Browsing Tag

gyoza

San Mateo, CA

Himawari-Tei

Posted on October 21, 2017

On my way home after a wonderful few days in Half Moon Bay I decided to make a ramen stop in San Mateo. This is truly a foodie town. If I wasn’t focused on ramen and mind you there are more than one to choose from here I would have a difficult time deciding on culinary choices. Two of the ramen joints were closed so I decided to try out Himawari-Tei and their tantanmen. When my ramen came out I saw a pile of cilantro on top of a sea of red. I was taken aback since I am not a fan of excessive chili oil since it can be overpowering but I was hungry since I skipped breakfast in anticipation of a carb-laden lunch. The noodles were firm to bite and without the slight chewiness of typical Japanese ramen and the broth wasn’t as spicy as I imagined it would be. I like the addition of cilantro since it cut through the oiliness of the bowl. Sorry to say this wasn’t a memorable bowl for me but I definitely would come back to try their other shoyu and shio based ramen. The gyozas though were quite tasty. Until then …

Himawari-Tei
202 2nd Avenue
San Mateo, CA 94401
650-375-1005

Portland, OR

Marukin Ramen

Posted on December 28, 2016

Marukin Ramen takes me down memory lane. My first time was when my grandmother had passed away and my mother and I flew in from California for the memorial. We were blurry eyed from the trip when my friend suggested getting noodles. It was a snowy day and the Tokyo streets were empty when he drove us to the outskirts of Shirokane for a bowl of ramen. This was over twenty years ago.

The last time I went to Marukin Ramen in Tokyo was with ramen boy and his dad. It was also a memorable visit since I got a parking ticket which took me to the police station in tears. I truly didn’t plan to cry but the police officers took pity on me. Let’s just say our ramen that day was an expensive one.

Portland is truly a foodie town with really good and authentic Japanese ramen. I doubt we will be able to touch all of the ramen joints while we are here but luckily we have not just one but two Marukin Ramen restaurants to choose from. We tried the downtown location which is definitely a Portland experience. The restaurant is inside a food hall called the Pine Street Market amongst other food establishments. You order your food in advance and then take a seat with your number so that the food is brought out to you. It’s conveniently modern with bright bold colors inviting you in. The polar opposite of what greets you in Tokyo which is in an out of the way location with a pretty shabby interior. It’s all about the ramen.

So we were skeptical. The gyozas came out first and the boys inhaled both orders. It was that tasty. I tried one and had to agree the gyozas were pretty delightful. I ordered the tonkotsu red ramen with a spicy tonkotsu broth topped with spinach, kikurage mushrooms, bamboo shoots, leeks, green onion, chashu pork and a soft boiled egg. At first I thought the bowl looked too oily imagining it would be overpowering. The noodles were cooked perfectly and the ratio of the soup and noodles along with the toppings were delicious. The egg was divine. The ramenheads in my family were quite content with their bowls too.

Our other go to place in Portland is Nong’s Khao Man Gai’s chicken rice and so we were very pleasantly surprised to discover that the other Marukin is right next door.

No doubt it won’t be our last bowl of noodles in Portland.

Marukin Ramen
126 SW 2nd Avenue
Portland, Oregon

Chicago, IL

Jinya Ramen Bar

Posted on November 5, 2016

I was the lucky recipient of a free breakfast at a Starbuck’s drive thru the other day. People were spreading the love by paying it forward with generous gestures. Thanks to Chicago Cubs fans which reminded me that my post was way overdue.

I ran the Chicago Marathon recently and it was an extraordinary experience. I love Chicago and wish I had more time to explore the city and eat my way through each neighborhood. My first carb loading meal was at Jinya Ramen Bar in Lincoln Park. I didn’t know that it was a franchise with locations in California and other states as well. My ramen slurping partner in crime and I ordered gyoza to share. A bit on the oily side but we both were hungry and it quickly disappeared. The spicy chicken ramen one of their most popular noodle dishes was a winner even though presentation was lacking. It was a bit tired looking and was difficult to get a pretty picture. Nevertheless the chicken broth was flavorful yet light and the thin noodles which are my preference were appropriately springy. It came with thin slices of tender chicken, spicy bean sprouts, spinach, chopped green onions and shredded negi (Japanese scallions). I liked the addition of the two types of scallions and of course my favorite is the onset tamago (egg) and its delicious oozy yolk.

