花果山: Bowl #18

Another early Thursday off, what should be done? Well, Ramen of course. The original destination that was planned on for dinner ended up being closed, but luckily there was a second shop just a couple blocks away. And it had parking! When we entered the quiet dining room of 花果山 (Kakazan) we were welcomed with the classic いらっしゃいませ (irasshaimase) greeting and seated at the counter. Being two of only three customers it was easy to take time to look around and observe goings on of the couple running the place. After ordering, the two set to work in perfect harmony creating our dinners.

Husband had not eaten since early in the day and was eager to put a large amount of noodles in his stomach. The magazine pictured an amazing looking tsukemen with a neat twist, so that’s what he went for.  As usual the meal came in two bowls; one full of cold, thick noodles which were not all clumped together (a pet peeve of Husbands).  Also in the noodle bowl were tender menma, steamed bok choy, shredded nori, and a generous amount of chashu due to Husband taking advantage of the extra meat option.  The meat itself was quite tasty having been braised first then grilled over coals just before serving, giving the chashu a rich smoky flavor and allowing the meat to sweat just enough to bring more of its juices to the surface.  The second bowl full of the piping hot broth was also delicious and plentiful.  The dark soup full of minced garlic, shoyu, nori, what we believe was tenkasu (tiny bits of tempura batter), and a little bit of oil was rich, smooth, and perfect for a rainy day, or a starving husband. 

As for the twist there was one other component to the broth which gave it strong roasted sesame tone.  Just before the meal came out Husband was given a small mortar full of roasted sesame seeds, a wooden pestle to grind them with, and the instructions to mix the newly made powder into the soup when it came out.  Being both delicious and interactive made this choice a recommended repeat option by Husband.

Tempting as it was, my decision was to go for an all-in-one bowl of Ramen. The menu was a little difficult for me to understand without my kanji translator, so the result was pretty much point at one and hope for something great. Well, it was great. Later research revealed that this shop uses a chicken base for their soups, and the Ramen I was served proved that to be true. Thick and creamy, this soup reminded me of homemade cream of chicken. With just a few spoonfuls of the broth I was transported to my childhood kitchen, sharing steaming bowls of chicken soup with my mother on snowy days. That is most likely where my love of soup dishes stems from. Rich and savory, every last drop of broth was consumed.

As for the toppings, just like Husband, my delicious, chewy noodles were topped with menma, bok choy, nori and chashu (though far fewer pieces than his extra order). A pile of shredded onion and a few slivers of red pepper added the finishing touches. It all combined to create a wonderfully hearty dish that filled my empty stomach. 花果山 is certainly worthy of a repeat visit, especially when the snow arrives.

To finish off a great meal, the book was granted stamp number eighteen. Only a few weeks of Ramen-eating left on this challenge. Thankfully, there are so many variations and personal touches to each bowl of Ramen from every different Ramen chef. Otherwise, this challenge would have gotten old pretty quick. 

花果山 (Kakazan)

Grilling up the chashu to put atop the Ramen.

Sesame seeds to crush and add to tsukemen broth for extra flavor.

Tsukemen noodle bowl. The noodles are concealed by the
 amount of chashu that comes as an extra order.

Rich, flavorful tsukemen broth.

Creamy, chicken-y Ramen. Good to the last drop.