Product review – Japanese PREMIUM instant ramen

Since I cannot travel to Japan (due to the ongoing Covid-19  strictly enforced travel restrictions) for my fix of great fresh ramen noodles (Ah, the Great Ramen Bowl! One of my all time favorite food), I got some of their instant ramen shipped to me. Obviously,  food that is dried then fried for dehydration  will never match fresh food that is cooked to order. But I was curious to see how far they have raised their game in the instant noodle world.

 

Here, I am reviewing 5 instant ramen I tried recently:

Nakiryu Tantanmen (Tokyo)
Nakiryu is a Michelin-starred ramen shop in Tokyo. I used to be against the idea of Michelin awarding stars to non-French
restaurants (Michelin is from France. Not that you need to be from a specific country in order to judge the food of that specific country. No. Not at all. It would be laughably stupid and pitifully naive to think that way. It is just that, for a long time, I could not respect what Michelin was assessing outside of French cuisine. It does not mean that I am right. It just means that I could not respect it), especially when it came to casual cooking that is not French  (for eg, yakitori which is just grilled food or ramen, the soup). I mean casual is casual. Leave the casual alone, Lol. Great casual food (the best street food in the world, an exceptional soup, a heart-warming simple grilled piece of meat) is far more satisfying than anything that can come from the best restaurants in the globe, anyways…so Michelin, leave the casual alone!  Lol. And, Bonhomme Michelin, pls do not tell me that, you, too, are on the lookout just for … heart-warming superb food. If that was the case, the simple dazzling superb grilled seafood of my childhood in the Indian Ocean would have been awarded some Michelin stars…right? So, you need more than that. You need consistency, you need a certain experience, etc. Good, I am fine with that…….BUT  what the heck are you doing trying to spot a yakitori or a ramen shop??.. You award someone who is grilling pieces of meat or just doing a soup a Michelin star and chances are that he will start taking advantage of that (charging the big $$$ for a simple soup or a simple piece of grilled meat, and turn the whole thing into pomp). I have changed my mind regarding Michelin awards of the non-French restaurants (especially, when you see superb 1 star Michelin restaurants like Sushi Noz , Tempura Matsui or Okuda in NYC). But I am still against the fact that Michelin awards stars to some grilled food (yakitori) and ramen (although, some may argue that I was very happy with the 1 star Michelin noodle restaurant Jeju in NYC — Oh well, the Chef of Jeju is a proper Michelin star Chef, to start with. He is not serving just noodle soups, btw. And, the day I was there, the overall experience was proper 1 star Michelin experience nicely adapted to a casual-chic atmosphere, showcasing high-level cooking, fine service, etc. I do not know if Jeju is always like that, but the Jeju I knew on that evening is a good example of the sort of new-gen of Michelin stars that I can see Michelin embracing as part of the modernization of his image). Of course, the fact that I do not agree with Michelin awarding stars to a ramen shop will not affect my assessment of this instant ramen (I am neutral enough to put that aside, my focus is on the appreciation of what you deliver and not on whatever biased impression I am supposed to pour on it, regardless of the fact that I am sometimes passionate in my reviews).
Tantanmen 担々麺  is generally spicy (as it is actually the Japanese take on the spicy Dandan noodles from China), and this was no exception, its spiciness (present, but not too strong – definitely not “tongue burning”, unless you never had spicy food in your life. A rather refined spiciness) coming from a raiyu chili oil that was of superb quality (I always taste the ingredients on their own before mixing them up). Of equally superb quality, the white sesame paste. Both were of restaurant-quality material. The thin noodles keeping their texture as al dente as it was possible (at some point, in the tasting, I received a phone call. The call took few mins, then when I went back to finish my bowl, the noodles were looking at me with a defiant attitude as in “we are still here, as intact as when you left ” …yeah, they were still al dente, unaltered,  one sign of noodles that are not of the ordinary sort). A controlled level of spiciness that’s perfectly well balanced with an array of complementing flavours (kombu, duck, miso, yeast as well as seafood extract, pork powder,  chicken, black as well as apple vinegar, the expected nutty sweet flavour of the sesame paste, etc). Made by Nissin.

Wakayama Ramen Tonkotsu Pork bone
This bowl is about the heavier style of Wakayama Ramen (as they also have a light version of it). The Pork bone flavour as rich and thick as your instant ramen soup flavour will get.

In this case, an additional  flavouring dimension is brought by the tangy soya sauce (thoughtful in its role to cut the richness of this Pork bone-based soup). The attention to details of the Japanese instant ramen makers is incredible and that could be felt to a tee (the colorful fish cake  — known as Narutomaki’鳴門巻 –, shaped like a flower, in the  picture, above —  is a popular topping of this sort of ramen, and that was not going to be left aside ….it was part of their instant ramen version as well). They even thought about including a tiny piece of  Nibuta” (煮豚) – Aka Chashu, the classic piece of boiled pork (of course, adapted to the reality of instant ramen, meaning that it cannot get close to the real thing, but it rehydrated really well and stood as good as a piece of Chashu can look, feel and taste like … in its instant ramen form) that serves as a ramen’s topping, and so on. The noodles were more or less of the same type as the one mentioned in the previous instant ramen (this not holding its al dente form as long as the previous one, though, but ramen is meant to be slurped quickly, not to be contemplated, lol) , which is fine for a quality instant ramen noodle (you cannot and should never expect instant ramen noodles to be as impressive as freshly-made noodles made in a ramen shop that is making their own ramen, obviously). Made by Nissin.

