Bon Me: Chinese Pork BBQ Banh Mi

Bon Me is a food truck/restaurant business that is based in Cambridge.  They serve Vietnamese fusion cuisine in the form of Banh Mi (sandwiches), rice bowls and other fare.  I was able to stumble upon the food truck almost every day after school by Harvard Yard.  I've been to the truck a couple of times, always ordering a Vietnamese sandwich. 

As is the standard, they use classic French baguettes that have good crunch and flakiness.  At first glance, the sandwich is quite filled.  I ordered the sandwich to include BBQ pork, chashu Cantonese style.  The sandwich is filled with pickled radishes and carrots, cucumbers, cilantro, jalapenos, red onion and a spread of Sriracha mayo and homemade pork pate.  Each sandwich was also given a choice of which protein was to be filled into the sandwich. 

My first impression was the crunch, a very satisfying sound as a result of the bread and the fresh and pickled vegetables.  There was a good meatiness from the chashu pork with a combination of both sweet and savory.  With each bite, a growing spiciness began to emerge as a result of the raw jalapenos and the sriracha mayo.  However, as I continued to eat the sandwich, I realized that each bite had a different taste, meaning there was no consistency in the sandwich.  A huge part of Banh Mi and in any sandwich, is a balance of flavors across every bite.  The ingredients within the sandwich were not evenly placed thus resulting in unbalanced flavors along the sandwich.  Halfway through the sandwich, I finally was able to taste the pate.  Very nice and meaty with the mineral taste from organs and innards.  The pate imparted a nice creaminess that helped contrast the acidity of the pickles. 

I've always been a huge fan of Banh Mi, and I make an effort to order Banh Mi at almost every opportunity.  While I know that it will never compare to Banh Mi's, I've had in Vietnam or other places, but I always try and keep my expectations low.  I've been back to Bon Me many times since my first visit and I tend to still order the Banh Mi.  The consistency of good sandwiches is still not great, but I've had great sandwiches from there.  I look forward to trying out their storefront in Alewife at some point. 

Yume Wo Katare "Ramen" in Porter Square

It's ironic that Yume Wo Katare roughly translates to "share your dream" (which I presume is correct because that's what the staff said) because that experience was a nightmare. In a small shop in Porter Square, seating only 18, lies a "ramen" (this is in quotations because I would like to make the argument that it's not ramen) shop that sells an experience much less a bowl of noodles. As you stand in line outside, you're told that the theme of the restaurant is to "share your dream", meaning as you finish you're invited to share your dream or passion or goal. It's an interesting concept that forces you to engage with your fellow diners as supporters of said dream as opposed to just members of a population seemingly enjoying noodles. The seats are positioned in three long tables all facing towards the kitchen where the cooks prepare the bowls.

As I said earlier, it is my assertion that it is too kind to deem this restaurant a ramen store because the bowl they serve is not ramen. The bowl is very much pork-centric: from the thick slices of pork belly, to the broth that is mostly rendered pork fat, to the actual chunks of congealed pork fat that floats within the bowl. It was hard to tell what the base of the soup was due to the sheer amount of fat and oil blending together. I presume it was a shoyu-tonkotsu mix but it was honestly hard to tell where the broth began and the oil ended. It was almost as if they rendered a massive chunk of pork fat and then served in in a bowl. The noodles weren't your typical yellow chewy bouncy noodles, nor were they thin beautiful hakata style either. To my disappointment the noodles were the run-of-the-mill Chinese Chow Mein, thick and flat. My heart sank when I dug trough the mountain of bean sprouts and cabbage, to only reveal the horror that lay in the bowl. Ideally the cabbage and bean sprouts are there to cut through the fat. Ideally. The final topping was a mountain of freshly chopped garlic that was there to add a bit of heat and variety to an already overwhelming bowl. I should preface by saying that I ordered the "Buta" which was the large that came with five pieces of pork as opposed to the normal two. It was a mistake. The bowl screamed for something acidic to cut through the fat and entice you back with new bites, yet there was nothing.

