[LadyConcierge]

ZenBoy, on Mar 25 2008, 05:43 PM, said:

The Tanooki Suit was... well, based on the Tanuki creature, a "raccoon dog" with giant weaponized testicles (hint: Mario wasn't going to be swinging his tail originally to break blocks) that can turn himself into a statue to avoid being caught. I wish I were making this up. There is a statue of a tanuki in my grandma's back yard that I wish I had taken a picture of when I was down there.

Both the god and animal Tanuki were central figures of Tom Robbins' book Villa Incognito.

[scarletb]

mczlaw, on Mar 22 2008, 07:47 PM, said:

Even with the tiny taste I had, the andasu was a heady and unique flavor that I enjoyed immensely. I can see moving up to injectable doses before long if the owner keeps it on the menu--which I'm guessing the won't given her intent to rotate at least parts of the menu as often as weekly and move on from Okinawa to other parts of Japan..

I am bustling around the Big Apple for a few days, so if the technical difficulties at Tanuki have been cured and anyone has a chance to pop in for a bite, please report.

Here's a Tanuki trivia question:

The current "Tanuki" is not Portland's first restaurant bearing that name. Name the person who opened the original; the style of cooking (beyond "Japanese"); the era and the location.

Dinner, my treat, at the new Tanuki to the person who furnishes (in my sole opinion) the most complete and accurate answer to the trivia question.

--mcz

Probably not enough to get a free dinner but I think the guy who opened it was Mike Vidor, the same guy who first opened Genoa and L'Auberge (sp?), sometime in the late 70s. That's about all I got, if that's even right.

Can't wait to try the new restaurant! Sounds fabulous.

[Calabrese]

scarletb, on Mar 25 2008, 05:58 PM, said:

Probably not enough to get a free dinner but I think the guy who opened it was Mike Vidor, the same guy who first opened Genoa and L'Auberge (sp?), sometime in the late 70s. That's about all I got, if that's even right.

Vidor did not open Genoa according to himself.

http://wweek.com/htm...ters110399.html

I believe Vidor was invovled with 2601 Vaughn, L'Auberge and the beginnings of Macheesmo Mouse (with Tiger Warren).

[mczlaw]

Calabrese, on Mar 25 2008, 06:50 PM, said:

scarletb, on Mar 25 2008, 05:58 PM, said:

Probably not enough to get a free dinner but I think the guy who opened it was Mike Vidor, the same guy who first opened Genoa and L'Auberge (sp?), sometime in the late 70s. That's about all I got, if that's even right.

Vidor did not open Genoa according to himself.

http://wweek.com/htm...ters110399.html

I believe Vidor was invovled with 2601 Vaughn, L'Auberge and the beginnings of Macheesmo Mouse (with Tiger Warren).

Actually, Vidor did open Genoa. His letter only says he did not do so after visiting Italy. He also opened L'Auberge. . .and Winterborne too. . .in addition to the original Tanuki. No idea if he was involved with Macheesmo or 2601.

So far, "scarletb" is ahead of the pack on dinner. Anybody besides me lived here long enough to know the answers to the location and style of cuisine questions? I gather this is not "Google-able." I will leave this contest open until Friday at midnight PST.

I'm glad somebody is at least aware of Vidor's important role in Portland's culinary evolution. To hear most transplants who arrived here in the mid-80's and after, you'd think Bruce Carey et al swept in to open Zefiro on an otherwise barren landscape, with us bumpkin natives surviving on nuts, berries and pemmican. That is not quite the way it happened.

--mcz

[piggly_wiggly]

[quote name='mczlaw' date='Mar 25 2008, 09:48 PM' post='83942']
[quote name='Calabrese' post='83926' date='Mar 25 2008, 06:50 PM']
[quote name='scarletb' post='83919' date='Mar 25 2008, 05:58 PM']

I gather this is not "Google-able." I will leave this contest open until Friday at midnight PST.
--mcz
[/quote]

Not google-able. Trust me, I've tried. Thoroughly. The only google mention is useless.

(returning to the rock my dishonest self deserves to hide under)

QV, this is on my wait list, but not for lack of desire! Will be there ASAP.

[thad-the-rice-eater]

I went yesteday, and enjoyed it throughly. Very good fish, and the bamboo shoot kimchi pickles were very good. I'm excited to try the curry next time I go (which is probably going to be next week). Very pleasant place, very humble. Little hole in the wall places have always been my favorite type of places to eat. I'll be going back to this place on a monthly basis probably.

[saltyinflux]

thad-the-rice-eater, on Mar 26 2008, 08:21 AM, said:

I went yesteday, and enjoyed it throughly. Very good fish, and the bamboo shoot kimchi pickles were very good. I'm excited to try the curry next time I go (which is probably going to be next week). Very pleasant place, very humble. Little hole in the wall places have always been my favorite type of places to eat. I'll be going back to this place on a monthly basis probably.

