Sample Circuit, Take Two by the finickyfish

So it was time again for another round of Sample circuit goodness. A new location, a new chef, and a new selection of things to sample. This adventure was at Moto-i in Uptown. I frequent this area (in fact I was literally across the street and two buildings down just two nights earlier), just like restaurantMax, this is my first visit to this spot.
I’ve heard the hype. Like its sister pub next door, Moto-i is a brew pub. Where Herkimer is known for its beer, Moto-i is all about sake. And though I really can’t prove it, I’ve heard that Moto-I is the only sake brewery in the United States. YEAH sake!!
OK, just to get this out of the way, I was a little mad at the weather. We’ve had such a nice spring so far but for the past few days we’ve had this crazy wind. Moto-i has one of the most well known rooftop decks… which was closed, thus moving the party into a section of the bar. It was maybe less than ideal, but it meant we were closer to the sake taps! (NOTE TO SELF: go back to experience the patio. Soon.)
We walked in and right away were greeted and led to the party. Fortunately enough for us we were literally feet from a section of available bar front (like desirable beach front, but sometimes harder to come by) conveniently located an arm’s length away from a large tray of sake. The home brew of choice for the evening was the ‘junmai nigori nama’. Please don’t ask me to pronounce that, just know that it was good. Now I’m not going to sit here and tell you that I’m a sake expert or that my palate is as refined as others, but I honestly couldn’t tell the difference between the stuff that is made in Japan (whose name I also can’t pronounce), or the stuff made in the back of Moto-i (that I can’t pronounce). But I enjoyed it nonetheless. If you venture into the long hallway in the rear of the bar you can actually see the brew kitchen where the sake is made. Nobody was working back there at the time but I was neat to see a bit of ‘how it is done’.
While settling into the evening and enjoying our first sips, our first sample for the evening arrived via smiling server with tray in hand. Although it was our first bite of the evening, it was also one of the best. The Thai Basil Meatballs were small explosions of great flavor. There was a bunch going on in these little guys that made them both savory and smoky, and that gave them a bit of extra pop. In that moment I already knew it was going to be a good night.
Behind the bar was a series of TVs setup similar to what you might see at many bars. Moto-i had a unique spin on their setup though. One of the TVs was streaming NHK (or Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai a.k.a. Japan Broadcasting Corporation). For the duration of evening we enjoyed a traditional sumo wrestling match directly from Hong Kong (JACK – do you know this was in Hong Kong…that’s not actually in Japan, so I’m just wondering). Again, not being the expert on such things, I needed to learn a bit more about such things. Here’s a little video for good karma.

Due to the indoor location, I found it wasn’t quite so easy to intermingle with larger groups, and instead the people standing nearest you in line become a friend for a short time. That is one thing I’m beginning to see as a pleasantly reoccurring theme of the Sample Circuit; everyone is personable and chatty…about the food or the last round of sumo.
There were a few high-top tables on the side of the room set up as a serving station housing a few of the trickier-to-eat dishes. There were several different types of lettuce wraps and the best presented dish of the evening: the mushroom ramen. A pair of chopsticks stuck with a generous serving of noodles spun around them, dunked into a full cup of warm flavorful broth. It was such great presentation and it allowed everyone to spend some time playing with their food. Bonus points!
After we had our share of sake (though, we wished we could have sampled more than just one of their house sakes), we had to go visit our old friend Kevin from MVP Wines. OK, I have only met Kevin once before, but you will understand if you have the pleasure of meeting him that you too are his friend. He didn’t disappoint us; he brought with him a delicious mix of vino to match playfully with the dishes served.
The service was again impeccable. It seemed like every time you turned around there was another smiling face with another new dish to try. And speaking of new dishes, I’m compelled to tell you about the tartar. There seemed to be three or four different tartars floating around but there are two that were just amazing. The first was an hamachi (yellowtail tuna) and bacon tartar served on a vegetable chip. It seems like such a simple paring, but it was a perfect blend of light and heavy meat. Albeit I may be biased because it had bacon on it, but I absolutely loved it. The second was salmon with tobiko (those very small fish eggs sometimes used in sushi). This really had the flavor and texture of a piece of sushi roll, minus the rice.

