ramen

Trying some newer places that I’ve heard mixed reviews about…

~ evanzuzik

So I tried 2 newer west side locations (and then I have some brunchy fun pictures for yall).

First, Eric and I went to Xinji (which, despite having taken Japanese in college, have no idea how to pronounce… or what it means). This Ohio City ramen place created a lot of social media/internet buzz when it opened. Some people were saying this was the best noodle place ever while others were lamenting that it wasn’t as good as the wanted.  So, I was excited but a little hesitant as we made our way over.

The inside is sparse and open. Hipster. LOTS of modern light figures. I didn’t mind it. It was a nice departure from the typical, cliched, Asian restaurant decor, but still reminiscent of what you’d expect from a place where chopsticks are used.

I will spare you all my pumpkin rant. (okay, I won’t…why do we hate on pumpkin’s popularity so much? White culture has a lot to be ashamed of, but enjoying pumpkin with lots of lovely spices in the autumn is not one of them! It is delicious, let’s keep our vitriol directed to things that are truly deserving and horrible). That being said we ordered the PSL fried wontons. They were delightful, obviously. The inside was sweet and creamy. There was a coffee reduction drizzled on top.  They were not very savory,  borderline dessert, but I never mind that in a dish (if there was a scoop of ice cream and no cabbage it would be lovely. We were given 4 for $6 which seemed like a great appetizer prize. Also, they were rather pretty/presented well.

Korean Fried Chicken ($9).  This was an alright dish- I have come to the conclusion that I don’t *love* fried chicken.  The sauce was tangy, slightly sweet and a little spicy.  There was nothing wrong with it, I just liked the other two dishes considerably more.

The veggie ramen (mushroom broth) with extra bean sprouts*.

The shredded teriyaki tofu and bamboo shoots were a FANTASTIC addition to this bowl. I often joke that I am often an accidental vegetarian. The mushroom broth was light but flavorful.

If you have ever gone with me to get Pho… you know how I will ask for “as many extra bean sprouts as possible”.  They are my favorite textural veggie in rice or soup. I will always eat all of them.

Overall, I was very pleased with the meal. When we initially sat down they served ice water with cucumber. Now… I know some people really like this, but cucumber is one of the few flavors that I am really not a fan of,  especially in water. I was quickly brought another one. Actually, the service was great in general. We asked that the dishes be brought out as they were finished with the noodles last and it was a great little 3-course meal. I would definitely go back for the veggie ramen.

I’m not sure if any of you have heard of the Water Garden Cafe (also in Ohio City on Lorainne). It has been open since last February and has an extensive vegan/vegetarian menu for brunch.  Vegan Chicken and Waffles (with cauliflower) definitely jumped off the menu as something we needed to try. 🙂

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So the large water feature was nice, as was a lot of the decorative touches. Something I REALLLLLY appreciated about this place was the environmental awareness (we were told the floor was made of reclaimed wood and in the restrooms, there were cloth towels that would get rewashed. These type of decisions really make me feel good about supporting an establishment.

Tofu Scramble with multigrain bread. I wanted a little more avocado and broccoli. It was tasty.  The sole server (who is also the manager) told us it is pretty much just her and the owner/chef working. Having a kitchen staff of one is hard when they have lengthy brunch and lunch menus as well as vegan and non-vegan offerings.

Our brunch guest decided to not get vegan, but really liked (and couldn’t finish all of ) his breakfast burrito.

Overall, this place offered a large selection of vegan options. We did have to wait a considerable amount of time. The sole server/manager informed us that the kitchen is staffed only by the owner/chef. I don’t know how feasible such an operational plan is, especially if they start getting more and more customers. This could be exacerbated by the fact that the menu is lengthy since there are vegan and non-vegan options of almost everything. I enjoyed the food and like when a place seems super committed to their values.

Also, donuts are SOOO trendy right now. I was super excited to try City Girl Donuts in Rocky River. I had heard some people who were disappointed, but that did not deter me from donut deliciousness. It is really hard to gauge a place when they first open. I was VERY impressed with these donuts.

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We decided on the Mixed berry, banana creme, peanut butter- chocolate long john and the daily special of pear-mascarpone. The white and dark chocolate shavings, the cookie pieces … there were so many delightful touches. Also, she referred to it as a “sophisticated pear” but I like to think she was calling us a “sophisticated pair” 😛

They had SOOOO much filling. Be careful/ have napkins ready!

