back to hachiju

We went back to Hachiju the other day for lunch since the shop was featured on a New Years program.

After showing our point card, I chose their ajitama as my free topping.

The owner "heated" up the egg when he scooped up the noodles from the pot, but the egg could've been a tad warmer...

Still this was a good bowl of ramen.

Previously I said the soup was porky, apparently they use beef…oops!

Satoshi had their moyashi (bean sprout) ramen and he chose menma (seasoned bamboo shoots) as his free topping.

We found out they also have an okonomiyaki shop in Shibuya, so we want to try, since moving to Tokyo we haven’t found okonomiyaki that we like

hachiju

So many ramen places in our area

There is one that always has a long line, but we’ve never eaten there.

Next door to that ramen shop used to be an oden shop but that closed up and now is an Onomichi ramen shop, Hachiju

It always seemed empty whenever we passed

The other day, we decided we were going to try, if it was bad, that was probably the reason it was empty

So we went and it was packed! and we were lucky to grab the last two seats (only 8 seats in total)

I ordered the Onomichi ramen…900 yen (tax included)

love the thin noodles! the broth was porky and the seabura (back fat) floating on top made the soup glisten, I just took 2 sips…rich!

Satoshi ordered the Onomichi ramen set…1050 yen (tax included)

The set came with rice and some Hiroshima-na pickles 

Hiroshima-na is similar to chinese cabbage

After paying, we received a point card and female eaters receive candy

I wouldn't mind coming back and adding an ajitama (seasoned egg) on my ramen next time.

We'll be back.

Onomichi Hachiju

7-8-1 Nishikamata

Ota, Tokyo

Closed: Mondays

Hours: 11:30-15:00 (lunch), 17:00-22:00 (dinner)

*cash or QR code payment

isobe

Every time we pass Isobe, there is a line

On Wednesday, it was a national holiday and google maps said that they were closed.

But, when we walked passed, there was no line and the sign said "open"

There are only 10 seats at the counter

Buy your meal from the ticket machine 

Besides wonton men (noodles), they also have tsuke soba

For the tsuke soba, you can choose the weight of your noodles and which soup you want to have (shiro uma or kuro uma) 

Shiro uma is a white shoyu based soup

Kuro uma is a koikuchi (darker color mor pronounced flavor shoyu) shoyu base soup

You can also choose which type of wonton you want, meat or shrimp or both

I chose the Shiro uma half meat wonton men...950 yen (tax included)

White shoyu based soup, 3 meat wonton

The char siu was super tender...soup was super flavorful

Satoshi had the Shiro uma 3 x 3...1150 yen (tax included)

White shoyu based soup, 3 meat wonton, 3 shrimp wonton

The soup was so ono that he drank all the soup...eep!

We now know why there is always a line here, we'll be back.

Chuuka soba Isobe

1-20-14 Tamagawa

Ota, Tokyo

Closed Wednesdays

Hours: 11:30-14:30 (lunch), 18:00-21:00 (dinner)

Dinner served: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays & Sundays

*cash only

huanglong

Sunday, went to check out Huanglong (yellow dragon)

super tiny shop 

the owner wasn't too friendly

Satoshi ordered the Umanisoba...650 yen (tax included)

A slurry soupy sauce with lots of veggies over noodles

I ordered the Mabo Ramen 650 yen (tax included)

mouth.on.fire...this was too spicy

it was scalding hot 

the noodles were a little too thin for my liking 

gyoza...gyoza snob said it was so-so...250 yen (tax included)

Dunno if we'll be back, but I'm glad we got to try this place.

Huanglong

2-14-11 Nishirokugo

Ota, Tokyo

Hours: 11:00-13:45 (lunch), 16:30-21:00 (dinner)

*cash only

tenmi

There was a small shop that used to serve tempura called Tenmi, which I’d had on my “to try” list.

Then the pandemic hit and they changed what they serve.

They now do shinasoba (literally chinese noodles), or what most of the world calls “ramen”.

Shinasoba usually refers to a shoyu based bowl of noodles.

Satoshi tried their shio (salt) soba...1100 yen (tax included), which looked like it was chicken stock based.

It looked like it was topped with menma, kamaboko, komatsuna, ajitama, pork char siu and chicken char siu.

This came with some of their housemade yuzu kosho too

He said he enjoyed this, he should, he drank all the soup…eep

I ordered their niku maze soba...900 yen (tax included)

I was disappointed that the menma (bamboo shoot) and komatsuna (mustard greens) were cold.

