"It was a dark and stormy night" at Ted's La Paz Batchoy, SM Bicutan

On our way home a few rainy weeks ago, we decided to get in out of the storm and have dinner at SM Bicutan.  There are not too many options aside from fast food outlets in this mall but there is one unpretentious spot in the basement that serves reliably good comfort food.

It's a strange but revealing name -- Ted's Oldtimer Lapaz Batchoy tells it like it is.  Yes, it's quite old, yes it's from Lapaz in Iloilo and yes, the specialty is that very simple, traditional Ilonggo noodle soup, batchoy.  Just the perfect comfort food for a "dark and stormy night".

I prefer my batchoy with yellow egg noodles although Ted's also has thin, rice noodles or bihon.  

We ordered the "special", which is a good sized serving.

Their batchoy broth is clear but the flavour runs deep.  I presume like home made batchoy broth, 

it is made of pork and or chicken bones, slow cooked over a low fire and seasoned with that very Visayan ingredient -- guinamos.  

Guinamos is made with either anchovies,  herring or other small fish that has been  brined, aged and fermented.  Authentic Ilonggo batchoy includes  guinamos -- which adds a complex saltiness to the soup.  It reminds me of the use of bonito flakes in dashi -- that quintessential ingredient in good Japanese soups.

What makes Ted's batchoy even more hearty is the generous addition of chopped chicharon  or pork crackling and slices of pork meat and pork liver.  

If all these ingredients are a bit much, order some puto or pandesal to help cut through the richness.

If you need a bit more sustenance than a bowl of fragrant steaming hot batchoy, Ted's has value meals that pair a mini bowl with viands like daing na bangus, grilled pork chop, even sisig and chicken, inasal or fried.

We enjoyed our unsophisticated, no frills dinner at Ted's.  It was a straightforward, honest to goodness taste of Ilonggo cooking.

Tsim Chai Kee in Central, Hong Kong Two Topping Noodles for Double the Taste

It was a rainy afternoon when Jay and I arrived in Hong Kong -- he from Manila and me from my meeting in Kuala Lumpur.  We hurriedly dropped our bags in our room at J Plus Hotel in Causeway Bay before we headed out for a late lunch.

Typhoon Glenda or Rammasun had just left Manila and was now whistling through China.  For such a wet day, the perfect mid afternoon meal seemed to be a bowl of hot noodle soup.  

From Causeway bay, we took the MTR to Central,  walked through blustery winds from the IFC Mall clear across to Wellington Street where Tsim Chai Kee lay in wait.

I had tried this popular wonton noodle shop last year as it was the first stop on the HK Foodie Tour.
I promised Jay he would be in for treat.  On this visit, I decided to try the two toppings noodle bowl, choosing the shrimp wontons and the handmade fish balls.  I wasn't quite prepared for how humongous the finely minced fish balls were.  For just HK$31, my bowl had 2 fish balls and three shrimp wontons.  Plus extra soup as the kind lady waiting on us kept refilling our bowls.

This is why I so love Tsim Chai Kee -- their shrimp wontons have whole large, fat fresh shrimp inside, not the skimpy, skinny  cut up pieces you usually find in other (more expensive) places.  I also think their broth is smooth and seasoned just right.

After our noodle fix, time to head back up to Wellington Street, fortified with soup and dumplings.  The rain had stopped and the air had cooled a bit -- perfect for a first afternoon back in my second favourite city in the world!

New Life for New Year Leftovers - Duck Misua Soup

This is a much delayed New Year post but since we're still in the middle of Chinese New Year, it's still relevant. It's also my first recipe post for 2014 and hopefully, not the last!

We had chinese style roast duck for  noche buena last Dec. 31.  One duck was too big for the 5 of us so I still had quite a lot of it left in the fridge.  

Since everyone was still full from the richness of holiday meals, I decided to turn the left overs into a hearty one dish meal -- duck misua soup!

It's very easy to make -- use greens like baguio pechay or bok choy, scallions, ginger, garlic and good quality misua noodles.  I bought mine from a grocery in Chinatown.

To start, saute the garlic, scallions and ginger.

Next, add the chopped duck left overs and heat through.

Add some salt, chicken broth and let simmer.  Then, add the vegetables.

 The misua comes in last.  Give it a quick stir to separate the fine and delicate noodle strands and keep them from clumping together.  Don't overcook -- just a couple of minutes is enough.
My duck misua soup turned out to be quite good -- and made for a tasty, light and frugal New Year's day lunch -- certainly a good way to start the year.

