109698 Wed Mar 07 18:23:05 -0800 2001 41 7 Chicago Area 0 591533 I saw Tampopo last night for the first time, and as may be expected I am feeling a serious urge to slurp down some good ramen tonight. I've combed the board for noodle soup suggestions and this is what I've come up with. Big Bowl -- I'm a little wary of this place, Lettuce Entertain You being what it is. Penny's -- I've eaten here before with mixed (mostly unpleasant) results. Pf Changs -- Seems like a bit of a trek. Benpao -- Lettuce Again, and perhaps a touch too upscale Seven Treasures (the one on Wentworth) for noodle soups and war mein. Very un-fancy, but good soups. Joy Yee's, tel. (312)328-0001, on Archer in the Chinatown Square mall. the best noodles and fruit drinks you've had in your life! None these places seem to really fit the bill--is it possible that there are no japanes noodle-ries in chicago? I'd love to hear more about Seven Treasures and Joy Yee -- specific recommendations? things to avoid? Any other ideas that the Chicago hounds can come up with would be greatly appreciated. Am I far off the mark with my skepticism about the first four listed? thanks. Wed Mar 07 18:23:05 -0800 2001 0 Seth Zurer 1 591535 One of my all time favorite movies. And a true hunger enducer. The biggest problem is you want what you saw in the movie and that's unlikely in Chicago. Please trust me on this, I lived in Japan for several months a few years ago and I really know what it is you want. And I still have yet to find it here. I gave up and just roll my own now. It's infinitely satisfying. You're correct in being dubious about the named places. I have a friend who loves the Pennys on Shefield, but hates the Pennys on Diversey. I tried their noodle soup twice and the first time it came with big honking pieces of very greasy, off-tasting BBQ pork. Yuck. The 2nd time I ordered it without the pork and, eh. Just ok. NOT Tampopo. Big Bowl - oh God please don't get me started on this place. Firstly, the cooking your own food concept (they do it, but you put it together) bugs the **** out of me. Secondly, I saw some combos that truly made me wonder if the patrons had ever eaten any sort of Asian food ever. Imagine hearing someone ask for ranch dressing for the Chinese chicken salad. Shudder. Another pay-through-the-nose-please-sir-may-I-have-another concept from the dunder heads at Lettuce. Don't bother. Ben-Pao's prices are higher than Japan. The food was good, but not great. 19.00 for orange beef that had no hot peppers. It's more Chinasian for the Melmanites. Nuff said. PF-Chang's - him I don't know. I have heard good things about Hey Ricky's on Southport, but have yet to go. But here's what I think you want to do. Go to little Chinatown and walk around. There are several little Mom and Pop places on Argyl that, while not Japanese, have renditions that are similar to what you're craving. I think Satchko at Sanko makes her own Udon, but I'm not a 100% on this. I love their Miso however. So you may want to give her a try. If none of these work then I would suggest sitting down at your favorite sushi joint and asking the sushi chef where he goes, other than the place you're in, for his noodle soup. Couldn't hurt. Thu Mar 08 07:43:47 -0800 2001 591533 0 bryan 2 592829 watch the movie again, and make it yourself... Tue Sep 11 22:07:06 -0700 2001 591535 0 patrick barclay 1 591536 I first saw Tampopo when I was in college in Philly and for a week tried desparately to hit that craving (and failed) One place i would try is lincoln noodle shop -5862 lincoln. Korean place with handmade noodles, everything on the menu is under $5. i ate there yesterday and the Noodles include soo ze-bi, irregular hand-cut squares in a mild broth, and bibim naeng myun, cold buckwheat noodles in garlicky chili paste--not on menu (i suspect its there on one of the signs in korean on the wall). They also have ramen. I can't report on quality but everything else is so nice (and cheap) that it's definetely worth a shot. About Joy Yee's - I highly recommend the place, but not for noodle soup. The drinks are awesome and I have taken quite a few folks there for the bubble teas and fruit drink and all have come away with the need to visit more often. They also have for my money the single best potstickers in town. Big meaty fat ones with a wrapper with some heft that has picked up flavor from sufficient pan time. Another suggestion (and once again this isn't ramen) is hitting argyle for some pho. pho hua and pho 777 are pretty good. Thu Mar 08 08:54:26 -0800 2001 591533 0 zim 2 591540 Thank you so much, Bryan and Zim. I will try to get to some of these places this weekend, and will report back. Now all I need is to find someone with whom to practice the egg yolk maneuver with me. seth Thu Mar 08 12:27:15 -0800 2001 591536 0 Seth Zurer 3 591546 Well, there are a few places for the egg yolk trick. But that's for another site altogether. Good luck on the soup quest. Fri Mar 