Immaculate Infatuation » Japanese

15 East

Chris Stang — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:50:26 +0000

Bert and Ernie? Fergie and the weird looking dude from the Black Eyed Peas? That won’t work, Steinthal can’t run in heels. Sorry, just thinking of a few disguises for all the bank robberies we’re going to have to pull off to keep eating at 15 East. Maybe we’ll do the Hamburglar and Grimace. They’ll call us the “Fast Food Bandits” and we’ll take down a few Burger Kings just to make sure the name sticks.

A while back in our Kanoyama review, we talked about the three tiers of sushi restaurants in New York. This is most definitely a Tier One sushi establishment. It’s upscale, it’s expensive, and it’s good enough for me to consider earning a criminal record for. Why is it worth all that? Well to start, the fish is incredibly good. Everything is fresh and authentic, and will make you realize why people freak out over things like fresh uni and toro. It’s also a pleasant environment for a meal – a good option for a date or a business meeting…which can’t be said for many of the other elite sushi restaurants in town. Here’s the thing though – if you are dining for either of those reasons, make sure you go with people that want to get down on a serious sushi experience. If you’re bringing someone that’s going to ask for the spicy mayo, skip 15 East and go somewhere cheaper. That ain’t this how this place gets down, and you shouldn’t drop a car payment on somebody who would be just as happy with a mango tempura jalapeno red dragon roll.

Food Rundown:

Omakase
This is definitely the way to go at 15 East, and you do it at the sushi bar. Ordering omakase at the table takes the fun out of it, and you miss the presentation and description…a plate simply arrives. Things that stood out to us? The toro was incredible, as were the two types of fresh uni. The mackerel was surprisingly good (usually not a fan), and the fluke was also fantastic. The scallop and salmon are both things that we typically don’t love, but did this time. I guess it’s all about doing it right.

Tako Yawarakani
A signature dish at 15 East, this is probably the most tender octopus you will ever eat. It’s poached in sake, sliced, and served with sea salt. So good.

Soba Noodles
A stone bowl full of delicious noodles in a cold broth. We add caviar, because we’re ballers.

Kumamoto Oysters
My number one favorite oyster, and 15 East does them right and serves them with a sweet yet delicate ponzu sauce to accompany.

Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill

Chris Stang — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 04:05:01 +0000

Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill is kind of a ridiculous concept on paper – a Frankenstein fusion of Blue Ribbon Brasserie and Blue Ribbon Sushi in a Thompson Hotel lobby. We’re huge fans of the Blue Ribbon brand, especially the brasserie and sushi outposts. We’re not huge fans of Midtown, especially Midtown hotel restaurants. How is this going to work exactly? Believe it or not, pretty well. The sushi at this Blue Ribbon is excellent (as it should be), and they put some delicious tweaks on a few brasserie classics that will blow you away (see fried chicken with wasabi honey below). This place is, however, insanely expensive. So expensive that we don’t recommend coming unless you’re dropping a corporate card or rolling with someone that’s so rich they eat Faberge eggs for breakfast. The service can also be a bit clumsy, and we don’t exactly love the clientele. The crowd is usually some combination of old guys with young girls, executives having dinner meetings, and John Popper. Seriously, we sat next to John Popper when we ate here last, and had a front row seat as he threw some awkward rock star game. Unfortunately, no harmonicas were present.

Photo Credit: ny.eater.com

Food Rundown:

Kanpachi Usuzukuri
Amberjack sashimi with yuzu pepper. This is in the yellowtail family, and is ridiculously good. The yuzu adds a bit of a kick, and has a little citrus to it, which makes for a tasty appetizer.

Kani Sunomono
Blue crab rolls wrapped in cucumber and drenched in a ponzu sauce. We recently had a waiter highly recommend these, but they’re not all that. Tasty for sure, but save the dollars for something else.

Oxtail Fried Rice
This might be the greatest fried rice on earth. It’s a good sized serving of oxtail fried rice with an omelet on top. Inside the omelet? Bone marrow. An absolute must order.

Yaki Hama
Baked clams in miso butter. These are amazing, but you’ll wish that there were more than four on the plate, and you’ll wish they weren’t four bucks each.