Fellow marathoners came to Jinya the day after my visit and weren’t wowed by the meal. I don’t know what they ordered but I think they were hoping for a more traditional Japanese style of ramen. I am a fan of a classic bowl of noodles but the creative culinary potential with ramen is endless and I appreciate the variety.

Ramen is perfect fuel for running a marathon and Jinya hit the spot.

Jinya Ramen Bar
553 W Diversey Pkwy
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 857-5140

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Sacramento, CA

Raijin Ramen House

Posted on July 22, 2016

I was feeling in need of some comfort. Ramen boy just finished with his doctor’s visit. It was just a routine physical that’s required for school and he passed with flying colors. Really no need for concern but I had sweaty palms driving him there with a feeling of doom and gloom. Keep in mind that I go to doctor’s appointments and hospitals often since I accompany my mom and I never feel this way. I am always concerned but I am guessing that deep down I worry something may be wrong with my baby. Yes I know it sounds pathetic but my baby is a teenager now. He had a rough start coming in to the world, I had a hard time having him and a mother’s love and worry is forever. Forever.

So to celebrate a routine doctor’s appointment we went for some ramen. He had the garlic shoyu tonkotsu ramen with just the chashu and a side of gyoza. I wanted cold noodles and so I ordered the kimchi mazemen. Kimchi is the ultimate comfort food and pair it with rice or noodles and with an oozy egg all is well in the world. Raijin’s mazemen did not disappoint and I was quite happy to be given a whole egg. For presentation it would look better split in half showing the yolk but it would have spoiled that first bite and the burst of egg yolk into your mouth. The egg was cooked to perfection. The noodles were chilled and springy on top of some mixed greens, chopped chashu, kimchi, dried seaweed and a light shoyu citrus based (ponzu) dressing. It was on the bottom and not drizzled on top which I preferred. Absolutely delicious.

Just what the doctor ordered.

Raijin Ramen House
1901 S St
Sacramento, CA
(916) 498-9968

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Oakland, CA

Itani Ramen

Posted on June 13, 2016

On a whim decided to go on a Sunday road trip with ramen boy. Hubby was out of town, no soccer commitments and it was the day before a month of summer school. Perfect for a ramen getaway and more. Actually it’s the only way I can spend some quality time with my fourteen year old. I bribe him with ramen and a long drive so that we can talk — if he doesn’t have his headphones on. I’ve learned that if I don’t force the conversation he usually instigates it and so I’m open ears.

It was a scenic and pretty quick drive through the Delta to Oakland. We made a pit stop for the best strawberries at a tucked away stand that we found years ago on another trip and knowing that the strawberries are at its peak now just had to buy a flat to bring home for later. We had to circle the block a couple of times to find street parking near the restaurant but it was a good opportunity to peruse the neighborhood. Noticed it was a choice location right near the Paramount Theatre and next door to a cannabis establishment. We had a good chuckle when we thought the line of young people outside were waiting for ramen. Definitely a conversation piece with ramen boy commenting that when the people had the munchies they would come next door to eat ramen and gyoza.

The fast food style of ordering and paying for your meal in advance at Itani Ramen is definitely a smart move for the area and clientele. Ramen is just not a lingering kind of meal but I suppose if you have appetizers, drinks and good company its all possible. We are the eat and go type of people especially when it comes to noodles. Ramen boy ordered the shio ramen just with chashu and no veggies. He was hungry so he asked for extra noodles. I had seen on the Instagram page a picture of the shivering noodle dish and had to give it a try. Our 10 piece gyozas were quickly devoured by him I think I only got two pieces. Absolutely delicious. Light, crispy with a bit of crust and topped off with a generous amount of finely chopped scallions. The how to eat gyozas instructions on the table was a nice touch. He liked the noodles which are made fresh at the restaurant but because he asked for extra noodles the noodle and broth ratio was off. There wasn’t much broth in the bowl so it was too dry. The ramen should have been served in a bigger bowl or the extra noodles should be delivered piping hot when you are ready for more. He didn’t share his chashu but I did have a sip of the broth at the end and he let me have his half egg. The egg was divine and the broth was milky and light with a not too salty finish. I’d like to try the shoyu ramen next time.

