Recently, at work she had just been promoted from fashion production assistant to now designer, and I was commemorating having stepped into chefdom.  We chose EN Japanese Brasserie as our gathering place.  Angela and her boyfriend had previously visited this restaurant, and knowing that I'm always open to exploring new ideas and venues, she wanted me to experience this Japanese hotspot.  I had forgotten to bring my camera, but Angela graciously took these photos.
Photo Courtesy:  Angela Wong

It seems like we ordered almost everything vegan off their rather extensive tapas-style menu, including the following raw dishes:

The predominant taste in each of these dishes was shiso, whether as garnish, in a dressing, pickle or dessert, and it's quickly become one of my favorite herbs to work with.  Try this simple, refreshing drink just in time for spring.

Pineapple with Ginger and Shiso
Yield:  2 cups

Ingredients
1 cup pineapple, peeled and cored
1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 Tablespoons agave nectar
1 cup filtered water
1 green shiso leaf (As garnish)

Preparation Method

1. In a high-speed blender, blend pineapple, ginger, agave nectar, and water until smooth.  Strain.
2. Pour strained liquid into a drinking glass over ice.  Garnish with shiso leaf.  Enjoy!

href="http://statcounter.com/wordpress.org/"
target="_blank"> src="http://c.statcounter.com/7199045/0/f01e9978/1/"
alt="wordpress counter" />

Preserved Shiso Leaves
Yield: 1/2 cup

Ingredients
1 cup fresh green shiso leaves
1/4 cup Himalayan salt

Preparation Method

1. In a clean, sterilized glass jar, pack down the shiso leaves with salt sprinkled between each leaf.

2. Leave well covered in the refrigerator for at least a few days. The leaves will exude moisture and become a rather dark green color.

3. The salted leaves can be rinsed off a bit before using.

href="http://statcounter.com/wordpress.org/"
target="_blank"> src="http://c.statcounter.com/7199045/0/f01e9978/1/"
alt="wordpress counter" />