Ramen Comes to Sanbiki!

                        Miso ramen offers a relatively new spin on a classic ramen recipe

Some of the most popular foods in Japan originated abroad. Ramen is a classic example, it's culinary roots stretching across the sea to China. To call ramen "noodles in soup" does not do it justice. Ramen noodles come in different sizes and consistencies and may be served in a soup derived from meat, seafood or both. The mouth-watering morsels floating in your bowl may be from the farm, the field or the sea. As always in Japan, it depends who is serving you ramen; and where.

            Big bowls; small shops. Some of the tastiest noodles may be found in
                                       Japan's side streets and food stalls 

Ramen noodles are a mix of flour, water, salt and something called. "kansui". An alkaline water, kansui gives the noodles some of their yellow colour. Eggs are sometimes used as well. Ramen may be thick or thin, crinkly or straight....

                                                         Fresh ramen noodles

Ramen may be served in a meat or seafood based soup. "Tonkotsu ramen" is served in a pork based soup that is is rich and milky white. It is also known as "shiro" (white) ramen. Shiro ramen recipes typically come from southern Japan. The noodles are quite thin and chewy.

                        Tonkotsu "Hakata ramen" was made famous in the south

Tokyo style ramen is served in a clear soup usually made from dashi (Japanese fish stock), chicken and soy sauce. It can be garnished with fish cakes, sliced pork, boiled egg, bamboo shoots etc. It is sometimes called "Shoyu Ramen"; "shoyu" means soy sauce.

                       "Shoyu ramen" originated in Tokyo but is popular everywhere

"Butter corn ramen" is a famous export from Hokkaido in Japan's far north. It is a comparitively rich and hearty ramen recipe; perfect comfort food in the area's cold climate.

                             Butter corn ramen usually has miso added to the soup
                    
Ramen restaurants can be found all over the world. Many Japanese chain ramen shops specialize in one particular ramen style or regional recipe. "Santouka" is famous for Hokkaido-style ramen. "Ippudo" established itself first in Kyushu, and their ramen recipes reflects their southern roots. Both now have hundreds of outlets all over the world.

                          Santouka Ramen shops have opened in Vancouver and Toronto

Countless variations of ramen are out there! But the menu below shows some perennial bestsellers. Often diners can add their own garnishes and extras to order. Boiled eggs, extra "cha-shu" (sliced pork belly) and so on. For a surcharge, some establishments will provide a refill of noodles (kaedama) for extra hungry guests with leftover soup.

              Most ramen restaurants keep their menus simple. Ramen and a few sides

Other chains have developed outside Japan and are successful catering to the tastes of non-Japanese customers. "Wagamama" started in the UK offering Asian noodles, curries, salads and side dishes. It is hugely popular and has guests sitting at communal "long tables". The ramen, and the menu in general, is not traditional but has been adapted to suit British tastes and diets.

                  A London Wagamama features communal seating and an open kitchen

Diehard ramen fans make the pilgrimmage to Yokohama Ramen Museum in Tokyo. Old Tokyo has been recreated to offer visitors the opportunity to sample ramen recipes from across the country. All the best ramen bowls are offered up at a massive indoor food court.

                          Ramen stalls recreated inside the Yokokama Ramen Museum

Film fans may have seen Tampopo, Juzo Itami's excellent "Japanese noodle western". Two truck drivers stop for lunch at a struggling ramen restaurant. The food is so terrible that they end up staying to help the single mom who owns the business. Enlisting the help of a retired "ramen master" and stealing some of their competitors secrets help them turn the business around...

                             Itami's "Tampopo" is a must see for fans of food and films

Sanbiki now offer ramen on our menu. Next door at Mori Mori instant and frozen ramen are bestsellers. Instant ramen may be simple, starving student food in some circles. Visit the Instant Ramen Museum in Osaka, Japan and you may be overwhelmed by the displays...

                                     The "instant ramen wall" at the museum in Osaka


If you haven't yet, be sure and try out Sanbiki's ramen! We're experimenting with new recipes and will have special introductory prices.Feeling lazy? Quick and dirty just-add-water instant bowls and lots of frozen options are on sale next door at Mori Mori....Have a great week!

Sushi Basics

A highly simplified guide to DIY sushi....

The Rice...

Learn to get it right! The highest quality seafood will be wasted if served with improperly cooked or seasoned sushi rice. Simple ingredients will taste terrific when paired with well made sushi rice.