Ramen Face Off in Kyoto Station : Part 4 Menya Iroha, Toyama Black Ramen from an Iron Chef

Did I save the best for last?  Rushing to cram in one more ramen bowl before I left Kyoto, I still had five shops to choose from.  I decided on Menya Iroha -- famous for Toyama black ramen.  This is the reigning Ramen champion, having won best in the Tokyo Ramen show for three years straight.

I had an early dinner to prepare myself for a late night ramen run.  Ramen Koji closes at 9:30 p.m. and I got there just before 9, just before last orders were called.  Note the big poster at the door showing Iron Chef Chen with his special concoction for Menya Iroha.

I can't read Japanese but it seems that the best seller for Menya Iroha is their black ramen.  This is a lighter pork and dashi based broth with a dark colour -- which is derived from the special soy sauce that is used as its flavouring.  The "black" ramen comes with the traditional negi or japanese scallions, chashu, green onions, ajitama eggs and bamboo shoots.  The menu board features the popular ramen partner, gyoza plus side dishes such as extra eggs, rice, negi and chashu slices.

Since I time my visit just before the call for last order, there are just a few of us ramen die hards slurping over our bowls.  I see a strange and not familiar sight -- dirty and used bowls are left on the tables -- another sure sign that they are no longer expecting new customers and are just about to close.

It's fun to watch the chef as he prepares my bowl of ramen.  Not to so fun to sit beside all these dirty bowls that have been left on the counter top right beside me.

I am not too fond of shoyu based ramen so I pass on the best seller and instead opt for the "white prawn" ramen.  The broth is light and clear and there are dried white shrimp shells on top of the chashu slices.  The aroma is redolent of dried shrimp, and gives off a very appetising smell.

 The "white prawns" are just dried shells -- no meat inside.  The shells are thin and easy to chew and complement the rest of the ingredients very well.  I thought it would be salty, because of the white shrimp and the strong aroma but the broth was subtle and easy on the palate.  The chashu slices were also very succulent -- tender and yet not mushy.  The ajitama egg yolks were not as soft or runny as I would like but other than that -- it was a perfect bowl!
A perfect ending to my Ramen Face Off at Ramen Koji, Kyoto Station!

Ramen Face Off in Kyoto Station! Part 3 Yamagishi Tai-sho-ken

After trying tsukemen or ramen "dipping noodles" at Rokurinsha in Tokyo, I decided that I preferred the regular ramen in noodle soup.  I found the tsukemen dipping sauce to be too cloying and the fat, udon like noodles quite heavy.  The "umay" or "tiredness" factor kicked in early on in the bowl.

So when I saw this menu board for tsukemen in Ramen Koji in Kyoto station, I was really inclined to pass it by.

But when I saw the sign on the door that said "Yamagishi Tai sho ken" I got all excited.  

Yamagishi san is the inventor of tsukemen and his shop Taishoken in Ikebukuro is most famous as the birthplace of this noodle dish.  

I had read that Yamagishi san had retired but his name (and presumably his recipe) lives on as one of his apprentices took over the business.  

It's a good thing that we passed by this ramen shop in mid afternoon -- the place was almost empty.  A few hours later and the lines would be snaking out the door.

I head to the ticket machine and buy our meal stubs.

The waiter by the door shows me the button to press for beer so I am able to get an ice cold mug of Asahi draft.

There are three  types of tsukemen that are recommended.  I opt for the seafood "rich taste" dipping noodle set.

To call it a "seafood" dipping noodle is really not all that true.  The base is still made of very rich pork broth and the chashu slices are still present in the bowl.  That small mound of brown stuff on top of the seaweed is what gives this sauce a very distinct  taste -- it's actually powdered dried fish.  Reminds me of how tinapa is used but without the smoky taste.
Mix in this fish powder  with the dipping sauce and it imparts a decidedly dashi  flavour.
Yamagishi Tai-sho-ken's tsukemen is easily, hands down, the winner over Rokurinsha.  The flavour is better and deeper -- more savoury. Although both tsukemen were a bit on the salty side, Yamagishi had an underlying complexity which the other one did not have.
I guess the original is always the better one.

Jay opted instead for the regular dipping set with a  soy based broth.  It's soupier and seemed lighter.  It also seemed closer to the traditional ramen in soup -- perhaps this is what ramen purists would prefer.  I also noted that because the sauce is more watery, you can actually drink it -- something you cannot do with the heavier "seafood" sauce.
In addition to this, Jay also ordered a side dish of gyoza which he pronounced as excellent.

This is how I enjoyed Yamagishi Tai-sho-ken's tsukemen.  Unlike Rokurinsha, no aprons are available. Since it's so messy to bring the noodles from the dipping sauce to my mouth, I had to practically put my lips to the bowl.  At least I kept my beige shirt free of tsukemen stains.
No one would know I had a huge bowl of tsukemen in the middle of the afternoon.

