The Ramen of Baltimore (Mi & Yu)

For four years, I called Baltimore my temporary home as a college student, and yet I missed out on the vast majority of food opportunities waiting to be explore in Charm City (a case study of poor college student syndrome).  Lucky for me, I currently live and work in what is considered the same metropolitan region.  Since I was up in Baltimore for the day, here was an opportunity to try out Mi & Yu Noodle Bar, a hip little noodle joint in downtown.

The concept at Mi & Yu is versatility in Asian noodle soups.  They offer several different broths, several different protein toppings, and three different types of noodles (ramen, udon, pho) ready for the customer to mix and match.  It was easy to tell that they want to create a sense of endless experimentation and several return trips for the customer, and I knew going in what I was getting into.  Presented with all the options they offer, I ordered the miso ramen with roast duck and barbecue pork belly, pictured below.

Here is what they did really well:

1. The duck was prepared correctly.  Duck is a gamy meat, and I think too many restaurants view that as an undesirable trait to be feared.  These restaurants where I tried the duck went to such excruciating lengths to mask or remove the natural flavors that the final product tasted more like over-salted protein out of a 3D printer than like duck.  Then, asking you to turn the other cheek after they slapped you once, these restaurants proceed to charge you an exorbitant amount for their excruciating efforts to make your duck not taste like duck.  Mi & Yu treated the gaminess of duck as a flavor advantage as they should, and the duck rewarded them for it.
2. The barbecue pork belly stole the show.  Spiced, braised, and then grilled with a sweet glaze, the pork belly was easily the highlight of the bowl.  If not for each bite causing the sweet, long-cooked fat to melt on the tongue, the bowl of ramen would have been severely underwhelming.

And here were the unimpressive parts:

1. The soft-boiled egg was overcooked and not marinated.  While they may have been trying to differentiate their art from the typical Japanese seasoned egg (味付け玉子) offered with ramen, I was not sold on the idea.
2. The noodles came out of a ramen packet.  Watching Shokugeki no Soma has made me amenable to the idea that, with enough finesse and tender love and care, low-grade or cheap ingredients can be turned into a refined, delicious meal.  But if your cheapest bowl of ramen is over $10 (their cheapest is $12.75 before tax), the noodles cannot come out of a packet that I could buy from the store.

My overall verdict: Worth a try because of its novelty in Baltimore, Mi & Yu is great if you are confined to Baltimore City for your ramen needs.  If you are not confined to Baltimore City, then their ramen leaves too much to be desired.  Their meat toppings are top notch, but unless they step up their Asian noodle soup game, I don't think their identity as a "noodle bar" really makes sense.

The Pacific Northwest, a Tale of Food Porn

At the end of July, I had an amazing opportunity to visit, for the very first time, the Pacific Northwest region of North America with my family.  I hopped through two states and a province of Canada, hitting up

• Seattle, WA;
• Juneau, AK;
• Skagway, AK;
• Ketchikan, AK;
• Victoria, BC;
• Vancouver, BC; and
• Richmond, BC.

I saw live bald eagles (aMURRca!), wild king salmon measuring two feet long, and active glaciers, the majesty of which cannot be conveyed by diagrams in classroom textbooks.  I crossed over a gorge in a wooden plank bridge that swayed and rocked dreadfully with every brush of wind and footsteps.  I got to explore an old growth redwood forest top-down, by walking along wood plank bridges connecting tree houses built high above the forest floor.  I learned that much of the Pacific Northwest region of North America is actually classified as rainforest of the temperate variety.  Imagine that!

And I had a lot of good food.  In this post, I think I have managed to boil down two weeks of delicious food into the key highlights, organized by food types and section links for easier consumption.  Photos also have hover captions if no other descriptions are available.  Please enjoy!

1. Live Seafood
2. Dining Like Royalty
3. Sweet Persuasions
4. Best Brunch in Vancouver
5. Vancouver Japanese Food
6. Summary and Food Map

Live Seafood

I had very high expectations for seafood from the Pacific Northwest, affectionately named the PNW, so I am told.  And the PNW granted me every wish I made.  There were cheap oysters at Seattle's Pike Place Market, Alaskan King Salmon sashimi in the salmon capitol of the world, and fresh caught king crab and lobster off the shores of Vancouver.

The night before we boarded the Alaskan cruise ship, my family decided to buy some live clams to make a seafood ramen dinner.  The light broth was brought together with clams, two plum tomatoes, four fresh shiitake, eight green onion stalks, and some dashi to taste.  It was much lighter fare than the heavy ramen meals I prefer, complete with deep, rich broths that have been cooking for days.  But the playful tease of flavors combined from fruits of the harvest and fruits of the sea suited the rest of my family very well.  Unfortunately, all we had for serving were cereal bowls.

