Great UM Noodletown
December 28, 2012
Great UM Noodletown: Edo Soba by Tsujita
We finally made it into Tsujita for lunch during our trip down to LA over the summer. You know, when they actually serve ramen… Yoko and I had ignorantly gone there for dinner once, all excited to try their tsukemen (dipping ramen). But they don’t serve noodles at night! BAH! How silly, to call yourself an “Artisan Noodle” shop and not serve noodles all day!
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November 14, 2012
Great UM Noodletown: Teuchi Soba @ Ippuku (BERK)
Since May, our beloved Ippuku of Berkeley has been serving teuchi (handmade) soba. Owner-chef Christian Geidemann recruited Koichi Ishii from Yamagata, a prefecture well-known for soba, to come and cook at Ippuku and start a soba program right here in the East Bay. We are SO LUCKY!
I know, I should have reported on this sooner. But rest assured that I have been able to try many different dishes, to show all the variations of soba that are on the menu.
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June 27, 2012
Great UM Noodletown: Shanghai Dumpling Shop (Millbrae)
After all this talk of fancy dining, 4-star service, Le Bernardin and the lack thereof, I’m bringing it all back to what we’re all about: SOUL. Umami Mart is all about love and sharing and laughter and how food plays a great role in that in our lives.
Yoko and I had an errand to run in South San Francisco, and we decided to try Shanghai Dumpling Shop in Millbrae, right near the airport.
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June 7, 2012
Great UM Noodletown: Gombei’s Chicken Udon
We all have those comfort dishes that are close to our heart, and transport us back to childhood when biting into whatever it may be. For me, a bowl of chicken udon from Gombei always makes me tear up with nostalgia.
Originally a little diner-style eatery in San Jose’s Japantown, Gombei has been a Bay Area institution since the 80s. Always bustling during lunch, the Akabori’s would walk in and were warmly welcomed by the staff.
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May 30, 2012
Great UM Noodletown: Ramen Parlor (San Mateo)
When it comes to matters of eating out, I am pretty inflexible. Since I will travel long distances for good food, I get pretty upset if I don’t get what I had originally intended. By nature, I am quite stubborn (classic Taurean trait), and I am even more so about what I eat.
So when my family and I met up in San Mateo for Ramen Dojo, the line was of course hellishly long.
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April 24, 2012
Great UM Noodletown: Idiyappam
Here’s something I dragged out of my photo archives. It’s from my trip to Kerala, India back in 2007. We spent two days and one night in the backwaters on a houseboat — probably one of the most glorious experiences of my life!
One thing I clearly remember was our breakfast on the boat. The plastic tablecloth was vibrant, with mismatching patterns and dizzying colors.
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April 17, 2012
Great UM Noodletown: Ikura Spaghetti
Remember when Yoko posted that pornlicious article about how to make ikura-don (salmon roe over rice), topped with a raw egg? Well, one night, she invited me over for dinner and she made ikura spaghetti!!!
What a gluttonous noodle feast in a bowl. The al dente pasta had been lightly sauteed with garlic and tossed with an egg yolk. Then, she topped the noodles with a generous spoonful of her house-cured ikura.
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March 27, 2012
Great UM Noodletown: Tsukemen @ Ramen Halu (San Jose)
I should confess that I have never really been a fan of tsukemen (ramen with dipping sauce). Shouldn’t ramen be in a piping hot broth, brimming with scallions and chashu (pork) and menma (bamboo shoots)? Tsukemen just always seemed so WRONG to me, despite the fact that I love zaru soba (cold soba with dipping sauce).
But I gave tsukemen a go a couple of weeks ago at Ramen Halu, for the love of Great UM Noodletown.
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March 5, 2012
Culinography: Spaghetti alla Chitarra
Spaghetti alla Chitarra prepared by chef Dan Kluger at The Core Club. He is now the chef at ABC Kitchen in NYC.
Photo by Erin Gleeson.
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March 2, 2012
Great UM Noodletown: China Village (Albany)
I woke up to an email this morning with the subject line: “You’re so ahead of your time!” Bryan’s good friend Rob was informing me that March is National Noodle Month, and forwarded me this article about the celebrations in LA. So what the hell, let’s extend noodle month through March! April! FOREVER!
Today, I share with you one of my favorite noodle joints in the Bay Area.
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