Santoka ramen

Santoka ramen is a small ramen place in Mitsuwa market place in NJ.

i barely ever go to mitsuwa, but when i do, i make it a point to eat here :)

their shioramen is so good!! 

toroniku shio ramen(special pork shio ramen)

the YES of NJ!

Arirang

i'm continuously impressed with arirang!

went on a cold spring day, feeling chilly and all that, so we had pork spicy hot pot!

comes with a mountain of veggies...

then they add a pasta-ish thing. 

in the end they drain the hotpot portion and cook fried rice-ish thing!! 

yumyumyum love the part that gets stuck and crunchy on the bottom of the pan.

more NA beer...

ive still managed to find more NA beer! this one from keyfoods, right next to my apt.

since I keep buying 6 packs, my collection keeps growing....

need to drink and catch up :)

NA Beer

I've recently dipped my toes in the new sphere of soberness....hence the sudden interest in non-alcoholic beer!  OK, its not like I wanted to, honestly, but the hay fever this year is ridiculous! had to take Allegra, which helps me from crying and sneezing all the time, but by taking a dose of that, I have to stop drinking cus  it really doesnt mix well with alcohol....

Thank god i have a friend who's been in "non alcohol" world for years to guide me, otherwise I'd never have imagined theres so many NA beers that existed!  

and it's surprisingly good!!

I know, I used to think "who am i kidding, just the taste of beer and non of the side effects?" but it's actually satisfying I have to say.

Below, I note the basic four that my friend has told me to look out for...

(seen all over town, but got in neighbor deli)

(from LES deli)

(from Brooklyn beer spot)

(found in 1st Ave Wholefoods Beer section)

i dont think id enjoy soberness as much if it wasnt for these goodies.

I hear theres a lot of NA beers with no calories in Japan...wish that was a trend that'd catch up soon in NY!!!

Broccolini

I bought Broccolini for the first time, not knowing how it's supposed to be cooked, I thought I'd try doing something simple with it, and sauteed it in olive oil with sliced garlic, salt&peppered and splashed a dash of lemon to finish.

It worked well!  I think it can be a great side dish/added to a stir fry of anything since it tastes like chinese broccoli.

another sick day...

I am out sick again! I hate doing "stay home and do nothing" stuff, so naturally, I end up cooking...

this is when I get to stew things for HOURS :D

totally love this. chicken, ginger, garlic, carrots and onions boiled for the entire morning... 

using the end result, made egg and spinach soup with starch added for creaminess.

since I noticed it's probably just that i eat and drink too much everyday (right, that makes sense!) i got a bunch of stuff that would supposedly help me digest and detox.

hope one of these would work....

Costini and pasta at home

since I liked the crostini I had at Socarrat the other day so much, i made it at home.

caramelized onion, feta cheese, diced and stir fried zucchini and bacon...  

topped with arugula.

turned out pretty well! my friend who went to Socarrat with me the other day even told me i actually did a better job at it than them :D

I also liked the shrimp, arugula and tomato pasta my friend made the other day and made that.

Went well!

I love house dinner gatherings, so much more chill and budget friendly..

PS.re-made it so i can get better pix.

(added cookpad recipe, April 15th, 2012 http://cookpad.com/recipe/1779959)

Socarrat

after learning of a Paella bar(! i know, it exists!!) called Socarrat, I had to go.  

My friend also immediately responded positively to my request to try their squid paella, so it was game on! we reserved a table for 2 hours later and we were there!

very simple squid ink paella, with sea food on top of a gorgeous black rice ocean. 

also highly recommended by my friend was the fried artichoke, and boy was she right! spot, on!! :D

will be back for more very soon!

Mugicha

Mugicha is the quintessential ice tea of Japan for hot summer season. 

I made my first batch today and noticed how the pitcher smelled good when I opened the lid; right, I just made sangria in this last week! 

My summer has already begun lol

Risotto

I've been on western rice mode I guess...since I had Arugula, I wanted to make a risotto that would go with it.  

I've never really known how to do this, but figured it out!

Very basic, chicken and arugula risotto...

added half boiled egg!! 

that was a much better option, softening the harsh flavors of arugula...

I had a test run yesterday night (hence the poor lighting), at which time I used shiitake mushrooms.  Should have done the same today.... 

OH, and I made it from genmai rice which is most probably a bad idea...but I think I made it work, so Yay will power!! :D

Paella test run

I have this great friend who loves food.  It's inspiring and motivating to hang out with people who are willing to take the extra step in order to find better food!
This was our first attempt at Paella.

All things including the pan was ordered through a spanish foodie site...

For the first attempt, we did a basic chicken with shrimp paella, and I'd say we did good! 

with my home made tortilla and sangria :) 

can't wait to try other types of paella!

Tortilla

can I get a high five for the seemingly successful first attempt at making a tortilla at home :D

I am invited for a Paella test run tonight so wanted to bring something with tapas flair, hence my first attempt at a spanish omelette..

I know i'm not supposed to but I put in bacon with the hopes that the flavor will prevent this from becoming just a giant egg potato fluff that can only be consumed with a mountain of ketchup.....

Its so pretty I had to take pictures...too scared to cut it though! lol

Shokoshu night

I was invited for Shokoshu-Shochu night so brought a few things...

The basic Nitamago..a tad bit too well done but was ok.

Konnyaku! sauteed sweet and spicy.  

this was thai arranged by my friend- yum! 

overall view.. 

this cute potato thingy by the host! not only is it cute but it tastes good :D 

and this pink grape fruit desert made my friend  was like something you would be served in between meals to clean your palate at a fancy restaurant--

sweet potato desert! 

Thanks H for the lovely evening!