how to disappear completely (from store shelves)
Posted by rameniac at 03:45 PM | 14 Jan 2008
Many of you may have noticed a dearth of top notch instant ramen selections at your local Japanese supermarket. After asking around, I discovered the sordid truth behind this. Japan's ban on U.S. beef has apparently led to a retaliatory embargo on certain meat products from the J-motherland! It hadn't occurred to me before, but my suspicions were confirmed when I checked out the shelves at Mitsuwa Marketplace.
None of the available ramen featured chashu or meat toppings! This means all the top-end favorites like Goota and Raoh and shop-signature lines like
Kurume Taiho and Kujirakei are certified contraband for the time being. What a disaster.
I'll try to compile a list of the best among the slim pickings on offer these days, but granted, stuff like UFO Yakisoba and Myojo Chukazanmai are reliable standbys in these dire times.
the 2007 king of the bowl: the top 10 ramen shops in los angeles
Posted by rameniac at 04:22 PM | 28 Dec 2007
Time flies when tacos fry. This website has been running for a little over a year now (well, ok, a year and a half, really), but for all practical purposes, I'm just going to say it's our one year anniversary and leave it at that. And so with 2008 on the brain, it's high time we joined the "list" making fad (blah) and churn out our own Southern California Top 10 "King of the Bowl" ramen list! Sorry, rest of the world. Until I move to Japan (a definitely possibility in the coming months) I don't feel up to compiling any more "best of" lists for ramen shops elsewhere. So, lowered expectations for now. Meh. Here you go... and Happy New Year!
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10. Orochon Ramen (in the bowl rating: 15.5)
Ahh, Orochon. Loved by some and loathed by others, usually for doing irreparable harm to the intestinal tract of diners brave enough to attempt their "Special 2 Challenge." Spices or not, the fact remains that Orochon's shio ramen soup is a delicate blend of flavors that is uncommonly good for the L.A. ramen scene. For that reason alone, I keep coming back here, and one of these days I just might actually take a gallon of milk along and try to get my face on that "wall of bravery"... |
the 22 popular ramen styles of japan: a ramenologist’s field guide
Posted by rameniac at 05:28 PM | 20 Jul 2007
So you like ramen, but have a hard time figuring out what we babble on about here at rameniac? A bit confused over the differences between
Asahikawa and
Hakata-style pork bone soup? Fear not. Here's a (far from) comprehensive guide to the
22 popular ramen styles of Japan. Just like Italy has Neapolitan and Lazio-style pizzas, ramenology is a complex and fascinating study of regional variations, cooking processes, and local character. Well, it's complex and fascinating to yours truly and about five other native English speakers on this planet, at least.
gatcha got goin’ on?
Posted by rameniac at 05:42 PM | 04 Jul 2007
Anyone familiar with masturbation will know all about Japan’s love for gatcha gatcha capsule toys. And anyone who knows about capsule toys will certainly be hip to ReMent’s line of miniature food replicas. Although these aren’t gatcha in the truest sense of the word (they’re sold in Japanese markets with a token piece of “candy"), luck of the draw does play a big factor in the toy you get. Think Cracker Jack without the caramel-coated corn but with a singular piece of gum and one incredibly awesome toy set. Not to boast (ok, fine, to boast), but through a combination of shaking, fondling, and weighing, my record on getting the toy I want is something like 23-2, better than Royce Gracie and Antonio Noguiera in the MMA ring. (Now all I need is for Eiko Koike to give me that bridging back suplex, if you know what I mean). Anyway, the latest from ReMent is their Deribarii assortment - Japanese “delivery” foods. There’s sushi, fried chicken, “Doremi” pizza, and set #4: an honest to goodness, saran-wrapped replica of Menkichi ramen and gyoza with a miniature bowl little bigger than a 100 yen piece. We all know which one I want. Did i score? 24-2 baby. I need to get laid.
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So I recently managed to hijack a shipment of Japan's hottest product since Riyo Mori, canned ramen! Actually, I received them as gifts from abroad, but the whole hijacking thing sounds much sexier. Campbell's has been canning soup noodles since chimney sweeps first got the black lung, so what took Japan so long? The noodles would get too mushy, a problem which has only recently been overcome with the use of konyaku instead of wheat flour. Imagine my surprise when I opened my gift bag to find not only canned ramen, but also, canned oden (which is now available at Japanese grocery stores in the States) and a can of... yakitori skewers?! Apparently these are self-heating; once you pop the top, the can heats up automatically. Should I crack one open yet?