Smoked Pork Belly Kushi Yaki
Like the fried rice, this is a good sized serving (rare for this place), and is another must order. Basically a pot of pulled pork served with rice and hot sauce. Get it.

Fried Chicken “Blue Ribbon Style”
Very similar to the signature Blue Ribbon Brasserie version, but with wasabi added to the honey. The chicken is perfect, and the honey has a strong wasabi kick that makes it even better. This is outrageously good.

Sushi Seki

Chris Stang — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 04:08:24 +0000

Two things have changed since this website started taking over our lives: we sleep less, and we eat more. You would think that the body’s natural response to such developments would be to force rest and fasting. Instead, quite the opposite has happened. We’ve begun to take a lot of pleasure in a little thing we like to call Second Dinner. Second Dinner is exactly what it sounds like – a post-dinner dinner, usually at a very late hour. We’ve got some favorite places for such excursions, Blue Ribbon and Momofuku Ssam especially. Sushi Seki is on that list as well. First class omakase at two in the morning is a Second Dinner dream.

To be honest, Sushi Seki is pretty great no matter when you go. Chef Seki is a Sushi of Gari alum, and the omakase is up there with some of the best you will find anywhere in town. As a matter of fact, everything on the menu is quite good, but going for spicy tuna rolls and some unagi is missing the point. It will still be tasty, but all the portions of sushi and sashimi are omasake size, and it’s still pricey. Service is good though, and you should leave happy. It feels strange to be rolling up to a restaurant in this neighborhood and finding anything other than bar nachos or bad Indian food. But sure enough, Sushi Seki is the real deal…a Second Dinner oasis in a neighborhood where we hardly ever eat First Dinner.

Food Rundown:

Omakase
Sit at the bar and put your meal in the sushi chef’s hands. It’s pricey as hell, but with a decent buzz and the right company, it’s undeniably worth it. You’ll get perfect bites of yellowtail with jalepeno, tuna with tofu sauce, tuna with garlic ginger sauce, salmon with blowtorched tomato skin, and who knows what else. Reach for the soy sauce and risk death by firing squad.

Shumai
A decent shrimp shumai, but not amazing. Spicier mustard and a better sauce to dip in would help.

A La Carte Sushi/Sashimi
If you’re not looking to get down omakase style, but are looking for high quality sushi in this area, you’ll get it by ordering individual pieces. Just know the dollars are going to add up, and you’re still getting one-biters.

Rolls
I actually like the spicy tuna a lot, and I’m not usually crazy about spicy tuna. Too often it just tastes like mushy chopped fish and mayo. This one is actually very good. The fish is light and the spicy sauce adds just enough kick and flavor but doesn’t overwhelm. Also good are the yellowtail scallion, seared salmon, and snow crab rolls. Word of warning: they are known to run out of some rolls, so don’t be surprised if you get rejected.

Tomoe

Chris Stang — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 05:46:39 +0000

There are very few things in this world that we are willing to stand in a line for, including but not limited to: a Burger Joint burger (when desperately hung over, and only late afternoon), tickets to a World Series game seven at Yankee Stadium, front row seats to Lebron’s first game as a Knick, and Padma’s hand in marriage. Dinner at a Greenwhich Village sushi restaurant is definitely not on that list. That is, it wasn’t on that list – until we ate at Tomoe.

OK well it still isn’t really on that list. Waiting in a line outside of any restaurant seems a bit silly to us, but Tomoe is arguably one of the best sushi restaurants in the city, as you will see by those patiently standing single file out front on most nights. And it certainly isn’t the atmosphere that’s got people queued up on Thompson Street. The place is a dump. A studio apartment with a sushi bar and some Japanese paraphenalia hanging on the wall to cover up holes and various electrical hazards. People line up for a table at Tomoe strictly because the sushi is excellent. Yes, prices are a bit high, and there are plenty of annoying things about the place that we could go on and on about. But at the end of the day it’s a great once-in-a-while spot, when you’re in serious need of something excellent. Those looking for a destination for Girl’s Night Out, a First/Early In The Game Date, or a Birthday should look elsewhere. Tomoe is for getting down to business only.

