Restaurant: Nan Chuu Japanese Izakaya 南廚
Cuisine: Japanese/Tapas
Last visited: January 3, 2012
Location: Richmond, BC (Richmond Central)
Address: 1160-8391 Alexandra Rd
Train: Lansdowne Station Northbound
Price Range: $10-20+

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: FMF Must Try!

Food: 3.5 - 4
Service: 2.5
Ambiance: 3
Overall: 3.5
Additional comments:

• Gyoza King Group
• Japanese chefs
• Izakaya/tapas
• Traditional menu
• Authentic
• Very casual
• Good for sharing
• Ramen available
• Reasonably priced
• Beer/cocktails/wine
• Reservations recommended
• Mon-Sat 5:30pm – 1am (often later)
• Sunday 5:30pm-11:30pm
• Closed Wednesday

**Recommendations: Negi Chashu, Salmon Nanban, Saba Shioyaki, Gyoza, Tori Karaage, Deep Fried Oysters

Nan Chuu is part of the Gyoza King Group which also owns Gyo-O in Richmond and Chicco Cafe and Gyoza King in downtown Vancouver, BC. They used to own G-Men Ramen in Richmond too, but due to rent issues they recently closed shop. It was quite a shocker since G-Men Ramen was always busy with line ups, but the ramen menu is now being served at Nan Chuu.

I think the owners of Gyoza King are actually Chinese, but the food at all their restaurants are prepared authentically by Japanese chefs. Each of their restaurants are very different, and not like how each Guu or Hapa Izakaya is different. Each Gyoza King Group restaurant specializes in a specific category of Japanese cuisine like ramen (G-Men), seafood/sashimi (Gyo-O), Japanese desserts (Chicco Cafe), traditional izakaya (Nan Chuu) and fusion izakaya (Gyoza King). I’ve tried all of their restaurants and generally I do like them. Of course I can’t clump them all together, but so far I haven’t had a bad experience.

Located on Richmond’s famous “eating street”, Alexandra Road, is Nan Chuu Japanese Izakaya. I’ve been waiting ages to try this place and after several unsuccessful attempts and unforeseen closures it is finally reopen. It was closed the whole summer for apparent renovations, but I’m not sure what has really changed besides the signage.

The restaurant is really long and narrow with a small bar, some tight booths and group dining in the back. At first glace it really took on that traditional Japanese izakaya feel, but it wasn’t until later that it felt a bit enclosed. The on again and off again quirky jazz music alternating with the at times working silence just didn’t seem as lively or ideal for this style of dining.

Izakayas are Japanese pubs, so they’re supposed to be casual and fun watering holes for people to drink and eat tapas until wee hours. In the context of Vancouver they’re usually quite glorified and pricey, but it wasn’t the case here. The menu makes it one of the more traditional izakayas I’ve been to so far with reasonable prices and portions.

The food isn’t fancy or creative, so it might not be as exciting or interesting, but it is simple and authentic. Guu with Garlic is also great, but the menu items are more fusion and modern. If I forget about authenticity and focus on what I like, I personally like Suika, but overall izakaya is one of my favourite styles of dining and I like a lot of them. There are way more than the few I mentioned and generally the izakaya scene is solid in Metro Vancouver.

On the table:

Asahi Black

• $5
• A good izakaya place should have an extensive and affordable drink list featuring beer, cocktails and sake.
• I’m not a beer drinker, but you should drink beer with izakaya. It’s like having champagne on New Years.
• Izakaya food is more or less catered for it.

Goma-Ae - 2.5/6 (Okay-Good)

• Spinach salad in sesame sauce $3.50
• I almost always order goma-ae. This one is considered cheap.
• The spinach was very watery and that affected the sesame sauce and made it runny, so overall it was too wet.
• The sesame sauce was house made with freshly toasted sesame seeds, but it was on the salty side and I have a high tolerance for salt already.
• I prefer a bit more sweet salty balance and more sesame seeds and flavour.

Seafood & Avocado Salad – 3.5/6 (Good-Very good)

• Shoyu dressing $11.95
• This was a huge salad and it was enough for 4.
• The romaine leaves were cut in huge pieces so it was really messy to eat. I would have preferred the standard mixed greens, but this was fine.
• It came with a good amount of ahi tuna, salmon sashimi, a few pieces of scallop sashimi, and 6 wedges of avocado sprinkled with tobiko.
• It was pretty standard with some shredded daikon and a few julienne red bell peppers.
• The shoyu dressing was sweet, salty and tangy, but it tasted like shoyu-ponzu (citrus) dressing.
• The other dressing was a sweet Japanese mayo, but it wasn’t that tangy and usually that sauce would taste like Thousand Island dressing.
• I prefer the sashimi salad at Guu with Garlic or even better at Hapa Izakaya with the deep fried prawn heads (see here).

**____ Negi Chashu – 5.5/6 (Excellent!)

• BBQ pork slice, and thin cut green onion $7.50
• It was simple, but still something I wouldn’t be able to make at home.
• It was almost like a BBQ pork salad that was served room temperature. It was my kind of salad.
• The pork was the BBQ pork used for their ramen and it was incredibly tender and flavourful and not too salty.
• The pork was on the leaner side and it wasn’t juicy, but not dry or chewy either.
• The fatty parts of the pork were all chopped up, not gelatinous and practically unnoticeable. They came across as creamy bits mixed with BBQ pork slices.
• The spicy raw green onions helped cut the grease, but it wasn’t even greasy. It just lightened up the dish.
• It was all lightly dressed in a sweet soy sauce (shoyu?) mixed with sesame oil, which was really strong and aromatic.
• I just wish this had crispy garlic bits on top for more texture, but at least there was a refreshing crunch of onions.

Takoyaki – 3.5/6 (Good-Very good)

• Grilled octopus balls 4 pcs $3.75, 8 pcs $7
• These were a bit smaller than normal and about the size of golf balls.
• They were generously sauced with sweet Japanese mayo and sweet and tangy Takoyaki sauce.
• It was topped with bonito flakes which is standard.

• These are rich one biters and basically lightly grilled balls of creamy fluffy Japanese pancake batter.
• They were melt in your mouth, pillowy and creamy, but not potatoey or floury.
• Each one is stuffed with a little piece of octopus tentacle.
• Authentically there should be some flavour of pickled ginger or green onion, but this one had none and I missed that.
• They are lighter than croquettes and great as hot snacks.
• Nan Chuu’s sister restaurant Gyo-O Japanese Restaurant (also in Richmond) used to make a stellar takoyaki, but I haven’t had them in a while.

**Saba Shioyaki – 4/6 (Very good)

• Grilled mackerel $6.75
• I always get Black Cod/Sablefish, but it wasn’t on the menu, however it’s not in season anyways.
• For mackerel, it actually didn’t taste that fishy and I really enjoyed this. I do like mackerel though.
• This was a very traditional version of a saba shioyaki and it was very good, but I was hoping for more robata (grill) aromatics/flavour.
• The skin was crispy, but I prefer it a bit more charred.
• It was marinated in sake and soy sauce, but it wasn’t too salty at all.
• The meat was incredibly juicy, moist and tender and it was almost flaking like cod.
• The juices were leaking onto the plate and it was likely one of the juiciest mackerel I’ve had.
• It was traditionally served with grated radish and lemon and overall this was very good.
• I prefer the Grilled “Saba” Mackerel from Guu with Garlic (see here), but that version is fusion.

**Gyoza – 4.5/6 (Very good-Excellent)

• $5.25
• The gyoza is signature to the restaurant brand, so it’s almost a must try.
• As a gyoza, it was better than most gyoza, but it was still just a gyoza.
• They were house made and fried pretty perfectly with nice crispy bottoms. However I think they sat a bit before serving because they weren’t as crispy as they looked.

• The skins were nice and thin and not too chewy or doughy and they were stuffed with a good quality pork mixture and big pieces of chives.
• The pork was lightly seasoned with soy, tender and moist, but not super juicy either.
• It wasn’t strong with sesame oil or ginger and they tasted a bit better than normal, but I wouldn’t guess it was their signature.
• They have more varieties of gyoza at their downtown restaurant Gyoza King – see here.

Ebi Mayo – 2/6 (Okay)

• 6 pcs Deep fried fresh tiger prawns dipped in mayo sauce $6.50
• This is one of the favourites here, but unfortunately I didn’t get it.
• They came out quite soggy and the batter was really thick and doughy.
• They were heavily sauced with sweet Japanese mayo and I missed a chili kick and spice.
• As a non spicy ebi mayo, usually the mayo would still have a bit of a tang to it, but this one had no tang either.
• It was just super intense with mayo and the prawn was crunchy, but hidden by the heavy batter.
• I prefer the ones at Hapa Izakaya – see here.

Deep Fried Oysters – 4/6 (Very good)

• $7.50
• It was what it was, but they did a great job with them!
• I’m not keen on cooked oysters, but I’ll eat them.
• These were medium sized, plump, and juicy and perfect as is or for a Po Boy Sandwich.
• They were crunchy and panko crusted and fried until golden brown.
• They weren’t even that oily for being deep fried and the white paper they sat on wasn’t clear at the end.
• The dipping sauces were sweet Japanese mayo and Tonkatsu sauce (Japanese style BBQ sauce with Worcestershire kick).
• A squeeze of lemon and dip of each sauce was the best way to enjoy these.
• They kind of reminded me of the deep fried oysters from Rodney’s Oyster Bar in Yaletown, and I remember liking those too.

**Salmon Nanban – 5.5/6 (Excellent!)

• Deep fried salmon marinated in “nanban” vinaigrette with onions and carrots $4.50
• This was likely my favourite dish of the night.
• It was a big portion for the price and it was the daily special.
• It was about 7-8 pieces of boneless salmon and they had a soggy skin due to the sauce.
• I wish they removed the skins and deep fried them separately and sprinkled them on top.
• The salmon pieces were slightly dry, but after you dip them in the delicious vinaigrette it was easily forgotten.
• The Nanban sauce was amazing enough to forgive the slight dryness.
• Nanban sauce is made with rice wine vinegar, mirin, soy, sugar, Worcestershire, boiled radish/konbu seaweed and a bit of chili so it has depth and it’s not just regular vinaigrette. This one didn’t taste spicy though.
• It was super citrusy, tangy and salty and intense with lots of flavour and it just made the dish pop and come alive. I was drinking it alone! (Dying of thirst after)
• It was a juicy dish and the crunch of raw spicy onions was refreshing and made it like a salad.
• The Chicken Nanban at Miku Restaurant is my favourite “Nanban” dish, but this is a serious competitor!

Assorted Sashimi – 4/6 (Very good)

• Fresh tuna tataki, salmon & scallop sashimi $12.50
• This isn’t a place for sashimi so the selection is very limited, but I needed a break from the fried stuff.
• For not specializing in sashimi it was a bit more pricey, but the quality was actually pretty good and I liked it.
• The salmon was surprisingly buttery and good.
• The scallops were fresh and sweet and topped with tobiko.
• The tuna tataki (ahi tuna) had a salt and pepper crust, but it wasn’t done that well.
• The tuna was good tuna though, but it seemed more like ahi tuna than tuna tataki.
• My favourite tuna tataki so far is from Suika – see Tuna Tataki or Taka’s Take-Out – see Peppered Tuna Tataki.