Nissin Raoh MISO  Ramen
Nissin is a popular brand of instant ramen in Japan. Nissin offers instant ramen noodles in various forms (cups, bowls, etc). In general, Nissin delivers top-shelf instant ramen, however, the version that comes in a bowl is generally more  “upmarket” (as it is the case, in general, with instant ramen that you will find in a bowl).

As expected from a miso flavoured soup, this tasted salty, tangy, and savory. All of that was spiced up with a kick of chili oil, with extra flavouring coming from the addition of sesame seeds, spring onions and minced pork. This time, we are heading to Sapporo, Hokkaido, in the North of Japan, consquently, in typical Sapporo style, you have also corn and other vegetables (cabbage) that are thrown in the mix (of the toppings).  A twist: the noodles are fresh! Not deep-fried, which is common with instant noodles. Thin noodles as all noodles of this review, looking the same at first, but with a somehow enjoyable chewy texture (indeed, somehow closer to the feeling you would get from a fresh noodle you would eat at a ramen shop. Somehow, I said.)  It came with a dried packet of bamboo shoots, green onions and chashu pork as well as some liquid shoyu (soya sauce) soup base. The soya sauce flavour at the fore. As with every single of the quality instant ramen that are mentioned in the current post, the quality of the ingredients (for an instant noodle product, obviously) is undeniable (everything hydrating like a charm).

Hakodate Shio Ramen
Shio is salt. But this is not just water  flavoured with salt: given the widely praised exceptional obsession of the  Japanese food industry with product quality, they were not going to just pour salt in water and be happy about that, Lol.

They use salts of various types, and not just for the fun of blending various types of salt. Count on them to put lots of thoughts and plenty of inspiration in that. They do also add other flavours to enhance the salt flavouring as you would have guessed. Here, pork back fat and different sorts of fish flavours are added to this instant ramen. You also have the flavour of scallops from Hokkaido and kelp. Inspired, they have been, as there was also a piece of fu (wheat gluten) which is a common topping of the real thing in Hakodate. Other ingredients: a piece of simmered/braised pork, bamboo shoots, and green onions. This was fun to eat: the broth light and yet lively. The noodles, thin as the other noodles reviewed in this post, but softer. Beautiful bounce to that noodle, too. It is hard to get the right noodle to match the right soup. Most people do not pay attention to that, and it is not hard to see why: it is just noodles and some liquid. So who cares?? Lol..therefore,  it is easy to take for granted that most noodles and soups will do just fine alongside each other (especially in its instant ramen form). And indeed, we don’t even get to think about that. So when that is something that jumps to your attention, then you know something special is going on. And special, this was: among many highlights, the perfect symbiosis between the texture of the noodle, the quality of the savory and briny broth, how well the noodles responded to the broth, and how well the broth responded to the noodles. As harmonious as ramen gets in its instant noodle form. This took the cake for me. Made by Yamadai.

Bubuka Abura Soba
Abura Soba (油そば) is soupless ramen. Yeah, no liquid (soup). And Bubuka is one of Tokyo’s most famous ramen shops of Abura soba. Their instant ramen does its best to be a faithful reproduction  (as it is possible to be for an instant noodle…) of  the ramen shop’s version (thick oiled seasoning, thick noodles, etc).

Exactly as at the real ramen shop, you have mayonnaise (the mayo having a more inspired tang than what you will get from our usual commercial so-called “real mayo” supermarket products in North America or Europe, though not on the level of what an inspired amateur talented cook can make at home, from scratch, in his prime, Lol), roasted garlic, spices. Abura is actually oil (typically sesame oil). Here, you basically have soy sauce and sesame oil as the leading flavouring ingredients. This ramen did also benefit from the flavours of chicken, pork extracts, and lard. The noodles having a thick texture that’s appropriate for this sort of ramen dish. This was good (for quality instant ramen). Made by Myojo.

Most of the noodles of this review had virtually noodles of the same sort. Which, as long as it is of a quality that surpasses the ordinary instant ramen noodle is an …….. easy pill to swallow (we are talking  … instant noodles, shall I remind us of that). And that was the case, here. Do not waste the extra liquid you could not slurp and freeze it so that you can use it as a soup base for your next soup (it surely will elevate the average ordinary instant ramen found on the shelves of our North American and European groceries)!

I also could not score any of these. I generally score food for the sake of constructively and clearly segregating the good from the bad, the average from the benchmark, the excellent from the very good. But for once, I could not do that, in spite of the fact that  I was impressed by the Hakodate Shio Ramen. The reason is very simple: they all were of top-notch level (for instant ramen, I mean). Picking one as better than the next would be, a bit, as if I would tell you that, among all the NFL history’s best quarterbacks, I could assess Dan Marino / Brady / Otto Graham as better or worst than Peyton Manning / Favre / Staubach/Aikman. It would be pure insanity. Folly. And god thanks, I am not there yet. No instant ramen will ever be as “magical” as the stellar performance of those great athletes, that’s for sure, but you got my point: sometimes, in life, some things are so..equally good (at what they are). The case of these instant ramen noodles.

