Food Holiday

Tempura lessons from Jimmy Kieu & other RA Sushi secrets

Toasting Tempura Day with a tempura roll dipped in Asian pesto sauce.
A perfect roll is both visually appealing and delicious. Using tempura flakesflavored with beet and spinach, a gorgeous sparkle is added to the presentation.
Photo by Joel Luks
Perfect tempura. Although I was tempted to dive right in, chef Jimmy Kieu hadother plans.
Photo by Joel Luks
This vibrant Shishito Peppers tapas plate is perfect to share. A blend of sweetand spicy, they lose some of their potency during cooking.
Photo by Joel Luks
Getting a lesson on best tempura practices from head chef Jimmy Kieu from RASushi. Tip: blanch vegetables that take longer to cook prior to coating andfrying.
The secret to perfect tempura batter is using ice-cold water when mixing.
Photo by Joel Luks
Vegetables for today's tempura: sweet potato, Japanese eggplant and asparagus.
Photo by Joel Luks
Perfect tempura should be light, airy and crunchy and not taking over thenatural flavors of the vegetable.
Photo by Joel Luks

Let me be the first and possibly the only one to wish you a happy and jubilant Tempura Day. Yes, that is today, January 7.

Specialty food days are plentiful. Some are best given the hand, like Bicarbonate of Soda Day on Dec 30, Indian Pudding Day on Nov 13 and Welsh Rarebit Day on Sep 3. I do however observe Peanut Butter Cookie Day, Peach Cobbler Day and Chocolate Eclair Day with pious-like religiosity, sometimes weekly, sometimes daily. These dates have been permanently cyber-etched on my iCal although I truly do not need to be reminded to consume my fair share.

No one really knows the origins of most of these holiday, but I can get on board any excuse to delight in fried foods. While I don’t make this practice a common occurrence, anything less of pseudo-religious observance of Tempura Day is said to bring seven years of bad luck from the foodie gods.

Who wants that?

Tempura is thought of as a staple in Japanese cuisine although the origins are attributed to Portuguese missionaries of the 16th century. The technique was refined, later becoming a common fast food sold by street vendors from portable carts throughout Tokyo.

Most tend to think of any fried food as heavy. In the hands of a master, tempura is light and airy, with a perfect balance of crunchy goodness and a soft finish that seems to dissolve and disappear in your mouth. Not unlike cotton candy, without the sugar rush and headaches afterwards.

Am I making you hungry?

My celebrations began with a trip to RA Sushi on Westheimer at Highland Village. Repeated attempts to replicate the technique at home were met with catastrophic disappointment so I was in need of cooking therapy from a master.

Meet RA Sushi’s head chef Jimmy Kieu.

“The secret to perfect tempura is using really cold, I mean ice-cold water in the batter,” Kieu explains.

Getting taken back to a busy kitchen, I am surprised to learn that tempura batter consists of only two ingredients: Equal parts of special tempura flour and water.

“Not even salt?” I asked inquisitively.

There is no need for salt. The tempura flour itself is a combination of ingredients including wheat flour, cornstarch and baking soda.

Jimmy got his start in the restaurant industry by accident. Seven years ago, while applying for a job as a server position, the chef hired him on the spot in the kitchen.

“He told me he needed someone in the kitchen,” Kieu recalls. “So I gave it a shot and haven’t looked back. Now I am stuck cooking for family for most holidays."

While any vegetable (or fruit for that matter) can adapt itself to the tempura technique, those that take a little longer to cook are best blanched, meaning boiled quickly in water, like a sweet potato.

Jimmy cooks swiftly, coating the vegetables first in a little traditional wheat flour, followed by the fresh tempura batter and placing them carefully in the hot oil.

“It’s important to use a flavor-neutral oil like soybean,” Jimmy says. “You want to taste the vegetable while the batter provides an added texture. The best temperature is also 350 degrees, being careful not to overcrowd the fryer.”

