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ramen mom

Napa, CA

Eight Noodle Shop

Posted on May 16, 2016

I have been looking forward to going to wine country to run the Asics Vine Body Sole Half Marathon starting at Beringer Vineyards and finishing at Charles Krug Winery. Hubby suggested back in February we make a weekend out of it since he heard about the race from his colleague. So Friday morning I said my goodbyes to ramen boy as I dropped him off at school, went to a quick meeting and then hit the highway for an early lunch at Eight Noodle Shop in Napa. It was a beautiful day and I was hungry for some noodles. I was the first customer and was quickly seated out on the patio by the owner David Lu. At the time I thought he was just the waiter but after chatting a bit about the menu and his general demeanor I could tell he was the head honcho. I am trying to promote the blog so I gave him my business card and told him that I was ramen mom. I have never introduced myself as ramen mom before and the moment I blurted it out it was too late. Pretty dang awkward. He kind of looked at me like “yeah? … ” Definitely next time I will just say my name and that I write a ramen blog called ramen mom. Live and learn. Now back to the noodles.

I ordered the $14.99 lunch set which came with a choice of a small plate (appetizer), entree and beverage. I decided to get the pulled pork steamed bun, pulled pork ramen and ice tea. I saw the dessert menu had Okinawa doughnuts with apple and caramel and a miso butter scotch panna cotta. Which to choose? I know I had to try at least one. I should also mention that they have a really good wine list but it is Napa after all. The pulled pork bun with their house pickled cucumbers and carrot was tasty. The succulent pork balanced well with the slightly tangy cabbage slaw inside and the steamed bun held it together without falling apart. Gyoza and ramen is my thing but I have noticed that pork buns are all the rage at many American ramen-ya’s and really good homemade gyoza is hard to come by. Even Ippudo follows this pork bun and ramen trend in the U.S. or perhaps they started it.

I was excited to try the noodles here since the owner told me they were homemade from the kitchen. He also explained to me that the broth was a combination of pork, chicken and veal. The broth wasn’t overly rich but very flavorful with a slight oiliness. The noodles were thick and hearty. I think it compliments the pulled pork but I usually like my noodles thinner with more spring to it. One of my pet peeves is the noodle and broth ratio of serving ramen and they got this down pat. Presentation was very simple with spinach, a perfect soft boiled egg, green onions and menma. My first bite of the noodles with the seasoned bamboo shoots and the broth was earthy and delicious. Perhaps a little less pulled pork but can’t complain the ramen really hit the spot. I made sure to leave room for dessert and had the miso butterscotch panna cotta. OMG! The frothy whipped cream on top with the slightly salty miso tinged and butterscotch pudding underneath pure heaven. 

This was a fortunate pre-race meal. The Chinese characters for the number eight means good luck in the Chinese culture. My race bib number was lucky number seven and I ran 12 minutes faster than the New York Half Marathon. Yep it must’ve been the ramen at lunch, the vino that night and good luck on my side.

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Eight Noodle Shop
1408 Clay Street
Napa, CA 94559
(707) 637-4198
www.eightnoodleshop.com

Packaged Ramen

Ippudo Tonkotsu Ramen (bowl)

Posted on May 3, 2016

Ramen boy was in for another treat from 7-Eleven in Tokyo thanks to his dad’s business trip and carrying back four of these bowls for him. I wish we had more since he’s already eaten two and the other two will no doubt be finished by the end of this week. He could finish them all in one sitting but I told him to ration the last two so that he could savor the noodles. Fat chance that will happen. If you can’t read Japanese it could be a bit daunting when you open the package and see the various packets inside which included a dehydrated slice of chashu. His fate accompli was figuring out the instructions and making his own bowl of ramen. He was impressed with his effort stating that the instant ramen was absolutely delicious. Like the real deal. Uh oh watch out Shoki Ramen. I didn’t get a chance to taste it but by the looks of the broth and the noodles it looked really good. Unfortunately it is not available for purchase in the U.S. and unless we have it regularly shipped to us from Japan or have friends bring it back ramen boy is straight out of luck. Me too since he’s happy to make these noodles on his own without any help from ramen mom.

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Sacramento, CA

Ramen and More

Posted on May 1, 2016

This restaurant is ramen boy’s go to place near his school. He finished his day early and we had time to spare before we went to the Welcome Class of 2020 event at the new High School he will be attending this year. I was pretty sure they wouldn’t be serving any dinner and he suggested, no surprise, that we eat some ramen. I kind of got choked up thinking about this and that the next four years will quickly pass by as it has already and how many more bowls of ramen will I be able to share with him before he is off to college and beyond. I wonder if his tastes will mature as he gets older or will he order the same, plain and unadorned, kaidama (extra noodles) ramen with chashu.