 

To call this bowl ramen, is to insult a century or so of creativity and innovation by ramen chefs. There is no combination of flavors that continually entice you, rather it's a shock and awe campaign that's designed to cripple even the most sane diners. As someone who has enjoyed amazing ramen, some even far richer than this, it pains me to see a bowl so horrific. While the food is disappointing, I have to say the people working are one of the most passionate and jovial staff I've ever seen. Part of the charm of visiting any ramen store is the "irashimase" that is yelled as you walk in, and this is no exception. The care that they put into the experience is truly evident. I only wish their food reflected that. I urge future diners to avoid this place unless you fully recognize that the bowl you partake in, is not what you're expecting. It's not ramen, it's a mess.

Please if you're reading this, owners and cooks of Yume. Really take some time and evaluate what you're serving. It's not ramen. Ramen is not just noodles in a soup, it's a beautiful mixture of oils and sauces mixed into a clean and beautiful broth with the right noodles and the right toppings. Something thick and heavy, shouldn't be served with thick and heavy flat noodles. Something already overwhelmingly rich shouldn't be topped with just vegetables and expect it to be a balance. It's not really a dream if it feels like a nightmare.

JW Chen's: Chinese/Taiwanese food (Closest thing to home in South Bend, IN)

Out of the five or so Chinese places in South Bend, JW Chen's consistently ranks the top in both "word-of-mouth" recommendations and online research.  The restaurant is located on an unassuming strip mall (it's not really a strip mall, but it's the closest thing to it, I suppose, really it's a parking lot with some storefronts linked together in an odd configuration), in between a Papa John's and a large tobacco store.  It's hard to miss if you aren't looking for it, and the restaurant itself is quaint and homey.  It can maybe at capacity seat less than 40.  However, the moment you walk in, you're greeted by this lovely grandmotherly owner named Jean.  She seats you and then proceeds to take a seat with you and discuss what you're eating.

Now, I'm decently familiar with what I like in Chinese food, and I can read Chinese/know what to order.  Yet, even before I had a chance to really read the menu, she has taken a chair, and proceeds to help me decide what I want for lunch.  We settle on 豆瓣魚 (fried fish in chili sauce) and 高麗菜 (Taiwanese cabbage stir-fried with garlic) and some rice.  Within ten minutes, my food had arrived and I was taken aback.  The first thing that hits you is the garlic from the cabbage.  It's a smell that reminds you of any random stall in a wet market in Taipei, where the owners are yelling in the background and banging of spatulas in woks.  That first bite solidifies the image.  The crisp and crunchy cabbage mixed in with extremely fragrant garlic is the best bite of vegetables ever.  I would eat a bowl of rice and cabbage every day if it was made like that.  Then with the fish, lightly breaded and fried then combined with a spicy red sauce that has a hint of sweetness is just divine.  Extremely flaky and surprisingly fresh, each morsel of fish is exploding with flavor.  The spice is hot, enough to make you sweat and replace every other bite with rice or cabbage, but not overwhelmingly so.  As I dine on food that takes me home, I have brief conversations with the owner, other wait staff, and I find myself having a sigh of relief and joy with every pause in the meal.

It's hard to describe in words how wonderful it felt to be in a restaurant where all the servers and staff spoke Chinese and would take care of you as if you were a member of their family.  Before I left, I let the owner know that I would return in a couple hours, on my way back to Culver, to pick up some take out for dinner.  We spent another five to ten minutes discussing what to order and later returned to pick up 五更腸旺(pig intestine and blood stew), 三杯雞 (three-cup chicken), 炒菠菜 (stir-fried spinach) and some rice.  She then threw in a free plate of 炒米粉 (fried rice noodles) to ensure that I would have more meals to enjoy.  All in all, I highly recommend coming here for meals, but be sure to bring someone who knows Chinese food.  Don't be stuck just having "orange chicken" or "mongolian beef" or "honey walnut shrimp".  Have a good meal and really enjoy it.

More food for more meals!

The Best Ramen Bowls in LA #5: Tsujita LA

After hearing about this place from multiple people, reading about it on Discover LA's Best Ramen Bowls in LA, and then dreaming about it, I finally made the opportunity to try the "best ramen" in LA.  I arrived for a late lunch in at Tsujita LA in Sawtelle, as I waited to pick up a friend from LAX.  When I arrived at 2:10pm, there was still a line and the line for Tsujita Annex was even longer.  I was seated within ten minutes of my arrival even though the restaurant was full.

