152. Bay Area - Orenchi Ramen and the Amazing Soft Boiled Egg / 俺ん家ラーメン (Bay Area: Santa Clara)

Orenchi Ramen in Santa Clara has the best ramen in the Bay Area hands down.  There.  I said it.  Whether it is the house special with the traditional tonkotsu broth, other variations with a simple salt or shoyu base, or even the dipping tsukemen that is only offered to 15 early bird patrons, any noodle at this Japanese ramen house is sure to please... even if it is over 100 degrees outside.

The texture of the noodle is chewy and elastic, just the way that pulled noodles from Japan, Korea, China, and Taiwan should be.  And although I cannot say the noodle has any particular flavor, it is submerged in a broth that is concentrated, almost milky with absolute pork essence.  The soft boiled egg that sits atop the liquid lipid lake is the crown jewel of the bowl.  Typically, ramen from other restaurants comes with just half an egg, but Orenchi grants guests a whole entire egg, the white of which encapsulates the gleaming gold that lies within.

A must try is the french fries okonomiyaki style (お好み焼き風ポテトフライ).  Orenchi substitutes the traditional bottom of an okonomiyaki pancake with good ol' French fries, but the top is still the same... tart Japanese mayonnaise, drizzles of otafuku sauce, some seaweed seasoning, and a generous heap of bonito flakes.  We all love topping our fries off with some greasy goodness (think carne asada fries), so you know that this is a mouthwatering monstrosity. 


With our own bowls of ramen and fries to share, it is hard to order anything else.  We did manage to scarf down some karaage with everything, but there is still an extensive menu that includes takoyaki, potato croquettes, and roasted pork over rice that requires exploring.  But I guess we can save that for our next visit... hopefully not in 100 degree weather.  Until next time, let's all get S.O.F.A.T.

Orenchi Ramen
3540 Homestead Rd.
Santa Clara, CA 95051

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147. Bay Area - Gather in Berkeley for Spicy Pancetta Pizza (Berkeley: Downtown)

When Katrina said that we should head to Gather for pizza in Berkeley, I thought she was out of her mind.  The kind of pizza that I know in Berkeley is from either Fat Slice and Blondie's, the floppy, extra cheesy kind of pizza that drips with pepperoni oil.  You know, the ones that Cal students snack on in between late night study sessions.  Well, Gather opened my eyes to a completely new category of pizza in Berkeley.

We started with the Summer Bean Soup, a mixture of white beans and other seasonal root vegetables with fresh basil pesto.  It was vibrant and full of flavor... a proper way to jump start our appetites for the pizza.

Of the four pizzas on the menu, we both thought the Pancetta Pizza sounded the best.  When the pizza arrived, we could tell just by looking that we made a good decision.  The thinly sliced interwoven layers of pancetta were all crisp... and the savory saltiness gave the first bite a depth of flavor that made me want to moan with pleasure.  I might have.  But neither Kat nor I noticed as we were too fixated on the deliciousness that was our pancetta pizza.

Did I mention that the creamy egg yolk was oozing throughout the center of the pizza? Did I also mention that the yolk and cheese were blending together and that the golden, unadulterated combination of the two was still bubbling as the server set it down in front of us? Oh, have mercy... the pizza gods... they can cause such simultaneous pain and pleasure.


The best thing about the pizza was that it was spicy.  I'm not talking about just a little heat or a slight kick.  I mean a really ballsy flame.  The kind that real food lovers can handle... the addicting kind that keeps us coming back for more.  The chili was a smart move, Chef.

I am dreaming about it already... the warmth of the crust, complete with its peaks and valleys from hand pressing the dough, the sprinkle of oregano on the dropped egg... and of course, the pancetta... the crispy, salty, delicious pancetta.  What a magnificent pizza.  I'm definitely gathering in Berkeley for this again.  Crossing the new Bay Bridge to the East Bay is fine with me.  So until then, let's all get S.O.F.A.T.

Gather
2200 Oxford Street
Downtown Berkeley
Berkeley, CA 94704
BART: Downtown Berkeley

ML - 20130906

142. Tokyo - Locals Only: Tsukemen from Ginza Ishii / 銀座 いし井のつけ麺 (Tokyo: Chuo-ku, Ginza / 東京都: 中央区, 銀座)

One thing that I love about traveling is finding those hidden gems that only the locals know about.  Tokyo local Kristen-chan took me to a couple of spots that were completely void of tourists and foreigners save for myself... but I blend in around here right?