Beef Yukke – 3/6 (Good)

• Fresh beef sashimi marinated in yukke sauce topped with quail egg $7.50
• This was best eaten immediately. No surprise there.
• It’s Japanese beef tartar, but it didn’t look appetizing.
• I have no problems with beef sashimi, but the way this one looked was a bit unsettling.
• It actually looked like raw ground beef ready to be made into patties and I thought it would be cut into mini cubes or slices.
• Mixed together it was better, but it was all quite slimy and texturally acquired.
• There were a few pine nuts which helped, and the spicy onions broke things up a bit, but that was about it.
• The yukke sauce is a predominantly sweet and syrupy garlic soy sauce with sesame oil and it absorbed into the meat well.
• It should have been served with crostini, prawn crackers, or lotus chips because it was a bit repetitive and excessive alone.
• I’ve tried their Salmon Yukke at the Gyoza King location and Guu does one as well – see Salmon Yuke. If you want to be even more adventurous try the Salmon with 7 Friends from Guu with Otokomae. (That was totally an unintended play on words)

Dessert – There was only ice cream ($3) so I passed. It wasn’t homemade or anything, so I just had dessert at home.

Follow Me Foodie to Healthy & Cheap Eats in Vancouver!

Fat and broke from the holidays?

Yes? Well it just means you enjoyed yourself so don’t look back. It’s okay, we’re all in the same boat… or sinking the same boat? If you’re not in this category than pass this post on to your friends that could benefit. It may be insulting, but it’ll be a true test of friendship. If you missed my Foodie Friday segment on NEWS 1130AM radio this morning (11am every other Friday) here’s a quick recap.

Healthy and cheap are surprisingly hard to find, and healthy, cheap and good is even harder. Sure there are your salad bars and under 6 grams of fat Subway sandwiches, but eating healthy and cheap doesn’t have to be boring either. I’m not saying salad bars and Subway are boring (Jared Fogle ate it for how many years?), but there are more options and cuisines to explore.

Sure I could give you a list of vegan/vegetarian places, or you could just google those? Personally I’m a lover of rich, indulgent and heavy foods and could never really count a smoothie as lunch, but at this time of year, “healthy and cheap” is in demand. It’s okay, I get it, and who doesn’t want to save a penny?

I’m also not going to generalize everyone in one giant “fat and broke” category, so the following are just some suggestions for healthier and more affordable options. You decide which quote suits your current situation and bon appetit!

PS: I don’t think you’re fat… and I really hate that word.

Follow Me Foodie’s Healthy & Cheap Eats in Vancouver!

“I want something quick, healthy and cheap, and I’m not vegetarian or vegan.”

Photo from Something Healthy website

Try Something Healthy Wholesome Meals & Juice Bar – Menu items include whole wheat thin crust pizzas with skim cheese, baked sockeye salmon fillet with side of brown rice/quinoa & roasted veggies and freshly squeezed juices and smoothies. It’s quick healthy fast food, with items under 400 calories and less than $10.

Address: 660 Abbott Street, Vancouver, BC (Gastown)

“I ate one too many chocolate calenders and there was only December. I’m a step away from an acne commercial and I’m wearing elastic pants. I don’t mind having a smoothie for lunch and I still have cash for my gym membership… and/or yoga classes.”

Try The Juice Truck – It sounds like you may need a major detox. Menu items include The Pineapple Beat juice (Pineapple pressed with strawberry, apple, beet & ginger), The Strawberry Coconut smoothie (Strawberry blended with coconut meat, coconut milk, banana, raw cacao nibs, vanilla & agave) and there’s even a daily soup special if a drink just won’t cut it. It’s about $6-8 per drink, but the quality of ingredients are high. It’s not necessarily cheap, but who cares when you still have money for yoga!

Address: 200 Abbott Street, Vancouver, BC (Gastown)

“Eating turkey over the holidays is what I called “dieting”, I want my meat without feeling too guilty. Fries are vegetables because potatoes are vegetables.”

Bamboo-Charcoal Dark Miso Ramen

Try Motomachi Shokudo – Craving ramen and think it’s healthy? Not exactly, but here’s a healthier option for it. Motomachi Shokudo is a healthier take on ramen offering lighter broths. The Bamboo-Charcoal Dark Miso Ramen is a blackened soup made with powdered bamboo charcoal and miso ($9.75) and it’s the healthiest option on the menu.

Address: 740 Denman Street, Vancouver, BC (West End/Robson)

“Isn’t there anything more adventurous than brown rice and a salad? I don’t count calories, and my pants are slightly tighter than my cash… “

Photo from Dine Out There

Try Nuba -  It’s Lebanese and Middle Eastern healthy fast food at reasonable prices. It’s not really “cheap eats”, but it’s not expensive either. I’m sure if you count the calories, starches and fat it’s certainly not as healthy as a garden salad, but how many garden salads can you really eat? This is relatively healthy, a bit different, and full of spices and flavour.

Address: 4 locations in Vancouver, BC – see here

“I’m living in an apartment I can’t afford and went boxing day shopping on a line of credit… but I still fit my clothes!”

Try Ba Le Deli & Bakery or Au Petit Cafe – A Banh Mi (Vietnamese sub) is the ultimate in cheap eats. For around $3 it’s one of the biggest bangs for your buck! Ba Le Deli & Bakery and Au Petit Cafe are the two institutions and local favourites for them. The Vietnamese cold cuts, pate or dark meat chicken (depends what you choose) and the French baguette might not be healthy, but you still fit your clothes and are blessed with great genes… and probably look great in a pair of jeans! FYI you can’t use a line of credit for these because most likely the restaurants accept cash only.

Ba Le Deli & Bakery address: 701 Kingsway, Vancouver, BC, or 633 Main Street, Vancouver, BC, or #101A 15277 100th Ave, Surrey, BC

Au Petit Cafe address: 4851 Main Street, Vancouver, BC

Miku Restaurant – Aburi Salmon Oshi Sushi

2011 Follow Me Foodie Favourites & Yearblog

Happy New Year! Welcome to my Follow Me Foodie Favourites & Best of 2011! This is a recap and yearbook/yearblog of the BEST Follow Me Foodie (FMF) Food and FMF Foodie Moments in 2011.

I wrote a Follow Me Foodie Favourites & Best of 2010, so I decided to do another one this year. I don’t even know where to start. It’s been a crazy year, and I’m so grateful for everything that has happened with this blog. I’ve loved every minute of it (even the parts where it hurt to laugh because I was so full) and I’m so happy to have shared these delicious moments with you. Thank you for following me foodie and cheers to another year of gastronomic indulgence!

NOTE: IT’S NOT NECESSARILY “THE BEST“, BECAUSE FOOD IS PERSONAL AND I CAN ONLY DISCOVER SO MUCH IN A YEAR. THESE ARE JUST SOME WORTH MENTIONING IN MY BOOKS… OR BLOG? BLOG. IT’S MORE OF A 2011 RECAP/SUMMARY. ALL EXPERIENCES ARE FROM 2011 ONLY.

Top 20 BEST ASIAN/FUSION Restaurant Dishes & Food in Vancouver:

Suika – Beef Short Rib

Being in Vancouver, we’re spoiled by great Asian/Asian Fusion cuisine, so I decided to make it a separate category. Vancouver dominates and excels when it comes to Asian/Asian fusion cuisine.

Listed in no particular order. Based on the menu item, not the restaurant.

1. Suika – Beef Short Rib

2. Aki Japanese Restaurant – Black Cod (Sable Fish)

3. Pho Tam – House Special Pho

4. Wing Kee – Fresh Steamed Scallops with Vermicelli and Garlic

5. Dan Japanese – Tuna Chili Sashimi

6. Wang’s Beef Noodle House – Beef Brisket Noodle

7. Kirin Seafood Restaurant – Black Cod Braised with Squash and Roasted Pork Belly

8. Jade Seafood Restaurant – Steamed Mushroom Dumpling

9. Rainflower Restaurant – Pan Fried Tiger Prawns with Basil

10. Tokyo Joe’s Sushi Factory – Volcano Roll

11. Empire Chinese Cuisine – Alaskan King Crab Dinner – 4 ways

12. Red Star Seafood – Dungeness Crab with Wild Rice

13. Motomachi Shokudo – Bamboo-Charcoal Dark Miso Ramen

14. Tokachi Japanese – Tuna Gomaae

15. Empire Chinese Cuisine – Deep Fried Alaskan King Crab Knuckles

16. Ichiro Japanese – Dragon Roll

17. Delicious Cuisine – Deep Fried Shrimp with Salted Egg Yolk

18. Hapa Izakaya (Kistilano) – Salmon Shooter

19. Suhang Restaurant – Steamed Soup Buns with Pork Filling (XLB)

20. Jade Seafood Restaurant – Jade Smoked Grandpa Chicken

Honorary Mentions from 2010 list: Miku Restaurant – Aburi Salmon Oshi Sushi, Top Gun J & C Restaurant – Baked BBQ Pork Bun, Hakkaido Ramen Santouka – Toroniku Shio Ramen

See “Follow Me Foodie Best of 2010 Asian/Fusion Dishes” here.

See the full “Follow Me Foodie Best of 2011″ here.

Restaurant: Motomachi Shokudo 元町食堂
Cuisine: Japanese/Ramen/Noodle Shop
Last visited: December 4, 2011
Location: Vancouver, BC (Robson Street/West End)
Address: 740 Denman Street
Bus: EB w Georgia St FS Denman St
Price Range: $10-20

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 4.5-5 (based on what I tried)
Service: 3
Ambiance: 3
Overall: 4
Additional comments:

• Authentic Japanese ramen
• Sister to Kintaro
• Small/tight seating
• Limited menu
• Busy at peak hours
• Local favourite
• Healthier ramen
• Casual/quick
• Cheap eats
• Interac accepted
• Mon-Sun 12pm-11pm
• Closed Wednesdays

**Recommendations: Bamboo-Charcoal Dark Miso Ramen

I haven’t had ramen since Momofuku Noodle Bar and the delicious Ippudo in New York, but I’m happy to say Vancouver’s ramen scene is pretty good! My go-to ramen place is always Ramen Santouka just a couple blocks away, so Motomachi Shokudo always slips my mind. I consider it the “hidden gem” and dark horse of ramen in downtown Vancouver, BC.

I just finished watching the Santa Claus parade… okay no, that’s a lie. I just finished watching the parade for about 10 minutes before I got too cold and hungry. Okay, no that’s another lie. I got too cold and I wasn’t necessarily hungry, but a hot bowl of ramen was more appetizing than a hot coffee or tea, so off I was for some ramen.

