by Chef Michael Yakura

Salmon
Ingredients (Makes 4 Servings)
4 (5 ounce) Pieces of Salmon
2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Teaspoon Salt and Pepper

Method
Heat a saute pan with the oil. Salt and pepper salmon and gently put in the hot saute pan. Sear the fish for 2 minutes on medium high heat, add the butter to the pan and continue to cook for another minute. Flip the fish over and cook until the interior is medium rare.

Tamarind Glaze
Ingredients
1/2 Cup Tamarind (available in any Asian market)
1/2 Cup Sugar
3 Cups of Water
1/2 Cup Fish Sauce
1 Tablespoon Garlic, chopped
2 Tablespoons Shallot, chopped
2 Tablespoons Lemongrass, chopped

Directions
To make the glaze, add all ingredients to a pot and cook on medium heat. Reduce by half, about 20 minutes. Strain the glaze through a small-holed sieve. Adjust sweetness and saltiness with a little honey and kosher salt. Set aside.

Cabbage Salad
Ingredients
2 Cups Green Cabbage, shaved
2 Cups Red Cabbage, shaved
1 Red Onion, shaved
1/4 Cup Cilantro, roughly chopped
4 Mint Sprigs, roughly chopped
1/2 Cup Carrots, julienned
2/3 Cup Rice Vinegar
1/4 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Lime Juice
2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
1 Teaspoon Salt and Pepper

Directions
For the salad, add all vegetables to a bowl and toss. In a separate bowl mix the dressing until the sugar is dissolved, and set aside. When you are ready to serve the dish, toss the salad with the dressing and season with salt and pepper. If you mix it too soon the salad will wilt and lose its texture.

Chef's Note: Place the salad on the bottom of the plate and rest the salmon on top of it. Generously pour the glaze over the salmon, sprinkle with some roasted peanuts, and add a few cilantro sprigs to garnish the dish.

---

Chef Michael Yakura, a native of Southern California, traveled a widely varied road to his current position as Executive Chef at Le Colonial. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Design from San Francisco State University; he has worked as the head of the graphic design department for an environmental assessment agency and was the art director of a jewelry company; he has designed pop-art posters for the Fillmore and sold vintage furniture that he re-built and restored. He co-hosted a cooking show called Feast or Famine and has also competed in triathlons and regattas.

These days, however, in the kitchen of Le Colonial Mike oversees the celebrated Vietnamese food that has made the restaurant a favorite. His culinary career in San Francisco includes time spent at Restaurant Lu Lu, Elroy's, and Jianna Restaurant, where he developed his own style of "Asian-Italian" fusion cuisine. When away from his busy life in the kitchen, Mike enjoys spending time with his girlfriend Andrea and their two sons, Miles and Davis.

Le Colonial
20 Cosmo Place
San Francisco, CA 94109
Tel: 415.931.3600
www.lecolonialsf.com