Pants: Tell us a little bit about your background, and your recent move from Sake King to Ramen King:
George: I was born in Taiwan, raised in Tokyo (elementary school years), moved back to the states to a small town called Holmdel, NJ. I studied economics at Michigan State University, but after my last and final internship at Goldman Sachs ( I woke up) decided to pursue my true passion (food) and challenged myself in the Food and Beverage industry. I landed my first job as a National Sales rep for D’Artagan, where I was exposed to high-end specialty ingredients and got to know a ton of great chefs in the city. I worked for Harry Wils briefly and then ended up at New York Mutual Trading, where I became the Beverage Educator for the 85 year old Japanese Food and Beverage Importer and handled all alcohol distribution in the East Coast. After six years doing Japanese Sake, I missed working with Chefs so I looked around and an artisan noodle maker called Sun Noodle was looking for a National Sales Manager. The position felt right to me, and after discussing with my family, I left the Sake world to bring Ramen to the forefront of the American culinary scene.

Pants: Ramen- some people might just think “noodles” and not realize exactly how many varieties there are- can you give us the Ramen Cliffs Notes? We know there are hot and cold varieties, and different kinds of broth…
George: Below is a diagram i put together to highlight the five fundamental building blocks of a bowl of Ramen; so it is really the harmony of these 5 specific ingredients that make a single bowl shine. As far as noodles go, we work with just four ingredients: Water, salt, wheat flour and Kansui (which is sodium and potassium carbonate). Kansui is the single ingredient that makes “ramen noodles” Ramen noodles. Without it, you would get Udon or other forms of noodles from all over the world. With Kansui, we are able to achieve extremely strong gluten to form, which in turn gives you that nice toothsome feel. How do you know there is Kansui you ask? The natural alkaline like aroma is a dead giveaway. So with that said, from here, we source flour from all over the world and blend them together to form firm, brittle, chewy, bouncy, soft, wavy, straight noodles. We literally tailor-make noodles for our chefs to help highlight the uniqueness of each restaurant.

Pants: What are the characteristics of truly great ramen?
GK: Basically there’s harmony. You know you have something special in front of you when you can’t stop digging in and slurping away (by the way, slurping is polite. It shows the chef you mean business and want it bad). Your face is right in that bowl and you find yourself shoveling all that goodness in as fast as you can.

Pants: What are you favorite Ramen places in NYC and the world?
GK: It just so happens, my Corporate Executive Chef is none other than Chef Shigetoshi Nakamura. He is known in Japan as being the # 1 Ramen chef for many years and has recently moved to the states to work with Sun Noodle and spread the love of Ramen to the States. But if I were out and about, places like Chuko (in Brooklyn), Kambi, RaiRaiKen, and soon to pop-up Ivan Ramen and SakaMai on the Lower East Side.

Pants: New York has pockets of international cuisine all over the boroughs; Do you feel that more people are taking an interest in Ramen now than in the past?
Gk: Absolutely. And the number of Ramen Shops opening prove its not just a fad. We are looking at about 3 new Ramen shops opening each month he in NYC. More and more people are realizing the perfect meal can be packaged in one single bowl. Soup, starch, protein and vegetables, all working in harmony with each other.

Pants: Are there any other Asian specialities that you feel are ready for some time in in the NYC culinary spotlight?
GK: I say Japanese is and will be in the forefront for a while. It is just so dominant here in NYC, and I attribute it to two things: One, many of the noteworthy restaurants in the city are run by some of the best chefs in the world. The level of cooking done at even the line-cook position is relatively high and those talents are transeferable other professional kitchens doing other cuisines. I think the NYC foodie scene really took off in early to midd 2000′s, and precisely when sophisticated Japanese cooking took form in our city. Through decades of French kitchens paving the way for this sort of personnel infrastructure, the professional culinary scene was in a way established in NYC for the next big thing to happen. Spanish and Mediterranean cuisine had their moment but it is clear to say Japanese food is the dominating powerhouse in NYC and in many other of the big cities. Reason #2 why Japanese food is so dominant falls on the rather sophisticated palates of the residents patronizing the restaurants, giving them the ability to showcase their best. Japanese fine dining is extremely technical and also celebrates the quality of ingredients.

Check back later in the week for George’s thoughts on spice, hangovers, and Padma…

Kura is not trying to stay hidden, they want people to know about them, but the place is just really small. Reservations are a must. I first heard about Kura from a friend of mine who is good at finding hidden sushi gems, and her like-minded brother has since made Kura a weekly addiction. Wait- did I mention that the sushi omakase is only $65 per person? That is pretty much an affordable vice in the land of fancy sushi. And we were still not quite stuffed enough so we had an additional toro hand roll for $8 each. Mr Smiley Sushi Chef even let Sister finish rolling her own, with the cruncky crispy nori crackling with every touch. I am not going to say that this sushi is the best ever ever ever, but it is on par with a lot of the highly lauded sushi places in the city for sure. The pickled vegetable amuse and the miso soup were also both executed really well, tasty additions to our sushi courses. The intimacy of the space and the experience left us smiling into the night, but maybe it was just contagious from the love the chef puts into each piece. See below for pikchtassssss…..