Ramen Face off in Kyoto Station! Part 2 Hakata Ikkousha

As I had made up my mind to try and eat from as many ramen restaurants in Kyoto Station's Ramen Koji or Ramen Alley, I wondered where my next ramen bowl would come from.

This striking poster for Hakata Ikkousha caught my eye.  Was that what it seemed to be?  A huge gigantic slice of chashu spread out on top of a ramen bowl?  The mother of all chashu! 

I knew immediately that I would have to try this place.

If you go during regular dining hours, there's sure to be a queue at any ramen place in Ramen Koji. Hakata Ikkousha is no exception.  It took about twenty minutes before we got seated.

The queues though are efficiently managed and there are signs in English on how to order your food before you stand in line.

 These vending machines are conveniently placed in front of each ramen restaurant in Ramen Koji.  Place your money in the slot, push the button for your order and the meal stub comes out -- you give this to the girl at the door,  then take your place in the queue.

While standing in line, I can't help but peer in and silently will these diners to hurry up and slurp their ramen as fast as they can.  

At last!   Our ramen bowls are placed before us just a few minutes after we are seated.  This is Hakata Ikkousha's  number one best selling bowl --  Ajitama with scallions ramen.  What I had originally thought was a gigantic chashu slice turns out to be four thin chashu slices, artfully arranged to look like one big piece.

Their second best selling bowl is topped with just green onions and an ajitama egg.  Like the Kitakata ramen, the chashu covers the entire bowl, you can't even see the noodles that are hidden underneath.

Unlike Kitakata ramen, which has a light, almost clear pork broth, Hakata style ramen uses tonkotsu broth -- a  dense and heavy broth that comes from boiling pork bones for days on end -- marrow, sinews, collagen all melt after together.  The result is a milky, creamy and  rich soup base.

The tonkotsu broth at Hakata Ikkousha has a strong garlic taste -- this would be my only quarrel with this ramen as I am not a big garlic fan -- it's my aswang or vampire tendencies coming to the fore.

There are even extra garlic cloves on the table just in case you want to make your ramen even more garlicky.  Count Dracula would hate this place.

 In addition to the ramen, we order a side dish of karaage and fried rice.  Like the chashu slices, the karaage is super sized and comes with a sprinkling of salt and pepper.   It's very tasty but I can only manage one piece.

No time for lingering and discussing the fine points of  Hakata Ikkousha ramen.   More people are queued for food outside so it's slurp, eat and run!  The Ramen Face Off will be continued …


Note : Thanks to my son Gani for photos 3 and 6.

Ramen Face Off in Kyoto Station! Part 1 Kitakata Bannai Koboshi

We spent Christmas in Kyoto and stayed at Hotel Granvia at the Kyoto Station.  Aside from being so convenient for access to Japan's excellent train system, I have a hidden agenda why I always prefer to stay in this area.

On the 10th floor of Kyoto Station is Ramen Alley or Ramen Koji -- one floor dedicated to the business of ramen and ramen alone.  And these are not just ordinary ramen restaurants -- there are just eight stores but they represent some of the best regional ramen that you can find in Japan.  Much like Ramen Street in the basement of Tokyo Station, Ramen Koji in Kyoto Station has a sampling of the best of the best.

On this trip, I made it a point to try and eat from as many of the ramen restaurants as I could.  Hot ramen was also perfect for the 5C Kyoto weather.  My first stop for ramen was a familiar name. Kitakata Bannai, a ramen favourite has a branch near our head office in Shiodome.

Like all the ramen shops in Ramen Koji, stores are small with counter seating and a few tables.  Thankfully, the queue at Kitakata Bannai is not as long when we drop by for dinner.

 Bannai is a ramen chain in Japan that has its roots in Kitakata.  Ramen from this area uses a very light broth -- unlike the milky tonkotsu base you find in other ramen bowls.
The light broth is pork based but you get a hint of niboshi or dried sardines, which adds to the depth of flavour of the soup.
Ramen restaurants are always very affordable but Bannai is even more so.  We each order the small set which costs just 880 yen each.

The set comes with a bowl of grilled chashu slices over a small portion of rice.  The pork belly slices are soft and you can see the glistening, melt-in-your-mouth portion of fat.  A teriyaki type of sauce helps ensure that you eat each and every grain of that hot sticky Japanese rice.

I love ajitama eggs!  These are soft boiled eggs that have been marinated in a mirin and soy sauce mixture for a couple of days.  When halved, the yolks are formed but slightly runny and just the ideal side dish to a hot bowl of ramen.

