A Collection of the Ramen, Pho, and Other Noodle Soups I've Enjoyed Over My Past 6 Month Obsession

My 6-7 month (As of May 2015) ramen and other Asian noodle bowls obsession all started in Boston, but I soon thereafter traveled to Paris.  
I always take a trip, typically, an international trip for my birthday, and birthday #35 was no exception.

Also check Tokyo from 2015: http://www.travelingfoodie2006.com/2015/11/drfoodie-goes-solo-in-tokyo-part-one.html
Here's my journey:

Paris, France

Sapporo Japonaise

The first bowl of ramen I experienced was simply a shock to the system because I didn't realize that the person I was staying with lived in the section of the 1st Arrondissiment, which is an Asian-French neighborhood boasting a variety of Asian delights from sweet bakeries to savory ramen and gyoza shops.

We only ventured a few blocks from her apartment to sample my first bowl of ramen in Paris!

The broth was thin, but flavorful, the veg abundant and fresh, with slabs of pork.  

The gyoza at this joint was the real star of the table.

Higuma

Higuma is one of Paris' Asian chain restaurants and I was much more impressed with their offerings.  I visited the one in the Opera neighborhood at 27 Boulevard des Italiens.

The broth was spicy, the veg bright, crisp, and abundant. It was vibrantly colored and they didn't spare on the seafood- calamari rings, shrimp, even bits of tender pork.  

Service was upfront, somewhat quick, and polite.

Miami, Florida

Momi Ramen in (Brickell)

I must say that I was the very least impressed with the ramen at Momi Miami.  I'd read a few reviews early this year while I was in South Florida visiting family and escaping the bitter Boston winter for a few days.  

I was unable to get there back in January, but knew that it was the first place I wanted to head to after my flight arrived.

My mother and I planned a spa weekend on South Beach and I looked forward to starting it off sharing one of my recent food obsessions.

The Tonkotsu broth was not the slick, creamy broth one would expect from broth may from boiled down pork bones and marrow.  There were no beautiful fat droplets.  I ordered the pork belly ramen and even that was a let down.  I don't think I've ever had dry pork belly.  Where was my fatty layer?  I wanted to demand a do over.  Survey the kitchen for what could have possibly gone awry.  I'd been thinking about Momi for months and being that it was the first thing I sought after landing from Boston, made the disappointed a much harder blow.

My mother order the Peking duck ramen and experienced the same-dry, chewy duck meat!

NYC

Momofuku Noodle Bar (East Village)

Momofuku is a ramen-lover's dream!  Service is supreme and so are all of the dishes we sampled.  You can read my full review, here. 

Classic Momofuku Ramen

Spicy Miso Ramen

Ginger Scallion Noodle Bowl (Mazeman)

Grandma's Dim Sum (Queens, NYC)

Me and my best friends since childhood come together to eat around NYC every 3-4 months or so.  During our last visit in March, we focused on Asian restaurants around Queens.

We had plenty of great dishes at Grandma's Dim Sum, however, the beef noodle soup was just so-so with good noodles and beef, but the broth was a let down.  

Read my full review, here.

Quincy, MA

Pho Linh Vietnamese Restaurant

I adore this place.  Quick and friendly service and great soup!  My recent favorite is the Pho Bo Kho, a spicy beef stew with large slices of carrot and lemongrass.

Pho Bo Kho

Pho Bo Kho

Pho Chin Nac

Shabu Quincy

I returned from Paris the week of Thanksgiving and was way too tired to join anyone's family for a festive dinner, so decided that hot pot would be a great alternative.

Boston, MA

Totto Ramen

Totto Ramen has 3 locations around NYC.  I love the Boston location.  Watching the cooks preparing noods and torching pork is quite the treat when sitting at the noodle bar.

Their broth is full of flavor and their is an abundance of toppings from which to choose.

Char Siu Pork Ramen

Paitan Ramen- straight noodles cooked in chicken broth

Spicy Shredded Char Siu Pork Ramen

Allston, MA

Pikaichi

Pikaichi is one of my latest favorite spots to grab a bowl of ramen when I'm craving it the most!

Their Spicy Miso ramen has a luscious, dense consistency and great flavor.  Their noodles are perfectly toothsome. I always add an extra butter cube!

Spicy Miso Ramen

Chinatown, Boston

Shojo

Chef Mark O'Leary is one of my favorite chefs in Boston.  He's talented and down to earth.  His creations can be mind-blowing and his ramen in no exception.

