Not Your Bog Standard Ramen

If you know me well, you know that I have a lot of opinions on ramen. I justify it with the excuse that I partially grew up in Japan, but let’s face it I’m just a ramen snob. After various pop-ups, Shoryu officially opened its doors (finally). I went for their signature ramen dish, Shoryu Ganso Tonkatsu: thin slices of pork, veg, seaweed, soft boiled egg, and noodles swimming in a sea of pork broth. One of the hardest things to find is good noodles. These were actually spring-y, which was a major plus. The broth was nice and actually tasted as if they bothered to boil some pork bones for a day.  Definitely give this place a try if you’re a ramen connoisseur. I have to admit that this is a bit on the pricier side (£10!). I’m hesitant to even pay $10 for ramen! But as we all know, Japanese cuisine is somehow always priced way above what it’s actually worth. But again, I’m probably just basing this on the fact that I could get a bowl of noodles for ¥700.

Shoryu Ramen
9 Regent Street, SW1Y 4LR

I'm Back!

After a long hiatus (nearly two years to the date, yikes!), I've decided to come back to the food blogging world. It's been a weird two years considering I've been mostly trapped eating food at my college. Don't get me wrong it's great stuff, but there's only so many meals, in which I can eat potatoes. Oxford has a few good local eateries, but London is the place to go to fulfill your Foodie dreams.

Recently, I ventured out to Shoreditch on a Sunday to visit the Brick Lane Market. It was a hipster's paradise. Not only are their various stalls and stores that offer vintage wares, but there's an equal amount of food stalls! I had mistakingly eaten before heading to the market, but I managed to fit in a snack.  I was pleasantly surprised to find a Takoyaki stall and made my way towards it immediately. The balls of pancake and squid were made fresh in front of me, and the guy slapped on some wasabi mayo, Japanese chili flakes, and seaweed! I sat down with PH on the corner of Hanbury Street (where apparently all the hip kids chow down on food from the Sunday Upmarket). PH started on his £5 plate of Turkish food that resembled Indian food more than anything (it was still delicious), while I started on my Takoyaki. They were a bit gooey for my taste, and each ball only had one piece of squid! It's called Tako-yaki not pancake-yaki for a reason! The sauces were delicious, but only barely made up for the rest of the concoction. I ran into the same issue a couple years ago at Takoyaki Yum. Although I was glad to see that the Japanese treats were gaining an audience, I was slightly disappointed. Perhaps, the vendor didn't want to scare off the public with too much squid? Or perhaps, they're just being way too thrifty.

Brick Lane Market
Brick Lane, Shoreditch E1 6PU

O rly? Onigilly?!

To continue with the current Japanese snack food trend, I recently tried Onigilly, the Onigiri Cart that’s on Justin Herman Plaza every weekday (i.e. the area with hella vendors that you have to walk past to get to the ferry building). I’ve kind of put off trying it because I guess I haven’t cared enough. Also, onigiri is what I survived off of during a trip to Tokyo, so no onigiri in my mind could top that experience. Anyways, I went to the Ferry Building on a Tuesday at 12:30pm, which is probably one of the worst times ever. Everyone’s out at lunch and buying shit at the Farmer’s Market. However, there was no line at Onigilly! Usually this is probably not a good sign, but I think it was more due to the fact that everyone was concentrated on the Market.

I ordered the “Geisha,” which is basically three onigiris and edamame. I tried the Miso Tuna, Hijiki Black Seaweed, and Sansai Mountain Veggies. All three were quite delicious. The seaweed was crisp and protected my hands from the sticky rice, and each filling was nicely seasoned. The edamame was actually a bit too soft, but not inedible. I would definitely recommend this cart. It’s light and relatively healthy. A bit pricey and depending on how much you eat, it might not be enough, but for a hot summer day, it was actually perfect.

Cart at Justin Herman Plaza

5 Steuart St/Market St, San Francisco

Check out their website because they're also at Off the Grid!

Pinkerton Food

Takoyanen (Delica)

Takoyaki Yum

Sorry for the dearth of posts lately. Life has been...life. Anyways, I have recently discovered an increased interest around Japanese cuisine. Ramen and Izakayas have been popping up everywhere. The possible new foodie obsession? Takoyaki! Basically pancake batter filled with octopus and other stuff is thrown into a pan with little ball-shaped molds. Sometimes they're referred to as dumplings, other times they're called pancakes. You can decide for yourself. Takoyaki is usually served at festivals and other outdoor type events along with Taiyaki (A fish shaped waffle that has azuki filling. It is also super-noms).