09 05:19:40 -0800 2001 591540 0 bryan 4 591559 Well, I made it to the Lincoln Noodle House this weekend, and as promised it was very good. I had the two dishes you mentioned, Zim. While they were no ramen, they were certainly satisfying, especially the cold buckwheat vermicelli. So, thanks to all. seth Mon Mar 12 12:17:34 -0800 2001 591546 0 Seth Zurer 2 591858 I agree that the Fruit drinks are great at Joy Lee's, but the service is horrible, unless you are asian. just a small point you might want to consider. Sat Jun 02 23:19:10 -0700 2001 591536 0 Siri Gramstad 1 591560 Actually, there's nothing wrong with Big Bowl; the food is good, so's the service. Definitely a cut above a lot of alternatives. That said, if you are looking for an authentic experience, don't go to Big Bowl. Big Bowl is a fusion concept, a little of this, a little of that. Being a industry professional,I have a tremendous respect for Lettuce Entertain You and their operations. Rather than it being a negative, LEI operations assure a certain level of professionalism and training that is too often lacking in independents. Mon Mar 12 13:21:53 -0800 2001 591533 0 YankeeBoy 1 591566 I have the place for you!! The real deal!! Mitsuwa Market, it's an indoor all Japanese mini-mall in Arlington Heights on the corner of Algonquin & Arlington Heights Rd. There is a killer noodle shop in the food court....plus this is the only place in the midwest to buy real yuzu juice. -Efrain Tue Mar 13 17:06:20 -0800 2001 591533 0 Efrain Madrigal 2 591567 What's Yuzu Juice? seth Tue Mar 13 17:11:20 -0800 2001 591566 0 Seth 3 591568 Yuzu is the most fragrant citrus fruit on the planet. It looks like a big lime and the best way to describe its flavor is an intense grapefruit/tangerine/lime mutation. It's used in Ponzu dipping sauce, some people add it to their bath water and for an amazing martini add 1-2 drops. Tue Mar 13 17:22:49 -0800 2001 591567 0 Efrain 4 591569 Do you know a supplier by any chance. I've been looking for a source for yuzu juice for a couple of years! Thanks, Pat Tue Mar 13 17:28:13 -0800 2001 591568 0 pat hammond 5 591592 Hosada Brothers Imports in Elk Grove Villiage, Illinois is the importer. Also if you can find the Saveur Magazine from a couple of months ago they did their top 100 food items of the year and the Yuzu juice was in there with a source for mail order. If you can't find it let me know and I'll get the info for you. Wed Mar 21 12:39:05 -0800 2001 591569 0 Efrain Madrigal 6 591596 Efrain: Thanks a lot. My search for the Holy Grail of citrus fruit seems to be drawing to a close! pat Wed Mar 21 15:05:13 -0800 2001 591592 0 pat hammond 4 591594 Some people throw the whole citron (yuzu) in the bath for the oils, not just the juice. I've attached a link for citrons; you can also get yuzu juice at most Japanese grocery stores -- usually right next to the ponzu sauce (but light yellow in a clear bottle). Best, Deb H. Link: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/citron.html Wed Mar 21 13:21:08 -0800 2001 591568 0 Deb H. 5 591595 A citron is different than a yuzu. Go to the link. Link: http://www.sugawara.com/dic/yuzu.html Wed Mar 21 14:54:20 -0800 2001 591594 0 Efrain 6 591598 Huh. All my Japanese dictionaries give citron as being the definition of yuzu, and numerous web pages refer to yuzu as being citron. The big yellow citrons are also sold in Japan as 'yuzu' -- maybe yuzu is the general name for citron in Japanese, and the green one in the picture is a sub-variety. I'll look around some more. Best, Deb H. Wed Mar 21 17:19:37 -0800 2001 591595 0 Deb H. 7 591599 Do a search on this site for yuzu - you should find references to a bunch of research I did a year or more ago on this topic. The nomenclature is really screwed up, but the bottom line is that yuzu is a citrus but NOT citron - it is a distinct and esoteric type of citrus to wit Citrus ichangensis X C. reticulata var. austera. Also the rind, rather than the juice is the main culinary ingredient, though the juice is used too. I looked at growing it from seeds (assuming I could find a fruit) but it is a hybrid so would probably not come true from seed. As far as I was able to determine (I think this is reflected in the earlier posts) plants are not available in the US currently, and there is no domestic production of yuzu fruit going on. What I would like to know is where people buy the yuzu fruits in the US. As of yet, I have not seen any in NY, but then I havent trolled the Japanese stores. Wed Mar 21 17:50:09 -0800 2001 591598 0 jen kalb 8 591601 My dictionaries & the other web mentions must be wrong, then. Thanks for the detailed info -- now I'm convinced. I haven't yet seen fruit labeled as yuzu for sale in the US (though you can get it in Japan); I'll check out my local Japanese grocery stores. Best, Deb H. Wed Mar 21 18:45:29 -0800 2001 591599 0 Deb H. 9 591635 In Saveur magazine's top 100 of this year they listed a grower in California