Singapore is indeed a food paradise. Every time I return, I am struck by the choice of good restaurants and eating places. From hawker establishments to gastronomic restaurants, you're spoilt for choice.
This time, my friend, who is a chef at Jaan, invited me over to sample a complimentary lunch. Helmed by British born chef de cuisine Kirk Westaway, Jaan currently ranks 11th place in Asia's 50 best restaurants awards and creates modern French culinary masterpieces. I was excited to sample their signature dishes.
Located on the 70th floor of Swissotel Stanford, the view of the Singapore skyline is stunning. The sea of buildings below is testament to the rapid development of Singapore - from colonial times through postmodern and on to present day Singapore. The colonial Raffles Hotel sits next to Sir Norman Foster's latest skyscraper which boasts a bold undulating roof. Further away, rows of housing board flats stand in symmetry and on the other side we could see the marina barrage and the iconic Marina Bay Sands casino. Against this backdrop, we were served a beautifully executed lunch. Here are some of the highlights below:
Our starter was a majestic Irish oyster with artichoke puree and caviar. The artichoke was a good contrast to the rich succulent oyster. I must say this was my favorite dish.
One of Jaan's signature starters was the Heirloom Tomato with burrata cheese. It was composed beautifully. I was told later by the culinary team that this is a hard dish to execute as it is quite intricate.
The team at Jaan really knows how to whet an appetite. For one of their signature dishes (rosemary smoked organic eggs with ratte potato) They brought out a basket of eggs and cracked it open in front of us; it was accompanied with a dramatic smoke effect. We were intrigued from the start to the last bite of the dish.
Our main dish was a forest pigeon, roasted with rosemary on a bed of hay.
The immaculately prepared chocolate dessert was a fitting end to a magnificent meal. I would definitely recommend Jaan. I heard there is a waiting list for a table but the wait is worth it. Thanks to the young dynamic team at Jaan, the freshest of ingredients are taken to new culinary heights.
So I just conducted a cooking course for 8 moms! One of the most common request from my students is how to make Fried Rice. The thing is, fried rice is the perfect food to make for your family. Here's all the left over ingredients I found in my fridge (clockwise from top) eggs, mushrooms, asparagus, coriander, dill, garlic, dried fish, spring onion, shallots and left over sausages. I added them into my fried rice and had a satisfying meal in 10 minutes flat. It's quick, not wasteful and loved by the kids.
Here are some secrets to making fried rice.
1/ Use leftover rice. It's dry and the best texture for making fried rice
2/ Don't be afraid to experiment with ingredients, just cut them into small slices so that it complements the rice
3/ You can flavor fried rice with soya sauce (Chinese style) fish sauce (Thai style) or dark soya sauce (Indonesian style) just go slow with the seasoning. It's hard to go back once you're heavy handed with the salt ratio
4/ Some other suggestions for ingredients: firm tofu, ham, prawns, peas, broccolini and any vegetable stem (cut the same way as the asparagus above)
And once again, here's a recipe for my friends who can't seem to get their fried rice right (I've used the ingredients in the picture above as an example):
1/ Chop your ingredients (see picture above)
2/Add garlic and onions, fry until soft, push to one side.
3/ Add 3-4 beaten eggs (seasoned with salt), scramble and cook in wok, push to one side
4/ Add hard ingredients (asparagus, sausages)
5/ Add soft ingredients (mushrooms, herbs)
6/ Add leftover rice
7/ Add soya sauce (I used 1-2 Tbsp, depending on the quantity of rice) stir and mix
So get out there and make a fried rice this week. Post a picture of the fried rice on my jalan spice Facebook page (successful or unsuccessful) and I'll be happy to give you tips.
Fall is here and it's time to enjoy warm comfort soups. I decided to make a simplified version of the French fisherman's soup: Bouillabaisse. It's nice to take a look at Julia Child's video. Check out her enormous cleavers.
I tried a simple version of Boilliabaisse from Ina Garten's cookbook, Make it Ahead - Provencal Fish Stew with Siracha Rouille. You can make the fish stock, the base of the soup and the rouille earlier in the day and when guests come, you can add the seafood.
Make the Fish Stock
duration: half an hour
I used an enormous fish head for my fish stock. (It cost me $5 for this 1.5 pound fish head)
You can add fish bones as well. The more the merrier.
1/2 pounds fish bones and heads
2 cups dry white wine
4 cups water
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped and peeled carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 bay leaf, 1 sprig of thyme
3 sprigs parsley
1/ Get your fishmonger to remove the gills for you. Clean the head of any blood.