I also visited Tanuki for the first time yesterday. I had a hard time deciding what to order - everything on the menu sounded great. But there was one thing this little voice inside my head insisted that I try: "Kimchi, kimchi, kimchi," it kept repeating. The small-diced bamboo shoots had great texture - not too crisp, not too soft - and the thin slices of daikon on top were crunchy and had a spicy bite. The vinaigrette was balanced... tart, sweet, not too salty... eminently drinkable.

Janis recommended the Gyuniku to asparagasu no gomayoshogi (Cascade natural beef onglet and spring asparagus tip salad “dirtied” with crushed sesame negi sauce), which she presented on a beautifully composed plate with two skewers, each with three bite sizes of robustly-flavored, meltingly tender beef, topped with a salad of crisp asparagus, mixed japanese greens, and freshly clipped pea shoots.

Extra special touches: a little dish of tamari roasted peanuts and, for dessert, a spoonful of strawberries and mint to cap the meal. The house water infused with asian celery, cucumber, lemon, and geranium is what I'd imagine the Fountain of Youth to taste like.

$10 on my credit card. Priceless lunch.

[ExtraMSG]

Tried Tanuki tonight. An excellent meal. Menu:

Quote

Gohan! Hot Japanese shortgrain rice…1

Rice w/ andasu- Okinawan braised pork belly miso condiment & raw quail egg…3

Takenoko goma kimchi- sesame bamboo shoot kimchi pickle…3

Bokchoy saishikomi- bokchoy & mustard leaves in sweet shoyu ginger butter…4
over rice with braised pork belly…7 or tofu…7

Wok fried gyoza… 4 choice of…
Goma-wakame-sesame ginger seaweed w/ shitakes & cabbage
Kamaboko-ume seasoned fish sausage w/trout roe
Nasu misoyaki- miso roasted eggplant

Satsumaimo korroke… yam croquette w/creamy spicy kewpie sauce…6

Sashimi plate of Tombo, Escolar, Tasmanian salmon & sea scallops w/ accompaniments including true wasabi rhizome…12

Tanuki soba… fresh soba noodles in rich broth w/tempura bits & egg…5
add awamori braised pork belly…8 available veg w/shitake dashi

Rafutei ssam… Okinawan awamori braised pork belly with chive crepes & lettuce for wrapping served w/pickles and condiments…12 platter or single ssam…5

Skewers…
Gyuniku to asparagasu no gomayoshogi… Cascade natural beef onglet and spring asparagus tip salad “dirtied” with crushed sesame negi sauce…7
Togarashi wild boar…Inland Buddhists say “mountain whale”, hot & sour togarashi pepper sauce, fresh picked herb salad…6

Wakibana kinpiragobo… chicken with stirfry burdock root salad… 6

KokuMori Japanese plum drinking vinegar w/soda, pickled plum and candied kumquat…$3
Soda-coke, pepsi, diet coke & pepsi, sprite, dr pepper, bottled water…$1
Shark taurine energy drink…$2……5 calorie vitamin water- blackberry, strawberry kiwi, orange mango…$2
Green tea…$1 per person

Yeah, the menu isn't the most accessible. It needs a format overhaul, too, to reach out to the non-foodies, non-Japanese. They're already getting pissiness about rarebits, etc, which is very unfortunate. I'm sure at some point they'll have to find those one or two ultra-accessible dishes that everyone wants. Especially for lunch. But for me, it was exciting to see new things, things that are nowhere else in town. Even more exciting was that the results lived up to the anticipation.

We tried nearly everything. In fact, everything except the wakibana kinpiragobo, bokchoy, and satsumaimo korroke.

The standouts were many, but I'd say these were my favorites:

* rice with andasu: a quail egg to bind together the intense salty miso flavored stewed pork bits and sauce. Very addictive
* kimchi: the veggies, a wide variety that looked like it might have even included things like Asian pear, were fresh, while the pungent and spicy marinade bathed them. Crunchy, spicy, pungent, yum.
* soba: creamy, soft, thin soba noodles countered by crunchy fried tempura batter. The richness of the pork belly and the nice salty broth made for great comfort food.
* rafutei ssam: crepe/tortilla/chapati/roti type thin flatbread and lettuce leaves along side braised pork belly that was wonderfully tender and rich. This would have been good by itself, but a platter of four condiments made it phenomenally tasty. Okay, I can't remember exactly what they all were, though. One was definitely miso paste. Another was egg yolk that had either been candied or something. Another was a little green salsa like sauce, perhaps blended pickled veggies. And the last was toasted sesame seeds, pickled onions, and a tart paste, perhaps a sweet and sour plum paste. Can't remember. But I know that it allowed for endless experimenting in flavor combinations enhancing already fantastic foods.
* skewers: both skewers were delicious. The meat was tender and cooked perfectly. The garnishes/salads/sauces with each enhanced the flavors and were good on their own. The wild boar had an intense kick to it from little Japanese chiles.
* scallop sashimi: I'm not a big fan of scallops, but these were so buttery and sweet that I could definitely see why people would love them. They were topped with freshly grated wasabi.

Prices are too low. I'm sure they'll raise them at some point, so get in there while it's a crazy good bargain. I think our total bill was about $40. Did I say we tried everything but three things on the menu? Dining partner got a drinking vinegar, too.

