umetaro's Profile
Ryoko for a non-fish eater?
there's a lot of non-fish items on the menu. unfortunately, i can't recall any of them except niku jaga. don't worry, i've taken non-fish eating friends there before and they were quite happy.
Sushi party advice?
if you're looking for places near your apartment...
http://squinty.com/richmondsushi.txt
it's missing one or two new places that have opened in the past few months though.
What is YOUR top ramen list?
Hey TomG,
Did you happen to pass by and check out whatever replaced BY?
sushi @ ryoko's
Hmm.. I'd have to rate Ino's shishamo as the winner, but that's just 'cause the shishamo at Ryoko's had less eggs in it... well, that and I like Ino's rice a lot.
The webernets says that shimanto is in kochi-ken on shikoku.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kochi_Prefecture
I'm not sure about the quality of the chinese stuff, I'm wary of it though... with the whole kimchi thing and then there was that toxic spill floating down I don't remember which river... Eh, most of the stuff I eat is probably grown in China anyway.
What is YOUR top ramen list?
Ah, I saw it on my way home. I tend to ignore those "grand opening" banners... the chinese restaurant next to my house has been "grand opening" for the last four months. Also, I'm sure if it said "sushi" anywhere on the sign I would have spotted it immediately.
What is YOUR top ramen list?
I was on 3rd ave drinking just the other night and didn't see that. Are you sure it was between 3rd and 4th? I must have been standing right in front of it.
What is YOUR top ramen list?
Okay, here's mine...
Disclaimer: I was going to say "I like my foods like I like my women," but that doesn't work out so well when everything I eat is salty with a lot of fat content.
As much as I'm aware of the superiority of South Bay Ramen (I would kill for a good bowl of tonkotsu ramen with some kakuni on the side. Okay, maybe not kill, but definitely wound), I don't drive out of the city much (drink responsibly, kids!) so I'll keep this list contained to places in SF.
1. Katana-ya
It's open 'til 2am! They offer a range of broth choices (miso, shio, shoyu, sappari, kotteri) as well as a plethora of sides. My pick for best chashu in the city. I once ordered a combination kotteri miso chashumen and chashudon... I could feel my blood coagulating with each bite. Such fatty, oily goodness.
2. Suzu
I heard that the owner of Suzu used to work with the Katana-ya owner at what used to be Henry the VIIIth on Geary and Leavenworth. Definite similarities in style. I haven't encountered Melanie's alkaline problem, but I've probably destroyed any kind of sensitivity (physical or emotional, apparently) through the random whiskey binge here and there.
3. Oyaji
The owner, Hide, is supposedly the brother of the katana-ya owner. They only offer one type of ramen... "oyaji ramen." A name which evokes disturbing images of sukebe salarymen hitting on my girlfriend. There's a nice surprise of garlic chips in the broth, but oftentimes too many extraneous vegetables get in the way of my noodles.
4. BY grill
The "Kyushu ramen" didn't seem very Kyushu to me. I tried their pork (tonkotsu) ramen and was a bit disappointed, but maybe my expectations were too high? The broth seemed more like it would appeal to a Chinese palate than a Japanese one.
5. Tampopo
My nihonjin friends love tampopo and I have no idea why. I think it's because they're all from Tokyo and don't have the pork love. The Kyushu ramen there makes me sadder than BY Grill's effort, but their multitude of menu options tend to coerce me back. I heard they recently hired a new ramen cook and the food has gone a bit downhill since then.
6. Iroha
I eat here when I'm broke and Suzu and Tampopo are closed. Ramen is not their specialty. I've actually had a few other things there and have yet to find their specialty...
7. Sapporo-ya
This is where I eat when I'm too broke for sushi, I'm not in the mood for any other offerings in the Kinokuniya mall, suzu is closed, and it's too cold to walk up the street to Iroha.
8. Sushi Bistro
I've only eaten the ramen there once and don't remember much about it. The lack of an urge to revisit the place is probably more telling than any description I could muster. I think their specialties are uramaki and fusion type sushi anyhow. I just looked at their online menu and ramen isn't listed... maybe they don't serve it anymore?
Note: I tend to be more of a broth person than a noodle person.
Good Soup, annoying service @ My Tofu House on Geary in SF
were you ordering the dolsot dishes? the metal bowl is the default for non-dolsot items. i always have to ask for more rice as well. it's not an ethnic treatment thing. well, it isn't until they find out i'm a dirty 일본놈.
sushi @ ryoko's
Dropped by Ryoko's last night. They had some nice stuff from Japan...
zuwaigani (snow crab)
uni (sea urch ) from tsukiji
iwashi (sardine)
engawa (halibut fin)
unagi (freshwater eel) i.e. not the pre-processed kind
shishamo (smelt)
The zuwaigani was awesome. It tasted like sort of like lobster, but better. Everything else was equally good... I need to either start writing these things down or stop drinking so much at dinner because everything else is a bit fuzzy. Actually, I need to learn some adjectives. "Lobster, but better." So fired.
