It was by chance that I noticed Odine in Ajax, Ontario, Canada, Ontario.
I was returning from the Home Depot and was about to take a right turn on Kingston Road when I noticed a new restaurant on the other side of the road.
And a closer look revealed it was Japanese-Thai fusion cuisine, which made me even more curious, as I have never seen this combination.
And so far I have been there twice.
A huge smiling Buddha welcomes you at the entrance. Further inside is the restaurant, and it is decorated simply, which adds a richness to the ambience.
For lunch, Odine has a Lunch Menu as well as the regular Menu.
The first time I went for the Lunch Menu; I chose Special Thai Curry, which comes with soup and rice.
I chose beef, and it came on a gold-brown curry.
The second time, I was tempted to order the Teriyaki, but decided to go for Thai.
Ajax is a fast growing city, and though it lacks the depth in the ethno-cultural restaurant scene that nearby cities such as Scarborough or Markham have, the situation is improving.
During my recent trip to Puerto Morelos in Mexico, I had the opportunity to taste 'Mayan coffee' at the Hacienda Arrecife restaurant in Hotel Marina El Cid. The coffee was wonderful, but more than the taste, it was the process of making it that was eye-catching.
The maing of Mayan coffee is an art, and the second time I visited the restaurant, I was ready for Senor Alfredo. Here is the video, captured on my Nokia N96, on Making Mayan Coffee
Chiaki’s Bar, located on Steels and Woodbine, is one of my favourite joints, not only because I know the owner but also because I like the atmosphere. Besides, I am deeply intrigued by the Japanese culture.
But first the bar.
As I have been there a number of times, I am going to describe more the ambience than the details of what is offered. And the interior decoration is simple but rich. As with most East Asian restaurants, black colour plays a major role, with a couple sofas and setties in that colour. The countertop is also black granite. I find it very chic.
They do have a variety of alcohol – from wine and beer to the harder stuff such as whiskey. I usually go for a beer. I also like sake but I find the tradition of drinking out of small (very small) cups quite challenging for someone who drinks tea or coffee from a big mug (sorry, my coffee-loving Italian friends and green tea-loving Chinese and Japanese friends).
And it was Chiaki’s Bar that introduced me to another drink that has become one of my favourites: Shozu or Shochu. It is made from barley, sweet potatoes or rice, but unlike sake, is distilled. It is also stronger – at around 25%. It was during a visit in deep winter that I had asked for something stronger, and they suggested it. It came with warm water. Usually, I balk at the idea because adding water to alcohol is a strict no for my digestive system; it makes me feel nauseated.
But this turned out to be a different experience. Smooth and warm – ideal for winter.
There is always some bite at Chiaki’s – usually roasted nuts of different types. Time to time they will give us what they cook for themselves.
And if you take a break to the washroom, they will wait with a warm napkin when you come back.
One interesting facet of the bar experience is the interaction of the waitresses with the customers. They never say no when a customer offers to buy them a drink. In fact, they seem to like it very much. But they remain on their side of the counter and if you are seated in the couch, sometimes will kneel down and pour the drink in your cup (though I am not sure whether this act of kneeling depends on the social status. The Japanese are, after all, very tradition bound).
Even more intriguing is the amount of alcohol Japanese women can handle; And they do not seem to hesitate to mix drinks – beer, wine and the harder ones; they take everything in a stride, and still walk with a straight head.
Bar Chiaki has a website, though currently only the Japanese version is available. English site is under construction.
Omi is located on Carlton, near Parliament. It looks a simple place and after some ordering warm sake (the menu said only cold sake, but warm sake is also available) and some hesitation, decided to skip the Omakase, and went for our own selection.
They present you a box full of sake cups to choose from. I like the roughness of ceramic cups, so I chose this one.
They also provide tea for free.
Appetizers
Ordered Soft Shell Crab Roll and Beef Enoki Roll for appetizers.
The Crab Roll was unique – in some Japanese restaurants the rolls are about 2-2.5 centimetres which I think is too big while the Omi ones were about 1.5 cm – with some new ingredients. The rice was also good without too much sourness that I have found in some restaurants. They tasted really well, even though this was one of the rare Soft Shell Crab Rolls that I have eaten cold.
On the other hand, the Enoki Rolls were warm. Short stems of the mushrooms were enveloped in thin and soft beef slices and grilled. They came with a sauce with a dash of sweetness. The mushrooms were fresh and the beef very juicy.
Main
For main, we had Chirashi Bi Bim and Omi Sashimi. The first one came in a bowl with slices of salmon, tuna, sweet shrimp, crab meat etc – all on a small ball of rice. In retrospect, it was not a good idea to have selected both because they were almost identical, except for the container – the Omi Sashimi came in a long plate.
At the end of it, I still felt hungry. And this was stimulated by my neighbours who were being treated to lavish courses of Omakase by the chef. All salivating dishes.
I called the waitress for the menu card and told her to give me a few minutes.
After about ten minutes I was considering the option of calling for the bill when the waitress came, so I ordered appetizer Tempuras. We had shrimps, carrots, green beans (this was my first ever) and Zucchini. It was fresh.
The small size of the tables reminded me of JapanGo but Omi is more spacious and they have an open kitchen concept. I never had the chance to talk to the chef.
2 cups of dhal (this is half-split pink-red coloured pulse, called Masoor dhal or lentils).
Depending on your taste for it, this could be sufficient for 2-6 people.
Two pods of peeled garlic, diced.
Half a teaspoon of turmeric powder
Half a tablespoon of mustard seeds
Half a tablespoon of cumin
Half a tablespoon of fennel
Half an onion, sliced
Five red dried chillies, broken into smaller pieces
Difficult to get ingredients
Ten curry leaves (these about 2 cm-long green pinnate leaves have a strong aroma. You can use the thumb and index finger to hold one edge of the pinnate, and hold the closest leaves on either side of the axis with the thumb and index fingers of the other hand and pull all the leaves down to separate them from the axis)
Two tablespoons of coconut milk (you can use either canned unsweetened coconut milk or, in the absence of it, dried unsweetened coconut powder with water)
Cooking Method
Wash the dhal thoroughly and boil, with four cups of water. Remove the scum that forms on top as the dhal begins to boil. When the lentils start turning yellow (half cooked), add the diced garlic.
When the dhal is cooked, remove it from the cooker. Take a separate pot and add oil. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds. When they start popping up, add the fennel and cumin. Add the onions, the curry leaves and the dried chillies (split).
Add the dhal curry to the hot mixture. Add turmeric powder, and coconut milk. Add salt.
Enjoy.
Dhal is a very versatile dish and in some South Asian cultures is almost a must for any special occasion meal, particularly if it is a vegetarian rice and curry meal. You can also enjoy a simple meal of dhal curry, pickles and yoghurt. Alternatively, dhal can also be a companion for a meal with bread, roti or stringhoppers.