Down a quaint side street not too far from Ginza Station (銀座駅) is Ginza Ishii (銀座 いし井), a noodle shop specializing in dipping ramen (tsukemen / つけ麺) that is unassumingly popular.  Perhaps because the locals want to keep this a secret.  They certainly eat these noodles like they have been doing something mischievous.

Before entering the shop you will pay for your bowl of noodles with a ticket vending machine.  Although overwhelming at first, there are actually only a couple of types of noodles.  All other buttons are size preferences, additional toppings, and beverage choices.  If you are still bewildered, it is probably a good idea to pick based on the prices printed on the buttons.  An average bowl of tsukemen should cost 800-1,200 yen.

The machine spits out your ticket, and the only thing left to do is to play the waiting game.  Which customers will finish their noodles first?

The chef serves you by placing two burning hot bowls of noodles and broth quickly on the counter top.  His swift action indicates that the heat from the scalding hot broth has traveled through the ceramic bowl and that he does not want to burn his fingers.  In his silence he does not tell you, though, that the bowl will still burn your tender non-F&B industry fingers off while you lower the bowl down from the counter to eat... no matter how quickly you move.

If you squeeze the chilled lime over the noodles, it might sooth the burning sensation.  But by now your stomach is so full of the burning desire to eat that the pain in your finger tips has quickly numbed away. 

The broth is quite unholy.  And by unholy I mean that it is devilishly good.  It is fatty.  It is flavorful.  It is salty and savory all at the same time.  The pork is so smooth and tender that it truly does melt in your mouth.  There may even be fragments of the meat floating, sinking, or swirling around in the sinfully rich and fatty broth.  Did I mention the broth was searing hot? This is what you will dip your noodles in.  Transferring the noodles over and dipping them into the broth will feel like you are cheating on your significant other.  And slurping the noodles up ever so loudly in true Japanese fashion will taste like you cheated with her younger, sexier, naughtier sibling.

Oh, and when you finally bring your attention to the soft boiled egg... it will feel like your one act of sin has quickly turned into a love affair that you have to keep secret.  No one can know about this egg and its silky, velvety golden yolk.  No one.

That is perhaps the reason why the patrons in the noodle shop act as if they are doing something wrong.  The tsukemen tastes so delicious that eating it feels almost like adultery.  Get here.  Get here quick before anyone finds out.  Get rid of the vending machine ticket.  Leave no paper trail.  Until next time, let's all get S.O.F.A.T.

銀座 いし井 / Ginza Ishii
東京都 中央区 / Tokyo Metropolis, Chuo Ward
銀座 3-8-4 / Ginza District, 3 Chome 8-4

See more shots of our tsukemen on my Flickr set here.

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137. Tokyo - Tsurutontan Serves Godzilla-sized Bowls of Udon / つるとんたん (Tokyo: Minato-ku, Roppongi / 東京都: 港区, 六本木)

Despite my unholy consumption of bread earlier in the day, I was not done eating carbohydrates just yet.  For dinner, Tokyo resident Kristen Shimatsu introduced Ken and me to Tsurutontan (つるとんたん), a restaurant that serves Godzilla-sized bowls of udon (うどん) noodles.



I ordered the nabeyaki udon (鍋焼きうどん), a traditional noodle soup served directly in the cast iron pot that it's cooked in.  Even though the display case outside the restaurant gives customers a glimpse into the life sized portion of the noodles, it is still hard to believe that a bowl approximately the size of my torso is sitting piping hot in front of me.

A variety of ingredients were placed atop the broth, including shrimp tempura, chicken, unagi, a poached egg, tofu skin, enoki and shiitake mushrooms, sliced bamboo, cabbage and kikuna.  The jagged edged vegetable known as kikuna in Japan is more commonly known as tongho in Mandarin at hot pot restaurants or crown daisy in English at local American supermarkets.

Common in Japanese ramen is one half of a soft boiled egg that garnishes the top of the noodles.  However, in Japanese udon, the egg is usually fully cooked through.  What I love about eggs in Japan and Taiwan is the glowing orange hue of the yolk.  It is something that we rarely see in America, so when I see it in Asia it becomes a sort of treat.