In recent food bloggery, two locations in which to find Takoyaki have been mentioned: the Ferry Building Farmer's Market on Thursday and the Temescal Farmer's Market on Sunday. Surprised that they are both Farmer's Market? I wasn't either. Delica is currently offering the aforementioned morsel on the former day. It's run under the name Takoyanen. I arrived quite early, so the goods were made already, which actually was a slight disappointment, since they were not fresh. However, I enjoyed the fried-ness of the octopus. It tasted similar to the bags of fried squid you can get at any place that sells Asian snacks.

If you're in the East Bay and don't want to make the trek, check out Takoyaki Yum. The funny thing is they're actually not in the Farmer's Market. They are across from it at 491 Cavour St. Although the takoyaki was fresher and made in front of me, it still needs some improvement. They were a bit too gooey for my taste, and the octopus lacked flavour. However, I understand somewhat, since fresh octopus is hard to come by. Points for toppings though. The slurry of sauces (Kewpie mayonnaise, okonomiyaki sauce, wasabi mayo) along with bonito flakes and dried seaweed made a tasty combo, but was it just a way to mask the blandness of the morsels themselves? Idk. Right now, I'm leaning towards Delica's because both the takoyaki and sauces did not lack flavour. That being said, they did lack a bit of warmth.

Takoyanen
Ferry Building Marketplace
One Ferry Building

Takoyaki Yum
491 Cavour St.
(Across from the Farmer's Market, which is in the DMV's Parking Lot)

P.S. Just in case anyone was wondering, the use of Pinkerton refers to the slang definition.

Curry for Those in a Hurry...in the Financial District...Kind of

Was waiting in line for so long, I thought I might as well take a picture.

Don't worry, it comes with an entire container of curry!

It didn't occur to me until recently that not many people in the US know what Japanese Curry is. Then again I don't even know how it came into being. Curry does not originate from Japan and its existence in Japanese cuisine is due to western influences. Actually my mind was blown a few months ago when I found out that Katsu originates from Schnitzel. Well, both are pieces of meat that have been beat down, breaded, and fried. Those things aside, I was originally not that excited about the Japacurry food truck when I first heard about it. This was mostly due to the fact that I make it home quite often. However, I saw Kurobuta sasuage on the menu and knew that I had to check it out. I don't know what the Japanese do to their sausage, but they are quite extraordinary and definitely different from the American equivalent.

The easiest way to track the Japacurry truck is through their website. They list all of their locations for the following week on the main page. On a Wednesday, I followed them to 420 Howard. I waited in line for 25 minutes behind some videogame designers who were discussing blocking and weapons. Was the wait worth it? For the most part, but I realized that my foodie-ness might be getting out of hand. The spicy curry is actually spicy, which was a surprise because the Japanese usually don't do spicy. That being said, don't expect it to burn your mouth off. The sausage was alright, but nothing new, since I used to eat them in Japan all the time. If you have never had Japanese curry and are too lazy to make it at home, then this is definitely worth it. It's only $8 and is surprisingly filling. If you really get into it, then try making it at home cuz it's a cinch. At most grocery stores, you can find packages of Japanese curry. Upon opening, it looks like a chocolate bar. All you do is add water, veggies, meat (if that's your thing), and voila! There are also entirely from scratch recipes online.

Japacurry, San Francisco
http://www.japacurry.com/

Dark Indeed...

"...veiled in mist and darkness..."
(Sorry too much Kafka today)

Reunited at last!

The Hitachino Espresso Stout is aptly named and tells no lies. As the label touts, a "Japanese Dark Ale Brewed with Coffee Beans," this little guy is a must try for Hitachino and Stout enthusiasts. It's quite chocolately in taste with hints of espresso and not very hoppy, but that's about all I can say, since I'm not a beer connoisseur. Took me a while to track it down, but I finally got mine at Berkeley Bowl. Whole Foods might also be a good place to look. Happy Drinking, Mates!

When You Are Feeling Blue, Go to Ippuku

...as Tob-asco and I did...