And then there was dessert. Moto-i really out did themselves here. There were three delectable desserts to try. The first was a doughnut, or rather an oversized doughnut hole, deep fried and covered in sugar and Chinese five-spice seasoning. Being a fan of both five-spice and doughnuts individually, this was a sweet fusion of State Fair meets sushi. Next was a little chocolate cake. At first I thought it was a chocolate covered double stuff Oreo because of its shape, but this was a moist little piece of heaven. Think the chocolate-chocolate cake from Café Latte with more chocolate…seriously, yum! Finally was an Orange Blossom Panna Cotta .
The whole experienced stacked together; I can say that once again I am thrilled again with another fun night out. To say that I just left full and happy would be an understatement. Next time you’re in the mood for a new sake experience make sure to give Moto-i a try. Next time you want to be a little spoiled and try a whole bunch of amazing nummies and have it catered for you, try out the Sample Circuit. You won’t be disappointed. Tell them Jack sent you! (hehe)
Jack Fischer is a self proclaimed life blogger, a real life geek, and an all round 'nice guy'. He's a businessman and a photographer by trade. In his spare time he loves to tell stories. Visit his blog: finickyfish.blogspot.com

Executive Chef Jason Engelhart, moto-i

It fascinates me how often I hear, I knew I wanted to cook when I was fifteen years old. How many accountants do you know that can make the statement, "Whenever tax time came around, I felt a calling... I just knew, even as a young person, that it was what I was meant to do." I think that is where the "artist" part of culinary arts is best illustrated. Most career artists I know don't feel that doing their art is a choice, it is a part of who they are. It's more often described as a "calling" or even "a necessary part of their survival". I have met painters that literally feel physically ill if they don't have the opportunity to paint, they need to create work to feel whole.

After my meet and greet with Chef Jason Engelhart of moto-i, I found myself thinking a lot about what each of us is "meant" to do. Jason laughed easily when asked about his role growing up at the family dinner table. I inquired on his role in preparing family dinners while growing up. With a bit of a guilty smile he chuckled, "...my job was to eat."

When asked about his earliest culinary role model, he didn't hesitate, "My grandmother from Duluth... she still to this day won't tell me her all of her secrets."
At fifteen, Chef Jason joined the team at the Decathlon Athletic Club as a part of an apprentice program. The first menu item he mastered was the Alfredo Sauce. He was inspired by two of the chefs at the club and it was not long before he made the decision to attend culinary school at the Art Institutes International (AI). It was at AI that Jason was introduced to one of the most influential chefs in his career to date, local celebrity chef, Vincent Francoul (Vincent's). Working his way through culinary school, chef Jason absorbed everything he could, learning in both the classroom and in practical experience. After a short stint at Aquavit, he made the leap to a larger market and landed at Avec in Chicago.

"Avec was a big mind change in what cooking could be to me. The food was simple and rustic. We cooked out of a wood burning oven, there was no platting or crazy garnishes, it was simply the best food you could cook with no adulteration... Chicago was a competitive cooking town and there were people in line for jobs at great restaurants. Everyone took their positions seriously, they didn't treat it like a job, [they] treated it more like their passion, their career."

Offered an opportunity to take on a leadership position as sous chef at Vincent back in Minneapolis, chef Jason landed back home with a fresh set of eyes and a renewed energy. He spent three years honing his culinary and management skills when he went seeking a restaurant of his own. While in search of a more permanent home, chef Jason worked with chef Ferris Schiffer at the Minikahda Club. "I was intrigued when the opportunity to [work at] moto-i. It was a type of cuisine that I did not have much experience in, but I love the challenge...I am learning even more about cooking and different flavors and ingredients’ that I may have never had a chance to work with. Every day to me is a new day to learn."

He describes himself as an avid cookbook reader, not just for recipes, but to understand different techniques that the authors use. His current favorite is "The History of Italian Food" by Giorgio Locatelli.

When not in his own kitchen, he likes to grab a bite to eat at restaurant Alma, 112 Eatery or La Grassa with his fiance.

Chef Jason is a unique individual that seems truly passionate about what he does. He is a lifetime student, committed to learning about his chosen art. How fortunate for us, as a community, to have him here to share his talent.

