Mensho : Best Duck Rice Ever

Kamo Gohan aka Duck Rice, the Japanese Way.




Kamo gohan is a dish which could be easily overlook if you didn’t do your homework before you come. But for those who have visited here numerous times aka 老饕, they will order this together with the Shio ramen that clinched the No. 1 Must Try Ramen of the Shio category run by #Tokyoramenoftheyear  

Unveil the Nori coating and I discovered not plain white rice but glistening brown pearl grains that’s been seasoned and mixed with chunks of flavorful duck, much to my surprise.

The seaweed added a layer of unami to the dish and the squirt contained yuzu orange dish that brightened the dish with fruity but non-sourish notes. I truly enjoyed every morsel, trying to come to terms with the fact that this ultra-delicious dish only cost ¥250. Pardon me for being brutally honest but this is way better than the Chinese duck rice.


Just like most ramen ya, Mensho gives customers the option of adding on Aji-tama. But as I dug in midway, I noticed that the vending machine not only has this option but also Saikyo Miso Eggs. The most noticeable different is the color of the eggs which is white and not dark brown. But it didn’t pale in comparison in taste. In fact, I love this more than the usual Ajitsuke Tamago. It seemed to me that the miso had totally ignore the egg whites and went straight to become good friends with the egg yolk as the gooey core was superbly yummy but not overly salty.

There’s also tori-gohan aka chicken rice. Maybe I should be like the guy sitting next to me, ordering both the Shio Ramen and Tori gohan on my next visit. 

Mensho 

http://menya-shono.com/mensho/

Nearest Station : Gokokuji

11am-3pm

5pm-9pm 

Closed on Mon/Tues

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黄金の塩らぁ麺 Due Italian: Michelin Bib Gourmand Cheese Ramen in Tokyo

No, it's not some Angmoh cooking up some ramen. It's Japanese ramen with an Italian twist. Think ramen in cheese broth with Parma ham. Something like soup pasta but the broth is thinner and not overwhelmingly rich. This Fromage Ramen is the signature creation of Due Italian, a little red ramen-ya that has been awarded Michelin Bib gourmand for 2 consecutive years. 

Chef-owner Ishizuka was born in Italy and opened up to 6 Italian restaurants in Tokyo at one point in time. Business took a downward turn due to economy recession but he met Sato Minoru san, the founder of famous ramen chain "支那そばや" and learnt the ropes from him. With the aim of serving healthier ramen, he created his signature "Golden Shio Ramen" (黄金の塩らぁ麺) that boasted a special broth made with a golden formula of Nagoya chicken bones, scallop, konbu etc. When I first stepped into his little red shop in Ichigaya, I thought I entered a small Chinese noodle house, not a typical hole-in-the-wall ramen ya. The only thing that reminded one that it is a ramen shop is the self-order vending machine. Nonetheless, it felt more welcoming than a ramen-ya and no wonder 80% of the customers are ladies. 

The basic Fromage noodle (980 yen) was an interesting dish served with two globules of cheese. Parma ham can be added for 200 yen and I think anyone should do so because it imparted more bite and flavor to the dish. Once stirred with chopsticks, the cheese disintegrated rapidly under the heat and turned the soup creamy white. Yet it wasn't as thick nor rich like a carbonara but more like a cheese-flavored milky chicken broth that was light and tasty. 

Add the beauty Genmai rice served towards the end into the remaining soup and you'll get somewhat watery porridge which they call "risotto". 
On the other hand, the Golden Shio Ramen (880 yen) tasted quite flat and pedestrian. I was expecting more from this bowl but there was nothing much to shout about except for the tender Matsuzaka charsiu. The soup was clear and significantly less oily than average ramen, though those who are used to rich heavy flavors will find that this lacked the kick. 

One thing I like is the flexibility to change the usual noodles to zero-calorie konnyakyu noodles for extra 100 yen. In fact, the texture was almost the same. 