I ordered the Hakata Nagahama Tonkotsu Charsui Ramen, which came with green onions, woodear mushrooms and a seasoned soft boiled egg with hard noodles as always.  When that bowl first came out, the first thing I noticed was the smell.  It was an overwhelming wave of pork bones, pork, garlic and an earthy smell of the mushrooms.  It was glorious.  I knew it would be an amazing bowl just from that first smell.  The broth was intense, and was like nothing I've ever had in a bowl of ramen before.  It was thick and silky and was almost like a consistency of gravy.  It was so rich and deep, drinking it was like letting yourself drown in it.  There was a bit of nuttiness from the noodles, which were thin hakata style that also had a bit of saltiness cooked into it.  Because of the thick broth, each bite of noodles had soup clinging on to it that made the consumption of it so much more pleasurable.  The contrast in texture with the mushrooms provided a satisfying crunch that helped provide variance in the experience.  The pork itself was standard, wasn't too soft but had a great bite.  It didn't wow me like the rest of the bowl, which made sense as the broth it self lived in a meaty pork taste.  The seasoned egg was done perfectly and was also very silky and had a sweet yolky center that provided not only a complimentary flavor profile, but also added a bit of brightness to the dish.  While the broth was a bit oily, the green onion helped contrast that by cutting through it and adding a crisp and clean taste to the bite.  All in all, it makes sense why writers like Jonathan Gold claim this restaurant to have the best ramen.  The flavors are intense and deservedly so, the broth is amazing and the contrast in both flavors and textures help bring this bowl all together.  I'm dying to return and have their tsukemen which I hear is a whole other experience.  You can find their restaurant at 2057 Sawtelle Blvd.

What's Next

It's been a while since I've posted a life update, but seeing as most of my readers come from social media, most already know what I'm up to!  For those who don't, well consider yourself now informed.  This past year, I graduated Occidental College in Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Diplomacy & World Affairs (International Relations) as well as Theater.  I also minored in Economics at the same time.  I will be attending Tufts University in September for my Masters of Arts in Teaching in Social Studies.  As of June, I am working at Culver Academy, a boarding school in Culver, Indiana for the summer, as one of their Theater Instructors and Staff.

One of the things that is important to note specifically for my blog, is that as I am no longer in LA, I won't be completing the Ramen Reviews as I intended.  I still have one more review in my backlog of Tsujita Ramen, but other than that, I have basically began writing reviews about none LA places.  That being said, please contact me if you would like a recommendation of LA restaurants.  I'm still quite knowledgeable, and my blog only reflects a small fraction of the restaurants that I have visited in LA.  I look forward to updating you all on my experience at Culver as well as any further details I may have about my journey.  Until then, look out for my backlogged reviews of various places.

Berkeley's Koja Kitchen: Koja Burger and Umami Fries

Recommended to me by my pastor in Walnut Creek, my friends and I went over to Berkeley to try Korean/Japanese fusion restaurant Koja Kitchen.  It was a very crowded restaurant, right in the heart of Berkeley, with quite a few people going in and out.  There was a line to order and then a little bit of a wait for a table to open up.  I ordered the Koja Burger with KBBQ Style Short Ribs as well as Umami Fries.  The burger is Korean BBQ short ribs (kalbi), sesame vinaigrette lettuce, katsu aioli and sesame seeds, sandwiched in between fried garlic rice buns.  The Umami Fries were waffle fries that came with coconut-miso braised pork, red sauce (sriracha), garlio aioli, fried onions, masago (tobiko) and chopped green onions.

The burger was done very well.  The rice buns immediately reminded me of Japanese fast food chain, MOS Burger, that is known for their rice buns as well.  The difference being, the Koja Rice Bun's were pan fried, thus not only providing a drastic textural difference in terms of the crunch and the soft beef, but also it allowed for the bun to retain its shape and not fall apart during the eating process.  Often times, the rice bun tends to fall apart as a result of the refrigeration process in shaping the buns tends to dry out the rice thereby reducing it's stickiness.  The beef was classic KBBQ marinade with a delicate balance being achieved in being both sweet and savory.  I was also able to taste the sesame in the vinaigrette lettuce along with the additional sesame seeds on top, which helped add some variety in each bite.  The burger was very juicy and actually produced quite a bit of grease.  My only suggestion would be to add some heat, some spice.  Whether in the form of jalapenos or kimchi, something to once again, contrast the sweetness and the savory.  Otherwise, a very well done product.