I'd be more than happy to get a meal there with a group soon. It's such a small space that if they start getting popular at all, it could be full all the time. They're still working on three hot plates (which, really, is even more impressive that the food was so good), but I bet a group of 10 would be nice. Anyone? Anyone?

[Angelhair]

I'm in, MSG. And thanks for the primer. Admitedly, I was a bit flummoxed by the menu.

[John DePaula]

ExtraMSG, on Mar 27 2008, 09:57 PM, said:

<snip>
Yeah, the menu isn't the most accessible. It needs a format overhaul, too, to reach out to the non-foodies, non-Japanese.
<snip>

Yeah... I planned to go a couple of days ago. Printed out the menu but neglected to notice their address is not on the menu. Oh well...

[Quo Vadis]

John DePaula, on Mar 28 2008, 08:26 AM, said:

ExtraMSG, on Mar 27 2008, 09:57 PM, said:

<snip>
Yeah, the menu isn't the most accessible. It needs a format overhaul, too, to reach out to the non-foodies, non-Japanese.
<snip>

Yeah... I planned to go a couple of days ago. Printed out the menu but neglected to notice their address is not on the menu. Oh well...

Sorry that happened...
Our address is on the actual menu but it is part of our logo graphic- to make the menu easy to access for people with slow internet connections we removed that from the online version- we had to go with pdf because the menu changes every day and that is easiest for my computer illiterate self.

The address and such is on the "contacts" page.

We also lost a fair amount of guests when the WW wrote a blurb and put the wrong address on.

[Angelhair]

I noticed the address on the Oregonian blurb (print edition) was wrong as well. It said something like 21st Place (not St. or Ave.).

QV, just curious, what happened to Mr. Moto?

[Quo Vadis]

Speaking of more familiar dishes....I often have a couple more familiar dishes but they are specials I do a limited number of- so they are not on the written menu.

On that note... in honour of the snow outside I have a few cold weather comfort-y dishes I'm running in addition to my menu today (while they last- lunch has been busier than dinner)..

Aka-shiro miso soup w/ito wakame and tofu- made with real katsuobushi shavings- not the pre done fish sawdust they sell in stores. Small bowl 2, large bowl 5. Gomen nasai... this cannot be made vegetarian today.

Kare raisu... Japanese home cooking favourite.. SB curry stew with chicken, burdock and wonderful fresh beech mushrooms) over rice... 8

Sekihan to sake... Red beans and rice... stewed azuki beans and daikon rice w/ poached Tasmanian king salmon....10... add dried smoked mackeral shavings for extra kick!...2

[loofahgirl]

So they are open for lunch as well?I'd just thought dinner. Cool.

[vrunka]

mczlaw, on Mar 25 2008, 09:48 PM, said:

Actually, Vidor did open Genoa. His letter only says he did not do so after visiting Italy. He also opened L'Auberge. . .and Winterborne too. . .in addition to the original Tanuki. No idea if he was involved with Macheesmo or 2601.

So far, "scarletb" is ahead of the pack on dinner. Anybody besides me lived here long enough to know the answers to the location and style of cuisine questions? I gather this is not "Google-able." I will leave this contest open until Friday at midnight PST.

I'm glad somebody is at least aware of Vidor's important role in Portland's culinary evolution. To hear most transplants who arrived here in the mid-80's and after, you'd think Bruce Carey et al swept in to open Zefiro on an otherwise barren landscape, with us bumpkin natives surviving on nuts, berries and pemmican. That is not quite the way it happened.

--mcz

I got it!

sorta...

I believe it was on SE Milwaukie just down the street from the first Macheezmo Mouse location.

That's all I got, though, and I'm only partially sure that's right. I had to harness the power of the internet to get even that far. but I just can't resist a research challenge!

[vrunka]

Oh, and I should add that I went to the present-day Tanuki the other night and really liked it a lot. The boar skewers were awesome. I'm looking forward to trying more (er... all) of their menu. Nick, if you put together a PF gathering, I'm in.

[concreteoatmeal]

vrunka, on Mar 28 2008, 02:58 PM, said:

Oh, and I should add that I went to the present-day Tanuki the other night and really liked it a lot. The boar skewers were awesome. I'm looking forward to trying more (er... all) of their menu. Nick, if you put together a PF gathering, I'm in.

ditto

[katez0r]

Tonight we tried the rice w/ andasu, sashimi, tuna gyoza, beef skewers, and soba noodles. I don't know anything about Japanese food, so I won't go into details, but everything was delicious! We also enjoyed trying some new-to-us herbs, and flavors. Definitely a cuisine I think I need to start learning about.

[Calabrese]

katez0r, on Mar 28 2008, 09:35 PM, said:

We also enjoyed trying some new-to-us herbs, and flavors.

Do you know if they have fresh shiso?

[superdog]

Anyone have the hours for dinner? Thinking of going there next Tuesday, but not sure if they open after 8:00 pm.


Thx,
Ellen