Tag Archive for: sake

Bully Boy

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 12/12/22

Nestled in a small spot just off the Beltline, Bully Boy is hidden in the Two Urban Licks parking lot, yet when you enter it’s almost like a greenhouse oasis, low lights, large tables, and a glowing ‘oysters’ sign. Not only is it aesthetically pleasing it is a foodies dream with everything from sushi to duck spring rolls to Miso Black Cod and even a market priced A-5 wagyu dish. On top of that, they have several different sake to choose from as well as great cocktails, a large wine list, and more. Let’s find out more.

Starting with the sake and cocktails, we opted to try two different Sakes, the Koji Sake – Junmani Daiginjo ATL Edition that was our favorite, it is crisp and smooth cold sake and very sippable with any of the dishes. The other one was a rose, pink sake called Mukai Shuzo – Ine Mankai, which was still very good, floral, and fruitier than the other. For our cocktail the staff recommended the Gin #5 cocktail and we couldn’t have been happier. It is a floral gin that starts out tangy and then a smooth fruity end with cherry liquor and orange flower water and vermouth. It had a great balance.

For our shared plates, we tried a little bit of everything from crispy brussels sprouts to beef Negimaki, as well as Duck Spring Rolls, and their amazing King Kong Roll. Starting with the crispy brussels sprouts these were delicious with a sweetness and earthiness up front and then ended with a crunch and savory of the sauce. We’d never tried Negimaki before so we took a chance on it and we are glad we did! The wagyu beef was tender and meaty with a good rich flavor it surrounded crunchy and tangy cooked scallions that rounded out the bite with tang and crunch.

Something you have to try when you go to Bully Boy is their sushi! One of the rolls we tried was the King Kong Roll.  Cool and tender salmon and yellowtail, sweet and spicy tuna, creamy avocado, a fantastic roll to pair with a crisp sake! The flavor was so good, no wasabi was even needed! Finally, the Duck Spring Rolls were a great twist on a classic. Crunchy and flaky outside, tender pulled duck inside that had rich flavor and the typical cabbage and carrots, but they added peppers as well for more tang. Yum.

 On to our next course we pulled out all the stops and went for the pricey A-5 Wagyu and the Miso Black Cod! As for the beautiful and well-presented A-5 Wagyu it arrived in a smoke dome! It’s like meat butter surrounded by a smoky, charred skin and topped with gold flakes. It goes perfectly with the tender marinated mushroom assortment. But we must admit that the Miso Black Cod stole the show! HOLY GOD, this must try dish is sweet and tender cod paired with a rich miso sauce and pickled vegetables on the side. Put the fish, miso sauce and veggies together for an incredible sweet, earthy, rich, tangy bite. We cannot recommend any more highly!

We enjoyed the King Kong Roll so much, we also got the Ping Pong Roll. Wait, those rhyme! This is a must try with cool and tangy pineapple atop a spicy tuna roll with a balsamic glaze. It starts out with the sweet, cool pineapple and then the spiciness of the tuna and the richness of the balsamic glaze hits you on the back. Delicious! After all of that, they do offer a mochi dessert. It’s three seasonal flavors, ours turned out to be mango, matcha, and strawberry. If you are not familiar with mochi, they are chewy and fruity outside with ice cream inside and these are accompanied with fruit. We liked them all but we found you can mix and match them for best bite. I personally liked the matcha and strawberry together, almost like chocolate strawberry ice cream.

One of the best meals all year!! BRAVO!

26 Thai Kitchen and Bar Brookhaven

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 12/6/21

Immaculately decorated with an expansive patio, 26 Thai Kitchen and Bar’s newest location in Brookhaven is one-part delicious Thai and sushi and one-part beautiful ambiance. Yes, this location has sushi! Everything from the creative cocktails to start to the delectable Nigiri, creative ceviche, spicy tuna tartare, the stunning Ka Pow Kai roll, and sensational sushi, they have a great variety for all palates. Let’s dive in.

Sitting on the patio, there is a light breeze as the wait staff brought us a KOH Samui cocktail. This drink starts bright and citrusy up front and then ends tart on the back. As we sipped, we delighted in the Nigiri, which was absolutely amazing. The salt water and freshwater eel are both so tender and fall apart in your mouth. Of the two, the freshwater eel is divine with a slight char and full flavor. It’s some of the best eel we’ve had in a long time. Plus, don’t count out the salt water eel, which was a little bit fuller, thicker, and tons of flavor, as well. The octopus was just ok though, it needs more flavor and tenderness.

Next to pair with our Zen Sake, we opted to try some of the other raw dishes, like the Ceviche and the Tuna Tartare. First up, the ceviche is so fresh and packed with peppers and radish! It starts almost sweet up front and then as you eat, there is a myriad of spice on the back. The spiciness grows as you eat, so this ends up being a spectrum of flavors from sweet to spicy with a good crunch. Another one of the great appetizers is the Tuna Tartare. It is spicy, creamy, spicy, and a great crunch from the wonton. The best bite is to add soy sauce for an extra saltiness and richness that revs up the flavor!

