Katsu Donburi

Picking out the Good Stuff

Matuba Japanese Restaurant

Matuba Japanese Restaurant is a quaint little place in Arlington, VA that serves fairly authentic Japanese food on a small scale. They close at two o’clock in the afternoon and the staff takes a break to eat and relax before the dinner rush. There is hardly any parking. And, there’s no better place to get a Katsu Donburi (breaded and fried pork cutlet with sauteed onion and fried egg over rice) I began eating this dish as a student in Japan (it’s a quick and nutrition-rich lunch) and still love to order it whenever I can. My wife always gets the lunch box with teriyaki and tempura.

We love to come here on lazy days and enjoy the great food, small atmosphere and tasty green tea. It’s always delicious and relaxing. The staff seem happy enough (maybe due to the 2 o’clock break time) to shout irrashaimasse! (welcome, don’t be afraid to come in!) when we enter. Best of all, it’s not priced as most Japanese restaurants in the states are; expensive novelties rather than everyday food joints. Everything is very reasonable.

Preparing the Chou-Fleur Au Gratin

Sauce consists of pureed cauliflower core and stems, heavy cream, herbs, a touch of curry powder and horseradish. This photo was taken before the heavy cream was added. I really enjoyed using the cauliflower core and stems… quite unique. Taken from the pages of the wonderful Thomas Keller’s book Bouchon. I first heard about Thomas Keller by reading the books of someone who admires him- nay, adores him; Anthony Bourdain. Bourdain wrote the book Kitchen Confidential which exposed the underbelly of professional cooking and also stars in No Reservations on the travel channel.

Steaks Rubbed with Salt and Pepper

Prepping the Veggies

Sarah (my sister in law and sous chef) is prepping red bell pepper. I’ve just finished the potatoes. Zoey (my dog) looks on with candid interest.

Fresh Vegetables

My parents were excellent cooks themselves and always believed in preparing fresh meals, especially once they had me to feed. We enjoyed eating take-out or comfort food as much as anyone, but 90% of the time I could count on real food made with real ingredients while growing up. It’s translated into a deep interest in cooking later in my life. Thanks mom and dad. This cutting board is the same one they used to cook for me years ago. I love Global brand knives, two of my favorites are seen above.

This, My Friend, is the Start of Something Wonderful

Something Wonderful (Au Poivre Sauce)

Ready to Eat

Steak (Two Cuts), Cauliflower Au Gratin, Roasted Potatoes with Bell Pepper and Balsamic Vinegar

The finished product. Ribeye and strip steak, pan bronzed and served with a brandy cream-peppercorn sauce, roasted red potatoes with red bell peppers, garlic, balsamic vinegar and chou-fleur au gratin.

Of these, the cauliflower au gratin was the most fun to make. As I mentioned above, it’s from the pages of Thomas Keller’s Bouchon. The core of the head of cauliflower is used along with reserved stems to make a puree which becomes part of the sauce. The florets are cooked with water and vinegar, and then combined with the sauce made of pureed core and stems, heavy cream, nutmeg, horseradish, curry, salt and pepper. Finally, the gratin is topped with shredded comte (which I could not find, I used regular Gruyere) and browned in a gratin dish.

How About a Little Dessert?

My dinners are never complete without my signature dessert, creme brulee made from scratch with real vanilla and caramelized brown sugar topping.

PotBelly Sandwhiches - Detail of Queue Area

Reaching for Napkins at PotBelly

Where’s a good place to get quick food in DC? PotBelly Sandwich Works, that’s where. We have always loved this place, especially for chicken salad sandwhiches. I don’t know what it is… it is indeed a corporate franchise and there are many locations in the area, but the food really is better than a lot of the chain places I’ve been to. The bread is delicious and just the right “toughness” and, if you are like me, you can order with oil and seasoning that makes it drip with reckless oily goodness. Prices are much better than at Au Bon Pain or Panera and the food considerably tastier. Try it, you’ll like it.

Above, my wife and her sister chow down on their favorite items.

Despite having aquired some very good glass like the Nikon 70-200 2.8 lens, I really still love my 18-200 VR for these impromptu outings and casual situations and I can’t ever see getting rid of the lens.