Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

Restaurant Review

16 Oct 2011

Hakata Ramen Shin Sen Gumi – Los Angeles (Downtown)

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Shin Sen Gumi opened a branch of their popular Hakata ramen shop in Little Tokyo while I was holidaying in Vietnam. I had heard rumblings from fellow ramen-goers that the noodles here were comparable to Daikokuya without the hour-long wait, so I rushed over just as soon as the jet lag wore off to taste them for myself.

This is the Shin Sen Gumi Group’s fourth Hakata ramen outlet in Los Angeles. The other three locations are in Gardena, Rosemead, and Fountain Valley.

Shin Sen Gumi specializes in Hakata-style ramen from northwestern Kyushu. This type of ramen is characterized by a thick, pork bone-based soup (tonkotsu) paired with thin, straight noodles. The restaurant simmers Berkshire pork bones for fifteen hours to achieve a rich and luscious broth.

At Shin Sen Gumi, ramen is served in accordance to diners’ preferences. From the doneness of the noodles to the thickness and richness of the soup, my dining companions and I were able to specify exactly how we liked our bowls.

My cousin Phil and I chose “hard” noodles, “normal” oil, and a “strong” soup base, while The Astronomer went for “normal” across the board.

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Street Food

13 Oct 2011

District 4, Saigon: Our Home Away From Home

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The Astronomer and I began our third day in Saigon across the river in District 4, a densely packed island we called home for the better part of a year. In the three years since we’ve been gone, the old neighborhood has undergone quite a makeover. While the river is still as murky as ever, dirt roads have been transformed into sturdy bridges and run-down shacks have given way to shiny highrises. The lay of the land was so unfamiliar that The Astronomer had trouble navigating the streets at several turns. Rapid development can be mighty disorienting.

Fortunately, the vibrant street food scene hasn’t changed one bit. After stopping to pick up some xoi gac from my my favorite sticky rice vendor on Ton That Thuyet Street (pictured above), we searched the district for more good eats.

The smell of grilled seasoned beef wrapped in betel leaves brought our motorbike to a rapid halt. Even though we had just eaten bo la lot a few meals ago, it was too tempting to pass up.

The Astronomer’s bowl of bun bo la lot was piled high with herbs and sprouts tucked underneath a tangle of cool vermicelli noodles, peanuts, pickled carrots and daikon, and a swipe of crushed fresh chilies. Everything was evenly dressed with fish sauce. The best bites included a pinky-sized bo la lot nugget.

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Restaurant Review

10 Oct 2011

Saigon Dinner Crawl: Squeaky Meatballs, Sesame Sludge, Spicy Duck Tongues, and More

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The Astronomer and I met up with our friends Chris and Ann for a belly-busting food crawl on our second night in Saigon. We kicked things off in familiar fashion with steaming bowls of noodle soup, but soon moved on to novel delicacies including spicy duck tongues and goopy hard-boiled eggs.

As much as I love revisiting my old haunts in this city, it was a welcome change of pace to be introduced to new grubbin’ spots. It’s an endless feast up in here.

After meeting at our hotel, the four of us headed to an alleyway nearby for the first of three courses. Chris is a huge fan of the bo vien (beef meatballs) served at Truong Thanh and insisted that we begin the crawl there.

The food served at Truong Thanh is prepared outdoors on a cart, while patrons are seated in a sparse and well-lit dining room two paces away. Chris and Ann took the lead and placed the orders. The Astronomer and I kicked back and relaxed.

The restaurant’s signature dish is a simple and satisfying combination of mi (Chinese egg noodles) or hu tieu (wide rice noodles) with meatballs, bean sprouts, basil, and saw-tooth herb. The broth is the same for both types of noodles, porky and mild.

The highlights of the bowl were the squeaky meatballs. Eaten on their own I found them to be quite plain, but dipped in the sate oil, chili sauce, and hoisin sauce served alongside, the flavors popped just a little more.

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