Ramen - The Hungry Nomad

Addicted to Gyoza King since 2003 (Vancouver, Canada)

February 27, 2014 No Comments

It seems that the majority of my time was spent eating in the West End where there is a densely packed number of Korean, Japanese, Malaysian and other Asian restaurants. Gyoza King is no new addition! It has been around for over a decade. The tiny Japanese restaurants specializes in handmade gyozas with different fillings including the pork, prawn and chives, prawns and pork and chives. They also serve pages and pages of other Japanese delicacies typically found in Izakayas.

As a regular, I have the menu memorized and always order two servings of the pork, prawn and chives and pork and chive gyozas. You just can’t go wrong with these pan-fried dumplings. They are as good as it gets and you would do yourself a huge injustice if you went to the restaurant and failed to get the dumplings.

Next, I always order the Agadeshi Tofu. Pieces of skilen firm tofu are cut into cubes, lightly dusted with potato starch and deed fried to a golden crisp. They are then served in a bed of hottentsuu borth made of dashi, mirin and sho-yu (Japanese soy sauce) and topped with finely chopped spring onions, grated daikon and dried bonito flakes which dance in the heat to give this dish the ultimate visual appearance. The agadeshi tofu at Gyoza King is the best I’ve ever had through my trips around the world.

An order of kimchi Udon is only one of many servings of udon offered at Gyoza King. Udon served without the broth is what I would explain to those who have never tasted it as the Japanese version of spaghetti. Instead of meatballs and tomato sauce the Japanese have come up with their own concoction of tasty sauces to blend the udon with making it a hit at the dinner table each and every time. All this food would not be complete had it not been for the bottle of unfiltered sake which made everything taste even more delicious but yet filled us up too quickly. I was sad that I was too full to eat all my other favorites on their menu like the Chicken Karagge (Japanese fried chicken), ebi mayo (fried shrimp with mayonnaise) and tuna tataki.

Japanese, Ramen, Vancouver

Ramen Time at Hokkaido Ramen Santouka (Vancouver, Canada)

February 23, 2014 No Comments

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka has long been on my list of Japanese restaurants to try. Sadly, with all the other delicious selections in the West End, I never had the chance and each time that I did try there was always a long line up out the door making me think twice.

On my last trip to Vancouver, I finally made it in the door and was seated within minutes (a miracle according to restaurant fans). For those of you who still don’t know, I love Japanese food, Japanese culture, and anything and everything Japanese. My love for ramen- that steaming hot bowl of Japanese soup is like no other. I would give up an arm and a leg for a good bowl of Ramen. One night after watching the ‘Ramen Girl’ on TV- I decided that I would quit my life and school and move to Japan to learn how to make a great bowl of ramen. That dream never panned out but you if you are ever looking for me, try your nearest Ramen shop. I might be in there slurping away on some good old ramen.

Santouka Ramen is a Japanese chain restaurant which opened doors in Vancouver a few years back, given Vancouver’s large Japanese population. It seems quite popular with both expat Japanese and local Vancouverites. The menu consists of a list of the basic ramens and other dishes for those who arent too big a fan of ramen.
We ordered a side of Gyoza (Japanese pan-fried dumpling) to start. Oh how I have longed for a taste of these delicious treats in my days in Louisiana where authentic Japanese food is non-existent. What suffering I go through. These gyozas were delicious and gone within minutes. A friend who has never tried ramen- shyed away from the thought and ordered a bowl of Salmon Don. The serving was on the small side making it an ideal starter for those who are extremely hungry. As for me I always order the Tonkotsu ramen– a mild, pearl-colored soup where the pork bones are simmered for 20 hours to make the perfect broth. Before serving the vegetables, noodles and other ingredients are added to make magic. I’ve been to several Ramen shops in Vancouver and found this ramen to be only average. I’ve definitely had better in neighboring ramen shops located on Denman street.

My partner in food in Vancouver and I both looked at each other and agreed that this Ramen joint is by far not the best in town. Leaving us with the same question? What is all the fuss about? Why such line-ups when there are plenty of other good authentic ramen places in the West End? Perhaps, nostalgia brings those expats here reminding them of their home. While the food is consistent and good it is definitely not worth waiting an hour for (although the other ones definitely on Denman definitely are). (see post on Motomochi Shokudo)

Japanese, New York, Ramen

Momofuku Noodle Bar- East Village (New York City, USA)

August 7, 2012 No Comments

After hearing and reading about all the food award nominations for Momofuku of course I had to try it. We went on a Friday night and waited in line for 45 minutes to be seated. The restaurant is small, intimate and casual. I really liked the wrap around bar concept where people are seated at the bar facing each other and the bartender.

We immediately ordered a bottle of sake and a few of their buns: beef brisket and shrimp buns (see menu).

The beef was served in a doughy bun with horseradish sauce, pickled red onion and cucumber. The shrimp was served with pickled shallot and spicy mayonnaise.

For our entrees we decided on two noodle dishes: the Chilled Spicy noodles- a serving of egg noodles with sichuan spiced sausage, spinach cashews and the spiciest chili sauce. Our waiter warned me of the spice level but I like to think I have a high tolerance for spiciness, so ignoring her warning I ordered the dish anyway. It arrived looking colorful and fresh. I was so eager to take the first bite. I wish I had a cartoon photo to depict how I must have looked after the first bite. My mouth, nose and entire head was on fire. My sinuses watering immediately, I decided to ignore the signals and take a second bite hoping that maybe my taste buds would adapt. They didn’t. I called over our waitress told her its too hot and that I would have to order something else off the menu. The manager came over and told me that they would not take it off the bill since it states that it is spicy in the name of the dish. I didn’t argue. In fact I never asked for it to be taken off. Oh well, I’m sure they have had to fight that question more than a few times. I don’t know why they would make it so spicy beyond being edible. Our taste buds in North America are not adapted to that amount of hot chili oil in one spoonful. Oh well, on to the next dish.

I ordered the Momofuku Ramen as a replacement hoping that the broth would soothe my burning tongue and lips. It arrived shortly after. At this point, I was over the entire meal but felt obligated to take a few spoonfuls of the ramen if only to be able to write about it on my blog. For $16 it was quite the disappointment.

Overall, I was not impressed with the menu or the food. There was no originality and being from Vancouver I’ve definitely had better buns and ramen in my day. It has always been hard for me and other Vancouverites to find good Asian food outside of Vancouver- we are truly spoiled to have some of the best in Van City. But back to MoMofuku. I heard someone call it hipster food. And I would have to agree. There is nothing particularly amazing at this Noodle Bar. But the atmosphere is lively, the decor modern and simplistic and the food will definitely fill you up.

(As a sidebar- the photo quality is low as I didn’t have my SLR handy- all photos were taken by my iphone with poor lighting).