1) Use a Japanese type short grain white rice.

2) Wash the rice until the water runs clear

3) Cook the rice with the correct amount of water for the specified time. Using a rice cooker with it's own measuring cup/instructions virtually guarantees perfect rice every time.

4) After cooking, take the warm rice and season it with sushi rice seasoning (do NOT cook the rice in the seasoning!!) Premixed sushi seasoning is easy as it contains vinegar, salt and sugar in the proper proportions.

Fold the seasoning in gently, and do not "mash" the rice. You can cool the rice by fanning it but this is not neccesary.

5) Ready to Roll!!

The Rolling....

 Full sheet of nori with rice on the inside

 

Place the nori (seaweed) sheet on top of the sushi rolling mat. Add a thin layer of sushi rice and whatever ingredients you want inside your roll. If you prefer rolls with rice on the outside flip the nori and rice over and then add the filling to the nori side.

Half sheet of nori with rice on the outside

 If you like "hosomaki" (thin/smaller rolls) use a half sheet of nori.

     Full size "futomaki" rolls (top) or make hosomaki (thin rools) with 1/2 nori sheet

Use a sharp, non-serrated knife to cut the rolls. You should end up with 8 even pieces/roll. Keep the cuts clean by wiping the knife blade after each cut.

              Practice will make perfect when it comes to cleanly cut, even sushi pieces!

                                           Looking good and ready to serve.....

Nigiri Sushi....

Nigiri sushi is "piece sushi", with various toppings placed on top of a small "finger" of rice.

                         "Sake" is salmon nigiri sushi (sake is also an alcoholic beverage)
Form a small ball of rice on the palm of your hand. Keep your hands moist so the rice does not stick and do not use too much pressure.

 Top the rice with your favourite topping. This could be raw or cooked seafood, tamago (savoury omelette) or even veggies.

Traditionally, a Japanese sushi Chef would add as much wasabi as he thought was needed between the rice and the topping. Most non-Japanese prefer to add wasabi to soy sauce and dip their sushi to their own taste. Pickled ginger is used to cleanse the palate between different kinds of sushi.

Mori Mori has everything to make sushi! Wild salmon and sustainable BC Albacore tuna are available along with octopus, squid and other items. Pre sliced seafood is easy to use; just thaw, slice and serve. Open 7 days a week, enter off Lansdowne Street!

YAKITORI

                                "Yaki" means to grill and "tori" is chicken
It's pretty hard to go wrong with yakitori. Grilled chicken is an international favourite, most cultures having a slightly different take on this popular dish. In Japan, "yakitori" is bits of chicken cooked on a skewer. "Bits" can be white meat, dark meat or pretty much any other part of the bird.

                                  Sometimes leeks or other veggies are used

Nothing goes to waste. Crispy bits of skin, the gizzards and even the cartilage will find its way onto your stick. Usually diners have the choice of ordering yakitori simply seasoned with "shio" (salt) or "tare" (sauce)

                                      Yakitori using white meat and salt seasoning
Tare sauce is a sweet and savoury mix of sake, soy sauce, mirin and sugar. The chicken is basted with the tare sauce as it cooks.

                                          Dipping yakitori in "Tare" sauce
"Specialty" yakitori items include the skin....

                                         "Torikawa"; pieces of crunchy chicken skin

And the cartilage....

Nankotsu

Still not adventurous enough for you? How about chicken eggs...still in the chicken! Tamahimo uses eggs still inside the hen. Could you?  Would you?

                         "Tamahimo", chicken eggs that never got to the "being laid" part...

Unlike in western countries, Japanese high end yakitori restaurants will often serve chicken meat medium or medium rare. The meat in these establishments comes from ultra healthy free-range birds and is as fresh as possible. The likelihood of salmonella or other contamination is virtually nill.

                                  A Jidori rooster on a free range farm in Japan

Free range chicken may not produce the quantities of meat that factory farms do, but the quality is far higher and the birds are humanely raised. Chicken sashimi is in fact a specialty in Kagoshima in southern Japan. "Jidori" are a Japanese breed of chicken that are humanely raised and fed a natural diet without drugs and antibiotics. Raw or lightly seared Jidori chicken is an expensive delicacy....

                                               Looks like tuna sashimi, but its not!