Kristen ordered a vegetable udon, and Ken ordered the pork udon.  We also chose a tako salad with  lotus root and nagaimo to share.  The citrus in the salad dressing was a good palate cleanser for our very savory noodles.

The flagship location in Roppongi is open for lunch at 11:00 and does not close until 8:00 in the morning.  I am already thinking that this might make a good spot for some post-drinking eating.  Speaking of which... now that dinner was complete...

Until next time, let's all get S.O.F.A.T.

つるとんたん / Tsurutontan
東京都 港区 / Tokyo Metropolis, Minato Ward
六本木 3-14-12 / Roppongi District, 3 Chome 14-12
外苑東通り / Gaien Higashi-dori Street
六本木3丁目ビル / Roppongi 3 Chome Building

Check out more of the giant bowls of udon in my Flickr set here.

ML - 20130627

127. Portland - Breakfast at Bijou Café (Portland: Southwest/Old Town/Chinatown)

Good morning, Portland.  It's time for breakfast.  Still in the Southwest quadrant of Portland, Allison and I took a brisk stroll to Bijou Café to check out some of the interesting selections on their brunch menu.  Despite pondering over cowboy steak with chimichurri, pumpkin seed molé quesadilla, and their buckwheat noodle salad, Allie and I settled on some more basic choices.

Having dined at Olympic Provisions the night before, our infatuation with the restaurant led us to order the Olympic Provisions breakfast sausage & eggs.  Hooray for ground meat in an edible casing that was not bought frozen from the supermarket.  I mean... yay for fresh sausage.

We also ordered the French toast made with fresh brioche from Portland's very own Pearl Bakery.  See a recurring theme here? Fresh and local.  I like.  The house made berry jam was not too sweet and just tart enough to bring out the natural sweetness from the bread.  The toast itself was lusciously soft.  It actually didn't need any butter at all... but I love butter, and I love watching it melt and drip down the triangles of beautifully browned brioche.  If that isn't live food porn then I don't know what is.

Allie chose the cauliflower & black kale hash, which had a bit of a Mediterranean feel with harissa, sheep milk feta and olives.  We loved the potatoes, the bright colors of the vegetables and that they weren't overcooked.  And of course, the best part was the runny yolk.  That's morning sunshine in liquid form for you right there.

There were so many choices that called to us from their menu that we had to take some time to narrow the list down.  Good thing our server at Bijou Café spent a good amount of time with us to hash out our final selections based on our tastes.  I must say that there was great service from Portland restaurant staff once again.  Bellies full, it was now time for a walk to Powell's to examine the wide selection of books there.  Until then, let's all get S.O.F.A.T.

ML - 20130623

126. Portland - A Second Visit to Olympic Provisions (Portland: Southeast/Industrial)

Olympic Provisions impressed me so much during the first visit that I wanted Allison to experience the true, unpretentious food that it offered.  We came here for dinner after our brief pit stop at Clyde Common for happy hour.  Funny... because that is the same route that Chef Alex Yoder took to reach Olympic Provisions.  Just as it was last time, the service was sincere, and the food was beyond compare.  Even the bread, dipped in a dish of olive oil, salt and pepper, blew our minds with its delicious simplicity.

On this repeat visit to the restaurant that caused me to fall in love with Portland, we ordered the steak tartare again.  We were completely enamored with the skillfully diced beef, the petite drop of egg yolk, and the crisp crostini.  It was just as fresh as I had remembered it.  Consistently executed quality dishes like this is what makes for an awesome restaurant.  This is a must if visiting Olympic Provisions... or even Portland at all.

The mixed beans salad from last time gave me such a lasting impression that I convinced Allie to order some vegetables... at a salumeria.  Yes, I know.  But how could we resist? Nutritious, beautiful, and ever so fresh, the kale salad with thinly sliced radishes was a fitting complement to our meal.