Now I just have some fun (mostly brunch) photos to share.

I have talked about One Blue Door in Cuyahoga Falls before. Go for brunch (but if you go on a weekend, expect a wait… or if there are only 2 or 3 of you just sit at the bar! The banana’s foster French Toast (above) and the Salmon and eggs (below) were HUGE portions and wonderful. Although, honestly, the almond croissant we ate in the parking lot which was roughly the size of a football, was one of the BEST things I’ve eaten in a while.

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This brunch place in Chicago is maybe the most photogenic restaurant ever. Seriously, look at the website! The biscuits and lamb gravy were spicy, the muesli had caramelized bananas and the funnel cake had fruity pebbles sugar on top.

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A vegan pumpkin-chocolate cheesecake in Chicago. Made out of a soy-based vegan cream cheese, it was delightful and did not have a “this is a vegan substitute feeling”.

Some brunch Items from Le Petit Triangle in Ohio City… which were delicious but we wanted the crepe to be MUCH bigger.

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Ethiopian. Citizen Pie and Noodles from an Ice Cream Place.

~ evanzuzik

As the name suggests, this is kinda a random update (which I somehow lost and had to rewrite).

 

If I asked you to name some Asian cuisines or European ones, it would be easy to rattle off a bunch and be able to explain the differences. Africa is a huge place, but with the exception of Ethiopian and Morrocan, there doesn’t seem to be much culinary representation.  I have only been to two Ethiopian places before this venture so my experience is rather limited and I am in *no* way pretending to speak on its authenticity.

I tried Zoma on Lee in Cleveland Hts after numerous Cleveland.com/Scene posts mentioned it opening. I like the flavors and was excited to try a place that wasn’t the location off E. 55, just for comparison.  I guess I need to preface, for anyone not familiar, that the food was MUCH better than it was photogenic.  Also, I am super pleased that I remembered the word for Injera 😛

When I’ve eaten at Empress Taytu I’ve always been impressed with how my waiter has been a knowledgeable, Ethiopian person. Also, it is dark and intimate inside. This makes selecting food and the whole experience seem so immersive and authentic. My waiter at Zoma was a tall white guy (who did know about the food but it feels a little more manufactured). I am sure the kitchens were staffed with equally knowledgeable people.

The atmosphere was nice, colorful but kind of simple. A TV broadcast a screensaver like a slideshow for no reason. There was the Tree area for the ceremony but the well-lit rectangular tables with plastic on them gave it a slight cafeteria feel.

I ordered a trio of vegetarian offerings, (16$ which were a little soupier than I expected. This was a big portion and I really liked the yellow beans.  The lentil and red beans were pretty good. The injera was fluffy and I did not know it was gluten free (for those of you who care about that).  There was a fair amount of spice, in a satisfying but not hot way.  I was able to make it into some sort of burrito for lunch the next day from the leftovers which did not reheat as terribly as I imagined. 

Ryan got the lamb tibs (19$). I tried it and was rather impressed. It was well seasoned and tasty. This was the first Ethiopian meat dish I had that wasn’t disappointing.

Overall, I will go back. I want to try new dishes and eating without utensils is a fun change from the norm. I really like the Cedar-Lee area and this is a nice additional to an already diverse array of dining options.  The ambiance was alright but not outstanding.  I do want to see the coffee ceremony at some point.

I have been wanting to try Citizen Pie (Pizza for the People) for aWHILE now.  I rarely go over to that area, but was seeing JD Eicher at the Beachland Ballroom and found this the perfect opportunity to try some pizza that seems like a social movement.  The inside is small and cozy. It has a very nice feel. The concept is very fast made pizzas made to order (in about 90 seconds). It is kinda like a Pizza Fire, but really quality ingredients, better dough and a million times less corporate feeling.

Steven and I went to check it out before the concert. We sat at the bar and asked for a recommendation.  We said we wanted white over red and were told to get the

AMERICANO
Mozzarella, Pistachio Cream, Italian Sausage, Green & Red Onion, Calabrian Chile … 15

It was great. I didn’t explicitly taste the pistachio but there was a nice creaminess to it that was pleasant. The sausage and chile gave it a nice kick. I could have just eaten the crust though, it was rather great.

