Category Archives: posts by j

it ain’t yabu

soba + kinoko mushroom

soba + kinoko mushroom

soba

after finding so much success at ramen yamadaya, we realized there has been a good japanese restaurant even closer to us. it’s hard not to go to a new place and not order everything on the menu, but we managed to contain ourselves to a few pieces of sushi, hot nabeyaki udon and hot soba with chicken and kinoko mushroom. “kinoko” means mixed in japanese but here at taiko, it means “massive amount of mixed.” i had shiitakes, enoki, maitake, bunashimeji, oyster. would you like some broth with your mushrooms? it was overwhelmingly meaty from all of the fungus, but i ate every single one. m’s udon was pillowy soft; not glutinous or hard or chewy. each noodle was softer than a marshmallow. her broth was more subtle and perhaps less sweet but no less flavorful. the sushi was acceptable according to our standards. they didn’t have mackerel, but we did enjoy our spicy tuna, and tuna and yellowtail nigiri.

taiko | 11677 San Vicente Blvd # 302 90049 | 310.207.7782

tonkatsu ramen. so close.

tonkatsu kotteri ramen

tonkatsu kotteri ramen + black garlic oil + minced backfat

ramen + j

what? my slurping bothering you?

ramen recipe

120+24+20=24

ramen yamadaya came to my attention via tasting table. anytime i see “tonkatsu ramen,” i take notice. fatty pork noodle soup. each of those words is important. we arrived about 7 minutes before opening, and found a small crowd hovering outside the front door. jgold reviewed the place on the 14th and i was certainly glad we didn’t arrive 30 minutes after opening, because a similar crowd had gathered to wait for tables to vacate.

m ordered the shoyu style and i ordered the kotteri style, basically because i was interested in the black garlic oil (for which there exist recipes on the internet) and the minced backfat (i am ignoring the cholesterol test i will be taking next week). at first, all i could think of was its saltiness, but it wasn’t prohibitively salty and not wholly unexpected. the large chunk of pork belly was a nice addition and the chashu was tender. we forgot to order the thick noodles, but this was hardly a disappointment. just gives us one more reason to return.

ramen yamadaya | 11172 w washington blvd 90232 | 310.815.8776

ramen yamadaya | 1248 westwood blvd 90024

my favorite mistake

no, this post isn’t about sheryl crow. this is about mac and cheese. whole foods 365 brand mac and cheese. and evaporated milk.

using a portion of a can of evaporated milk that the kl+ml bequeathed to us from their exodus (we were out of milk and didn’t want to use soy, almond or coconut milk), m made the best. mac. and. cheese. ever. the recipe called for 3 tablespoons of 1% milk, but we substituted 1/4 cup of 2% evaporated milk. and then ignored it so it turned into a globby mess. and then added another 1/4 cup of milk. and it magically morphed into thick, creamy, luscious macaroni and cheese that rivaled kraft. there is no picture as every single morsel was devoured with gusto. we could’ve eaten three boxes; it’s probably a good thing we didn’t.

cilantro lime rice

we are taking a stab at replicating cilantro lime rice tonight to accompany our fajitas. here’s the recipe:

1 teaspoon vegetable oil or butter
2 tsp. fresh cilantro
2/3 cup white basmati rice
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Lime

In a 2-quart heavy saucepan, heat oil or butter over low heat, stirring occasionally until melted. Add rice and lime juice, stir for 1 minute. The following in brackets is what the recipe says, but we make our rice cooker do all the hard work. We added the water and salt to the rice cooker bowl then added the buttery rice. [Add water and salt, bring to a full rolling boil. At boiling, cover, turn down to simmer over low heat until rice is tender and the water is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork.]

crepe experiment

buckwheat crepe batter

3 batters: almond, regular, soy

remember those buckwheat crepes m made earlier? we are trying to make them with almond milk, coconut milk, and soy milk so our milk-allergy friends can come over for brunch.

the coconut milk batter is not present in the picture. it was the runniest, which makes sense as the coconut milk itself has a low viscosity. i’m not sure i could drink coconut milk by itself, but in chai or even the coconut chai we have, it could make it very…coconutty? the crepes with soy milk came out with our favorite flavor and texture. they reminded me of pappadum with their thinness and crispy edges. my second favorite was the almond milk crepes – m thought they were gummy, but i was as equally pleased with their thicker size and their texture as i was with the soy ones. they were both good, just different.

fast forward to cooking the crepes today after a day of rest…the almond milk crepes spread well in the pan when cooking but crumble when served. i prefer the almond today as they have more flavor than the soy ones and their texture is less gummy. what a difference a day makes. m is right: they fall apart more easily, but i’ve never minded about stuff like that. i also don’t really mind if my yolk breaks as i usually don’t have enough carbs on my plate to sop up all the yolk.

too many options

i’m suffering a bit from too many options. i was planning on going biking down to manhattan beach today, but now it’s overcast and i’m drinking chai and i’m thinking about going swimming and then sitting outside and reading for a while instead. i’m super jazzed about work, but there’s plenty of work and time to do it, so i am trying to convince myself to do other things instead. but then i say to myself: well, if the exciting work is really what i want to do…

like i said, too many options. one thing is for certain: i am very much looking forward to day one after 26 days.

in between

i’m sitting on a bench inside the west hollywood park basketball courts. our old stomping ground. we played horse here. i took picures of a guy shooting hoops. then i took pictures of a pick up game; i was trying to capture action. i took pictures of two guys playing tennis; i was trying to figure out my film slr. did i ever get that film developed? the pacific design center has a new entrance. i am sitting in the shadow of the red building which has been under construction for over two years and is not yet finished. damn recession. i voted at the auditorium down the street; my state voted against me. i never swam in the pool here; too many tiny kids peeing in it. i swim in a different pool now; with plenty of adults who probably also have bladder issues. i was sitting in the shade but have been sitting here long enough that i am now sitting in the sun.

i sit here not because i miss it, but because it is familiar. i know where to park. i know my way around. i feel comfortable. i can linger for a while and not feel like i’m imposing or being imposed upon. i’m not expected to pay anything or leave a tip. i can just sit in the sun and be.