Solo Spicy Ramen: A Notable Dining Experience

It was a rainy late morning last week. I had just spent the morning at a sterile, chemical-smelling doctor’s office, and grateful to be in the fresh air but famished, I was pondering my food move when I overheard someone on the bus say somewhere in a lunch-related sentence, “ramen.”

I have always been skeptical of the food ­fads that flow in and out of popular city foodie life, so I had yet to make the effort or have the craving to try what this fancified version of the dorm-room and starving-artist staple was doing with their own restaurants, and at $12 a bowl no less. But, I decided this indirect bus suggestion was the work of fate, and it was time to board the boat.

I didn’t want my first ramen experience to be a bust, so a quick UrbanSpoon search for DC’s best pointed me conveniently to a spot a couple blocks from my apartment – Sakuramen Bar on 18th Street in Adams Morgan, whose ground-level basement awning and entrance I had oddly never noticed, despite that I have strolled past hundreds of times.

Sakuramen is a small room of Asian décor with a modern twist. A community-style long bar table slices through the center of the space, donned with a bed of black stones and modern columns running through the middle of the table center, giving a relaxing, contemporary vibe that suggested serenity and peace reminiscent of a spa. An upbeat playlist of my favorite pop artists like Jason Mraz, Ingrid Michaelson and Matt Nathanson was chiming through the speakers at the perfect level of volume, and the room was filled lively chatter. Everyone in the place seemed to be in a good mood, and I immediately felt at ease – which can be hard when you eat out solo.

It was the height of lunch time. It was packed tight with diverse young professionals and families. With no host stand for seating, I wriggled my way through a large waiting party of students waiting for a table and flagged down one of the servers who immediately sat me towards the end of the center table. I was soon joined by a lively young conference-lanyard-donning crew and two fellow young women, who were alternating taking photos of each other with their spicy buns (<-- not a euphemism).

The menu is small, with just a few appetizer choices and a handful of ramen dishes with various vegetable and meats, making it clear that ramen is what Sakuramen is about. A ramen virgin, I was stumped, but starved. All I knew was I wanted something warm, spicy and hearty, so I quickly ordered the only thing on the menu that sounded somewhat familiar – the Spicy Miso and a cold ginger tea. My ginger tea came almost immediately. I was delighted to find it was fully fresh, with chunks of ginger root smashed into the base of a generous glass, releasing a perfect hint of sweet and spice – but not too much of either.

My piping hot bowl of ramen came not long after. A small, red, perfectly round “fireball” of spice sat atop the broth like a little planet amongst soft, fatty pork, corn, scallions and thick curly noodles – the fat, much happier cousin of the instant ramen kind of noodles I knew and (sort of) loved. So, this was definitely ramen. The smell tickled my nostrils and I was ready to dig in immediately, until the sight of my utensils struck me with anxiety.

It was chopsticks and a flat-bottomed spoon. I had learned from my travels to Korea (and from my sister, who lived there and tried desperately to teach me how to use chopsticks properly, to no avail) that eating a noodle soup with the right tools is an art. There is twisting, dipping, and shoving involved, all in a very particular order. Plus, the slurping – in Asia, the polite and proper way to eat – but which I was raised to know as the biggest no-no of table etiquette.

But my stomach beckoned, so challenge accepted. I mixed my fireball into my soup, shambolically maneuvered my first bite onto my spoon, and took a splattery slurp – and was completely surprised by my delight.

It was hot, sweet, salty, and spicy. The noodles were a perfect al dente texture. The tender pork, lined with unapologetic fat, pulled apart and melted with the slightest touch of my tongue. The corn and scallions gave a welcomed crunch of texture, as the chewy noodles softened with the broth in my mouth. Without expecting it, it was complete soupy bliss.

Perhaps it was the magic of the ramen’s perfection or my just my will to want it in my mouth, but I was soon somewhat gracefully getting evenly distributed bites of spicy miso via my utensil devices. My nose started to run and I removed my sweater as the heat as the spice ball slowly accumulated on my tongue. The servers, spotting my frequent snot breaks, brought me more napkins with a smile, offered another ginger tea and checked on me a few times, all with a friendly chuckle.

