosphere and character on a budget, and it's far more enjoyable than some kind of faux-nice but strangely ornate and obviously cheap decor.

You shouldn't come here expecting high-end cuisine or even the best curry you've evre had, but you'll get your Japanese curry on and leave very full, definitely satiated, and most likely sedated.

Ippudo NY (Hakata Ippudo)

5/20/2008
East Village: 65 4th Ave (at 10th St) - (212) 388-0088
Price: Cheap Eats
Rating (1-10): 8

If you're looking to kick back, enjoy a long, leisurely meal and conversation, this isn't the best spot. But if you're ready for the 100 yard dash of eating, go to Ippudo because there's no better ramen in NYC. Chances are, if you're going out for ramen, you know what you're in for: leaning your face into the hot steam rising off of a bowl of noodles and broth, probably sweating, maybe nose running, eating as fast as you can, making slurping noises, and loving it. With ramen, it's important to eat fast because the taste changes by the minute and after 10 minutes, it won't be any good. In Japanese, it's called "nobiru" and it's basically like the noodles go stale.

Ippudo is a distinctly Japanese joint and seemingly everyone who works there is Japanese. At the same time, the decor and space are not traditional of a cramped and narrow countertop ramen joint. There's still that frenetic feel but it's also spacious and hip. The back opens up to a large eating area with communal tables, as well as private tables and booths - with open kitchens surrounding the window-less room. The design is truly impressive and they didn't cut any corners with their decor or furtniture. In short, it's cool and you feel cool sitting in the room.

The Tonkotsu ramen, the rich pork broth ramen featured at the top of their menu, is an intensely falvorful, buttery bowl of broth with perfectly cooked homemade noodles. These arent the curly, starchy, gelatinous, cook-it-till-you-kill-it college dorm-style noodles; these are thin, straight, firm, and delicious. Just like a great homemade Italian pasta, you don't realize what noodles can be until you taste it. The Tonkotsu is probably the best bowl I've had in NY (only RaiRaiken would rival). As my friend pointed out, the ramen is salty in a pleasing way, and not over-salty. I wasn't guzzling down my water as happens when food is too salty, even when it tastes good - instead I was just sweating and trying to eat more, faster. What's more, you can order a second helping of noodles to throw into the leftover broth for only $2, which basically doubles the portion (just be sure to have them bring the noodles when you're nearing the end of your first serving - otherwise, they'll sit and go bad).

The Miso Ramen broth - which is miso-based as the name suggests, is similarly balanced, salty and good. For pork lovers, it doesn't have the same depth of flavor and porkiness that you might crave after the Tonkotsu but on the other hand, if pork isn't your thing, this, and other bowls, are great alternatives and also have perfectly cooked noodles. The downside is that for non-Tokotsu bowls, you don't have the option for a second serving of noodles. In all honesty, one serving was filling for me.

As for weaknesses, the garnish was too sparse. Perhaps it allows the noodles and broth to be showcased but I'd consider it more balanced than a bowl of carbs, if there were more than just two thin slices of pork tenderloin and a forgettable portion of veggies. The Miso Ramen included a non-traditional garnish of red and yellow peppers - which didn't add flavor or substance - and cubed carrot - whose sweetness didn't match the rest of the dish. To boost the volume of the garnish, I added mo' pork - the braised pork belly side. For $3, it was was decent enough but surprisingly tough, almost as if it had been reheated in the microwave.

While the service is friendly, that's the one part that seems to lack a little of the Japanese touch. The pace of the service is so hurried that I couldn't help but get the impression that they wanted me out, and the next table in, as quickly as possible. Less than 1 minute after we were seated, the server came to take our order. When we received the bill, the same thing happened and two other servers asked if it was ok to take the bill after that, before we had even put anything in the bill. In the end, we dropped our credit cards at our own pace and lingered. In a train station ramen joint in the middle of Tokyo, this kind of fast-paced eat-and-go mentality might be appropriate but that's not acceptable here. Also a bit surprising was that the server told me to remind him of my request for second noodle helping later in the meal. I don't know if it's because Ippudo hasn't figured out a good system to time the delayed second noodle helping, but regardless, the onus should not be on the customer.

When you say ramen, a lot of people still envision the packs that contain the brick of noodle and mysterious packet of flavor. At Ippudo, you'll see what real ramen is all about. The overall experience feels like a cool, unique thing to do - something different from the well-trodden genres like Italian, French, sushi, burgers-and-beer pub food, etc. The prices for this ramen experience can approach close to $20 (food, tip, etc), which is expensive for ramen - so you should expect to get more than your average Asian noodle bowl joint. But they'll do it right and it'll be worth the extra couple of bucks.