At least the kakuni (braised pork) was heated and tender.

They let you change up the flavors by adding vinegar, soy sauce or their special chili oil.

And at the end they give you some rice (my photos uploaded wonky) to eat up the pork

Pet peeve: restaurants that wash their cups for water with the eggy dishes...blah makes everything smell like egg.

Dunno if we'll be back, but I'm glad we tried this shop.

Tenmi

7-32-3 Nishikamata, Maison Astoria 1F

Ota, Tokyo

Closed: n/a

Hours: n/a

tora

We've been wanting to check out Tora for some time now and finally got to do so yesterday.

This Chinese restaurant has also been used as a filming location for J-dramas, movies and commercials.

There are many famous Japanese celebrity autographs on the walls.

One of their famous food items is their gyoza...

But to order it as a single dish is quite pricey at 600 yen (tax included) for 6 pieces, so I ordered it as a teishoku (set meal)...800 yen (tax included).

It came with tsa tsai (pickled mustard plant), rice and soup

Satoshi tried their moyashi ramen...800 yen (tax included) and tried one of the gyoza from my set.

The gyoza passed the gyoza snob's criteria.

Unlike most ramen this one had a slurry, thick soup.

He said enjoyed this.

I'm glad we got to try this place and look forward to trying other items on their menu.

Tora

1-6-18 Yaguchi

Ota, Tokyo

Phone:03.3759.6615

Closed Tuesdays

Hours: 11:00-14:00 (lunch), 17:30-21:00 (dinner)

ramen weekend

The weekend was forecast for rain, maybe some snow.

I made sure we didn’t have to venture out for food.

One thing I tried making was Dalgona Ramen.

At the beginning of the pandemic with the popular Dalgona Coffee trending, I thought Dalgona meant “foam”, but it apparently means caramel/toffee.

I saw this idea on an IG account and had to try.

I couldn’t get my caramel to the right consistency so it turned out kind of hard and I wasn't able to coat all of the ramen.

I also adlibbed and added some arare, pumpkin seeds and nuts...

This snack is similar to caramel popcorn or chex mix...

I have another idea for this, so when I get the ingredients together, I’ll post about it.

Another thing I tried was Curry Ramen, which I copied from “Midnight Diner” season 5, episode 8.

I diluted the shio (salt) ramen soup, then added a package of veggie  instant curry.

This was delicious!

In the end it didn't snow (boo!) and we didn’t have to go out on Saturday. 

On Sunday, Satoshi had to go to work and it again rained all day.

It is supposed to warm up over the next couple of days.

Have a good (safe) week.

yokohama iekei nozomiya

We recently tried Yokohama Iekei Nozomiya.

A rather tiny ramen shop in our shopping arcade.

NOTE to self: even if they seat you at the counter...do not look at how they are making your ramen..eep!

I tried their ebi (shrimp) won ton men...790 yen (tax included).

While this was good, like I said, do not watch how they make your ramen...especially when they take the bowl they will put your ramen in from a bucket thingy filled with hot water...

Dunno if we'll be back, but I'm glad we tried them.

Yokohama Iekei Nozomiya
6-3-7 Ikegami
Ota, Tokyo
Phone: 03.6410.6280
Hours: 11:00-24:00

greenery day

May 4 was Midori no Hi or Greenery Day.

Mother Nature decided to wake us up super early (twice) with two teeny earthquakes...

After breakfast, we went to check out Senzokuike Park.

I learned about this park during the time we didn't have satellite television and I had to entertain myself with the local television programs...

This park is super huge and beautiful, we'll be back throughout the year.

We then went to Togoshi-Ginza, the longest shopping arcade in Japan...1.3 kilometers (0.8 miles).

Lots of businesses were closed for Golden Week, so we'll definitely have to go back.

Lunch was at Ramen Enishi.

Satoshi had their mixed bowl, which was topped with pork thigh and pork belly.

He chose his broth to be shoyu based. The other choice was salt.

He also ordered the special plate of toppings.

He said he enjoyed his bowl.

I chose the mazesoba...lots of noodles, hints of shiitake and lemon, this was also topped with a raw egg, some greens, puffed grains, a slice of pork thigh and pork belly.

Both meats were super tender and a little smoky.

This was super filling, but I really enjoyed the flavors of this bowl...we'll be back.

I really liked the Tokyu Togoshi-Ginza station too, so pretty with all the wood panels.

And to round out the day bonding with Nature, a hazy sunset with Mount Fuji.

