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spaztic1215

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About spaztic1215

  • Birthday 12/15/1981

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    Rustic homestyle cooking and ethnic cuisines are where it's at.
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    Washington, DC

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  1. I don't know that I could tell the difference between the noodles at Daikaya and Ren's, and yes, they both source their noodles from Nishiyama, the Washington City Paper noted that Daikaya's noodles are custom-made to spec (this was also mentioned on the Kojo Nnamdi show): "During that trip, Fukushima spent two weeks cooking alongside “Ramen Master” Sakae Ishida at the Nishiyama Seimen noodle factory that supplies Daikaya with its customized aged noodles." http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/youngandhungry/2013/03/06/soup-dreams-daikaya-chef-katsuya-fukushima-trades-high-end-molecular-gastronomy-for-traditional-ramen/
  2. Oh and Sapporo is the capital of Hokkaido, a northern prefecture of Japan. If you ever find yourself in Sapporo itself, you'll start to sense that Sapporo is more synonymous with ramen than the beer! There are ramen joints everywhere, and the famous "Ramen Alley" which is an alley lined with just ramen stalls. I think they ran out of space, so now there's even a NEW ramen alley. It is truly...heaven.
  3. Haha, there would be so much to cover! I myself am only familiar with a few styles of ramen, and that is generally limited to Japanese regional varieties and some Korean and Taiwanese twists on it. Although many ramen-joints often break up their ramen offerings by the tare (broth-base) flavorings of shio (salt-flavored), shoyu (soy-flavored), miso (duh), and sometimes tonkotsu (pork-bone and marrow broth), these can even vary considerably depending on the blend of broth components (which usually involve a mix of pork, chicken, seafood, veggies, and aromatics) and the cooking methods. Even now, ramen chefs are still innovating on ramen-preparation techniques, that seek both a deeper and more complex tare while maintaining balance of flavors. One more recent innovation is the "double-soup" method, where two broths (for example, pork-based and dashi/bonito-based) are prepared separately and then blended at the last minute to avoid a muddying of flavors. This is what Momofuku does now, I believe. That said, when it comes to comparing ramen styles, most ramen-enthusiasts break it down into 4 main components: tare (broth concentrate, generally shio, shoyu, miso), broth itself, noodles, and toppings. True ramen success achieves a balance between all 4 components. And as much as I often refer to the notion of 'traditional' ramen, ramen itself (at least in Japan) is comparatively a more modern dish. Yes, noodles were introduced to Japan early, by the Chinese. But ramen as we know it today really rose to popularity in post WW2 Japan, when wheat was a cheap import from the West; that's also why additions like canned corn niblets and butter are considered commonplace in ramen dishes, because of their postwar abundance and it was thus a cheap way to add sweetness and texture to a time-consuming yet modest way to nourish Japanese soldiers. David Chang (owner of Momofuku) has a publication called "Lucky Peach", that dedicated its first issue to ramen. It's a very good and fun primer to ramen's origins and regional styles, and more modern takes abroad. I would recommend that, and also the excellent website Rameniac, which also has a regional overview here: http://www.rameniac.com/ramen_styles/
  4. Sapporo is generally accepted as the birthplace of miso ramen (with a supposed origin story whereby a a customer in a noodle house called Aji no Sanpei asked the chef to add ramen noodles to his miso soup). Now, Sapporo-style ramen is known for a rich, pork-based, heartier ramen tare (broth), accented with ground or minced pork, and heavy/ier on the ginger and garlic aromatics. It's considered traditional to cook the miso base, broth, veggies, and aromatics in a lard-greased wok before serving. The usual toppings for Sapporo-style ramen include roast pork, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, scallions, minced/ground pork, ginger, garlic, butter, and corn.