Bottom line: Naturally, it is a lot of sodium, Lol. So slurp moderately (the 5 ramen I tried were sampled across several weeks. I tried one every 2,3 weeks). As expected, the instant ramen I have just reviewed is better than the usual run-of-the-mill instant ramen found in our North American or European supermarkets. I am not here to tell you what is right or wrong. I am not here to discuss the value of things (and NO, I am not rich. Lol, therefore at the game of assessing things for their value, I stand where the average people will stand). I am telling you what things are, and you put whatever value you want on them. That is up to you. I am here to share with you what I believe to count among the best (at what they are). And this post is just about that:  you had  5 examples of what instant Japanese ramen can be at their best, at this point in time. There will always be better, no doubt about that, but these were among the best.  On a side note,  If that can be of any help (I presume that you love ramen if you took the time to click on this post): when on the lookout for some ramen in Japan,  this link will help you better navigate ramendb.supleks (which I recommend to couple with other resources such as the ramen Map application and    Tabelog ). Last but not least, if you are curious to see a documentary on how ramen is taken seriously, do not miss the 2017 movie “Ramenheads“.

Ichiran, New York City

Ichiran is one of the major ramen chains coming straight from Japan  that decided to open branches in Manhattan (two) as well as one in Brooklyn. In Japan, I tried both Ichiran and Ippudo (the other major competitor to Ichiran), but discretely, lol, as it is a bit as raving about Burger King and Mc Donald while you are in the US. Not that I do not like Mc Donald and Burger King (I do actually like both of them), but there are plenty of  artisan Chef’s (the opposite of a chain’s operation) ramenyas in Japan who do offer world class ramen  and that is what, as a true ramen fan, you should be looking for when in Japan. That said, here in NYC, Ippudo and Ichiran feature among the best ramenyas , consequently do  expect plenty of buzz about those two ramen chains.

 

The proof that ramen is extremely popular nowadays: there are 3 times more hits on my review of Ippudo than this entire blog would attract in 6 months. Yep, a miracle for a sleepy blog like this one (do not forget that this is a non marketed blog targeting just couple of close foodies, here and there, with whom I share about our foodie adventures). But that tells you how ramen is trendy.

I went slurping at one of their branches in New York, the one situated at 132W 31st .

First thing first:

My ratings of the ramen I had in Japan should NOT be compared with the ones of the bowls I had in Montreal, which, in turn should not be compared to my ratings of the bowls I had in NYC

For the simple reason that they can’t (different geographical areas mean the water is different, the ingredients comes from different soils, etc).

 

So, Ichiran NYC that is.

Style of ramen:  tonkotsu style.

Noodles: freshly made  as you came to expect from any respectable ramen shop. I picked them firm (you have to decide on  the consistency of your noodles) so that the noodles do hold in  the broth. The noodles compare favorably with its counterpart in Japan. 7/ 10

The broth: Pork-bone based that has enough strength to its taste, meaning enough nuances / complexity  flavor-wise.  Even though it is certainly not as exciting  as at an Ichiran in Japan. A bit thinner than its incarnation in Japan. Fine enough broth 6/ 10

The chashu (Japanese braised pork belly) – I was very disappointed with this. I kept reading   praises about their timely braised, boldly  flavoured  chashu at  Ichiran NYC. That it was delicious and so on. But mine was dry. It  had Zero flavor.  0/ 10

Tare (The sauce flavouring the broth): fine concentration of flavours, verging on the sweet side. Not as amazing  at its incarnation in Japan but still, flavorful / enjoyable enough. 6/ 10

Egg: served cold (I do not get that one). Old school mostly (as it was a bit runny as well) hard-boiled egg, which is to be expected from a ramen chain that started in 1960 (old school ramen is traditionally served with hard boiled egg, new school ramen with soft-boiled egg, and you can also find ramen served with raw egg yolk). But the temperature of the egg should not be that cold. There are parts of the world where the ramen is not their speciality and yet they are delivering flawless eggs that are served at the perfect temperature and that blend well with the rest of the ramen. And here you have a popular Japanese chain of ramen that seems to take such important feature lightly. 0/ 10

Bottom line: The service is great and it is a lovely place. I went there to really like  Ichiran, and I would run back there just for that lovely service, but it was a disappointment on the aspect of the food. That said, and I know that it sounds odd, for me, to say it that way: in between an eatery that offers stellar food but crappy service, and a place like Ichiran, where ..yes..there are some things I railed against, as far as food goes, I will take Ichiran any day. The reason? If your service is crap, you are killing my appetite. At least at Ichiran, that superb service keeps my appetite alive regardless of the drawbacks I have mentioned.  And the food was still pleasant enough (after all, a boiled egg that is not to my taste …does not mean that the ramen is crap. The broth and noodle were good, as I wrote.  I just needed the egg and the chashu to shine.) Ichiran NYC Addr: 132 W 31st St, New York, NY 10001 Phone: (212) 465-0701 URL: https://www.ichiranusa.com/  Overall rating Food 5/10, Service 8/10

Ippudo, New York, NY

  Ippudo’s 博多一風堂  ( I tried the one on 65 4th Ave, New York, NY 10003, USA Phone: +1 212-388-0088  ) interior is very pretty and modern looking, with a light-wood bar in the middle of the ramenya, as well as a dining room bathed in red and the same light wood tones of the bar. Clearly, we are not at a ramenya in Japan, but in Manhattan …

  I picked the akamaru modern , made of pork broth, ippudo’s secret miso paste, pork chashu, cabbage, sesame kikurage, mushrooms, scallions, garlic oil. As with any broth, what you are looking for is the depth and subtlety of its nuanced flavors. Perhaps because they want to adapt the taste of the broth to American palates, the finest bowls of ramen in North America can’t replicate the superlative work of flavors of their counterparts of Tokyo (Fuunji in Tokyo did not blow me away — just a matter of personal taste, imho, as Fuunji is a world class ramenya— but it is ages ahead of any of the finest ramen broths of ramen of New York/North America). Ippudo NYC is no exception to my latest assertion. And yet, it is certainly one of the 2 or 3 bowls of ramen that truly stand out in NYC at this moment.