Motomachi Shokudo is pretty much neighbours with Kintaro Ramen, which already had a line up. Actually not only are they neighbours, but they’re also related… by broth not blood. Motomachi Shokudo came after, but it is sister to Kintaro Ramen which is one of the first ramen shops in Vancouver. Comparing them is really apples and oranges though. They both specialize in ramen, but the styles are very different.

Kintaro Ramen is more casual, has more options, and is much richer and greasier, unless you get the light broth, which I don’t think is that great. Motomachi Shokudo on the other hand is more refined, lighter and healthier, and almost has its own style. I’m a fan of rich foods, but Kintaro Ramen is overkill for me and I find the quality isn’t as great as when it first opened. Everyone has their own tastes, but personally I prefer the style, ambiance, food and value of Motomachi Shokudo. It’s probably my second favourite ramen place in the city after Ramen Santouka so far.

In a way I can’t really compare it to Ramen Santouka either though because even these two have different ramen styles. Ramen Santouka is more representable of the Southern style ramens in Japan where they tend to roast the pork bones. Motomachi Shokudo is more representable of the Northern styles where they don’t roast the pork bones and it’s even chicken-based too. There’s no right or wrong or more authentic etc., it’s just different regions and styles. Therefore Ramen Santouka, Motomachi Shokudo, and Kintaro Ramen may be walking distance apart, but when it comes to their ramen, they’re styles and/or regions apart.

On the table:

**Shio Ramen – 4.5/6

• Angel-haired Japanese leek, Menma (bamboo shoots), green onions, soft-boiled local organic egg, white pepper, BBQ pork, seasonal green vegetable, thinly sliced chili pepper $8.95
• Ramen with light clear soup using all-natural salt imported from either the Himalayas or Mongolia. Best of the best! – Motomachi Shokudo
• Shio is basically the staple ramen, or the “test” for ramen and the chef will pride himself on this broth.
• If this is good, the rest should be too because it’s the purest broth and flavour.
• The broth was served hot, but not piping hot and traditional Japanese ramen isn’t served piping hot.
• The broth here is intentionally lighter and healthier than most places and it’s chicken based not pork. I prefer pork, but this is still great!
• It was clear and noticeably lighter than most Shio Ramen, but it wasn’t bland and there was depth in flavour.
• It wasn’t as rich and milky as Ramen Santouka and not as greasy as Kintaro Ramen.
• I actually liked that it didn’t have fatty floating white bits on top, even though this can be traditional in some Japanese ramen.
• The broth was naturally oily and although it was chicken based, I still felt like it had some pork flavour in it.
• It wasn’t a strong chicken or pork flavour and there’s no roasting of chicken or pork bones either, so it’s a Northern style ramen.
• It wasn’t too salty (not dying for water after) and I could actually taste the white pepper and a gentle heat in it, but it’s not spicy.
• I have a feeling they use either bonito flakes (fish flakes) or some sort of fish in the broth because there’s a slight fishy aftertaste.
• It’s not a fish broth, but there is a subtle fish flavour that is noticeable if you pay attention.

• I liked that it came with some toppings (although not much) because I hate when you have to add everything and at the end your $9 ramen is $17 (happens at Ramen Santouka).
• It came with a couple crunchy strips of bamboo shoots and half an egg.
• The organic egg was pretty good with a creamy soft middle and it was really well marinated and almost sweet.
• It was reminiscent of a soy sauce egg which is rare, but I liked it.
• It came with a big slice of pork that was medium fatty.
• The pork was very tender, soft and moist and well infused with savoury soy sauce flavours.
• The fatty parts were on the whole tender with maybe a couple bites being a bit chewy.
• I really enjoyed the pork and it had its own flavour apart from the broth, but I couldn’t tell it was barbequed or grilled.

• The noodles were nice and chewy and not overcooked.
• I prefer a thinner noodle with Shio ramen and this was a bit thicker, but I still enjoyed it.

**Bamboo-Charcoal Dark Miso Ramen – 5/6

• Angel-haired Japanese leek, Menma (bamboo shoots), soft-boiled local organic egg, green onion, BBQ pork, thinly sliced chili pepper, white pepper, seasonal green vegetable, chili pepper powder $9.75
• Our blackened soup is a happy meeting of powdered bamboo charcoal and our rich miso soup, a healthy blend with greater depth of flavour. – Motomachi Shokudo
• This is what I really came for and it’s their specialty.
• So far, it’s the only place offering this Bamboo-Charcoal Ramen that is from Japan.
• The broth doesn’t look great, but it’s delicious and the bamboo-charcoal powder is very healthy for you, so this is their “health-conscious” option.
• It was thicker, richer and fuller in flavour than the Shio broth and back to back you could notice the fishiness in the Shio broth even more.
• I could taste the somewhat mild chicken broth, and again no roasting of bones, and it seemed a tad more oily than the Shio broth.
• I could taste the miso, but it also had an infused tang of menma (bamboo shoot) to it, but it’s not tart.
• It wasn’t as strong as a miso broth in a miso ramen.
• If you like menma you would probably like this because it had a sweet and pickled flavour of menma in the broth. It was light, but it was there.
• It didn’t taste burnt, bitter, or even really smoky, and it didn’t have a powdery mouth feel.
• It didn’t have a nuttiness of black sesame or anything, but it was almost more like a mild Chinese black bean flavour.
• This broth is a bit spicier than the shio broth, but I wouldn’t say it’s spicy. It just has a mild spice.
• All the ingredients in the soup are used rather minimally, but it developed a well layered depth of flavours.

• The noodles were nice and chewy and not overcooked, but a bit softer than they were in the Shio Ramen.
• I’m not sure how consistent their noodles are, so I need to try it again.

• Again, I liked that it came with a selection of toppings and they were the same as the Shio broth.
• For more about the egg and pork, see the “toppings” section in the Shio Ramen description above.

Restaurant: Ippudo
Cuisine: Japanese/Noodle Shop
Last visited: September 7, 2011
Location: Manhattan, NY (East Village)
Address: 65 4th Ave (Between 9th and 10th Street)
Nearby subway stop: 8 Street – NYU
Price Range: $10-20+ ($14+ ramen)

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 5
Service: 3
Ambiance: 4
Overall: 5
Additional comments:

• Ramen chain from Japan
• Opened by “ramen king” Shigemi Kawahara
• Famous for ramen
• Lots of variety for ramen
• Modern/sophisticated atmosphere
• Daily specials
• Very popular to locals/tourists
• Long waits/lines
• Very casual
• Beer/wine
• Credit cards accepted
• No take-out/reservations
• Lunch
  Mon – Sat : 11:00 am – 3:30 pm
  Sun : 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
• Dinner
  Mon – Thu : 5:00 pm – 11:30 pm
  Fri – Sat : 5:00 pm – 12:30 am
  Sun : 5:00 pm – 10:30 pm

**Recommendations: Akamaru Modern Ramen, Wasabi Ramen, Hirata buns (Steamed chicken or pork buns)

Ramen in New York is a big deal much like it is in Vancouver, BC. Chef and owner David Chang of the Momofuku empire was actually first to introduce it to New York through his restaurant Momofuku Noodle Bar. Since then, the ramen scene has exploded and there are now more options than ever.

I thought it was appropriate to start with where it all began, so my first bowl of ramen in New York was actually at Momofuku Noodle Bar. However this isn’t where ramen started, it’s just where it got famous in New York. I can’t say the Momofuku ramen style was for me as it was catered more for Western tastes. I had to appreciate it for a different clientele, but personally when I have ramen I want the authentic Japanese version, which brings me to Ippudo.

Hmm doesn’t this story sound familiar? The same thing happened with New York style pizza. Lombardi’s Pizza felt like the Momofuku and Grimaldi’s Pizzeria felt like the Ippudo.

Anyways, Ippudo is just as popular, if not even more popular for ramen than Momofuku now. It is a ramen chain with over 40 locations in Japan and it was created by “ramen king” Shigemi Kawahara. It’s a famous brand in Japan, and now in New York, and hopefully some day in Vancouver. On the other hand, being from Vancouver, BC, we have a pretty decent ramen scene (outside of Japan) and I actually preferred our Ramen Santouka, which is also from Japan.

Ippudo and Ramen Santouka are both excellent and the differences are quite marginal. It’s really comparing crème de la crème, but I don’t feel like I’m missing out on too much. It was interesting that half, if not more of the staff, chefs/cooks at Ippudo aren’t Japanese though, in Vancouver they’re all Japanese. Regardless, if it’s good it’s good, and I’m very satisfied and happy with what I can get at Ramen Santouka, although I’m glad I tried Ippudo.

Additionally, I do want to give a shout out to Totto Ramen, which was the third ramen place I wanted to try but didn’t have time for. It doesn’t have as much clout as the other two, but it’s supposed to be the underdog that’s possibly even better. It might be better than Ippudo, but I wasn’t on a ramen hunt and I felt satisfied enough in stopping at Ippudo and recommending it for ramen in New York.

On the table:

**Akamaru Modern Ramen – 5/6

• The original “Tonkotsu” noodle soup topped with Ippudo’s secret “Umami Dama” miso paste, pork chashu, cabbage, kikurage, scallions, and fragrant garlic oil Ramen $14 / Set $17
• Menma (Seasoned bamboo shoots) +$3
• This is the most popular ramen noodle bowl and must try item.
• It’s more authentic in style than Momofuku Noodle Bar and it’s much richer, but not overly greasy either.
• It came with traditional Japanese toppings and I added the bamboo shoots which were great quality.
• The bamboo was firm, thick flat strips that were still crunchy, yet tender and not woody. It had a nice and savoury flavour and it was a bit tangy.
• The kikurage (black wood ear mushroom) is traditional, and Momofuku Noodle Bar didn’t have these traditional toppings.
• The round ball of red miso paste in the centre was new to me and usually I’m used to the (yellow/brown) miso paste being infused into the broth.
• This clump of miso paste tasted like miso paste mixed with soybean paste and it was very savoury and pungent since both pastes are fermented.
• The ”Umami Dama” miso paste was delicious, but I did find that it overwhelmed the pork flavour you want in an excellent ramen broth.
• It was a rich, creamy and garlicky soup and it wasn’t as milky from the pork bones as the one from Ramen Santouka. It wasn’t as creamy and rich in flavour as that one either.
• It seemed more like a Northern style ramen because I don’t think they roasted the pork bones to make the stock so it didn’t have that smoky intense pork flavour.
• I found the pork flavour actually a bit masked and I did like the one at Ramen Santouka better.
• I got a lot of smoky garlic flavour thanks to the aromatic black garlic oil they sprinkled on top before serving though.
• The broth tasted good, but I wanted as much pork flavour as there was garlic and miso paste flavour.
• There was a little bit of heat, but it’s definitely not spicy, and the temperature of the broth was hot, but not piping hot, which is ideal for traditional ramen.
• It had two pieces of thinly sliced braised pork belly (kakuni) that was obviously fatty, but not only fat either.
• The fatty layer of the pork didn’t melt in my mouth and instead of being buttery and creamy it was chewy and gelatinous like jellyfish, so I wasn’t liking that part. The leaner part was quite tender though.