Dining Like Royalty

Haute cuisine applies specifically to high dining establishments in the French tradition, but imagine French and Chinese food pretending like it was prepared for nobility.  This is some of what I was fortunate enough to sample on this trip.

Below is a "creation of the day" by the French chef aboard the Alaskan cruise.  Four samplings of meats, potatoes, squashes, and mushrooms were each diced, prepared in unique enhancing sauces, and presented delightfully in crispy wafer cones.

When a president or monarch visits China, the Chinese head of state lavishly wines and dines his influential visitors in a guesthouse called Fisherman's Terrace (钓鱼台), a place with historical significance dating back nearly one thousand years.  Because the food served here is intended to represent the pinnacle of modern Chinese cuisine, you might imagine that it is pretty ballsy, even on the other side of the world, to name your restaurant after the Chinese state guesthouse.  That is exactly what this restaurant, located in affluent Aberdeen Center, has done.  And while I have never been honored by a Chinese dictator so that I can compare one establishment to its copycat, I can say that Fisherman's Terrace in Vancouver is very top notch.  Here is their five course lobster dinner set for four, including Seafood Soup with Bird's Nest (a gourmet Chinese delicacy), Lobster Platter, Crispy Halibut, Scallops and Abalone (another Chinese delicacy), and Garlic Snow Pea Tips (a well-sought after vegetable).  The house dessert consisting of Sweet Red Bean Porridge and Almond Cookie Biscuits is not pictured.

On this trip, I also tried risotto for the first time.  It was tastefully presented in the fashion of fine cuisine, but the flavor carried none of the herbal character I would think to find in even a mediocre Italian dish.  It left me wondering if risotto is just not my thing or if the Italian chef on board was hired straight out of Olive Garden.

Sweet Persuasions

I have written before about how Chinese adults from my parents' generation often have an anti-sweet tooth.  Added sugar, to them, is like the plague  Having grown up American, I look upon sweets with far fewer inhibitions.  Can you imagine what it is like on an Alaskan cruise line tailored for Americans?  The breadth and depth of the dessert spread rivaled that of every other food item on the ship combined, although many of the desserts were rather forgettable.  Here are new and/or delectable sweets I encountered on my trip through Seattle, Alaska, and Vancouver.

Beard Papa, a Japanese cream puff bakery that I have been wanting to try.  Pictured here is a matcha cream puff.

A chocolate parfait consisting of fresh fruit slices resting on a bed of fluffy chocolate pudding held in a little bowl made of thin dark chocolate.

Banana, blueberry, raspberry, blackberry crepe with chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream on top.

I got to try three new fruits this trip, and I learned why we really do not bother to eat two of them here in America.  Pictured below are finger grapes (left), figs (upper right), and passion fruit (lower right).

I am always learning new things about food, and on this trip, I learned I was very mistaken about the delicious Chinese baked good called Wife Cake (老婆饼).  I always thought the sweet paste in the center was made purely of sugar, but that is not true!  It is actually a winter melon paste.  This is a chewy, flaky, sweet treat originating in Canton, China.  Arguably, the best cakes are made by Hong-Kongnese producer Maxim's (美心), and there are many Taiwanese producers that make delectable wife cakes for cheaper prices.  From personal experience, avoid at all costs the wife cakes made by mainland Chinese companies (you get what you pay for).

Being in Canada, I did find it necessary to order a donut from Tim Hortons.  Check that one off the bucket list.

Best Brunch in Vancouver

Consistently rated the best dim sum joint in Vancouver, Kirin (麒麟) Seafood Restaurant easily meets those expectations.  They also price like they know they are the best.  Their cheapest dim sum platters are nearly $6, which is double those of most other dim sum restaurants.  But know that every dollar you fork over at this establishment is a dollar well spent.  After all, even a $6 dim sum platter is cheaper than your run-of-the-mill mediocre plate of tapas, to say nothing of really good tapas.  Here are some of my favorite dim sum dishes as imagined and prepared by Kirin.

Vancouver Japanese Food

Vancouver's Japanese food scene is as rewarding as its Chinese food scene, although I did not find as much presence from Japanese folks as I did from the Chinese folks in the area (numbering nearly 40% of the metropolitan population, I am told).  Many of my Japanese meals did not get photographed for various reasons, so I will provide a Vancouver food map at the end of this post, and provide notable feedback in this section.

During my stay, I enjoyed an alarmingly mouth-watering bowl of ramen at Ramen Jinya; two platters of Japanese curry at Clubhouse Japanese Restaurant and Zac Zac; one beef donburi at Gyudonya; and some very succulent karaage.