The tempura should swim freely while allowing the oil the stay at its optimum temperature. Anything less and you end up with an oily mess.

After a couple of minutes, we have a picture perfect plate of tempura Japanese eggplant, sweet potato and asparagus. Although my inclination is to dive right in, Kieu has better plans for them: An inside out vegetable tempura roll with spinach and beet tempura crisps served alongside a generous helping of Asian pesto sauce.

Now we are celebrating Tempura Day in style, although my accompanying Diet Coke may not have been the best sidekick for the experience.

And with that, I cheered and celebrated.

Other recent trends at RA Sushi?

Sauce is king.

While we think of traditional dipping sauce for rolls and similar items as soy sauce with a tolerable of amount of wasabi, RA Sushi is playing around with accompaniment possibilities such as Asian pesto, mango chutney and creamy ginger teriyaki sauce.

“Our clientele seems to like more of a modernized version of Japanese cuisine,” Bill Roegelein, regional manager, says.

“There is an emphasis on fresh flavors, traditionally those found in the Pacific Rim. We are combining the vibrant colors and flavors of mango, spinach, beets with beautiful architectural elements brought by colored tempura flakes and lotus chips.”

It’s part of the new menu, which also includes RA Tapas, small dishes to share.

Anything for vegans?

Kieu again proves that simplicity trumps complexity with two delicious additions to the menu including the garlic sugar snap peas and the shishito peppers, both sautéed in light Asian seasoning, which includes togarashi pepper flakes.

Both ingredients were new to me.

The shishito is a small sweet and spicy glossy green pepper indigenous to Japan, rich in vitamin A and C. During cooking, it loses some of its spice, making it a great candidate for a quick pan-fry with simple seasonings.

Togarashi pepper is almost like a curry powder, a mixture of different spices blending red pepper flakes with complementing spices like black pepper, sesame seeds, dried mandarin orange peel, green nori seaweed flakes, prickly ash pods, hemp seeds and poppy seeds. Every blend and brand is different.

Both dishes were exquisite and great companions to the tempura roll.

I question whether I should be experimenting more with shishitos, if anything, I should talk about them more, since saying shishito is quite fun, especially if you adopt an accent.

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wine guy Wednesday

Chris Shepherd recommends more wines for Thanksgiving, plus a can't-miss meal

Montrose Cheese and Wine Thanksgiving 4-pack

Photo by Zach Horst

Find these four wines at Montrose Cheese & Wine.

I love a great wine event, especially when it’s a winery that I truly love. This one is a true banger.

On Wednesday, November 19, the team at The Marigold Club will be hosting Scribe Winery owner Andrew Mariani. Scribe has redefined the wine experience in Sonoma, where the breathtaking hacienda estate looks out over the picturesque vineyards and hills of lower Sonoma Valley.

For one evening only, they will be be bringing an exceptional lineup of wines featuring limited production wines rarely seen outside the winery, new releases that will be making their Houston debut, and a few of their brilliant flagship wines that show their distinctive style.

We personally love their wines like the Sylvaner which is so bright and clean. The Chardonnays show such distinctive vineyard characteristics and their Pinot Noirs just scream sunshine! They have such an exciting line up that whatever they are pouring is going to hit perfectly with the menu. I know that the culinary team has got this menu on lock, because Scribe makes some of the most food-friendly wines I’ve ever had. I also got a sneak peak at the menu and it looks amazing!

This, in fact, is a tasting that Lindsey and I must do every time we are out there. Plus, we are club members, so to say this is a special dinner is an understatement. It’s been a hard few weeks and you deserve to treat yourself before the holiday season kicks off.

Get your tickets here ($295)!

More Thanksgiving Day wine picks

We should discuss some more Turkey Day wines while we are at it. Remember that St Joseph Blanc we talked about over at Houston Wine Merchant last week? Well, you guys went and bought all of it, so I spoke with June Rodil, who is one of Houston’s seven master sommeliers, about wines at Montrose Cheese & Wine for this special day.