Dungeness Crab Croquettes

Quail Eggs

Bacon Wrapped Mochi (and a Glass of Awamori)

Birthday = Foodday

One really must treat oneself on a birthday. I think that's a rule or maybe not. Nonetheless, I started out my own with some delicious Japanese food from Kirala 2. I also discovered that if you purchase more than $10 worth of food, you get a day-old item for free! Beef Donburi, California Rolls, and Kara-age made an amazing lunch that day...and leftovers for the next. For the evening, I arranged an outing with the gang to Show Dogs and Thermidor.

First up, Show Dogs:
Part of me really wishes this were in a better location. It's kind of in a random spot on Market, nestled near the Warfield, and smack in between Powell and Civic Center Bart Stations. However, Show Dogs met my expectations. A lot more casual than Foreign Cinema, Gayle Pirie and John Clark's second venture lives up to its name or breeding so to say. The food was fresh and the beer selection was impressive. The only complaint would be that various items were sold out, but this may be due to it being close to the end of the night. For some reason I had my heart set on fried chicken that day, so I didn't actually order what the place is supposed to be known for: sausages. That being said the chicken was good and the mashed potatoes were creamy and flavourful. Everyone else, however, gave the dogs a try. Dogs digested: the House Maple Bacon Pork, the House Chicken Curry, and Field Roast Vegetarian Sausage. And since we were feeling extra awesome, we ordered BBQ Fries AND Onion Rings. All good with no complaints. GET THE BBQ FRIES.

Next up, Thermidor:
After we were filled, we ventured to Thermidor in Mint Plaza for drinks. Yes, be ready for bourge. However, the cocktails were quite amazing (although I've decided that I'll never get an actual English Pimm's in America). The bartender was extremely nice and not only gave me a free shot of Laphroaig, but also kept refilling Special K's glass with wine after we figured out that the price was not the one listed. And as a snack, we ordered chips with caviar. Delicously bourge. I would suggest going here for drinks (especially at happy hour) and maybe getting a small snack.

Kirala 2
1511 Shattuck Ave. (b/w Cedar St & Vine St. It's in Epicurious Garden.)
Berkeley

Show Dogs
1020 Market Street (on the corner near the Warfield)
San Francisco

Thermidor
8 Mint Plaza (From Market walk down Fifth St. The plaza is across from the mall.)
San Francisco

Izakayas: The New Craze

Okay, is it just me or are Izakayas sprouting up like no one's biznet?! There's Izakaya Sozai and Nombe...and I think Namu counts as one. Ippuku has been landing on every critic's list for 2010. Now Chotto is opening in the Marina. I love me some Izakayas, but I'm starting to worry that this trend might get overdone. However, I understand the hype. They're a great place to hang out and drink. It's a lot more chill than a bar, and the food is usually delicious. I guess I shouldn't complain, since they usually bring back happy memories of Japan for me. That being said, cheers to Chotto. And, if you're in Berkeley and feel like getting your izakaya on, check out Ippuku. It's one of the few places in the bay that actually reminds me of Japan.

Ippuku
2130 Center Street, Berkeley

This be a new blog.

Enjoy!

Hitachino Nest While Ale @ Public House in AT&T Park

Public House
AT&T Park
24 Willie Mays Plaza
San Francisco

(I have included posts from a previous blog that I co-administrated with a friend.)

Cha-Ya, Ch-yeah!

I've lived two blocks from this place for over two years, and only recently tried it for the first time. It's weird because I feel like living close to some good eats doesn't necessarily mean you go there all the time. The desire to go to Cha-Ya has increased in past months due to a multiplicity of reasons: there's always a hella long line for dinner, nearly half of my close-friends are vegetarians or veggie-inclined, and I also keep passing by the one in the Mission. Sweet-ole K.yo's b-day was a week ago, so the friends and I decided to finally give the place a try. I ordered the Vege-Tofu Curry with Udon. First of all, I lovelovelove Japanese curry, so I was already pretty stoked before even entering the restaurant. The soup was flavourful, and there were so many veggies! Kabocha, pearl onions, celery, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, mushrooms, and sugar snap peas to be exact! I finished my entire bowl and was surprised at how incredibly stuffed I was. Although Japanese Veggie Food sounds weird, this is really a must-try. The menu was cute and explained how the restaurant is inspired by vegetarian food consumed at Japanese temples. So yeah, it's actually legit even though most people think of either fish or katsu when it comes to Japanese cuisine. Other delicious items consumed that night include veggie tempura. Itadakimasu!

Cha-Ya Vegetarian Japanese Restaurant
1686 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley
(In between Virginia and Lincoln)