The Vitals: the spot: Itamae 140 NE 39th St. Miami FL 33137 the eats: Chef's tasting menu the bucks: $$$$ the full nelson: The best sushi I have EVER had and technically it wasn't even sushi

Itamae in Miami may well be the best sushi experience I will have this year and technically it isn't exactly a sushi restaurant. Itamae is a Nikkei restaurant which refers to generations of Migrants in Peru who arrived from Japan for fishing and stayed, bringing their culinary traditions to a new country. Like the mixing of Tex and Mex, a new cuisine was born that would define Peru the same way chips and queso define Texas. The most notable chef to come from this culinary evolution is rockstar celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa. His high end chain of restaurants translate to a trusted name in high end sushi. Nobu is technically from Peru, though he is of Japanese ancestry. Itamae, like Nobu's restaurants, comes with a price tag but it is worth it. Here was my course by course experience.

Goose Barnacle Amuse Bouche at Itamae

These crunchy little buggers were a tad tricky to eat(i.e. I hope you like a good shell slurp) but man was it pretty and absolutely brimming with a pristine taste of the sea albeit, a small taste. An omen of things to come, though the bites get much bigger.

Itamae Bluefin Tuna Tartare

As much as I love a good steak tartare, bluefin tuna tartare > steak tartare. This was as creamy as it looks and yes that is caviar in the middle. Did I mention I dropped a monthly health insurance premium for this meal?

Itamae Ceviche Tradicional

This is where the meal takes a turn from "this is good sushi" to "well, this is different". Peru sticks out in this dish for sure with the potato in the ceviche that oddly enough had Indian flavors thrown in, specifically star anise and cinnamon. I recall saying to myself "Im eating potato salad vindaloo". The fish had that pristine quality one associates with expensive sushi. Oh and speaking of quality . . .

They age the fish at Itamae

Yup, a dry aging system. I had heard about this stuff but this was my first time experiencing it with the fridge on display. Much like dry aging beef, or aging cheese or charcuterie, enzymes not only break proteins down to change the texture but also add complexity to the flavor profile. Think about the difference between a 24 month old wheel of Parmesan vs a slice of Kraft. See, I told you.

Itamae squid sashimi

Soy sauce? Who needs it. Itamae's squid sashimi gets hit with "Tiger's Milk" which is a common Peruvian sauce for marinating ceviche. This typically consists of citrus along onions, chiles and leftover ceviche marinade. Peruvian ceviches are kind of just next level: pristine sashimi that plays with fire but doesn't burned.

Itamae Bluefin Toro

You know in Top Gun Maverick when someone is flying and you hear the beep and everyone is like "oh damn here comes the enemy jet?". That was what it was like when Itamae's Toro lands in front of you. But instead of getting blown to bits, your palate gets blown away. I know Bluefin is going extinct but damn if it doesn't justify all the money you spend on top of the apocalyptic world I'm leaving for my child. The rice matched perfectly with the melt in your mouth meaty pleasure of the tuna belly. This is the type of sushi that takes you from $$$ to $$$$.

Itamae Ora King Salmon

Like Iceman to Maverick(or should I have said Hangman?), Ora King is a fine wingman to Toro sushi. On top you might notice, well something different. Chef called it the "secret sauce". Hey, everyone has to have their secrets. Did I mention how amazing the sushi rice at Itamae is? Then again for these prices, it better be.

Itamae Scallop Sushi

The secret sauce continues with Itamae's Scallop sushi, though this time chef divulged more details. Get ready for the unexpected, unless you expect ingredients from a smoothie. Banana, apple and charapita pepper are blended to make the thick sauce placed above the scallop. I wish I could make this up. I also wish I had the balls to combine these elements and put them on a gorgeous scallop. Hell, I just wish I knew what charapita pepper was. I could ask but I have more eating to show you.

Baby Dutch Potato in huancaina sauce

Peru's staple root vegetable returns in a spicy cheese sauce spiked with shishito peppers. Even when it's not raw and dry aged, Itamae makes their food look as precious as can be. It might seem like I'm just fawning over everything but this kind of meal is such a treat and welcomed respite from the bbq, burgers and tacos I typically force my iPhone to capture. I'm also fawning over the umami in this dish. Koji, which is a rice fungus(bare with me) and an umami flavor bomb(just ask Japan) is combined with cream to make a butter. Yeah, it's an umami butter bomb. Throw in some preserved lemon and frisee and you got one hell of a baby potato dish.

Itamae Shrimp Sushi in Uni sauce

Raw shrimp has an intensity the cooked stuff can't touch. It is more meaty but the texture is softer with less bounce than the cooked version. Itamae heightens the flavor with a sauce made from sea urchin and grates salted sea urchin, a variation of the Italian delicacy bottarga, on top. This is what happens when a chef has license to get into their work. This is what happens when your sushi meal comes with a $$$$ price tag. I just rolled my eyes back in pleasure and let games continue . . . until dessert.

Itamae Tangerine Cremolada

I've never had a cremolada before but if I see one again, I am definitely ordering it. Softer than ice cream and refreshing like an Italian Ice, the Tangerine Cremolada at Itamae eased my emotions that my epic sushi, or should I say Nikkei feast was coming to a close. There's isn't much I can say beyond the play by play of what went down course by course at Itamae. If you can swing $200 a person(out the door with drink and tip), then go. I sure want to go back.      

