Ramen Gojiro

Last night, Sameer and I went to dinner with a good friend from law school (Omar!). I haven't seen Omar since I was last in Windsor and was very happy to find out that he would be in town for the week. I've been meaning to try Ramen Gojiro ever since it opened up downtown.  So, I suggested that we go there to test it out.

The restaurant is located downtown Vancouver, right at the intersection of Dunsmuir and Richards. Being the gentleman that Omar is, he got there early to wait in line outside for a table. It was 7:30 pm on a Tuesday night and the place was packed. However, the line seemed to move pretty quickly. 

Gojiro specializes in jiro-style (aka gatsuri-style) ramen. I actually didn't know this fact until after, but Ramen Gojiro is actually the first ramen restaurant in Canada that offers jiro-style ramen! They also make their noodles in-house. This style of ramen is currently very popular in Japan. Jiro-style noodles are thicker, chewier, and not as yellow or egg-y as what most of us are used to. Similar to regular ramen, the soup base tends to be a tonkotsu broth with shoyu added, but thinner in consistency and with more suspended fat on the surface.

GODZILLAAAAA. How fitting. 

Gojiro's menu is simple - Basic or Spicy. Both features their signature broth with a choice of karaage (chicken) or chashu (pork). If your appetite allows for it, you can up-size either one to a bakamori (I've been told that this directly translates to "stupid big") that has more of everything.

All of us decided to go with the Basic ramen (regular size) with chashu. We picked chashu because we had already ordered a plate of karaage to share. I've heard a lot of hype about the karaage, so I was excited to try. I was also interested to try the gyozas because they are made in-house based on a "secret recipe". We ordered a plate of those as well.

I thought the karaage was overrated. I've had some pretty amazing ones before (Le Cafe Michi in Scarborough being the best I've had so far), so the bar is set quite high. At Gojiro, you can order the karaage without any sauce (original), or with sauce: tartar, oroshi (grated daikon), or terispa (spicy mayo & terriyaki). We ordered the karaage with terispa. There were some parts that were juicier than others, but overall I thought the chicken pieces could have been more tender.

The gyozas, on the other hand, tasted (unexpectedly) amazing! I usually don't have very high expectations for gyozas and am very easily turned off by ones with thick or overly chewy "wrappers" (the doughy skin that the meat is wrapped in). Thick wrappers are just distracting and often take away from the taste of the meat on the inside. These ones were paper thin and soft. I could tell that they were not previously frozen. The meat inside was well-seasoned. I couldn't exactly put my finger on the ingredient that made it stand out. Must have been something in that secret recipe! The gyozas came with a dipping sauce that tasted like a mix of soy sauce, vinegar ... and chilli pepper sauce (I think). It was tangy and spicy and I loved it.

Onto the star of the show ...

I'm just going to cut to the chase -  I was disappointed. It wasn't bad, but it didn't live up to the hype. The soup could've had more flavour. There were three levels of spice that you could choose from: mild, spicy, or atomic breath. As badass as "atomic breath" sounded, I chose "spicy" out of precaution. I know my spice tolerance is likely higher than the average person, but the broth wasn't spicy at all. Everyone at the table agreed with this. I appreciate that the broth is thinner for jiro-style ramen than regular ramen, but my issue with the broth wasn't just limited to its richness. I've had ramen where the broth tasted so good, I had to restrain myself from picking up my bowl and drinking it all. Let's just say that I didn't have that problem here.

The chashu was 90% fat, which I wasn't too crazy about. However, I can't critique the fattiness too harshly as I learned afterwards that this is another main feature of jiro-style ramen. It's probably safe to say that jiro-style ramen is not for the health conscious.

The egg didn't come with the ramen. It's a topping that you can add on for $1.00 extra. The first thing I did (after taking a picture of the ramen) was split the egg to check out its centre. I'd give the egg two thumbs up - it's worth the dollar. The yolk was just to my liking.

The noodles were fantastic and I thoroughly enjoyed them. I was a little surprised when I first dug them up from under the broth. I've never had ramen noodles like this before - definitely thicker and chewier than the regular ramen noodles. In my opinion,  they bear a stronger resemblance to shanghai noodles (but with more bite). 