So off we went to eat some noodles. Ramen and More leans toward Korean style food but with a Japanese bent. I had the bulgogi ramen with pieces of beef, a whole soft boiled egg, bean sprouts, corn, scallions and spinach in a shoyu based broth. The broth was light but still had a deep enough flavor, not oily and the noodles were springy and cooked al dente the way I like it. It’s my first time having ramen here and I noticed the menu said “we use fresh ramen noodles.” I had hoped to ask but the young waitress was rather aloof. She plopped our bowls down without much fanfare splashing broth as she did this. I was in such a good mood that I just let it go. Ramen boy was extremely chatty this evening and most of us know through experience that this is hit or miss conversation with teenagers and I was going to enjoy the experience no matter what. It’s so true that mediocre food can taste spectacular with great company and ramen boy was the perfect dinner companion.

I am not sure if I was for him though. Our waitress left us with the check but after a long wait never came back to our table to pick it up so instead I went up to her to pay the bill. She took my money and returned the change and when I gave her a generous tip she looked up at me and gave me the biggest smile ever. I could have told her that her service kind of sucked but instead I told her that she has a beautiful smile and should do it more often. Ramen boy just rolled his eyes at me as we walked out saying, “Really mom how embarrassing!” I guess it was too good to be true.

Ramen and More
807 Howe Ave
Sacramento, CA 95825
(916) 922-6227

Sacramento, CA

Shoki Ramen House II

Posted on April 25, 2016

Ramen boy was hankering for some ramen after his soccer match. The game finished late and even though we were about an hour away we thought let’s get some Shoki Ramen and why not try the new location that just opened. We got there a little before 2 pm with no wait which was great. No doubt there would be a waiting list at the R Street location and we were starved at this point. The concept for the second ramen shop is build your own ramen using the various stocks, noodle choices and toppings. This is perfect for picky eaters like ramen boy or for those with food allergies etc. The idea I guess is that the wait time would be shorter for these orders. I couldn’t be bothered with ordering everything separate and ordered the classic tantanmen with the set toppings and included an egg. Ramen boy ordered a large size of broth, 2 orders of the thick noodles and an order of minced meat. He wanted an order of chashu as well but it was too expensive totaling $17. I think he could have gotten by with a regular size of broth or possibly a small size instead. My tantanmen was good but since you can’t specify level of spiciness it was rather tame and I had to flavor it myself with the minced garlic and chili provided at the table. The DIY ramen idea didn’t really win me over. I think I rather go to the original restaurant and order as usual. In fact it’s cheaper this way than ordering every item separate. I commend their effort to cater to everyone’s tastes but they should stick with what they do best. They stand out because of this and should also consider upping their presentation of the ramen. Offering everything separate is not pleasing to the eye and once you put it in the broth it just sinks to the bottom. First impressions are everything especially with social media.  Shoki Ramen is better off keeping the menu the same and perhaps offer some new items at this restaurant like gyoza or making a bacon/chashu mazemen with green onion and topped with a fried oozy egg. Guaranteed to be a hit. In my opinion.

Shoki Ramen II
2530 21st Street
Sacramento, CA 95818
(916) 441-0011

Noodle Thoughts

Red Ramen Burger

Posted on April 23, 2016

This post is belated. A friend of mine informed me that Red Robin just released the Red Ramen Burger a must try. I had planned to publish the post but then I had heard that Prince had died. Social media was memorializing and remembering the great musician on that day and my blog post seemed very insignificant. Then I just kind of forgot about it. I suppose in many ways it was indicative of my experience eating a ramen burger for the very first time. It was not a wow moment of having eaten something so delicious that I wanted to devour the whole thing. I am not sure if it was because it was from Red Robin or because the combination of meat, carrot and cabbage slaw, condiments etc. just didn’t do it for me. I really wasn’t fond of the flavors. The teriyaki sauce on the burger too cloying and sweet and the jalapeño mayonnaise too spicy and jarring to my tastebud. The ramen bun was crispy on the outside and hefty enough to hold the burger in place but all I wanted was a regular bun instead. The ramen burger is rather ingenious and probably very popular with the younger generation. I talked briefly to the Red Robin manager, very nice guy, who asked me what I thought of the ramen burger. He said that he felt it was going to be a love it or hate it item. Totally agree. I don’t think it will be a permanent fixture on their menu since I can’t imagine it will be that popular but I really have to hand it to Red Robin to think outside the box and go for it.

I follow Keizo Shimamoto on Instagram, he is well known for originating the ramen burger, and his versions look rather tasty. So before I pass judgment on all ramen burgers one day I must try one of his.

For now proud to be a traditionalist. Just give me a bowl of noodles to slurp and I’ll be happy.

