Kukai Ramen and Izakaya

Being back in America has been quite the adjustment. Reverse culture shock is real, let me tell you. What with having to remember that people around you can understand EVERYTHING you are saying, realizing you really don’t have to bow politely to everyone anymore, and falling back into eating all the crazy junk food you missed, it can be overwhelming. But, there are also things you didn’t realize you would miss so much. Nice people, beautiful scenery, and food. Oh, the food. Obviously Ramen tops my list of the meal I miss the most. Though I would put quality food at the convenience stores in at a close second.

Like I mentioned in my last post, Portland is chock full of great places to eat. You can find pretty much anything, and find a quality version of it as well. I was craving Ramen, yes, even in this 90 degree heat, so the Husband and I decided to invite his parents out to dinner and show them what we ate a lot of while living in Japan. They didn’t have the chance to visit us while we were living over there, so we thought it would be fun to give them a little taste of our life abroad.

Kukai Ramen and Izakaya is nestled out in the suburb area of Cedar Hills, tucked into a nice corner spot in a shopping area. The whole place is clean and modern, with nice touches of Japanese décor. For the size of the shop there are not as many tables as I would have expected. We were seated after a short wait and I immediately felt nostalgic since everyone around us was speaking Japanese. I guess it is a good sign if your Japanese restaurant is full of Japanese people.

The menu provided the most option for dishes out of all the Ramen restaurants I have been to in Portland. Besides the usual classic staples like Shoyu, Shio and Miso, there is also Tonkotsu, a citrusy Yuzu variety, and even a vegan option. Their signature bowl is an amped up version of their Tonkotsu Shoyu broth with a lot of garlic added to the broth. They also offer a wide array of additional toppings to really customize your bowl. Beyond Ramen, there is a selection of Donburi rice bowls and Izakaya pub fare. This is the first time I have seen Takoyaki (octopus fritters) since being back.

The parents, being unsure about what kind of Ramen they would like, opted for the lighter, citrusy Yuzu bowl. It was crisp and delicious, with a definite hint of tartness. The noodles in their bowls were thin and straight, and difficult for chopstick novices to maneuver. The Husband went straight for the Tonkotsu Shoyu bowl, his most missed flavor from Japan, while I chose to try the specialty garlic-loaded version. Both of our bowls had thicker, chewy noodles. The Tonkotsu was rich and hearty with a robust pork flavor from the method of long simmering pork bones to make the broth.

Each of the bowls came with the standard menma, green onion, and chashu pork. The pork slices had great flavor, but were very thin, almost like deli cut meat. The Tonkotsu varieties also came with a soft cooked, seasoned egg that was the perfect level of done-ness. The husband, his mother, and I all added corn to our bowls for a little extra texture and sweetness.

All in all, this has become my favorite Ramen shop in Portland that caters to a more authentic atmosphere and menu. I do feel that Ramen shops in Portland carry a broader menu in order to appease a wider crowd. In Japan, it is not uncommon to go to a shop that boasts one type of Ramen, their specialty. American shops can say they have a specialty, but they do not want to alienate any business due to customers not knowing if they will like what they have to offer.

This all ties in to something I realized while living abroad. More often than not, when you go out to eat in Japan you pick your restaurant knowing exactly what you are in the mood to eat before you even get there. You go to the Tonkatsu restaurant because you want pork cutlets and rice, or the Miso Ramen shop because you want a bowl of Miso Ramen. Obviously you pick the Sushi restaurant because you want Sushi. American restaurants have a focus, but there is a wider selection so as to have something for everyone. Don’t even get me started on the Cheesecake Factory and their fifteen page menu… It is just an interesting observation I made as someone who holds food and restaurants very dear to my heart.

Tonkotsu-Shoyu

Garlic version!

Yuzu

Noodles

Perfect Eggs

Gyoza and Takoyaki

Wide Menu Selection

Kayo's Ramen Bar - PDX

ひさしぶり, Ramen Blog!