And now, for honourable mentions...

1. Bibs!

Self-explanatorily awesome. We all know how much noodles in soup can splash. Gojiro offers free bibs for those of us who would prefer our food not to intermingle with our clothes. 

2. Practical spoons!

You might not be able to see it clearly in the picture above, but their soup spoons have an indented cliff by the base of the handle (on both sides). This allows you to rest your spoon (face up or down) idly on the edge of your bowl without it slipping into the broth. I'm all about practicality and there's nothing more annoying than your spoon falling completely into the soup when you go to grab it.

3. Friendly Japanese-speaking staff!

The service was good and the staff wwere all very helpful and friendly. The fact that they could all speak Japanese added to the authenticity of the experience. 

Cynthia Approved Ramen Rating (CARR*)

*Click for the percentage weight breakdown for each factor (scroll down to CARR)

Toppings - 3.5/5 
Meat - 2.5/5 
Broth - 3/5
Noodles - 4.5/5 
Presentation - 3.5/5 
Overall taste - 3/5

X(perience) Factor** - 1.5/2

**Click for explanation (scroll to the bottom of post)

Ramen Gojiro gets a CARR of 67.5%

Tilikum Place Cafe

Flashback to Easter Sunday - we were hungry and desperate to find a good spot for brunch because a lot of locations were closed for the Easter holiday. I considered grabbing a McMuffin meal from the closest McDonald's, but decided that I would regret not venturing out for breakfast/brunch while being in Seattle. After consulting Yelp, I came across Tilikum Place Cafe. The reviews were good and it wasn't too far of a car ride from our hotel. I called them in advance to make sure they were open. The nice gentleman on the phone said that they were only open for brunch and lunch (until 3 pm) that day, but not for dinner. He also mentioned that they only had one more reservation available for brunch (at 2:30 pm), but were accepting walk-ins for seats at the bar counter (the wait list at that point was about 45 min to an hour) and would be able to accommodate us if we were only a party of two. Not wanting to wait more when we got there, I asked nicely for us to be put down on the wait list and he kindly obliged.

I had given the restaurant my cell phone number so that they could contact me when a spot became available. After half an hour later, I realized that they wouldn't be able to call me because I had my phone on "airplane" mode to avoid roaming charges. By the time we got to the restaurant, it was about 45 min after I had called in. I was worried that we had missed our turn on the wait list. Luckily, they had just tried to call me and our seats at the bar were still available.

(HANGRY CYNTHIA WAS INCREDIBLY HAPPY)

We were seated at the bar. This was the view in front of me.

My view of the restaurant when I turned around.

The view to my left ... and also my favourite view! Sneak peek at the Eggs Benny special.

I thoroughly enjoyed our seats at the bar counter. I was actually so glad that we go to sit where we sat, instead of at one of the tables. I got to watch the chefs make and prepare the food while we waited for our meal to come. Although it definitely made me even hungrier, it added immensely to my overall experience. The inside of the restaurant had a very cozy feel and gave off a European vibe - the type of vibe that gives you a sense of comfort and warmth even though it's cold and rainy outside.

We decided to order the two daily specials that were not on the regular menu - 1) Eggs Benedict and 2) Corned Beef Hash. We also got a pot of french pressed coffee to share.

The Eggs Benny special consisted of two poached eggs served over a thick slice of corn bread that was topped with a dungeness crab and fresh red peppers mixture. It was served with a side of roasted potatoes and came with some home-made hollandaise sauce that was infused with sriracha.

We had high expectations for the Eggs Benny, mainly because the description was very appealing and there was a lot of anticipation from watching the dish being prepared. Unfortunately, we were both pretty disappointed. The eggs were cooked well and the hollandaise sauce was great (even though I couldn't really make out the sriracha at all). The potatoes, however, did not taste as good as they looked. I think the seasoning was a bit off. The dungeness crab went well with the poached eggs, but there wasn't enough of it to make a good impression. You could tell from the texture that the cornbread was fresh, but it wasn't a good pairing for the crab mixture. The sweetness of the cornbread mixed with the fleshy taste of the crab left an odd after-taste in my mouth.

