Bay Area Ramen rating update - 6/3/2011

Some new ramen restaurants and updates on the list. The new restaurants I found were from E-じゃん, a magazine on Japanese lifestyle in the Bay Area, curtesy of Jun.

We tried Ramen Shalala in Mountain View by Castro St recently. A post on Chow Hound claims that the chef used to work at Kahoo Ramen. Given my opinion of Kahoo, that does not raise my expectations. :p Hsin-Tien had shio while I had spicy miso. We felt that the broth lacked depth. The broth tastes like it's mostly a chicken base, so it was light and somewhat oily. The spicy miso reminded me of tan tan men. The noodles were quite good, so was the chashu, which was flavorful, fatty, and tasty. We felt that we would prefer Ryowa (Hsin-Tien) or Maruichi (me) over Shalala. The waitress did say her favorite was the shoyu, so I will probably try that when and if we come back. One final thing, the chicken karaage was a complete disappointment. There was not much taste, and the thick breading was flavorless and did not stick on the chicken properly. (HT)

I also tried Yuuraku in San Mateo. This is actually a Japanese Chinese restaurant, i.e. chinese food adapted to Japanese tastes. Still much better than American Chinese. ^_~ They have a large variety of ramen, which can be a red flag. I tried the Yuuraku Ramen since that was what was listed in E-じゃん. It was not a traditional ramen and rather interesting. The meat slices were thin but chewy with good flavor. The broth is supposed to be spicy shoyu. It's interesting but not very complex. I think overall it's an ok ramen house and would like to come back to at least verify their more traditional ramen offerings.

I have also made some adjustments to the list. I've decided to promote Santouka, since we've had it very often and still find it to be very high quality.

Pictures for Shalala:

My spicy miso and Hsin-Tien's shio

Pictures for Yuuraku:

The ramen menu and close up of the meat for Yuuraku Ramen

Revised list:

Top
Santa (Tonkotsu)
Orenchi (Tonkotsu, Shouyu, Shio)
Santouka (Shio)

Middle
Ramen Dojo (Tonkotsu stamina)
Maruichi (Tonkotsu variation)
Ramen Tenma (Okinawa, pork based)
Haru (Various)
Ryowa (Butter Corn)
Himawari (Tantan, Shio)
Yuuraku Ramen (?)
Shalala (Shio, Spicy Miso)
Katanaya (Kayanaya ramen, shyouyu-based)

Bottom
Kahoo (Shio)
Ajisen
Kumako

Question mark?
Ogisan in Campbell. New
Douhatsuten in Palo Alto.

On the other side

Now that I have actually attended several practices sitting on the sensei side, I must say the oddest thing so far to me is hearing "Sensei ni" and seeing a bunch of kids in front of me.

4 dan!

On my fourth try, I finally passed my kendo 4 dan exam. It is both a relief and a stepping stone forward. Many thanks to all my senseis and people who practiced and tested with me. And a big thank you for my wife for letting me attend all of those practices.

I must admit that my kendo now feels much more solid than the first time I tested 2 years ago. Although, I think I was in better cardio shape back then, my kendo now is much steadier and I think my eye for reading an opponent has improved significantly. However, I am still prone to being reactive than proactive. Never going to run out of things to work on, I guess. :p

Bay Area Ramen rating update - 11/27/2010

Wow, it has been a while.

There is a fairly new Ramen place in town, called Ramen Tenma on Saratoga Ave, in the Lion City strip mall between Mitsuwa and Halu Ramen. They claim to be Okinawa Ramen, with a pork bone soup base and thin noodles. Despite being pork bones, the soup is very light and not oily at all. The flavor is arguably a little light. They also have Okinawa Soba, which tastes more like a konbu based broth. Also very good.

Ramen Tenma also has some interesting appetizers. One is the fatty pork that you can find at other ramen places. Another is a set of 4 pieces of chashu w/ some melted cheese on top. I would recommend trying this one. Lastly, they have something called the Okinawa Bowl, which is andasu over the rice. It seems to be some kind of flavored, almost fermented pork. It's an interesting try.