Pros: One of the good  ramens of NYC/North America (fine Pork Chashu and decent flavor by North America’s finest ramen standards)…whether you like to hear this or not.

Cons: (1) Lacking of  the depth of flavors found at the Ippudo in Japan, as one who’s truly knowledgeable about food would expect from food done in two different countries who are geographically that distant (Japan Vs the  USA). Still, a good  bowl by North American ramen standards.  (2) The egg I had in my ramen seemed to have been cooked by a lazy cook…just look at the picture above!

Just remember… it (your bowl of ramen) will be WAY pricier than in Tokyo – This being NYC. But then, there is this reality check to face: are you willing to fly to Japan for a bowl of ramen? Lol…the restaurateurs have figured that out way before Adam and Eve had their first date, and that is why Ippudo can afford charging you a hefty amount of money for their bowl…they know you will have to slurp theirs, anyway! And if it is not you, someone else will certainly do.

If you have been to Tokyo and had your share of some of their best ramen there, I know what you think…And Ippudo is not even one of the best in Tokyo, and its NYC outpost is less good, I know..we know. And I had the guts to have rated world class Fuunji lower (Be careful, be VERY careful…THEY ARE NOT in the same category! And that is clearly mentioned right next to my ratings). And I did score some bowls in Mtl even higher. Yep, again NOT same category (Montreal is an Okay foodie destination, Tokyo and NYC are world class foodie destinations, so a top tier bowl of ramen in Montreal cannot be compared to a — not even a passable — bowl in those cities). So rest assured that Fuunji in Tokyo is several cuts above the rest, I am well aware of that. Very well aware! I am well aware that Fuunji in Tokyo is superior to Ippudo in both Tokyo and NYC. I am well aware that NOT one single ramenya in Montreal gets close to any remote attempt at a glimpse of the shadow of Fuunji Tokyo or any of the fine ramenyas of Tokyo. But I am also well aware about the fact that Ippudo Nyc is clearly a top tier bowl in NYC  as well as, of course, anywhere in North America. That’s all you need to know. That is all we need to know. And if you are not happy because it is not exactly as in Japan, then may be it is about time that you  realize that Manhattan is NOT situated in Japan! Ippudo 65 4th Ave, New York, NY 10003, USA Phone: +1 212-388-0088 Ratings – The ramen (7/10 by North American’s ramen standards. Here, the score dragged down by the poor egg that I did get as well as the lack of depth of flavor in comparison to their Japanese branches), Service (10/10 – Courteous, attentive, service is fast but not rushed, perfect. I know some 1 Michelin star restaurants in NYC which service cannot hold a candle to the service found here), Ambience (10/10 – Lively, lots of people and yet you feel as if you still have your privacy, which is great.)

Cocoro, Montreal

ACCORDING TO THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE,   THIS RESTAURANT IS NOW CLOSED PERMANENTLY —THIS REVIEW IS KEPT ONLINE FOR HISTORICAL REFERENCE.

The same local foodie who did notify me about the recent opening of Tsukuyomi (visited and reviewed here) has also mentioned  that another Japanese  eatery   opened its doors on Avenue du Parc, not far from the corner of Avenue St Viateur.  The name is Cocoro (Addr: 5407 Park Ave, Montreal, Phone:514-303-0332 ).  I checked the web to see if there is any mention of this, online, but no serious/reliable online source has yet mentioned its existence as of the day of my 1st visit (Thursday Aug 17th 2017), with the only two pertinent online mentions of this restaurant being the restaurant’s Google profile and its facebook page,  so I went to find out.

Cocoro all black interior has the looks of a  simple bistro.  It also has a terrace that was not open on the day  of my visit. When you push open their glass door, you are immediately welcomed by a noren. The waitstaff explained that they do not have their alcohol license yet, but  that  it is coming soon.

Remembering the superb and genuinely Japanese donburi   as well as chicken karaage I had at Nozy — which are reviewed here (easily the most “genuinely Japanese” of any donburi and chicken karaage I had in Montreal), I wanted to see how they would fare under Cocoro’s roof.