Ramen Enishi
2-18-8 Hiratsuka
Shinagawa, Tokyo
Phone: 03.3788.5624
Hours: weekdays 11:00-15:00, 18:00-22:00, weekends & holidays 11:00-21:00

the spoon

I had been looking for the spoon with all the holes in it ever since we had tan tan men at Hokkai-ramen Susukino...and finally found it at Shimojima...a shop in Osaka that sells all sorts of stuff.

Shimojima reminds me of a shop in Hawaii called Fisher Hawaii...they have paper goods, as well as stuff for the office and kitchen.

Anyway, I am glad I have these now, next is to put it to use.

sai-shimokita-aomori-asamushi onsen

In my previous travel post, I forgot to mention a couple of things...at Mount Osore, they have mediums that help you connect with your deceased loved ones (for a fee), they are called "itako" in Japanese.

One family that was staying at the lodge at the same time we were there, was interested in connecting with their loved one, but at the last minute got cold feet.

Another thing I forgot to mention is that Ooma is the most northern point of Honshu and they even have a monument for it (see photo above).

Okay, now on to today's post...

The next morning, we awoke to drizzles.

Breakfast was an assortment of things, including some seafood like ika (squid).

The nori was thicker and "rougher" than I was used to, I think the owner makes her own.

Since Satoshi said that public transportation ends at Sai, he had originally thought we might take a sightseeing cruise of the area past Sai, and maybe even take a ferry back to Aomori, but since it was raining, we decided we might not be able too many sights from the boat and it probably wouldn't be too nice if the ride turned choppy.

So, we caught the bus from Sai all the way back to Shimokita...2 hours or so.

And another 2 hours or so from Shimokita to Aomori by train.

The temperature had dropped quite a bit with the rain, so we went in search of ramen for lunch.

Miso Curry Milk Ramen from Aji no Sapporo Onishi.

The family that runs this shop is originally from Hokkaido.

I know it sounds weird, maybe even a little too much going on with flavors, but the miso gives the soup a salty component, the curry a spicy component, and the milk balances everything out.

They even top the ramen with a pat of butter, to give it some richness.

I'm not too sure what the base of the soup was.

I liked that the noodles were a bit firm.

The toppings were wakame (seaweed), bean sprouts, menma (bamboo shoots) and char siu (roast pork).

Even at 1-ish in the afternoon, we had to wait for seats, but the line moved quite quickly.

I really liked that Aomori's city streets had apple trees everywhere! Cute tiny crab apples and even regular sized fuji apples too.

I wondered if people that live there were allowed to pick fruit from the trees?

Then we were off to Asamushi Onsen (about 40 minutes by train from Aomori).

At this point it was drizzling quite steadily.

After checking in, we warmed up in the onsen, rested a bit then went down for dinner.

The dinner was a variety of foods.

Starting off with a little assortment of appetizers and raw fish.

There was even matsutake (mushroom--its price is based on quality, availability and origin) dobin mushi (a traditional Japanese seafood broth, steamed and served in a dobin tea pot with lime, and matsutake).

Then you could choose all sorts of things from their buffet.

We enjoyed this type of dining and everything was delicious.

After dinner, everyone was invited to a Tsugaru Shamisen show in the lobby.

It was quite a long day and we hoped the weather would get better for the next part of our adventure.

Aji no Sapporo Onishi
1-15-16 Furukawa
Aomori City, Aomori
Phone: 017.723.1036
Hours: 11:00-21:30

Nambuya Kaisenkaku
31 Hotarudani Asamushi
Aomori City, Aomori
Phone: 017.752.4411

aoi

I'm not too sure when I bookmarked Aoi but it may have been after I saw Phil's post.

Aoi is a teeny ramen shop nearby (about 7 seats) and if you don't get there early, be prepared to wait.

Even then, if they run out of noodles or soup, they are done for the day.

This past Saturday, I got Satoshi out and about and we were there a little after they opened at 11:30.

Since the turnover of this place is rather high paced, a guy that was waiting for a friend to show up was bypassed and we were seated before him...

Satoshi went with their tan tan men...800 yen.

I think it was quite spicy with their housemade ra-yu (chili oil) because he was perspiring a LOT.

I went with their abura soba...800 yen

Thicker noodles than their ramen, this came with char siu, menma (pickled bamboo shoots), a soft boiled egg, mizuna, a thick shoyu based miso sauce and what I think was fish powder and yuzu sesame powder.

Mixed all together this was so good!

