shokutsu's Sightings

Generally, I’m quite a fan of mushrooms so this was a complete delight. White button, enoki, oyster, and I think another two kinds that I can’t name off the top of my head. Once cooked through and set to simmer, the digging in began. The breakdown of the starch from the potatoes added the key flavour component to the stew, along with the prominent taste coming from the chunks of pork backbones that had portions of the meat tenderly clinging on. All of this was layered together beautifully with the spicy kick of most Korean stews/soups, with some of it coming directly from the kimchi contained within the mixture. I’d recommend having a side of steamed rice to eat this meal, to help give it some more “filling” character and to ease some of the heat on your tongue.

The patty was densely packed and given the low fat content of buffalo/bison, it did come across as dry. I did miss the juiciness and greater flavourful sensation from a beef burger. But it was not bad by any means, just different. And that was what I was after on this lunch, so nothing lost there. The loads of toppings ended up oozing out of the nice sesame seed covered bun and near the end, it was getting quite wet and messy.

Sampled some of the sweeter choices in a custard-filled eclair, almond croissant, and strudels. All very nicely baked and not overly sweet.

Within the mixture of meats in this kabob dish, I enjoyed the lamb sausage and chop portion the most. Something about lamb when it is seasoned well and cooked perfectly, makes me really enjoy this often misunderstood protein. The chicken, beef and grilled vegetable pieces were also delicious in their own right and tempered with the accompanying rice to create a very filling meal.

Thinly spread over a base crust was some seasoned ground meat (tasted like a mix of lamb and beef to me) and baked to crisp up the bread. Though perhaps dense or heavy appearing, it tasted quite light and given the thinness of the crust, it was quite easy to polish off all on my own if I wanted to.

Thicker cuts of sashimi (tuna, salmon) and the rice balls were a bit too "round" and tightly compacted for my liking.

Safari has 16 varieties on their menu list, including some staples like steak & kidney, pepper steak, steak & mushroom, and some curry ones! A pair of sausage rolls (pork, beef) also rounded out their list.

Their chicken broth is light, but flavourful – and very nearly transparent in its clarity. It is also quite light in salt. I do not detect that “round” MSG flavour that so many bowls of pho in this town exhibit.

The toppings served separately to ensure that the sliced meat does not soften up too much in the hot broth until you are good and ready to eat, I appreciate this small touch. The both delicate and deep broth is rich tasting but not overly oily, I can see why Santouka is popular with female ramen fans in Japan, which tends to generally be more a cuisine enjoyed by men.

The crispy ball resembling a giant takoyaki that you see on the cooker inside the trailer gets completely smothered by the curry sauce. But surprisingly, it holds up somewhat and retains its “barrier” as you dig in and pierce it with the supplied plastic forks. The creaminess of the mayo and curry sauce melded well, adding a great deal of richness to the creation. Inside, mainly cabbage supplemented by an assortment of seafood pieces (squid, shrimp, fish cake being most prominent I thought).