Momosan Ramen Boston At Hub Hall: A Quick Review

The new Hub Hall, located next to TD Garden, has 18 food & drink spots, including outposts of some of my favorites like GreCo and Cusser's Roast Beef & Seafood. The new Momosan Ramen Boston may also become a new favorite.

The notable Chef Masaharu Morimoto, of Iron Chef fame, is behind Momosan, which is intended to showcase ramen, as well as Japanese grilled dishes and bar snacks. The first Momosan was opened in New York City in 2016, and additional locations have opened in Waikiki Beach and Seattle, with another spot planned to open in Brooklyn. 

Momosan is open for lunch and dinner, and I stopped there recently for lunch. The Lunch Menu is extensive, with Sushi, Cold &  Hot Appetizers (about 20 options, priced $7-$14, with plenty of enticing choices, like Duck Tacos and Spicy Wontons), and Ramen (6 options, $16 each, such as Tonkotsu, Tsukemen, & Spicy Vegan Miso. There are other entrees as well, from A5 Waygu to Poke Don. I could have easily ordered several appetizers, to sample a range of dishes, but wanted some Ramen so chose to opt for only one hot appetizer. 

The Karaage ($12) is Japanese-style fried chicken with a spicy garlic soy sauce. This is a favorite dish of mine, and I often order it at a new restaurant, to compare it with previous dishes I've enjoyed. First, this dish was ample, with plenty of pieces of fried chicken, and was large enough to share. Second, the fried coating was crunchy and flavorful, enhanced by the spicy garlic soy. There was plenty of moist chicken inside the crisp coating, and the dish definitely is near the top of my favorite karaage dishes. 

I also selected the Spicy Tan-Tan ($16), with a spicy sesame broth, miso ground pork, cilantro, scallion and ajitama (an egg). The broth was compelling, with a rich sesame flavor that was nicely spiced. The noodles were cooked just right and the miso pork and egg were tasty. Everything was well composed and balanced, an excellent choice for a hearty lunch. 

I'll definitely be returning to Momosan soon, to try more of the menu, and maybe get some Sake. 

Thursday Sips & Nibbles

I am back again with a new edition of Thursday Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I highlight some interesting, upcoming food & drink events.
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1) Executive Chef Nick Dixon and the Lincoln Tavern & Restaurant team welcome colder weather with new seasonal menu items and the return of Thursday Night Ramen.

Fall menu highlights include:
WEEKDAY BRUNCH (Monday – Thursday, 10am-3pm)
--Pumpkin Pancakes with graham cracker crumble, cream cheese frosting, plump golden raisins, bourbon maple syrup
--Pastrami Hash with house smoked brisket, piquillo peppers, smashed Yukon potatoes, sautéed leeks, poached eggs, whole grain mustard hollandaise
--Smoked Salmon Benedict ciabatta bread, smashed avocado, house smoked pastrami salmon, lemon hollandaise, lemon dressed greens
--Pork Carnitas Burrito crispy smoked pork, salsa verde, tater tots, runny egg
DINNER
--French Onion Soup Meatballs pork and beef meatballs, Gruyere cheese, garlic croutons, French onion soup
--Salmon Quinoa Bowl with wood-fired Faroe Island Salmon, quinoa, fresh sage, roasted winter squash, red grapes, Vermont goat cheese, apple maple vinaigrette
--Cast Iron Seared Pork Chop sage and buttermilk brined Berkshire pork chop, seared Brussels sprouts, shallot confit, roasted baby carrots, apple bourbon jam, hard cider reduction.
--Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts with Szechuan peppercorns, shishito peppers, honey roasted peanuts, sweet chili sauce
--Shaved Apple Salad mixed greens, plump golden raisins, shaved Honeycrisp apples, Vermont goat cheese, honey mustard dressing
--Butternut Squash Pizza fontina, bacon, caramelized onions, pecorino Romano, rosemary oil
WEEKEND BRUNCH (Saturday & Sunday, 9am-3pm)
--Dark Chocolate Waffle peanut butter drizzle, hot fudge sauce, maple whipped cream, honey roasted peanuts
--Hot Smoked Pastrami Sandwich Gruyere cheese, sauerkraut, spicy mustard, griddled Iggy’s rye bread
--Thick Sliced French Toast cinnamon brioche, brown butter pastry cream, caramelized apples and cinnamon, Vermont maple pecan syrup, Applewood smoked bacon
--Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal old fashioned rolled oats, roasted honeycrisp apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, cream

The Lincoln team continues with Brunch Test Kitchen every Friday this fall, where you can find a rotating lineup of brunch items and boozy milkshakes available for one day only (Friday 10am – 2pm). Guests can also toast to fall with a variety of new fall cocktails from Beverage Manager Rob Macaffrey, including the Autumn Mule (vodka, apple cider, caramel, lime), Candy Apple (gin, apple liqueur, cranberries, ginger) and Maple Crisp (rum, maple, apple, lime).