• The noodle selection is supposed to match the type of broth.
• The noodles were unexpected and it was a thin round buttery soft noodles instead of the chewy curly typical ramen noodles.
• It was very soft though and perhaps a bit overcooked.
• Since the noodles was less substantial than the curly kind it was appropriate for the somewhat lighter flavoured pork broth.
• On the other hand, I generally prefer the curly ramen noodle with any kind of broth.

**Wasabi Ramen – 5/6

• Our famous Tonkotsu noodle soup infused with wasabi.  Topped with pork loin chashu, fresh chopped wasabi, menma, naruto, sesame, and scallions $15
• Nitamago (Seasoned soft boiled egg) +$2
• I really like wasabi and I found this soup very mild with wasabi and it didn’t hit my nose.
• It wasn’t until I had more of the Akamaru Modern Ramen and went back to this Wasabi Ramen that I could really tell that there was a distinct wasabi flavour.
• It wasn’t a spicy broth, but it was still very rich and creamy and garlicky like the Akamaru Modern Ramen, but that one was stronger, more pungent and more savoury.
• It tasted like wasabi paste or Japanese mustard infused into the standard pork broth and it had that paste like grainy texture, and I really didn’t get any fresh wasabi flavour or texture. It said there was some on the menu, but I didn’t notice any.
• Again there was no roasting of pork bones, so it wasn’t a Southern style ramen bowl, and I still found the pork flavour to be mild in the broth.
• The toasted sesame seeds didn’t play a significant role in flavour, but it was almost more of a garnish.

• It had 2 slices of pork loin rather than the braised pork belly (kakuni) served in the Akamaru Modern Ramen bowl.
• It was lean and still very tender and well infused with soy sauce, but not too salty.
• It wasn’t juicy since there isn’t much fat, but it wasn’t dry either and they were very easy to chew and I enjoyed them.
• I added the soy sauce seasoned soft boiled egg (Nitamago) which I found was a bit overcooked, but flavourful. The yolk should be slightly creamier and runnier – see the Ramen Santouka egg here.

• The noodles were the curly thicker kind and it did suit the soup base especially with the added wasabi and/or Japanese mustard.
• They were chewy and not overcooked and again the ramen bowl was served at the right temperature. It was hot, but not piping hot, which is how ramen is best enjoyed.

Restaurant: Momofuku Noodle Bar
Cuisine: Japanese/Asian/Noodle Shop/Fusion
Last visited: September 5, 2011
Location: Manhattan, NY (East Village)
Address: 171 1st Ave (Between 10th & 11th St)
Nearby subway stop: 1 Ave
Price Range: $10-20 (Closer to $20-25/person)

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 3.5-4
Service: 3
Ambiance: 4
Overall: 3.5-4
Additional comments:

• Since August 2004
• First Momofuku restaurant
• Famous for ramen & pork buns
• Steamed pork buns originated here
• Asian fusion menu
• Modern feel/food
• Seasonal menus
• Daily specials
• Very popular to locals/tourists
• Long waits/lines
• Very casual
• Beer/wine
• mon – fri / 12 pm – 4:30 pm
• sat + sun / 12 pm – 4 pm
• sun – thurs / 5:30 pm – 11 pm
• fri + sat / 5:30 pm – 2 am

**Recommendations: Shrimp Buns, and Steamed Pork Buns, and Pork Kimchi Tamale. I didn’t find the ramen a highlight (surprisingly) and I would recommend going to Ippudo for ramen, but if you order it here then just go for the  signature Momofuku Ramen.

I saw the crowd outside before I saw the actual restaurant. The crowd never went away and you can expect long lines especially at peak hours. I waited about 30 minutes, but it’s typical to wait for 45 minutes to an hour. I had to do it though. I had to try the Momofuku flagship restaurant. It’s where it all started.

Just like Momofuku restaurants Má Pêche and Milk Bar, and many other good restaurants in New York, the signage sucks. They do it on purpose and as a tourist it drives me insane, but you’re sure to find the line up of such a successful place.

So what’s the big deal? What’s the hype about Momofuku Noodle Bar? Well, it’s David Chang’s very first Momofuku restaurant leading to his empire. It’s where everything started. It’s where ramen was first introduced and made popular to New York. It’s where the Steamed Pork Buns got famous, which also launched David Chang’s name and his Momofuku brand to international recognition. It pretty much started the craze and love the city has for these two items to this very date.

You don’t understand, or maybe you do, but let me put it into perspective so that we’re on the same page. Steamed pork buns and ramen are equivalent to the cupcake cult of 2002-2009. Momofuku Noodle Bar is the Sprinkles Cupcakery, and they’re the apparent ones to start it all in their respective categories.

Okay, now after I’ve hyped you up, let me bring you back down to Earth. Yes, it was first to introduce these items to New York and make it popular, but it wasn’t the first to introduce it ever. No. Ramen and steamed pork buns have existed for centuries in Japanese, Chinese and Taiwanese culture. Anyways it’s great that they have become mainstream and enjoyed by various cultures, but now there’s competition and there is better than this.

Momofuku Noodle Bar is good and it was a New York foodie experience, but you will be paying for the brand. In a nutshell, they’re serving the same thing but everything has increased in price, and likely not because the ingredients have gotten more expensive.

The food is catered for Western tastes, so don’t expect authentic, although some of it is supposed to be. They do specialize in modern Asian fusion cuisine, so it is understandable that it won’t be traditional of one cuisine. Even the majority of staff and chefs aren’t Japanese, or Asian, much like the clientele, but it doesn’t mean it’s not good.

My experience here was more satisfying than Má Pêche, because it wasn’t as overpriced, but the food was stronger there, but also smaller portions. I did more or less enjoy Momofuku Noodle Bar, but I did leave thinking “it must get better than this in New York”. I wouldn’t oppose to trying more things, but I just expected everything to be great for being such a Mecca.

On the table:

Tamales (Daily Special) – 3/6

• Pork kimchi, chicken mole verde, jalapeno queso $3 each/$8 all
• This sounded so interesting to me and it was the first time I’ve come across the menu item.
• It’s obviously a modern dish which combined Mexican and Asian cuisine. It was like tamales meets steamed sticky rice at dim sum.
• I loved the concept, but it wasn’t very well executed, especially the tamale dough.

**Pork Kimchi Tamale – 4/6

• The tamale dough was dense and a bit dried out so that they broke apart instead of being creamy and tender.
• The filling was great though and this was easily the best of the 3.
• The pork was melt in your mouth tender, juicy and fatty without being chewy or gelatinous, or overly greasy. I just wanted more of it.
• It was pretty much pulled pork marinated in kimchi sauce, which is new to my palate, and again I give Chef Chang credit for introducing this to me.
• The pork was sweet, tangy, garlicky and a bit spicy and just well made, and I wish I could say the same for the tamale dough.

Chicken Mole Tamale – 2.5/6

• I’m not sure where the “mole” part was because the sauce seemed like a salsa verde or tomatillo sauce.
• I was expecting chicken in a nutty chili chocolate sauce (what mole is), but there was none.
• The chicken was good though and it was almost like pulled chicken. It was moist and tender and a bit lemony from some fresh lime juice marinade.
• The green sauce tasted like a spicy salsa verde, which is different since salsa verde is usually mild.
• Again the tamale dough was dense and a bit dry and bitty rather than creamy, soft and tender. It was almost like what would happen if they were frozen…

Jalapeno Queso – 1.5/6

• The tamale dough was very dry with this one and it was extra thick and lacking roasted vegetable filling and queso (Mexican cheese).
• The dough was breaking into chunks and I really feel like this one was previously frozen.
• There were some sweet peppers and spicy roasted jalapenos and it was a bit cheesy, but I pretty much ate the filling and left the rest.
• Besides being a vegetarian option, I just didn’t get where it was going.

Corn Chawanmushi – 2.5/6

• Duck prosciutto, plum, almond $10
• I love authentic Japanese Chawanmushi (savoury egg custard or pudding), and I thought this would be at least similar to that, but it was pretty much a new dish entirely.
• I wouldn’t call this chawanmushi. It was more like a tofu salad.
• It was served chilled, and chawanmushi is always served hot, so that was unexpected.
• I thought the ingredients would be more incorporated into the egg custard, but it was placed on top like a salad.
• It was almost like eating two dishes. The topping was one and the custard seemed like another and I couldn’t find the connection.
• I’m a fan of sweet and savoury and  interesting and unusual sounding dishes, but this one was just a bit all over and I was excited to try it too.

• The chawanmushi was stiffer and not as silky as chawanmushi usually is.
• There’s usually some broth (dashi) after you break into the custard, but this one had none.
• I thought it was going to be sweet from the corn, but the flavour was almost like black sesame with plum wine.
• I think it could have been made from boiled corn husk, which doesn’t carry much flavour. It was slightly savoury, but bland.
• The flavour was very je ne sais quoi, but not really in a gourmet kind of way. The colour of it was throwing me off too.
• Everything eaten together had textural contrast, but it was also a bit random and deconstructed.
• It was like eating tofu with chewy salty prosciutto that wasn’t fried crispy, but as is. I love duck prosciutto, but the buttery texture together with tofu was a bit odd.
• There was some pickled sweet plum slices, but eating that with a tofu like base was kind of unusual as well.
• The nuts added crunch but it didn’t play into any of the other flavours.
• I ate it, and each individual ingredient was good, but I was left confused overall.

**Steamed Pork Buns – 5/6

• Hoisin, scallion, cucumber $10
• I tried them first at Má Pêche (see here) and I found them a bit underwhelming and overpriced so I wanted to give them another try since they did look better here.
• They were better here. They had more colour and ingredients and the pork wasn’t all fat this time. They’re are meant to be fatty, but last time was too much.
• This is the signature Momofuku dish that made David Chang so famous and it is a must try item if you come.
• Of course it’s good, it’s fat, and I think it just made people realize how much they like chunks of fatty pork.
• It is considered to be one of the best in the city, although it may not be the best in the city. It’s like debating the best pizza in New York.
• For reference sake, here an authentic version, see Taiwanese Steamed Sandwich (Koah-Pau) at Delicious Cuisine in Richmond, BC.
• Totally different styles, but the Steamed Pork Buns from Redd in Yountville are memorable as well.

• These are pretty small and extremely rich and indulgent, so I can handle only one of them. It is a treat!
• The pork was creamy and buttery moist pork belly and it was so tender it almost seemed sous vide.
• It is roasted, but it’s not smoky and there’s no crispy skin. It comes across as braised.
• They are fatty, and they’re supposed to be, but there was a decent amount of meat to balance it out. The fat is not chewy at all.
• They marinate in a brine so they’re infused with flavour, but it’s just savoury and slightly sweet and it still carries its natural pork flavour.
• It really is likely one of the most tenderest pork bellies you’ll come across, so they are executed very well.
• I liked the refreshing crunch of cucumbers and then sweetness of the Hoisin under a soft pillowy light steamed bun, which was a highlight.
• If you’re familiar with the dish it may not surprise you, but for what they are, they still are excellent, but just overpriced.