I started my meal with their Tokyo ramen, which broth is made of  pork and chicken  (the noodles that are used are of the  thin wavy sort), light and yet  flavorful. For those in the know (people who  made ramen at a serious level for a long time), it was evident that lots of skills went into that broth (well judge timing, superb sense of seasoning, great work of the  flavor, etc).  The  waitress explained that the Japanese Chef (born and trained in Tokyo) has just arrived from Japan around 1 month ago and it shows: the seasoning of his broth was as genuinely bold as it is the case with most bowls of tokyo style ramen in Japan, with the necessary kick of salt present (I am insisting on this because lots of food journalists and food  reviewers do inaccurately report saltiness as a fault. They just do not know when saltiness is a lack of judgement and where it should be expected. Saltiness may be the pet peeve of the health-conscious world but culinary-wise, salt is what makes certain dishes great. It is therefore important to remind people that for certain types of ramen, a certain level of  saltiness is required. You take that away, your ramen will be something  else. I mean, if all you can taste in a broth of this quality is just salt, then you have some homework to do before talking about ramen: go, spend years enjoying ramen across Japan, then come back and see if  you are now  able to differentiate “necessary kick of saltiness” from the “oversalty”).  For a ramen bowl in Montreal, this was  impressive as  not one single detail was  spared: the yolk of the egg had the wet-appearing center that a serious ramen fan will look for as it helps the egg melting with the broth, an aspect that’s important as it just makes the ramen tasting better, the texture of the chāshū  チャーシュー  was the best I ever saw in Montreal ,  the noodles were precisely cooked to aldente doneness, the use of   julienne strips of the white  part of a Japanese leek (Shira Negi)– which they did use as a topping for the ramen —  is rare at our local ramenyas.  One benchmark bowl by LOCAL ramen standards. 10/10

Chicken karaage was another demonstration of the great sense of seasoning of the Chef. This time, the seasoning intentionally not strong (there is not just 1 way to make and season chicken karaage and this example was one legit version of a chicken karaage), but well balanced, with a quip, though: some pieces of chicken had a surface that was tough to tear apart. Given the skills on display during this meal and the ensuing one, I would not lose a sleep over that quip, as anyone familiar with advanced Japanese cooking techniques would not fail to observe that the Chef karaage technique is on point (again, regardless of that quip). The only limitation, for this  Chef, will come from the quality of our poultry (it is not bad, and Cocoro is using quality poultry, but it is not as great as the poultry in Japan) – but that is not the problem if this kitchen.

Talking about the quality of the ingredients in Montreal: the owner came to say hello to every client and when she dropped by my table, she said she would like, at some point in the future, to start importing ingredients  from Tokyo’s  Tsukiji market,  wagyu from Japan, etc. I appreciate her ambition but let us  be clear about this: the Montreal foodie scene is not ready for that. I gather that by reading my blog you may think that I dislike our local restaurant scene, and  that it was all logical that I would suggest that our local foodie scene is not ready for superb Japanese ingredients flown in from Japan, but thinking  that way is wrong: I am an untiring  advocate of the best aspects of our foodie scene in a way that I have always bragged about our smoked meat, poutine, cheesecakes.  They are the best in the world. Classic Quebecois cuisine is amazing, and I never miss an opportunity to mention that. In the heydays of Martin Juneau at la Montee, I did not hesitate to notice that he was (BACK THEN) up there with the very best Chefs of this globe. I did the same thing when Martin Picard was cooking. It was also the case for Hughes Dufour (Hughes is still an active Chef and he is now a star  in the competitive and  real world class foodie destination of New York), Jean-Francois Belair when he was working at le Marly and another world class Chef, Chef  Jean-Paul Giroux (who used to be at Cuisine et Dependance). Even today, there are still  local Chefs of which, I keep saying that, in their prime, they are are capable of world class cooking:  Michele Mercuri (Le Serpent), Olivier De Montigny (La Chronique), Mehdi Brunet-Benkritly  (Marconi) . So, NO…I do not dislike our foodie scene. What I cannot stand is the bullshit that surrounds this foodie scene: selling  Montreal as a foodie destination when any serious foodie knows that  it is everything you want..but  NOT  a proper foodie destination. Let us talk between  adults, here: Montreal, you managed to  convince San Pellegrino’s listing of the  top restaurants of the globe that an eatery selling lobster spaghetti should be in its top 100. You are certainly a hero  on the marketing aspect, a big zero foodie-wise. Marketing is important, but what makes a foodie destination serious is its ability of having an effective restaurant scene which performance can justify what is advertised  (which are what Paris/Tokyo/New York/London are about). Montreal has a restaurant and foodie scene that is, in general, at the opposite end  of what is promoted as evidenced by the never ending number of cooks who are more interested by opening restaurants to simply make a buck (when all you do is to parade on TV and you leave your restaurants in the hands of poorly trained cooks, that is the only thought that comes to mind, obviously), cooks who are celebrated as geniuses when the so-called geniuses do not even know how to season their food, etc. When Chef Belair was at le Marly and Michele Mercuri at XO Le Restaurant, they were both cooking world class food, but the Montreal foodie scene never knew what that meant… – Anyways, I like Montreal and do believe that when you like something, you have to be honest about it. And that is what I am doing. And to be honest, the great fish of the Tsukiji market +  best wagyu of Japan ..that  is not a good idea in the context of Montreal because the only two local restaurants that are selling the best fish and red meat from abroad are not “mainstream” restaurants, they cater to a “niche” of people driving luxurious cars and smoking expensive cigars… that is the only way they could “survive” in the context of the Montreal restaurant scene because the local foodie scene does not know how to appreciate that.