Every Thursday, starting at 5pm, Ramen returns to the Lincoln menu, featuring Chef Dixon’s traditional Bacon Dashi broth, complete with rotating Asian-inspired snacks to accompany Lincoln’s signature Ramen ($15). Ramen is available on Thursday evenings only, now through February 2018.

2) Jack’s Coal Fired Pizza has opened its first location in Burlington with a menu of handcrafted pizzas, pastas and wings, brought to life within the restaurant’s coal fired and wood fired ovens, made in Italy. As the name suggests, the coal fired concept is carried throughout Jack’s, influencing everything from the cocktail program to the interior décor. Helmed by Executive Chef Steve Walsh, the all-new 6,000-square-foot eatery and bar is located in Burlington in the property formerly occupied by Papa Razzi.

Patrons can indulge in hand stretched 16” Coal Fired Pies, 12” Wood Fired Pies, and a selection of starters, pastas and green salads in addition to nearly 40 craft and local beers and an array of wine and specialty cocktails like the Coal Fired Peach Lemonade (Tito’s, white peach puree, charred lemonade, coal fired peaches), made using lemons and peaches singed in the coal fired oven. Menu choices crafted in the coal fired oven include the Coal Fired Wings (lemon herb-rubbed or buffalo), the Swine & Sprouts (tomato, roasted Brussels sprouts, pork belly, mozzarella, garlic, balsamic reduction), White Clam (béchamel sauce, mozzarella, garlic, oregano, bacon), and Picante (tomato, pepperoni, sausage, mozzarella, banana peppers).

Jack’s Wood Fired Pizzas are cooked using white oak wood, and include choices like the Margherita, Popeye (mozzarella, feta, spinach, roasted garlic, olives), and West Coast (mozzarella, fig jam, prosciutto, bleu cheese, peppadew, onion, arugula). Guests can end their Jack’s Coal Fired Pizza experience on a sweet note with the homemade Banaffee Pie (graham cracker, toffee, banana, and custard) or homemade Carrot Cake (walnuts, cream cheese frosting).

Jack’s Coal Fired Pizza is open from 11:00am – 1:00am daily. Their menu seems to be larger than the other coal fired pizza restaurants in the area. Plus, the addition of the wood fired oven is an intriguing extra.

3) On Wednesday, October 25, you can meet Jeffrey Roberts, author of both the Atlas of American Artisan Cheese and the newly released Salted & Cured, the history of charcuterie in America, at The Cheese Shop of Concord. You can meet Jeff at two different segments:

3:30pm–5:30pm: Chat with Jeff, purchase a signed copy of his books if you like, and enjoy some cheese & charcuterie nibbles paired with exquisite Spanish Cider, courtesy of Ciders of Spain. No reservation required – just stop on by!

6:30pm–8pm: A more formal and intimate presentation given by Jeffrey & The Cheese Shop of Concord’s Peter Lovis featuring a series of a half dozen cheese, charcuterie and Spanish cider pairings – hosted by The Cheese Shop & Ciders of Spain. Space is very limited - just 16 attendees. A $22.09 reservation fee is required, which will be given back to you as a $20 store credit to spend that evening on any of the featured items (the difference being the processing fee). Register soon as this rare event will quickly reach capacity. Buy your ticket here on Eventbrite.

The Pairing will include:
(A) Hubbardston Blue. Westfield Farm (Fanjul Natural)
Prosciutto Americano. La Quercia –
(B) Harbison. Jasper Hill Farm (Guzman Riestra)
Guanciale. Olli.
(C) Ashbrook. Spring Brook Farm (Angelon 1947)
Beef Bresaola. Larchmont –
(D1) West-West Blue. Parish Hill Creamery
(Sidra de Pera/Diamantes de Hielo)
(D2) Wild boar salami. Creminelli – (Riestra Natural)

4) On Wednesday, November 1, from 6:30pm-9:30pm, Post 390 is hosting a one-of-a-kind dinner, part of their "Farm to Post" series, featuring coffee and cacao beans from New England’s top local coffee roasters and chocolate makers. Executive Chef Nick Deutmeyer and the team at Post 390 welcome guests to satisfy their taste buds at a special four-course dinner featuring local coffee roasters and chocolatiers. This dinner includes a welcome reception and a four-course dinner with specially-paired beverages. Guests will be able to mingle with artisan roasters and chocolatiers who will answer questions throughout the dinner.