Overall, I think Ramen Tenma is a decent addition to the Ramen scene in the Bay Area. And Hsin-tien and I appreciate how close to our house it is. ^_^

Pictures:




Revised list:

Top
Santa (Tonkotsu)
Orenchi (Tonkotsu, Shouyu, Shio)

Middle
Ramen Tenma (Okinawa, pork based)
Maruichi (Tonkotsu variation)
Ramen Dojo (Tonkotsu stamina)
Santouka (Shio)
Haru (Various)
Ryowa (Butter Corn)
Himawari (Tantan, Shio)
Katanaya (Kayanaya ramen, shyouyu-based)

Bottom
Kahoo (Shio)
Ajisen
Kumako

Question mark?
Ogisan in Campbell. New

Bay Area Ramen rating update - 8/15/2010

Hsin-tien and I tried Kumako in downtown San Jose a couple weeks ago. That was definitely a mistake. The only reason we went there instead of any other restaurant in Japantown San Jose was because we didn't get there until 2PM and all of the other Japanese restaurants are already closed. Nothing about the ramen was good, in my opinion. I didn't like the soup, noodles, or chasu. I would never go back again unless all of the restaurants were closed again. And even then, I would seriously consider going somewhere else...

Hsint-tien and I tried Katana-ya (刀屋) in downtown San Francisco yesterday, when we took a friend of hers to SF. When I saw their menu, providing a diverse mix of broth and many rice dishes and even sushi, I pegged them to be about Himawari or Ryowa's level. I was right. Both of us tried the Katana-ya ramen, which was unorthodox. It was a soy sauce broth, with corn, seaweed, chasu, fried gyoza, and fried chicken. For only $13, it was well worth its value. The fried chicken, or chicken karaage (), was actually pretty decent, and even withstood soaking in broth. I can't help but wonder if its four start ranking on Yelp is helped by people dropping by after drinks late at night. ^_^



Two updates this time.

Revised list:

Top
Santa (Tonkotsu)
Orenchi (Tonkotsu, Shouyu, Shio)

Middle
Maruichi (Tonkotsu variation)
Ramen Dojo (Tonkotsu stamina)
Santouka (Shio)
Haru (Various)
Ryowa (Butter Corn)
Himawari (Tantan, Shio)
Katanaya (Kayanaya ramen, shyouyu-based)

Bottom
Kahoo (Shio)
Ajisen
Kumako

Question mark?
Ogisan in Campbell. New

Bigger men strike

Tonight, Tanaka sensei reiterated that I wasn't raising my hands up enough before striking men (面), sashi men (さし面), in particular. I didn't understand him the first time but I think I see now. Because of all the pressure to get faster, my form has been changing and deteriorating. This advice, raise up and hit from above, was what I used to tell beginners in Illinois. I feel kind of ashamed when I realized that I was no longer following my own advice. -_-

Legally married!

Hsin-Tien and I attended our civil marriage ceremony today, so now we are legally married! Reception dates are yet to be determined. :p

Special thanks to our parents, including Hsin-tien's mom for flying all of the way from Taiwan, my sister and brother-in-law Drew, and my aunt and uncle for joining us.



More pictures, courtesy of my sister:
http://picasaweb.google.com/sainueng/CourtWedding#

Kendo practice - 20100604

Rather hot practice tonight. I thought I did fairly well. Got some good advice tonight.

Yamaguchi sensei - Don't rush. When I rush I hit and reach with my right hand. Need to stay straight.

Kim sensei - Reach forward more and then hit men (面). Don't cock my right hand and tip back too far. Kim sensei was picking off my kote (小手) with ease. I used to hit this way a while back, but I have been swinging bigger lately because I felt my tenouchi (手の内) has not been enough. The strength of the hit hasn't been there. I think it is time to reevaluate, yet again. :p

Gen Mikuni sensei - Need to commit, especially when I strike kote (小手).

Nishiura sensei - Don't hit too much hiki waza (引き技). I was trying to be more aggressive, and went too far I think. Especially when trying to do shinsa keiko (審査稽古).

Bay Area Ramen rating update - 5/15/2010

I tried the shouyu ramen at Orenchi this Wednesday and I really liked it. I think it's not the usual shouyu. I'm guessing they mix in soup from the pork stock. Yet it also retains some of the fish stock, smoky taste of shouyu. I like it better than Orenchi's shio for sure.

Updated list:

Top
Santa (Tonkotsu)
Orenchi (Tonkotsu, Shouyu, Shio)

Middle
Maruichi (Tonkotsu variation)
Ramen Dojo (Tonkotsu)
Santouka (Shio)
Haru (Various)
Ryowa (Butter Corn)
Himawari (Tantan, Shio)

Bottom
Kahoo (Shio)
Ajisen

Question mark?
Kumako in Japan town San Jose. Heard it wasn't good.
Ogisan in Campbell. New

No more coasting

At kendo practice this Thursday, I realized that I've been coasting too much at practice for a while now. I realized this when Kim sensei pointed out during suburi (素振り) that my step size should be bigger.

