HM :Izakaya!

"Izakaya". Sit, drink, relax. "Sake-ya"=alcohol selling shop; and the prefix "I"= to sit. Put it all together (with the proper Japanese pronounciation and word order!) and you get "Izakaya". This is a Japanese institution we hope will take root in Kamloops as it has done in Vancouver, London and other cities around the world. Traditionally, izakaya were small "taverns" with lanterns (usually red) hung outside.

Nowadays, many izakaya are part of nationwide chains in Japan. A few have gone upscale with more sophisticated decor and imported wine and cocktails replacing the draft beer and shochu (Japanese "vodka"). Most remain informal and friendly places, even the famous ones...Tarantino fans may recognize the Tokyo izakaya below as one of the sets from "Kill Bill"

Izakaya style restaurants usually serve a little of everything. Outside of Japan you'll often find a small selection of sushi or sashimi on the menu. In Japan, not so much. Portions are "tapas" sized, reasonably priced and lend themselves well to sharing. Menus often feature pictures and can appear somewhat overwhelming to the unititiated....

Izakaya are hugely popular in Vancouver with several hot spots to be found along Robson and Denman. Guu and Hapa both have multiple locations in the city.

Kingyo on Denman features live bamboo growing down the middle of communal tables.

Izakaya atmosphere is lively with staff calling out greetings to customers as they arrive. Orders are yelled back and forth between the servers and cooks in the open kitchen. It's alcohol fueled semi-chaos in a mix of Japanese, English and Jibberish. It's universal fun.

Some dishes you can finish cooking yourself. Shuraku is a new hot spot on Granville St. where thinly sliced beef can be seared as much (or as little!) as you like.

Mackerel is popular grilled tableside by your server at Hapa.

Seasonal sushi is available at Vancouver izakaya; amaebi (sweet BC Spot Prawns) are a (sustainable!) favourite with guests.

Waste not, want not...The heads are fried in a light tempura batter..crispy, crunchy calcium yum! Probably my favourite part...

At Sanbiki we are hoping we can create an "izakaya" like atmosphere for our evening customers. We want our all of guests to be comfortable coming to the restaurant with their family or friends. We hope to introduce Kamloops diners to new foods and to perfect our recipes for their Japanese favourites.

Ideas? Let us know! We are always looking for ways to serve you better!

Next time...continuing education...Dashi School @ Sanbiki!! Our Sushi Students graduate and move on to learning Dashi..The basic Japanese stock...it's where all those delicious Sanbiki soups and sauces begin.....

HM:Goodbye Tiger; Hello Bunny

The Year of the Tiger ends.There is no roar. He's running out the door with his tail between his legs and hissing back at us. This from the admittedly bias and bitter vantage point of a small business slave who has seen a slow year. I am definitley a cat person, but I am happy to see the back end of this particular kitty. Hopefully the year was less painful for others...

Enter the bunny! In the Asian Zodiac, 2011 is the Year of the Rabbit. Apparently, the Year of the Rabbit is associated with home, family and peace. Those attuned to the cosmic powers assure us that the 2011 Bunny Year will require us to work harder, but we will be rewarded with greater stability. The stability part I like. The "work harder" clause doesn't do a lot for me...

At Sanbiki we ended the year with an amazing staff party and a well deserved holiday for everyone. Friends from Crannog Ales joined us (and brought some wicked and wonderful spicy Winter Ale!) and a few Kamloops families as well. As usual, the food was "potluck" style with everyone providing a dish. We feasted on traditional Asian and Western favourites. Veggie offerings included an eggplant and seasoned tofu with green beans. We had Hot and Sour Soup, Japanese Red Bean rice, pickled garlic scapes (the stem and top) and Fresh Is Best Nacho Chips. It was a little weird. It was all wonderful.

"OSekihan" Red Bean Rice to celebrate New Years from Yukiko Takahashi

Japanese sweets; Kazuyo's doriyaki (like sweet mini pancakes with

red bean filling) and manju (soft rice flour balls with sweet bean center)

Masato provided all the makings for "Temaki"; sushi served family style. Small squares of nori, rice and plates full of fillings took up an entire table. .

Think "fajitas" a la Japonaise. You grab a square of seaweed, load it up with rice and your favourite filling; tuna/salmon/shrimp etc. Fold over the seaweed and presto! Instant personallized sushi "taco" for one. A dab of of soy/wasabi and down it goes...

The girls exchanged gifts....

Three Sanbiki SuperGirls (annd one Crazy Cat Lady....Guess Who? Hint:T shirt.....;)

All of Crannog's excellent locally produced, organic ales were finished, and incredibly, almost all the food went too. The kids entertained each other with their high tech games and gadgets and enjoyed the free flow of Ramune/Calpico (Japanese soft drinks)

Kiyo, Max, Yuto and Kaito competed for high-tech gaming supremacy

You've had how many beers Chie???Soon Ja tracked alcohol consumption so we'd remember later...

A strange tatto0ed man tried to pick up my husband....literally...blame it on the Winter Ale...

What's next? NEW winter menu items! Chef Koji joined us in October from Banff and is helping us rethink our menu. New winter dinner specials are on the way! Sizzling hot plates? A new noodle salad? Hot pots? You'll have to come down and find out....