All of you should know that I DESPISE bottle water for its environmental ramifications. So I asked for a tap. I was told they don’t have it. This confused me. They have wine on tap but not water? How do they do the dishes? Do they throw out or take all their utensils home every day? Boxed water is a better alternative to bottled.

It is cool to seem them take a ball of dough and in less than 3 minutes transform it into a wonderful, high-end pizza. This pizza was pretty beautiful, and I do like the fresh from the wood fire taste. The crust was great.  My only issue is that the price was fine (15$) but it wasn’t quite enough for 2 people to split, but I wouldn’t have wanted a whole one to myself (also 30$ for 2 people to get pizza seems a little outrageous).

The have a sign on the door that says “out of dough” (also a meter on their website that tracks the amount left). This reassures how fresh and made to order everything is, which is great. I love the logo and the concept and will go back whenever I find myself over in the area.

I love icecream (specifically going and getting icecream wth friends) with a passion. Masons Creamery in Ohio City is a fun and kind of hipstery place that offers an every changing selection of unique flavors.  SO the idea of going to an ice cream place for food seems a little counterintuitive for me.  I have heard of the weekend pop-up Ramen for awhile (generally on Facebook).  When I learned that this was the last for the season I felt I HAD to go.  They offer an option of pork or veggie for 12$ each.  The broth and accoutremonts come seperately, and everything is to-go. I got the veggie and Dan the pork.  It was a slightly chilly morning and we got there about 40 minutes before they opened. We were probably 18th in line, but as it got closer to the time, the line got MUCH longer.

I noticed that there were a large number of Asian people in line,  (and hipsters, and a few seemingly Asian Hipsters) which reassured me to the authenticity, and trendiness, of the food.

“This is the best Ramen I’ve had in Cleveland” Dan (who is Asain, but not really a hipster).

The mushroom broth was crazy good.  It came with a variety of mushrooms as well, and some fried tofu. The egg was  absolutely perfect and it was a great size meal. I generally don’t like getting food as a carry-out, but they were able to make the presentation nice for when I opened it up at home on the sofa.  It did need to be reheated a bit, but again it was a chilly day.  I apologize that I’m posting such a glowing review knowing that it won’t be available again for months.

*If the people responsible for these magical noodles are reading this, or anyone has the ability to reach them* can this be a thing on some Friday or Saturday evenings in the summer?!?! I know I would be game for late night ramen and ice cream on a warm summer’s eve.

I tried to post the panoramic video showing the long line of people waiting for the ramen.

The Noodlecat Address

~ evanzuzik ~ 1 Comment

I am trying to use Opentable when I can (also if a place offers 1000pt bonus times that just gives me some more incentive to try somewhere new).  I already use this blog as an excuse to eat out probably too frequently, adding the Opentable rewards just exacerbates the “well I’m getting something out of this”.  If you aren’t aware, its a reservation service that gives you points (usually 100) for every time you go…when you get to 2000 points you get 20$ gift cards.

I’m on spring break and enjoy the time off. Here are some pictures of what I did /ate.

Noodle Cat:

I like Noodlecat and have been to the downtown location numerous times. Part of me is still in mourning over the loss of the old happy hour offerings (half portions!) and the most wonderful fried chicken (honey, sriracha and perfectly crispy yet juicy inside).  To say I was upset when the menu changed and I couldn’t order the chicken anymore is an understatement.

Chef and  James Beard Award Winner Jonathan Sawyer is widely known for Greenhouse Tavern and Trentina, but I think the fact that these three establishments are all VERY different speaks volumes about his talent. He really loves Cleveland and makes that very clear in every interview. This place is casual and relaxed and not what you would expect from someone who has a upscale farm to table as well as a fancy Italian place.

Sam and I were going to a show at House of Blues and only had 40 minutes or so to eat. We split the House Ramen noodles/ Crispy beef short ribs ($10) and the crispy brussle sprout bowl ($6).  This was absolutely enough food for 2 people. The ramen portions are huge, another reason I am sad they don’t have the half-sized happy hours, and occasionally I would get 2 half portions.  It comes out soo hot, I typically burn my mouth because I can’t wait to start slurping.