Wow, it has been a while. Hopefully my little Ramen page hasn’t been completely forgotten. In the last 9 months I have moved around, a lot, but now I am finally in a place where I have time to share my foodie adventures with you once again. Husband and I have unfortunately left Japan, and returned to our beloved West Coast and settled back home in Portland, Oregon. For how long, no one can say. The bright side is that Portland is a major food city, and there is lots of Ramen to be had here.

When I was in university studying Japanese there were maybe five or six ramen shops that I frequented to get my fix. Most of them are still around, but now they have maybe ten more competitors moving in on their turf. It is nice to see the various styles and ideas that have emerged, but it really makes me miss all the noodles I had available to me in Japan.

So today, I decided to revive my little blog, and talk about a shop that the Husband and I went to last week.
Kayo’s Ramen Bar is Portland’s newest edition to the ever-growing Ramen scene. Kayo herself is the head chef, hailing from Osaka she has been cooking since she was a child. In her shop, she doesn’t just stick to a traditional bowl of Ramen. Using fresh and local ingredients, Kayo adds her own style to well-known favorites creating unique but comforting meals.

Tucked in a strip of shops on N Williams, Kayo’s Ramen Bar keeps it simple with a sleek, industrial, but cozy and traditional vibe. With a combination of counter and table seating, there is room for groups and solo diners alike. The Husband and I ponied up to the counter that runs along the wall of windows facing out towards the street. Behind us, the busy bar top area and table section was buzzing with happy diners. We were pleased to see the variety of the menu, boasting our favorite Shoyu Ramen, as well as Shio, Miso, Tan Tan Men and Mazemen.
Under the standard Ramen bowls are Kayo’s special twists. Her specials range from a spicy Sichuan Mala Ramen, with chili, miso, and peppercorn, to a Taiwan Pineapple Ginger Ramen that offers fruity but balanced flavors. Her tribute to the Pacific Northwest is a Smoked Salmon Ramen with savory notes offset with lemon and shiso. Even with all these Ramen options, the sides and salads are not to be overlooked. Housemade Gyoza caught our eye, as well as Teppanyaki Garlic Fried Rice.

We decided to order our favorite Shoyu Ramen with a side of Gyoza. When the steaming bowls of deep, brown broth arrived our hopes began to soar. After Husband took his first bite, he turned to me and said, “The broth tastes a lot like yours!” This could possibly be the best compliment you can get from my Husband, especially since I haven’t had time to make my own Ramen in almost a year. So for him to get that excited meant we had something amazing sitting in front of us. The broth had a great richness and depth that comes from the best medley of fresh ingredients; pork, chicken, veggies, kombu, etc. The noodles were soft, but still chewy. The toppings were fairly traditional; slow roasted chashu that fell apart with the easiest coaxing, thin sliced green onions. The special twist that stood out and gave homage to the city of Portland was the addition of kale. Ramen will often have greens as toppings, but I have never seen kale before! It was a nice touch. I added egg to my bowl, as usual, and they were cooked to perfection.


I am so excited to have a new, Japanese, but not completely traditional Ramen shop added to the growing list in Portland. Kayo’s passion for food is certain to keep the menu fresh and interesting, while still tasting like the Japan I so dearly miss. 

流しそうめん at 苗名滝

Summer time means the return of many things; the sweltering heat, humidity, festivals, mosquitoes and soumen. Soumen noodles are similar to Ramen being that they are also made with wheat flour, the difference is they are really thin and served cold. The basic soumen eating method is like tsukemen. Start by scooping up a mouthful with chopsticks, dip the bundle in a light, thin broth called tsuyu, and then slurp them up. The broth is typically made with a katsuobushi base and is then flavored to preference with green onion, ginger and other ground up wild plants.

A specialty method of soumen involves customers sitting around a bamboo track that is filled with flowing, icy water. Ordered noodles they are delivered via the stream and diners must catch their lunch as it flows by. This type of soumen shop is commonly found near naturally occurring bodies of water, and there are even some establishments where customers actually pull their noodles from the physical stream itself.

My experience with soumen was at a nearby waterfall in Niigata. Naena falls is a popular attraction, and it seemed only fitting to set up a nagashi soumen shop for hungry visitors. The shop offers the traditional bamboo pipe method of delivery as well as small, round tables with a circular track for flowing water. On the day we visited, just like every other trip to Naena, it was pouring down rain. We opted to sit at one of the non-traditional tables because they were located under the awning roof. It was still quite enjoyable with a lovely view of the river rushing by right nearby.