Our new lunch special is a hit with customers...GYUDON! A big AAA Canadian beef rice bowl with Koji's homemade sauce! $7 including green tea! Sanbiki wants to know what you want to eat!

Sanbiki's Sushi School

I remember my first time. Twenty years ago, chaos ruled in my tiny, steamy student kitchen. Rice boiled over on the stove and bottles of vinegar lay knocked over on the counter. A side of fresh, orange farmed salmon sat disintegrating on the chopping block. Sheets of seaweed had rolled up in defeat, dead, dead, dead from all the heat and humidity. My first attempt at sushi making was not safe, let alone delicious...

If only there had been Sanbiki Sushi School! I would have known that fresh raw salmon is a no-no (it must be frozen at some point to kill potential parasites) I could have made properly seasoned rice that was not a gooey mess. My rolls would have tasted good even if they weren't too pretty.

Monday nights in the cold Kamloops winter tend to be slow at Sanbiki. We had an idea...customers had been asking us for tips on sushi-making at both the restaurant and next door at Mori Mori Grocery. Why not convert the far side of the restaurant into a sushi classroom once a month?

We could move the tables in the window apart to provide a work station for participants in the class. Masato could demonstrate from a table at the front and our staff could assist students at their stations. We would start with the basics; cooking the rice and seasoning it properly. With vinegar, yes; but equally important is the addition of sugar and salt. Masato could show our guests how to use sushi mats to make California, tuna and other rolls. Time permitting, we could introduce people to chirashi and nigiri sushi making.
And so sushi school was born...usually once a month on a Monday. We keep the classes small to ensure everyone gets the attention they need. 10 people maximum. Two hours is enough time to get a handle on the basics and early evening is a convienent time for pretty much everyone. After, eat your sushi with your "classmates"...or take it home for a midnight snack. Right now, we are showing people how to make California, veggie and tuna rolls. Also "Inari" sushi; sweet and savoury fried tofu pockets stuffed with sushi rice...a traditional favourite in Japan.

So far we have had good feedback from our participants. It is easier to learn when you can watch someone demonstrate and ask them questions. Masato will point out mistakes that will slow you down and make for less than perfect rolls. You'll learn how to cut rolls properly and tips on proper Japanese presentation too.

All this knowledge...at what cost you ask? Only $50! You'll need to buy your own sushi mat ($1.99 next door at Mori Mori) but everything else is provided at Sanbiki and you can eat the fruits of your labour afterwards. Or take it home for snacking! Call or come down to Sanbiki to register for our next class. Sushi School makes a great gift too. Rescheduling in classes is possible if the recipient of the sushi class coupon cannot make a certain date. Other gifts ideas...Gift Certificates from Sanbiki or Mori Mori! Visit Mori Mori for unique gift ideas...Asian dishware, bento lunch boxes, toys, stocking stuffers and more!

Have a great week...more next time!!

HM Private Parties!

There is a lot to love about Sanbiki's new location! One of the best things is that the design accomodates groups and private parties in a way that was impossible in our previous space. The far side of the restaurant has tables that fit together to form a "communal" eating area. While still connected to the goings on in our open kitchen, the area offers a nice degree of privacy.

Recently, Sanbiki hosted a 40th birthday party for the Shouldice family. We worked with the hostess to put together a menu that would offer a combination of hot and cold dishes. The sushi platters were a combination of raw and cooked rolls and nigiri. Veggie rolls, yam fries and shiitake mushrooms in tempura offered yummy meat-free options for the vegetarians.

Sushi Roll Platter B

A buffet area was set up where guests could serve themselves. However it is crucial that certain foods be served immediately. Examples from this menu included Japanese-style calimari and tempura yam fries. Small plates of these dishes were cooked continually through the night and servers passed them around as guests socialized.

Ika Tempura ("Calimari")

Sushi is a perfect finger food and the other offerings were also designed for easy eating. Kushikatsu (panko breaded pork on skewers); Yakitori (seasoned chicken on a stick) and Chicken Karaage (crispy Japanese style chicken wings) required neither chopsticks nor cutlery and were popular with the guests.




Smoked Sockeye Salmon Roll

Assorted Nigiri Sushi Platter

Private parties can choose to pay "cash and carry" for their drinks or may arrange for wine, beer, sake or other beverages to be available "on demand". We offer "Party Pigs" of local, organic draft beer courtesy of Sorrento-based Crannog Ales. Premium chilled sakes from Granville Island Sakemaker Masa Shiroki can be pre-ordered and we always have organic French red and white wines on hand.

For the holiday season, we are offering Sanbiki's dinner guests the option of ordering our very popular lunch menu "Bento Boxes" for evening parties. Pre-order required and minimum 4 guests please! But at $10 for a complete meal you cannot go wrong! Even raw food lovers can enjoy our Sashimi Bento for only $13 including green tea. So there is no excuse NOT to organize your next get together at Sanbiki!

Chicken Bento $10!



NEXT TIME....Go back to school...SUSHI SCHOOL that is! Learn to roll your own...with Masato and Kishino's expert advice of course....!