Food Rundown:

Sushi/Sashimi
The sushi pieces are quite a bit larger than normal, but the quality is fantastic. Sashimi comes in smaller cuts, and melt in your mouth. We reccomend ordering a la carte rather than going for a value play, but if you’re going to order in bulk, the sashimi regular is the way to go. Some of our favorite pieces include the classics like hamachi, toro, and mackrel, but also don’t miss the smoked white tuna. So good.

Hand Rolls
Some places just don’t know how to do hand rolls. Sometimes they fall apart, other times the seaweed wrapper is so thick it’s like trying to chew through a belt. Tomoe excels in the hand roll department. They’re delicate and perfectly assembled, and you need to make sure you have at least one on your board. Our picks are the spicy hotate (spicy scallop and cucumber), and the amazing spicy tuna.

ShumaiA must order when consuming sushi in my book, and worth an honorable mention. To be honest, these are good, but not mind-blowing – not much on the appetizer menu is. Save your dollars here and go deep on the sushi.

Kanoyama

Andrew Steinthal — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 05:20:21 +0000

New York’s sushi joints can really be broken down into three tiers. Tier one is made up of places that serve sushi-boner inducing fish that melts in your mouth and makes the other places look silly. Think Sushi Yasuda and Masa. These are the priciest of pricey, but every once in a while you can find a tier one diamond in the rough that won’t do a Madoff on your bank account. Tier two consists of sushi restaurants that are a bit more hit-or-miss, but a hell of a lot more affordable. These places tend to focus more on specialty rolls, but great sushi and sashimi can be had. Poke and Yama are tier two type places. The third tier consists of sushi best saved for lunch at your desk or a light meal in a pinch…we’re talking one step above the boxed stuff at Midtown delis. Ordering in this situation should be strictly confined to rolls only. Don’t get too cute, you’ll regret it.

Kanoyama is a prime example of that tier one diamond in the rough find. This is some of the best fish you’ll find for the money in Manhattan. It’s a low key spot beloved by the downtown food community and is easily the best in the East Village as they import their fish daily. Friday and Saturday nights are slammed and can be problematic since they don’t take reservations on the weekend, so weekday dinner is the way to go. The sushi bar is an excellent place for dining solo and if you live in the hood, there is no better sushi delivery spot. While the menu can be a bit overwhelming, if you stick with the daily chef recommended specials and a couple of their signature appetizers, you’ll be money.

Food Rundown:

Asari Miso Soup
Kanoyama really ups the ante in the miso soup department. They offer a number of different miso creations, our favorite being the Asari Miso with small cherry clams. It’s a great way to start off your meal and worth the few extra bucks.
Oysters
Fresh oysters are delivered daily from Washington, Canada, New England and any other place they can find good bivalves. An order of either a half or full dozen assorted oysters is almost a must. You won’t be disappointed.
Baby Octopus
Kanoyama’s baby octopus is served on a hot plate, fresh off the fire. It’s incredibly tender and packs a little punch thanks to the spicy miso sauce it’s cooked in.
Black Cod
A must order at any fine fish establishment, this cod can’t compete with the city’s best (Nobu), but at half the price, you can’t really complain. The fish is broiled in a miso glaze giving it a nice caramelized finish.
Spicy Tuna Tartar
These cones of spicy tuna chunks and avocado are heavenly. You need this badly. Check out the twitpic.
Pork Goyza
Well executed pork dumplings that should be the one and only meat dish you order.
Sushi/Sashimi Omakase
Although getting through this menu looks like a daunting task, it’s really not. Entrée wise, just stick with the fresh sushi and sashimi. Don’t stress out over which fish to order, let the chef handle that for you. Treat yourself to the chef select Omakase, you won’t be disappointed. The Sashimi Omakase features their nine best kinds of fish, while the Sushi Omakase features their eight best cuts of sushi, plus a giant blue fin tuna roll. The recent highlight has been their massive, tender Sea Eel which tastes a lot better than it looks. Other favorites include Kinmedai (golden eye snapper from Japan), Sumilka (golden cuttlefish from Japan), Akashidai (red snapper from Japan) and Buri (Japanese yellowtail). Want more info on their fish? Their website offers up an informative breakdown.