The Corned Beef Hash, on the other hand, was awesome! It was unlike any other corned beef hash I've ever had.

It had a very unique spin - the corned beef was cubed, instead of mashed (like it usually is). The beef was tossed together with some (slightly) roasted brussels sprout leaves, yellow and purple potatoes, carrots and served over a spread of horse radish cream sauce. I would never have thought to add brussels sprouts in any form to a breakfast/brunch dish, but I'm glad someone else thought of it. The horse radish cream sauce was phenomenal and complimented the brussels sprout leaves and corned beef really well. The juices from the corned beef also added a lot to the plate. The potatoes themselves were not very seasoned, but they absorbed the juices from the corned beef and actually helped to balance out the overall saltiness. The yolk from the poached egg was like the cherry on top.

Since the Corned Beef Hash was a daily special, I'm not sure how frequently or when they have it available to order for brunch. If you're in the area and you somehow catch wind that it's being served, I would jump on it!

The Pink Door

The Pink Door is located in the heart of Pike Place Market at 1919 Post Alley between Stewart and Virginia Street. This restaurant was recommended to us by a friend who went to Seattle not long ago. After reading some further reviews online, I mentally pegged it as a restaurant we had to try. We decided to stop by the restaurant earlier on that day when we were wandering the streets of the marketplace to see if we could make a reservation for dinner. The restaurant is divided into three major sections: a main dining area that's got a more fine-dining feel (where they take reservations for tables), a lounge area that's more casual and is connected to the bar (reserved for walk-in customers), and a patio area that is (usually) heated and overlooks the water. Unfortunately, the patio wasn't heated that day and their main dining area was fully booked. So, we decided to take our chances with the lounge. We returned at around 5:45 pm that day for an early dinner and was lucky enough to be seated right away in the lounge.

And now, a little bit about the history of the restaurant ...

The restaurant was founded in 1981 by an Italian-American woman named Jacquelina Di Roberto. She had a vision to marry art with food (clearly evidenced by the interior design of the restaurant). The "pink" in the name comes from Jacquelina's fondness of the pink-coloured tiles of Brunelleschi's Dome and Della Robbia's works in Florence, Italy. It's also rumoured that the restaurant is named after her favourite pink Max Mara scarf. The restaurant is known for its constantly changing seasonal menu and its preference for using organic and sustainable sources. The Pink Door is also known for its nightly offering of Caberet/Burlesque dinner shows. 

One of my favourite things about the restaurant is that there's no sign at the entrance ... because there's no need for a sign! It's easily identifiable by its pink metal door. 

This is the view of the main dining room area when you first open the door. 

The lounge area is located just around the corner, further into the restaurant. Below was my view from where I was seated.

Our waiter was great and was very knowledgeable about the menu. Since the menu is seasonal and constantly changing, we decided to go with two classic items that are always on the menu - the Lasagna Pink Door and the Cioppino Pink Door. The waiter said that both of these items have been on the menu since almost the opening of the restaurant in 1981 and have been perfected over the years.

Note: the bread only comes with organic olive oil. The balsamic vinegar is 50 cents extra, but worth it in my opinion. It's high-quality aged balsamic vinegar that's well-concentrated.

I love Italian food, but I tend to be quite picky with restaurant pasta (especially ones with tomato sauce). Good tomato sauce is actually not that easy to perfect. I find that a lot of times, it's either too sour, too salty, or too bland. Needless to say, fresh pasta and well-made sauce makes a huge difference in any pasta dish.

The Lasagna Pink Door is actually a vegetarian lasagna.  Here is the menu description (because they do a good job at explaining), "fresh spinach pasta layered with besciamella, pesto and topped with marinara sauce). At first glance, the lasagna looked quite plain.

After one bite, I was blown away. The bechamel sauce and pesto mixture was so creamy that it made every bite melt in your mouth. The ricotta cheese was so well-blended into the mixture that you could only taste hints of it. The tomatoes in the marinara sauce were not too overpowering. The sauce tasted fresh, but wasn't too flavourful such that it masked the taste of the spinach pasta. 

