Tiffany Tastes

Tasty Bites at Tsunami

Tsunami is one of those restaurants that's been on my to-do list for as long as I've had one. I don't know why it took me so long to get here, but my husband, Tom, and I wandered in on a Monday evening. We were treated to great service and some really delicious food.

We started out with 3 appetizers: jalapeno hush puppies with maple-soy aioli, bacon-wrapped dates with a sweet chili sauce and the Asian nachos - wontons with tuna tataki, cilantro, jalapeno and sriracha. 

The hush puppies were crisp without being greasy or heavy. There was a touch of heat that was mellowed by the sweetness of the aioli. The bacon-wrapped dates were a great combo of sweet and salty (and they were probably my favorite part of the whole meal.)

My husband enjoyed the nachos so much that he ordered tuna for his entree as well.

Tom enjoyed the spice crusted tuna with cucumber salad and wasabi vinaigrette for the most part. The portion was quite large; one end was thinner and the other, thicker. The thinner part was a bit overcooked and he felt that the cucumber salad accompaniment needed to be more substantial.

I chose the duck breast medallions with butternut squash puree and flash fried greens off the small plates menu. This menu changes daily, but if the duck is listed when you visit, order it. It was perfectly cooked and paired beautifully with the squash puree.

We finshed off our meal with the ginger doughnuts, which are normally served with coconut sorbet. I can't eat coconut, so we went with vanilla ice cream instead. The doughnuts had the texture of beignets and the ginger flavor was not overpowering at all. This was definitely the most intriguing of the dessert selections, and we were not disappointed in our choice.

Final Impressions: Wow, I wish that I'd visited Tsunami sooner. Except for the slight misstep with parts of Tom's tuna entree, the meal was well-prepared and delicious. Tsunami would be a great choice for a romantic date night or a girl's night out. They're also Project Green Fork certified.

Tsunami
928 South Cooper
Memphis, TN 38104
(901) 274-2556

Average Appetizer Price: $5-$10
Average Small Plates Price: $12-$16
Average Entree Price: $15-$28
Average Dessert Price: $7-$9

Hours of  Operation
Monday-Saturday 5:30-10:00p.m. 

Chicken with Brussels Sprouts and Mustard Sauce

I love meals that are quick and easy. Add in healthy and delicious and I really don't need anything else. I found this recipe in the December 2011 issue of Cooking Light. I tweaked it a little to suit my tastes, and 45 minutes from start to finish, make this a keeper for my regular meal rotation.

Chicken with Brussels Sprouts and Mustard Sauce
Adapted from Cooking Light

Chicken:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup unfiltered apple cider
- 2 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon chopped, fresh flat-leaf parsley

Brussles Sprouts:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 12 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- pinch of sugar
- 1/4 cup chicken broth

Rosemary Potatoes: 
- 12 ounces quartered red potatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine all ingredients for potatoes in a large bowl. Spread potatoes on jelly-roll pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown and tender.
- Meanwhile, heat a large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil.
- Sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Add to pan. Cook 3 minutes or until browned. Turn chicken; place pan in oven. Bake at 450 degrees for 9 minutes or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.
- Warm chicken pan over medium high heat. Add chicken broth and cider; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 4 minutes or until thickened. Whisk in mustard, 1 tablespoon butter and parsley.
- While sauce is cooking, prepare Brussels sprouts. Heat butter and oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add Brussels sprouts; saute 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Add salt, pepper and sugar. Stir to make sure sprouts are seasoned. Add chicken broth, cover and cook 4 minutes or until crisp tender.
-Serve potatoes and Brussels sprouts with chicken and mustard sauce.