In the meantime, I noticed my aforementioned tablemates debating the menu. They were fellow skeptics of the ramen craze, but had heard that the Spicy Miso here at Sakuramen was all the rage I overheard. I couldn’t help but intervene with a hearty second of the rumors, telling them, “it’s freakin’ ridiculous.” Soon enough they were all slurping their own Spicy Misos, moaning “yums” as they chewed, sweating and sniffling along with me as we occasionally looked up from our bowls at each other in smiles and comments of agreement. As we ate, our shared ramen elation turned into an exchange about food and then some, and for a few minutes I conversed with complete strangers – something I think we should all do more often. And when is a better time to do so than over a shared meal, deliberate or not?

Needless to say, as far as ramen is concerned, I am a convert. My friends are getting an earful about it, and Sakuramen is going to see a lot of me – and who knows, perhaps I’ll make a new friend over my next solo Spicy Miso.

Sakuramen Bar is located at 2441 18th Street NW, Washington DC 20009

ROC-City Living

Moving to a new city was so exciting.  I loved the new sights, new smells, new people, new bars (but NOT the new rent ...).  I can safely say that I've fallen in love with DC, and with a heavy heart, have told my best friends, still residing in my hometown, that I'm probably not coming back in the fall.  It's nice to be entering this new phase in my life in a new city, but coming back home to visit is just as nice.   I find so much comfort in driving around surrounded by license plates that are the same state as mine, not having to dial an area code when I make a phone call, and wondering when I'm going to run into someone from high school at the grocery store (just kidding about the last part, that is actually usually the opposite of comforting).  Home, sweet home.

In my three-day weekend, I packed in as many things "Rochester" as I possibly could.  And I did a pretty solid job:
First and foremost, I got to see all the wonderful people who still live there.  Just loverly.

Wegmans (x 3 times). Duh.  Sub shop, pastry shop, and a collection of delicious samples including sirloin with chutney sauce and grapefruit sorbet.  Score.

A 2 a.m. garbage plate.  A Rochester classic.  Well, not the 2 a.m. part, but it often coincides. Do you like to eat the most calorie-filled foods after a night of partying?  Then get yourself to Rochester for a garbage plate.  For a garbage plate, you pick your main ingredient-- hamburger, cheeseburger, white or red hot (all sans the bun), grilled cheese, egg, etc., and then pick your "fillers" like homefries, mac salad, macaroni and cheese, baked beans, etc.  It gets drizzled with a meaty hot sauce and your selection of condiments, and voila!  Chop, mix, consume.  Sound nasty?  Calorie and digestion wise, it is. But I try not to think about it... ever.  It's worth every greasy, fatty bite. My favorite combination is the classic cheeseburger plate with homefries, macaroni salad, more hot sauce, and dash of ketchup.  You're not a true Rochestarian 'til you've had one of these.  (Not my photo, but you have to see it to believe it):

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Highland Park, where the Lilac Festival happens annually.  I missed the festival, but I got to see the lilacs before they went away for the season. Also at Highland Park is a beautiful Vietnam War Memorial for Rochester native veterans, which I had walked through before, but wanted to visit again in honor of this weekend's holiday. It's a very nice memorial, with plaques with names of local fallen soldiers, each on its own plaque.  The plaques also say where each soldier went to high school--it was quite strange to see so many names from my high school.  It reminds me that things like this hit close to home.  The plaques spiral down a walkway that leads to larger area with more names, quotes, etc.  One of my favorite parts of the memorial is a large plaque along the sidewalk with a quote from The Things They Carried.  It's a book I read when I was in high school, but I still remember how powerful it was.

Sinbad's.  Best Mediterranean food EVER.  Sambusek plate?  Yes, please.

Abbott's ice cream.  Nothing like it.

I also was able to visit the store at which I worked for a few months when I was living at home, where I befriended many co-workers and loved being around beautiful jewelry and home decor.

Not so Rochester but still fun--the movie Tangled.  Funny adorable, and so Disney.  They wil never stop being awesome, and I love that I can still enjoy their stuff as an adult.  They can make a horse one's favorite character in a movie about humans.  Brilliant!

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I hope everyone had a day off on this holiday weekend!

And enter the coincidence: As I type this from the gate at the airport, playing over the terminal speakers is Carrie Underwood crooning "Home, sweet home."  You said it, Carrie.  This is a new phase in my life, but no matter what, Rochester will always be home, sweet home.