2/ Combine all the ingredients in a large pot. Bring to boil and turn heat to medium low. Simmer for 20 minutes. Strain the stock and set aside for next stage
Make the base of the Fish Stew (adapted from Ina Garten's Make it Ahead)
duration: one and a half hour
6 Tbsp olive oil
1.5 cups chopped onion
1.5 cups (3/4 inch diced) Yellow Bell Pepper
2.5 cups (3/4 inch diced) fennel bulb
1 tsp saffron threads
pinch of red pepper flakes
4 oil packed anchovies, drained and minced
1/4 cup minced garlic
1 cup dry white wine
3 cups seafood stock (see above)
1 can (28 ounce) diced tomatoes
1 strip of orange zest
3/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1.5 pounds fresh fish
36 fresh mussels debearded
prawns and squid
1/ Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat
2/ Add onions, bell pepper, fennel, saffron and red pepper flakes and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender.
3/ Add the anchovies and garlic, cook for one minute. Add the wine, bring to boil and cook for 2 minutes
4/ Add the seafood stock, tomatoes, orange zest, orange juice, 1 Tbsp salt and 1.5 tsp black pepper. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes.
(At this point, if you are preparing this for a dinner party, you can store the soup and take it out later when friends arrive)
Make the Sriracha Rouille(adapted from Ina Garten's Make it Ahead)
Duration 10 minutes
This garlicky mayonnaise goes so well with the fish stew. Serve it on toast or spoon it directly into the soup
3 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp saffron threads
2 large egg yolks (room temperature)
1.5 Tbsp lemon juice (room temperature)
1 tsp Sriracha chilli
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/ Puree the garlic, salt and saffron in a food processor
2/ Add egg yolk, lemon juice and Sriracha and blend for 5 seconds
3/ With machine running, pour olive oil in a thin steady stream.
This recipe is easy to prepare when you have a blender. The texture of the rouille was thick like butter. You can make this ahead an put it in fridge.
Prepare seafood and cook in Soup
Duration 20 minutes
Mussels:
This was the first time I cooked mussels. The important thing was to keep it alive. As soon as I brought them back from the supermarket, I placed them in a colander filled with ice cubes. Placed the colander on top of a shallow plate (to collect any water) and placed it in the fridge. When ready to cook, clean mussels, de-beard them and chuck the dead ones.
Prawns:
Peel and de-vein prawns
Squid:
Get your fishmonger to remove the hard bits of the squid. Cut into slices
Fish:
I bought different types of fish. Catfish and halibut
1/ Reheat the soup base
2/ Cook the fish in the broth first. Be careful not to overcook.
3/ Add squid and prawns and mussels
4/ Serve immediately!
I never realized how special it was to grow up in a food paradise and to be part of a food family business.
As Singapore celebrates it's 50th birthday, I look back to my family business, Hiang Kie - a coffee and spice trading and retail company. The growth of the business mirrored Singapore's change from busy entrepot trading port to wealthy 'first world' city.
Yes, my family business was actually a small piece of the historic spice trade story. My grandfather, a Chinese Indonesian immigrant, started a coffee and spice trading company in 1936. Singapore's multiculturalism is taken for granted now but at that time, the Chinese stuck with the Chinese. My grandfather was one of the few Chinese who looked beyond race and started doing business with the Indians and the Malays. Later, Lee Kwan Yew's multicultural policies started to take root and this became the norm in Singapore.
I remember our family godown - stocked with gunnysacks filled with coffee and spice. I distinctively remember the earthy smells of gunnysack, green coffee, roasted coffee and pepper. I also remember the loyal and extremely fit and hardened workers transporting the gunnysacks onto the open lorries. A big salute to these pioneers.
The Hiang Kie warehouse was situated in one of the shophouses in the business district, near the Singapore river, where the bumboats would transport all manner of goods into the bustling growing city of Singapore. Later, as Singapore's land grew costly, we moved further out into the fringes into Genting Lane and Woodlands.
Transporting coffee beans
As Singapore developed in the 80s and 90s, the retail and lifestyle sector also flourished. My father started a chain of coffee retail shops called Coffee Club and we worked hard at developing Singapore's first gourmet coffee retail shops. I am proud to have worked with my family during this period, to shape a coffee retail concept from scratch, in Singapore. The coffee trading arm of the company also continued to grow and we were selling our coffee and spice to household names like Nestle and McCormick.