Back to the main topic, my meal at Cocoro. Impressed by the skills on display during my initial meal, I went back the following evening (there are currently just 4 food items on their menu. The 4 food items that are reviewed in my post. The staff explained that there will be  more items, soon,  in September):

Kaisen Donburi (sashimi rice bowl) is easy … right? Just rice, some pieces of raw seafood, some salmon roe, some basic toppings. Those in the know, those who really  did it, those people  know that is not that easy. Well, it is easy to make an ordinary bowl of rice, for sure. A bit more difficult to find Chefs who pull this  off brilliantly. What I was having was one of the best Kaisen Donburi I ever had in Montreal, the Chef’s skills so evident in the superbly well executed savory tamago (even in Tokyo, it does not always  look that refined and appealing to the eyes…)  he did cut in small pieces, dices  of fresh quality squid, salmon, tuna revealing great knife skills and lots of finesse in the overall execution. The rice was also tasty, which is not always the case at plenty of  Japanese restaurants across  North America.  This was a reminder that simple food like this can dazzle….only in skilled hands.  Even the accompanying sweet soya was of nice quality. Beautiful skills! 9/10

I also ordered their udon made in a mix of  bechamel sauce / dashi bouillon, a Franco Japanese offering that is right now trendy in Tokyo. You have your  proper classic French Bechamel, not as rich as your old school French bechamel sauce,  therefore “lightened”  and that works well with the dashi bouillon. In the dish, there were also some morsels of quality chicken that were cooked not too tender, not too firm (for proper chew).  As it was the case during the two meals, the attention to details was remarkable (the doneness of the noodles always well timed so that it is never mushy, never too hard, the noodles always holding well to their respective sauces or broths, the timing of the cooked vegetables was also well mastered, resulting in  vegetables of vivid textures/colors..not a common feature at our local restaurants). A successful dish 8/10

Overall food rating: 8/10 A TRULY skilled Chef who masters the fundamentals of cooking well (salty where it has to, tasting mild or strong exactly where need be, great sense of timing, great sense of textures/temperatures/colors, great palate, etc).

Bottom line: Culinary-wise I now have two “preferred” Japanese eateries in Montreal. Cocoro and Nozy. Even though the Japanese presence is more serious than it used to be,  on our local restaurant scene, Nozy and Cocoro are, right now, among the rare restaurants that seem to deliver the flavors that will get you, in Montreal,  as close as it’s possible to the motherland (which is not a light  feature when you consider  that you are located at 10,383 kms away from it).

What I think days later: Let us see how Montreal will react to yet another good Chef. Are we going to pursue with that bad habit of trying to alter what others have been doing successfully for ages (Yes, Montreal, you know what I mean by that! Some  local Japanese eateries  were great   and you started complaining about the bold genuine flavors of  their  food. They  did adapt to you and  were not the  same anymore!!). So if one day this Chef is not who he  is anymore , you will have just our laughable clueless foodie scene to blame. And to the Montreal foodie scene, I have this to add:  you should start ditching your  “it is too good to be true” mentality as that is making your foodie scene “tasting bland” btw!!! … In Tokyo, Paris, London, New York, they think  that “it can truly always be consistently great”, no wonder why they are world  class foodie destinations! Mind you, they have the “collective” mindset to make that happen …and you do not!!!

Tsukuyomi, Montreal

Knowing my profound  admiration  for  Japanese food, a local foodie friend has notified me about the recent opening of two Japanese eateries in Montreal and I went trying both: Tsukuyomi (current review) was visited on Wednesday Aug 16   and I did dine at  Cocoro (reviewed here) on Thursday Aug 17.

Tsukuyomi (Addr: 5207 St Laurent Blvd, Montreal, QC Phone:  514-273-8886) is located on St Laurent Street, almost at the  corner of Fairmount. They are essentially making ramen : a veggie tonkotsu Pork bone broth + veggie topping), Chashu tonkotsu (Porkbone broth + braised pork belly topping), which is what I picked, a chicken tonkotsu (Pork bone broth + boiled chicken topping) as well as a Vegan ramen (Vegan broth + vegetable topping). Each bowl costing $13. Sides are Edamame (salted green soya beans) $3,  a daily Vegan salad $4, Goma-ae boiled spinach with sesame sauce 4$, Tokowasa wasabi flavored octopus with nori seaweed 4$, Mini Chashu Don (Braised pork on top of the rice), steamed rice $2.  They also have Sapporo/La fin du monde beers as well as Kocha Japanese milk tea/Matcha honey green tea/Ramune Japanese soda/Sencha green tea.

The   woody  interior mimics faithfully the North American idea of a casual Japanese eatery, and   there are seats with partial views on the opened kitchen.

What I ate:

Takowasa – Wasabi flavored octopus with nori seaweed. Pieces of octopus marinated in a sugar/wasabi mixture. Had the wasabi be of the “grated stem”  type  (which you will NOT  find at a  restaurant in Montreal, this would have been a hit. Alas, as expected, the wasabi paste found in Montreal, which was used here, is way too pungent to complement the flavor of octopus.

Pork bones-based Tonkotsu ramen was second to the one at Yokato Yokabai, with a broth that was not as deep and complex in flavor as I wished, but certainly pleasant with some Ok chashu. Semi-firm boiled egg yolk (which I cannot judge as there are different schools for ramen eggs, and they are all legit: the old school’s hard-boiled, the new school’s soft-boiled, and ramen can sometimes be served with raw egg yolk).  I prefer this ramen to what you will get at most ramen shops in town.

