Tag Archives: foodservice

International Restaurant & Foodservice Show 2016

Last year’s show featured many of the same vendors and proprietors as this year, so I will focus more on some of the newer stuff, in addition to the products and items that I found to be personal favorites of the day. For some, I even wrote separate product reviews.

Okay so now it’s photo dump time. I haven’t edited ANY of these photos, so they might be dark on occasion. There were just too many to bother with that bullshit.

I will highlight certain items as I go, like these bottles of ready-made ramen broth by Kubara. They offered shio (salt), shoyu (soy) and yuzu shio (citrus salt) flavors. All were pretty good, but I liked the shoyu (soy sauce) the best. All broths are based in seafood and kelp, but I was blown away by the depth of flavor they had!

DSC02413

DSC02340

Contrast this with Ariake, a concentrated ramen broth, bone stock and sauce vendor. Just add water to dilute and create the goods.

DSC02367

DSC02366

DSC02368

DSC02369

DSC02370

DSC02372

The Chaat Co created these savory yogurt snack cups with puffed lentil toppings based on Indian street snack food. They were really nice, and no excess sugars.

DSC02341

DSC02342

Parm Crisps are pretty self explanatory. Very tasty crackers made entirely from cheese and spice flavorings.

DSC02343

Green Mustache veggie and fruit drinks.

DSC02346

Peanut Punch by YourPanadas was like liquid, milky peanut butter. SO GOOD!

DSC02347

There were some nice shochu vendors in the Japanese section. I liked Window’s un-aged mugiichi best.

20160306_134329

This sweet potato “Hebess Cool” was refreshing! Great for summer, or even to mix into a margarita.

20160306_134815

More Good was an excellent syrup flavor company for more natural sodas and fountain drinks:

20160306_153137

DSC02356

But this one, Cocktail & Sons, had some extremely interesting stuff for making cocktails. The herbs and spices used in the syrup making process were unique and flavorful.

DSC02352

True Made Foods makes some awesome sauces and ketchup. I’m writing a separate review for these products, because I have more than one line to say here. The sauces are naturally sweetened by using other vegetables in the process. Brilliant.

DSC02414

DSC02415

DSC02416

DSC02348

DSC02349

Uniquely Greek feta spreads are immensely flavorful.

DSC02351

Superior Farms was here last year as well, but this lamb bacon was incredible. I wish I got a pic of the actual bacon.

DSC02355

THREE LITTLE PIGS!!! I’ve seen this stuff in markets before, and always wanted to try. They make amazing mousses, pates, jams, mustards and other sorts of items in that vein.

DSC02363

DSC02364

Imitation caviar?!??!?!? I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. It tasted like fish eggs to me! But it is made using molecular gastronomy techniques.

DSC02373

Brandt offered some excellent beef jerky. I’ll be writing a separate review for this as well, but the texture was tender, and the orange teriyaki was my favorite flavor.

DSC02376

DSC02381

DSC02385

DSC02388

DSC02387

DSC02386

Look at this hunk of wagyu they had in their showcase…

DSC02389

D’artagnan was set up again, this time carving up some delicious cured Mangalica ham:

DSC02392

DSC02395

By the way, here’s a giant sack of pink Himalayan salt that I almost stepped on:

DSC02375

Another highlight of this food show is the baking or pastry sculpting competition that goes on in the back. Check out these entries (I am guessing that the theme was magic):

DSC02396

DSC02397_2

DSC02398

DSC02399

DSC02400

DSC02404

DSC02405

DSC02409

DSC02408

DSC02410

DSC02407

DSC02406

DSC02403

DSC02402

DSC02401

I think that about covers it. I have some product reviews to write up after all of this sampling. One company, Total Kitchen Safety, is sending me a chain mail, ring-mesh glove for use in butchering meats and slaughterhouses. It is armor for your hands so you don’t cut yourself. I’m really looking forward to getting my hands on that for a product review.

International Restaurant & Foodservice Show 2015

Since my wife is a kick-ass baker, she gets passes to these events every year. Last year I couldn’t make it, so I made sure I had room in my schedule to take advantage this time around.

Apologies in advance for what is essentially a photo-dump here. I took photos of and tasted so many great things. I will basically annotate the more memorable ones, but feel free to ask any questions in the comments if you see a photo of something that I don’t explain well enough.

First we hit the Japanese pavilion, which I was psyched about because there is inevitably a ramen showing.

Three different flavors of apricot booze:

DSC04218

Pure MSG used to cook these mushrooms. UMAMI, as the idiots say.

DSC04220

Bonito shavings in a bag for making dashi broth:

DSC04221

And the tools used to create said shavings:

DSC04224

Black garlic – good shit. Soft, pungent, but not breath-killing.

