Ebisu Sushi

Ebisu Sushi has been in the Sunset District for some time now, but they just recently opened a new location in the Financial District. A friend suggested trying it for lunch, so we went and each got big bowls of Japanese curry with rice. Even though they only do take-out and catering, the place was bustling with hungry lunch time customers.

The curry was quite good -- not as thick as some other places, but flavorful enough. And the portion sizes were very generous!

They also had a variety of handmade mochi, and I couldn't resist getting this white bean one topped with cute jelly decorations. Yes, I'm a sucker for presentation ... and for sakura blossoms!

Ebisu Sushi
336 Kearny Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94108
www.ebisusushi.com

Homemade Crème Brûlée

The boyfriend made me crème brûlée for Valentine's Day, and then I helped him make it again last week! He followed a recipe from a Youtube instructional video from the French Culinary Institute, shown below. Can't really go wrong with a crème brûlée lesson from a French guy, right?

Well, lessons from the French paid off, because the custard was nearly as good as the one in Chapeau's crème brûlée. Using real vanilla bean instead of vanilla extract makes a big difference for the flavor and the aroma and is well worth the extra price, in my opinion!

Simmering the custard

Filling the ramekins

All ready to be baked...

Making and baking the custard is pretty easy, but the tricky part about crème brûlée is getting that perfect crust on top. It's all about adding the right amount of sugar and then torching it to get a nice caramelized color. Add too little sugar, and the crust will be thin and watery; but add too much, and you'll have to chisel away to get to the custard. For next time, I'm determined to get the crust just the way I like it ... which is a good excuse to experiment more with the torch!

The final product! I like throwing on some berries for color :)

Soy and Sesame Oyster Dressing

Ahhh ... nothing like a juicy, succulent raw oyster to slurp down! As the weather warms up, I'm anticipating more trips up to Point Reyes and Tomales Bay for shucking, armed with a new fave Asian-flavored dressing sauce.

Soy and Sesame Oyster Dressing

• 4 tbs light soy sauce
• 3 tbs rice wine vinegar
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 green shallot, ends trimmed, thinly sliced

Simply mix the soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil in a screw-top jar and shake well until combined. Play with the proportions if you want to change the flavor. Place in fridge if you're not serving immediately. When ready to serve, use a spoon to drizzle some sauce onto your oysters and sprinkle with green shallots. Slurp away!