The menu is as follows:
RECEPTION
COCOA NIB LAVASH (Cashew butter, apple)
MINI BUTTERMILK BISCUITS (Brown sugar cured ham, whipped coffee butter)
BEEF & SCALLION MEATBALLS (Black coffee barbeque sauce)
FIRST COURSE
PUFFED BUCKWHEAT & COFFEE ROASTED ROOTS (Heirloom carrots, baby turnips & beets, sautéed kale, espresso vinaigrette)
SECOND COURSE
COFFEE & CROISSANT (Veal, caramelized onion & coffee bouillon, steamed milk, short rib & gruyere croissant)
ENTRÉE COURSE
GREEN COFFEE BEAN SMOKED DUCK BREAST (Cocoa parsnip puree, caramelized pear, brussels sprout leaves, coffee dusted confit & cherry croquette)
DESSERT
TAZA AFFOGATO SUNDAE (Coconut dulce de leche, cocoa nib brioche, espresso)

Cost: Tickets are $55 per person (inclusive of beer and appetizers).
Space is limited and reservations are required.  To purchase tickets, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/farm-to-post-local-roasters-dinner-tickets-38656906849

Eating & Drinking In Chicago: Ramen to Duck Fat Fried Chicken

Our second lunch in Chicago was also at an Asian spot, the Slurping Turtle, a ramen restaurant that was established by famed Chef Takashi Yagihashi. Their website states the restaurant is intended to "... recreate for our guests Chef Takashi's childhood culinary experiences in Japan, the essence of Japanese Comfort Food. The turtle is a symbol of longevity in Japan. We invite you to join us in our quest for the Everlasting Noodle." It is a medium-sized restaurant, with some communal tables, a bar, and a second floor dining area. It has a casual and comfortable ambiance, perfect for the idea of comfort food.

The restaurant has a decent-sized Sake list, with options by the glass and bottle, with some interesting choices, and we opted for a 200ml can of the Nihon Sakari Nama Genshu Honjozo, a full-bodied and fresh Sake with lots of delicious umami, making it an excellent pairing with our various dishes.

When I later left the restaurant, I also noticed that they have a killer selection of Japanese whiskey atop their bar, including a couple 17 and 21 year old whiskies. If I had more time, I would have stopped at the bar to check out and taste some of their selections. It was an impressive array and if you love Japanese whiskey, the Slurping Turtle has you covered.

Their food menu has plenty of options, including: Snacks ($4-$11), such as Bao, Edamame and Beef Short Rib; Sashimi & Maki Rolls (most $8-$15); and Ramen/Rice Bowls ($14-$16). We started with the Hamachi Tacos ($11), a tartare of yellowtail with truffle-soy, set into a taro root shell. Plenty of bright citrus flavors, silky fish, with an umami kick and a crunchy shell with a mild vegetal taste. Delicious and nicely balanced.

We also ordered the Eel & Cucumber Roll ($9), which I failed to photograph, and it presented eight pieces of tasty eel rolls with the added crunch and juiciness of the cucumber, with a savory barbecue-like sauce. It was aesthetically pleasing as well as pleasing to the palate.

Wow!! The Duck Fat Fried Chicken ($9), with a salad, was amazing. Each chicken chunk, which was on the bone, was crusted in a crunchy, delectable coating which will haunt your palate. And the chicken itself was succulent and flavorful, making for a killer combo with the coating. Duck fat certainly is a great way to fry many things, like French fries, and with this chicken, it elevated it to another level. If you go to the Slurping Turtle, you MUST get an order of this fried chicken as it is just so damn tasty. One of my favorite dishes from my time in Chicago.

The Pork Belly Bao ($4 each or 3 for $11) was a very good choice, with plenty of tender and flavorful pork belly. A fine snack with a glass of Sake or Japanese whiskey.

The restaurant serves a variety of Ramen dishes, such as Classic Tokyo Shoyu, Tan Tan Ramen, and Shoyu Tofu Mushroom, with plenty of choices for extra toppings. The Spicy Miso Tonkotsu ($15) is a spicy dish, made with chicken, buttered corn, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, woodear mushrooms, and scallions. It was delicious, with plenty of umami, buttery notes, tender chicken, and a beautiful depth of flavor. Everything you want in a ramen.

If I return to Chicago, I will certainly return to the Slurping Turtle. It impressed me in a number of ways, and that Duck Fat Fried Chicken will remain in my memory for many years to come. It earns my highest recommendation.