My shivering noodle salad was picture perfect and fresh tasting. Much thought has gone into the presentation of this dish and the toppings to go with the poached chicken and cold noodles. The snap peas was a nice surprise cut perfectly to eat along with the cherry tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, dried nori, radish sprouts and pickled ginger in some shoyu dashi. I added some chili oil to give it some more heat. The noodles were very al dente. I like my noodles katame (firmer) for ramen but for cold noodles I like a little more bend and softness to it. Ramen boy tasted the noodles and he thought it was just fine. Personal preference I think.

The concept of a late night open every day ramen joint makes Itani Ramen a cool place to go to and slurp some noodles. Quality ingredients are used here and for that reason I’d come back again to try the other ramen dishes. Ramen boy said for sure he’d come back and it better be for the noodles!

Itani Ramen
1736 Telegraph Avenue
Oakland, CA
(510) 788-7489

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Davis, CA

Yakitori Yuchan

Posted on April 19, 2016

No excuses needed to visit Davis especially Saturday mornings for the downtown Farmer’s Market. When ramen boy was much younger we’d come for the pony rides and bouncy castle activities during the summer when we’d visit my folks. We have walked by Yakitori Yuchan a few times already but never ventured inside. Recently my husband heard that the yakitori was grilled the traditional Japanese way with binchotan charcoal which was a selling point for us and because we missed our favorite yakitori joint Kushiwakamaru in Tokyo. This particular charcoal doesn’t produce much smoke or flames but is hot as heck and adds something special to anything that’s grilled with it. I brought my parents to dinner thinking they’d appreciate eating Izakaya style and my mother given the opportunity loves to speak Japanese to the waiters and waitresses regardless if they speak the language. It’s very amusing because she expects them to understand her no matter what. Luckily we had a native speaking Japanese waitress who was patient and helpful taking our order and making some suggestions. The grilled meats and vegetables were succulent and delicious but the highlight for me was definitely the perfectly fried gyozas with thin but crispy skin and the yaki onigiri (grilled rice ball) nicely crusted and crunchy on the outside and moist inside. I hesitated to order the shoyu tonkotsu ramen only because I assumed ramen wasn’t their specialty but I was definitely pleased when it came out steaming hot with a milky broth and simple toppings of bean sprouts, seaweed, chopped scallions, half of a soft boiled egg and slices of chicken. The chicken was very tender and flavorful with a smoky depth to it. The broth didn’t have a deep flavor but had a slight oily tinge to it skimming the top of the broth and seasoned just right not too salty the way I like it. The noodles were thick, springy and filling. Yakitori Yuchan surprisingly serves a pretty good bowl of noodles and so I will definitely bring ramen boy here to try the tantanmen.

Yakitori Yuchan
109 E St
Davis, CA 95616
(530) 753-3196
www.yakitoriyuchan.com

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New York City

Naruto Ramen

Posted on April 4, 2016

Naruto Ramen on the Upper East Side wasn’t on my noodle radar while I was in New York. In fact it didn’t even make my top 10 list but my friend suggested that we give it a try since it was on the way back from her class at the 92nd Street Y. I was California bound that evening so a bowl of ramen would definitely sustain me for my trip back home and I felt good that I got to visit three ramen restaurants. Could have I tried more places? Most definitely but I would have had to run another half marathon to burn those extra calories. The outside of the shop reminded me of a typical ramen-ya in Japan with its tiny entrance and noren (doorway curtain) welcoming its customers. There was a long bar with hooks underneath reminiscent of Ramen Lab but thankfully there were seats. My friend and I were quickly ushered in and given menus as we watched the chefs in front of us prepare gyoza and ramen orders. I am a sucker for good gyoza but I am also a stickler when it comes to quality and taste of the gyoza and if it isn’t crisped just right or homemade. Well, forget it. We both ordered the lunch set which comes with an order of gyoza and your choice of ramen. I chose the signature Naruto ramen which is a shoyu stock using pork and chicken as the base. This was my first time trying the curly noodles from the ramen brand “Terakawa Ramen” created by RAMEN USA, INC. The gyoza did not disappoint and was pretty tasty. The filling inside was cooked just right with a crispy but not oily skin. The ramen came with traditional toppings of seaweed, kamaboko (rice cake), scallions, bean sprouts, menma (bamboo shoots), half of an egg and chashu. The oily layer on top of the soup nicely coated the noodles and although the flavor was pretty good I found the ramen to be a tad too heavy. Perhaps I had my fill of noodles on this trip and after my spectacular bowl of noodles at Ramen Lab it’s probably not too fair to make a comparison. This was my friend’s first bowl of ramen and she is a purveyor of fine food. She said it was good but I know she wasn’t overwhelmed. Naruto Ramen has four other locations in the city and a pretty cool website. Their lunch set is a good deal but with all of the other ramen joints in NYC I’d be hard pressed to try all of them first before coming back to Naruto. Gomen!

