In my admittedly East-Coast-Centric opinion, there’s a serious dearth of good (and casual) sushi bars in Austin. Don’t get me wrong – sushi is everywhere – but it’s a “water water everywhere and not a drop to drink” situation, if you get my drift.
One of the things I miss most about my frequent trips to Kiku and Mikado in Philly is the salads with the bright, tangy ginger dressing. I looked at a few recipes and adapted one to the ingredients I had, and it came out amazingly good. These quantities will make enough dressing for about 4 salads.
1/4 cup canola oil
1/6 cup apple cider vinegar (I eyeballed this with a 1/3 cup measure)
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon ketchup
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 small clove garlic, chopped
A one-to-two inch chunk of carrot, or a couple of baby carrots
An inch-long chunk of ginger, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup onion, chopped
Pinch of salt and pepper
Throw it all in the blender and puree until smooth. I used this dressing on a salad of crunchy romaine, diced carrots and cucumbers, carrot shavings, and avocado for a potluck. I think it was well received, but I’ll leave the final judgment up to the other guests…
The Kitchibitionist 
Needs bacon.