 

 I remember when ramen places got popular; it seemed like 7 years or so.  My initial thought confusion since I only knew of the super cheap ramen packages that cost 12 cent.  This one is good but not that adventurous.

The short ribs are flavorful, a little fatty but satisfying. It is strange to pull something on a small bone out of the broth. I feel like to eat this food you need chopsticks, a fork and a spoon, your fingers and maybe a knife. It’s not the most graceful way to eat but the food is satisfying.

The sprout dish is very unique and satisfying.  My brother, the super health conscious vegan,  first introduced me to this item. For six dollars you get a LOT of food. The fried sprouts come with cabbage, kim chi an aged soy sauce and lots of cilantro. If you claim to not like sprouts this would be a good dish to get to change your mind. There are a lot of acidic/strong flavors going on and this is a dish you want to have mints/gum on hand afterwards. I wish I had these years ago because I lived a good portion of my life thinking I didn’t like this vegetable. Note, I do like them in non-fried presentations as well, but my first ones were probably boiled, bland and offensive.

It’s a fun atmosphere (the Noodlecat comics on the walls are silly) and you get a lot of food, quickly and it is pretty cheap. Again, and I am not someone who generally geeks out for fried chicken, Please Noodlecat, can I have the fried chicken placed back on the menu? You still have the fried chicken steam bun so I know you have the ingredients…. pleeease?

 Is there anything more delicious than the Surprisingly Nimble Latrice Royale?

So I am writing this part  from my hotel room in Gettysburg. This is my Gettysburg address of sorts. My Mother and I are taking a mini spring break trip just the 2 of us.  Day 1:  Falling Water… My father is an architect so it would make sense to bring him along…Day 2 and 3 are Hershey, Indian Echo Cavern and Gettysburg.

We went to The Circular inside the Hershey Hotel. It was a lovely, classy place. The place is fancy without being stuffy.  My pictures really failed to capture it. Here is the website. It is at a fairly high elevation and has a lovely view. We split a pheasant salad, some roasted veggies and the signature scallop dish. We then each got our own dessert because #Hershey.

  This is a cocoa and almond dusted scallop (we split them, so the portion was 2 ) with a  salsify puree, brussel sprouts and a concord grape gastrique.

I had no idea what salsify was (or even how to say it). It’s an edible root and honestly the puree with the grape and the scallop was just perfection. The coco powder was subtle but I did get a hint of it. I guess in February they feature more savory dishes with chocolate incorporated into them.   This is the only one that is available year round and I understand why. There are so many different things going on here, but it was so lovely. Drive to Hershey and get it.   Obviously in Hershey one is mandated to order chocolate desserts. This dark chocolate tart was served with toasted lemon meringue and morello cherries.  This dessert was so beautiful. Lemon, Dark chocolate and brandy+cherries should be served together more often. The chocolate and the crust were not all that sweet but the fruit balanced it out.   The large piece of dark chocolate over top was unnecessary but of course I ate it.  While eating this I thought to myself “Why did I eat the bread before the food?!” I was so full but really wanted to like the plate clean.
  The Chocolate Souffle. There was a dark chocolate ganache as well.  Our fantastic waitress, Brittany, asked if she could vent it and put some of the vanilla glaze. This was like eating a chocolate cake batter cloud and so decedent.  I rarely order souffles and this one makes me regret every time I’ve seen it on a menu and opted for something else.

As if this wasn’t enough it was also served with a hazelnut ice cream sandwich. I rarely use the phrase too much chocolate, but I got close. Did you know that 60 MILLION kisses are made each day?

  Indian Echo Caverns is a few miles outside Hershey. It is huge (100ft tall at some points) but it is very hard to get decent photos that accurately capture how impressive it is in person. So neat and totally worth it.
 “Out of the way little children….  MY Chocolate!”
 Falling Water. It was a windy/cold/rainy day but this is an awesome feat of architecture. Also the lighting (and iphone filters) allowed for this great photo.

 No filter on this one. The Pennsylvania Monument at Gettysburg.  We also ate in a building constructed in the 1700’s but the meal was candlelit and there are no salvageable photos.

Fact: the whole thing about if a war statue features a horse with one hoof raised vs. two showing how the soldier died is false/myth. I was a little disappointed in this because I felt like it was a neat history fact I knew about.