Yakitori is also commonly found at festivals and street stalls throughout Japan. It can be an affordable and easy to enjoy finger food.

                                  A yakitori stand offers fresh, fast food to passersby

Condiments that may be seen alongside yakitori include "shichimi" a mix of Japanese chili, herbs and spices; wasabi and sometimes "yuzukosho" a paste  made from yuzu (citrus) and chili.

We've got yakitori on Sanbiki's menu! And you can watch it being prepared in our open kitchen...new winter menu items coming soon. Have a great week!

Sukiyaki and Shabu Shabu

                             Thinly sliced beef and other ingredients in a Sukiyaki pot

Hot pots are a classic cold weather comfort food in many cuisines. The Japanese are no different, enjoying a host of delicious "nabemono" (hot pot) dishes. Sukiyaki and shabu shabu are two popular meat-based hot pots. Both involve DIY cooking tableside, and both have a faithful foodie following in the non-Japanese world.

                        Getting ready for Sukiyaki; veggies, eggs, meat and shirataki noodles

Beef and pork are relatively new additions to Japanese cuisine as the consumption of meat was taboo until the 19th century. Thinly sliced beef is usually used in shabu shabu and sukiyaki, although pork and seafood versions exist. Variations are common, depending on where in Japan you order and eat your hot pot. As always, every town has a distinct version that's a little bit different from the one in the neighbouring village.....

                     Kitamura Sukiyaki restaurant was founded in 1881 in Osaka. 
                      Sukiyaki is believed to have started here in the Kansai area

Sukiyaki has a sweeter, richer taste than shabu shabu. Sukiyaki is cooked in a sauce of mirin (sweet cooking wine), soy, sake and sugar. Lots of flavour is present in the sauce which is absorbed by the ingredients as they cook.

                         Sukiyaki at home with a portable gas range and skillet

In Tokyo and the east, the sauce is prepared first and then the beef, veggies tofu etc. added after. In Osaka and Kansai (western) Japan, the beef is usually seared first and then the sauce ingredients added. Solid morsels coming out of the sukiyaki pot in both areas are often dipped into a small dish of lightly beaten raw egg before being eaten.

                      Simmered sukiyaki beef gets a raw egg dip before eating

Shabu shabu is different. It starts with dashi, a light stock made from seaweed and dried bonito (tuna). The ingredients are cooked quickly in the shabu shabu pot and their original flavour is preserved. Little or no sugar or salt is traditionally used while cooking.

             Shabu shabu beef is cooked quickly in the stock, a quick "swish swish" and it's ready to enjoy...

 Immediately after cooking, the meat and other items are usually dipped into a flavourful sauce before being eaten. Ponzu( a citrus soy mix) is popular; others prefer a creamy sesame dip. The well seasoned sauces compliment the delicate flavours of the simply cooked ingredients.

            An elaborate copper shabu shabu pot with ponzu and sesame dipping sauce

Thais have developed their own variation of sukiyaki. The broth is usually a chicken stock with fish sauce and an egg added. The dipping sauce for the solid ingredients in the hot pot is predictable spicy and packed with fresh Thai herbs like cilantro and lemongrass. Kaffir lime and sesame oil are popular additions as well.

                             Northern "Thai suki" is sometimes cooked in a clay pot

While premium cuts of meat are used in Japan, "Thai suki" incorporates fish balls, chicken and seafood. "Thai suki" restaurants are very popular with young Thais and families.

                                      Fish balls, crab stick, anything goes into Thai suki!

You may not be able to pronounce it, but "jjigae" is the Korean's tasty riff on the hot pot theme. "Jjigae" may incorporate meat, seafood, veggies, and some feature tofu as a key ingredient.

                Soondobu Jjigae is a spicy Korean hot pot with soft tofu and seafood

"Budue Jjigae" is also known as "army base stew". During the Korean war, food was always in short supply and nothing went to waste. Surpluses and leftovers from the U.S. army bases were combined with kim chi and whatever could be grown or scrounged locally to make stews. Hot dogs, bacon and Spam bubbled away in a spicy soup. It's still a great way to use up leftovers...

             "Banchan"(side dishes) accompany most Korean meals, and "Budue Jjigae" is no different! A package of instant ramen soaks up the spicy, savoury soup...