Have you ever had squid ink ramen noodles?  No? He did that!  You can read my review of my last review of dinner at Shojo, here.

Squid Ink Ramen noodles!

Jersey City, NJ

Union Republic

Union Republic is one of the places I go to before leaving NYC or NJ.  

The nose-to-tail ramen with seared, sliced pig's heart, crisped pig's ears, and pork belly is phenomenal!

I could eat the crisped pig's ears every day of my life!

You can read my full reviews here and here.

Nose to Tail Ramen

Spicy Ramen with chorizo, citrus yogurt, shredded daikon radish, and a soft egg

Breakfast Ramen (Mazeman)- Pig's ears and Egg

Breakfast Ramen (Mazeman)- Pig's ears and Egg

Philly

Morimoto

Iron Chef Morimoto's first U.S restaurant still looks very 1999.  It's like walking into a time machine. There are sleek lines on the translucent tables and booths.  The neon lights that change color every so often are confusing and kind of "sleazy Miami night clubish". The phallic wavy carving in the walls made us giggle a bit, but the food!  The food coming out of this kitchen is brilliant.  Full review coming soon.  

Here are ramen shots!

Cambridge, MA

Sapporo Cambridge

In the C Mart food court, Sapporo is slinging some damn good ramen.  Full review coming soon!

Washington, DC

Daikaya

Daikaya serves a great variety of broths from classic Shoyu and Spicy Miso to Mugi-Miso (a barley miso broth) and a 100% Vegan Broth! 

They finish the soy beans and veggies in a wok adding smoky notes that adds to the depth of flavors in the broth.  
I thoroughly enjoyed my bowl and their pork gyoza were hearty and flavorful as well.

Boston, MA (South End)

The Beehive

Not known for their ramen, but rather their live music in their sexy grotto space, Beehive's menu has always boasted multi-cultural dishes.  
I had friends visiting from out of town (Atlanta) and my college friend, Cynae Tarver and I both ordered the dish.  Her colleague, Montez ordered a largely portioned classic roasted chicken dish.

Mazeman style (the noodles were not covered in broth, just barely bathed in it), their noodles were perfectly toothsome with bouncy give.  It was topped with a more than generous amount of pulled pork, beautiful watermelon radish, pickled onion, and greens.  
The buttery sauce and broth was so rich and delicious, Cynae absolutely needed more.  Initially, we were told it was impossible, but then came an angel from the kitchen informing us there had been a terrible mistake, we could have extra broth after all!

To quote a Facebook post made by Sapporo Ramen in Cambridge: 

"Ramen is nature's way of making up for Mondays."

The Wave Kitchen & Bar, Vero Beach, FL

Nestled within an older beach resort (Costa d'Este owned by Emilio and Gloria Estefan) surrounded by an aged but quaint Vero Beach neighborhood, you really are not quite sure what to expect when walking towards this restaurant, but I've read a few pretty great reviews and enjoyed perusing the menu online so I went for it.

 

"Ocean-front dining is a bit of an overstatement as there is a small pool, wooden fence, and brush between the dining area and the Atlantic.  The description of the view boasted on the website is certainly misleading, but the restaurant itself was lovely and made up for other lacking details with its open dining space and kitchen. The dining area is roomy and rounded, enclosed in glass, brick, and wood - very modern. 

Our service was terrific.  Bethany and Tony took very good care of us.

Everything was extremely fresh - a testament to The Wave's commitment to locally-sourced ingredients.

Serving Latin dishes that can stand up to any in Miami, Chef Antonio Estremera's menu melds the Estefans' Cuban cookbook, Estefan Kitchen, with his Peruvian influence.

Chef Estremera's world cuisine training is most evident in the ceviche trio:

Rocoto Pepper Ceviche, Shrimp, Calamari, White Fish, Red Onion, Cilantro

Ahi Tuna, Avocado, Florida Orange Juice, Soy & Wasabi

Passion Fruit Ceviche, Scallop, Calamari, Shrimp, Passion Fruit Juice

The Peruvian-influenced Rocoto pepper ceviche was the mildest with great, simple flavor. while the ahi tuna was grossly overpowered by soy sauce, lending much too much acidity and salinity.  The avocado worked to mellow and add richness to the dish, though apparently no fresh cut.  The passion fruit ceviche was different, adding sweetness to a traditionally savory-sour dish. 

It was a bit redundant to order the black bean soup as it was the same as the side dish black beans that came with Latin entrees in addition to white rice.  It was good, none-the-less.