Here is a better close-up of the inside of the lasagna:

When I first started eating, I definitely thought I was still going to be hungry after because the portion size was fairly small. However, the portion size turned out to be just right considering how rich and creamy the dish was. Any bigger and I likely would've felt too stuffed or wouldn't have been able to finish it entirely. 

Another rumour I heard is that Bill Gate's personally asked Jacquelina Di Roberto for her lasagna recipe, but she wouldn't give it to him.

The Ciopinno Pink Door was only "good" in comparison to the lasagna. The menu describes it as a dish with "prawns, mussels, clams and calamari in a spicy tomato and white wine broth."

The seafood was definitely fresh and the broth was tasty, but it wasn't extraordinary as a whole. I would describe the dish as "hearty", "wholesome", and even "classic", but I wouldn't order it again. Although the "spicy tomato" part of the broth stood out, I had trouble tasting the white wine. Before our waiter pointed the Cioppino out as one of the restaurant's classic dishes, I was actually going to order the Agnolotti Di Burrata (with truffle butter and fresh herbs). After trying the Cioppino, I kind of regret not going with my original choice.

Despite my review of the Cioppino, I would highly recommend this restaurant solely because of the lasagna. I would easily say that the Lasagna Pink Door is the best lasagna I have ever had. And for that reason, I give The Pink Door two thumbs up!

Pike Place Chowder

Pike Place Chowder was our first food stop in Seattle. Post Alley was very crowded (likely because there were a lot of tourists like us from out of town). The lineup outside of the restaurant was pretty intimidating. They had the line split up into two sections - one on each side of the alley to allow people to pass by in the middle. Since it was a bit chilly outside, I was a bit nervous that it would be a long wait. However, we decided that we would just suck it up because the clam chowder was worth the wait. Surprisingly, the wait was only about 25 minutes (which was relatively short compared to how long the line was). 

For those of you who have heard of Pike Place Chowder, you are likely familiar with its popularity and esteem in the chowder world. For those of you who haven't heard of Pike Place Chowder, the awards pictured above will likely give you a good idea of its reputation. We picked up a menu to look at while we were in line, so that we could make the tough decision of choosing which chowder(s) to try. They offered a sampler that allowed you to pick four different chowders to try. The only downside to the sampler was that you couldn't get the chowder in the sourdough bread bowl. Before looking at the menu, the only one that I knew I had to try was the New England Clam Chowder (because ... it's classic!). 

By the time we go to the front of the line, we had decided that we were going to order the sampler. However, we still had not made up our minds about which chowders to sample. So, we asked the girl working there which four chowders were the most popular ... and we went with that: 

1) New England Clam Chowder - bacon-flavoured clams, cream with herbs and spices

2) Smoke Salmon Chowder - smoke salmon, capers, and cream cheese

3) Lobster Corn Chowder (the special of the day) - lobster, corn, and dungeness crab 

4) Seafood Bisque - cod, salmon, and shrimp in a tomato-based cream broth

(corresponding to the above-numbered chowders - starting from the top left, going clockwise)

My expectations of this place were high, and I was definitely not disappointed. The chowders were nothing short of amazing. I usually have three major concerns with chowder: 1) there's too much cream that makes the broth too thick; 2) the ingredients to broth ratio is not right, so that there's either too much or not enough ingredients; or 3) I can't taste any distinct flavours from the ingredients. I didn't have any of my usual complaints with these chowders.

I have an easy test to gage if the consistency of the broth is right. I spoon a bit of the chowder and let it slide off. If there's no dripping at all, then there's too much cream and the broth is too thick. If all of the chowder slides off the spoon without leaving a thin coating, then the broth is too runny and there's not enough cream. The consistencies of these chowders were just right. The ingredients to broth ratio was good. They didn't skimp on the seafood (which happens a lot), such that I was able to get a bite with every spoon. At the same time, there wasn't too much ingredients mixed in that I felt like I was constantly chewing instead of enjoying the chowder substantially like a soup. The seafood was fresh and the flavour of the ingredients were distinct. I particularly liked that each type of chowder was recognizably different. We were able to identify each type of chowder just by taste. 

I'm not going to initiate a CACR (Cynthia Approved Chowder Rating), but I would highly recommend Pike Place Chowder as a "must try" for anyone visiting Seattle.