One item on the dessert menu that we did not order last time was the salame de chocolat.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Chocolate salami.  But it's not what you think.  Or it might be exactly what you think.  It's smooth chocolate in the shape of a sausage with bits of nuts and toffee right where the fatty spots of a salami should be.  Genius.  Pure genius.  Along with the citrus marmalade and the salt and pepper shortbread... holy momma, this was devilishly delicious.  We particularly took a liking to the shortbread.  It was like a melt-in-your-mouth Ritz cracker... but even better.  Some would say this cracker was on crack.

To top everything off, we sneaked in a few small bites of some dessert that the staff was catering to a wedding.

Hats off to Chef Alex for his genuine food preparation, passion, and prowess.  Just in case you are expecting a swanky place, this is not it.  Don't expect anyone to place a white cloth napkin over your lap as you sit down.  It is just a straight forward salumeria, a glorified butcher shop of sorts, that makes food without fuss.  Olympic Provisions is for me what a day spa is for those working in corporate America.  Feeling stressed? Suffering from culinary depression? Chef Alex will give you a realignment.  And at the end of your session you'll want to come back again.  Until then, let's all get S.O.F.A.T.

ML - 20130622

Post 122: Portland - Olympic Provisions Seals the Deal (Portland: Southeast/Industrial)

For our last meal in Portland we headed to the Industrial District for the renowned Olympic Provisions, a purveyor of locally sourced quality meats.  It is more than just a butcher shop or salumeria.  It is a full fledged restaurant that serves dishes featuring fresh cuts of meats, vegetables that are in season and cheese galore.  The type of food that Olympic Provisions has on its menu is great for pairing with beer and wine.  After all, what goes better with cured meats and cheeses than a good bottle of red?

To start we had The Chef's Choice of five meats.  I really liked the pork and pistachio terrine, and we thought the dry cured salami selection was outstanding.

Another stand out dish was the mixed beans salad with frisée, basil pesto, and bread crumbs.  For those that are not a fan of these legumes, this salad will change all that.  It was cool, chill to the touch, and surprisingly refreshing.  The frisée was truly fresh, and the bread crumbs added the perfect slight crunch to pull the dish together.

The steak tartare was one of the best I have ever had.  The cuts of steak were mixed in with olives and parsley, and the perfect round of egg yolk was placed ever so carefully over the top.  Absolute perfection.  It was as fresh as fresh could be.

After some off-the-menu chef specials, we headed straight into dessert.  We closed off our last meal in Portland with the chilled roasted peach with crème anglaise, salted almonds and caramel.  By the time the dessert came out, I was so serene and content that I almost drowned into the roasted peach the way my spoon did.  There was something about sitting at the bar counter and watching the chefs at work at Olympic Provisions.  The stereotypical Portlandia cooks (tattoos, piercing, and facial hair all dressed in black) were working the line in a seemingly effortless calm.  Their smooth, orchestrated actions created a serene atmosphere that put all the guests at ease.  No shouting, loud noises or cacophonous clashes... it sealed the deal for my love of Portland.

Portland is a city of amazing food, friendly people, and crisp, clean air.  I will be back for more in June.  Until then, let's all get S.O.F.A.T.

ML - 20120915

Post 63: Taipei - More Szechwan Flavors / 更多川味 (Taipei: Da An District / 台北: 大安區)

Although beef noodle soup is the supposed national dish of Taiwan, it is rumored to have origins in the Szechwan region of China.  Since its creation, beef noodle soup has been altered by the many generations of Taiwanese to what it is today.  However, other Szechwan-branded dishes such as mapo tofu (麻婆豆腐), hot and sour soup (酸辣湯), and dan dan noodles (擔擔麵) have generally remained constant throughout their culinary histories.  There may have been substitutions for different or better quality ingredients and perhaps slight tweaks in flavors to suit regional palates, but for the most part, these famous items are still considered Szechwan dishes.  Chili House Restaurant (四川吳抄手) in Taipei is a great place for a taste of these traditional spicy Szechwan flavors... but it's also a great place for discovering some non-spicy items too.



On my previous visits to the restaurant, I had ordered the usuals: red chili wontons (紅油抄手), super spicy mala noodles (麻辣麵) that numb your tongue, and hot and sour cabbage pork (酸白菜肉絲) wrapped in steamed shaobing pockets (燒餅).  This time, though, I had a sudden craving for fatty pork.  I doubt the Szechwan origins of this dish, especially because the only remotely spicy ingredient in it is minced garlic, but hey, a craving is a craving.  The English translation of this dish is cold white cut pork slices (蒜泥白肉), which doesn't sound appetizing in the least... so let's just use my translation: fatty pork in minced garlic and soy sauce.  Yum!