Now for the main event -- the ramen.  One distinguishing feature of Kitakata ramen, aside from the lighter almost clear broth, is the way the chashu is presented.
The pork belly is sliced so that you get both fat and meat and even a thin strip of skin in each slice. While the slices are quite hefty, they are also very tender.
Another distinguishing feature is  that the chashu slices cover the whole bowl -- such that you see nothing but pork and broth, all the noodles are hidden underneath -- as you can see from this photo from the menu.

Since we ordered the 880 yen "small" set, the ramen had just 5 slices of chashu.  I ate each and every piece  -- soft meat,  softer fat and slight bit of still crisp skin.  Then I wondered how I would have tackled the "large" set where the chashu slices cover the whole the bowl.

But, I must remember that I am no longer as young as I used to be and a bowl of ramen covered with chashu slices may just be the death of pork in the road! 

Note : I was so busy eating the ramen that I didn't take enough photos.  Credit for photos 5, 6 and 8 go to my son, Gani who is just as hungry for ramen as I am.

Tsukemen at Rokurinsha … Double, Triple Dipping Required! Part 1 of Best of the Best

On our recent November trip to Tokyo,  disruption and change were called for.  We would forego our usual favourites and look for new yet well known restaurants to try.  It would be a discovery of the "best of the best".  

When I googled "best ramen in Tokyo", I discovered that Tokyo Station has gathered 8 of the best ramen restaurants from around Japan and put them all together in a place called "Ramen Street".   Tokyo Station may be a huge and confusing place but Ramen Street is in Basement 1 of the South Yaesu entrance and thus, quite easy to find.

This poster lists the different ramen restaurants and their best dishes.  They're all located, sitting side by side in one long alleyway on the basement level.  These are not big restaurants, most of them are just 20 to 25 seaters so you can imagine how busy they all must be.

And true enough, at 3:30 in the afternoon, there were long lines snaking along the corridors of Ramen Street.  People were walking around, choosing which restaurant to queue up for.  

We however, were looking for a specific place that we wanted to try.

Rokurinsha was high up on my "must try" list.  This is a relatively new ramen place.  

In a country where iconic restaurants are usually several generations old, Rokurinsha was established only in 2005.   Small, compact, usually just a counter type restaurant, the endless long queues attest to its overall acceptance and popularity.  

The lines are usually an hour long but perhaps because it was mid afternoon and not lunch time, there were just about 20 people lined up in this branch in Tokyo Station's Ramen Street.

Naturally, Jay and I could not resist taking a "selfie" with the Rokurinsha logo in the background.  The things you do to while away your time while in the queue!

The line moved pretty fast and in less than 30 minutes, we were finally seated.  The open kitchen has counter seating all around, for solo diners.

Tables for groups are packed tightly beside each other.  You share tables with like minded ramen fanatics.  We met this lovely couple from the USA  in the queue and shared a table along with great conversation on food and travel.  Meeting new and wonderful people is a gift that the travel gods bestow!

This is the reason for Rokurinsha's popularity.  This is the famous Rokurinsha Tsukemen.  It is not your standard classic ramen with noodles in a pork bone broth.  Tsukemen was invented in Tokyo and is a recent innovation but has become so popular it is now a category unto itself.
The noodles are thicker than the usual curly yellow ramen noodles -- tsukemen noodles are fatter and firmer, and consequently heavier.  They come in a generous portion, with a whole boiled egg -- which has a creamy, golden yolk-y centre, just the way I like it.
There is no broth instead there is a separate bowl of a thick, rich, savoury -- I hesitate to call it "soup" since it seems almost like a gravy -- dipping sauce that comes with ground pork, vegetables, seaweed and a small mound of a brown powder -- which when tasted definitely was made of some kind of ground fish.

The trick with tsukemen is to mix up the bowl of "sauce/soup" until all the flavours -- pork broth, ground pork, powdered fish, seaweed, vegetables -- are blended into a melting pool of umami goodness.
Then, you take your noodles -- fat and heavy as they are, and dip them into the bowl before bringing them to your hungry and waiting mouth.  The whole operation can be quite messy which is why waiters at Rokurinsha offer you a large paper bib to protect your clothes from the inevitable tsukemen splatter.
After my first bite -- I was in ramen heaven!
But wait -- the surprise isn't over.  There is a huge piece of luscious pork chashu hiding at the bottom of the bowl! A tsukemen coup de grace!

 We savour yet rush through our mid afternoon ramen delight, conscious of the fact that in a place like Rokurinsha, a seat is precious and dilly dallying is not a considerate thing to do.
While Rokurinsha may seem like a fast service ramen restaurant because of the quick turn over of its long queues -- the  care and quality that goes into its tsukemen is definitely a testament to slow food cooking and the result is therefore a transformative ramen experience.