Day 14 - Hangin' out with Uncle Tan Tan...

My niece asked my brother today, "Why does uncle eat so much ramen?" Then we all just busted out laughing. Haha! It was hilarious, but I guess you had to be there. Hopefully, today's slideshow will make you feel like you were.


I met my brother for lunch in Akasaka today because he swears that he works near the best Tan Tan Ramen shop in Tokyo. And you know what? He may be right! Intense, spicy, hot, sinus-clearing. Those are just a few ways to describe it. Chinese Restaurant Takekuma is a hidden gem waiting to be exposed! They also have a good Hot & Sour Ramen and an impressive Vegetable Tan Men.


Just down the street is Akasaka Ramen and their Pork Shabu Tsukemen Challenge. $100 for anyone that can finish it! Shall I give it a try? Maybe soon but not today...


Today was mostly about hangin' out with my nieces. They are so damn cute! Future ramen geeks better watch out!

Got another day in Tokyo tomorrow until it's off to Kyushu. Can't wait!

Day 5 - Lost in Ikebukuro, Cherry Blossom Rain, and a Gyoza Stadium

I woke up this morning with a craving for something spicy. Something hot to get my blood flowing and my forehead sweating. So that's when I decided to go try Mouko Tan Men Nakamoto--a Mongolian ramen-ya guaranteed to make you cry! The Ikebukuro branch is about 5 minutes from the JR line. The directions are slightly complicated so try to find the best route from this map.


I ordered the shop's namesake ramen, Mouko Tan Men, which is 3 out of 5 flames on their spicy scale. It's basically a Mabo Sauce in a base of miso with plenty of vegetables. After 10 minutes my sweat and tears started adding to the soup. Of course I'm kidding, but I can't imagine what 5 flames is like because I thought 3 was prettty darn hot. It was good, but not something I could eat everyday. It did a hell of a job satisfying my craving.


Since I was already in Ikebukuro, I decided to search for the gyoza stadium. I only vaguely remembered its general location from a map I saw the other day, so let's just say that that map was worthless. I ended up walking around for about an hour and I won't admit it if you ask me, but yes...I was lost. Being lost in Ikebukuro is not necessarily a bad thing. Not only were the beautiful Sakura petals raining down on me, but Ikebukuro is one of the best ramen towns in Tokyo.


When I finally found the gyoza stadium, there was just too much to comprehend. How can you possibly choose which gyoza shop to eat at. They all looked so good! I finally ended up trying one of them and as you'll see in the slideshow, it almost made me lose my appetite. It didn't matter. I was too full anyway.

I leave for Hokkaido in the early morning so I'll need to get some rest. And I still need to pack. Uh-oh. Anyway, my next post will come from Kushiro so wish me luck! See you in Hokkaido!

GO GYOZA! The top 5 ramen sidekicks!

At almost every ramen-ya around the world, there is a dish that understands its supporting role and rarely seeks the spotlight. A potsticker, a dumpling, or a pansticker. You can call it what you want, but nothing goes better with ramen than a plate of moist, juicy, garlic-infused, lightly-crisped gyoza. So before the soup cools, I give you the top 5 ramen-ya gyoza in Southern California:

1. Foo Foo Tei (Hacienda Heights): Don't let its hairiness fool you. This unusual looking gyoza is by far the most flavorful and juicy. And don't mistake this Foo Foo with the Monterey Park location.
   



2. Daikokuya: Overrated or not, this gyoza is still one of the best. Its unique shape and blanket of green onions shall please all Seven Gods of Fortune.
   



3. Shinsengumi: Despite their small size, these 一口 gyoza can knock your taste buds out!
   



4. Chabuya: Gyozahh from Chahbuyahh...enough said.
   



5. Kairakutei: These fat-stickers are clearly homemade and out to kick some butt!
   

So there you have it. Don't forget to mix the shoyu with vinegar and a few drops of rayu. GO GYOZA!

Shirokiya's Black Gyoza

Just something I had to share. Black gyoza from the izakaya Shirokiya. I was heavily intoxicated when I ordered them, but they actually tasted really good. They still creep me out though. Just looking at them makes me think the grudge will pop out.