Nice start with some Toro

Flounder

Shrimp and Scallop, so happy together

Such a looker and has good taste too!

Walk around tasting events are fun, but for serious ramen eating you need at least two instruments: chopsticks and a spoon; paired with the beer that you need to wash it down with, a walk around ramen tasting event would be impossible with just two arms to work with. The seated dinner format was perfect for this- however the detail that went into each course and the small number of staff meant that some tables were routinely served a long time before other tables, with the unfortunately seated left to drool as other guests hungrily inhaled their ramen. (yes, I am just a little bitter because our table was served last EVERY freaking time). We later found out that the event space didn’t even have a proper kitchen, and that the ramen was made with portable burners. Each pot was only four quarts, as opposed to the 50 quart pots that they chefs are used to working with. The fact that every strand of ramen was cooked perfectly and that the flavors were ideally saturated says volumes about the skills of the chefs involved. The food was worth waiting for, every dish served in an ample portion (no joke, I am still full) and at a perfect temperature. Below, a breakdown of what we ate; I would definitely seek out these dishes again if possible, and I am ready to be lured into the ramen underbelly of NYC, if anyone wants to be my Slurp Spirit Guide.

Also: my only selfish suggestion- next year put some containers on the table- I didn’t finish my fourth course and would have loved to have taken it home…pleaseeeeee

Course one, Yuji Ramen, Chef Yuji Haraguchi, “Snow Crab”
This was the only cold dish. The noodles were almost like a soba because they were buckwheat, but the crab and whatever crunch was added gave some interesting textural elements. This was probably my least favorite, but still a delicious starter.

Course two, Ramen Lab

Course two, Ramen Lab, Chef Shigetoshi Nakamura, Sukiyaki Ramen
This was the shit. Noodles, broth, beef, and a truffle foie gras dipping sauce. This dish was so delicious and bursting with layers of flavor that it blew our mind. I was so mad that I had extra foie gras sauce left at the end, I debated drinking it straight, but settled on another Asahi. This was a great example of perfect classic ramen technique (I think) paired with the unexpected twist of the dipping sauce.

Course three, Team Chuko, Jamison, James and Dave, Kimchi Ramen 2.0
This broth was the red of kim chi fire, and it was a spicy, salty, slurpy, swiney bowl of kick to the face goodness. The spice was bold but in the way that makes you want to keep eating, and every bite was a new combination of kim chi, noodles and pork bits. I exhibited my typical total lack of self control and ate the whole freaking thing. Neighbors were losing steam or saving room for the last course at this point, but I coulnd’t stop eating this dish. (First picture is how it was served, second picture is what happened when we mixed it and got into it).

Course four, Ivan Ramen, Chef Ivan Orkin, Triple Garlic/Pork Tonkotsu Mazeman:
Can it get any better? The pork in this dish reminded me of bacon bits, and with the (brothless) noodles, it was a decadent, complex treat. There was also a huge hunk of pork belly on the plate. I was full to the point of absolute discomfort, and if it had not been 11pm I would have taken a breather and dove back in 20 minutes later. Sister soldiered on, and is still in awe of this dish. Chef Ivan is opening in NYC this summer or fall, and no matter what long lines or reservation gimmicks may be thrown at us, we will be there.

Course 4, Chef Ivan Orkin, we surrender

Serafina is straight-forward Italian food with a little bit of flash. Nothing is extremely new or ground breaking, but the dishes are executed well and of great quality. The large Euro contingent should also attest to this; they know their al dente from the agnolotti, and wouldn’t spend so much time at Serafina if it weren’t the real deal.  My favorite way to Serafina is for a boozy lunch with a couple of girlfriends, an alternative to another lunch at  Fred’s.  The location on 61st is sometimes overrun with children and strollers, especially in the open back back room, so don’t sit there because it will take you from Sex and the City to abstinence quicker than you can say “agnolotti”.  The newly opened Meatpacking joint is really packing in the meat- Euro DJ’s start around happy hour most nights and the Kardashian wannabes in last season’s Leger start to roll in for dinner at 10pm.  If you are not eating with your promoter, you might want to go on the earlier side or opt for lunch. There is also a bit of a cougar den at bar, MEOW….

