ramen california remixed: vegetarian ramen (finally!) and noodling for purists

Posted by rameniac at 01:58 AM | 03 Feb 2010

Full disclosure. This is flagrant shilling. Well, almost. Firstly, because the folks at Ramen California did in fact contact me recently to explain that celebrated chef Sean Nakamura had finally started experimenting and introducing new items to the already stellar menu, but secondly because the little tasting I was invited to partake in really was fantastic. We’ve seen glimpses of Nakamura-san’s vision in the months since the restaurant first opened; their long-standing “preview menu” featured a controversial California ramen which health-conscious slurpers loved and ramen traditionalists were quick to dismiss.

hawaiian ramen creations

Posted by rameniac at 04:18 AM | 02 Jun 2009

Hawaii! The 50th state conjures images of leis, luaus, and a thousand other cliches. No, not really. There’s also the Hawai’i of the native peoples and the sovereignty movement, of Matsumoto Shaved Ice and North Shore shrimp trucks, the Hawai’i of Punahou high school and Obama’s youth… yet when this rameniac thinks of the islands, only one thing comes to mind - herds of Japanese tourists and Louis Vuitton products with a cheaper sales tax. Oh yes and ramen, for there’s gotta be some of the squiggly stuff around. After all, we’re halfway to the motherland!

the ramen king and i: from noodling to… book reviews?

Posted by rameniac at 04:23 PM | 27 Apr 2009

Well this was unexpected. I recently received a review copy of Andy Raskin's The Ramen King and I: How the Inventor of Instant Noodles Fixed My Love Life. The author is apparently a reader of this site, so I'm pretty sure he'll come across my "review" of his book before long. Apologies in advance Andy, I'm no Michiko Kakutani. That said, you've got little to fear.The Ramen King and I is a fine, engaging read, a highly personal memoir about love, sex, and one man's relationship to... Momofuku Ando?

the 2009 king of the bowl: top shops from coast-to-coast

Posted by rameniac at 05:31 PM | 09 Jan 2009

Yes, it's finally here! The 2009 King of the Bowl ramen ratings. I apologize for being a week late, but that's about how long it took for me to, um, recover from New Year's Eve? Maybe. But whatever! We're in an expansive, reverse manifest destiny state of mind here at rameniac, so for the Year of the Ox, we'll be taking a look at ramen shops coast-to-coast! From the fireworks of New York City to the familiar faces in Los Angeles, test your luck in Las Vegas so you won't have to go slurpless in Seattle, this one's for you, dear reader, and my frequent flyer mileage points. Happy 2009!

the momofuku ando instant ramen museum

Posted by rameniac at 12:48 PM | 19 Sep 2008

Finally, the time is nigh for the hugest, most photo-intensive pictorial this website has ever seen! Maybe you guys thought I had forgotten, but perhaps I was just saving this for the right occasion ^^. What better way to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Chikin Ramen and the birth of instant noodles than a walking tour through the Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum? Oh yes.