All Posts By

ramen mom

Sacramento, CA

Kodaiko Ramen & Bar

Posted on December 13, 2021

A rainy day is a perfect excuse to get out for a bowl of ramen. Hubby and I planned to go downtown to get some noodles for lunch and to Ruhstaller for a beer. Then head over to Fleet Feet to check out running gear and then to Ginger Elizabeth for dessert and peppermint hot chocolate. It’s easy to miss Kodaiko’s storefront. Still, once you descend the stairs to the restaurant, it’s reminiscent of some of our favorite basement eateries in Tokyo that promise you some tasty delights. It wasn’t crowded when we arrived, so we were seated quickly. We both ordered tonkotsu ramen and karaage (fried chicken) to share. Since hubby doesn’t like aioli, they recommended swapping the sauce with a soy-ginger version, which was delicious. The chicken was bite-sized, super tender, and had a light crunch. Maybe they used mochiko flour for the coating? He also doesn’t like eggs, so I got to eat his half that came with the ramen. The ajitama (seasoned egg) was perfectly done and is a must-have accompaniment with ramen. The pork chashu was tender, and the noodles were done just right – al dente and springy. The broth wasn’t too rich and I loved that they added plenty of mizuna (mustard greens).

My only gripe is that I like my ramen to be piping hot so that when I slurp the steam fogs up my glasses, I was surprised that I would have to pay for chili oil to add a little kick to the broth. It should be available in a container on the table free of charge. It’s a nice touch that makes places stand out, like Ippudo offering free spicy bean sprouts and ice-cold mugicha (barley tea). For hygienic reasons with the pandemic, it’s understandable that it’s not available for sharing on a table. I hope that 2022 brings more business to the downtown area in Sacramento. It’s been tough for many restaurants to stay open, and I’m glad that Kodaiko is a popular restaurant. When we were leaving, there was a line of folks waiting to get inside. The food quality here is no surprise with chefs Takumi Abe and Billy Ngo in the kitchen. I’ll be back soon to try their spicy kimchii chicken katsu sando on fluffy milk bread.

Kodaiko Ramen & Bar
718 K St
Sacramento, CA
(916) 426-8863
kodaikoramen.com

New York City

Tonchin

Posted on July 13, 2019

Ramen boy and I ventured to Midtown West for Michelin bib gourmand ramen at Tonchin. We hadn’t tried this Tokyo-based chain while living in Japan and had missed opportunities when visiting New York. Since my son is a creature of habit and very loyal to Ippudo ramen it required some convincing to try something new this time around. We waited for about 40 minutes and then we were seated in the back of the restaurant near the open kitchen. Watching the chefs at each of their stations was mesmerizing as I ate my smoked dashi ramen filled with clams topped with pea sprouts, menma, egg, tobiko, dried seaweed in a tonkotsu broth with a drizzle of smoked fish oil. The homemade noodles were springy and al dente and the broth was deep in flavor with a slight fish essence – truly sublime. Ramen boy had a classic tonkotsu bowl with extra noodles along with some bite-size pan fried gyoza which were delicious.

The finishing touch to our meal was the kakigori. We shared the Tokyo strawberry milk shaved ice with strawberries and honey cream sauce. I could eat this for days.

Tokyo strawberry shaved ice

TONCHIN NEW YORK
13 W 36th Street
New York City, NY 10018
(646) 692-9912

New York City

Ramen Hood

Posted on May 4, 2019

My first time trying vegan ramen at the Chef’s Club pop-up shop in SoHo was a delicious surprise. I wasn’t expecting to be wowed since I was really skeptical of a boneless and meatless broth. Even the bold sign #RICHASSBROTH in front of me as I ordered wasn’t enough to convince me. Sunflower seed broth – yeah right! The Los Angeles based ramen shop proved me wrong. I ordered the ramen that came with king oyster mushrooms, bean sprouts, scallions, nori, chili threads and side order of the vegan egg. The egg was just too weird for me and could have done without. I love the real thing so there just isn’t a comparison. The noodles were thick and springy and the broth was creamy with a lot of depth for stock made from sunflower seeds. Seriously some RICH ASS BROTH!

