Kaze:

If you hadn’t noticed, last year we got into a bit of a blogging rut. With the winter we’ve had, you can hardly blame us for hibernating.

That said, the situation was getting pretty sad. We were still going out a lot, visiting some of our favorite, regular spots, but we were neglecting to try any of the new restaurants, and subsequently, write about them.

“We’ll try them later.” We reasoned. “We’ll save that one for a special occasion.” We promised. “It’s too cold to walk up there right now.” The excuses kept coming.

No, we didn't. Honest... we ran out of gas. we... we had a flat tire. We didn't have enough money for cab fare. David's tux didn't come back from the cleaners. An old friend came in from out of town. Someone stole our car. There was an earthquake. A terrible flood. Locusts!

It got to a point where it was almost embarrassing. We’re supposed to be foodies, dammit. And yet we hadn’t been to places like Kaze, which had been open for over a year. A few weeks ago, I finally couldn’t take it anymore and decided to do something about it. The walk up was cold. It was rainy.

And holy-hell was it worth it.

David’s a big sushi fan, whereas I’m still holding out on that front. Luckily there are plenty of things that appealed to both of us on Kaze’s menu. We’ve been back twice now, and from what we’ve had, Kaze’s more than secured a regular spot in our rotation.

The pork buns are a thing of beauty. Glazed pork belly, spicy frisee lettuce, crunchy fuji apples and a zingy mustard vinaigrette are amazing together, surrounded by a fluffy steamed bun that has a bit of sweetness to it. I liked them so much I ordered them twice. During the same dinner.

these buns are the bomb

The kobe sliders with cheese, pickles and crispy onions were also very tasty, with a strong beefy flavor. Plus, I’m a sucker for “mini” foods of all kinds. I did wish the patties had a little seasoning in them, though. We ended up using some of the soy sauce on the table for our burgers.

Kobe slider with aforementioned second order of pork buns

Other than the pork buns, the skewers are a showstopper. I practically squealed with delight when I saw they were cooked over flames, the way I’d seen them made on shows about traditional Japanese cuisine. We’ve tried the beef, and chicken and the mushroom, and they are all exceptional. The beef and chicken are probably some of the best we’ve had anywhere, and are incredibly tender.

chicken

Mushroom Skewer

And of course we have to try the ramen. Made with bok choy, pork belly, and containing a poached egg, the soup was perfect for a chilly day. I especially enjoyed it because we’ve been watching David Chang’s “Mind of a Chef”, which induces what you can only call “ramen envy”.

It’s a known fact that in every episode of "Mind of a Chef" David Chang will mention ramen at least twice and eat it at least once.

David tried a variety of sushi, including a special that day. We sat at the sushi bar, which is fun to do if you want to watch the staff work. Plus, they’re happy to answer any questions about the menu, what they’re working on, or the restaurant.

One of David's pet peeves at sushi places is what we've been calling the "wasabi test". Traditionally, a small bit of wasabi is supposed to be placed under the sashimi. Sadly, many places neglect to do that. When we noticed the staff carefully placing a smidge underneath each piece, I knew we'd arrived at a place that does sushi exceptionally well. 

Special of the day

Uni

King Salmon, goldeneye, and uni (sea urchin)

In an attempt to balance out the amount of pork belly we’d consumed, we also ordered the Kaze salad, with avocado, cucumber, radish, shishito, and shiso vinaigrette. The addition of a fried lotus root gave the salad a fun exotic touch.

We have yet to try the happy hour, which is in the bar in the back, but are going to remedy that soon, as sushi is half price and cocktails are $5. Rumor has it that they are working on a tiki themed drink menu for spring, as well, which I can’t wait to try.

Beer selection at Kaze is also pretty stellar. Not only do they have the usual Sapporo, their  draft list includes local brews and rotates often.

The Riki Tea-ki

We’re not huge dessert people, but with how great the rest of our meal was, we were curious. We ordered this chocolate ganache dessert with puffed rice, hazelnuts, malt and raspberries. Despite being full of pork belly and sushi, we polished it off too.

Throughout the entire meal, we were kicking ourselves for not getting to Kaze sooner. If you never try new things, you may be missing something awesome. Following that line of reason, we decided to give Uber, which had just arrived in Cincinnati, a spin for a ride home.