Most notable of all was the bowl of Jinya Tonkotsu Black for $12.95 at Ramen Jinya.  I alluded above that I like my broths so deep and rich, the flavors would seem to seep into your tongue as if it were a sponge.  This ramen broth, tasting like they actually stewed a pig carcass for days, blew me away.  When I ordered it, I regretted not including any extra toppings; but by the end of it, I had forgotten entirely about the toppings.  All I needed or wanted was more of that pork broth infused with black sesame.  Pictured below is their downtown Vancouver menu with the Tonkotsu Black featured front and center.  Apparently, they have branches throughout the West Coast, Texas, and Chicago.

On my last evening in Vancouver, I was really craving Japanese curry.  So I found Zac Zac, a fast-food curry joint tucked away inside the food court at the H-Mart near the entertainment district.  I found the curry to be much thinner than I would expect and a lot less spicy than I would like, but the other flavors were done well.  I ordered a spicy beef curry thinking they would take the heat up a notch, but they only added a few jalapeno slices, which can be hit or miss on the spiciness scale.  These pepper slices were mostly misses.

Summary and Map

And that was mostly it!  I enjoyed a bowl of pho one night at one of Vancouver's better rated restaurants, but it did not really measure up to Pho 75 in the DC Metropolitan area, and it fell far short of the amazing bowl of pho I had years ago in Toronto.  I was also tempted to try poutine until I learned that it was (or seemed like), for all intents and purposes, cheesy fries.  And honeslty, I prefer my terribly greasy, heart-attack flavored, obesity epidemic inducing cheesy fries "Made in USA."  The map below shows my notable food excursions in Vancouver.

Youkoso Daikaya!

Painted in large characters on a ceiling panel near the back wall, the title of this piece is borrowed from just one of many aesthetics that adorn the small interior space of Daikaya.  The phrase is a warm welcome to all guests who come in to slurp up some heartwarming Sapporo style ramen.  Pictured below is their mugi-miso bowl with an extra sheet of (wakame) seaweed and three chunks of special-of-the-day pork belly.

Daikaya is, at the moment, my favorite ramen joint in the metropolitan DC area for three reasons (in no particular order).

1. Distance - they are the closest to my home in Northern Virginia.
2. Broth - each of their five broths, including a vegetarian variety, offer deep flavors and full bodies.  While all their broths are put together in Sapporo style, each broth is distinct in inspiration and flavor, almost as if they were five brothers and sisters from the same family.  For me, that means five trips to Daikaya is the bare minimum.
3. Noodles - their noodles have the best consistency that I have tasted in this area.  They are just springy enough without being hard, and they easily pick up the flavor of the broth as you slurp.

In the last two weeks, I have managed to visit Daikaya twice, which is a much higher visit count than normal for me.  Since I have known about Daikaya for almost two years now (probably) and have not yet written about it on my blog, what better time than now?  The second bowl shown below is their spicy miso bowl with a soft-boiled egg, an extra sheet of wakame (seaweed), and extra char siu (slices of Japanese-style roast pork) buried in the broth.

On one of these trips, I also got to sit at the bar and watch the chefs ply their trade.

18 Reasons Why I Adore My Cultural Cuisine

On this blog nearly nine months ago, I set out to document adventures with, thoughts on, and experiences in food.  I put up quite a few posts in the initial months before trailing off.  Here are some of the things in the last seven to eight months that never quite made it to the blog, though I think they are still worthy of mentioning.  If you have some affinity for Chinese food and are in need of stimulating your appetite, this is for you.  Enjoy!

Creative steamed bread (馒头) my mother made.

My mother's steamed bread is usually pretty tasty, and with these she decided to up the game by making cute designs.  There are little piggies, daisy flower designs, rose flower designs, fun swirls, and other appetizing breads.

  

Homemade Lamb Dumplings!

Back when I went on a weekly dumpling-making craze, I tried a lamb filling one week, and it was a huge success.  Looking as I may need to go back on a dumpling-making craze soon due to financial reasons, I am really looking forward to more experiments.

Autumn Stir-Fry Medley

A colorful autumn stir-fry medley I made a few months ago that included lamb, zucchini, red bell peppers, orange bell peppers, and onions.  In this photo, it had been refrigerated overnight and reheated in a microwave so some of the color has degraded, but it was still tasty!

Siopao From Southeast Asia

A while back, I got together with friends for drinks, merriment, and making siopao.  Siopao, a named derived from Hokkien, was a new experience for me because it is a Southeast Asian take on the very prevalent Asian steamed bun.  We made it together from scratch: dough, filling, and all, even starting from a slab of pork shoulder instead of ground pork!  Pretty proud to have been part of the tasty end product.