Hakkaku Ramen

One of the things that held me back from starting this blog was the thought of all the restaurants I've already tried and didn't write about. I feel like my opinion (or anyone's opinion for that matter) about food is largely based on comparison. That's why I wish had documented everything from the beginning, so that I can easily compare notes (for the sake of objectivity!). For now, you'll just have to bare with me as I build up new notes and make comparisons based on memory.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I am a huge fan of ramen. So, I make it a point to try many different places! Among the many that I've tried in Toronto, I would say my 3 favourites are: 1) Santouka, 2) Kinton, and 3) Kenzo (in that order - if my memory serves me right).

Since I've moved to Vancouver, I've tried: Ramenger, Ramen Butcher, Kamamarui, Kintaro, and of course Hakkaku Ramen. With that being said, I'm sad to say that Hakkaku probably ranks at the bottom of that list.

Hakkaku is located by Willingdon and Hastings in North Burnaby. Their ramen menu is simple, with a choice between Miso (or Hot Miso), Shio, or Shoyu. Similar to most ramen places, there's a choice between: regular or rich soup base and pork shoulder or belly. I went with the Hot Miso because the waitress said it was the most popular. As always, I went with the pork belly and a rich soup base.

There weren't a lot of toppings that came with the ramen - the usual: bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, corn, green onions, and a marinated soft-boiled egg. I found that the soup base wasn't very well-blended (as you can almost tell in the picture). Initially, I thought it was just a matter of having to mix the soup. However, I found that as much as I mixed the soup, it wasn't coming together. There was  a lot (too much) of garlic in the mix. The taste of the garlic was so overpowering that I couldn't even enjoy the soup base. The egg was quite tasty, but the pork belly wasn't quite tender enough ... and there wasn't enough of it! 

The texture of the ramen noodles were good at first ... but softened too much during the course of my meal. And so...

Cynthia Approved Ramen Rating (CARR*)
*Percentage weight of each factor in calculating the total CARR: Toppings - 10%; Meat - 15%; Broth - 20%; Noodles - 20%; Presentation - 5%; and Overall Taste - 30%. You better believe I'm going to get technical with this.

Toppings - 4/5 
Meat - 2/5 
Broth - 3/5
Noodles - 3/5 
Presentation - 3.5/5 
Overall taste - 3/5

X(perience) Factor** - 0/2
**Click for explanation (scroll to the bottom of the post)

Hakkuku Ramen gets a CARR of 59.5%

Tealips Cafe

We were in the mood for some dessert yesterday evening, so we decided to go somewhere close by that I haven't tried before. Tealips Cafe at Highgate (Burnaby) is known for their waffles. The cafe has a nice and relaxing atmosphere with soothing background music and free wifi (kind of like an asian-style Starbucks).

For the waffles, you have a choice between their Liege Waffle or their Brussels Waffle. I asked them what the difference between the two was and this was how they described each in one word:

Liege Waffle - "crispy"

Brussels Waffle - "sweet"

We decided to ask the girl at the counter which one was more popular. She said "crispy" ... so we went with crispy! I picked the Chocolate Almond & Walnuts Liege Waffle. The waffle was covered with almonds, walnuts, chocolate chips, drizzled with chocolate sauce, and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

All in all, it was a pretty solid dessert waffle. I would recommend it to those of you looking for a spontaneous snack at a reasonable price ($5.95). I wouldn't put it on my list of gourmet indulgences, but it definitely hits the spot if you're looking for a quick dessert/snack.

If anyone has tried both the Liege and the Brussels Waffle, let me know which one you prefer!

Lost in the 50's Drive-in

Yesterday morning (afternoon, to be exact), I woke up at 12:30 pm. In all fairness, I lost an hour due to daylight savings and was also out until 3:30 am the night before. Obviously, the only way for me to play catch up quickly was to have lunch for breakfast.

(Note: I categorize "lunch for breakfast" differently than "brunch". A key differences here, at least for me, is that brunch is intentional. I plan to have brunch and it's meant as a hybrid substitute for breakfast and lunch, such that it combines the two. I'm not a breakfast skipping person. So, having lunch for breakfast is never planned. Having lunch for breakfast means that I skip breakfast entirely and start with lunch as my first meal of the day.)