**Shrimp Buns – 6/6

• Spicy mayo, pickled shallot, iceberg $12
• I actually enjoyed these more then the pork ones! It’s a bit comparing apples to oranges, but I found them more flavourful.
• It was almost like Ebi Mayo in the same light and thin pillowy soft and tender steamed bun that was used for the pork.
• The shrimp was executed as a terrine.
• It was well marinated in perhaps a sweet Thai chili sauce and it was all shrimp with no fillers.
• It was sliced into patties so the shrimp wasn’t in its whole state, but it was in whole pieces.
• The patty breaks into pieces of shrimp and it was very lightly deep fried with a very light dusting of flour if anything.
• The shrimp almost seemed loosely stacked upon one another and it wasn’t doughy, floury or pureed. It was simply savoury, sweet, tender, juicy and crunchy shrimp pieces! I loved it.
• It was slightly crispy and then the sweet and spicy mayo gave it a nice kick and the pickled shallot brought a great tangy balance.
• Some crispy fried shallots would have been a great addition, or maybe even garlic chips for extra crunch.

Momofuku Ramen – 4/6 (as a modern ramen)

• Pork belly, pork shoulder, poached egg $16
• The Momofuku Ramen is known to be the first to be introduced to New York.
• The ramen is good, but it is catered for Western tastes and I did find Ippudo in New York better and more authentic. It could get better than Ippudo, but I didn’t have time to explore and Ippudo was satisfying enough that I could stop there.
• On the other hand I found Ramen Santouka in Vancouver, BC just as good if not even better than Ippudo.
• This was Western in style because of the broth and even the toppings used. You can tell just by looking at it.
• The broth was mild and not nearly as rich, creamy, milky and greasy with pork fat flavour as an authentic Japanese ramen would be. This was much healthier.
• The broth was savoury and clear but not as obvious with pork flavour. It was there, but compared to traditional Japanese ramen, it was light.
• The real pork bone flavor had oddly sunk to the bottom of the bowl, and that’s when I could actually taste strong pork flavour.
• They didn’t roast the pork bones, so it was a Northern Japanese style ramen bowl.
• The toppings were modern and it had Napa cabbage, which is very Chinese.
• It also didn’t have any traditional black wood ear mushrooms or bamboo shoots.

• The egg was bubbly and almost poached or maybe sous vide. A traditional one would have a soft boiled egg more like this, so this was new.
• I did miss the orange colour of an organic egg, but I’ll let it go.
• The egg was still fantastic with a runny yolk, but it was just different and modern for ramen.
• The noodles should be thicker, but with how they executed the broth, the thinner version was okay. It was chewy, nice and firm, and that was quite good.
• The pork wasn’t slices of BBQ pork (authentic style), but it was a piece of pork belly and a pile of pork shoulder.
• The chunks of pork shoulder were creamy, juicy, tender and full of moist pork flavour, and the pork belly was also tender, but the piece was so small.
• Overall I wanted more pork, and although this was good ramen, I prefer the traditional version. I guess it’s incomparable, but if this is meant to be authentic, it’s not, but it can be still enjoyed with the appropriate clientele.
• It’s almost like Pad Thai made with Ketchup, not authentic, but it can be good.

Hanger Steak – n/a

• Kimchi, potatoes, watercress $16
• I didn’t try this, because it was an order from the table beside me who let me take a photo. It was a “big plate”, but it was very tiny.

Pretzel Cake Truffles - n/a

• $4
• These are from Momofuku’s Milk Bar, which I tried (see here).
• This also wasn’t my order, so I didn’t try it.

The table never finished them and said they were too sweet though. I found the other desserts at Milk Bar to be sweet as well, so I take their word for it.

If you want  another type of dessert, I would also suggest going around the corner to Veniero’s Pasticceria & Caffe (342 E 11th St), which is one of New York’s oldest and most beloved family owned bakeries. They’re famous for cannoli and cheesecake, but offer a lot of other pastries and desserts. I had dessert elsewhere, but I did always see this place packed. Next time!

Restaurant: Octopus Garden
Cuisine: Japanese/Sushi/Sashimi/Ramen
Last visited: May 26, 2011
Location: Vancouver, BC (Kitsilano)
Address: 1995 Cornwall Ave
Price Range: $20-30, $30-50+

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 5
Service: 4
Ambiance: 4.5
Overall: 5
Additional comments:

• Authentic Japanese
• Some fusion sushi rolls
• Owner and Chef Sada-san
• Known for authentic omakase
• Very popular to Japanese locals
• Authentic experience/ambiance
• Small/cozy/tight space
• Neighbourhood gem
• Popular for rolls
• Moderately priced
• Patio seating
• Mon-Thurs Lunch 12-3pm, Dinner 5-9pm
• Friday 12-3pm, 5-9:30pm
• Saturday 1pm-9:30pm
• Sunday 1pm-9pm
• Closed Wednesday

**Recommendations: Sit at the bar. Order Omakase ($60 or $100 option) and if ordering a la carte the Uni Shooter, Amazake (not sure if available a la carte though), Tako Wasabi, Sashimi (Hamachi and Toro), Sushi Rolls, and Black Sesame Soy Milk Gelato out of what I tried.

After a day with several bumps in the road I needed something to go right. I hadn’t tried Octopus Garden before, but after hearing rave reviews from reliable sources, I was almost sure I could at least end the day off right. For many Japanese, it is a classic choice for traditional omakase. Food can influence anyone’s mood and Octopus Garden worked its magic better than Ursala from The Little Mermaid.

This tiny Japanese restaurant has been around for twenty years, but I feel like its popularity has really taken off over the last few. They’re most known for their omakase and sushi and it’s certainly a neighbourhood gem and local favourite. From the outside the restaurant looks quite large, but the space is small and the seating is tight, however the service is warm so it makes for a cozy atmosphere.

Of course there’s no better place to sit than at the bar, especially if you’re ordering omakase.  However there’s only room for six and we were lucky to get the last two seats. Their clientele was predominantly Japanese and I fully embraced the fact that Japanese was almost the only language I heard being spoken throughout the night. It seems popular to the sophisticated Japanese crowd and neighbourhood locals, and based on observation several of them were loyal customers. It feels like a “Vancouver’s best kept secret” kind of place.

Owner and Chef Sada-san is the mastermind behind Octopus Garden. Social, inviting, humble and incredibly focused when it comes to the food, his philosophy is about providing high quality dishes in small batches. He doesn’t give an “omakase show”, but the dishes are well presented. It’s not really an izakaya place and he does offer a lot of robata (BBQ) and sushi, but his specialization I would say is in his overall omakase experience. It is the highlight here and the omakase is supposed to be representable to authentic omakase restaurants in Japan.

Omakase (chef’s choice) is the must try here, and it’s essentially what we came for. It’s for adventurous food enthusiast, but you can talk to chef about your tastes. My taste was “up to you” which is basically what “omakase” means. We settled on the $60 omakase menu with 6 courses as opposed to the $100 omakase menu with 9 courses, in which case two 6 courses for $120 actually sounds more reasonable now that I think back. Anyways we did the $60 and although it could be considered pricey, the quality of ingredients are high and exotic, and the omakase experience is worth it. It is a series of small plates that go from light to rich, and I was content after 6, but could have easily had 9. It didn’t feel quite complete after 6 so we did end up ordering a couple more on top for a total of 8 dishes for $70/person.

Compared to my recent omakase experience at Kimura Sushi & Japanese Restaurant, Octopus Garden is more traditional and predictable in flavours and style. I really enjoyed both for different reasons, but Octopus Garden has finer execution and it’s more focused on technique and precision. Chef Kimura is a bit more playful with more surprises and their tastes are quite different. Chef Sada-san’s omakase is also pricier and you might not be as full as you would be at Kimura, but everything is noticeably fresh, very simple and very good. It provides a true taste of traditional omakase in Japan and it’s an experience that you will remember.

On the table:

Tuna Tataki Organic Garden Salad – 4/6

• With Japanese salad dressing.
• It usually starts with a salad and this was simple and fresh and the dressing was great.
• It was a smoky seared albacore tuna with some fresh kelp and then a nice tangy citrus minced onion ponzu vinaigrette.

Mary Point Raw Oyster – 4/6

• This is unlike me, but I forgot what was on top. It was similar to salted caviar, but it’s not tobiko and more like a sauce, but there was no marinade and it required none.
• It was a medium sized fresh Mary Point raw oyster.
• It’s a bit creamy with a slight briny salt flavour and a very clean finish.
• It’s quite meaty with a nice crisp chew and served over crushed ice.

**Uni Shooter (Left) - 6/6

• This is Chef Sada-san’s signature and famous omakase dish.
• The Uni Shooter which was renamed by @cwistal as “Ocean Viagra”… lol.
• I’ve had an Oyster Shooter version at Kimura Sushi & Japanese (which came afterward), and I already thoroughly enjoyed that one, and this one was even better. I’ve also had a Salmon Shooter version at Hapa Izakaya which was great as well, but this Uni Shooter was the creme de la creme of seafood shooters.
• I’m not sure if he was first to start it in Vancouver, but he could be. You mix up all the ingredients before shooting it.
• Yes, it’s a bit acquired, and not for everybody, but it’s exquisite if you appreciate raw ingredients and don’t mind a chunky slimy shot of savoury seafood juice. It may sound unappetizing, but it really is a modern delicacy.
• The sea urchin (uni) for one is an entire piece and there’s some creamy grated Mountain potato, Japanese sushi rice, a raw quail’s egg and then some crunchy black wood ear mushrooms, a minty Shiso leaf and some freshly grated wasabi on top.
• The juice is a lovely dashi broth with some sake, mirin (sugar + rice wine vinegar) and perhaps some soy sauce.
• The shot just wakes up all your taste buds and it’s full of textures and juicy raw ingredients that carry their natural sweetness.
• The highly prized fresh raw uni just has that meaty salty slimy bite that you don’t want to let go of.
• It was smooth, creamy, a bit smoky and I could taste a the subtle flavour of sake, rich seafood broth and slight tang of vinegar.
• The only thing is the rice was a little bit clumpy, but that could be due to my mixing.

Saba (Mackerel Sashimi) Wrap – 4.5/6

• This was simple and very good. I’ve never had sashimi executed like this and for that reason alone I appreciated it.
• It was a very thin slice of saba sashimi wrapped around a slice of crunchy salty herring roe sashimi. It’s served on a bed of fresh kelp with a bit of freshly grated wasabi on top.
• It was very basic with the ingredients, but well assembled and it required few seasonings.
• It had great contrasting textures and represented different sea salt flavours in seafood.
• The herring roe is very rare to come across and I rarely see it on menus which is a shame because it’s delicious. It’s almost like a crunchy firm slice of packed row and it has great texture and flavour. The only other time I’ve really had it was at Ta-Ke Sushi – see here.
• There was also another piece of plain mackerel sashimi underneath and some fresh kelp marinated in a tangy lemony vinaigrette.
• The kelp was a nice upgrade from what would usually be spinach.