Our basket of noodles was placed in the center of our table which allowed us to gauge how much we wanted spinning around at one time. A small teapot of cold tsuyu broth was also delievered along with the various condiments for flavoring the savory soup. The cold noodles would have been better suited for a day that was actually hot, we really do luck out with the worst weather every time we visit the falls. At least it was delicious! The whole experience was fun even if it was a bit hokey and touristy. I am still glad we finally tried nagashi soumen.

Catch your own lunch!

Tsuyu for dipping.

The noodles are really thin, like Japanese angel hair pasta.

The more traditional method using bamboo pipes. Too bad it was raining when we were there. 

Challenge: Round Two!

Guess what time it is!

I went over the my local bookstore to pick up the magazine about my town and what did I find? The new edition of Komachi magazine and it's front cover announcing the 2015 Niigata Ramen Rally. Of course, I bought it. Will I be dedicated enough to collect all the necessary stamps again? Time to get myself pumped up!

After the first flip through it was already clear that they bumped their game up. The shops are broken down and categorized by their specialty and then again by their location. It really makes it easier to look up a certain spot, or a certain type of soup. Even the stamp book got a bit of a rework and is a little more user friendly. Also, instead of all the individual coupons for the free services offered by each shop, they included a Rally Participant card. So now you just present that card and get the free offering. It is much quicker than shuffling through a pile of little coupons.

It seems that the Challenge became more popular among the shops too. Just in my city there are eight more participating restaurants. This will mean a lot less travel required. I do admit that travel was half the fun of last year's experience, but it definitely became a bit stressful when it came down to collecting those last few stamps. All in all, I am pretty excited. I can't guarantee a post about EACH shop I visit as there are quite a few repeats from last years' challenge. I will promise to tell you about new shops that I try and any interesting stories that come up. Challenge 2015, let's go!

Game On!!

五十家 - Myoko, Niigata

The little elusive shop at the bottom of the hill. When we first started coming up to Mt. Myoko it was necessary to explore all the possible routes to make the ascent. 五十家 (House fifty) sits at the bottom of the mountain, just off the highway on one of these roads. I noticed it and made a mental note to try it someday. That day took longer than would have been expected. But, since it is located on one of the lesser traveled routes up the side of the mountain, the restaurant was quickly pushed out of my mind.

When it came time to pick a place for dinner, this poor little shop was constantly overlooked. On the rare chance we went past it we had either just eaten or it was closed. After talking to our local friends it was learned that the place is actually pretty popular. Apparently, the chef had once tried to stop serving ramen to focus on other dishes but it only took a few weeks of customers coming in and asking where the ramen had gone for him to change his mind and bring it back to the menu. Determined to see what I had been missing, a point was made to have dinner there on a night they were sure to be open.

Luckily, we pulled up to find that it was indeed open for business. The inside of the restaurant is small and intimate; offering counter seats, tables and traditional low Japanese-style tables. We opted for a small table near the front of the restaurant and began looking over the menu. Even though the ramen is in high demand, the chef still offers many other dishes such a stir fry, karaage (fried chicken) and even pizza. Since I am forever on a ramen quest, and it had such a good reputation, there was no question what my meal would be.

A bowl of chashu-men arrived at the table on a little tray; steaming and smelling amazing. The first thing that caught the eye was the perfectly overlapping ring of tender chashu pork slices. The soup was a light, clear brown with a wonderful layer of fat glistening on the surface. Simmered to perfection, the flavor of pork was rich but light, and not overbearing. After diving into the soup and breaching the barrier of pork slices, I found wonderfully chewy, curly yellow noodles. Noodles are so important to a great bowl of ramen, and五十家offers a variety with great texture and just the right thickness. A small pile of seaweed and a handful of sliced green onion sat on top and tied the whole bowl together. We left feeling satisfied, knowing it would not be too long before we returned for another round. 

Look at that glistening broth!

Excellent noodles.

