It’s been a while since my last trip to New York. It’s been so long that instead of having to go to Ippudo, New York again, Ippudo came to Costa Mesa. So how did the Costa Mesa experience compare to “the real deal” in the Big Apple? (more…)
Those of you who missed out on Ippudo Ramen’s first California appearance…all I can say is, you missed out! The ramen was delicious, and as tasty as the ramen served in their New York location. Since I’m determined to write up the review for their New York location this weekend, I thought it’d be redundant to write a duplicate review. Instead, I offer this slide show with commentary to tide you over. (Those of you reading this on RSS will need to click through to the article to see the slide show captions.)
For those of you who did make it to the food fair, what did you think?
I’ve been waiting for Mizuki to open since something like last October, when they ran a cryptic ad in a local Japanese magazine announcing a new ramenya in Irvine…with no address and no opening date. Oh, and they were hiring. Excited that a new ramenya was opening in my back yard, I put on my sleuthing hat and pretended to be interested in a job in order to get more info…I got nothing. (Note to self: forget about becoming a private eye.) Another ad popped up in January announcing a February opening. This time there was a phone number…and a mention of legendary ramenteur (is there such a word?) Sano Minoru, the “ramen demon.” My interest reached a fever pitch. Sano Minoru!?! Involved in a new ramenya!?! In Irvine?!? WOOHOO!
Several phone calls and several different misleading grand opening dates later, it’s finally open…to mixed reviews. Fellow food blogger Exile Kiss went so far as to email me to warn me off. “it’s mazui (bad)…I wanted to warn you (to save your money).” Gulp… (more…)
Kintaro Ramen…one of the “big three” of Vancouver’s ramen zone. Kintaro is a no-nonsense ramenya with an open kitchen. While its competitor Benkei Ramen has obviously spent some time on its interior decorating, Kintaro settles for bare, concrete walls. The ramen chefs dwell silently behind the counter, working efficiently and quietly. The waitresses clump near the back of the restaurant, also quiet, but alert, waiting to serve customers quickly. At times we almost felt a bit rushed, but given the small space and that it’s often very crowded, I can’t really blame them.
On a side note, I just want to establish my “ramen chops.” Not only did I walk for 45 mins to get here, I forced my poor wife to come with me. Then again, it was cold, and slightly uphill, but I can’t say I was barefoot, and it wasn’t snowing. (more…)
I saw this Noodle Restaurant after lunch while walking down to the Waterfront to see the Olympic cauldron. I was too full to eat, but still had to poke my head in to look at the menu.
The good: there was about a dozen different types of ramen available.
The bad: for each type of ramen, there was a corresponding udon. e.g. Shoyu Ramen or Udon. Miso Ramen or Udon.
The ugly: Really? Ramen or Udon? Ramen or udon purists out there know that you can’t just substitute noodles like that and call it a day.
Or, maybe I’m completely wrong and the Sapporo Ramen Shogun geniuses somehow manage to make it work. The place was pretty crowded. If anyone would care to enlighten me, maybe I’ll try it out on a future trip to Vancouver.
Sapporo Ramen Shogun
518 Hornby Street, Vancouver, BC
(604) 684-2922
(more…)
It’s the 2010 Winter Olympics, so we’ll be reporting from Vancouver this week! First up…Benkei Ramen. Benkei Ramen is considered to be one of the top ramenyas in Vancouver, with 4 locations throughout the city, including one in “ramen central” (more on this later). That location was a bit far for me, so I went to their newly-opened Thurlow St. location. (more…)
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