Clam Soup - 3.5/6 (For what it was, it’s a 5/6 though)

• It was about the right time for the soup and I’m glad to see it.
• I think it was their Konbu & Bonito Fish Dashi Tofu Miso soup, but with added clams.
• It’s very simple, but the process to get a broth this flavourful is not an easy task.
• It was somewhat creamy from the reduction of ingredients and had a wonderfully dynamic seafood flavour of dried squid, fish, fresh kelp and clams.
• The two clams were a bit overcooked and chewy though.
• This soup is made the old fashioned authentic Japanese way, and it’s probably one of the best “miso soups” I’ve had.

Grilled Yellowtail Hamachi Cheek with Deep Fried Red Snapper - 4.5/6

• The two pieces of deep fried red snapper on top were crispy and tender, but also a bit bland.
• The Hamachi Cheek, which is one of my favourites, was delicious. It’s the most prized part of a fish and is considered a delicacy.
• It’s infused with either salt or shio (Japanese soy sauce), but it’s not too salty.
• It wasn’t as smoky or charred as I prefer for being grilled, but it was perfectly cooked with a crispy edible fin that was chip like.
• The flesh was meaty, firm and moist and there was no need for any soy sauce it was served with.
• I would have preferred it to be served with ponzu instead though and with a side or grated daikon.
• He does a lot of robata (BBQ) on a small grill, but there are Japanese restaurants that specialize in it (see Aki Japanese), so there is better although this is good.

**Assorted Sashimi - 5.5/6

• Wild Sockeye Salmon, Japanese Mackerel (Saba), Kelp, Ahi Tuna, Tuna Belly (Toro), BC Spot Prawn (Ebi), Geoduck (Mirugai), Amberjack (Kanpachi), and Hamachi (Yellowtail Tuna).
• It was served on two long strips of daikon, freshly grated wasabi, a shiso leaf and soy sauce.
• I only used the wasabi and maybe a little of the soy sauce, but barely any as it was so fresh as is.
• It was a very traditional choice, but I was happy to see this come out. It really shows the philosophy and skill of a sushi chef.
• Serving a chef’s choice of assorted sashimi should showcase his freshest fish and knife skills.
• It was certainly fresh and it’s meant to be eaten starting with the salmon as the flavours get increasingly stronger and the selection of sashimi gets more exotic.
• The flavour of the fish will always depend on the shipment, but the cutting techniques don’t change.
• The choices ranged from standard to exotic and it was representable in the value of a $60 omakase menu.
• I was very impressed with all the cutting for the sashimi, except for the salmon and Saba, which I thought were okay.
• The Wild Sockeye Salmon was good, but a bit thin and small with the cut.
• I wasn’t too pleased with the Saba (Mackerel) cut which was a bit like a jagged Saba scrap.
• I would have preferred a raw tuna or aburi tuna rather than Ahi Tuna, since I already had this in the salad, but it was still good.
• The Tuna Belly (Toro) was buttery, oily, juicy and melt in your mouth delicious and similar to the one I had at Sushi Hachi. The cutting technique was fantastic.

• The BC Spot Prawan (Ebi) was one of the highlights and it was juicy and sweet. I sucked the prawn head juices as well which was rich and buttery.
• The Geoduck (Mirugai) was tender, firm, somewhat crunchy and cut in a way that exposed all of its flavour, which is quite mild like a scallop. See the Mirugai at Sushi Hachi for a more basic cut. I actually like a thinner cut geoduck since a thick one can be too rubbery. This one is better with soy sauce.
• The Amberjack (Kanpachi) was cut thin as it should be, and it was a nice big piece so I could still get the flavour. It was firm and still buttery, but not oily.
• The Yellowtail Tuna (Hamachi) tuna was easily the highlight. Again it was a thin and a big slice and the cut was perfect. The flavour was rich, creamy, smooth, buttery and slightly oily. It had intense flavour and the cutting technique just featured all its best qualities. The other “best” hamachi I’ve had was at Tokachi Japanese.

Ew, it looks like bloody newborn baby toes creeping from the top, but that was the octopus chopstick holder. I sucked my prawn head raw (sounds really bad), but if you didn’t he actually brought it back deep fried. If I knew that, I probably wouldn’t have eaten the head raw, although it’s enjoyable both ways.

**Amazake – 6/6

• This came as a surprise! Everyone sitting at the bar (only seats 6) received an Amazake!
• If you can order it, I would order it. It could even be a dessert.
• It actually doesn’t have that much alcohol and it’s a warm, rich, smooth and creamy sweet sake made from boiled down rice and rice husks.
• It was almost like having a thick, intense, creamy, nutty, rich, sake almond-like latte and it was so comforting, warm, and soothing.
• I could taste and breathe the aroma of toasted rice and the sweetness comes from the release of natural sugars.
• It reminded me of an excellent authentic chilled rice wine I had in Korea – see here.

**Dragon Roll – 5/6

• Lightly battered and deep fried tempura unagi (eel), tobiko, and asparagus topped with avocado, Smoked Sokeye Salmon and unagi sauce. ($10 a la carte)
• I expected to see at least one sushi roll since it is one of their focuses here. This was the most fusion the omakase got, and it’s not really fusion at all.
• The presentation was fantastic with the octopus eyes and each piece was the perfect size for a single bite.

• It was a warm roll due to the tempura and possibly the sushi rice as well.
• The sushi rice was moist and sticky, but it wasn’t as flavourful as I expected, however the unagi (eel) sauce on top was enough to flavour it.
• The eel sauce is similar to Teriyaki sauce and it’s syrupy and sweet, so this roll requires no soy sauce.
• The roll was crunchy from the tempura and creamy from the avocado, and it had the perfect ratio of all the ingredients and I could taste every layer.
• It was sweet and savoury and the crunchy snap of asparagus and salty crunch of tobiko made for great texture along with the tender and crispy eel.

The omakase was supposed to end at this point, but I wasn’t quite ready for dessert. I could handle a couple more, so Chef Sada-san kept them coming (with additional cost). A sushi roll didn’t feel satisfying as the last course to omakase anyways though. I was hoping to see some nigiri or some meat, which we hadn’t seen yet.

**Tako Wasabi – 6/6 (for what it is)

• This we ordered upon request from the special features menu.
• Fresh raw octopus in wasabi sauce $5
• For tako wasabi, this was possibly the best I’ve ever had, although the ones at Guu, Koto Izakaya Sushi & Robata are great too.
• If you’ve never had it, it’s acquired as it’s slimy in texture. It’s also great with beer.
• This one was well minced and had a good balance of tangy crunchy Japanese pickles and tender raw octopus as well as some fresh kelp.
• It was well marinated with freshly grated wasabi and then the bonus was having it topped off with herring roe sashimi.
• Again, the firm and crunchy slice of herring roe sashimi tastes like tightly packed tobiko, but fishier and less salty. I love it.

Beef Tataki & Unagi Sushi, Grilled Scallop & Tamago Nigiri

• Tamago Nigiri (Japanese Omelette Sushi) - 3/6
  • I was really hoping for a tamago nigiri! It’s one of the things I almost always order, so I was so happy to see him serve it.
  • It was good and nicely layered, but it was a bit overcooked and not as juicy as an excellent one would be.
  • It was slightly sweetened, but I couldn’t taste any dashi in it, and overall I was a bit disappointed by it.
  • The rice was moist and sticky, but a bit bland with a very mild hint of vinegar. I had a feeling it would be bland because it was in the sushi roll as well.
  • The best sushi rice I’ve had is still at Miku Restaurant, where you actually want to eat the rice plain.

• Grilled Scallop - 4.5/6
  • This was the highlight of the trio although robata does get better.
  • It was a grilled scallop topped with wasabi tobiko, fresh crab, and an octopus tentacle.
  • The scallop was barely seared and it almost tasted like sashimi. It was creamy and sweet and just melted in your mouth and the chew of the octopus and flaky crab became secondary.
  • I never really understood wasabi tobiko because it never tastes like wasabi to me and it seems more for decorative purposes.
• Beet Tataki & Unagi Sushi – 4/6
  • I really enjoyed this Japanese interpretation of a “surf and turf”.
  • It was a seared medium rare Angus beef and it had a sweet Teriyaki like unagi sauce or glaze on top.
  • It was tender, buttery, smoky and I could taste the charred BBQ flavour.
  • It was fishy, meaty, sweet and savoury with interesting textures, but the beef stood out the most.
  • It was the most substantial out of the trio and perhaps most substantial out of the whole meal next to the sushi roll.

**Black Sesame Soy Milk Gelato - 5/6

• I was crossing my fingers for the Banana Tempura, but that probably would be with the $90 menu.
• This was still excellent and it was a home made soy milk gelato topped with whipped cream and a blackberry.
• It was surprisingly creamy for being made with soy milk and not too sweet.
• It was intense with black sesame flavour and tasted like the Chinese hot black sesame soup in gelato form.
• It was thick and creamy like a black sesame paste or peanut butter and incredibly aromatic with lots of nutty flavour.
• It was more like a scoop that a creamy gelato, but it was still solid.
• I was reminded of the tres excellent black sesame ice cream I had at Zest Japanese Cuisine – see here.

Homemade Sour Gummy Octopus

• Forget the mints and frozen grapes when there are homemade sour gummy octopuses… or octopi? Octopuses.
• It reminded me of the home made gummy worms I recently had from Mis Trucos, which truly melt in your mouth like real fruit puree – see here.
• These were stretchy, chewy and subtly sour.
• They were sweet like candy more than fruity, and just incredibly cute and a nice way to end the meal.

Restaurant: Yuu Japanese Tapas
Cuisine: Japanese/Tapas
Last visited: March 9, 2010
Location: Richmond, BC (Richmond Central)
Address: 1111 – 3779 Sexsmith Road
Price Range: $10 or less, $10-20

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 2.5
Service: 3
Ambiance: 3
Overall: 3
Additional comments:

• Japanese tapas/cafe items
• Japanese/Chinese staff
• Extensive menu
• Casual, quick
• Clean/modern
• Extensive drinks/dessert menu
• Japanese/Chinese/English menu
• $5 minimum charge
• Open late
• Sun-Thurs. 12-3pm, 5-10pm
• Fri-Sat. 12-3pm, 5-11pm
• Closed Tuesday
• Dine in/Take out

**Recommendations: Tako Yaki

If you haven’t guessed it by now, I’m a fan of Izakaya, which are places often associated with Japanese tapas. However when I get the sense that it’s Japanese tapas that are influenced by Chinese flavours that’s when things go a bit sideways. Or if I get the sense that the menu is big but there’s a lot of shortcuts taken that it sacrifices the flavour… that bothers me too. If the place was called “Yuu Japanese Chinese Tapas” or “Yuu Japanese Cafe” or something like that at least I would have my expectations set appropriately.

