Photo credit: Sifu Renka from Flickr

This past weekend, a couple we know invited us to meet another couple over dinner. In the world of couples, this is like going on a first date. Making that ever important first impression can determine whether or not you’ll gain new friends or just move on.

All being foodies, we decided to go for a meal out at the Hamachi House (5190 Morris St.). As far as first “date” meals go, this restaurant knows what it’s doing. The atmosphere is not so intimate that you feel like you’re the only people there or have to speak softly, but it’s also sectioned off in a way that you can feel quite cozy.

A wide variety of food orders went around the table, from big sharing platters to individual meals. Cokebaby and I started with the beef maki: thinly sliced sirloin, rolled green onion and teriyaki ($9.95). This was a first for both of us, but quite tasty. We also shared the miso soup and house salad that his meal came with.

For the main meal, Cokebaby ordered the Hamachi House sampler: 1pc tuna nigiri, 1pc salmon nigiri, 1pc ebi (shrimp) nigiri, 1pc scallop nigiri, 5pc shrimp tempura roll & 6pc spicy salmon roll ($20.95). With the meal he had a Sapporo beer.

I went with the Holy Dynamite off of the fusion section of the menu: a dynamite roll wrapped with BBQ eel, avocado and red tobikko (8 pcs $12.95). With my meal I had a small sake. Sho Shiku Bai is my favourite and they had it on the menu. Their cold filtered organic sake was on the menu too (sold as a full bottle) but beer seemed to be the beverage of choice around the table. If you’re ever interested in trying a sake cold, I’d recommend this one. Nice and smooth compared to some of the burny and harsh sakes on the market.

The variety of sushi that was going on around the table was like food art. Everyone was most impressed with the Caribbean Maki at the other end of the table: Fresh scallop, tempura shrimp wrapped with mango. Spicy or light mayo (8 pcs $10.95).

Overall, the service was friendly and the food came to the table quickly. Apparently, they have a special between 10 p.m. and midnight where all their meals are half-price. So, maybe next time instead of heading to the Pizza Corner for that late evening snack this might be a yummier alternative. Provided one hasn’t imbibed too much alcohol. Somehow that idea does not paint the prettiest of pictures..!

No, it’s not the sushi. And for me, that’s saying a lot. Those of you who know me in real life know that I love sushi. I could probably eat it every day and not be tired of it.

But this winter, I’ve been hooked on a menu item that most people don’t even look at when visiting the umpteen million sushi restaurants that abound in the city of Halifax. I’m talking about the meal in a bowl: udon/soba noodles.

We’ve been hit with a pretty brutal winter with wind chill factors that I’ve mostly seen further west of here. And frankly, there’s nothing better for it than to sit down to a giant bowl of hearty soup. And the varieties are plenty. Up until recently my favourite was the vegetable tempura variety.

From valvados on Flickr

One night I got adventurous and tried out something even better: nabeyaki udon. And I’ve been on a kick ever since. Nabeyaki udon is basically a personal size Japanese hot-pot topped with tempura shrimp, an egg, and a variety of other ingredients. Every restaurant has their own concoction. My personal favourite is from Milamodo (because I love fried tofu) but Doraku and Sushi Shige make a pretty mean bowl of it, too.

Honestly, I can’t think of anything better to warm and fill you up on a cold winter’s day. And, as an additional bonus, your friends sitting across the table from you will envy you your gastronomical prowess. That, I can almost guarantee.

[Love Twitter and sushi? Well, look out Halifax 'cause here comes Twushi. Due to the snow storm, the event was postponed from last night to next week. Check out the Halifax Tweetup page for more details on this and other Twitter related events.]