We tried three distinctly-prepared plantains: thin crispy fried chips, crunchy tostones which were tender in the center, and sweet plantains - all delicious.

 

On to the amazing entrees:

We decided to go with three of the traditional homestyle Cuban specialty entrees on the lunch menu from Estefan Kitchen.  I thoroughly enjoyed each. 

Cited as "Gloria's Favorite", the Cuban-style roasted chicken (pollo asado) was fall-off-the-bone tender and moist with great flavors imparted by sour orange, olive oil, and a smothering Cuban Creole sauce with tomato and spice.

The Cuban Creole sauce with sauteed onions and peppers also paired well with Shredded Beef (Ropa Vieja).  The generous amount of tender meat was cooked perfectly.

I loved the Shredded Fried Beef (Vaca Frita) with Onions.  The crisp, juicy meat was made all the more flavorful with a spritz of fresh lime juice.

The food at The Wave surpasses the restaurant's mediocre surroundings and we were thankful.  I plan to stop in next time I'm visiting the area and hopefully get to meet Chef Estremera who was attending the SOBE Wine & Food Festival, which we attended the day before.

The Wave Kitchen & Bar

 http://www.costadeste.com/dining/lunch_menu.asp

South Beach Wine & Food Festival: "Bizarre Foods" Andrew Zimmern Hosts Foodtruck Festival

It's easy to indulge in the world's most comforting cuisine, but a food lover's dreams come true when novelty and creativity joyfully meet a the crossroads with quality and skill.

South Beach Wine & Food Festival event: Trucks on the Midtown Tracks was hosted by Food Network's Bizarre Foods' host Andrew Zimmern.

Zimmern had this to say about mobile eateries: “This is not a trend.  This is the way people have eaten forever. You have a small mobile restaurant serving three, four items – what could be more perfect?”

Food trucks are fully capable and some quite exceptional at serving decadent food that ranges from simple classics such as hotdogs and sandwiches to extraordinary, modern parcels.

And the winner is.....Ms. Cheezious....for a second year in a row!

South in Yo' Mouth BBQ Pork Grilled Cheese

 The energy and personality emanating from this truck came second only to the amazing product they were slinging to the masses!  Now, I've had some pretty dressed up grilled cheese from mobile eateries and fine dining establishments alike...Boston has two pretty great grilled cheese trucks of our own, BUT Ms. Cheezious really did blow my mind and I wished I wasn't so stuffed by the time I made my way to this lovely lady.  I certainly would have returned for seconds!

First, the buttery Texas toast- amazing! The smoky, saucy bbq shredded pork was tender and tangy and topped with melted cheddar and fried pickles.

 

There were a good number of worthy runner-ups for this gourmand!

 

SLIDERS:

Zimmern and I shared the same slider favorite: Slow Food Truck's beef shorty slider with tender pulled-off-the-bone beef short rib served with queso fresco, local arugula and crispy shallots.

SFT's slider was a perfect combination of soft bread, tender braised beef, peppery arugula, creamy queso fresco, and crispy, sweet shallots.

Curbside Gourmet served up a brilliant, apparently last minute change, in their Thai BBQ pork slider with apple ginger slaw on a toasted mini bun:

Thai BBQ pork slider with apple ginger slaw

 

 I also enjoyed the sweet and savory "Vandross", Friar Tuck's signature cheeseburger nestled between tiny, sugary glaze-encrusted donuts and layered with cinnamon maple bacon, lettuce, tomato, and cheese sauce:

Cheeseburger with glazed donut buns

Friar Tuck's also gets brownie points for the most decorative truck, appearing more like a cottage in the woods than a mobile eatery.

More Yummy Stuff

Andrew Zimmern's AZ Canteen truck served up a pretty dog!  A sizeable Piedmontese-cattle hot dog, topped with pickled jalapeno, cilantro, and cabbage slaw and a refreshing Jamaican hibiscus punch!

The AZ Canteen Dog

 The culinary artists at GastroPod created their version of Pho ("GastroPho") was an edible masterpiece in a bowl.  Their deconstruction of this traditional Vietnamese soup consisted of a crispy beef tendon chicharrones served as the platform for sous vide short rib, mung beans,and Vietnamese herbs stewed in oxtail broth prior to construction.

IL Fiorentino served up delicious "Autentica Cucina Italiana" - handmade, creamy chive potato-filled ravioli bathed in rich Parmesan fondue, beautiful, deep purple braised radicchio, dusted with crunchy, crushed walnuts and a balsamic reduction drizzle.