We'll definitely be using Uber again, we had a great and easy ride home. They are running a promotion right now where your first few rides are free, too!

Soho Sushi:

I had to twist my Dad's arm a little bit to go to Soho. A traditionlist in his tastes, he prefers the more conventional cheeseburger (cheese and ketchup only, please) or a steak and baked potato.

The first few times I brought it up, he repeated sushi back to me as if it were a dirty word. "Sushi? Like raw fish?"

"No." I replied. "They have steak and chicken too."
"like, raw steak and chicken?!"
"No, Dad. It's cooked."

The third time I mentioned it, I was determined to have him try Soho out. Soho may not be exactly traditional sushi, but it's a good introduction to the sushi style, inexpensive, and made with fresh, tasty ingredients. I sent my Dad the menu for Soho and offered to pay. I think me opening up my wallet took the risk out of it and sealed the deal, because my Dad agreed to meet us for dinner.

David and I had been to Sushi before for dinner with Maureen, Mandy, 5chw4r7z and Ms. 5chw4r7z , Courtney, JT and Jenny, and a few times, had gotten take out for lunch. We’ve gotten to know the management, Steve and Zachary, pretty well.

While spending his younger years in Colorado, Steve's parents took him out to sushi often. Once he grew older, though, sushi became a luxury item. To many, it still is. Soho is striving to make that change. By using specialty machines and a simple process model and menu, a lot of the overhead is taken out and the prices are more afforable. It's fast too--which is a necessity during the downtown lunch rush.

The rolls themsevles? Huge, in comparison to what you might be used to. I can't even finish one roll, and more than one and a half and David is stuffed.

Soho makes the sushi concept very approachable, with specialty rolls--the ingredients have already been chosen, and make-your-own rolls, where the customer can mix and match ingredients until satisfied with the combination. Sometimes, this means you've unwittingly created a roll the circumference of a soda can.

While we were there, we tried a new menu feature-- the PB & J roll. Rolled in a soft soy wrap with rice, the texture is almost like that of pita bread.

it's delicious, don't be hatin'

I liked the roll, and though it is targeted to kids, I'll probably get it again.
Soho pays a lot of attention to detail--both coke zero and diet coke are on the soda fountain, which we appreciate. Their spicy mayo has a number of secret ingredients, and they make a new batch every morning.

I was proud of my Dad--though he preferred the soy wrap, which is a little softer, he tried all the sushi, sauces and even some wasabi and pickled ginger. He promised he wouldn’t stop on the way back home and get a cheeseburger, either. The staff at Soho is very welcoming to first timers, so don't be afraid to stop by!

spicy edamame

Kyojin:

I went to the doctor a few weeks ago to get some blood tests. Turns out my cholesterol is fairly high, but I guess it is to be expected with the amount of cheese that I consume. I love cheese. I am like the Paula Deen of cheese. We have a special drawer designated (and usually full) of aged goudas and cheddars in the fridge. I'd say 5 % of my yearly paycheck has gone towards supporting my cheese problem.

stylin. why do I have to wear this thing again?

But I digress.

As I was chatting with the doctor, we figured out that I was overdue on a few of my boosters. So, in addition to getting blood taken, I got vaccines in each arm, including a tetanus shot.

After such trauma, there was only one destination that is an acceptable lunch. An oriental buffet. With sushi and fried rice. And ice cream.

Already deep in the suburban sprawl that is Fields Ertel, we headed to Kyojin for their lunch buffet. David was very pleased that he was able to eat all the sushi that he could fit into his belly.(see "Exhibit A") He started with a salad, and made several trips. His assessment of the sushi? He thought it was very tasty, but a little hastily made, so some of the rolls fells apart a little. I think that this is unavoidable when a restaurant is trying to supply sushi, which takes time to construct, in mass quantities.

"Exhibit A"

I tried the fried rice, short ribs, and various other non sushi items on the buffet table. I thought they were very good for lunch buffet Chinese-style foods. I would definitely go back, and the lunch buffet is not that expensive. There are also coupons on their website, and the option of a “non-sushi” buffet (also cheaper), so if you are like myself, and are not too hot on the sushi, you're not paying for something you won't partake of.

I also tried the dessert, and made myself a little mint and chocolate ice cream chip wheelie. Open question: does anyone know why Oriental buffets always feature Jell-o jigglers on the dessert bar?