We decided to try out a nearby burger bar that's been highly talked about - Lost in the 50's Drive-in. For those of you who are familiar with Burnaby, it's located by Canada Way and Edmonds Street. It's only a 10 minute drive from where I live and after yesterday, I'm honestly ashamed that I haven't been there before.

I was excited when I first saw the place. If you are a fan of trying vintage/authentic food spots - you'll know the feeling. Just by looking at the set up, I could tell that this place has been around for quite some time (which is always a good sign!). I tried to do some research to confirm exactly how long it's been around for, but had no luck. If anyone out there is privy to this information, please enlighten me!

I confess that I did not take this picture. Unfortunately, it was too rainy outside for me to get a good picture from the outside.

There is always something so charming, quaint, and comforting about smaller-sized, non-chain restaurants. The interior of this place was even cuter. Sadly, the pictures I took do not do it justice.

Not pictured: colourful disco lights, black and white tiled counter tops, adorable swivel chairs, friendly staff, and old school posters (many of them was of Elvis Presley) & signs.

Every burger comes with a choice of white or whole wheat bread and "The Works" (lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, sauteed onions, mayo, mustard, and ketchup). They bake the bread themselves. The burger patties and fries are also made by them in-house. I ordered the L.A. King burger and Sameer ordered the Texas BBQ burger.

The L.A. King - the "Works", 6 oz sirloin, cheese, mushrooms, and bacon.

The Texas BBQ - the "Works", 6 oz sirloin, jalapenos, bbq sauce, chipotle, and onion rings.

The Works + the burger toppings went really well together. The fact that the mushrooms were not seasoned actually contributed to the overall taste of the burger. Typically, lack of seasoning in a burger is a no-no for me. In this case, it actually brought out the freshness of the mushrooms and helped to balance out the other flavours in the burger (i.e. the saltiness from the bacon). Although my actual beef patty wasn't very juicy, the mushrooms definitely made up for it. The cheese really topped it all off - there was enough of it, it was well-melted over all of the toppings, and it wasn't processed.

We also got some fries and a chocolate milkshake to share. I especially loved the fries because they were chunky and actually tasted like potatoes (and not starch ...which is surprisingly rare). The milkshake also tasted fantastic. Usually, I find milkshakes to be either too watery or too thick in consistency. This one was mixed perfectly, tasted like chocolate, and wasn't overly sweet.

Although I didn't get a chance to try, I think it's noteworthy to mention that they sell a selection of bottled, old-fashioned "Retro-Pops" made from cane sugar. They also sell Vanilla Coke and real lemonade!!!

Cynthia Approved Burger Rating (CABR*)
*Percentage weight of each factor in calculating the total CABR: Bun - 15%; Toppings - 15%; Patty - 20%; Presentation - 10%; and Overall Taste - 40%. You better believe I'm going to get technical with this.

Category: Gourmet/Classic? - Classic

Bun - 4/5
Toppings - 4.5/5
Patty - 4/5
Presentation - 3/5
Overall taste - 4/5

X(perience) Factor** - 2/2
**Every rating will be subject to a bonus of up to 2%. 1/2 = "I would go back" and 2/2  = "This is a must try".

Lost in the 50's Drive-in gets a CABR of 81.5%

Dear Diary

If you know me, then you will know that among many things - I love food. Eating is a basic human need. Dining is an experience; some may even call it a hobby. My whole family has always been very keen on dining out and trying new restaurants. That's probably where I get it from. I have always enjoyed trying new food, new dishes, and new restaurants. However, I also enjoy trying the same dish at different restaurants to compare taste and flavour (because that's how you can really know something is the best, right?).

Things I commonly order at different restaurants (for comparison purposes) include: mac n cheese, poutine, ahi tuna salad, taiwanese spicy beef noodle soup. Not to mention, I am always on the look out for the best ramen and/or burger, so I'm more than open to recommendations!

I have toyed with the idea of starting a food blog for a long time. I was always hesitant because I felt like I was late to the game and I had already let so many food experiences pass me by. But, in light of my resolutions to live in the moment, I figured now is as good of a time as any! As they say ... "better late than never".