Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Ramen Smackdown!

I jest. It's not a competition a la the movie, Tampopo.  It's the Ramen Yokocho Fest, where 12 chefs from the US and Japan will serve their signature dishes for a mere $8 per bowl.


We were so bummed that we couldn't go last Saturday to sample the west coast debut of the Ramen Burger. That might have been a good thing because we read that 1000 people lined up (some 4 hours before opening) for a limited run of 500 Ramen Burgers. Fortunately, we'll have another chance this weekend.



This is what I love about the South Bay. It's home to the largest ethnic Japanese community in the world outside of Japan. You can name any ethnicity and we have a large community. We have access to the most amazing food.

Strategy:
There are 12 chefs. The festival runs from 10 AM to 8 PM on September 14 and 15.  That means we can get two meals in per day, multiply by 2 days and we can sample, at most, 4 each.  There are 7 out of town places we have to sample; we'll put a priority on the ones that are furthest.  So I guess we'll try the offerings from the chefs from Japan (2) , Hawaii and New York (the ramen burger!).  We'll have to pick up the Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Jose entrants on road trips.

If you click through to YouTube, foodies have been naming their favorite ramen joints that are NOT represented.  So that means more restaurants on our "must try" list.  I can identify with one commentator who wrote, "I cant wait! im not eating for a whole week prior to the fest!"

3 comments:

  1. I am wondering if you have a weather related post coming up about Boulder.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am ambivalent. I probably will, once I process the impact.

      In the mean time, here are some links to excellent scientific write-ups.
      http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/goes/blog/archives/13876

      http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=2525

      As always, Dr Masters rounded up some excellent links as well. Read NCAR's Bob Hensen.
      http://www2.ucar.edu/atmosnews/opinion/10250/inside-colorado-deluge

      Dr Rood took a time-out from discussing the Arctic Oscillation to talk about the Boulder floods.
      http://www.wunderground.com/blog/RickyRood/comment.html?entrynum=274

      He made the comparison to Pakistan, which was my first thought, too.

      Both types of floods are caused by a change in monsoonal flow brought on by a change in the arctic oscillation (circumpolar jet-stream fluctuations), AO. The change in the AO is due to melting of the polar ice caps, global climate change.

      Both the CO front range and eastern Pakistan have clay soils, which do not absorb heavy rains rapidly. The result is the same, only CO is wealthier and will be able to rebuild faster.

      The question is, will you rebuilt as it was, or move out of the way?

      My husband and I are mountain bikers and back country skiers. We don't even live in Boulder any more, but we're in mourning.

      Most of our friends suffered only minor damage, and are muddling through. They are all safe.

      Delete
    2. Oops, I meant western Pakistan. The monsoon patterns are severely disrupted (from historical patterns since the dawn of human civilization) globally.

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