“I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Millennial Central for Kirin. I received product samples to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.”
If you aren’t familiar with the beer, it’s 100-percent malt with subtle flavor upfront and a smooth, clean finish. I’d actually never had the Kirin Light before – It’s very similar, but without as much full flavor upfront. I’m not a huge light beer person, but I’d definitely pick this over American light beers:) The brewery is one of Japan’s oldest, dating back to 1888!
I decided on a Japanese chicken and noodle dish, and I bought some shrimp to add as well. Both of the above ingredients were new to me! To compliment the noodle dish, I found a recipe for shiitake slaw.
I chopped all my veggies ahead of time, so Matt and I could enjoy beers on the porch when he got home from work. The weather was fantastic!
Once all the ingredients were prepped, this meal came together quickly on the stove top.
How cute is this little bowl that arrived along with the Kirin? It was the perfect size for my side of shiitake slaw, which was delicious. I love mushrooms now, which is funny, because I used to be so afraid of them!
To be honest, I actually didn’t love the noodle dish. The black bean paste was a prominent flavor, and I wasn’t a fan. But the Kirin washed it down nicely and paired beautifully with the heat from the hot sesame oil:) And Matt really liked the Kirin Light (I drank the regular with dinner).
As much as I enjoy eating out, I’ve started to really love when we stay in and cook on Friday evenings. Thanks to Kirin for sending beer to my door step!
Hope you guys had great weekends too!
Kate
April 14, 2014 at 5:23 amI love Kirin. The slaw looks great! Can you post the recipe?
Laura
April 14, 2014 at 5:46 pmYup: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/warm-shiitake-slaw-recipe.html
Lisa
April 14, 2014 at 9:33 amFor that sauce, a thicker noodle like Udon would have made the dish tastier.
Laura
April 14, 2014 at 5:45 pmYes!…those were too thin!
Chelsea
April 14, 2014 at 10:14 amI totally agree with you on the mushroom front. Growing up, the only time I ever had mushrooms were canned mushrooms on pizza. Canned mushrooms? Yuck. I’ve learned in the last few years that fresh mushrooms are great, though! I like to make mushroom risotto or marinate in balsamic vinegar before grilling.
Also, what a fun post! I’ve never paired beer with Asian dishes or had this type of beer. I may need to check it out!
Laura
April 14, 2014 at 5:44 pmMmm – marinated mushrooms sound good!
Mary
April 14, 2014 at 1:20 pmGood thinking doing the mise en place ahead of time – makes cooking much smoother! I agree with you about the cooking in – seems as though I ate out much more in my twenties but now, in my thirties, I enjoy dinner parties with friends at home more.
Question about the beer: do you think it would be a good pair for sushi?
Laura
April 14, 2014 at 5:44 pmYes – I think it would!
Kelly
April 21, 2014 at 1:18 pmYou are making me want to check out my local Asian grocery store. ft’s been way too long since I’ve been.
I also have a random question, I’m heading out to Dallas for work this week and since you always eat at the tastiest places, I was wondering if you had a restaurant recommendation. I’m staying near Galleria Dallas and have some time for lunch before meetings and didm’t know if there was anywhere around there worth trying. Unfortunately I don’t have enough time to drive too far but hoping there might be something cool nearby.
Laura
April 22, 2014 at 9:57 amWe are pretty far from the Galleria, so I’m actually not sure of any restaurants in that area – I have heard that Liberty Burger is awesome (but I haven’t been) and it’s around there. You must try to make it to Uptown or Knox-Henderson for restaurants!!