The fragrance alone...

Jo-Ann and I were in San Francisco's Japantown a bit back, and had to decide where to have lunch. We went for one of the places Jo-Ann had not yet visited, and I had had previous good experiences with, Miyako Restaurant. It's located just across the street from the Peace Plaza, in a downstairs location.

The Miyako Ramen Combo was a very nice set. Shoyu (soy sauce) ramen, gyoza (pork), California Roll and assorted tempura was a grand meal and it all tasted like the chef was attentive to the flavor and arrangement.

Miso Ramen we knew our meals were coming as the scent of this bowl wafted out of the kitchen as it was brought out and we wondered who was getting something that smelled so good that we exclaimed in unison about it. Jo-Ann loved this ramen meal and we vowed to come back sometime in the near future. The service was attentive and the place was clean and modern. Definitely a place to return to often.

Previously reviewed:

July 11, 2008

Ramen Time!

Ramen makes a quick and satisfying lunch, and I was happy to find it as an option at Mikado Sushi in San Rafael.

The friendly staff quickly brought out the California roll I ordered. The crab was the standard tsurimi, and it was fine.

One thing to remember in a Japanese restaurant is that 'vegetable' anything does not necessarily equate to vegetarian. I enjoyed the Yasai (vegetables) ramen which had a nice selection of vegetables in the broth (which I don't think was vegetarian), and a nice side of freshly made vegetable tempura. The main dish was hot, flavorful and satisfying!

Previously reviewed:
January 5, 2008

A belle in Japantown. Business took me over the bridge the other day, and since it was beautiful weather, I took a walk a few blocks over for lunch in Japantown. I decided to try a new place, Suzu, which specializes in noodle dishes. In Japanese Suzu means bell.

I tried the karaage ramen for lunch, which was artfully served. In fact, it was the most styled ramen I've ever had. The noodles were gently folded over each other in a square packet and enveloped in a light soy sauce based soup. It was garnished with fresh cut green onions and soft wakame. The karaage (spicy battered, deep fried chicken nuggets) were also thoughtfully snipped in half for ease of using chopsticks to pick them up. Although you can see a little oil slick on the top of the broth, this broth was lighter and less fatty than the typical ramen broth. Some will prefer this lighter treatment, but some will feel it lacks the distinctive mouth-feel of traditional ramen broth. The jury is out with me as I might have found a way to add a little more flavor, yet I'm not enthused about needing fat to deliver it. Within a peaceful atmosphere, the Suzu staff gave wonderful service with the traditional gracious touches, and set a new standard for beautiful presentation at a noodle house.

Global Partners for Development Gala at Safari West. Global Partners Gala started late yesterday afternoon at Safari West, and Linda, Yalda, Olivia and I decided to take the trip together. We took a short tour and I caught the above cute young giraffe while he was enjoying the post. The action was lively as usual, and it was good to get together with good friends who have the same goals of making a positive impact with leveraged dollars in East Africa. The silent auction was one of many successes of the weekend, and I was surprised to win three auction items this year, including a weekend away in a secluded cabin in the woods near a river... I heard that people had to be turned away as the maximum capacity of 300 was reached, and it really showed when everyone lined up for the buffet dinner, but it was a nice time to socialize.

Today Jo-Ann and I spent a day exploring and trying a ramen restaurant in San Mateo we'd heard a lot about, Santa Ramen. I had miso chashuu ramen, and Jo-Ann pork ramen with a shared chicken karaage set (2 pieces on rice). The broth was tasty, but heavy with oil and very salty, especially Jo-Ann's. Mine had some fresh moyashi which was a nice touch. We got there at 11:35 and the first seating was already eating (the restaurant opens its doors at 11:30). The waitress takes your order as you are standing inside. Even though we were the third party seated after the first group was inside, they had already run out of the stewed pork! We waited about 30 minutes to be seated (which isn't bad according to review sites), and it took another 30 for our ramen to come, although pre-ordered. We left around 1:15. It was fairly authentic, but still saltier than most I've had in Japan. The surroundings were crowded, noisy and uncomfortable with little effort to decorate. The only menu were pieces of paper taped on the wall with the various ramen combinations. Interesting and consistently popular, but I've had better.