salmon dreams

Salmon scallop aburi from Dream Bites

Reviews of salmon rice dishes I've ordered for delivery over the past month or two. 

salmon don from japan fudo street

I think this started a little bit of a salmon phase for me. The cook on it was really good — very crispy skin with a slightly underdone belly that made for a great combo of textures. It was served with plenty of Kewpie mayo and warm Japanese-style rice, making for an altogether simple but rich meal that had me seeking out more salmon donburi with Japanese mayo. 

salmon donburi from kale cafe 

This was almost sublime, pairing torched salmon and Kewpie with generous, generous (I cannot stress that enough, every bite had enough of each to go around) helpings of ebiko, spring onions, and crispy, chewy nori flakes that are shredded kind of like corned beef. It also came with a few pieces of crispy dumpling skin that lent an extra crunch and saltiness. My only problem was the rice: it wasn't Japanese rice, to begin with, and it was a little dry and just the wrong texture overall. But it was ultimately a non-issue with the way it all came together and I'd definitely order it again. 

salmon fish cakes with quinoa and cilantro sauce from cloudeats 

I went for the quinoa version instead of the curry rice version, which is also good, but I wanted the grains to take a backseat to the taste of the fish cake and the sauce. It's also much more affordable, which is a plus. The fish cakes are breaded balls of flaky salmon meat and I'm a little obsessed with them. (I first tried them on CloudEats' pesto pasta, which was also a nice pairing.) They're great with the zesty, savory cilantro sauce and loads of broccoli. I'd never had quinoa before this dish, and I actually thought it would be adlai instead, but I ended up liking it as well and I'm definitely adding this to my list of no-fail go-tos. 

salmon scallop aburi from dream bites 

Generous slices of torched salmon and scallop, with tempura flakes, fried rice that's good enough to eat on its own, and creamy, briny aburi sauce — it was love at first (dream) bite. Everything worked together harmoniously to create every great spoonful: the salmon tender, the scallop firm and still discernible under all that flavor, the tempura flakes adding a fun little crunch, the sauce calling for you to drag your spoon across the bowl so not a drop is wasted. I almost wanted to transfer it into a fancy bowl because of how indulgent and filling it is. 

pan roasted cedar salmon with cilantro rice, mango salsa, and cajun spices at the wholesome table

3/16/2023

Lately my ideal food has been a rich, tender protein with fluffy, herby, flavorful rice and a sweet element for depth and balance, and this dish checks off all the boxes. 

I had it when I went out to dinner with Ella, who ordered the same thing. We hadn't seen each other since 2019, and had had a few hiccups with scheduling since we were both so busy with work. I'd been worried that things between us would feel stilted at first, but when we laid eyes on each other, we picked right back up where we'd left off. Like no time had passed at all. 

We talked about our jobs, what it's like to leave publishing for creative fields that have very different inner workings (and that we never would've seen ourselves in until we actually got there), how lucky we are to be part of something with people who are kind and supportive and just get it, that's fulfilling and makes us happy with labor in a way we never thought possible. 

She talked about living away from home and wishing she could go back sometimes, how her mom would visit and they'd go out shopping, which I thought was really nice. "See, that's the thing," I began, "I was just getting to the part where my mom and I could finally be friends." And before I knew it—before I could even finish the sentence—my voice was breaking a little and I was in tears. Ella was quick to comfort me and reassure me that we all have moments that gave us license to cry in public, and it felt good to share a little about what the past two years have been like because I hardly let myself think about them sometimes. (Let alone cry about them.) 

Conversation moved on to other things, meaningful and funny and eye-opening the way talks with Ella always are. Personal, the way I don't always get to be with everyone. (Scorpio things.) She's one of the few people I can really turn to when I need perspective on mental health stuff. I checked the time after I accidentally cried and it was 6:30 p.m. The next time I checked it, it was 8:30—but it didn't feel like two hours had passed at all. 

We shared a Grab ride home and promised to see each other again very soon. It was very healing and life-affirming, and I can't wait for next time.  

As for the dish: The salmon was a little more done than I expected, but I enjoyed the crispiness of its sear. I think it was brown sugar-crusted, because the crispiness had a bit of a crystal-like texture to it, and there was an extra layer of sweetness that was unexpected but definitely not unwelcome at all. It all came together well with the rice and the mango salsa, which needs to become the next big condiment that you'll find everywhere. It's my ranch dressing. It's my chili crisp. It's my way of life and I would carry it in a tiny clip-on bottle for mango salsa emergencies if I could.