OISA Ramen: Tonkotsu, the Specialty of Fukuoka

"Ramen is not one thing; there are many, many different types."
--Chef David Chang

After an evening of enjoying some Irish whiskey, why not enjoy some Ramen as well? That was my logic last week, as I attended a special Ramen pop-up hosted by Chef Youji Iwakura of Snappy Ramen. The event was held at Snappy Sushi on Newbury Street and featured Moe Kuroki of OISA Ramen, a pop-up ramen shop. OISA Ramen, which has been around for over a year, holds one or two events a month, at various locations in the Boston area. I'd hadn't been to any of their previous ramen events and this sounded like an intriguing dinner.

At this event, there were four different seatings, each for 20 people, and each seating included three different items, including Edamame, an Eel Bun, and Tonkotsu Ramen. The first three seatings were $30 per person while the final seating, which I attended, was $35, but the Ramen was a little different, with hand-made noodles and extra pork. It was a fun and delicious evening, and a real pleasure to meet in person both Youji Iwakura and Moe Kuroki.

Chef Youji Iwakura (pictured above) prepared the first two items for our dinner, the Edamame and Eel Bun. Youji, who loves Sake, is personable and passionate, a skilled chef who has been dedicating much of his current labors to creating ramen.

That wonderful Eel Bun! This wasn't some small bun, barely filled with food. Instead, you got an Eel bun stuffed with Unagi, mixed greens, cucumber, tempura bits, and a couple sauces. Chef Iwakura originally made this dish about two years ago at Snappy Ramen in Davis Square when they still served sushi. A great way to start the meal, the bun was soft and fluffy and each bite was a delightful melange of flavors and textures, with meaty eel, crunchy tempura, and a savory sauce. Even if you are not a big fan of eel, this bun might change your mind.

A Ramen Bunny Ninja?

Moe Kuroki (pictured above) is serious about her ramen but she isn't a serious person, preferring to embrace fun and silliness. Just check out the OISA Ramen Facebook page and you'll get a sense of her infectious personality. She also is energetic and passionate, humble and talented. It isn't a surprise that she has a growing following in the Boston area, seeking out her ramen.

Moe grew up in the Fukuoka Prefecture of Japan, the home of Tonkostu Ramen, which is made from a pork-bone broth. In the Boston area, Moe had difficulty finding tonkostu ramen so decided to create her own, which entailed several years of trial and error, testing and experimenting. In November 2014, Moe and her husband, Mike Betts (a chef who once worked at Clio), started OISA Ramen, a series of pop-up ramen events.

I asked Moe a few questions about her process of making the ramen for this event, and her initial comments for both the noodles and soup were similar, "It is made with love." I would have to agree that it comes from her deep passion for ramen. Without such passion, it's doubtful she would invest as much time and effort in making her ramen as is necessary. Moe went into some details on the process, starting with the noodles.

First, as the noodles are hand-made, it's time intensive though she is getting more efficient with time. and practice. She uses a small, motorized pasta maker and notes that the dough is not soft and tender like pasta dough, having only just enough water to bind it together. In addition, she kneads the dough by hand, a laborious process. Moe also makes her own Kansui, an alkaline solution that affects the texture of the noodles. She knows it's working properly when her noodles suddenly turn a bright, light yellow color. She aims to make noodles that are thin enough to slurp but also have a proper texture with a crunchy chew.

As for the soup, it too is a lengthy process, starting wth preparing the pork bones, which must be boiled and clean to eliminate any impurities which might make the soup taste bitter. Then, the broth takes all day for simmering and skimming. Within the soup, there will be two different types of flavored oil, mayu (burnt garlic oil) and her own infusion oil, both oils made with lard and acting as the fat in her soup. The tare, the basic essence of the soup, is soy sauce based, and it is adjusted dependent on the saltiness of the toppings.

Her ultimate goal is to create a harmonious balance between the toppings, soup and noodles. She also notes that her soup is on the lighter side though that is due to the buttery pork belly, which has been cooked very slowly so that the fat renders out.

My verdict? A stellar bowl of Ramen. The plentiful pork belly melted in my mouth, like pork fat butter, and easily fell apart against the edge of the spoon. The broth was savory and complex, with an intense umami element, a salty edge and some heat from a peppery topping. The flavors were deep and balanced and it wasn't too salty in the least. It was like a bowl of liquid pig. The thin noodles had a nice bite to them, a good textural element. I could have devoured a second bowl of this compelling ramen, especially accompanied with an umami-rich Sake, like a Kimoto/Yamahai.

This was my first experience with OISA Ramen but it won't be the last. Moe's passion for ramen is more than evident in the quality of the finished product, a result of much time and hard work. I highly recommend you check out future OISA Ramen events. Chef Iawakura's culinary skills were also clearly evident in the Eel Bun and I need to get to Snappy Ramen in the near future to taste some of the ramen dishes that he has created, such as Tsukemen.

Kanpai!