It is important not to forget that the identity of a typical Singaporean is also intertwined with being Southeast Asian. My family had Indonesian roots and my grandfather and father spoke Bahasa. During the Japanese war, my grandfather fled to Cameron Highlands, Malaysia, and my father was born in those hills.
Growing up, family holidays to Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and later Indochina made a mark on me. One of my most memorable family trips was a food trip in Vietnam. We toured the countryside, sampled the food and visited the coffee plantations in Dalat. (Vietnam is the second biggest exporter of coffee). I was also drawn to Indonesia, learnt to speak a little Bahasa as I traveled the islands and visited many towns.
As I traveled in Southeast Asia and made friends, it reinforced the deep linkages we had with our neighbors. I realized how important it was to understand, respect and love their culture.
Coffee plantations in Dalat
Sadly, we lost our family business during the Asian economic crisis. It was heartbreaking to watch a third generation family business quietly fizzle out. Although we lost our family business, it is interesting to see the name of Hiang Kie breathe a life of its own in Hong Kong and Vietnam. It is a testament of the influence Hiang Kie had in its heyday and how the name still makes a mark in business even though the original owners no longer operate in this space.
As Singapore celebrates its success, I hope the people of Singapore will always remember their humble roots, their kinship with their Southeast Asian neighbors and their unique heritage. Majullah Singapura!
This post is written by Juyi Ong, grandaughter of Ong Wai Soeij, founder of Hiang Kie Trading Company (1936)
My oldest is going to kindergarten this fall and that means packed lunches. I am now brainstorming and trying out different meals for him. I am inspired by the Japanese bento style of eating.
This is what I found in the Japanese supermarket. Genmai Inari (brown sushi rice encased in tofu);
I paired it with 'baby mushrooms' fried in butter. The only way my picky vegetable eater would consume tomatoes and cucumbers is to have it in a sandwich. This time, I rolled tomatoes, cucumber, sliced chicken and a touch of hoisin sauce with rice paper rolls. The boys were intrigued with the rice paper. When you buy it in the supermarket, it so stiff like paper and when you damp it with water, it becomes rice skin! It's almost like a science experiment. Needless to say, the rice paper rolls were a surprising hit with the boys. You never know until you try.
For dessert, I got chocorooms (little chocolate mushrooms) They are delicious and reminds the boys of the little mushrooms in Fantasia.
So I planted heirloom tomatoes in my garden box in the springtime. It's one of the easiest vegetables to grow for a novice gardener. Now in July, the tomatoes are ripening aplenty. And I am getting a bounty of tomatoes. I have to constantly think up more recipes to use up the tomatoes.
A recipe I always fall back on is Shakshuka.
(Adapted from Ottolenghi and Tamimi's cookbook, Jerusalem)
This is my adapted recipe:
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 tsp tomato paste
2 large red peppers (diced)
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1tsp ground cumin
5 large, very ripe tomatoes, chopped
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan. Add garlic, onions, pepper, cumin and 3/4 tsp salt. Stir and cook until peppers soften. Add the tomatoes and gently simmer the sauce. Cook until you have a thick sauce. Season accordingly. It's that simple. You can either make small dips in the sauce and cook a few eggs in the sauce (be sure to watch them and don't overcook)
Or you can put the shakshuka sauce into jars and give it to friends as a gift (to make for breakfast). Or freeze them for another lazy sunday morning. It's all good.
Let's talk about noodles. To the uninitiated, noodles are just that. But there's so much variety - the type of noodle, the type of sauce or soup can be mind boggling and then you have the different types of dishes from different regions - China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, etc.
One of my favorite noodles growing up in Singapore is Mee Pok (noodles from Chaozhou, South China). El dente wide noodles with a soya-chili-vinegar sauce. It is topped with fish ball, minced meat, sliced meat, fried garlic and sometimes fried lard. It is highly popular and good Mee Pok stalls always have long queues of customers. My favorite store growing up is Tai Wah Pork Noodles. The eatery used to be situated in a corner shophouse on the banks of the Singapore river. I would remember watching the workers ferrying goods into the godowns from the wooden bumboats as I slurped on Mee Pok.
San Francisco has it's very own Mee Pok store too! Hai Ky Mi Gia is a Teochew Vietnamese noodle house (Vietnamese Chinese from Chaozhou province) in Tenderloin (707 Ellis Street). The noodles were bouncy and el dente and the fish ball tasted home-made. You will have to add the soya-chili- vinegar sauces yourself.