Overall food rating: 6/10 (Categ: ramenya in Montreal) The Chef is Japanese and it shows: the food has genuine Japanese flavor. That said, he should use better judgement (true, the wasabi marinated octopus is a great idea, but if you do not have the right wasabi, do not insist on it…).  I will go back as it remains one of the rare bowls of ramen I liked  in Montreal (behind Cocoro / Ramen Misoya / Yokato Yokabai).

 

Fuunji, Tokyo

風雲児  Fuunji > ramenya > 2 Chome-14 Yoyogi Shibuya-ku, Tokyo-to

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dropped by Fuunji, a shop regarded by most local ramen connoisseurs as a top tier ramenya of Tokyo, with a near perfect score of 97/100 on the major local ramen guide ramendb (http://ramendb.supleks.jp/s/12119.html).

 

 

 

 

 

The rage in Tokyo, for almost a decade now, is to have both the noodle and its broth served separately (tsukemen).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You dip the noodle in the broth and you slurp. The broth is hot, the noodles are cold (I do sometimes see online complaints about the noodles being cold…but that is the way  the noodles are in a tsukemen. Not a slip).  I can’t see Montrealers embracing this trend as the fear of the broth cooling too quickly could discourage many, though in Tokyo you are offered hot stones to keep the broth warm. The other problem is an issue of perception: I suspect that Montrealers may find the presence of two  bowls for 1 serving of ramen to be a bit too much on their table.

The tsukemen I picked featured noodles of perfecty mastered bouncy-ness, the noodles holding up just fine in the broth.  It’s indeed in the complexity (depth ) of the work of the flavors (At Fuunji, a mix of chicken and small dried fish) of that broth that a shop like this one does have the edge over lesser local ramenyas.  It also, naturally, takes a good palate as you won’t get to identical results simply by relying on the notion of slow cooking. That said, although this was perfectly executed ramen (I have to give that to them: there is depth, there is complexity, there is mastery, there is even a good palate because it is still tasty), the flavor was just fine…no more….not ‘licking good’ as experienced with some other ramens.

Was this ramen one of the very best I ever had? Certainly one of the better executed as far as technique goes. Do I get  the raves? It’s food, therefore subjective by nature, so Yes, absolutely…nothing is bad, nothing is good, there are things you love, others you do not. Was this the most exciting ramen I ever had? Obviously,  Not! Will I recommend Fuunji? Well, they do not need my recommendation…they have hundreds of diners lining up in front of their doors twice a day! But Yes, I recommend you try it as it is one of the very best ramen you’ll get to enjoy in terms of the sophistication/technique. Hopefully, you’ll find the flavor dazzling too.

Verdict: 8/10  (Category: world class ramen, top tier ramen in Tokyo).  I am somehow having hard time with   some of the most successful food in Tokyo. It is not about expectations based on the raves as I do not have expectations when I dine out … I just want the food to storm my palate. Take this very popular bowl of ramen: it is certainly well done and it is rare to  have home-made noodles and a broth done this well in North America, BUT I can think of many bowls that have tantalized …right there in North America, whereas this bowl did not. Again, really  well done, tasty for sure, just not as exciting in mouth as I would have liked. Paradoxally,  YOU SHOULD NOT  compare my rating of Fuunji  to my ratings  of ramenyas outside of Japan. In other words, a ramen-ya in the USA, Canada or Europe  that I did rate higher than  Fuunji …. deserves its high score in relation to what is found in the USA, Canada or Europe. Fuunji’s  8/10 would be a 16/10 — if  such score was  possible — , in Europe, Canada or the USA. I was not excited by Fuunji (and yet, the score of Fuunji is an 8/10, which is very high, indeed..but we are in Japan, and that is primarily an indication of how fierce the competition is here ) , but the best ramenyas outside of Japan do not even get close to a glimpse of  the shadow of Fuunji in terms of the technical perfection of the ramen!

What I think a week later: My ratings have nothing to do with whether a meal was great or not, they are simply tools to convey, in the best way I can, how excited the food fared to me. Which, as ever, is of course utterly personal/subjective. So, keep that in mind when you’ll consider the rating above. I hope you got this right, though: Fuunji ramen’s, whether it excited me or not, is a world class bowl. I insist on the latter assertion because it rare to find such technically expertly conceived bowl of ramen even in Tokyo. This is a bowl that — whether you’ll enjoy it or not at the first slurp — will certainly grow on you.

Ramen Misoya, Montreal – Easily the best ramenya in Montreal at this moment

Ramen Misoya
2065 Bishop St, Montreal
Phone:(514) 373-4888
https://www.facebook.com/ramenmisoyamontreal

I was, within the past 3 months,  focusing on the ramen in Montreal. The general level of ramen here is obviously not to be compared to what you can get in Vancouver  or in the US given that there’s currently no real competition and the demand is not that demanding neither. Of course, it will be ridiculous to start any comparison to ramen in China or Japan. So, I’ll stick the comparison local, which means between Montreal ramenyas.

I am familiar with the ramenyas in Montreal (there are no tons of them, and it’s relatively not that pricey…although I can understand the dissenting voices about bowls of ramen in Montreal  that are pricier than the finest ones abroad), but for this round up, I re-paid a visit to them to get a fresher opinion of their works. I won’t start a comparative exercise of ramenyas in Montreal since you have plenty of blog reviews that will let you do that. Instead, I’ll just tell you which ramenyas I believe stood as the finest of this roundup.