Naruto Ramen
1596 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10128
(Btwn 89th & 90th St)
(212) 289-7803
narutoramenex.com

Walnut Creek, CA

Ramen Hiroshi

Posted on February 15, 2016

Ramen boy and I had a ramen lunch date at Ramen Hiroshi in Walnut Creek while his dad played tennis nearby. Great timing since we got there when it opened at 11 am and we were starving. It’s a small shop but well arranged with tables and a bar to sit as well and luckily we didn’t have to wait as we were the first customers. The menu is limited to five types of ramen and a variety of appetizers. There were so many great appetizer choices that I would have tried them all but we agreed to share the gyozas. The menu described it as housemade pork dumplings with crispy thin crust served with spicy sauce. I wasn’t sure if this referred to the dumpling skin but surprisingly discovered that it was the thin crust skirt on the gyozas which they flipped over for you to gently break apart to discover the little pork dumpling gems beneath it. Score! These were delicious that ramen boy only shared one gyoza with me. I asked him if these gyozas were in the same league as the bite size Tenten gyozas we’d eat in Tokyo. I’d buy them uncooked and would attempt to pan fry them never accomplishing the same kind of thin crust. He thought these were the best he’s had in California. This was a good sign that the ramen to come would likely be just as tasty. We both ordered the Hiroshi Tonkotsu Ramen. It’s their house signature ramen named after the owner with a pork broth, 3 generous slice of the braised pork belly which had just the right amount of fat and a chock full of goodies like a marinated soft-boiled egg, lotus root, black mushroom, seasoned bamboo shoot, green onion and red ginger. No need to order any additional toppings for this ramen. The noodles were thin and firm the way I like it since mushy ramen noodles are the worst. The broth was rich in flavor but a tad too salty to me. Ramen boy ordered kaedama (extra noodles) on the side but for the first time couldn’t finish it. Tennis will likely bring us out this way again and I definitely would like to come back and try the tantanmen and some of the appetizers. Ramen Hiroshi is definitely a ramen contender in the East Bay.

Ramen Hiroshi
1633 Bonanza Street
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Tel: 925-942-0664

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Mountain View, CA

Ramen House Ryowa

Posted on April 3, 2015

Ryowa has a place in my heart. Hubby and I ate here when we lived in Palo Alto and my folks would drive from Sacramento to meet us for lunch. I am convinced ramen boy developed a taste for Ryowa in utero. It is his favorite place in Silicon Valley and he’s tried many in the area. It’s a tiny shop reminiscent of a small ramen-ya you would find in Japan with a U-shaped counter and a few tables that seat two people. The television is always on with a recorded Japanese show similar to the game Wipeout kind of mesmerizes you as you slurp away. Unlimited free kimchi and cold barley tea gives it a thumbs up from me. I always order the house ramen set which is a pork based broth topped with chopped scallions, dried seaweed, 1/2 soft boiled egg and two thin slices of chashu. I like the simplicity of the noodles with their delicious fried rice (it tastes so umami I’m afraid to ask if it has MSG in it) and really good homemade gyoza.

Hubby is no longer a Ryowa fan but my parents remain loyal fans driving 2+ hours each way to go there when they are in the area for their Japanese grocery shopping. Ramen boy’s favorite place too. Longevity in the restaurant biz speaks for itself and so I am comforted that Ryowa is still around.

Ramen House Ryowa
859 Villa St
Mountain View, CA 94041
(650) 965-8829