Instead, it's become one of my most popular dishes. Another worker shaves thin circles of black truffle to decorate a wedge of hamachi, or yellowtail, sizzling in a pan of duck fat and bacon morsels. Nish scoffs at traditionalists in the U.S. who object to meddling with the sacred cows of Japanese cuisine. Tempura came from the Portuguese. It's been argued that even sushi was a Korean development.
Chefs say one key reason to poach is the healthfulness of Japanese cuisine.
Homing in on Americans' increasing attention to their bodies, restaurateur Nieporent tapped Michel Nischan to create a menu for his swanky Heartbeat restaurant in the W Hotel using no butter, cream or foie gras. Without those ingredients, people presume food won't taste good. After some thought, he turned to Japanese recipes for inspiration. Heartbeat serves fluke sashimi, the transparent slices wrapped around cilantro and topped with sweet raw shrimp. Nischan sears his tuna tataki-style, drizzling the slices with vinaigrette and resting them on pieces of blood orange.