DSC04226

Ramen! Tonkotsu broth:

DSC04227

That little cup of ramen was from this station:

DSC04228

This place had different colored and flavored soy paper for use with sushi rolls:

DSC04230

Famous noodle makers Sun:

DSC04231

DSC04232

DSC04233

Seaweed snack packs:

DSC04234

Matcha powder vendors:

DSC04249

This tofu was showing off a soy sauce specifically made for sashimi:

DSC04250

An interesting vessel for hot tea:

DSC04251

This company makes all natural unsweetened unfiltered un-fucked-with sparkling grape juice. The shit was delicious:

DSC04252

Some treats that were made with the mach powder:

DSC04254

Another noodle company – these ones gluten free. They were actually pretty good!

DSC04257

FISH!

DSC04259

This reminded me of porridge, but made with sesame seeds:

DSC04260

More ramen – this one was Italian fusion style, with tomato and fish broth, veggies and parmesan cheese:

DSC04313

DSC04314

Gotta love these little fucking sodas:

DSC04315

Okay here’s a little break out for some good shit. At the end of the Japanese pavilion we stumbled into these trays of perfectly pink meat. Veal, lamb, and beef, to be precise, all from New Zealand. All natural grazing, no hormones or fucked up shit happening. The stuff was delicious. Take a look:

DSC04262

DSC04264

DSC04265

DSC04266

DSC04270

I look up, and instantly recognize this dude from TV. It’s Chef Russel Jackson from “The Next Food Network Star” and Dissident Chef / Subculture Dining fame. He was in the midst of hamming it up for me in this shot with some gnashed teeth, but his helper’s hand got in the fuckin’ way!

DSC04271

He was cooking up the goods!

DSC04268

DSC04269

DSC04267

This joint put forth some really high quality Scottish salmon. One was even pastrami flavored.

DSC04239

DSC04237

DSC04236

There were tons of bread people. So awesome looking:

DSC04272

DSC04273

Nice natural apple juices:

DSC04274

The Piggery had a great selection of pig-centric items. my favorites were the pate and the capacola:

DSC04276

DSC04277

DSC04278

DSC04279

Some really nice looking fucking pasta!

DSC04281

DSC04282

Sausage party!!!

DSC04283

DSC04284

Some really nice moonshine from Dutch’s Spirits, made from 100% cane sugar:

DSC04285

This place was pushing their fancy presenting cups for passed food, but they were also serving a nice fresh quinoa dish in a shitty old cup:

DSC04289

DSC04290

DSC04291

Speaking of vessels for serving food… these are all edible – pretty neat:

DSC04294

DSC04317

DSC04318

Items for shaving meats. Who doesn’t like shaved meat?

DSC04292_2

DSC04293

Stuffed grape leaf cigars:

DSC04295

Finishing salts:

DSC04297

Innovative cheeses:

DSC04298

These lamb purveyors were planning to cook up some really nice lamb bacon … but not until the following day of the show. Bummer. They did have lamb tacos though.

DSC04300

DSC04301

This was some really great French style meats, like pate, blood sausage, head cheese, etc.

DSC04304

DSC04303

DSC04302

Here’s my wife lined up with some gargantuan-sized mixers:

DSC04305

Knives for me!

DSC04306

SAUCE out the ass!

DSC04308

A big fat fucking octopus:

DSC04309

These Two Rivers dudes were serving up some carved beef:

DSC04311

DSC04312

And… PIECE OF SHIT systems… FREE!!!

DSC04316

Okay now on to these guys.

DSC04321

I was blown away by the stuff they had under the glass case, but here’s a quick look at some of the best.

A5 marbling, bitch! It’s not Wagyu, but it is a nearby prefecture.

DSC04319

Here piggy, piggy piggy…

DSC04320

Oh fuck yes…

DSC04322

We found our way into a booze corral. First we tried Whistle Pig rye, which is made 100% from rye and no other grains. I liked it a lot, though retail at about $75 seems a little high.

DSC04324

This shit is tea that is specifically meant for mixing with booze:

DSC04325

And although this stuff doesn’t have too much alcohol content, it is REALLY easy to slam:

DSC04326

Our last stop was at the pastry competition. This was essentially all chocolate sculpture stuff. I guess the theme was chic fashion or something.

DSC04327

DSC04328

DSC04329

Close up:

DSC04330

DSC04331

DSC04332

DSC04333

DSC04334

DSC04335

DSC04336

DSC04337

DSC04338

Detail on that last one:

DSC04339

DSC04340

A little closer:

DSC04341

Reverse side of that last one:

DSC04343

This one didn’t make it. Must have collapsed. Either that, or someone raged and started flipping tables:

DSC04342

That’s about it, assholes!