Ramen Hood
62 Spring Street
Chef’s Club Counter
New York, NY 10012
(646) 438-9172

New York City

Ippudo Westside

Posted on November 19, 2018

I was in town for the New York Marathon. By the time I finished spending way too much money at the Expo and attending the course strategy session at the New York Road Runners (NYRR) headquarters I was famished. My plans were to uber to Ramen Shack in Long Island City but having arrived on a red-eye flight with very little sleep I didn’t have the energy to venture out there. Ippudo was a safe bet and just a couple of blocks away. I was lucky – it was early and I was seated immediately at the bar. I prefer this over a table since I like to eat and run when it comes to ramen. To me it just isn’t a meal to linger over.

Thanks to ramen boy I have already eaten my fair share of Ippudo Ramen in Tokyo. When we lived in Japan he was such a picky eater that ramen was always the favorite go to meal and we ate there more often than I’d like to admit. We have slurped all kinds of ramen – we were in Tokyo for years – but he is a creature of habit and loves his Ippudo.

The two things I like about Ippudo Ramen are their thin noodles which taste perfect al dente (katame) and that it usually comes out steaming hot. So steamy that it’s impossible to take a good picture of your bowl of noodles. Which is just as well since in my opinion Ippudo Ramen isn’t very Instagram pretty. My advice – forgo taking a picture and just spend time slurping.

Gochisosama deshita.

Ippudo Westside
321 West 51st Street, (Between 8th and 9th Avenue)
New York, NY 10019
(212) 974-2500

New York City

Nakamura NYC – second time around

Posted on August 19, 2018

I had been looking forward to my return visit – this time with Ramen Boy. Normally we’d walk here but even for me it was just too hot and humid to bear that we took an Uber. I wanted him to experience the neighborhood with the grit, hustle and bustle of the melange of people around him that you get from walking around. We got to Nakamura’s as soon as it opened and quickly ordered our noodles. We are firm believers that you slurp your noodles and then you leave. In and out. Nakamura’s doesn’t have that vibe. You kind of want to stick around. It’s off the beaten path so you may have a queue of people at a certain time or you’ll have the place to yourself like we did. I was going to order the signature torigara ramen but with the heat the cold noodles special was calling my name – seafood tomato tom yum with fried soft shell crab and squid. Ramen boy will attest that when I am enjoying my food I make embarrassing “mmmm” sounds. This bowl of noodles was beyond delicious. The soft crunch of the soft shell crab and the tomato based tom yum broth with the noodles and grated yuzu was just genius. If I lived in New York I’d be here often just for this. It could very well be my favorite summer food addiction – right up there with where have you been all my life Mother’s peach and burrata salad. Hope Nakamura keeps it a summer dish mainstay.

Nakamura NYC
172 Delancey Street
New York, NY 10002
212-614-1810

New York City

Wagamama

Posted on August 16, 2018

Ramen Boy’s request for Ippudo as his first meal in New York comes as no surprise. You have to be prepared to wait in a long line in Berkeley and San Francisco. Going to Ippudo in New York is much easier with three to choose from. We like going to the Ippudo in the East Village and so I suggested we shop around and then walk there for some noodles. We didn’t anticipate how how hot and muggy it would be in New York and it quickly sapped all our energy. Kind of a rookie move considering we lived in tropical Singapore and spent many humid summers in Tokyo. By the time we got to Ippudo not only were we starving but also disappointed that it was temporarily closed for renovations. At this point we weren’t too picky about our lunch destination but luckily Yelp pointed us to Wagamama and we headed that way. Ramen boy’s dad has gone to the Wagamama in London and raves about the duck gyoza. Of course we had to try it and it was tasty. We both ordered the shirodashi pork ramen with pork belly in a chicken broth and topped with menma, micro greens, scallions, wakame and a soft boiled egg. Ramen boy slurped away happy with his bowl of noodles. I wish I could say the ramen was memorable but truthfully for me it was all about the beverage. Diet coke with lime hit the spot.