Matsuri

Chris Stang — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Take a look at our La Bottega review, and you’ll see a great example of a restaurant that is surprisingly better than it probably needs to be just due to location and the strength of the space. Unfortunately, Matsuri has no such surprises in store. Matsuri is the other restaurant housed in the Maritime Hotel, and exists as another extremely well done room and a great place to hang out. A few years ago when the restaurant opened, it was the only one of its kind; a huge, awe inspiring space that had people happily lining up to spend an evening at a sceney restaurant eating average sushi. That was all well and good until Buddakan opened its doors right across the street and lured away all those “see and be seen” types. These days, Matsuri still does respectable business, but it’s really more of a place to bring your out of town cousins and impress them with a big city restaurant. Unfortunately for Matsuri, the competition across the street offers the same with better food.

Food Rundown:

Shishito Peppers
We love these flavorful green bite sized peppers, and they’re pretty much the same wherever you go, so order them. They say one in every ten is spicy, but I think it’s closer to one of fifteen. At any rate, they’re tasty.

Kampachi
This is essentially Matsuri’s take on Nobu’s famous yellowtail jalapeño dish. This comes with a spicy yuzu green pepper sauce rather than the jalapeño. Not bad, but not as good as the original.

Fluke Uzuzukuki
Another typically upscale sushi restaurant find, this fluke is very well done and the ponzu sauce it comes with is delicious. One of the better options on the menu.

Kobe Tataki
Quickly seared and thinly sliced Kobe beef in a tangy mustard and vinegar sauce. It’s a shame I can’t just back a truck up to my mouth and dump this in. Every time I eat at Matsuri, this is the one thing I wish we had ordered more of.

Sake Black Cod
If you’ve had the miso cod at other restaurants, you know the score with this one. This is a bit different, but still salty and flavorful. Not bad, but not the top of the heap when it comes to this style preparation.

Sushi/Sashimi
The hamachi sushi/sashimi at Matsuri is phenomenal. Otherwise, much of the selection here is average and a bit pricey, though still serviceable. Spicy tuna hand rolls are also good.

Takahachi

Andrew Steinthal — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Takahachi, we wish you delivered. On second thought, it’s better that you don’t, otherwise I might never leave my apartment. This little sushi joint trumps others of its kind in the East Village. Anyone thinking of hitting The Sushi Lounge – you know, the yellow spot on the corner of 7th St. and Ave. A that is constantly having ’sales’ on sushi – don’t. That place is disgusting. Walk the couple extra blocks to Takahachi. Trust me, you’ll thank me later. Just be prepared for a quick but worthwhile wait, because as with most quality places in this city, everyone wants a piece. Bonus points to Takahachi for having one waiter whose sole duty is to refill your water glass, providing a nice fresh glass after almost every sip – respect. The food is well rounded, be we suggest to stick with the basics. The fancy rolls don’t come off too well, and we prefer the no frills options.

Food Rundown:

Edamame
Usually, I wouldn’t write this up. It’s a given at any sushi restaurant and generally satisfying. But there’s something addictively awesome about Takahachi’s Edamame. Order it.

Blackened Tuna
For an $8 app, you can’t go wrong. A nice sized helping of blackened seared tuna served with black pepper and mustard sauce. It’s not Nobu style Toro, but it gets the job done, and with a lot less damage to your wallet.

Amazing Sushi
My favorite special on the sushi bar menu. It’s three different kinds of sushi, all with a different spicy sauce on top. Tuna with coriander sauce, yellowtail belly with jalapeno sauce and king salmon and avocado with spicy mayo. If you like spicy, you need to get this.

Kampachi Tsukuri
Another special off the sushi bar appetizer list. This one I’d stay away from. Of all three yellowtail options on the menu, I’d stick with one of the other two (amber jack or belly with jalapeno) which are more of the thinly sliced, melt in your mouth variety. This one was a thicker chunk of fish that took some effort to chew down and also had some skin on it. Not how I like my yellowtail.

Kushiyaki a la carte Skewers
I’ve sampled the majority of these from the karubi beef to the tsukune chicken ball with onion and the one that I keep coming back and ordering is the yakitori chicken with scallion. It’s damn good.

Chilean Sea Bass
This is the dish that sold me on this place the first time I went. I love Chilean Sea Bass and had mixed emotions about ordering it because, at $14, how good could it be? I was really blown away at just how good this was, considering the low price tag. Served with rice and a soup or salad, this entree is just as good if not better than those going for $28-35 at nicer restaurants. They cook it in just enough miso glaze so that you get the taste of miso in every bite, but it’s just not completely overwhelming.