Chocobacon, sawed 12-packs, & cupcakes

Food and drink adventures lately:

Chocolate covered bacon lollipops.  I saw it on a menu and I just couldn't NOT try it. I mean, it's two of my favorite things to eat, so it couldn't be too bad.  BF was a little more disgusted by the idea, but he was also brave enough to take a bit.  The verdict for both of us was that it wasn't bad, but wasn't great.  Often when you combine two foods and flavors, something magical happens and it tastes like something new and fun and different.  In this case, however, it really just tasted like bacon dipped in chocolate.  Quite rich, as you can imagine.  But now I can say I've had it.  Many people can't.  Woop!

Drive-through liquor store?  This is a new concept to me, and seems a bit dangerous.  However not as bad as what I've heard exists in Texas, where they apparently have drive-through margarita venues.  Anyways, I did not have the guts to drive through myself, but what I found inside was just as strange.  Instead of a shopping store, as in you go and peruse the aisles and pick out what you want and then bring it up to a register, there was a counter blocked by huge plexiglass wall that spread from wall to wall.  The cashiers (who were all cute little Asian men, by the way) were also behind the plexiglass. They took my order, disappeared into the normal looking rows of liquor, got my beer, and put it in a lazy-susan kind of thing.  I put my cash on one side and twirled it around where he took it and put my bag on his side and twirled it over to me.  It was quite odd and felt like some kind of sketchy drug deal.  And the oddities continued when I opened the bag and discovered that my Yeungling six-pack was a 12-pack Yeungling case sawed in half.  Borderline illegal?  I think so.

DC Cupcakes!  I get so star struck, I was jumping for joy at just seeing the TLC sign in the window of Georgetown Cupcake.  Luckily we were there only a few minutes in the evening before close so we didn't stand in line for long at all.  I must say I was quite impressed with the speed and efficiency in which they took care of orders--a good system except for the immense pressure I felt to pick out six out of twenty-ish cupcakes in three minutes.  It's quite a task, but totally worth it.  Especially for the mint cookie one.  Oh. My.  Gosh.  Heaven in a cupcake.  (We also got red velvet, chocolate, pumpkin and vanilla birthday).  Before and after, perfect for a diptych:

Green tea flavored frozen yogurt.  Tangy, tea-like, refreshingly cold, and sweet considering the oreo crumb and strawberry topping.  Yummy!

And from my kitchen ...  I made tuna patties.  They were delicious and I was so proud of myself!

Raisinets for all!

I am MIA no more!  And the motivation for returning from my short hiatus?  This news that makes me so unbelievably happy I can't believe it ... Today, March 24th, is National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day.  Right?!  I am so excited (yet slightly confused) that my favorite candy has it's own holiday that I am telling everyone I know.  Oh, happy day!

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Unfortunately I had such a busy day that I did not get my hands on any Raisinets today BUT tomorrow I will have my very own pseudo-Chocolate-Covered-Raisin-Day and eat all the Raisinets I want and nobody is going to stop me.

And why yes, I am enjoying my brand new Twitter account, thanks for asking!  In fact, I have some random people's tweets to thank for informing me of such a notable holiday in the US.  Other things I learned from Twitter this week:

• Elizabeth Taylor died
• A man in North Carolina claimed to see Big Foot
• LOL, OMG, & <3 have been added to the Oxford Dictionary
• Class of 2015 acceptance letters went out at my alma mater.  I'm old.
• 20-Something Bloggers reached 17,000 bloggers (and I'm one of them)!  Congrats, 20SB!

A post about burritos? Ok.

This food is comfort food.  It reminds me of my college days, when that trip to Heath, OH was what usually made the night or weekend.

Life cannot be bad when you have a Chipotle burrito in your hands.  Seriously, people.  There is nothing like holding the weight of that 2 pound burrito, knowing that all that weight will soon sit in your stomach.  Corn salsa.  Black beans.  Sour cream.  Guacamole.  Cilantro-lime rice.  I mean ... just ... YUM!  As I sat and ate this mexican goodness all by my lonesome, I was doing the "happy food dance" that my sister has rightfully coined.  The happy food dance was originated around the eating of chocolate, but in rare moments, something else inspires the upper body and arm boogie of charmed taste buds.  I may have looked like a loony tune, but my grins were true and I did not care.