Wagamama
55 3rd Avenue
New York, NY 10003
(917) 636-6030

New York City

Nakamura NYC

Posted on June 19, 2018

This Lower East Side ramen shop is obscurely located next to the entrance of the Williamsburg Bridge reminiscent of the ramen-ya’s you would find in Japan. I walked the stretch of Delancey Street from my hotel to work up an appetite for the noodles to come and to explore the gentrified neighborhood – a blast from the past when I lived in the East Village in the late 80’s. The day before my visit I had run the the United New York Half Marathon with the course starting in Brooklyn and taking me over the very same bridge into Manhattan. Good ramen shops usually have a queue and I like to avoid this by arriving early just before they open. I was the first one in and quickly perused the menu. Everything looked good to me and I was surprisingly pleased that they served a lunch-size smaller portion of noodles reminding me of the lunch specials you’d find in Japan. Although I debated getting the Torigara (Chef’s Signature) ramen I knew that I had to try the Yuzu Dashi ramen. Afuri serves a mean bowl of this and I wanted to compare it. Well, it did not disappoint. The shio based yuzu seasoned chicken broth simply adorned with a lean piece of chashu pork that had been nicely grilled, scallions, spinach, menma and nori with springy thin noodles. Very light tasting and delicious and I had no problem finishing every bit to the very last drop. Hands down the best ramen I had on my New York trip. Looking forward to another visit in a couple of weeks with ramen boy!

Nakamura NYC
172 Delancey Street
New York, NY 10002
(212) 614-1810

New York City

Ramen Lab

Posted on April 16, 2018

My favorite place to stay when I’m in New York is just down the street from the Ramen Lab. My red-eye flight got me into JFK early morning giving me ample time to drop off my luggage at my hotel in SoHo, nourish myself with a complimentary latte, Balthazar toast and a soft-boiled egg with truffle salt thanks to Eduardo at The Broome Hotel’s sweet little cafe. Then off I went to the United New York Half Marathon Expo to pick up my bib for the race. I knew that Ramen Lab’s door opened at 5 pm and I wanted to get there around 4:45 to ensure that I would haven’t to wait too long to get in. There are only ten spots – no chairs. It’s serious noodle business when you have to stand to eat and expectations are high when you have to do so. The ramen very well better be worth it. This is my second time at Ramen Lab and once again impressed me with their manner of ordering before entering the restaurant to putting a delicious bowl of noodles in front of me without any fanfare. I like the concept of the rotating kitchen featuring ramen from ramen shops throughout the U.S. and the world and especially pleased that SacRAMENto has debuted not one but two ramen chefs: Yasushi Ueyama’s Shoki Ramen and ramen blogger David Chan. All of my walking worked up an appetite for the featured Sakekasu Tonkotsu Ramen from Brooklyn Kura. Sake kasu are the lees left over from making sake often used as a pickling agent in Japanese cooking. The lees foam was not overpowering and added a touch of umami to the creamy pork broth. The usual suspects included a fatty but meaty piece of pork belly, slices of fish cake, scallions, seaweed and pickled ginger. The drizzle of anchovy oil and the two slices of tamogayaki (egg omelette) pulled it all together and went well with the thicker Okinawa soba noodles. The ramen truly hit the spot that I quickly devoured it. It was so good I would have ordered another but a line had formed outside the restaurant. Ramen etiquette prevailed so I quickly paid my bill so that next group of customers could come in. I will be noodle slurping with ramen boy this summer so looking forward to the third time around surprise ramen at Ramen Lab.

