Hanabi Ramen & Izakaya

Last weekend, a friend and I decided to take a day trip out to Ft. Worth. Neither of us have been there much and just wanted to check out the sights, and of course, food!!

The first place I wanted to hit up was definitely Hanabi. I've heard great things about it and almost everyone who's been there has said they have the best ramen in DFW. God knows we need a good ramen place here!

Hanabi Ramen & Izakaya
3204 Camp Bowie Blvd
Fort Worth, TX
(817) 420-6703
Price: $$

Obviously I've never been, so I always imagined it to be a small place. So I was pleasantly surprised that they took reservations. I made one for 3 people on Saturday at 11:30AM. We arrived on time, and there was maybe 3 other tables there. haha. And the place is wayyy bigger than I thought. I guess the reservation is totally unnecessary. Oh well. Better safe than sorry, eh?

We were seated immediately and the waitress came to take our drink orders. We all got the hot green tea which was really good. A lot of matcha flavor. :)

We got some appetizers to start.
Squid Leg Fry (6 pcs.) $4.50~ 

6 pieces for 5 bucks is a little expensive in my opinion, but at least the pieces were big. It was yummy. It came with a side of Asian mayonnaise to dip. Loved it! The squid was cooked well, the outside was fried nicely. The mayo had a sweetness that paired well with it.

Salmon Onigiri (salmon rice ball; 1 pc.) $3~ 

This was good too, esp with the mayo as well. But these tend to have more rice than filling ratio, and this was no different. There wasn't that much salmon in the middle.

I already knew what I wanted. The dry ramen. If it's an option, I always opt for the dry. The noodles are generally thicker and chewier, which I prefer.
Kara Miso Aemen (pasta style ramen, without soup, with pork belly, egg, cabbage, carrot, chives and green onion) $11~ 

My fiance decided to get the same thing. It was a HUGE bowl. Wow.. I think we could've shared! haha. The sauce is all on the bottom so you have to mix everything together. As soon as I started mixing I realized there was chili oil... this was spicy. The name should've tipped me off "Kara" indicates spicy but I didn't even think of it. And they didn't put "spicy" anywhere on the menu... I think restaurants should indicate that, not everyone can take spice. I mean I love spicy so it's great. But my fiance can't eat spicy. It really upsets his stomach. So the waitress overheard and told him not to mix, and they would remove the bottom part with the sauce for him. I dunno, that seemed like a stupid move on their part but we didn't say anything. She brought a new bowl back with everything that was above the sauce. So basically half the noodles were gone. She told him he can add additional flavor with the soy sauce at the table... Uh... ew? He decided to just go with what he had. He didn't use the soy sauce, but just threw the squid in for extra flavor. haha. I told him he should've sent the whole thing back and gotten something else. And why didn't they offer him the broth from the dipping ramen or something?? Doesn't this ruin the flavor/experience of someone's meal? Needless to say, it was bland bland bland. But he was too nice to complain. :( 

 

Mine however, was great. The spicy sauce on the bottom had chunks of meat in it. The egg could've been a bit runnier but I didn't mind it. There were plenty of veggies, which I appreciated. And everything was finely chopped so it was easy to pick it all up with the noodles. The noodles were great. Nice chewy texture. Although I think the noodles at Wabi House was even better. Hanabi totally trumped with the flavor. It reminded me a lot of the Chinese Zha Jian Mian, which is one of my absolute favorite noodles in the world. So that was a plus. I tried to finish it all because it was really good, but couldn't. It was wayyy too much.

My friend got the Karami Tonkotsu Ramen (creamy broth made with pork bones; with chashu, egg, bamboo shoot, green onion, takana, nori; spicy) $10~ 

 

At first bite, she said "this is good!" Better than Wabi. I tried a bite or two. I felt the noodles were a tad overcooked but it was the curly kind so I still liked it better. The broth flavor was good. We both agreed that so far this has been the best in DFW.

I really enjoyed it. My friend did too. My poor fiance... not so much. I think they should've discounted his dish too, but they didn't. To pay $11 for bland noodles is not a great feeling. But he did learn to always verify spicy or not in the future. Other than the poor choice in dumping out his sauce instead of giving him something else, our waitress was very nice and attentive. I do agree with most people that it's the best in DFW. As comparison to the rest of the world tho... it's somewhere in the middle. And it's so far from Dallas still... sigh.