Davis, CA

Yakitori Yuchan

Posted on April 19, 2016

No excuses needed to visit Davis especially Saturday mornings for the downtown Farmer’s Market. When ramen boy was much younger we’d come for the pony rides and bouncy castle activities during the summer when we’d visit my folks. We have walked by Yakitori Yuchan a few times already but never ventured inside. Recently my husband heard that the yakitori was grilled the traditional Japanese way with binchotan charcoal which was a selling point for us and because we missed our favorite yakitori joint Kushiwakamaru in Tokyo. This particular charcoal doesn’t produce much smoke or flames but is hot as heck and adds something special to anything that’s grilled with it. I brought my parents to dinner thinking they’d appreciate eating Izakaya style and my mother given the opportunity loves to speak Japanese to the waiters and waitresses regardless if they speak the language. It’s very amusing because she expects them to understand her no matter what. Luckily we had a native speaking Japanese waitress who was patient and helpful taking our order and making some suggestions. The grilled meats and vegetables were succulent and delicious but the highlight for me was definitely the perfectly fried gyozas with thin but crispy skin and the yaki onigiri (grilled rice ball) nicely crusted and crunchy on the outside and moist inside. I hesitated to order the shoyu tonkotsu ramen only because I assumed ramen wasn’t their specialty but I was definitely pleased when it came out steaming hot with a milky broth and simple toppings of bean sprouts, seaweed, chopped scallions, half of a soft boiled egg and slices of chicken. The chicken was very tender and flavorful with a smoky depth to it. The broth didn’t have a deep flavor but had a slight oily tinge to it skimming the top of the broth and seasoned just right not too salty the way I like it. The noodles were thick, springy and filling. Yakitori Yuchan surprisingly serves a pretty good bowl of noodles and so I will definitely bring ramen boy here to try the tantanmen.

Yakitori Yuchan
109 E St
Davis, CA 95616
(530) 753-3196
www.yakitoriyuchan.com

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Noodle Thoughts

Ramen Mom’s Mazemen

Posted on April 16, 2016

There really isn’t much art to making mazemen (mixed noodles). It’s so easy with such basic ingredients its almost guaranteed to taste good. Bon Appetit posted their kimchi, bacon and poached egg version recently which got my taste buds salivating for some. I had everything on hand and invited my number one critic my mom as the noodle taster. I didn’t follow the recipe and instead relied on the seasonings I use to make fried rice. I didn’t have fresh ramen noodles so I cheated and used the frozen Sun Noodle packet instead. I boiled the noodles per instruction, drained and rinsed in cold water. In the meantime I fried up bits of bacon (helpful hint use kitchen scissors to snip the bacon. Works better than a knife) and set the crispy bacon aside. Then with the bacon fat already in the pan I added some cut up kimchi along with some of the reserved juice and cooked until soft for a few minutes. In another frying pan I made a sunnnyside egg making sure that the yolk wasn’t firm. Need the oozy yolk to mix in to the noodles afterwards. The best part of the dish in my opinion. Then I added the bacon to the pan along with the noodles and mixed it up. This is where I just eyeballed the seasonings adding a dash of fish sauce (I like Red Boat no sugar added to it), mirin (rice wine), rice vinegar, sesame oil, tamari (you can use soy sauce if you like). Chop up lots of green onions and add to the noodles and mix it up. Save some of the onions for garnish if you like and add some kimchi to the noodles afterwards for some crunch. This dish is positively divine and my mom agreed that it was very tasty. She suggested that I reserve some of the noodles to make extra crispy and then put the mazemen on top. Great idea! I made some for ramen boy as a quick lunch but since he is such a picky eater I used extra bacon and scrambled egg instead. Same seasonings but I added sirarcha as an extra kick. He’s picky but he likes spicy. Go figure. I think this would be a perfect pre-race carbo loading dinner I will have to consider making this again in the future. For me this time.

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Noodle Thoughts

Tampopo

Posted on April 10, 2016

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9m6FoSw4jE&app=desktop

Spring has sprung with intermittent rains perfect weather to watch an old favorite like the movie Tampopo. I was in college when I first watched it with my future husband not at the theater but in the comfort of my apartment I shared with three other girlfriends. No doubt we craved for ramen afterwards and since back then there weren’t any nearby ramen joints in our college town we just settled for my version of packaged Sapporo Ichiban. The premise of the movie is about a ramen restaurant owner trying to keep her shop afloat after the passing of her husband. Her ramen is met with disdain from a truck driver and his partner passing through. The noodle adventures begin when they agree to help her master the art of making a perfect bowl of noodles. My all-time favorite scene is the flashback of the ramen master teaching the truck driver how to eat ramen.