You can also add some of their housemade ra-yu and/or their housemade vinegar.

Both ways were good.

I really liked their char siu, porky goodness.

Unfortunately, I had a hard time finishing this so I gave the last bites to Satoshi.

He agreed this was good.

When we left, there was a line outside of the door as well as a few people waiting inside.

We'll be back.

Aoi
3-1-23 Hachizuka
Ikeda, Osaka
Phone: 072.761.0125
Monday-Saturday 11:30-14:00 (lunch), 18:00-22:30 (dinner)
*if soup or noodles run out they will close

rocky's, golden pork & foodland

Since we've been hitting most of Satoshi's favorite spots, we went to Rocky's in Waipahu for breakfast one morning.

The weather has been miserably humid and this particular morning it was raining (which actually made it a little cooler). But, the rain caused traffic to be hideous paired with some schools & UH (University of Hawaii) starting.

It was nice sitting in Rocky's with pretty much the place to ourselves.

Satoshi had a loco moco, it looked quite teeny, but there were 2 hamburger patties in there!

I ordered the 2 over easy eggs, corned beef hash with hash browns...I was super disappointed when tater tots came out posing as hash browns...

Other than that, I'm glad we got to revisit this place.

Lunch was with one of Satoshi's friends. We met near his workplace then walked to Golden Pork which is in the spot of Mediterraneo, which is a couple doors down from Tacos Zarate.

This restaurant is apparently from Japan and they do tonkotsu (pork bone broth) soup, which I am not really a fan of. The soup can be quite "heavy" in terms of oil and "porky smells".

Because rain stopped, the weather went from cool to miserably humid, so I ordered their tsukemen.

I didn't quite like that the noodles (which were too thick) were served still "wet" from being cooked then rinsed and that the soup seemed "gritty".

Satoshi and his friend had their black garlic ramen (no photo), this had a thinner noodle.

The gyoza was okay with the crispy outsides, though the filling seemed to be bland.

I think having lived in Japan for so long, I have secretly and scarily turned into a "ramen snob"...gasp!

This place is pricey with bowls starting from $10.50...

It was nice to see Satoshi's friend and great to try a new place (this shop opened in March 2015), dunno that I would come all the way to Hawaii to have a bowl of ramen though.

On the up side, how nice was this mural that I saw on the way to the restaurant?!

I've seen a similar one on Kapahulu, I hope to get a picture of it soon!

The weather doesn't sound like it will be letting up, as there is another tropical depression on the radar.

It seems like I ran away from Japan's miserable weather, only to be hit with Hawaii's miserable weather.

Oh well, c'est la vie.

Dinner that night was an assortment of poke (po-kay) from Foodland and some craft beers made by Rheinlander called Shore Break.

We tried their IPA and Hefeweizen. We couldn't believe Foodland was selling them $1.49 a can! Both seemed fruity with a little bitterness.

Poke in Hawaii is always fresh and delicious, and there are so many variations, I can't wait to re-create some of these at home!

I still have a few more days before my vacation comes to an end, hope you aren't getting bored with these posts...

Golden Pork
1279 S King Street
Honolulu, Hawaii
Phone:808.888.5358

ramen santouka

The weather yesterday was fahreezing! I think the high was 8C(46F) but the wind was blustery, making it colder for sure.

Lunch was at Ramen Santouka.

There are so many ramen places in Osaka, that there is no way to stay on top of all of them. I actually heard about this place from Kirk and Dennis' blogs...here and here.

I also recently found out (from Kirk) that they had a shop in Osaka, so I told Satoshi that we were having ramen for lunch. Of course, any mention of ramen or gyoza and he's game...

I ordered the shoyu ramen...the broth is tonkotsu plus shoyu, I think...really rich...810 yen (tax included)

Satoshi ordered their kara-meshi...360 yen (tax included). Rice topped with chunky pieces of char siu, an oozy poached egg, green onions and their spicy sauce.

I had a bite of this...yum! The runny egg makes the spiciness quite mild.

Satoshi also ordered the Asahikawa ramen, this was shoyu based and the broth is made from fish, this was light...810 yen (tax included).

I think next time I'm ordering this.

There are other items we are curious to try...We'll be back.

Ramen Santouka (UPDATE: 2016 this location not in business)
2-1-18 Sonezaki Shinchi, Dai-san Hirakawa Building 1F
Kita-ku, Osaka
Phone: 06.6343.6565
Weekdays: 11:00-24:00
Weekends: 11:00-21:00