  5. At the risk of sounding like a ramen-snob, I really wish that people would stop comparing places that seek to serve traditional Sapporo-style ramen (like Ren's, Daikaya, and occasionally Sushi Taro) to fusion, non-traditional noodle shops like Toki, Sakuramen, and Taan. I had the chance to try both the Shoyu ramen and Mugi-Miso ramen at Daikaya on Saturday evening. Before Daikaya opened, my boyfriend and I would regularly get our ramen fix at the consistently solid Ren's. Last night, we came with very reserved expectations, but now I have to say that Daikaya is serving hands down the best and most authentic ramen in the DC metro area. Both the shoyu and mugi-miso were excellent; I was impressed that the shoyu managed to have both texture and depth of flavor, since it's often very difficult to achieve that richness with a mostly soy-flavored broth. But it avoided the trap of being one-note and was silky, salty, earthy, and rich. The noodles are perfect. Springy, chewy, curly and delicious. And the toppings are well-balanced, not threatening to overshadow the noodles or the broth (ahem, Toki). Now, the standout of the night was the mugi-miso. I generally prefer miso-flavored ramen broth, and Ren's makes an excellent version, but you do occasionally get a slightly gritty bowl every once in a while (such is the risk of simmering miso). The mugi-miso at Daikaya was perfectly executed, and had all the wonderful salty and earthy umami of miso, but balanced against this unusual yet amazing complement of char-flavor. You can spy little black flecks of char in the mugi-miso broth, which lend a wonderful note of toastiness. It's not unlike the wok-char flavor that accompanies fried rice noodles. I was so impressed with this unique take on miso broth that I had to ask Katsuya afterward, how he achieved that. Indeed, he chars the broth aromatics and veggies in a wok to infuse the broth with the char flavor. Outstanding. I almost never order Shio ramen b/c it is almost invariably disappointing when done at places that rely on toppings over broth. But I can't wait to go back to Daikaya and try the Shio this time. Although, I may have to order the Mugi-Miso too, because it's just too good to pass up.
  6. If you find yourself in Columbia Heights, craving Pho or other classic Vietnamese dishes, I recommend walking north up 14th St to Pho Viet (assuming it's not Tuesday, as they're closed on Tuesday. Very consistently good, excellent cha gio, spring rolls, pho (all typical varieties plus an excellent spicy lemongrass pho!) along with other bun and rice dishes. The place is run by a very honest and pleasant Vietnamese couple. It's become my favorite Pho joint in DC by a landslide.
  7. I really miss Chung Dai Kam, specifically because of the charcoal bbqs. But Nak Won also does charcoal bbq for beef dishes (the pork entrees usually get grilled on a separate gas burner to avoid grease fires). Since Chung Dai Kam closed, we have started to go to Nak Won for our LA Galbi fix. They also throw in the soybean stew (doenjang jjigae) and steamed egg (gyeran jjim) for free, like Chung Dai Kam did. The atmosphere is a bit more divey, and the parking is a lot more difficult, but it's a pretty good fallback for charcoal bbq.
  8. The gluten-free crust was available when we went to visit Bacio last Saturday night. My boyfriend and I had been looking forward to visiting, but for some reason I didn't anticipate that Bacio was really only suited for carry out pizza. They did have a makeshift table (a converted wooden cart wagon) that they made room for us to sit at, and it was actually very pleasant albeit a bit awkward at first. We thoroughly enjoyed our gluten-free "Seaton" w/ pesto, roasted red peppers, and prosciutto, and small hand-tossed "Bloomingdale" w/ tomato sauce, tomatoes, and prosciutto. It was actually the best gluten-free crust we've had (slightly better than Pete's and much better than Homemade PIzza), and both pizzas had just enough char on the bottom and chew throughout the crust. The small pizzas were about 10-inch with the gluten-free crust appearing slightly smaller. We are looking forward to going again, it was solidly prepared food, honest ingredients, and charming neighborhood atmosphere (even for a carryout).
  9. It used to be Chung Dai Kam before they closed (huge huge loss...no other place did indoor charcoal Korean BBQ). But now I would say Nak Won has the best banchan selection and samgyupsal (pork belly strips) and galbi (beef spare ribs). They also offer free steamed egg and soybean tofu stew as part of the banchan.
  10. Dolcezza off Bethesda Lane next to Redwood, serves great espresso and pourover coffee. I think they use the Hairbender roast from Stumptown, and maybe a couple Counter Culture roasts as options too. We always stop there before a show at Landmark Bethesda Row. Website.
  11. This makes me really sad. It really was the best Korean BBQ in Annandale; I think it was the only place that did indoor charcoal grilling? I never understood why Honey Pig was so popular while Chung Dai Kam, which was literally a stone's throw away, was generally deserted. Chung Dai Kam had a more varied offering of banchan and much better quality meat. Plus, they provided tofu stew and steamed egg, free of charge. Bah, what a bummer.