Sample Circuit - OM Minneapolis

SAMPLE CIRCUIT MENU

Mumbai Tartlets Sev Pooris
A street food classic, crisp phyllo cups filled with mango, potato, red onion & drizzled with two chutneys: one spicy and savory, the other sweet and tart

Tapioca Pearl Fritters Sabudana Vadaa
Ginger and chile spiked tapioca fritters with peanuts served with a roasted coconut and sesame seed sauce

Fenugreek Lamb Chops Methi Gosht
Lamb lollipops grilled with ginger, fennel, cardamom, and garlic served with a fenugreek-cream sauce

Konkan Wild Salmon Balchao Muchee
Wild Alaskan salmon seared with turmeric and poached in a coconut milk-malt vinegar sauce with red chiles, cinnamon, garlic, scallions, and grape tomatoes

Tandoori Chicken Kebabs Murghi Kebab
Boneless chicken marinated in cream, ginger, and garlic, then roasted in a clay-oven and served with a cashew-raisin sauce

Squash and Lentil Casserole Subzi Dhansaak Biryani
Persian influenced cumin basmati ricelayered with a hearty, squash-lentil stew individually baked and topped with buttery puff pastry

Simple Naan
Served with tamarind-date and mint-cilantro chutney

Cardamom "Doughnuts" Gulab Jamuns
A classic Indian sweet served with a saffron sauce

Stunning decor in the dining room and bar

Guests enjoyed perfectly paired wines courtesy of
Kevin McKinney of MVP

Sample Circuit attendees stopping to smile for the camera

Live music by Mike Salovich and friend

Mumbai Tartlets Sev Pooris

Sample Circuit attendees sampling wines by MVP

Squash and Lentil Casserole Subzi Dhansaak Biryani

Tapioca Pearl FrittersSabudana Vadaa

Meet Raghavan Iyer, Culineer, (culinary engineer), for ŌM

Bombay-native Raghavan Iyer, is a Certified Culinary Professional, a member of The International Association of Culinary Professionals, and has acquired degrees in Chemistry (Bombay University) and Hotel & Restaurant Management (Michigan State University). He is a cookbook author, culinary educator, spokesperson, and consultant to numerous national and international clients such as General Mills and Canola. For Bon Appetit Management Company he helped launch an Indian Meals program and trained all their chefs across the United States. He also helped design a shelf-stable, ready-to-eat Indian meals line for Target’s Archer Farms brand. In 2008, he was named a Sustainable Seafood Ambassador for the prestigious Monterey Bay Aquarium. He is currently the Culineer, culinary engineer, for ŌM, an upscale-casual restaurant specializing in contemporary Indian cuisine scheduled to open May 2009 in downtown Minneapolis.

He is the author of Betty Crocker’s Indian Home Cooking, The Turmeric Trail: Recipes and Memories from an Indian Childhood (a 2003 James Beard Awards Finalist for Best International Cookbook), and the just-published 660 Curries. 660 Curries has been shortlisted among the top cookbooks for 2008 by National Public Radio, the New York Times, Boston Globe, and Food and Wine Magazine (among many others). The book has been named 2008 Best Asian Cookbook in the USA by World Gourmand Awards. He received the highly coveted 2004 International Association of Culinary Professional’s Award of Excellence (formerly the Julia Child Awards) for Cooking Teacher of the Year, and was a Finalist for a 2005 James Beard Journalism Award as a contributing writer for EatingWell Magazine. His numerous articles have appeared in Cooking Light, Fine Cooking, Saveur, Weight Watchers Magazine, Cooking Pleasures, and the internationally renowned literary food magazine Gastronomica.

Iyer is co-founder of the Asian Culinary Arts Institutes, Ltd., an organization dedicated to the preservation, understanding, and enjoyment of the culinary arts of Asia.

He is also an accomplished and prolific culinary instructor at many international, national, and local venues, including the International Association of Culinary Professionals’ Annual Conferences in Phoenix, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Montreal, Dallas, Seattle, and Chicago. With over 24 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Iyer is also fluent in more than six languages and leads yearly food and cultural tours to India.

He has appeared in numerous radio and television shows across the United States and Canada including Martha Stewart Radio, The Splendid Table (NPR), A Chef’s Table (WHYY Philadelphia), WGN Morning News (WGN Chicago), Good Day Atlanta (WAGA TV), Good Day Tampa (Fox Affiliate Tampa), The Morning Show (KARE 11 – NBC Affiliate in Minneapolis/St. Paul), and the Vicki Gabereau Show (national Canadian television talk show).

Come and Join us at the upcoming Sample Circuit Event at OM on April 1st, 2010, 5:30pm-7:30pm. Tickets are $38.00 each and available for purchase in advance, click here.