The Vitals: the spot: Maple Japanese Ramen 2102 Chestnut St. Philadelphia PA 19103 the eats: Ramen, Gyoza, Mochiko Chicken the bucks: $15+ for ramen, apps are under $10 the full nelson: respectable ramen game in Philly

Maple Japanese Ramen was not on my radar when I went went to Philadelphia over the summer. In fact ramen was not in my plans at all. Truth be told: I'm not a ramen head. But I am the father to a Ramen head. By "head" I am invoking variation of the slang "sneaker head", you know, someone who lives and breathes sneakers.

Diary of a Ramen Head

My kid lives for the slurp. He is always up for a bowl of ramen, even on a muggy July afternoon in Philadelphia. So we found ourselves at Maple Japanese Ramen in Center City Philadelphia.

They got fans

Not the ceiling ones either but for the record, the AC was kicking in just fine. And so was business. Even at an odd mid afternoon hour, Maple Japanese Ramen had half the dining room filled. In the Philly tradition, this place is also BYOB, so we took a quick detour to grab some cold Japanese beer.

Juicy dumplings

Even though a single bowl Ramen is a meal that can feed two, I had to test drive some appetizers. I do love me some dumplings so Gyoza was an obvious choice. You know how some people say "even bad pizza is good"? I feel that way about dumplings. That's not to say the Gyoza at Maple Japanese Ramen was bad, in fact far from it. These fried wontons were packing a juicy pork filling. This was the sign that we were in for a solid Ramen & friends experience.

Meet Karaage's cousin: Mochiko

Back when I lived in downtown Los Angeles, Izakayas were a mainstay in our dining rotation. Japan's answer to tapas was an affordable way to nibble on yakitori, sometimes sushi and hearty nibbles like Karaage or Japanese fried chicken. I thought this was Karaage but in fact it is called Mochiko. The interwebs inform me this variant is in fact from Hawaii. Like Karaage, the chicken is marinated in soy sauce and other seasonings. Mochiko takes it into a new direction when it is coated in rice flour, giving it a notorious crunch. The chicken had tang, the texture was distinctive and this was when I said "damn Philadelphia, you got some damn good Japanese". PS - we haven't even gotten to the ramen.

I went with spicy

A few years ago I went to a well known ramen joint in NYC called Ippudo. I made the mistake of getting a light broth, forgoing Tonkatsu; the über unctuous fatty broth. I didn't make the same mistake at Maple Japanese Ramen but I did make a move for some heat. This is the Akamaru Modem Ramen, where a special sauce adds some heat to the base Tonkatsu broth. Three thick slices of pork belly and the soft boiled egg solidify a meal that is rich and satisfying. It was rich like I always hope ramen would be, but an addictive kick of heat chased every spoonful

Drop the chopsticks

Maple Japanese Ramen is legit. And another example of why Philadelphia is a such a great food town: a robust dining scene covering genres better than you might think. I would gladly go to Maple Japanese Ramen on the reg if I lived in Philadelphia or if they were down in Austin. I may not be a Ramen head but I know enough to when when to nod my head when I slurp the good stuff and this is it.

The Vitals: the spot: El Milagrito 521 E. Woodlawn Ave San Antonio TX 78202 the eats: Breakfast Tacos the bucks: $2 a taco(breakfast) the full nelson: A Cheap Eats titan- stupid good value El Milagrito is the kind of Cheap Eats destination that makes me wish the show was still running, It is just nothing short of a ridiculously good value. A big part of that has to do with the reality that San Antonio is a Texas taco destination. Thanks to some insight delivered to me by Texas Monthly Taco Editor José Ralat, I learned that San Antonio is the capital of puffy tacos, pork chop tacos and breakfast tacos. And the prices here are rock bottom compared to Austin. In a future post I will dive into Puffy Tacos and Pork Chop tacos, but for now let's just take in this beauty in for around $2:

The almighty BEC

Bacon, egg and cheese in a warm, fresh made flour tortilla that could be considered the size of a mini burrito. Yes, everything is bigger in Texas, but the tacos at El Milagrito are generous and that is being conservative. The absolute shocker was that this taco was just north of $2 and one was a respectable light meal. I was on my way to shoot an episode of a new BBQ show for Thrillist and was just in need of lil something-something so I held the play at one. I was perfectly satisfied.

Reach for the green salsa

At least when it comes to anything with eggs. The creamy green jalapeño salsa was made for morning meals. The other salsa, which most likely featured Habanero chile peppers was a touch too piquant for a breakfast taco. I would save that for their well regarded barbacoa at lunch.

Is that Aarón Sánchez?

I totally asked the guy if he gets asked that. I mean, I think he is a ringer for at least a cousin. Short in the tattoo department but I think the resemblance is there. My guy was cool as can be, despite my inquiries that he resemble the MasterChef co-host.

Cheap Eats certified

This place changed how I viewed the breakfast taco scene in San Antonio and frankly the hype/overpriced reality of Austin in general. El Milagrito in San Antonio is the truth. Recommended by chefs(thx Curry Boys!), frequented by La Gente and all the looks and feels of a Cheap Eats certified joint, walk through these doors with confidence by fellow Cheap Eaters.

50 years in business

And for good reason, El Milagrito in SATX(San Antonio for those not in the know) is a must visit for breakfast tacos. Close to downtown/Riverwalk , it's an easy drive if you happen to be in town visiting/working like I was. Here me now: make this stop in the St Mary's Strip in San Antonio; your stomach and wallet will thank you. Possibly at the same time. And maybe get two tacos. You will be able to afford it.