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Wabi House Soft Opening

Wednesday night was the soft opening of the new ramen shop in Lower Greenville, Wabi House. To be honest, I heard about this place a while ago and had completely forgotten about it. But thanks to all the food publications I subscribe to... I found out a week prior that it was opening. And they take reservations!! So I got a group of friends together to go check out their first night of business. I also made another reservation for 3 weeks later so we can see how their soft opening is vs business after a few weeks.

I was excited to see that they were offering dry ramen (mazemen) and dipping ramen (tsukemen) in their menu. I've definitely never had either in Dallas yet. And I like those better than broth ramen in general. :)

Wabi House
1802 Greenville Avenue, Suite 100
Dallas, TX 75206
www.wabihouse.com
Price: $$-$$$

We arrived a few minutes before our reservation at 6:30PM. The place was still empty so we were seated immediately. We were greeted quickly by our waiter. He was very friendly and seemed excited that we were there! He was very eager to give us recommendations on the menu items which was cool. We were still waiting for 2 more people so kinda took our time.

Finally we decided to go ahead and get some appetizers while waiting for the rest of the group. We got a few things to share at the table.

Hama Rayu (hamachi, rayu, mustard vinaigrette, cilantro, scallion. sesame) $15~ 

This was really really tasty. The hamachi (yellowtail) was fresh. But the star was the sauce. Between the mustard vinaigrette and rayu (chili oil), the flavor was great. I loved the extra hint of spice. However, each order only comes with 6 pieces, which I think is a little expensive for $15... 

Beets 'n Brussels (brussels sprouts, cashews, fried beets) $7~ 

I always have to get the Brussels Sprouts. This was also very good. The beets were shaved thin and fried which was a nice contrast to the brussels. The beets also added a sweetness to the dish. And I had forgotten there were nuts, they were hidden on the bottom. It added another layer of flavor and texture to the dish. I enjoyed it a lot.

Crispy Pork Ears (deep fried pork ears with house seasonings, bonito aioli) $9~ 

I love pork ears. Grew up eating them my whole life but rarely fried. I felt like they were sliced way too thin so it basically became crispy/oil sticks. It was a little heavy and I really didn't get any of the texture of the pork ears, which is the best part of eating it. The bonito aioli tho... yum! I put some of that on the brussels. hehe. I think this has room for improvement. As long as the pork ears are thicker, I think it'll be great.

So far so good. We were all excited to try the ramen!

Tonkotsu Ramen (chashu, woodear mushrooms, butter corn, egg, mayu oil, negi) $11~

 

Pretty much everyone got this except me. Everyone had their own variation though by adding extra toppings. Some added extra corn, some got extra eggs and chashu. It certainly was a pretty bowl. It looks like ramen I've gotten in Japan. So the noodles are the thin straight ones... booo. I really don't like those. I feel like they lack the chewy texture. I really prefer the curly kind. :( Everyone said it was good, but not the best they've had. Pretty much everyone in this group has had ramen outside of Dallas and has pretty high standards. They rated it average 3-3.5 out of everything they've ever had. I'd say that's a decent start for first night of business. The broth needed more depth of flavor, everything else was fine. One friend said the "umami" that ramen broth is supposed to have was lacking a little.

Dry Garlic (fresh garlic, garlic chips, dashi butter, chashu, nori strips, poached egg, cucumber) $11~ 

 

 

I got the dry ramen (mazemen). I prefer these because they normally have thicker/chewier noodles. And this was no exception. The noodles were way thicker than the broth ramen and they were awesome. Cooked perfectly al dente. I loved it. The poached egg was also fantastic and very necessary. It created a richness to the dish and held everything together. The flavor, however, left much to be desired. The garlic was definitely not lacking, but everything else was. It needed more salt, or spice, or something... I added some of my friend's extra spicy rayu in there and helped some. If there wasn't that poached egg, this dish would've failed. The cucumbers were a nice touch of freshness but were sliced too big... I think thinner slices would mix together with the noodles much better. And I felt they were a little stingy with the chashu. My piece of pork was barely a whole slice. It was nice and tender though. I ended up eating the entire bowl still just because I loved the noodles so much. And it was a huge bowl... way more than the broth ramen. I was so full!!!