The other flip side, the Umami Fries was very disappointing.  There was just too much going on with the product.  The savory masago and garlic aioli along with the spiciness from the sriracha just wasn't combining well.  The biggest issue was the coconut-miso braised pork.  The pork had an overwhelming sweetness to it, that was very broad but still powerful.  It overpowered the other flavors and didn't mix very well with the other sauces.  Coconut is a hard ingredient to work with, as the flavor tends to seem very elongated with a subtlety to it, but still very noticeable.  In this case, the pork never ceased to be center stage, even though it wasn't good.  I wasn't very pleased with this product.  My suggestion is to remove the coconut-miso concoction.  With two sauces already, providing complimenting flavors of spicy and savory, there's no need to add a radical sweetness to it that may overpower it.

They have 4+ locations scattered across the Bay Area.  Check them out for some interesting Korean-Japanese fusion.

Howlin Ray's: Nashville Hot Chicken

Ever since I read an article about the opening of Howlin Ray's in Eater LA, I knew, I wanted to brave the lines and try the hot and spicy chicken for myself.  Hot chicken is unique in the spiciness and heat that is sometimes overwhelming depending on the spice blend.  The restaurant opened in April of 2016, and ever since it's inception, there have been lines that stretch out across the shopping plaza in which its located in.  In a previous, unsuccessful attempt, I sauntered by the store, only to discover a line that seemed to last 1-2 hours.  Finally, I decided one day to drive out and enjoy a nice lunch at the restaurant. I learned that the store opened at 11:00 and I figured if I got there by 11:05, I wouldn't have to wait that long.  Unfortunately, I was wrong; almost 10 months since it opened, the line was still 50-80 people deep and it took almost 1.5 hours to get through.  The line snaked around the plaza, and the line doesn't seem to get shorter.  As I step forward, more people get in line, all waiting for some Hot Chicken.  At 12:21, after waiting about an hour and 15 minutes, I finally placed my order and sat down.  There is some seating inside the joint, but most of the customers sits outside at large picnic tables.  The customers are quite diverse, members of the rat race, young college-looking people, etc.  I ordered a half chicken: leg and thigh at the medium spice level and breast and wing at hot.  I was informed that the "hot" spice blend included habaneros, ghost peppers, and the South Carolina Reaper.  As someone who grew up eating spicy food, I was confident in my ability to withstand the heat.  Served on sliced white bread and with pickles, the anticipation began to build as I saw chicken after chicken get tossed into the spice blend,  The fact that they don't separate the parts (breast + wing and leg + thigh), made a daunting beast to conquer,

Hot (Breast + Wing), Medium (Leg + Thigh), Fries

When it was first served to me, I recoiled a bit because the smell of the heat was intoxicating.  My eyes started to water and I was cringing just by breathing it in.  I take a bite of the hot chicken and the first thing you notice is the crunch.  It's a very thick and meaty crunch that sort of attacks you back with the texture and the heat.  It's really spicy, which is compounded by the juiciness and the temperature of the chicken.  Everything is prepared fresh so the heat and the pain comes from the spice as well as the temperature.  Everything is scalding.  My lips and mouth slowly become numb as I continue to bite into the juicy white meat inside.  I immediately begin pulling off the skin as I examine the chicken inside.  It's pristine inside, with no trace marinade. Unlike other spicy chicken, where the meat itself is coated in a spicy marinade leading to an orange tinge on the meat, the Hot Chicken at Ray's is immaculately white, being a direct contrast to the heat that coats the skin.  The dark meat is just the same, juicy, flavorful and just as hard to finish.  There's a deceiving sweetness to the spice.  As I battled through the chicken, it came to the point where I had to give up. I had pulled off all of the skin and had just ate through the meat.  The spice and the heat was overwhelming, to the point where I gave up and couldn't finish.  I left the store extremely pleased and satisfied while also beaten: brow is wet, nose is running, and I can't feel my face.  I know I want to go back, it just tastes amazing and I want to finish an order at some point.  Hopefully I can bring my friends along to explore this wonderful addition to fried chicken culture in Los Angeles.