ニューミサ (New Misa)

New Misa is a shop that Nick and I often visit when we are in need of a good bowl of Ramen. Situated on the main highway that runs through Myoko, it gets very good customer traffic. So good, in fact, that New Misa is just that… NEW Misa. The original shop is just a minute or two down the road and a mere fraction of the size of its (bigger) little sister. New Misa is cavernous on the inside and when the shop is crowded it can be very loud with the voices of satisfied customers.

The Misa shops (the third of which was visited by us on the Ramen Rally Challenge) are famous for their miso Ramen. Creamy, savory miso broth, chewy noodles and a towering pile of sliced onion makes up their signature dish. But at New Misa they don’t just serve noodles. Offering non-soup dishes like tonkatsu pork cutlet, gyoza dumplings and curry, there is a something to satisfy any appetite.

Though the miso Ramen is very good and certainly a must try for any first timer or miso-lover, Nick and I really enjoy ordering their shoyu (soy sauce) variety as well. The broth is rich and savory; the smell of pork and salt instantly makes the mouth water. And it does not disappoint. After a few spoonfuls of broth it is time to move on the curly mass of noodles.  The texture and thickness are perfect and the broth clings to each bite.

Unlike the miso Ramen that comes piled high with slices of raw onion, the shoyu ramen is more simple and without frill. Broth with noodles topped by some slices of tender, braised chashu pork and a small mound of finely chopped green onion is what you will get. No muss, no fuss. Just a great bowl of noodles.

ニューミサ (New Misa)

Shoyu Ramen

Noodles!

While in Portland... Boke Bowl West

Husband and I made a brief, but totally worth it, visit to Portland after our one year anniversary/late honeymoon trip to Bali. The primary reason was to retrieve our dear, beloved Margo and bring her back to Japan to live with us for the rest of our stay. Visiting Portland offered us many opportunities we have been missing while living abroad. We saw family and friends, did some shopping for clothes that fit us correctly, saw the last home game of the Trail Blazers and ate all the food we have been missing.

Portland is a city that is in love with food. You can find anything and everything there. It's fantastic. We wasted no time stuffing ourselves with cuisine from Germany, Mexico, China and Hawaii, as well as getting our fill of American classics like over-sized hamburgers and pizza. And even though there is more than enough Ramen to choose from in Japan, there was no way I could pass up going to my favorite shop in Portland.

Boke Bowl started out only serving lunch at their location on the Southeast waterfront near OMSI. I would trek over there after my college classes ended, just in time to get my fill before they were done for the day. I remember being excited when they started opening for dinner every night (not just on Thursdays when they did their incredible Boke Bird dinner special of Korean chicken). Then, after I left for Japan, they opened a second location in Northwest. Of course a brand new branch would open up in the neighborhood I had just moved away from. My luck. Either way, I have nothing but happiness for this company's success.

Not skipping a beat, I ordered their pork Ramen and added a poached egg and extra pork belly (naturally). Husband was so torn. He loves the Ramen at Boke Bowl but can never say no to their version of 肉まん (niku-man), or steam buns. Not wanting to miss out, he ordered both the beef curry Ramen and two fried chicken buns. We took our seat and began to take in the atmosphere of the new shop in our old hood while we waited for our lunch.

In no time at all our food was delivered. Hot, salty, pork flavored soup filled my bowl while seasonal vegetables, juicy shredded pork, bamboo shoots, a slab of seared pork belly, a soft egg and some shredded green onion and nori lay on top of the tangle of chewy noodles. Eagerly, I dug in to one of my favorite dishes in Portland. And of course, it was as good as always. It was not hard to finish the whole bowl. Husband, on the other hand, had twice the amount of food to get through. He quickly devoured the steam buns with their crispy fried chicken, pickles and sauces and moved on to his beef curry Ramen. While he was unable to finish the entire bowl, he was happy to have tried something new. If you live in Portland and haven't been to Boke Bowl yet, GO!

Pork Ramen with added egg and pork belly. 

Noodle shot.

And that pork belly...

Husband's Beef Curry Ramen

And the friend chicken steam buns. Definitely a don't miss item.