Gyu-tataki in SF?
It's basically Korean bbq with fancier ingredients, higher prices, and less after-smell. The downdraft grills they have there are way cool. The food wasn't bad, but it wasn't anything exciting either. I just like taking my Korean friends there because it makes them mad.
Melanie Wong’s ramen rankings as of June 12, 2006
would you mind sharing your version with the pictures? (are they the actual images or links to them?) my email is my username at gmail.com.
red korean bean paste
actually, it's "gochujang" (고추장). pronounced like "goh chew jahng." 99 ranch market is taiwanese based... not sure if they carry korean products.
if you want even a chance at finding some type of artisanal quality gochujang, i'd head over to one of the large korean markets. either hankook market or kukje.
This might help you out: http://www.koreanfeast.com/korean_markets_in_the_us.htm
Naeng Myun or Cold Ramen or ???
what kind of noodles do they usually use in their ramen? the thin straight ones (kyushu type)?
Original Ramen @ Ryowa, Mountain View
hey melanie, maybe you should add a "date visited" kind of thing to your rankings?
or is that kind of like getting a pony for xmas and then complaining that it's not a horse?
"it's a PONY, ya little bastid!"
Search not working correctly
If you search for "umetaro" in the "site talk" board the search returns nothing.
If you search for "unicode" in the "site talk" board the search returns this post...
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/304354
I remember the search function working correctly about a week or so after the new site was launched. Is this one of those "it's not a bug, it's a feature" kind of things?
Naeng Myun or Cold Ramen or ???
I think I remember seeing a sign for hiyashi chuka or some kind of cold ramen at katana-ya.
Recs for lunch, Korea town please
Sushi Gen is in Little Tokyo. Koreatown is a bit west from there.
Best place in SF to buy raw fish for sushi, sashimi
If you're worried about the unification church, just ask the restaurant if they get their fish from Yamato Foods or Golden Gate Seafood in San Leandro. Those are the two seafood wholesalers listed as being associated with the church. The list is pretty old though and I'm not vouching for its accuracy.
Most restaurants in the bay area get their stuff from IMP Foods in San Mateo. I believe Nijiya, Mitsuwa, and Tokyo Fish Market in Berkeley get their fish from them as well.
Jook n' Fun - Bitter Melon?
Inoue/Ino san's wife is Okinawan. She gave me some sata andagi once and I ran out of the restaurant, chased by jealous friends, cackling the whole time.
Jook n' Fun - Bitter Melon?
okinawans LOVE bittermelon. in okinawa they even have a bittermelon drink! i'm only part okinawan, so i think it just tastes like evil.
Lau Lau at Da Kitchen (MV)
some places in hawaii will sautee the cabbage in a little butter with some black pepper and mix in the pork afterwards. the really good places won't overcook the cabbage. that semi-crunchy sensation does nothing but make you happier about eating.
for a while now i've been of the opinion that da kitchen has the best "local style" hawaiian food in the bay area. although i still think their kalua pig could use some brining.
happy sushi truck
it figures that i chose today to go straight to katana-ya... which is apparently not open for lunch on mondays anymore.
happy sushi truck
I found this image of the happy sushi truck... so it's not a myth.
http://static.flickr.com/28/45687161_e29482b003_o.jpg
I tried calling the catering supply company whose number is in the little sign near the driver's window (food depot: 510 441 0700) to see if I could get any info, but they apparently have better things to do on a friday than talk to crazy people from the internet. Am I really stalking a roach coach?
happy sushi truck
anyone spot it lately? i have yet to find it. in fact, i've been so demoralized after a lunchtime's worth of unfruitful searching that i ate at mcdonalds every day last week. EVERY DAY.
i originally thought the ill feeling was a side-effect of the five happy meals i'd eaten, but recently i've begun to suspect that it's actually my soul rotting.
sushi in oahu
I spent a good number of years trying to find good sushi on Oahu and the only two places I'll eat at when I'm there nowadays is Sasabune (much better than their LA location, you just have to get used to the warm rice) and Mitch's. There are a handful of other places that are reasonably okay and do get better as you get friendlier with the itamae, but that usually takes a lot of time and money.
some japanese supermarket questions
ah, wikipedia knows all.
The name Kombucha is derived from the name of a Korean physician, Kom-bu, who introduced the drink to the Japanese Emperor Ingyō in the year 414 AD as a healing drink. The drink became known as Tsche of Kom-bu (Kombu cha).
To add confusion, Kombucha is a Japanese word denoting a tea-like infusion (cha) made from brown kelp (kombu). This Japanese Kombucha is not fermented and does not contain parts of the tea plant. It is not sweet, but sometimes it is salted. It tastes like a thin soup and it is a favourite food for convalescense of sick persons who cannot yet eat stronger food. The Japanese name for the drink made from the tea plant is koucha-kinoko, which means black tea mushroom.
