*RaaR!*  Instead of featuring restaurants, I thought I'd write about my favourite dishes in some of the places I'm sure you're no stranger of. I like gyoza (pan stickers) but NEVER order them in teppanyaki joints in shopping malls. They give you a different variation which are usually crispy and paper thin. And because you think that all gyozas are supposed to be like that, let me tell you otherwise. If you love gyozas like I do, the best I've eaten so far is in Kiku Zakura in Midvalley.

 I apologize if the title of my entry has misled you but these gyozas aren't bloated or over-stuffed. Have I  just described how it is feels like before the start of our menstrual cycle?? I have gone off topic :-| Let me get back to gyozas. Although most of us would think that Chinese are the ones with 'thick skins' (pun intended), for the Japanese gyoza,  the skin is much thicker than the Chinese suikao (dumpling). The gyozas are generously filled with chives, minced chicken, shrimp and garlic among others. Served with rayu and red chilli pepper flavoured sesame oil, the sour and spicy combination brings out the flavour of the gyozas. Most of us would take them as apetizers but most Japanese actually take this as part of their main course.

Back in the dormitory days in Fresno (Birch Hall to be exact!) my ex-roommate asked if I wanted to join them for dinner. They were making gyozas. I asked what else will they be serving, they replied, "umm.. rice." Rice and just gyozas? Odd but very filling. After all, it covers *almost* all the 5 food groups. We get our carbo from sake. Rice mahhh.. Enjoy!