Dinner And A Movie: Samurai & The Darjeeling Limited

Samurai
149 N. 6th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
(718) 302-6232

Roxie had suggested a pre-movie visit to Miyako (not the first time she had suggested the Williamsburg Korean-Japanese joint), but we found it closed upon our arrival and our hopes of bi bim bap dashed. So, we wandered down North 6th and into Samurai.

Without much time to spare and all seats filled, Roxie and I settled in at the empty sushi bar, ordered ourselves some food and quickly chose a bottle of sake. Perhaps for keeping them company (or perhaps this is customary at Samurai, I'd never previously been), the sushi chefs offered us a small plate of marinated seafood, which reminded me quite a bit of the pulpo gallego (substitute seaweed for potatoes) found all over Spain at tapas bars both big and small. Mmmm, nostalgia is tasty. The sushi, too, was tasty, certainly not of excessively large cuts as is so often the case, and paired with nicely, subtly sweetened rice.

After grabbing a box of Pocky to go (figuring Mint needed something for movie munchies), we met the aforementioned Mint in Union Square just in time to grab icees and seats for The Darjeeling Limited.

Wes Anderson's latest film has all the look and feel of, well, a Wes Anderson film, methodical, purposeful, and incredibly thoughtful. The weight of thoughts and internal struggle figure heavily in Darjeeling's plot, even as its characters, three brothers, Francis, Peter and Jack, "on a spiritual journey", abandon those emotions externally. The result is a film that flaunts its metaphors as freely as the brothers toss around their dead father's Louis Vuitton luggage, and which says as much absent certain words than in those said.

The story is simple enough, trials of loss and insecurity told in Anderson's whimsical fashion, but I imagine for some the privileged air of the brothers' lives is too obvious and out-of-reach to allow the story resonate. Perhaps that life (and our resulting contempt of it) is part of Anderson's point, to force us to dispense of our objections in accepting his characters for being only as flawed as we all are. Or, it's just a convenient and pretty motivation for the plot. One never knows.

MIKE EATS NEXT TIME: Sure, I enjoyed the friendly reception; let's make an agreement: see Hotel Chevalier before seeing Darjeeling Limited. (Note: Hotel Chevalier is now showing exclusively in theaters in front of The Darjeeling Limited.)

Mike Eats Greenpoint, Volume 2.1: Sapporo Haru, Revisited

Sapporo Haru
622 Manhattan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11222
(718) 389-9697

THREE REASONS WHY this topic is worth revisiting:

First, the original MEF! post on Sapporo was anything but comprehensive.

Second, there is now an over-abundance of sushi places in Greenpoint, all within a few blocks of each other, which only furthers the debate about where to purchase one's raw fish around these parts. Sapporo Haru and Wasabi were both excellent choices when they were the only games in town. Ah, but for progress. A couple of upstarts makes the decision tougher, the debate worth clarifying.

Third, in light of a recent conversation with Kevin (note: the two of us are no masters of sushi knowledge, unless Kevin is keeping something from me), expectations have been raised. It was pointed out to me that perhaps the test of good maki is whether or not each of the roll's individual pieces is distinguishable in texture, flavor, etc. An excellent point. Kevin finds that Wasabi's chefs do a better job of accomplishing this feat than do Sapporo's.

Roxie, on a recent trip; ume shiso roll as it should be, top

I have no desire to eat at all of the sushi newcomers and mainstays in Greenpoint to determine which is tops. That's expensive, people. I've been going to Sapporo for a little over three years now and I have no plans to stop. I enjoy the menu, I find the fish to be fresh, the service to be warm (on occasion hilariously erratic), and the prices to be reasonable. The green tea has the flavor of toasted rice, and the miso is exceptionally sweet without being salty. The waitress calls me "sweetie." That's enough for me.

That said, my ume shiso roll arrived with pickled plum paste rather curiously plopped atop my roll rather than inside it (see detail, left). I've never had that happen before. I can't explain it. My Brooklyn roll, which involves fried mint leaves and spicy tuna on the outside, arrived as Kevin might have predicted--a muddle of tastes (however delicious) with only the mint leaves recognizable by their crunch. Score one for Kevin.

It's enough to make me want to try Wasabi, just to see how the two stand up. But once, and only once!

MIKE EATS NEXT TIME: Perhaps, just perhaps, at Wasabi.

Mike Eats Greenpoint, Volume 2: Sapporo Haru

Sapporo Haru
622 Manhattan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11222
(718) 389-9697

IF ANYONE ACCUSES me of exaggerating or puffing up what I eat because I'm posting it here, I will refer them to today's Menu. If you'll scroll down, there you'll notice that prior to dinner, I had eaten (yes, mom, I'm sorry) tater tots. And that's it. My excuse? I had a headache?

Honestly, there just wasn't anything else in the fridge. I've been gone for almost two weeks! Mint was cat-sitting! And that's the way it is.

Which means that by dinnertime I was, yes, very hungry. And I don't normally advocate eating raw fish on a wholly empty stomach, but I really do love Sapporo Haru quite a bit. Part of my love for it is the wonderful (read: slightly crazy) waitress who makes dining there a surreal experience. That, and the green tea that tastes slightly of toasted rice. That, and the miso soup is some of the best I've had anywhere.

But we settled for rolls and tofu teriyaki tonight (both which come with the aforementioned miso soup). And had it delivered because we were lazy. Which, you'll notice from the Menu, was pretty much my day.

MIKE EATS NEXT TIME: Yes, we'll stop in and come back with a better story.