My plan is: everyone gets a salad, and some carbs to share for the table.  My favorite salads are the Porto Cervo, the Caesar ( also called the Di Sofia- there is a sometthing Di Sofia in every menu category, and they are all different) and the Serafina chicken salad.  Pastas I love include the classic spaghetti pomodoro, penne vodka and the Al Pacino (Oglio Alio). They also make an amazing chicken milanese. The also offer a great chicken paillard and simply grilled salmon for the health conscious. Now- all of the pizzas are wood-fired perfection, with a fresh tomato sauce and just enough cheese, but my truly favorite indulgence is the foccacia Di Sofia (no, I am not joking, I told you there is a lot of Di Sofias on the menu). The hot, gooey, rich foccacia sandwich melts in your mouth in a blissful combo of cheese and truffle. It is truly delicious and easy to share.

Moral of this story: Serafina is pretty much a no-brainer for a good meal, any time of day and any part of town. If like some “ciao” with your “chow”, this is your spot…

Note: the 61st street location just moved next door, so the baby room is no longer an issue…

3p's- Pancetta, smoked pancetta and parmigiano

http://www.esquire.com/features/guy-food/spaghetti-carbonara-recipe-ll-1107

In these times of casual cooking and anything goes restaurants, we must still remember our manners. Dining at NYC restaurants, no matter how regularly, is a treat that should not be taken for granted, and you should always respect your fellow diners and not act like you are in your living room or college dorm. The people next to you might have saved for a while to enjoy this meal, or may be celebrating something special; they don’t want to see your leg while they are enjoying their $15 lettuce salads. Even when we must undo a button, we are discreet about it, and never lay limbs akimbo in our chairs with our hands relieving the pressure of our waistbands; I am sure everyone respects our restraint. After a few cocktails, it tends to all bets are off, and we are not above swearing to our dining companions or telling dirty jokes to our family at Babbo, but we are never outwardly gross in a way that would upset anyone not at our table. For the sake of sanity ( and keeping things sanitary), don’t pick your teeth at the table with a business card, don’t put your lipstick on looking in a knife, don’t let your dog drink out of your water glass, don’t spend your whole meal shouting into your cell-phone, don’t pick at anything on your body, don’t take your shoes off, even if you need lube to remove your Loubs and don’t forget to thank your servers, because without them you would be dining at home, and god knows what kind of behaviors go on there.

Han Joo is pretty sparse inside, clean and minmalist and really no vibe; you definitely want to sit in the front room. There is no pervasive stink of cooked food, helped in part by the air circulation things above every table. The menu is large and there are many possible ways to strategize- you could do a bunch of plates to share, and get to sample more Korean dishes, like bimibop and bulgogi; you could try a couple of bbq dishes, etc. We decided to have two starters, and then the Pork Belly For Two. I have recently discovered that I love chinese rice cakes (best ones ever are at Momofuku noodle bar), and Han Joo served a great version, in a deep spicy sauce and some veggies. The scallion pancakes were kind of mushy but I found myself picking at them. With the bbq, you get an assortment of spicy little salads and crunchy veggie plates, lettuce and radish wraps, sauces and spices. The woman who worked our grill was on point; she timed our pork pieces perfectly and told us when we could eat each one. There are three or four different kinds of pork belly, progressing from the thinnest to the thickest, some with marinades. She also grilled some kimchi for us. The grill melts off some of the pork belly fat ( I mean we basically had bacon for dinner, so anything helps) and the lettuce is a nice crisp vessel for all that rich meat. I just made a mess and poured on sauces and spices however I felt like it, but I could not stop eating it no matter what, it was that good. It was a treat to have so many different preparations of one kind of meat, and it allowed us to really explore its flavor. I love all the pickly veggies and want to go back get into a spicy soup situation.

Normal people could spend $45 on the pork for two, and a few more bucks for some refreshing KB’s (its sake and beer only, and the cold beer really helps with all of the spice) and have a satisfying meal. The young hostess first said she was surprised at how we were able to put the food down, and then asked if we worked in fashion because she liked our outfits…about sums us up pretty well.