Potato ravioli with Parmesan fondue, radicchio, and walnut

Perhaps THE most amazing quesadilla I've EVER eaten, Crazydilla

rocked out with the Cubadilla - slow-roasted Cuban pork, Serrano ham, Swiss cheese, and pickles on an organic multi-grain tortilla with garlic mustard aioli.  This crazydilla packed in great savory layers of flavor!

Cubadilla

Cuban Cube's cleaver Cuba Libre was a crisp, deep fried Spanish sweet potato sphere stuffed with delicate rum and cola braised ropa vieja (shredded beef) and topped with sauce and a Materva-infused sugarcane.

Cuban Cube's Cuba Libre

Remaining in the realm of Cuba, El Rey de las Fritas's friendly bunch presented a tasty original Cuban frita - Family recipe of ground beef patty on a Cuban roll topped with crispy cooked onions and julienne shoestring fries. 

Waffleosophy served up a Coconut Curry Beef and Hong Kong style egg puff waffles topped red curry braised beef, and pickled, diced pineapple slaw.

 

Pork, Poultry, & Pesce Disappointments

Surprisingly, I could hardly take a second bite of Smithfield's Versaille Cuban Combo.  Smithfield co-created this sad, poorly flavored sandwich with Miami Institution.  The Cuban sandwich was made with sugar-glazed Smithfield ham, mojo-marinated Smithfield oven roasted pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, and yellow mustard on Cuban bread.  The end result- dry and cardboard-esque - lacking any hint of sugar glaze or mojo (sadly).

The Smithfield Versailles Cuban Combo

Another majorly bizarre serving was Pescados Unidos' blackened mahi sausage.

You've gotta admit that a fish sausage, on paper, seems both intriguing and horrifying!  I left this stand with the first adjective and after taking one brave bite, only the latter lingered!  Not only was this freaky concoction strange, but the taste and texture was truly repugnant.  Had the green papaya, jicama, and jalapeno slaw carried enough flavor to cleanse my palate, I would not have been forced to run over to the diet Pepsi stand and shoot their new blueberry lime and pomegranate mojito flavored soft drinks. 

"Blackened" Mahi Sausage

While checking out the menu handed to attendees in line, I was immediately excited about the 2 Jive Turkeys truck, known for their turkey servings, as I am privy to fried turkey only once a year when my grandmother makes one for Thanksgiving dinner. 

This day, they were serving up "Dyn-o-mite" Rolls made with deep fried turkey rolled in a spring roll doe with veggies and then drizzled with an unnecessary, overwhelming red wine and cranberry reduction making it inedible.

 
The heavy drizzle of sweet sauce drowned out any real flavor, but it was still pretty evident that the turkey was sparse and didn't have a hint of crispy skin (the best part of a fried turkey).

Firewall Food Truck was outfitted with the most impressive kitchen equipment: a wood fired pizza oven and a dough tossing lady!

 
With all of the fun action on board, Firewall simply fell flat with their Florida Lobster Pizza made with locally sourced spiny lobster, garlic butter sauce, mozzarella, scallions,  and lemon juice.  I found this pizza to be a bit bland and boring.  It simply did not live up to my expectations.  There was certainly a made dash going on in the kitchen, as the pies were seemingly being made to order or the kitchen was just a bit backed up.  Perhaps a little more toasting of the crust and a bit more garlic sauce could have elevated the pizza.  Since it was my 3rd truck or so and I was one of the first few attendees to enter, I could have gone back to see if more care was being put into the pies as the cooks reached a stride, but it became a far away memory.

Spiny Lobster Pizza

This & That

At times, random foods were served from trays roaming around the event.  Most I was able to turn down, but I believe no one can dismiss grilled corn:

Sweet Heat:  This grilled sweet grilled corn was coated in a spicy chipotle sauce!  Yum!

Sweet and Savory:  Handmade toffee covered potatochips = Potoffee

Ludicrous: Banana cupcake with chocolate chips and bacon bits,topped with peanut butter buttercream witha drizzle of caramel, chocolate ganache and bacon bits.  Raspberry Lemonade: Lemon cupcake with a raspberry center topped with lemon cream cheese frosting, garnished with raspberries.  Ultimate Chocolate: See below Red Velvet: classic.

Contenti Cupcakes-Ultimate Chocolate cupcake with chocolate buttercream, chocolate ganache, mini chocolate chips, and piece of chocolate fudge

 After only 1.5 hours, we were on our way with a Brooklyn Italian Ice Co. Lemon and Mango ice to go!