Smorgasboard of Things I Ate Last Weekend
Ramen!
Due to the tornado of midterms that hit me these past two weeks, I haven’t been able to update on all the delicious things I’ve eaten recently, so expect an explosion of posts in the next couple of days! On that note, I shall proceed to tantalize you all with the delicious things I’ve eaten last weekend when I went back to NYC for Comic-Con/New York Anime Festival.
First night home, I went to Otafuku to stuff my face with takoyaki and okonomiyaki. (I had been craving takoyaki since I missed my chance at the Night Market.) The takoyaki was as amazinggggg as I remembered: crispy shell encasing gooey dough, octopus chunks, and a hint of ginger. (I was pleasantly surprised that they reduced the amount of ginger from the first time I tried it.) Honestly, the best part about Otafuku’s takoyaki is the combination of sauces they splash on. From the distinctly flavored okonomiyaki sauce to the cozy creamy kewpie mayo, topped with a heaping of light bonito flakes… Mmmm that’s the good stuff!
Okonomiyaki from Otafuku
I tried their squid okonomiyaki for the first time too! It had a milder flavor than the takoyaki, but man was it huge! After feeding some to Nyanko-Sensei I still had about half left to bring for my parents. (Maybe I shouldn’t have eaten all that takoyaki beforehand…) Nonetheless, the okonomiyaki was very delicious filled with the same doughy goodness, savory squid chunks, and diced scallions, all topped with the same delicious sauces used in takoyaki! So essentially it is essentially the same as takoyaki, except blander and in pancake form. Me, I prefer the takoyaki because the spherical shape just makes it 100x cuter!! Furthermore, the small size gives it a greater surface area:volume ratio that condenses the flavor, thus enhancing deliciousness! (Yes, midterms have definitely gotten to my head…)
Jjamppong from Jin Jia Roo (Food Gallery 32)
Friday after the Con, we trekked down to Food Gallery 32 in K-Town for dinner. I was freezing, so I decided to get the spicy Jjamppong soup from Jin Jia Roo to warm up. I don’t like onions…but they added a nice base to the soup. I loved the soup!!! It had that traditional Korean spiciness, that heats you up from head to toe, the only consequence being the burning sensation in your throat. I was pleasantly surprised to find noodles buried underneath the mussels. It was a very filling meal, and I would recommend it to anyone with a decent level of spice tolerance on a chilly autumn day.
Hirata Pork & Chicken Buns from Ippudo
On Saturday, Jan-Jan’s aunt treated us to Ippudo (which was super-sweet of her!) I put my foot down about Jan-Jan trying the Hirata Pork Buns, and she was very glad I did. She looooved them, hehe~ We got two chicken ones too, since her aunt is primarily vegetarian (but eats chicken?) It wasn’t as good as the savory fatty pork, but still pretty awesome with the classic Ippudo seasoning and drizzle of kewpie mayo.
Miso Ramen, the tender pork ❤
For the main course, I ordered the Miso Ramen, which was pretty good as all Ippudo’s noodles are. However, they weren’t nearly as good as the Spicy Miso Ramen, which I had a taste of from Jan-Jan. (Or perhaps I just have a proclivity for spicy stuff…) I still enjoyed the ramen, as I always do at Ippudo. The noodles were of top-quality, the broth was rich and hearty, and generally everything was in place. I was a little perplexed by the mound of ginger that I mixed into the soup. I feel like it might have been better if I took some of it out…
Anyways, we had a great time at the Con and eating out in NYC. The excursion left me at a crunch for midterms week, but without any regrets! ~^^~
You have no idea of how jealous I am of you because of the ramen…I’ve tried is at Mitsua Marketplace in Clearwater, NJ…I don’t think there is any place around nearby Philly that sells japanese style ramen. (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻
Wanna trade? After I learned my dad’s recipe for jjamppong, that for some ramen? xD
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Haha, ramen SOO DELICIOUS!! Mitsuwa’s ramen is pretty good too, but not as good as Ippudo (the wait is forever though). Yessss please!! I bought a whole container of gochujang and I haven’t opened it yet. I’ve been wanting to attempt Korean cooking for a while =]
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