the ramen blog & other goodies!

This is edjusted reporting to you from Dallas, Texas–wait, what? What do you mean there’s no ramen here? Nothing?! No, Tampopo doesn’t count. Seriously? No ramen? Sigh…ok, pack it up. We’ll just get some etuoffee at Pappadeaux instead…

This is edjusted reporting to you from Houston, Tex–what?! Again? No ramen?! Aw c’mon! These are two huge cities with so much good food! …a sushi restaurant? Well, that brisket sandwich for lunch was damn “goode “so I guess I can take one for the team…it’s called what? “Nippon Japanese restaurant”? You’re kidding? Isn’t that’s like calling your restaurant Korea Korean restaurant, Française French restaurant or Deutschland German restaurant! Alright alright, beggars can’t be choosers. (more…)

Anyone who knows even a handful of Japanese words probably knows the word “gomen,” as in “sorry.” My first attempt to eat at Gomen a few months ago resulted in one of those “gomen” moments, when, after a 30 minute drive, we discovered an empty parking lot and a “closed” sign on the door. Gomen has a reputation for having odd hours and closing at random times even when they’re supposed to be open, and I know I’m not the only one that’s experienced a “gomen” moment…”gomen” we’re not open when we say we are, “gomen” we’re closing early because we ran out of soup, “gomen” for the long wait you’ll encounter if you come during peak hours. (more…)

Tokyo Table is a fine dining restaurant that offers “modern yet authentic Japanese cuisine, complemented by tastes from other Asian and world cultures.” I have a tendency to look down on and avoid “fusion” type restaurants (more on this later) like Tokyo Table, whose signatures dishes include “sushi pizza” and “grilled pesto salmon.” I recently agreed to try Tokyo Table mainly because of my newfound enthusiasm for honey toast, a simple and delicious Japanese dessert also offered there. I was ambivalent about whether or not to try their ramen, due in part to Go Ramen’s less than lukewarm review, and in part because of the name of the ramen: Tokyo Char-siu Ramen Noodles. Call me picky, but “char-siu” is Chinese. “Chashu” is Japanese. And “Ramen Noodles” is redundant in the way that “ATM machine” is redundant. (An ATM is an Automated Teller Machine! Why would anyone say Automated Teller Machine machine?!? -end of rant.) To me, those are bad omens of things to come. Of course, dummy that I am, I still ordered the ramen. (more…)

Las Vegas. Sin city. The city of glittering towers. Where every casino outdoes the last in size, opulence, and sheer luxuriousness. Where every celebrity chef worth his or her Food Network credentials race to bring you their latest and greatest twist on the future of fine dining. But what about the simple foods? What if you’re in the food for something less. Something simpler than California-Spanish-Japanese-African fusion? Something that doesn’t require a Ph.D in gastronomy to figure out? What if you just want a good bowl of ramen? (more…)

After many failed attempts to get together, Keizo, Rameniac, and I finally found time in our oh-so-busy schedules to gather for our 1st Ramen Summit (Well, Keizo called it a Ramen Round Table, but I prefer the “the fate of the ramen world is at stake”-sounding “Ramen Summit”.) I’ve already met Keizo several times, and he’s every bit the friendly ramen fiend you would think he is. This was the first time I’ve met Rameniac, and, while I don’t remember how I started associating “rock star” with “rameniac,” that is exactly the sort of vibe he projects, but in a friendly way. And me, I’m “just me,” as you can tell by my “ramen name” of edjusted. (Creative readers might be able to come up with something for a “ramen name”…take the name of your first pet, and the street you lived on…no, no…maybe not…) (more…)

Ok, it’s not ramen, but if Keizo can review it, well, so can I! I’ve been wanting to try Wonton Forest after reading some rave reviews, and though my first love is ramen, I’m up for just about any type of noodle dish. Sure, some ramenyas serve wonton men, which is another wonderful Chinese/Japanese hybrid, but a wontonmen ?????? at a ramenya is quite different than a Chinese, actually Hong Kong style, wonton mien ??? (or wantan mee in Cantonese). A Japanese wontonmen is typically a shoyu ramen, complete with shoyu broth, ramen noodles, ramen toppings, and…wontons! Hong Kong style wonton noodle soup, on the other hand, has a lighter soup base that’s typically more of a chicken and fish stock, hard, thin egg noodles, wontons, of course, and is typically topped with Chinese broccoli or bok choy, and nothing else. (more…)