  12. Friends and I were a bit trigger happy in our attempt to visit the not-yet-opened Toki Underground last night. But in lieu of ramen, we were able to try out chef Erik Bruner-Yang's popup taco stand "Tacos Impala" at the Philadelphia Water Ice space on H Street between 12th and 13th NE. Look for the wooden handpainted sign that reads "TACOS Impala". The menu consists of 3 types of tacos: carne asada, carnitas, and vegetarian (refried beans) all served in white-corn tortillas that are made from scratch and pressed to order. They are hands down the best tortillas in the area--fresh, soft, and so deliciously flavorful! They'd be good even with mediocre fillings, but fortunately all the fillings are very tasty and well-seasoned. The steak was surprisingly super tender, but my favorite was definitely the carnitas. They were a perfect blend of crisp pork and luscious fat, and the spicy green tomatillo salsa was the perfect compliment. Gosh, I could happily die drowning in that delicious green tomatillo sauce. At $3 a taco, I actually think Tacos Impala is a bargain dinner, but I've heard others balk at the pricing. Honestly, I feel that the quality of the ingredients more than warrants the cost and wait-time. And you can cut down the wait-time by calling ahead your order: (202) 375-0537.
  13. A group of 7 of us thoroughly enjoyed the month-long Restaurant Week special at Dino today, and waddled home just now. Every time I go to Dino I'm stunned at the amazing value of the food and wine there. This is especially true during Restaurant Week; in fact, I can't believe Restaurant Week isn't a money-losing venture for them. $35 covers any 2 antipasti, salad, half-order pasta, or dessert as well as a FULL-SIZED entree and after-dinner drink. In fact, since no one in our party has a sweet-tooth, we all chose an antipasti, pasta, and entree, and STILL got dessert b/c of a minor error in which we were given expired menus at the start. I'm actually not a fan of Restaurant Week at most places. Too often, it ends up parade of mediocre preselected and pre-warmed dishes that are a poor representation of what the restaurant is like on a typical night. Dino is one of the very few places in DC that completely embraces the spirit of Restaurant Week, and truly offers its patrons the opportunity to have the full experience at a fraction of the price, with neither quantity nor quality spared. Particular highlights of the night were the burrata (a heavenly pillow of luscious and fresh mozzarella), duck confit (stunningly moist duck breast under a perfectly crisp shell of skin), pappardelle al cinghiale (a staple at Dino, really), and whole sea bream. For desserts, the tiramisu and "Nico" were the crowd favorites. Service was excellent! Our server, Andrew, was both attentive and informative. He pointed us to an incredible 2006 Rosso di Montalcino (33% off!); it was so delicious, we ended up ordering 3 bottles of it instead of sticking to our original plan of mixing up the wine choices. Oopsie.
  14. A group of 8 of us checked out Againn last night for a birthday dinner. We started off with a round of Corsendonk, a Belgian IPA, which tasted like a creamier version of Chimay Blue. Delicious! We then ordered the mussels and brawn to share. The mussels were perfectly cooked, pillowy and fresh, and the bread that they bring out was perfect for sopping up that delicious mussel broth. The brawn is basically a head cheese pate, made from the neck and cheek meat of a pig and slowly braised over a full day. It was served as 2 discs of pate with toast and pickled vegetables. This was good but could've used more salt. Actually both starters would've benefited from more salt. For entrees, we ordered the rib-eye which was the roast of the day (minimum 2 people to share), bangers and mash, fish and chips, pork belly, hangar steak, and rockfish. Of these, my favorite was the fish and chips and pork belly. The fried-batter on the fish was thin and airy and the fish inside was wonderfully moist. Only one piece though, so it looked a little lonely on the plate. Each pork belly bite was a sumptuous combination of crisp outer fat and juicy inner fat. The service was very professional and informative, and the manager came out a couple times to wish our friend a happy birthday and to check on us. I also really appreciated the little cute touches like: - water glasses are actually repurposed bottoms of wine bottles! each one is unique. - our scotches were served in a glass with one large sphere of ice - bread was warm and replenished without us having to ask - their handsoap in the bathroom smells very nice I'm definitely looking forward to going back, I'm a bit worried that their location and the inconspicuous entrance will put this place off most people's radar. But it's very much worth checking out!
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