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(July 28, 2006)
Welcome to the final installment in our month-long feature on healthy
dining. As you know, I'm participating in the "1 Ton of Fun"
contest for Big Brothers and Big Sisters. I've lost 11 pounds since
the beginning of June and my team, Rob's Reducers, has lost a total
of 84 pounds. How are we doing it? By going to places like today's restaurant,
Beluga on Louis Henna Blvd in Round Rock.
Dieting can be an unpleasant and solitary affair. So I've found that
mirth plays a very helpful role for me. And you won't find two guys
who can dish up extraordinarily healthy Japanese fare yet have a sharper
sense of humor than Fish and Jae, the proprietors of this neat restaurant.
I always start with the perfectly conceived Crab Potstickers. These
are a pleasant twist on the usual pork Gyoza and offer fewer calories
as well. And make sure to get a huge bowl of the always fresh and ridiculously
heathy edamame.
You know, in earlier iterations of my dieting adventures, and there
have been many over the years, I was always told that tuna should be
a basic staple. Well, there is tuna and there is TUNA. Jae and Fish
have created the Ahi Tower, a monument to how tuna should be eaten.
Start with some creamy wasabi, cucumber, snow crab and tuna tar tar.
A little sushi rice... and voila, you have yourself a healthy masterpiece.
And how about the Sanchez Roll? This is a nifty fusion creation. They
blend red and white tuna on top of a salmon roll with cucumber, avocado,
and importantly, jalapeno. Domo arigato for this one, and muchas gracias.
And healthy as well.
Of course the most pristine and healthiest selections in a Japanese
restaurant is the sashimi. Fresh fish, unadorned with rice with a bit
of wasabi and soy. The toro, when it's available, is magnificent and
only 43 calories for two slices. Also the maguo, the hamachi, and the
ebi I've eaten them all and my waistline has thanked me. And the flavors
of the sashimi here are, to quote Robert Palmer, simply irresistible.
Want another healthy suggestion? How about the Chilean Sea Bass, pan-seared
and served with shitake mushrooms, asparagus, and broccoli. I love this
dish. Beluga also makes grilled delicacies that are low in fat and high
in taste. I love the Kushiyaki: these are grilled skewers of shrimp
or scallops or even fresh shitake mushrooms. Always long on flavor and
low on calories.
Now, the one thing you "1 Ton of Fun" fans will want to stay
away from are the Tempura dishes. They're delicious, but easily contain
the most calories of the engaging fare at Beluga. And you know what,
there's so much that's good there that it's an easy thing to do.
Beluga is a excellent choice for lunch or dinner. Healthy, fresh, tasty,
and you've got a couple of really funny guys to keep you amused while
you enjoy. How cool is that?
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