Who knew that a burrito could whip me into a verbal frenzy? (Why yes, that WAS a movie reference).  Guess this girl knows what she likes.  Do I care about the obscene amount of calories I just digested?  Absolutely not.  Life is short, my friends--gobble up the good stuff when you can.

"Food Blog"

This photo entry is dedicated to my mother.  When we found out I was moving away to my very own apartment, she, with a look of slight lack of faith, frequently reminded me that I was going to have to cook for myself.  Well, mom, with one week down, I hope I did you proud:

Pasta & Pesto chicken.

Patty melt.

Wegmans Super Pasta.  Okay, this doesn't really count, but I actually tried it voluntarily, so points for that.
However, I don't think it still counts as "super" since it's smothered in mozzerella cheese ...

Floating in Space

Wow.  Remember that time I had a blog?  I don't know what is going on-- it is quite strange.  I am usually full of words but over the past month or so, I have been feeling empty of wisdom and share-able energy.  I shall re-discover my inspiration soon... perhaps some resolutions, revelations, or something of that sort for the New Year.

In the meantime, I hope everyone's holidays were/are will be happy.  Mine was not as festive as usual, with everyone in the family more spread out every year.  I has some pictures to show how awesome I made the more involved evenings:

Potatoes + gallons of oil = latkes

Latkes, wine, and menorah.  Successs

Night 8!

Oh, also, I haven't mentioned that I had completed a life goal this month.  Call me crazy, or a weirdo groupie (I don't deny it), but I can finally say I have met, chatted with, and hugged all current members of Guster!  In combination with the photos from my November 1st entry, I can add these to the mix after a  short set they played in my hometown earlier this month:

Thundergod 

Adam!!!

VIP-ness is thanks to the fantastic Luke Reynolds, who is not only a kick-ass musician but also one of the coolest guys ever (and whose new album, "Maps", is a gem).  The title of this entry is a nod to my favorite song on the album, which is on repeat in my car as of last week.  It is also comparable to the way I've been lost in my blogging ways, but remembering that yes, I DO still exist in the blogosphere!

More soon.  Thanks for not giving up on me.

I say po-tay-to.

My kitchen and cupboards have been full of lovely (and some unlikely) surprises lately.  These wonderful and unique discoveries made me extra glad I have taste buds.  I hope that you, oh-mighty-reader, either already have or will experience at least one of them in your lifetime:

- My microwave has a baked potato button.   A big, fat button that says "BAKED POTATO."  And it heats a patoot to perfection.  INGENIOUS! How I've been living in this house for a few months unbeknownst to the baked potato button, I don't know ... especially considering the borderline unhealthy percentage of my diet that is potatoes.  All I know is, this button will probably change the way (and significantly reduce the time, effort and skill) I prepare my beloved potato.  And when the blessed day comes when I need to buy my very own microwave, I now have a feature that will make or break my purchase.

- Baked Lentil Chips.  Yes, Lentil chips.  Chips made out of lentils and adzuki beans (whatever those are). But they are crunchy, healthy, and delicious, and go wonderfully with everything from hummus and french onion dip to sandwiches to soup.  They are also gluten free, all natural, and full o' fiber.  Whodathunk?!  Thanks for being a health freak, mom!

- Trader Joe's Pounds Plus Dark Chocolate.  It's just like what it sounds.  A full 1.2 pounds of nothing but solid, sweet, dark chocolate.  So thick that it takes some muscle to break off a piece and strong teeth to bite your selected chunk, but the effort is totally worth it.

- Imagine Natural Creation's organic creamy soups. Cream-free vegetable soups more delicious than any of that condensed business.  And it comes in box, which in my experience, always yields better soup than a can.  And they come in so many of my favorite creamy soup flavors including broccoli, butternut squash, tomato (sprinkled with some pepper and basil with a grilled cheese sandwich for dipping = perfection), and of course, po-tay-to!

... Does anyone actually say "po-tah-to"?

No longer a virgin

Sushi virgin, that is. That's right, tonight I had my first ever order of sushi. It was vegetarian and made with nothing I haven't eaten before, but a milestone to document nonetheless. Baby steps.

I also ate the entire meal (including our appetizer of fried tofu) gracefully with chop sticks. For anyone who knows me, that is also a feat worth mentioning.

Oh, and I should include that it was completely delectable.