I should be putting in more effort. I've been hiding behind my elbow discomfort, telling myself I'm trying to establish confidence, etc. I need to return to the roots of kendo and push myself instead. The senseis, Tanaka sensei in particular, have been pushing me still. But on my own, I feel I have not been putting in the same amount of dedication.

Time to change.

Oh yeah, and I failed my yondan (四段) test again, for the 3rd time. >_< :(

Bay Area Ramen rating update - 4/24/2010

I ate at Ajisen in Fremont and the newly opened Ramen Dojo in San Mateo recently.

I now understand why Hsin-tien never wanted to go to Ajisen. LOL It is not that special, at least in terms of a ramenya. As a noodle place, it is good. The broth is decent, but not deep. The noodles were ok. I had the spare ribs ramen, which were recommended, and I must admit to being impressed w/ the meat.

Ramen Dojo is by the same people who do Santa Ramen, so expectations were high. It opened at the old location of Santa Ramen and specialized in Stamina Ramen: spicy high-calorie ramen. There were 3 base broths: shoyuu (soy sauce), tonkotsu (pork bone), and miso. Three levels of spiciness: mild, regular, and spicy. The toppings were also a little different. There was a quail egg, roast pork, kimagure, fried garlic, shredded red pepper, sliced green onion, and chicken gravy. (I may have missed a few items.) Again, I was not impressed w/ the chasu, but I like it better than Santa. I've tried the tonkotsu and the miso at regular spicy, and I prefer the tonkotsu. The spiciness is not bad for the mouth, but could affect your digestive system. >_> I would try mild next time. Hsin-tien had the mild and it seemed like the spiciness is more controlled and generated by black pepper, not hot chili oil. Hsin-tien prefers Santa and I have to agree. Although Ramen Dojo is a good change of pace.

Pictures are from Ramen Dojo.



Updated list: (I've also decided to promote Santouka above Haru)

Top
Santa (Tonkotsu)
Orenchi (Tonkotsu, Shio)

Middle
Maruichi (Tonkotsu variation)
Ramen Dojo (Tonkotsu)
Santouka (Shio)
Haru (Various)
Ryowa (Butter Corn)
Himawari (Tantan, Shio)

Bottom
Kahoo (Shio)
Ajisen

Question mark?
Kumako in Japan town San Jose. Heard it wasn't good.
Ogisan in Campbell. New

IP TROLL

This morning I saw an Infinity with a license plate saying exactly that, "IP TROLL". Made me almost want to key the car... >_<

Bay Area Ramen rating - 3/24/2010

I was eating at Kahoo Ramen for lunch today and it occurred to me that I should probably rate my preferences for the ramen restaurants that I know of and tried in the Bay Area. Just for kicks. :) I'm restricting this to restaurants centering around ramen. Restaurants that happen to serve ramen won't count. Maybe I'll have honorable mentions later on.

Anyways, here's my list of ramen restaurants, along w/ my preferred soup base.

Top
Santa (Tonkotsu)
Orenchi (Tonkotsu, Shio)

Middle
Maruichi (Tonkotsu variation)
Haru (Various)
Santouka (Shio)
Ryowa (Butter Corn)
Himawari (Tantan, Shio)

Bottom
Kahoo (Shio)

Question mark?
Kumako in Japan town San Jose. Heard it wasn't good.
Ajisen in Fremont
Ogisan in Campbell. New

It wasn't just ramen deprivation!!

Back when I was in IL, Katousan Ramen (火頭山) in the food court of Mitsuwa was the only ramen place I could find. Practically every time I went up to Chicago, I had to eat there. However, a part of me always wondered if it was actually good. Or if I was just ramen deprived.

Recently Katousan opened up a branch at the Mitsuwa here in Saratoga. I finally tried it a couple nights ago and found it to still be rather tasty, despite the abundance of ramen shops here in Bay Area. So I am glad that it wasn't just ramen deprivation that made me like Katousan Ramen! :)

Correction: It's Santouka (山頭火). :p

Fantasy football: addendum

And... I lost in the 2nd round of playoffs. T_T

Fantasy football

I'm in the playoffs for the first time that I can remember!! Woohoo!! With a first round by no less.

Too bad the Niners' chances for the same aren't that good... Oh well...

Kendo practice: 2009-12-04

Got many comments at today's practice. Figured I should write them down so I remember.

Matsuda sensei: Timing of kiai (気合い) and strike. Need better ki-ken-tai-icchi (気剣体一致). A more complete cut. Start with a sharper kiai.