Overall, the concept of a healthy Italian style ramen sounds pretty attractive but I'm uncertain if it is worthy of a bib gourmand. I'll look elsewhere for a more satisfying ramen experience. 

Due Italian 黄金の塩らぁ麺
〒102-0074 Tōkyō-to, Chiyoda-ku, Kudanminami, 4 Chome−4−5−11
Mon-Fri 11am-4pm/5pm-10pm
Sat 11am-10pm
Sun/PH 11am-9pm
http://www.dueitalian.jp

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Inoichi 猪一 : Kyoto's Bib Gourmand Ramen that Deserves a Star

If hawker food in Singapore is one of the cheapest Michelin star, then ramen will be the Japanese version of cheap Michelin star gourmet food

With over 100 Michelin-starred restaurants in Kyoto, ramen seems to be the poor man's gourmet compared to kaiseki or any innovative French or Italian cuisines. After all, Kyoto isn't as well known for ramen compared to Hokkaido or Kyushu. However, in the most recent Michelin Guide released for Japan last year, there were 3 ramen-ya that were awarded Bib Gourmand in Kyoto. 

One of them was Inoichi but it isn't the ramen shop with the highest ranking on Tabelog, a review site more commonly used by the locals. In fact, I wasn't attracted to the ramen when I saw the pictures posted online because it looked pale and plain. How can anything like this ever be tasty? 

I was wrong. Depth and clarity coexisted in the broth of their signature bowl, Shina Soba (¥800). It was so clear that you could see through to the thin, springy noodles below. But the taste wasn't flat but full of umami, thanks to the clever use of bonito and kelp to build the foundation of the dashi. 

There's a choice of white or black shoyu for the broth and I instantly opted for the white shoyu. Unlike the ramen that I've had previously, the soup had a very clean taste of sweetness that could possibly be explained by the fact that no fats/oil from any four-legged animal or artificial flavoring or MSG was used. I slurped the soup in delight and true enough, I didn't feel thirsty at all nor suffer from any MSG attack. 
Although some oil globules could still be seen floating on the soup, I suspect those could be coming from the slice of charsiu, which was so soft and tender. Even the choice of pork was well taken care of. Inoichi uses 京の都もち豚, (Kyo no Miyako mochi Buta) a premium local brand of pigs that is known for its fine meat quality and even fats.

It is served with finely-sliced yuzu peels in a small dish that diners can add according to their preference. What made this ramen place more special than others is the condiments. 

There's free flow Tororo Konbu, a kind of seaweed that turns soft and slimy once in contact with liquid. Usually eaten with hot rice, it's actually my favourite stuff but I'm surprised that it paired so well with ramen and enhanced the umami of the broth. Not to be missed is the 黒七味 and 一味, spices that added mild heat to the ramen. 
Besides the ramen, I decided to go for one of the dons as it looked to good to be missed. The Charsiu Don (¥500/+¥100 for akadama) came with generous slices of grilled pork belly but I found them too chewy and the lean meat was scarce. But the rice, the subtly sweet meat sauce and the yolk melded so beautifully together that I finished all. 
Now as I reflect my meal, I must have lost my mind to order another bowl of carbs. Anyway, the queue isn't that bad if you avoid the late hours. I arrived at 6.30pm but waited only for 20minutes on a weekday. By the time I left, the queue got longer but it doesn't look like it will drag to 3 hours. This isn't any dingy, hole-in-the-wall ramen-ya and the staff were very friendly. 

猪一 Inoichi
京都府京都市下京区恵比須之町528 エビステラス 1F
528 Ebisunocho, Shimogyo-ku
1F Ebisu Terrace, Kyoto
Tues-Sat 11.30-1400, 1730-2200
Sun 11:30-1400, 1730, 2100
Closed on Mondays (Tues if Mon is a PH)
https://tabelog.com/kyoto/A2601/A260201/26022436/

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