Extra Toppings:
Chashu +$3~ (pork)
Egg +$2~
Woodear +$1~ (mushroom)
Corn $1~
Spicy Rayu $1~ (chili oil)

We had a good time. I think the food in general was good and shows a lot of promise. We're excited to go back in a few weeks and see how they've improved. As far as soft opening goes, I think they did a great job. Service was good, our waiter was nice, and our checks were separated properly. I'll be really happy if they improve and we actually have a good ramen place in Dallas! I had pretty much given up hope by now... Next time I want to try their tsukemen (dipping ramen)! The only other thing is that the price is a bit high. In Japan (or Cali), you can get an awesome bowl of ramen for around $10 and you can even get extra noodles for free. For some reason Dallas thinks ramen should be almost $20 a bowl after you add all the extra stuff. Booo... But IF they can match the quality to the price, I might feel better about paying it. haha.

So... see you soon, Wabi House. We're coming back! Their grand opening is this Saturday, 6/26. And I believe they are donating their proceeds to charity. I won't be able to make it, but you guys should go check them out! :) They also have a full bar, I believe, and I've heard their cocktails are good.

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Brooklyn: Okonomi/Yuji Ramen

I had a big list of food places to hit up before we went to NYC. Yuji Ramen was one of the top ones. Ever since I had their mazemen inside Whole Foods 2 years, ago, I've been dreaming about their food. haha. 

But since then, they have closed up shop inside Whole Foods and opened a brick and mortar establishment called Okonomi in Brooklyn. And luckily, it was only a 15 minute walk from our Airbnb apartment!! 

Okonomi/Yuji Ramen 
150 Ainslie St. 
Brooklyn, NY 11211 
www.okonomibk.com
Price: $$$ 


They have a different setup for lunch vs dinner. During the day they serve a Set Breakfast/Lunch for $15~ There is no physical menu, just what's fresh for that day. So the options are very limited. It's a very traditional Japanese style (they call it "Ichiju Sansai" set meal) with smaller portions, very clean and light eating. Dinner is mostly ramen and mazemen, and a few appetizer options. Also a small menu. Breakfast/Lunch is served Monday - Sunday. Dinner is only Monday - Friday. 

We went on Thursday around 11:30AM. We got the last 2 seats at the bar. It's such an adorable place. Really small... there are 2 tables that seats up to 4. And 4 seats at the bar. Then you look right into the kitchen where the chefs are cooking away. I loved it. Super homey and reminded me of Japan. 

We were served Hot Tea to start. Then the waitress went over the options for the lunch since there wasn't a menu to look over. 

For our entrees we got to choose from their Fish of the Day: Tuna Belly, Blue Fish Collar, and Blue Fish something else... And each dish comes with sides of Bok Choy with Tofu Sauce, Baked Egg, Pickled Vegetables, Miso Soup, and Brown Rice. Then... you can add the Uni with Poached Egg +$6~ 

While we waited, I started chatting with the chefs. I told them I loved Yuji Ramen 2 years ago so I had to check out Okonomi. And they were our first stop! They were super friendly. They also told us about their concept. During the day, they serve the fresh fish they just got, and then start the stock for the ramen broth with the bones and other parts. They want to showcase whatever was the freshest that day and also utilize every part of the fish. I thought that was a great concept. No waste, sustainable, and the menu changes daily! 

I got the Tuna Belly. 

 

 

It's so beautifully plated with the side dishes. So minimalistic and colorful. The belly was cooked perfectly. Lightly salted so I can actually taste the fish. The bok choy with tofu sauce was light and refreshing. And tofu sauce?? Never had that before. I could taste the soy in the tofu! The pickled vegetables added a nice acidity to the whole plate, paired really well with everything. I even ate the carrots! Gasp! :P And lastly, that egg... omg the egg. It was amazinggggggggg!! It was sweet and rich and luxurious. I saved it as my last bite of the entire meal. 

We both got the uni with poached egg. 