Hold on to your cranberry sauce, because we are going deep!

From June:
This is our Thanksgiving pack and can be purchased as a 4 pack or individually!

Domaine du Père Caboche Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, Rhone Valley, France, 2023
Beautiful bright color with light yellow and green reflections. The nose is very complex and pretty with white flowers, peach, and ginger. This wine is unmistakably delicious, with notes of fresh pear at the end. The mouth is smooth and lush with nice aromatics and light peppered notes.

Tribute to Grace, Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyard, California, Grenache Rosé, 2024
Winemaker Angela Osborne connects deeply with this single vineyard old-vine Grenache grown at 3,200 feet and uses biodynamic principles to convert the energy of the land into this graceful (no pun intended) Rosé. Angela foot treads the whole-cluster fruit before fermentation to extract color for this Rosé. With this bottle, you can expect a palate packed with delicate floral and stone fruit flavors with bright acidity and an herbal anise-tinged finish.

Claus Preisinger 'Puszta Libre' Burgenland, Austria, 2023
A wild-yet-lively and very drinkable red wine blend from Burgenland, Austria that's made from Saint Laurent and Zweigelt. Delicate tannins and a vibrant red and black berried fruit character make this an excellent wine for the table. Drinks well with a slight chill.

Gregoletto, Treviso Sui Lieviti Prosecco, Veneto, Italy, 2023
Naturally made Prosecco, made by refermenting in bottle without disgorgement. It has the slight cloudiness of a pet-nat with bracingly pure, clean flavors. It is crafted via sustainable, traditional practices in the hilly epicenter of the vast Prosecco zone, and that great terroir shines through with clarity in each mouthwatering sip. You’ll see that the Gregoletto family is in a league all their own when it comes to old-school Italian farmer fizz.

All of these for $125. That is a damn fine price for this.

June also reminded me that the annual Beaujolais release is set for November 20 and how this is perfect wine for Thanksgiving. I love Cru Beaujolais, and Montrose Cheese & Wine has put together a 12-pack for the season.

More from June:
We have a 12 pack of all the Crus of Beaujolais and then some on presale for Beaujo Day on Nov 20! Tour de Beaujolais, $395 (Par 12)

Photo by Zach Horst

Find these four wines at Montrose Cheese & Wine.

Juicy, opulent, palate wetting, and diverse, the array of Beaujolais we’ve put together will provide an immaculate pairing alongside Thanksgiving dinner and festivities alike. Here at Montrose Cheese & Wine, we have a proclivity to the delectable array of expressions based in Beaujolais; you deserve to taste through the entirety of what Beaujolais has to offer as well!

As a region, Beaujolais is divided into 10 different departments, titled crus, shown by a declaration of which cru on the face of the label. Each of these crus have a unique expression and allow a different part of the delicious gamay grape to shine, from the aromatic nature of Fleurie to the bold presence of Moulin-à-Vent. We’ve put together a selection of 10 bottles, one from each of the 10 crus, plus a Beaujolais Nouveau and Beaujolais-Village, to make a full 12 bottle case!

Ten crus, North to South: Saint-Amour, Juliénas, Chénas, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, Chiroubles, Morgon, Régnié, Côte de Brouilly, and Brouilly

Who wants to take the tour with me? I love all of this, and you should add this to that game plan I wrote about in last week’s column. One stop shop is what I’m talking about. Wine dinners, Turkey Day packs, and a tour of Cru Beaujolais?

Goodnight is right!

Have fun this Thanksgiving and remember to email me if you have any questions!!!

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Need any other Thanksgiving advice? Send Chris an email at chris@chrisshepherd.is.

Chris Shepherd won a James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest in 2014. The Southern Smoke Foundation, a nonprofit he co-founded with his wife Lindsey Brown, has distributed more than $15 million to hospitality workers in crisis through its Emergency Relief Fund. Catch his TV show, Eat Like a Local, every Saturday at 10 am on KPRC Channel 2 or on YouTube.

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