For all I know the owners, chefs and cooks could very well be Japanese, however I just didn’t feel it in the flavours of the food or really the ambiance of the whole place. The menu offerings are pretty typical of casual Japanese style cafes, and there’s nothing really “Chinese” on there, but the execution just didn’t taste “Japanese Izakaya” to me. There’s actually a decent amount of kimchi items as well, but the food is definitely not Korean, although perhaps Korean inspired.

The menu is quite extensive and it reminds me of Aoyama Cafe in Aberdeen Mall also in Richmond, BC. It’s like a Japanese version of a Taiwanese bubble tea shop, but there’s no bubble tea. Along side their selection of tapas there’s also a wide selection of drinks and desserts as well as rice, ramen, fried noodles, hot iron plates and hot pot.

Everything was actually more traditional and there’s nothing innovative going on with their tapas, but it wasn’t traditional enough to be considered Japanese. Oiy… I brought up that “traditional” word again. I guess I’m biased in the sense that the more familiar I am with the food, the more it might bother me when it comes to how “authentic” it claims to be. However even throwing the “authentic” idea out the window, was I that impressed with the food? I’d say the food was decent, but a bit pricey and I could find the same thing for almost the same price next door… almost literally too.

Yuu Japanese Tapas is competing with nearby restaurants that have more to offer in terms of flavour, so being that’s it’s rather new, I think they could consider in either stepping up their game. For Japanese tapas I’d rather pay a few dollars for better food at Gyo-O Kaisen Shokudo Japanese Restaurant, and even or ramen I’d pay the few extra at G-Men Ramen just a couple stores over.

On the table:

Tako Yaki – 3/6

• Octopus balls with okonomiyaki sauce, mayonnaise, green laver and bonito flake (5 pcs) $4.99
• It’s a savoury light battered and fried croquette. The inside is very creamy, but not rich like a cheesy bechemel either.
• These were actually quite good.
• They have a slightly crispy exterior, fluffy and ultra creamy interior with a small octopus tentacle in the middle. It could have been more tender, but it was passable.
• I was missing the dashi (Japanese stock) and pickled ginger flavour in the batter, although the onion flavour did come through.
• They were flavourful, but just not as well executed with the traditional aspects of the recipe.
• They’re topped with a sweet and tangy sauce called Okonomiyaki sauce which usually also has a Worcestershire kick, but this one lacked the kick.
• The mayo was super creamy and it just intensified the creaminess of the whole dish.

Beef Cubes – 3/6

• Tender beef cubes served hot on iron plate $7.99
• These came highly recommended and I was expecting them to be outstanding, but it was okay.
• It was sizzling hot and most pieces were tender, but some pieces were still very very chewy. The flavour also wasn’t well absorbed into the meat and it needed to be bolder. I think they need to pierce these cubes so the marinade can absorb throughout, they didn’t taste pre marinated.
• The sauce was quite thin for the cubes and it’s a very basic au jus, garlic and soy sauce mixture with perhaps a little bit of Ponzu to give it a slight tang.
• I didn’t really see the value in this and I probably would have if the beef was all tender and the flavour was bolder.

Japanese Pancake or Okonomiyaki – 2.5/6

• Home made Japanese style pancake $5.99
• Very pretty and well presented on a traditional grill (as it should be), but the flavour and execution wasn’t great. This was also very recommended and popular to order.
• There’s a Kansai style (almost like a mixed omelette) and Hiroshima style of pancake (layered ingredients with lots of cabbage), and I actually prefer the Hiroshima version, which is less popular. I’ve tried at Clubhouse in Vancouver and it’s more like a crispy crepe with layered veggies and topped with Soba noodles and a fried egg.
• This one seemed like their own made up version.
• There was just a whole lot of Japanese mayo drizzled on top which overpowered the Okonomiyaki sauce (tangy and sweet Worcestershire sauce).
• The pancake was very creamy, rich and indulgent and it was topped with nori flakes, bonito flakes and green laver.
• Although it was pan fried and almost a bit burnt on both sides it still wasn’t crispy and it’s perhaps because it was too thick.

• The Japanese pancake is basically shredded cabbage, veggies and an egg batter topped with sweet savoury sauce and Japanese may (Kewpie).
• This one was almost all cabbage though.
• This one was very gluey and it didn’t seem like it cooked all the way through and it tasted a bit bland and the cabbage wasn’t seasoned with enough salt or made with dashi stock.
• There was some strips of pork on top, but not much and they were covered with mayo so all I tasted was mayo.
• I prefer many more vegetables like bean sprouts, carrots, mushrooms and even some seafood in my Okonomiyaki.
• It’s not my favourite version of Okonomiyaki.

Tonkotsu Ramen – 2.5/6

• Ramen in special pork bone (tonkotsu) soup base, topped with savoury BBQ pork, corn, egg & black wood ear mushroom $7.99
• Really risky putting ramen on the menu. I’d much rather go a few stores down to my favourite ramen place in Richmond G-Men Ramen – see my post here.
• The pork bone soup didn’t have much pork bone flavour and I almost thought there was some miso paste mixed into it.
• It was somewhat creamy, but not from the richness of the pork au jus and it just fell very flat compared to places like Hokkaido Ramen Santouka or even Q-Go Ramen.
• The egg was done quite well, but it wasn’t free range so the bright orange yolk was MIA. Not a big deal, but just saying.

• I did really like the fact that it came with all the fixings and I didn’t have to add anything.
• It was missing some bean sprouts, but whatever. The other ingredients made up for it’s absence.
• The noodles were a bit overcooked and not chewy nor did they have an al dente bite.

• The pork wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t that moist either. Tender, but not moist.
• It came with 2 pieces and it wasn’t as flavourful as I would have liked.
• I think for the majority of people this ramen bowl would do the job at $8, but again I’d rather pay the extra for something better. I may be a slightly pickier ramen eater though.

Restaurant: Hokkaido Ramen Santouka – Review 2
Cuisine: Japanese/Ramen/Noodle shop
Last visited: December 24, 2010
Location: Vancouver, BC (West End/Robson/Downtown)
Address: 1690 Robson Street
Price Range: $10 – $20

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 6
Service: 4
Ambiance: 4
Overall: 6
Additional comments:

• Multiple locations (In US, Canada, Japan etc.)
• Closest thing to authentic Japanese ramen
• “Best ramen in Vancouver”
• Specializes in ramen noodles
• Famous for signature Shio broth
• Famous for Toroniku Ramen bowls – limited quantity
• Long lines/busy
• Casual/Quick eat
• Cash only
• Clean & contemporary atmosphere
• Limited menu, but lots of options for customization
• A bit pricey
• Extra for green tea
• Minimum charge $7.95/person
• Hokkaido Ramen Santouka – Visit 1

Recommendations: Toroniku aka “cha-shu”, Toroniku Shio Ramen, Toroniku Miso Ramen, hard boiled egg… ANY Toroniku ramen bowl, but especially Shio w/all the fixings… the Toroniku bowls have more pork and toppings served on the side.

I had just finished Christmas Eve dinner at Le Gavroche and I couldn’t resist from hitting up Ramen Santouka afterward since it was just around the corner. I went to Ramen Santouka when it first opened see here, and I’ve been back a couple times since then, however I wouldn’t call myself a regular.

Hokkaido is a small city in Northern Japan and it’s famous for the best ramen. Hokkaido Ramen Santouka is actually a chain restaurant, but it’s one of the good ones even in Japan. It’s still my favourite Japanese ramen noodle shop in Vancouver out of Kintaro, Benkei Ramen, and Q-Go Ramen, but there’s still a lot more I haven’t tried. However according to lots of Japanese people it’s their favourite as well, although not the best compared to some in Japan. I’ve only tried a bowl at the airport in Japan so I can’t say that really counts, but it was still quite delicious. Nonetheless the Japanese ramen noodle trend is here to stay and I would consider it a staple food in Vancouver now. I’ve heard excellent things about Motomachi Shokudo, located beside Kintaro, but I don’t think it’s comparable to Ramen Santouka because they specialize in different types of ramen. (I haven’t tried it yet, but I will!)

Ramen Santouka specializes in Northern style ramen and most other places like Motomachi Shokudo specializes in Southern style ramen so it’s not really comparable at all. It would be like comparing deep dish Chicago style pizza to authentic thin crust Italian style pizza… or something to that degree. Anyways, for Southern style ramen bowls they often roast the pork bones for the broth, but they don’t use this technique for Northern style ones. Therefore the broth isn’t as smoky or robust as Southern ones, but it’s still very flavorful if made well. Authentic Northern style ramen also doesn’t offer corn as toppings, but I love corn, so I’m not going to ding Ramen Santouka for offering them. I actually learned some of these facts from noodle experts at my noodle mania tour I did in Richmond – see here.

I intended to order just the Toroniku Shio Ramen, but then I saw this!

It was an immediate change of plans, so I decided to do the logical thing and order both! I mean it’s a “Chef’s Special” AND only available in the winter, so I couldn’t say no. Well I could have, but what’s the point of being a “foodie” then… ?

On the table:

Toroniku Shio Ramen – 6/6

• Simmered pork jowl (pork cheeks) and salt seasoned ramen $12.95
• + Egg $1.25
• It was still as delicious as I remember it being.
• The “Toroniku” is the only way to go because it offers more of the pork jowl (cheeks). It’s their claim to fame and there’s only a limited quantity available for the day.
• It also comes with a side of toppings such as black wood ear mushrooms, bamboo shoots and chives.
• I should note that authentic ramen noodles aren’t supposed to come in big massive bowls either, which this one doesn’t, but it’s still a deceivingly big portion.

• The soup is delicious! It’s a creamy savoury milky broth made of simmered pork bones. The Shio is a salt broth so it has a distinct salty flavour that’s delicately balanced. Quite often I will always go for the Miso broth, but at Ramen Santouka their Shio is even better in my opinion.
• Shio is also the broth you get if you want to see what a ramen place can really do.
• If you want a Southern style Japanese ramen bowl with roasted pork bones and a smoky rich pork flavour stock/soup than I recommend G-Men Ramen in Richmond.
• The noodles can be a bit inconsistent here. Ramen Santouka is supposed to be known for the perfect noodles, but I find sometimes they’re a little overcooked and missing that al dente bite. I had a great experience this time though and thought they were chewy and delicious.

• This is my favourite part – the Toroniku pork jowl or pork cheeks. However I’ll admit that this time around my pieces weren’t a good as I’ve had them. You can even tell just by my photos, see my first visit here.
• There’s usually a thin layer of melt in your mouth, soft and buttery, tender fat along the edges, which isn’t chewy and tough at all! The middle part of the meat is lean and it’s a bit snappy and bouncy when you chew it, but still extremely flavourful and tender.

‘The egg was pretty perfect this time around, although I think G-Men Ramen does an even better egg that’s even less cooked – see here.

