Net Trivia
Which sushi has the lowest mercury levels?
highest? Over-fished?
The Natural Resources Defense Council tells
all.....
The City of Austin
now has a handy searchable database of restaurant inspection scores.
The Hottest New Rice Cooker. Yow!
The Zojirushi heat induction technology model
NH-VBC18.
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Contents
You've seen the signs, but haven't you wondered? Kobe is the gold standard of beef -- way off the pricing scale for hamburger lovers, yet now even places like Waterloo Ice House and Noodlism have joined Kobe Japanese Steak House -- all allegedly selling Kobe Beef. What gives? The fact is that importation of any beef from Japan has been banned since 2001 because of mad cow disease. Since only beef from Kobe, Japan, is truly "Kobe Beef," the stuff sold in Austin can only be called Kobe "style" beef, most likely from Japanese Wagyu cows brought over from Japan in the early 90's. Don't believe the hype!
As mentioned last month, Maiko is still getting their
staff up to speed and has not yet had a grand opening. But, their
groovy new 
Flash website is
up and running and features their menu, a detailed bio of head chef
Seiju Onami, and some chill ambient beats. The menu,
I might add, includes prices and some yummy descriptions: 'Sushi "Pizza" Sei
San Style -- Panko crusted sushi cake crowned with spicy tuna and a
chili miso.'
Maiko
311 W. 6th Street
Austin, Texas 78701
(512) 236-9888
The
new flagship Whole Foods at 6th and Lamar
has one-upped HEB Central Market by not only
having in-store sushi chefs, but also having a sitdown sushi
bar as well. They call
it Sixth
Street Sushi and
it's open
from 11am to 8pm every day in their food "court." They
have a pretty standard selection of maki and nigiri at prices
you'd
expect
from many
sushi bars
around town -- $4 for two pieces of ebi nigiri and $10.95
for a Caterpillar Roll, for example. 
Sixth Street Sushi is run by Kikka Sushi, the California firm that Whole Foods contracts with to make sushi in their various stores nationwide.
Whole Foods
6th and Lamar Blvd
Austin, Texas 78701
(512) 476-1206
Various news about Uchi....Tyson Cole, Uchi head chef dude, was nominated for a James Beard Foundation award, but did not win......Uchi will be open for dinner seven nights a week (now closed Sundays) starting Labor Day weekend.....Cole will be attending the Food & Wine festival in Aspen this June. It's part of the "Best New Chefs" press onslaught. He will be doing a tasting dinner with the other nine winners..... Cole will also appear in the July issue of Food & Wine magazine.