This movie is the quintessential “ramen western” flick and a must see for true ramen connoisseurs.  Otherwise you are just a ramen lover wannabe. Watch the movie and guaranteed you will be hankering for some ramen pronto.

San Mateo, CA

Ramen Dojo

Posted on April 6, 2016

San Mateo is a best kept secret for ramen lovers. Well, not really that hush hush considering those in the know come here for the ramen-ya’s and are willing to wait in a long line to slurp noodles. I hadn’t been in the area for years as we often came to eat at Santa Ramen back in the day. I would still like to go back and eat their ramen but had heard about Ramen Dojo and was looking forward to giving it a go. With ramen boy and his friend in tow we headed to the shop before it’s opening at 11:30. A line had already formed so the boys put our name on the waiting list while I parked the car. The line was already about 30 people deep and so we missed out on the first seating since the restaurant is not that big. While we sat there for another 20 minutes or so all I could think of was these noodles better be good. Ramen boy has very little patience for waiting for noodles and so I was surprised that he quietly waited. A reminder for me next time. Bring a friend! Thankfully people eat and go kind of the nature of eating ramen so it wasn’t too long before a table cleared for us. We had perused the menu earlier and quickly ordered the boiled gyozas as an appetizer and the garlic pork ramen. There are three types of stock to choose from: soy sauce, garlic pork and soy bean and you can choose how spicy you would like your ramen. Standard toppings include 2 pieces of chashu, fried whole garlic, kikurage mushroom, green chives, quail egg, chicken gravy (cooked ground chicken, chopped shiitake mushroom, chopped ginger, sausage, shredded red pepper) and garnished with a lettuce leaf. The boiled gyozas came out first submerged in a light and tangy ponzu sauce with grated daikon (white radish). It was delicious. Then came the good looking bowls of ramen. Presentation was right on and unique with the fried garlic garnish on top. I added kimchi to my ramen for some extra punch. One slurp of the noodles mixed with the variety of goodies made it clear why so many people were willing to wait in line for Ramen Dojo’s noodles. The broth was extremely flavorful and not heavy and I really liked the toppings and the chicken gravy made it stand out. The lettuce leaf was an unusual garnish but the crunch went well with the noodles. I am not a fan of quail eggs and would have preferred a regular soft boiled egg instead. Otherwise total umami in the mouth. We quickly finished our bowls of noodles so that the next customers could enjoy the same. Ramen Dojo is a definite ramen gem in the Peninsula.

Ramen Dojo
805 S B St
San Mateo, CA 94401
(650) 401-6568

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New York City

Naruto Ramen

Posted on April 4, 2016

Naruto Ramen on the Upper East Side wasn’t on my noodle radar while I was in New York. In fact it didn’t even make my top 10 list but my friend suggested that we give it a try since it was on the way back from her class at the 92nd Street Y. I was California bound that evening so a bowl of ramen would definitely sustain me for my trip back home and I felt good that I got to visit three ramen restaurants. Could have I tried more places? Most definitely but I would have had to run another half marathon to burn those extra calories. The outside of the shop reminded me of a typical ramen-ya in Japan with its tiny entrance and noren (doorway curtain) welcoming its customers. There was a long bar with hooks underneath reminiscent of Ramen Lab but thankfully there were seats. My friend and I were quickly ushered in and given menus as we watched the chefs in front of us prepare gyoza and ramen orders. I am a sucker for good gyoza but I am also a stickler when it comes to quality and taste of the gyoza and if it isn’t crisped just right or homemade. Well, forget it. We both ordered the lunch set which comes with an order of gyoza and your choice of ramen. I chose the signature Naruto ramen which is a shoyu stock using pork and chicken as the base. This was my first time trying the curly noodles from the ramen brand “Terakawa Ramen” created by RAMEN USA, INC. The gyoza did not disappoint and was pretty tasty. The filling inside was cooked just right with a crispy but not oily skin. The ramen came with traditional toppings of seaweed, kamaboko (rice cake), scallions, bean sprouts, menma (bamboo shoots), half of an egg and chashu. The oily layer on top of the soup nicely coated the noodles and although the flavor was pretty good I found the ramen to be a tad too heavy. Perhaps I had my fill of noodles on this trip and after my spectacular bowl of noodles at Ramen Lab it’s probably not too fair to make a comparison. This was my friend’s first bowl of ramen and she is a purveyor of fine food. She said it was good but I know she wasn’t overwhelmed. Naruto Ramen has four other locations in the city and a pretty cool website. Their lunch set is a good deal but with all of the other ramen joints in NYC I’d be hard pressed to try all of them first before coming back to Naruto. Gomen!

Naruto Ramen
1596 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10128
(Btwn 89th & 90th St)
(212) 289-7803
narutoramenex.com