Hot pots can be prepared at home and Mori Mori Grocery has everything you need. Pre-sliced beef and pork, stocks, fishcakes and more can be found on our shelves and in our freezers. Have a great week, keep warm and enjoy your hot pot!

Noodles!

Times are tough for many Vancouver restaurants. But outside Kintaro Ramen at Denman and Robson, be prepared to line up for your noodles in soup!

10 years ago I felt sophisticated being able to tell my spagetti from my linguine and a Marinara sauce from a Putanesca. Times change. I can file all of that precious knowledge next to my Rolling Stones records in the box with my Sony Walkman. It's being guarded by a Tyrannosaurus Rex. I'll always adore Italian, but it don't look much like them there ramen....

Nowadays if I want to appear at all noodly-worldly, I have to know my ramen from my udon and my soba from my somen. Ramen are a Japanese take on Chinese style noodles served in a rich, fatty broth (often pork based) and garnished with sliced meats, boiled eggs, fish cake etc. Popular ramen shops in Japan attract big crowds as elsewhere. Another ramen restaurant (this one in Tokyo)...another line up...

Vietnamese "Pho" is another super-hot noodle dish out there. I have learned to pronounce it like "feu" and not like "dough" to avoid being laughed out of my favourite Richmond Food Courts. )

Yaohan Mall on #3 Road has many stalls offering Vietnamese pho, as well as Chinese, Korean and Japanese noodles dishes. With tea and a side dish you can easily eat fresh, fast noodle food for less than $10(photo c/o chowtimes.com

Masato tried a spicy chicken and coconut version of pho at "Pho Tan" restaurant on Main Street in Vancouver (see below). Rumour has it that the Vietnamese borrowed cooking techniques from the French (think "pot-au-feu") during Colonial times. The preparation methods and pronounciation for "pho" stuck. Rice noodles are served in soup usually made from bones, charred onion and spices, and topped with thinly sliced meats.

As with other Vietnamese dishes, a plate of fresh lime, chili, cilantro and other herbs are available for the diners to add as they like. We also tried "banh xeo", a rice flour crepe coloured with tumeric. Ours was stuffed with veggies and seafood. It was bright yellow in colour, but lightly seasoned. Our server told us to put pieces of the crepe into the lettuce leaves provided and garnish it how we liked. I added a few sprigs of Thai basil, cilantro, a chili pepper and then gave it a quick dunk in a sweet&spicy dipping broth. Yum!

A "dry noodle" dish pictured below skipped the soup, but had some spice and lots of tender seafood...

Contrary to popular belief, rice noodles are not commonly used in Japan. Flour noodles are much more popular. Udon are a thick white noodle, and somen are thin white noodles (usually served chilled). Udon in soup with tempura is cold weather comfort food and a customer favourite at Sanbiki. "Shichimi" is a Japanese chili powder served on the side. It's acually a mix of seven (7="shichi") different spices.

Warm weather brings refreshing chilled noodle dishes. Soba (buckwheat) noodles are served with small cups of dipping sauce. The noodles are dunked in the sauce and slurpped up. Green onion, wasabi and ginger are available on the side to kick up the flavour.

Udon can also be enjoyed cold. At Sanbiki, our kitchen team has a new recipe served with a miso-mayo sauce. We garnish it with cucumber, shredded crab stick and tamago ( a sweetened omelette). At only $7, it's gaining popularity with our lunch guests. ..it even looks summery!

The presentation and flavours of noodle dishes differ between East and West. So too, does "noodle etiquette". On our too rare trips back to Japan, I've learned silent noodle sipping is too be avoided. Stop talking; moan softly, and slurp up the slippery threads in the molten broth. Try not to choke on anything solid that is too big (or tasty) to swallow whole. Ignore the searing pain as your tastebuds are vapourized, they'll grow back. If you're female, blink back the tears, and hope that "waterproof"mascara you're wearing really is.

"The Slurp" is said to improve their taste, and also signals the Chef that the noodles are properly seasoned and you are enjoying your meal. It also cools hot noodles. Being served very hot is believed to bring out their full flavour. My Grandma still would have slapped me silly had I dared make so much noise dining at her table!

Got a noodle dish you'd like to see at Sanbiki? Let us know. Now we are rethinking our menu and planning to expand our Grab and Go take out offerings next door at Mori Mori. Look for even more reasonably priced sushi packs, rice bowls, gyoza, spring rolls and much more! Hope to see you soon!