Hey, that's exactly what it is, anyway.  Lean slices of pork, which are blanched just quick enough to cook the meat, are bordered by thin, wrinkles of fat without a hint of grease.  Before anything else is done to the pork, it's chilled so that the meat becomes stretchy and tender, and the curls of fat on the pork taste almost al dente.  Soy sauce paste, a thickened and more pungent version of soy sauce that is widely used in Taiwanese cooking, is later drizzled over the top of the meat.  And the minced garlic? Already in the soy sauce paste.  No need for rice.  It's like chomping on bacon and not worrying about the eggs.

But I guess you can't really eat at a restaurant that serves Szechwan cuisine without ordering any spicy food at all right? Bring the red chili wontons, please.  In fact, these red chili wontons are exactly what anyone coming to this restaurant should order.  After all, the name of the wonton dish (紅油抄手) is in the name of the restaurant (四川吳抄手). 

The chili wontons come six in an order, and they come sitting in a puddle of soy and chili oil... unmixed.  You can relish in the tossing, mixing, and marinating of the flappy, Chinese ravioli before indulging in these bite-size poppers.  They're mouthfuls of savory, salty, and spicy bliss.  And what's even better is that you put effort into these one-bite wonders, and you know... it always tastes better if you've had a hand in the work.

After devouring half a dozen little fists of cloud-like wontons, I dug my chopsticks into the mound of hot and sour cold noodles (冰鎮酸辣麵).  The noodles were topped off with Chinese celery, chili and chili oil, green onions, sesame, and bean sprouts... a combination of of ingredients that provided notes of sour tang and chilled bursts of crunchy refreshment.  The celery, sesame, and sprouts opened the way to cooling off during the hot and humid Taipei summer afternoon.



A bowl of noodles usually sustains my hunger, but after discovering the refreshing delight from the Chinese celery and bean sprouts, I perused the menu for another vegetable dish.  Typical Szechwan vegetable dishes include dry fried green beans (乾煸四季豆) and fish fragrant garlic eggplant (魚香茄子), but somehow I landed on a tofu dish that contained more seafood than it did veggies.  The treasure chest of seafood (海至尊) came in a shallow dish filled to the brim with kryptonite green peas, cubes of diced sea cucumber, shrimp, clams, squid, and smoked ham submerged in a sauce made from salted egg yolk.

This was the most disturbing looking dish of the meal.  Perhaps the house specialty appetizer, bean sprouts wrapped in tofu skin (芝麻豆皮捲豆芽), was a better choice just based simply on appearance.  But this pool of sulfuric tofu was actually pretty tasty.  Each item of seafood was diced to the size of the tofu, which meant every bite had equal parts of tender tofu and springy seafood.  The salted egg yolk gave the dish a hearty and homemade taste while binding the plethora of ingredients together.  It looked ugly, but it tasted pretty damned good.  Hey, we aren't supposed to judge a book by its cover anyway, right?

One tofu dish led to another tofu dish... except the next tofu dish was a dessert, and it came compliments of the restaurant.  Almond tofu (杏仁豆腐) is typically a simple, homestyle dessert, but I understand why it's offered after a spicy meal.  The soft jello (it's not really tofu) has an almond fragrance with a sweet taste that soothes the tongue better than any other spice retardant... better than iced water or cold milk.  With or without spicy food, the springy, jiggly tofu in disguise was a great way to end any meal. 

Chili House has become a regular stop for me whenever I get a chance to visit Taipei.  Hopefully, everyone finds their own favorite spicy, Szechwan stop.  Until then, let's all get S.O.F.A.T.

Chili House Restaurant (四川吳抄手)

台北市 大安區/ Taipei City, Da An District

忠孝東路 4段 250之3號 / Zhongxiao East Road, Section 4, No. 250-3

How I get there:

MRT: Zhongxiao Dunhua Station (捷運忠孝敦化站)

exit no. 4; walk east on Zhongxiao East Road

make a right on Lane 248 (248 巷); restaurant is on the left

ML - 20110915