Sushi Deluxe
Their fish is always extremely fresh and, as previously discussed, very well priced. You can eat like a king here and not completely break the bank. A couple of my favorite pieces of sushi here are the king salmon, snow crab, alabacore, fluke and tuna. I usually customize my own sushi deluxe and they are generally cool with it which I appreciate. Again, stick with the basic sushi, sushi rolls and sashimi. It’s all very good. Stay away from the special rolls section of the specials menu. I’ve messed with just about every one of them and there’s not a single one I recommend getting.

Nobu

Andrew Steinthal — Wed, 20 May 2009 00:00:00 +0000

There are a lot of haters out there these days who claim Nobu sold out by opening a 57th St. Midtown outpost. They say Nobu is old news, that it’s not as good as it once was, that the service isn’t amazing, and that it’s way overpriced. Don’t be fooled people. I say the naysayers are just pissed because they lost their jobs and are poorly channeling their life’s frustrations. Hands down, Nobu is the best upscale Japanese restaurant in New York City, and Immaculate Infatuation will back that statement until another restaurant as ridiculous as Nobu proves otherwise.

Infatuation’s recent trip to the royal fish house reaffirms our belief that Nobu is still the cream of the crop. Now, unless you’re with someone who really understands the menu and can place a proper fish order, the different priced tiers of the omakase (chef’s choice) tasting menu are the way to go. As I’m sure you know, Nobu isn’t cheap, so unless you’re rolling in dough, it’s a place saved for special occasions. Just promise us that when those occasions arise, you make the most of your trip. So, don’t go on the cheap and only order a couple dishes. Rather, go big or go home! Do yourself a favor and experience the full spectrum of what Nobu is all about, because you’re probably not going to be back for a while.

Food Rundown:

Big Eye & Bluefin Toro Tartar
It’s the price of an expensive entree but worth every penny if you’re brave enough.

Fresh Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalapeño
Never sleep on the often overlooked yellowtail sashimi when ordering apps. It’s mandatory at all Infatuation sushi meals. Thin slices of fresh ‘tail, kicked with a nice peppery spice thanks to the jalapeño … makes mouth happy.

Fresh Fluke Sashimi with Dried Miso
This is the quieter little brother of the yellowtail sashimi dish. While the yellowtail gets all the attention, the fluke sits in the corner, often unnoticed and plotting its revenge. It comes served in a similar fashion to the yellowtail, laid across the plate in thin slices resembling a pinwheel, but the flavor is much more mellow and subtle. It’s fantastic and shouldn’t be missed.

Nobu Sashimi Tacos
Just like the kind you order late night from San Loco … joke. My three favorite fish tacos in the city, respectively: Nobu, Yerba Buena, La Esquina.

Broiled Miso Black Cod
It doesn’t get much better than this. As far as I’m concerned, this is the Nobu signature dish and a must order every single time.

Lobster Salad with Shitake Mushroom and Nobu Spicy Lemon Dressing
This is an incredible and phenomenally expensive ($40) salad. Luckily, you just won the lottery and want to blow some cash. Consisting of a plate of greens piled high with lobster and shitake mushrooms, the lemon dressing is perfect and subtle enough that the lobster is still the focal point.

Rock Shrimp with Ponzu or Creamy Spicy Sauce
Do yourself a favor and get one order with the ponzu and one with the creamy spicy sauce. Go to any relatively upscale sushi joint in this town and you will see a knockoff of Nobu’s rock shrimp. None come close to the original.

Filet of Salmon with Teriyaki
Generally, Nobu does sauces well, and their teriyaki is no exception. I could drink this stuff straight out of a glass.

Sushi/Sashimi Dinner
It’s mandatory to do a round of raw fish. Get a Sushi Deluxe to split, and order a couple pieces of toro and Japanese red snapper on the side.