Longan (龙眼) or Dragon Eyes, One of my Favorite Fruits

In America, fruit triples as a refreshing snack, a great source of sugary drinks, and a moniker used in juvenile shaming rituals.  In China, people name their fruits after the eyes of dragons.

Asian Eggplant Pork Stir-fry

Eggplants are one of the most versatile vegetables out there, to say nothing specific of the long Asian variety.  Here, I made a simple stir-fry with ground pork, ginger, green onions, and a little cooking wine.

Mai Style Homemade Ramen

My friend Mai made some ramen noodles from scratch and put it together in a bowl of well-prepared vegetables, soup stock, and beef stewed overnight.  The flavor was top notch, and my only complaint was that the noodles were cooked longer than preferred, which we discussed over dinner.

Pho Sate

Yes, another Asian noodle soup, this time from the Southeast.  I ventured to Pho Sate based on a friend's recommendation for their sauce, and the sauce did not disappoint.  The soup was flavorful although the cuts of meat were lacking in comparison to my favorite NOVA/DC joint, Pho 75.

Salmon Steak with Snow Peas Dinner

One of the simple preparations my mother taught me when I was first learning to make food without burning down a building was baked salmon steak.  Here, the salmon has been marinated with honey, ginger powder, coriander, paprika, old bay, dried parsley flakes, and a touch of Montreal steak seasoning.  The snow peas are simply stir-fried with garlic and a light sprinkling of salt.

Steamed Pork Belly Rice Cake (粉蒸肉)

This was a neat salivation-inducing cake the neighbors brought over for Thanksgiving dinner at my parents' home.  It is a cake made from rice and pork belly marinated overnight in a special sauce and then steamed in its cake form with carrots, mangoes, and a few spices.  I may have to try making it in the future!

Hearty Steamed Bread (馒头) To Go

This is a special steamed bread my mom experimented with over Christmas and New Years where she combined wheat germ, almond meal, cashew meal, corn meal, and ground chestnut into the dough, making for an extremely hearty bread bun that I would totally carry with me on a hiking trip.  This beats trail mix or granola bars any day in my book.

Miso-Glazed Eggplant Round 145

This is actually a returning guest from a past dish I tried to make, matcha infused rice with miso-glazed eggplants, inspired by Blue Apron.  By the elongated shape, you can tell these are Asian eggplants, and they are so good that I have made these again and again on nights when I am in need of an easy dinner.

Fresh Shiitake Mushrooms

This is not a dish in itself; rather it is clearly a raw ingredient.  But I wanted to include these because of my boundless love for mushrooms.  There are so many different mushrooms and fungi that have found their way into cultural cuisines all over the world, and it makes me happy to know that there is a whole world to be explored in food based on fungi.  One of my favorites so far is wild mushroom hotpot from Yunnan province in China.

Taiwanese Shortcakes

The world of Asian snacks is also a vast world with many hidden gems as well as many duds.  One of those gems lacking a proper English name better than "shortcake" probably originated in Taiwan.  The most common variety are made from a pineapple paste, but as you can see below, there are also cakes with melon-flavored paste, mango-flavored paste, and green-tea flavored paste.  So much goodness.

Siam Cafe in Downtown Cleveland

While visiting my parents recently, my mother took us out to Siam Cafe, which is an old favorite of mine in the Cleveland area.  One of the cool things about there not being as many Chinese folks or authentic Chinese restaurants in the Midwest is that the Chinese communities are a little more close-knit.  Case in point: I found out my mother is a friend of the manager/owner of this place, in addition to the other Chinese restaurant owners with whom I know she is friends.  Pictured below is lobster, hot iron beef, and a tofu-vegetable medley, Chinese style.  Not pictured: we also ordered frog that day.

Homemade Lamb and Tomato Sauce with Rice

I was feeling lazy recently and decided to make a home-made meat sauce with ground lamb, tomatoes, and green onions.  Below is the end result served with rice in the style of a Japanese curry.

Chinese Home Fried Rice

Every Asian culture and every household has their own preparation of fried rice.  I made the one pictured below in a large batch when I found myself needing to feed one of my brothers who visited me for a few days.  This rice contains bits of scrambled egg, beef, zucchini, carrot, and green onions.

Chinese Soup Mochi

I have no idea where mochi originally came from, but to my knowledge, all three Northeastern Asian cultures (Korea, Japan, China) have their own version of it.  A traditional Chinese preparation for mochi is to cook it in scented water or sweet rice wine as a light, palate-cleansing, soothing dessert.  When using scented water, I have typically had mochi in ginger water, so it was a pleasant new experience for me when my mother brought back sweet osmanthus (桂花) flowers from China for scenting the water.

 

If you read through all of that, I hope you enjoyed it and are now one-step closer to ravenous desire for some amazing Chinese food!