Sato II - A restaurant review

 

Sato II - Stoneham, MA

Tonight, I did not feel like cooking.  I had plans to eat out with my family but they fell through (my plans, not my family...LAWL).  I had nothing planned for dinner, so Prof. Peanutbutter and I headed to a local sushi/fusion place I'd been wanting to try: Sato II.

I like sushi, but mainly just the veggie ones.  I'm okay with some raw fish, but I prefer not to order it.  Prof. Peanutbutter wants nothing to do with sushi, but luckily this place offers a full fusion menu with Chinese, Japanese, and Polynesian.

We shared a plate of six Gyoza (fried meat dumplings) for our appetizer.  They were perfectly crispy and extremely tasty.  We both loved it.  Then for dinner, I ordered California rolls (cooked crab meat, avocado, and cucumber), sweet potato rolls (my FAVORITE), and miso soup.  Prof. Peanuterbutter ordered Szechuan spicy chicken (basically Kung Pao chicken).

My sushi was delicious, as was my soup.  Sushi is a very filling meal, and as usual, I didn't finish.  I left one lonely California roll on my plate, and gave one sweet potato roll to the fiance to try.  I went into a serious carb coma the second we got home.  

Prof. Peanutbutter loved his meal, as it was nice and spicy.  It consisted of chicken, peanuts, and mixed veggies (peppers, celery, chili peppers, onions) in a brown sauce.  There were entire chili peppers in there, which he carefully ate one at a time.  I had a few bites and it was very nommy.  I enjoy dishes with chicken and peanuts.

The service was good, but they brought out my sushi long before the Prof's chicken, and forgot my soup, so I had to remind the waiter I ordered it.  Otherwise, they were very attentive and cleared each plate as soon as we finished with it.  It had sort of a townie-bar atmosphere, as the bartender seemed to know everyone.  It's a fairly small place and was almost full on a weeknight.  They look very popular so I don't think I'd attempt going there on a weekend; luckily they deliver too.

It was a nice evening at a low-key place with cuisine we don't normally have.  I was very satisfied.  I did however estimate my meal (with a light beer) at about 1,100 calories, so I definitely went over my limit for the day.

Chef Shorty: 4 noms

Prof. Peanutbutter: 4.5 noms

Asian noms

 

One of my favorite cuisines is Asian food.  Thai, Chinese, Japanese...love it.  I made my own Pad Thai and egg rolls before starting this blog and they came out AMAZING, so I'll have to repeat those some day and post pics.  Tonight I made Apple and Pork Stir-fry with Ginger.  Nom!

From SparkPeople.com's recipe.

Apple and Pork Stir-fry with Ginger

2 Tbsp. peach jam, preferably fruit sweetened

2 Tbsp. reduced sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp. water
1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp. dark toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp. finely minced fresh ginger root
1/2 pound (8 ounces) pork tenderloin, cut into thin strips
1 1/2 tsp. canola oil
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, drained
2 firm apples, such as Fuji or Gala, cut into one-inch pieces
1/2 cup scallions, thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. In small bowl, combine jam, soy sauce, water and cornstarch. Set aside. 

2. In large non-stick skillet, heat sesame oil over medium high heat. Add pork and ginger and stir-fry until pork is browned and just cooked through, about 3-5 minutes.

3. Transfer pork and ginger to bowl with slotted spoon. Add canola oil to skillet. Stir-fry peppers, water chestnuts, and apples until peppers are crisp tender, about 3 minutes. 

4. Add pork back to skillet along with scallions. Stir-fry 30 seconds. Add jam mixture. Continue to stir-fry 30 seconds to one minute, or until sauce thickens. Season to taste with black pepper.

Makes 4 servings (2 oz cooked pork per serving).

 

This was one of the few recipes I've made without changing anything.  It was really really good!  Very colorful, lots of fruit and veggies (far more of those than meat).  I thoroughly enjoyed it and could have eaten lots more.  Prof. Peanutbutter liked it, but isn't a huge fan of fruits in his dinner, and would have preferred some rice with it.

Chef Shorty: 4 noms

Prof. Peanutbutter: 3.5 noms