Yoshida sensei: Push-pull w/ the left hand. Relax the right hand onto the left hand. Raise the kensen by pushing forward w/ the left hand and then strike by pulling, while pushing forward w/ the right hand at the end.

I remember trying this before and wasn't happy w/ the results, but it may be time to revisit it.

Nishiura sensei: He was watching my practice after practice and then asked me to try a couple men strikes in front of him. He reminded me to push with the left foot, kicking the floor, and move forward with the hara (腹).

Waaahhhh!!!! So much to work on... T_T

(Thank you to all of the sensei-dachi (先生達) for their advice. ^_^)

Kendo

On my recent trip to Japan and Taiwan, I was able to practice kendo once in Japan at the Noma Dojo at its new location and once in Taiwan. Both times I was told the same thing by sensei, so I should probably, probably, write it down and work on it. :p

After I go for men, I am too rigid and tense and unable to strike again if my opponent steps back and I miss.

Sigh >_<

Camping at Pinnacles

Last weekend Erwin arranged for a car camping trip at Pinnacles National Park, which is about a 2 hour drive south of here, past Gilroy and Holister. Hsin-tien and I decided to join in. This would be Hsin-tien's first camping experience. The plan was to drive down Saturday, go on a hike, relax at the campsite, and go on another hike Sunday if people feel up for it. The main attraction at Pinnacles were the caves, which aren't always open due to the bats.

Originally there were 5-6 families/couples going, with 4 babies involved. O_o Scary... In the end though, due to various circumstances, it went down to 4 families/couples with 2 babies. That made it a lot more tolerable. I think we all concluded after the trip that more than 2 babies would be impossible. :) Eric and Ce joined us from Fresno, and Simon and Yoon came down from the Bay Area.

Hsin-tien and I met up w/ Erwin, Amanda, and Oskar around noon at Bear Gulch. After we ate lunch we got our gear together for the day hike. It was to be short, 2-3 miles. But there is a cave, and a baby involved. It was fun. The cave was interesting, and we got to go through the upper caves as well, which is often closed for the bats. Parts of it were a tight squeeze and I don't know how Erwin did it w/ Oskar on his back. O_o Oskar was a very cooperative and happy baby. :) After stopping at the "reservoir" we had a leisurely stroll back.

For dinner Erwin put together a terrific spread. My only real experience w/ camping so far has been backpacking, where we had to carry all of our equipment and food for multiple days, hiking many miles per day, and ending on freeze-dried food (which were delicious then :). So this car camping w/ cutting board, knives, cooking and eating utensils, was quiet different for me. Following are some pictures of the food and camp.

Unfortunately the shower facilities were... adequate, but a little spooky, since there were no lights. O_O

I think Hsin-tien came back fairly unscathed. We decided to take it easy on Sunday and just came back after cleaning up camp. We stopped at Gilroy for Hsin-tien to pick up some gifts for our trip to Taiwan. Both of us are a little under the weather right now because of stress and general tiredness, but nothing really from the trip. Perhaps this means more camping for the 2 of us in the future... ^_^

So disappointed...

I really should have known better...

I got a letter saying "2009 Obama Agenda Survey." Then I noticed that it's from the Republican National Committee. I figured I would still take a look. The letter says that there is a questionnaire included and they want to hear back from people. I'm thinking, "Ok, maybe they're interested in getting their message out and getting some feedback." Then on the other side of the letter it asks for money. >_< I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, but still, I figured I would look at the questionnaire.

But going through that questionnaire I was really disappointed. They basically listed a bunch of topics in a divisive manner, and gave the options for Yes/No/No opinion. There is almost no way I could answer these questions w/ just Yes or No!! The first question was do I agree w/ Obama's budget plan. The 2nd question was do I believe the federal government went too far w/ the bailouts. And the 3rd was do I support amnesty for illegal immigrants. Is it just me or are these questions that cut and dry?

I especially liked the one that asks if I believe that Obama's nominees for federal courts should be immediately and unquestionably approved for their lifetime appointments by the U.S. Senate. I mean, a) I don't think he's going to be able to change how the system works, nor is he proposing to, b) if you just bow down yourself then you're not doing you job, and c) didn't you guys basically do similar things after 9/11 when you had the popular and media support?

And at the end of the questionnaire there was just the contribution reply. No space whatsoever for additional thoughts or comments. Granted, it may be next to impossible to go through random responses, but still.

To me, this questionnaire just seemed like a hoax. They list a bunch of divisive topics that appeal to what their current core constituency already believes in, build up their fervor, and then have them send in money. Makes me wonder if they would even take the results of the questionnaire seriously...