Ramen Lab
70 Kenmare Street
New York, NY 10012
(646) 613-7522
www.ramen-lab.com

Emeryville, CA

Shiba Ramen

Posted on January 30, 2018

Been meaning to go to Shiba Ramen since it’s opening in late 2015. Better late than never I suppose. I seem to end up at other ramen joints on the way to the city or coming back home. Even my folks have frequented this place more than once over the years. I made it point not to be sidetracked this time, even though Ippudo Berkeley was dancing in my head, and easily convinced my girlfriends for a ramen stop.

Conveniently located right off a freeway exit a huge plus and within a public food market an added bonus. We were distracted the moment we walked in with the array of food choices but I steered them toward the bold red Shiba Ramen signage and the Shiba Inu logo. Most likely the owners have a Shiba Inu dog otherwise associating a dog image with ramen could be risky. Doubtful it has stopped anyone from eating ramen here but I was once in Japan and ate horse curry by mistake. Just saying.

I ordered the signature White Bird ramen thinking it would be a good comparison to the tori paitan ramen I ate the night before in San Francisco. The creamy chicken broth had a nice fatty piece of tender pork chashu, scallions, bamboo shoots and a soft-boiled egg. The noodles were springy and al dente the way I like it. The broth was not overly rich and filling. I enjoyed my bowl of noodles after all I was in good company. Having a ramen restaurant in an open public food court is genius for my impatient family members. Ramen boy and his dad would have appreciated the fast food concept without the wait. Their biggest pet peeve eating ramen in the U.S. is the lack of ramen etiquette when there is a long line of people waiting to get in to the restaurant. Slurp your noodles and then get out is their motto.

Shiba Ramen must be making tastebuds happy as another restaurant opened in Oakland. My friend from Singapore ate here when she was visiting and gave it a ‘meh’ review but I consider her biased since she lives in the land of noodles and if you have eaten in Singapore you’d understand why. My mom though thinks it is slurp worthy. I will be back with the boys.

Shiba Ramen
Public Market Emeryville
5959 Shellmound Street, Kiosk #10
Emeryville, CA

San Francisco

Mensho Tokyo

Posted on January 9, 2018

Bringing in my first bowl of ramen for 2018 at Mensho Tokyo in San Francisco! It wasn’t planned but it seamlessly fell into place while I was in the city with my girlfriends for a race. We had planned on a day of shopping after visiting the race expo and then going to the Imperial Spa for a Korean body scrub. My friends were in for a life altering experience of shedding dead skin and a promised bowl of ramen. There was a ramen shop a block away from our hotel that stayed open till 1 am and so we planned to go there afterwards. As we drove on Geary Street to the spa I noticed a line of people outside a restaurant. It was Michelin rated Mensho Tokyo. Hubby and I met a young Japanese guy a while back wine tasting in Napa and he said that Mensho had the best ramen in San Francisco. He also said to be prepared for a crazy long wait which could be up to 2 hours. I like ramen but not that much. I mentioned it to the gals and suggested we check it out on our way back to the hotel after our spa treatment. Our fallback would be the other ramen place.

Scrubbed squeaky clean and feeling relaxed we were hungry for some noodles as we drove to Mensho. Luck on our side it was close to 10 pm and there was a short line and within five minutes we were seated at the communal table ready for some ramen. We ordered four different types of ramen and each of them perfectly plated and unique. I ordered the tori paitan ramen which had thick curly noodles with plenty of spring to them in a creamy chicken soup broth. The ramen was topped with pork and duck chashu and garnished with menma, chives, kale, katsuoboshi sauce drizzled on some cabbage, thinly shaved crispy burdock which was so delicious I could have eaten it on its own and a whole soft-boiled egg hidden in the broth that was absolutely perfect. We oohed and aahed as we slurped our noodles feeling fortunate and satiated at the same time.

Our late night carbo loading fueled us well for the race that we decided that the scrub, ramen and run was on the agenda for next year. The ramen was so memorable I’m already thinking about my next bowl at Mensho.

Mensho Tokyo
672 Geary St
San Francisco, CA
(415) 800-8345