Listen everyone- you eat what you want, and let me eat what I want. I slightly judge vegans because I just feel bad for all of the amazing things they are missing, and I think that same foodies might think the same of some of my food choices. I love food and I love different cuisines and preparations, but at the end of the day I just can’t get down with eating a plate of beef tartare or sucking down a whole order of bone marrow. I am happy to try these things if someone else orders them, but they will never be my first choice. Sorry. I just needed to get that out of the way and let it be known that I did not try to signature dish at The Marrow. If that means that I did not have the full experience, so be it, but…I know you are but what am I?
Background, if you need it: The Marrow is the third place from the first Top Chef Winner, Harold Dieterle. It is in the space that formerly housed Paris Commune, a long lost palace of brunch. My friend and I went to the Marrow at 6:15, because that was the only time we could get in and we were dying to try it. The staff was really friendly, even humored my request to switch tables (let’s be clear we had our pick at 6:15) and they were helpful in assiting us with the menu. The space is slightly awkward as it wraps around a corner, and although there are big windows part of it seemed a little dark. This meaty, filling, slightly dark destination was a bit of a weird choice for the first day after “springing ahead”, but I imagine it would be cozy and charming on a cold winter night. The wine list is a mix of German and Italian wines, and I was so happy with my Gruner that I had several glasses of it.
Again, this menu is a little tough, but there are enough choices that everyone should be able to find something they are satisfied with; still, this place is not date endorsed unless you are comfortable with each other. There are some other dishes that I am excited about returning to try (Duck Shnitzel I am talking to you). The specials also sounded interesting- a light fluke crudo, mozzarella for two, and a stick to your ribs short rib dish with a mushroom and red wine sauce that seemed better suited to a nasty day. We got the bacon wrapped dates that were stuffed with blue cheese and served with saba (red wine reduction). These were heavenly and decadent, with the bacon adding some texture and salt with the gooey blue cheese (which I could have used more of) and the saba added some sweetness to compliment the dates and contrast with the other flavors. Not an entirely unique dish, but tasy. We each had two and that was enough, any more would have been too much. I got the pork dish which was wrapped in speck and served with canneloni beans, red peppers, hot peppers and some bacon; the flavor kind of reminded me of my favorite pork chop at Babbo, but I had some issue with the texture of the pork itself. Apparently this cut is from the neck, but I couldn’t get a lot of clean, soft bites for some reason. My friend’s salmon was perfectly cooked and layered with lots of flavors and textures, and no you can not judge anyone for getting fish at this place.
That’s it. We passed on dessert because one of us has a Lanvin dress to fit into shortly and the other one is losing baby-weight, and it also gives us a reason to go a back.

Walking into Hanjan is like walking into a casual and hip neighborhood spot, where you’d like everybody to know your name. The restaurant is completely packed from the beginning of dinner service until late into the night, and there’s a large bar in front that’s perfectly nice to sit at should you be dining solo. Given the Chelsea address, it is also a great spot to keep in mind should you be coming from MSG or or the Theater District because it’s open late and very friendly to walk-ins. In fact, they only accept reservations for about a quarter of the tables, and there aren’t too many!

The entire staff, including the Gatekeeper Ali, is incredibly friendly, and also extremely helpful when trying to decide what to get – a trust me, after seeing you menu, you will realize you have some tough decisions to make! Now, one thing you should also know about Hanjan ahead of time is that at 10PM, they begin to serve their 12-hour Korean Ramyun. I know, this sounds late to first start slurping noodles, but trust me – it’s worth it; and if you plan accordingly, this bowl of amazingness could also serve as dessert.

After putting our name down at 7:50, we were seated around 8:25, which made the ramen plan a little dicey… therefore, we ordered a full meal figuring it was just a little too early to hang around for the prize. We started out with the wild salmon sashimi salad, served with greens, which totally exceeded our expectations. At first we weren’t sold on sashimi on such a cold night, but this isn’t your ordinary sashimi – it packed enough heat to put this raw fish on a totally new level.

Next came the Pork Fat ‘Ddukbokki,’ and I have to say these spicy and petite (ahem) rice cakes gave our favorite rice cakes at Momofuku Noodle Bar a run for the money. Following this came the Radish Kimchi and Brisket Fried Rice, a dish with the perfect balance of spice, protein, and creaminess from a fried egg on top. The BBQ Galbi Skewers landed next, which came with a lettuce wrap and some accouchements, but honestly unmemorable. On the other hand, the Gwangju Market Fried Chicken, served with picked jalapeños and another crispy vegetable, picked things back up with a spicy/salty seasoning that could only compliment an already yummy dish.

The food came out at a good pace, but the environment at Hanjan makes you want to stay and hang out a little longer, get another carafe of sake (OK, maybe just me), and perhaps digest a bit to make room for the unthinkable… totally stuffed, we glanced at our watches and saw that it was 9:40…12-hour ramyun! We were going for the gold, and at 10:05, the Eagle landed in front of us, and I don’t think I spoke a word for another 6 minutes when the spicy contents of the bowl had totally vanished. While it’s not Ippudo (nor is it trying to be), I don’t think there are many other bowls of ramen in NYC that can compete with Hanjan’s hot (in temp and taste) ramyun, but since people are so freaking picky these days, I’m sure someone will tell me otherwise!

Get to Hanjan before it’s utterly impossible – and better yet, get there on the later side so you can leave as happy as we did!

Gwangju Fried Chicken

Hanjan 12-Hour Korean Ramyun