Tan Tan Men – 3.5/6

• Enjoy the perfect harmony between the aromatic flavour of sesame seeds and the mild spiciness of chili oil in our new full bodied soup. Regular size only. Available in the winter only $10.95.
• The description sounds like they’re describing wine…
• This is a Japanese version of the traditional Szechuan Tan Tan Noodle Soup, which is also commonly associated with Shanghainese food.
• I can’t say I loved this version of it, it was still very good, but I do prefer the Shanghainese versions at Shanghai River, or Shanghai House Restaurant more. Not comparing them to authentic versions, this is still good, but from what I can recall the Japanese Tan Tan noodle at Kingyo was better.
• I recommend mixing it very well before you start because the creamy nutty sauce sits at the bottom and all the chili oil floats on the top. I didn’t realized how much creamy sesame sauce there was until I got to the bottom.

• I know it looks a bit oily, but it actually wasn’t after mixing everything together.
• It was quite spicy, savoury and predominantly nutty. They used a lot of freshly grounded sesame seeds which would usually make me very happy, but it was to the point of being a bit bitter rather than aromatic. The creamy nuttiness makes it not as spicy so it’s a good balance.
• I usually prefer mine to have a combination of sesame and peanut sauce and some crunchy peanuts on top as well, but I don’t think they used peanuts at all in this one. The addition of peanuts and/or sesame sauce is actually a Westernized thing though.
• The tan tan men is still a great addition for the winter, but I prefer their standard Japanese ramen noodle bowls.

Noodle Up! Exploring Noodles in Richmond, BC

If you just joined in, this is part 2 of my noodle tour in Richmond, BC hosted by Tourism Richmond. In a nutshell, I was invited to sip and slurp my way through the Asian noodle scene in Richmond. After visiting Spicy Stage Cafe for some Szechuan/Chinese style soup noodle bowls we were taken to noodle destination #2: G-Men Ramen Noodle House. So what was to follow after Chinese soup noodle bowls and Japanese ramen noodle bowls? Come back for tomorrow’s post! (For the introduction and part 1 of the Noodlemania event please see here.)

I have eaten at G-Men Ramen (sister restaurant to Gyo-O across the street and Gyoza King in Vancouver) several times before in the past and have already written on it 3 times. I kept trying a new item, so there was always something to write. However it has been a while and I’m pleased to say that the quality has more or less remained the same.

G-Men Ramen was actually one of the first ever Follow Me Foodie posts see here, and since then a lot has changed including my entire blog template and writing style. If I can say so myself (well I can, because it’s my blog lol), but I’d like to think I’ve become a better “foodie” since I started Follow Me Foodie, which is a year and a half ago. That’s probably a given considering I’ve tried a decent amount of restaurants since starting this blog, and also written about each one in detail. It just means I have more to compare to than before and I’m constantly learning along the way.

Anyways, back to the ramen. I would say Kintaro Ramen was first to really start the ramen trend in Vancouver, with places like Benkei Ramen quickly popping up afterward. I’ll admit that the Japanese ramen scene in Richmond isn’t as developed as it is in Vancouver, but thankfully there’s at least G-Men Ramen to represent. It doesn’t do a perfect job, but I’d say it’s very good whether it’s authentic or not, and the best in Richmond from what I’ve tried.  The only other Japanese ramen restaurant in Richmond I know of is Ajisen Ramen, which is barely, if even at all, a portrayal of authentic Japanese ramen. Nonetheless I wasn’t even exposed to what I’ll call the closest thing to traditional Japanese ramen found in Japan until Hokkaido Ramen Santouka, which opened up earlier this year (Feb. – Mar. 2010). Ramen Santouka is definitely my favourite in Vancouver. Apparently it even gets better in Japan… I don’t know how though, maybe they serve it with a side of diamonds?

I never claimed to be a “ramen connoisseur”, and as a foodie I’m learning from other foodies/chefs/blogs/media/people etc. everyday. On this special occasion at G-Men Ramen I had the honour of sitting across from origami master Joseph Wu who spent time living in Hokkaido, Japan. Seriously, he’s one of the most fascinating characters I’ve ever dined with! During dinner he would randomly pull out a piece of paper and fold it into something intense like a butterfly (which Claudia Kwan took) or a dinosaur (which I took). I made him a chopstick holder… j/k. We did however exchange ramen experiences and I gained more knowledge about this beloved Japanese fast food staple.

Note: The restaurants selected this evening are members of Richmond Tourism, so the following shows only a limited selection of what is available in Richmond. Due to the nature of the event the dishes may not be a proper representation of a regular day, although in this case it was. I’ve eaten here before and it was just as I remembered.

Date attended: November 30, 2010

Noodlemania Part 1 – Spicy Stage Cafe

This is Noodlemania Part 2/3

Noodlemania Part 3 – Northern Delicacy

On the table:

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Tonkatsu Shio Ramen – 4/6

• Authentic thick “TONKOTSU” pork soup THICK noodle seasoned with housemade SHIO flavor, topped with BBQ pork, seaweed, black wood ear mushroom & green onion $8
• The shio ramen is supposed to say it all, just like a prawn dumpling is supposed to be the testament of how good a dim sum restaurant is. It allows you to taste the quality and pureness of the pork stock/broth/soup (I’ll use the term loosely) without any additional flavourings. I always start with the Shio and then move to the other stronger flavoured soups.
• G-Men Ramen actually closes Wed-Thurs. just to prepare their pork soup. They make enough to last the week because it’s a very time consuming process to cook such a rich and flavourful soup.
• The soup was very robust with pork flavour and you could really taste the roasting of the pork bones as well as a little bit of the gelatinous fat without the white floaties. Authentic Southern Japanese ramen does have some white fat bits floating around like Kintaro, but Kintaro has too many to the point of being too rich and greasy. I personally prefer mine without. It also had a very mild smokiness and a great salty flavour and it was generally very good, but should have been a bit hotter in temperature.
• If you compare it to Ramen Santouka, it’s not quite there, although Ramen Santouka is a Northern style ramen. I didn’t know, but according to Joseph Wu, the roasting of the bones is a technique for Southern style Japanese ramen bowls, but not Northern ones hence the slightly smoky flavour in this bowl.
• The pork or Japanese Char Siu was sliced well, not too thin or thick. It was nice and fatty and also moist, but not quite melt in your mouth tender.
• The noodles were pretty spot on, al dente, chewy and thick so that it holds onto the broth when eaten.
• I loved the included ingredients, but I prefer the shredded nori rather than the rectangular sheets. I remember G-Men used to serve it shredded, but they changed it October 2009. I also remember asking them about the switch as soon as they changed it and they said it was due to issues with the supplier… I don’t really buy it though because they serve the shredded ones on the Tonkatsu Ae Soba (below).

**Miso Ramen – 4.5/6

• Authentic thick “TONKOTSU” pork soup THICK noodle seasoned with housemade MISO flavor, topped with BBQ pork, seaweed, black wood ear mushroom & green onion $8.50
• Miso is usually my favourite, unless I’m at Ramen Santouka, in which case the Shio is the hit. I mean add Miso to almost anything and it will taste better.
• The miso tonkotsu pork soup at G-Men is better than the shio and it’s a bit sweeter in flavour as well. It’s a creamier texture, and I could still taste the roasting of the pork bones as much as I could taste the infusion of miso paste. It was a bit thicker and the soup was definitely rich and flavourful. I could taste the pork fat without it coming across as greasy, however it didn’t have as much pork taste as the shio. I just wish it had been served slightly hotter again. Not exactly comparable to Ramen Santouka for many reasons, but I’d still recommend it and come back for it.
• The pork was equally as fatty and well cut as the pieces in the shio.
• The noodles are again pretty perfect and al dente, but it probably helped that the soup wasn’t exactly hot enough so it prevented the noodles from overcooking in it. They held onto the Miso soup extremely well.

Chicken Ramen – 3/6

• Authentic light “TORIGARA” chicken soup THIN noodle seasoned with SHIO (salt) flavor, topped with BBQ pork, half ajitama, yuzu, seaweed, black wood ear mushroom & green onion $8.50
• I was actually very surprised that this was chicken based soup because it tasted pork based. I actually couldn’t taste much chicken in it at all.
• It was the lighter soup, but the smokiest in flavour, to the point of being a bit overpowering like charcoal. Joseph Wu pointed out that it was probably because they over roasted the pork bones, which could be true.
• It was served with some fresh yuzu, a Japanese citrus fruit that looks like a wrinkly month old mandarin. It added a nice citrus orange peel flavour to the soup, which helped to overcome the intense smokiness and freshen the overall dish.
• They did use the appropriate thin noodle for this particular soup, and it made it all very light considering chicken is supposed to be more mild than pork.
• Although the temperature of the soups aren’t served spot on, G-Men Ramen does play close attention to it, which is great. The soup in this one was served almost luke warm, probably to ensure that it wouldn’t overcook the thinner noodle used. On the other hand, it was served luke warm. It really should have been hotter, but not boiling. The intentions to serve it “right” were there, but it still wasn’t quite “right”.
• The ajitama egg was delicious! I always raved about the eggs here and nothing has changed. It has a creamy soft runny soft boiled centre, but I don’t think they’re organic because they’re more yellow than orange.

**Tonkatsu Ae Soba – 4.5/6

• Special soupless “TONKOTSU” pork soup THICK noodle seasoned with house made SHOYU flavor, topped with with BBQ pork, seaweed, black wood ear mushroom & green onion. Choice of Shoyu (Japanese soy sauce) or sesame dressing! $8.50
• I’ve had a couple versions of this dish in Vancouver, but I really don’t have much to compare to.
• I actually thoroughly enjoyed this soupless ramen though. It’s served luke warm and it’s not completely soupless as there is a little bit of liquid sitting at the bottom. It’s actually the sesame dressing which I think is mixed with some pork soup. It was savoury with an aromatic nuttiness with some toasted sesame seeds which I just wanted even more of.
• The flavour and texture of the liquid/soup was still incredibly flavourful despite it being MIA (supposedly). It was still very creamy, rich, and thick to the point of almost being a sticky paste or savoury syrup. It was incredibly gelatinous without being greasy again and it just coated each strand of ramen noodle perfectly with intense pork and sesame flavour.
• The noodles weren’t overcooked and they were still nice and chewy. None of them were dry or dried out either. Besides the soup/dressing to coat them, each noodle was also already pre-tossed with house made Shoyu (Japanese soy sauce). It was delicious and not under or overly seasoned at any point.
• There’s enough toppings on this dish to give every bite a nice contrast in soft and crunchy textures as well as unique flavours.
• As you can see, it’s served with the shredded nori, which is what I prefer… which also makes me think that the reason for changing to rectangular sheets of nori for their soup noodle bowls was for reasons I will always question.
• The Tonkatsu Ae Soba is nice and light, but still filling and can be enjoyed in the warmer weather. It’s actually good enough that you don’t even think about missing the soup, which makes it a success. In the summer G-Men Ramen also offers a cold ramen noodle which is also great.