Being married to a Middle Eastern, I am constantly being exposed to mezze-style food. I like this concept immensely. Mezze actually just means appetizer. But the Middle Easterns have perfected the practice of whetting your appetite. Typically, in a Turkish, Lebanese or Israeli restaurants, a mezze serving would consist of small plates of dips, morsels of deep fried food, grilled seafood, cheese and salad. This probably influenced the 'small plate' tapas culture in spain.
A Mezze serving looks impressive to serve at a party. It's a feast for the senses as it is made up of a variety of delectable food. It's the perfect accompaniment to drinks - to be enjoyed slowly with good friends. This Mezze was served for breakfast in Israel as part of an Israeli breakfast.
It's so easy to create your own mezze dish at home. Think mediterranean ingredients and add color and texture on your plate. Contrast fresh salads with grilled veges, fried items or even pickled items.
This mezze plate consists of (from top going clockwise) tomato and olive salad, fig with parmesan cheese, zucchini fritters and char grilled shishito peppers.
I have a picky eater in my house so I am constantly trying to re-invent vegetables.
Recently my husband gave me a tapas cookbook and I discovered a wonderful stuffed mushroom recipe which I adapted slightly.
I fry some pancetta in my frying pan. Then I cut out the mushroom stalks, dice them and add it to the pancetta in the frying pan. Then, in a separate bowl, I stir some breadcrumbs, lemon rind and chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper. I add the pancetta mix to the breadcrunbs and fill up the mushrooms and mini bellpepers. Pop it into the oven to bake for 15 minutes. Who says Sunday dinners had to be roast meat? My kids loved it!
Get ready for lunar new year in the Bay Area Get into the mood and visit the San Francisco Flower Fair in Chinatown on the 14th and 15th of Feb. Watch The Reunion Dinner, a touching and nostalgic short film by Singapore filmmaker Anthony Chen. It captures old Singapore and the mood of the new year. The reunion dinner is the all-important event on new year's eve. (evening of Feb 18) Families get together and feast. In some households it's hotpot (steamboat) in others, it's roast duck and yet others it's dumplings.
My family reunion dinner has always been hot pot (steamboat). Thinly sliced beef, fishballs, seafood, a mountain of vegetables and noodles cooked in chicken broth. At the end of the meal, as we add more and more ingredients to the stock, the soup gets richer and is filled with 'umami' flavor.
What's your reunion dinner going to be like?
Share pictures of your reunion dinner with us!
Rice cakes in the shape of red tortoises symbolizing long life
Who doesn't love Chinese New Year? The perfect excuse to get a new wardrobe (new clothes for the new year), red packets (for the kids) and 15 days of feasting. Traditionally, the week before, Chinese families are busy cleaning the house and stocking up on cookies and food. I remember going to night markets in Singapore, selecting plants and flowers for the house. Spring blossoms, narcissus and orange trees are auspicious plants for the new year. Every household will be stocking up on tangerines and oranges too (symbolic for gold). Chinese New Year is a time for visiting family and friends. Remember to bring even numbered (2,4,6 or 8) oranges with you, wear happy colors and you'll be safe from the radar glare of any superstitious grandmas.
Fields of bamboo peeping through majestic rain trees, on the road to Hana
Many people say that if you want to get a feel of what Hawaii or Maui was like in the 1950s, go to Hana. It's a 45 mile drive but the road to Hana is extremely windy and narrow at places so it will take you two hours or more.
The road officially starts from the sleepy town of Paia. It's a good place to stock up on food and do some shopping along the way.
The San Lorenzo bikini shop has a gorgeous collection of bikinis and beachwear. The Paia Bay Coffee (115 Hana Highway, Paia) at the back of the bikini shop, has a quiet tropical garden courtyard to sit and enjoy your morning bagel or choose to sample some Kona coffee at Anthony's coffee.
Drive to Ho'okipa surfer's point and watch the surfers ride the waves.
Then the road starts to wind. Remember to take your time and stop along the way. There are numerous roadside fruit stands where you can also get warm banana bread, a specialty of the area. We stopped at a grove of rainbow eucalyptus trees and hugged some trees with green and brown camo bark.
The road hugs the coast and you're treated to views of the vast pacific ocean, road side waterfalls and tropical flora. Jungle lianas hung down and red ginger flowers peeped out from the lush vegetation. Those traveling in the beginning of the year will be treated to the sight of red masses of flowering mango trees - Hawaii's answer to the fall season.