One of the things that 26 Thai in Brookhaven does that the other locations don’t is sushi! Starting with the stunning Ka pow kai roll, this one is the most unique fusion roll we’ve had with crepe on the outside and rice and asparagus inside. Surrounding this is some delicious minced and slightly spicy chicken with bright, crisp, peppers. Fun tip, go ahead and add soy sauce, it actually adds a little more richness to the meat and rice. Beyond this Thai and sushi mashup’s amazing flavor is the best sushi presentation we’ve seen in a long time on a circular wood board and piled high.

Along side this, we got two more sushi rolls, the Under the Sea and the Sahara Roll. The Under the sea is surprisingly light and refreshing with tender meat and creamy avocado that can be paired with the soy and wasabi for even more flavor. The best part is this one feels healthy for those watching their weight! We also thoroughly enjoyed the Sahara Roll, as well. This roll is sweet and rich and then you get the creaminess of the avocado and the tender fish on the back. Then, there is the slight crunch of the wispy tempura flakes and if you top with soy sauce and wasabi, you’re in for a treat.

What would you try first?

Bonsai Pensacola Beach

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 6/6/21

Bonsai Pensacola Beach

Luxurious delicacies from the sea are on beautiful display at Bonsai Pensacola Beach! Located in the Hilton Pensacola Beach, we were treated to their amazing Omakase experience with wine and sake pairings. This waiter guided 6-course experience was top notch and you could go at your own pace. The best part is the food is just as delicious as it is looks! Get ready for the Omakase Experience.

Kicking-off our Omakase Experience was with course 1, the A5 Wagyu Striploin paired with a Cabernet Sauvignon. This was the best piece of meat I (Liz) have ever had with an almost buttery like feel on the tongue that literally melts in your mouth. It is the right amount of meat and fat then the addition of the salt from the Himalayan salt block underneath adds an element of saltiness that elevates the flavor. Would NOT change one thing about this bite.

Moving on to course 2, the Nama paired with Asahi Shuzo Kubota Sparkling Dew. This was my (Liz’s) personal favorite sake with the perfect body and finish for a fish pairing. Plus, course 3 was the Nigiri and Sashimi paired with, Kikusui Shuzo Perfect Snow, an unfiltered sake. All being the same mix of fish, one being without rice and the other with, the fish they provided was all very VERY fresh and tender. We got a sampling including Steelhead trout, tuna, salmon, and Hamachi to name a few. Of the fish a few highlights included the salmon that was actually creamy, while the Hamachi is lighter and paired with the caviar added the right amount of salt. The favorite was the Steelhouse trout, it literally melted in your mouth and had an amazing flavor. Once you pair all of them with a little bit of real wasabi root and rice, you’ve got an amazing bite.

On to Course 4 that was the Pork Ramen perfectly paired with Chardonnay. A ramen lover, this one didn’t disappoint with a flavorful pork broth and tender pork belly. The noodles had the right tenderness, while the tang of the green onion and savory of the egg comes in at the end for a great bite.

One of the best courses was course 5 with the Hickory Smoked Tuna and Florida Citrus roll paired with Kikusui Shuzo Chrysanthemum Water. This was the best experience of the entire dinner as they smoke the salmon and bring it in a dome of hickory smoke. Once at the table, they open the dome and the smoke billows out, while leaving a slight smokiness on the tuna itself. As for taste of the roll, the tuna is light and pairs well with the creamy avocado and savory rice, then on the back you get the smoked flavor. Divine. The Florida Citrus roll is also very light but has tons of fresh fish flavors mixed with lemon. Lemon is really the best pairing with fish!

To end the night, course 6 is the Anmitzu dessert with Optimia Port Wine. The Anmitzu is a hodgepodge of ingredients like ice cream, passion fruit, matcha, gelatin, and other fruits. Each element brings a different flavor and all together is an amazing bite. Paired with the port wine, that is brown sugar forward, yet boozy, you’re in for a treat.

Beyond the meal, some of the authentic touches make this meal one-of-a-kind. One of these is the wasabi. They literally grind the wasabi root at your table and it’s so mild and doesn’t give you that nose feeling that typical wasabi would give you. Did you know that what you get at most restaurants is horseradish? Another of these was the soy sauce in both whiskey barrel aged and mushroom. They were less salty and more earthy than a typical soy sauce. Preferred the whiskey barrel aged as it was even more savory and a little bit boozy on the end. I’d take that home with me and use it on everything. The final touch was the white glove, server guided experience that gave the whole night an intimate feeling.

If you’re on the beach in Pensacola, we’d highly recommend getting to Bonsai for the Omakase Experience. What course speaks to you?