Two of them are what I believe to be Montreal finest ramenyas at this moment:
-Ramen Misoya (for the Japanese-style ramen)
-Yuki Ramen (chinese-style ramen)

***Ramen Misoya is a branch of New York’s Ramen Misoya. For what it worths, ramen fans in Montreal do consider it as one of the rare authentically Japanese ramen shops in town.What’s authentic? What’s real Japanese ramen? I’ll let that to the debate that awaits you over the tons of various examples of ramen out there in Japan, each promoted as being more authentic than the other, but good luck in explaining authenticity when it is that varied, Lol!. Something is sure, at Ramen Misoya they are clear about the ramen they are doing (which is not the case of many ramenyas in Montreal where simple question to the staff ..about the style and origin location of the ramen they are serving…was met with vague answers…it’s not as if I am asking you whether your noodles were handmade or not, which I never ask since I do believe only in what I see……..). They focus on ramen only, and on one style of ramen, which is miso ramen (hence their name), and that’s already a sign of a serious ramenya (avoiding the ‘Jack of all trades’ syndrome ensures greater focus/mastery in what you do). Even from people who loved RM in Montreal, I heard about possibility of the meat being either inconsistent or the broth too salty, so I went there at least 3 times with several weeks apart, to find out:
(1)On my first visit, I picked the Mame Miso, which my  waitress described as having a taste a bit reminiscent of beef bourguignon. It has a salty kick that’s less expressive than on usual Miso based ramen, so the choice to go for those who are sensitive to salt, a medium body texture which, by Montreal ramen standard, is simply the most perfected and concentrated ramen broth you’ll get at this moment in this city. Its flavor simply superior to any other ramen found in Montreal. Then there were the pork morsels themselves: packed with great flavor, boasting perfect meat to fat ratio, balanced between ideal firm to tender consistency, the noodle thin and wavy providing the right bite to chew on. Again, the pork morsels I had were ones that the other ramenyas in town do not get close to. Even the fried shrimp tempura laid atop had fresh deep shrimp flavor, its texture great, a successful piece of tempura.
(2)On my  two subsequent visits I focused on the Kome miso ramen, with 4 weeks between the two Kome miso soups. As expected from most miso-based ramen, the salt concentration is the highest of all ramen. My only concern, based on reading some reviews prior to visiting them, was that the salty-ness was  overwhelming which to me would have been a big disappointment . Well, after sampling this ramen twice, I can tell that anyone who has cooked seriously for a while will quickly realize that this is not overwhelming salty-ness at all.  Let me explain: you can’t get to such flavorful miso flavor full of character by trying to trim down the level of salt. Of course, you can lower the level of the salty-ness, but you’ll end up with a miso ramen that has  no depth (it’s  exactly why most of the other miso based ramen in Montreal taste like broths with no personality!! ). So Salty, Yes, indeed, as expected from a Miso ramen that has depth. Over-salted? Nope, not for a miso with this level of flavor concentration and great work of its texture. Any lack of consistency with the Pork morsels? Nope, to the contrary the texture, flavor, cooking of the morsels of pork were as balanced and well done as on any of the 3 visits. Noodles? Same thing: well timed cooking of the noodles, with a balanced chew (never too hard, never limpy neither).  If you have been seriously cooking since a long time and have developed a sense of detail for such things as perfecting flavor combinations and textures, you’ll admire the level of the cooking here, a level that is simply strong for the current level of local ramenyas.
My impression: I was impressed by Ramen Misoya (in regard to what can be found in Montreal). For sure if you are the kind of bragging about having seen it all with ramen, that you have known the best of them in Japan, etc then NO…stay where you are, Lol…you won’t understand why I am impressed. But if you keep your expectations realistic, which means comparing the comparable (Montreal ramenyas to Montreal ramenyas), then YES, you’ll get what I mean. You boot with a huge advantage when you can clearly express what you are trying to achieve with your ramen, when the customer clearly understands the style, the origin, the story behind that ramen. It’s right there  half of the fun and appreciation of what you are doing. They’ve covered that part without problem.  Then my years of cooking switched to their  other side, the technique, the work of flavors, the work of textures and here again, they continued to shine leaving all current competition in town, far behind.
My verdict, by the finest Montreal ramenya standards (Benchmark>Strong>Good>Fair>Weak): Strong.

***Yuki Ramen (Chinese style ramen):  the only place of which you can obviously say that the ramen is indeed made from scratch since there’s no place to hide, they are doing it right before your eyes and it’s spectacular. This, right there, gives YR a huge advantage in my books. As someone who has cooked since his tender childhood, part of the appreciation of my food are elements that I can see, efforts that I can really talk for.  Of course your food should be also tasty. On the aspect of tasty-ness, it’s important to understand that Chinese style ramen seem to have less daring flavors compared to most Japanese ramen, which could appear less tasty to someone not used to that kind of more classic ramen flavor profile. But their broth, toppings, work of the texture and flavors (picked their Pork ramen, they serve it with some hanjuku egg) at Yuki Ramen are as good as you’ll get from a Chinese ramenya shop in Montreal presently.
Verdict: Strong by Montreal ramen standards (of course, not to compare with Japanese style ramen places…it’s obviously not the same thing at all).