Nutcharee's Authentic Thai Food (5050 Uakea Road, Hana )was a good spot for lunch. It was a nice change from the usual Fish Tacos stands found around the island. Try the local fish with green mango salad. Along the road, look out for the signs along the way advertising for Huli Huli Chicken (Barbecued chicken seasoned with soya, ginger, garlic, brown sugar and more). We found ours at a casual drinking place by Koki beach and it hit the right spot.
The highlight of Hana would be the Kipahulu State Park which includes the Oheo Gulch (seven sacred pools that cascade into the ocean) and the Pipiwai trail. Some literature I read stated that you should not pick up any stones from Oheo Gulch as the site is sacred. I was tickled to find out that "the seven pools" is actually manufactured by marketing people. The pools are not sacred and there are actually a dozen pools. Microclimates are pretty strange in Maui. I swear there must have been a perpetual cloud of rain over our house. However, when you drive a few mere miles away towards Kipahulu, it is nice and sunny. We even found out from the ranger that the national park had not had rain for the past few months and "it was the driest in sixteen years" according to a fellow traveler. Unfortunately, Oheo Gulch was devoid of water (so no swimming) We decided to walk up the Pipiwai trail instead and it did not disappoint. There's lots to see on this route. The first amazing site would be the enormous banyan tree. The bamboo forest has to be the highlight. I have never seen such density of bamboos. As you walk through natural tunnels of bamboo, you imagine you're in some sort of crouching tiger hidden dragon location. You can hear the bamboo stalks knocking each other "Tok Tok Tok" as if they were making music.
Red foliage of the mango trees top the waterfall
Pools of water on the Pipiwai trail
Despite the rain, we were glad we ventured to Hana. We saw a lot of local life and soaked in the wild landscape. Lots of people will say that Hana can be certainly done in a day as a day trip, but why rush? Slow down and feel the spirit of Hana.
Sunrise at Haleakala crater - breathtaking moonscape
Note:
We were traveling with our three year old and five year old. It's a two mile track (back and forth) on the Pipiwai Trail so be prepared to carry young kids part of the way as they WILL get tired. However, it is totally doable with young kids. The $10 entrance fees for the park includes the summit of Haleakala volcano and Kipahulu State park (2 day validity) so plan to do both activities within the 2 days.
There must be a whole vocabulary in Hawaiian for the myriad types of rainbows on the island. Traveling to Maui in the beginning of the year has its perks - it's the off-peak season and flights and accommodations are relatively cheaper. However, you have to contend with the wet season. On the other hand, you will be rewarded with stunning rainbows. We saw double rainbows, rainbows with really intense hues and halo rainbows, all in one day. And don't be discouraged by the wet weather forecast, there is still plenty of sunshine in between the rain.
WHERE TO STAY
It doesn't rain all day but it's vital to choose the right spot to stay to make the most of the sunshine. The driest part to stay on Maui is on the Western side (from Lahaina to Kihei). Lahaina's where all the big condo properties and hotels are situated. It's a good place to base yourself if you are a first timer in Maui. Properties like Honua Kai have great facilities - swimming pools, hot tubs and slides for the kids. It's also right next to Kaanapali beach. The in-house restaurant, Dukes serves good quality food. Try their eggs benedicts and calamari.
BEACHES
Be sure to try the black sand beaches as well as the white sand beaches. If you want to get away from the condo action, Big Beach in South Makena Road, Kihei, is idyllic and has plenty of white sand. For those with young kids, we heard that Baby Beach has calm waters. The black sand beach in Waianapanapa State Park, Hana, has beautiful shiny black pebbles. It is probably not the best place to swim but it is great for photos and exploration.
MAUI FRESH
Not surprisingly, you can always tell about the culture of a place through its food. Fish factors big in Hawaii and the fish and seafood you order in Maui will always be extremely fresh. Fish Tacos is popular here. A good casual place to sample fish Tacos and other seafood is The Fish Market Maui.
We ordered the calamari steak (picture above) which was extremely juicy and not at all overcooked. Servings of food usually come with sticky rice and macaroni salad. Another good dish to try would be the Ahi Poke or Tako Poke. Fresh sashimi salad, seasoned with soya sauce and seaweed.
You are bound to notice fruit stands when you drive around the island. Pineapples, avocados, coconuts, guava and mangos make good snacks on your drive.
A lot of the stands work on an honor system. The fruits stands are unmanned, but be sure to put payment in the buckets. Look out for farmer's markets where you can pick up fresh fruits, vegetables and local jams. The Honokowai Farmer's Market in Lahaina is open on Mon Wed and Fri (7-11am). I was on the lookout for local fresh markets (like the wet markets in Asia) but I was disappointed to hear from a local that they do their grocery shopping at Safeways. We insisted on trying local produce in Hawaii and we found out that you can buy local grass-fed steaks at Long's Drugs Pharmacy. (how bizarre!)