Momofuku Noodle Bar

Chris Stang — Wed, 13 May 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Much has been said, on this site and every other media outlet in New York City, about David Chang and his “Momofuku Empire”. While its true that there is a bit of an Infatuation man crush going on here, I will also be the first to admit that the Momofuku Noodle Bar does not always live up to the hype (how could it?). It can be pricey depending on how you order, and it’s not the easiest place to get a table. There are definitely other celebrated ramen establishments in the neighborhood that serve a cheaper bowl of noodles, but to visit Momofuku Noodle bar in hopes of spending 10 bucks on some soup is to miss the point altogether. What makes the place special are all those other things on the menu that keep me coming back for a bar seat at the open kitchen like I’m actually going to learn something (I won’t). Come for the fried chicken special, come because there is pork in damn near everything, come because they have a soft serve machine, and come because they have a solid beer list. Make an evening out of trying new things and you won’t leave disappointed. Steinthal and I may argue over whether Momofuku or Ippudo claim title to the best steamed pork bun in the city, but we both certainly agree that Momofuku Noodle Bar is an indisputable Infatuation favorite.

Food Rundown:

Steamed Pork Buns
In fairness, I will let you read Steinthal’s pork bun review here, since I had my soap box in my Ippudo review.

Roasted Rice Cakes
These are probably not what a picture of a rice cake looks like in your mind. These are crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, gnocchi shaped rice cakes coated in a thick roasted onion and ginger scallion sauce. More delicious than that probably sounds.

Shredded Pork Ramen
The shredded pork ramen is a smaller serving than the Momofuku ramen. It’s a good option for smaller appetites or those less adventurous, and is still an excellent bowl of noodles.

Momofuku Ramen
This ramen comes with a combination of shredded pork and pork belly, along with a poached egg and some nori. About as good as it gets.

Fried Chicken with Ginger Scallion Vinaigrette
I would advise that you always pay attention to the specials on your next visit to Momofuku (assuming there are specials that night). This fried chicken was one of those specials last time I was there, and I pray for you that it is present when you next make a trip. It is perfectly crispy, not at all greasy, and served in a bowl with rice and ginger scallion vinaigrette. Oprah needs to hook up some internet coupons for this before I get real angry.

Blue Ribbon Sushi

Andrew Steinthal — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Looking for the perfect downtown sushi spot to take people when you’re not the one paying the bill? Blue Ribbon is your joint. This slick, modern style sushi restaurant is one of New York City’s signature sushi establishments. I love the anonymous exterior, with little to no signage which signals to me that the food speaks for itself. It’s a great place to go for a late dinner (they’re open until two in the morning), but avoid it during prime time Thurs.-Sat. nights because it gets really packed. If you dare, we highly recommend grabbing a drink at the old-New York haunt Cub Room around the corner. I’ve always had great meals here but I’ve also noticed that the prices just keep going up. To conquer this generous menu, you really don’t want to hold back, so prepare yourself for eighty to ninety dollars a head if you’re really hungry. As we discussed in the beginning, the perfect place to go when you don’t have to pay.

Food Rundown:

Kanpachi Usuzukuri (Thinly Sliced Amberjack with Yuzu Pepper)
Please order this. This might have been my favorite thing of the night. It’s served in thin slices of raw amberjack, a light white fish that’s tasty as hell. Enjoy.

Gyu Tataki (Seared Filet Mignon with Garlic Sauce)
Another mouthwatering dish, this one goes in the “can’t miss” category.

Saikyoyaki Entree (Broiled Miso Cured Black Cod)
My dad’s favorite thing to order at a high end sushi establishment, I think his favorite Black Cod ever comes courtesy of Nobu. This fish was solid but not out of this world. It could have used a little more miso glaze and a little bit less ‘fish’ taste. Still, was very good. Is it worth the thirty dollar price tag? I’d make another choice.

Rock Shrimp Tempura
Can’t really go wrong with Tempura…but for eighteen dollars, this is one you can skip. Get another raw fish dish or, if they have it on special, the blue crab tempura which they only have in season.
Spicy Scallop & Smelt Roe (Special Maki Roll)
Scallop rolls are usually hit or miss, sometimes they can be a slimy mess. This one was not just a hit, but a Jason Giambi walk off home run (in the rain).

Sashimi Platter
The yellowtail and tuna were my favorite. Nice large chunks of fresh fish.

Green Tea Ice Cream
Not my style, but my brother demanded I put it in here because it was a great way to put the finishing touches on a serious fish feast.