 

 

We found out that the lunch that day was the last day for uni. I think there was a shortage or something so they weren't able to get anymore for the forseeable future. Lucky us!! The waitress explained to us what we should do with it. You make a well in the rice, pour the mixture in, and mix it all together. Be careful when mixing because that rice bowl is FULL!! Can't waste a single drop! :P And oh em gee. That mixture is deeeelicious! I'm so glad we were able to experience it. 

He got the Blue Fish Collar. 

 

It was a pretty decent size. Cooked perfectly, super tender. Yummy. I actually liked it better than my tuna belly. 

It was a wonderful lunch. Light but delicious, and we weren't overstuffed, since we had lots of other places to go! The chefs were wonderful as well. Gave us some recommendations for places to check out. And since they were only doing ramen at night... we told them they might just see us again later that day. hehe. 

-------------------- 
... Aaaaand, we Went back to Okonomi for a late dinner. It becomes Yuji Ramen at night. This time my fiance's sister joined us. They don't take reservations so we had to be put on the list and waited. We got there a little before 9PM and we waited for almost 45 minutes. Luckily there's a little bar/cafe around the corner, so we went there to chill. 

Finally it was our turn. I greeted the chef that we met earlier that day. He was very happy to see that we've returned. He came over and gave us a run down of the menu. 

None of us were really that hungry, but while the chef was talking about the sashimi plate, he roped me in. haha. And I'm on vacation, why not?! 

Sashimi Plate (blackfin tuna, boston mackerel, porgy - starting bottom left, clockwise) $24~ 

 

Porgy is a small red snapper. He got me with the blackfin tuna. I've never heard of it. And he said this was the first time they were able to get this fish. So I HAD to try it. haha. It came with 2 condiments: Kosho...kind of a spicy yuzu relish, and fish roe sauce. The sashimi was super fresh. Surprisingly the mackerel was our favorite. Usually mackerel is too fishy, but this wasn't. And Kosho is awesome! I've never had it before. It had a kick to it... almost like wasabi but still different. I've never heard of it until then. Apparently you can buy it in Japanese supermarkets! It was a small sampling of sashimi but I think it was worth it. I got to try fish I've never had and the quality was just top notch. 

We decided to each pick a noodle dish and share.

Bacon and Egg Mazemen (brothless ramen with meat hook bacon, onsen egg, kale, bonito flakes) $15~ Add cheese +$1~ 

I had this one 2 years ago. It's still just as good. The noodles in mazemen are generally thicker and chewier, which I love. I suggest you add the cheese. It's not overpowering, but it adds more flavor and a creaminess to everything. Yum. 

Kaisen Hiyashi Chuka Mazemen (brothless; chilled noodle, squid, boston mackerel, porgy, clam lip, sweet vinegar soy, sesame) $18~ 

This was my choice. And what a good choice it is. :P It's a cold noodle. Kind of like a seafood ramen salad. The sauce is with vinegar/soy/sesame is almost like a dressing. The noodle is perfectly al dente. And there were so much seafood in there. Some were cooked, and some were pieces of sashimi we had in our appetizer. This was everyone's favorite. 

Ankimo Miso Ramen (creamy monkfish liver broth, torched whelk, arugula) $17~ 

 

We wanted to have at least one ramen with broth since they've been cooking it since early that morning. This was highly recommended. And monkfish is pretty unique so I said we should get this one. The broth was amazing, so rich in flavor. You get a hint of the liver but it only enriched the overall flavor. The noodles were thin but cooked perfectly. Fantastic. If it wasn't so late at night, I'd probably have finished the soup as well. But too much sodium at night gives me nightmares. :( 

3 of us shared everything. It was more than enough since we ate all day. Their ramen and mazemen is not to be missed! It's been phenomenal from beginning to end. His sister loved it so much. She said she was definitely going to bring her Japanese friend to try it. And the service was fantastic. At the end of our meal, the chef jokingly said that we shouldn't come back anymore. haha. He was very appreciative of our support but there are so many other places to go! 

I highly HIGHLY recommend Okonomi/Yuji Ramen. We've loved everything we had here. So take a day and make your way into Brooklyn!! You won't regret it. :) 

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~