On a hot day, cool down with some Hawaiian Shaved Ice. They come in many fruity flavors and you can even add ice cream. If you want to try it like a local, drizzle some condensed milk on top.
I conducted my first stir fry workshop today. My students were introduced to basic sauces and ingredients for a successful stir fry. We also tried out different woks and practiced a lot of chopping!
So here are the 5 reasons you should be doing some stir frying action in your kitchen:
1/ It is a very fast method of cooking (and hence ideal for busy parents and career people). The chopping can be done ahead of time which leaves the frying (only takes 5 minutes max) Dinner is ready - faster than ordering a take out.
2/ Vegetables are not overcooked so you get more precious nutrients. Sure, it's not as raw as a salad but its probably the next best thing!
3/ The cleaning up is quick. There's hardly any sticky bits to scrub.
4/ There is so much room for creativity. My students created their own stir fry on the spot. One of them made a vegetarian version of my grandma's ginger chicken recipe. Once you know the ratio and proportions of the ingredients, it's easy to play around and surprise yourself with the variety of dishes. Dark or light? May the sauce be with you!
5/ The food is yummy! (We made stir fried bean sprouts, tofu and dried mushrooms, Thai basil chicken and Stir Fried Broccolini in a ginger sesame suce)
There's ramen mania going on in the Bay Area. Queues of hungry diners waiting for a nice comforting bowl of ramen. Truth be told, I've already tried a few ramen places - Santa Ramen, and Orenchi Ramen which has a following. I must say I was disappointed with both. The first ramen joint was alright but for all its hype, I was expecting something more. It was an ok bowl of ramen. And to top it off, they served me cold tea. I was also excited about Orenchi Ramen because of the queues of people waiting outside and because I like their sister restaurant Sumikagrill. However, their ramen broth was overly salty.
I think my ramen fascination is somewhat like a fussy twenty something year old princess trying to find the perfect man. There are good guys out there...but they're not perfect, and you keep searching. The same with ramen. Some are better for their broth, some for their chewy noodles, some for their fatty pork and some have the perfect soft boiled egg. Occasionally you find a joint that does everything right.
So today, I tried Ramen Dojo, which is actually the smaller sister restaurant of Santa Ramen. It was clear from the concise menu that the focus of the dining place was ramen - spicy ramen, to be precise. Ramen dojo opens at 11:30am everyday. I arrived at 11:25am and I was surprised to see a queue of at least 25 people already waiting. So I didn't get to be seated in the first seating when the restaurant opened. But tables move pretty quickly here. I ordered the garlic pork ramen (tonkatsu soup broth). I was surprised when my bowl of ramen was served. It had a thick black sauce on top of it. I was told it was roasted black garlic sauce. I tucked in and for the first time, I enjoyed my ramen. The noodles were nice and chewy, the soup was porky, garlicky and not overly salty, the black garlic sauce was a nice distinctive touch. At $8.95 for a basic bowl, it was worth the wait. I didn't order the spicy version (although I was tempted) as I was sharing my bowl with my three year old. This is my fave joint for now and I will be back to try the spicy version with a soft boiled egg!
Ramen Dojo, 805 South B Street, San Mateo, Open daily except for Tuesday 11:30am - 2pm, 5:30am - 9pm
Happy New Year! One of my new year resolutions is to entice my children with wonderful ingredients. It's Jan and I find myself with lots of left over mash. Costco makes wonderful creamy mash (only for the festive season). This makes a good short cut to comfort food for busy parents or career gals and guys. It's a good idea to stock up on this in your fridge / freezer. Here's a simple recipe for the kids and yourself to enjoy! 1/ It really just takes 10 minutes to steam some nutritious cauliflower and carrots. Blend the vegetables into a pulp.
2/ Combine left over mash, blended vegetables, 1Tbsp capers, 4 anchovies, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, 2 hard boiled eggs, 1 fillet cooked salmon (or any fish), chopped dill, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix and mash. This is the perfect way to disguise those vegetables. I usually involve the kids in this process. They love mashing the ingredients together. They totally forget that there's vegetables inside. I also talk to them about the new ingredients like capers and anchovies and they're hooked.
3/ Shape into patties, dust with flour, dip in a beaten egg and coat in matzo meal or panko breadcrumbs. Fry in oil. Serve with cucumber salad and a dollop of sour cream.