who will mail order Tue Apr 03 23:57:39 -0700 2001 591601 0 Efrain 8 591960 On the nomenclature for Yuzu: "Yuzu" isn't a documented hybrid as such, despite the Ichangensis X Reticulata identification made by Swingle... who was hypothesizing about its origin. Regardless of how it originated, Yuzu has been grown for a long time in Japan... I think it ought to come true from seed (allowing for normal genetic variation, and no cross-pollination from other species). There are actually two competing citrus nomenclatures, Swingle's and Tanaka's. Swingle took the approach of classifying the world's many citruses as hybrids or varieties of a very few species; Tanaka gave a species designation to many more citrus fruits, as long as they were distinct and their origins shrouded in obscurity (or antiquity, or whatever). So we have Citrus Ichangensis X C. Reticulata var Austera (Swingle), versus Citrus Junos (Tanaka)... both names accepted terminology and both namers reputable botanists. The tree is cold-hardy though you would need to protect it from the worst of NY's winter cold. It's also fairly slow-growing. You can get Yuzu trees in the United States from Oregon Exotics nursery, www.exoticfruit.com, where they list it under Ichandarins (sigh). You can also buy trees in Hawaii (but then there's export regs to the mainland) and I think that's where the imported fruit probably comes from. I've heard it's available in Japanese groceries on the west coast- and it's seasonal- in season November-December. Get someone to go shopping for you! I'd offer but am in Ohio. KR Link: http://www.exoticfruit.com Mon Jul 09 17:07:43 -0700 2001 591599 0 K Russell 9 591962 I appreciate your adding the clarifications of the confusing yuzu nomenclature above - bty I was given the advice about the seed by the folks at Four Winds growers in California - but they had no first hand experience with yuzu and believed there was no domestic source. I am SO pleased that you have turned up a domestic source for the plants. Thanks so much for contributing the information. Chowhounds are grateful! Mon Jul 09 17:45:53 -0700 2001 591960 0 jen kalb 10 591963 Those of you interested in yuzu and its uses may want to check out the accounts on the SF Bay Area board of dinner at Lakuni. The chef had some frozen yuzu on hand from his own tree. Mon Jul 09 17:50:21 -0700 2001 591962 0 Melanie Wong 9 593959 please help me get yuzu. i live in l.a. and went to little tokyo to matzuma japanese store and nothing there. ive called around and no one carries it. thank you Sat Dec 01 01:33:16 -0800 2001 591960 0 becky 7 591870 Yuzu is not a citron. Citrus Industry lists it as probably a hybrid between Ichang papeda and some culitvated variety of Chinese mandarin. Fri Jun 08 12:52:13 -0700 2001 591598 0 Lance Walheim 8 591871 Yes, Jen Kalb already settled this point with her informative post on March 21. Deb H. Fri Jun 08 14:36:38 -0700 2001 591870 0 Deb H. 5 591613 On the subject of delicious, hard to find citrus fruits, when I was india my favorite drink was mosambi juice - a cross between lime and orange that was the most refreshing juice in the morning. I have never been able to track down this fruit in the US, and i frequent a number of indian groceries. If anyone knows of these fruits and where to get them, please fill me in. FYI the scientific name is Citrus limettioides Tanaka and it is sometimes translated as sweet lime. Mon Mar 26 15:47:33 -0800 2001 591594 0 zim 5 591771 Hello, Do you know if I can order Yuzu Juice by mail someplace? Thanks, mark mark.bryner@hsc.utah.edu Fri May 11 22:20:08 -0700 2001 591594 0 MARK BRYNER 6 591774 Try calling or e-mailing Maruwa Supermarket in San Francisco; I know they do mail order although their web page (www.maruwa.com) is acting up right now. Maruwa Foods 1746 Post St. San Francisco, CA 94115 Tel: 415/563-1901 info@maruwa.com Best, Deb H. Mon May 14 11:34:44 -0700 2001 591771 0 Deb H. 2 591570 Could my search possibly be over? Do you know if they'd mail me a bottle? I live in Maine. Used to live in St. Louis. Damn! I was sooo close. Thanks. Pat Wed Mar 14 08:46:12 -0800 2001 591566 0 pat hammond 1 591694 Seth, I actually had dinner last night at a korean run Japanese spot on N. lincoln (just a little south of California) it was called . . .TAMPOPO. I am not by any means an expert on japanese food but It was a prertty enjoyable experience. Grilled eel was great, tofu with ginger sauce also nice but their specialty was . . . RAMEN. I had Chasu Ramen (with marinated pork, bamboo shoots)and it was a very big bowl (meal in iteself) at first taste the broth seemed to me to lack body, and i concentrated on the savory bits of pork and vegetable but as i continued to eat the broth seemed somehow to become more and more intense, by the end, even though i was more than full because i had eaten besides this meal in of otself other dishes, I couldn't stop from slurping every last gulp from the bowl. It is not the Ramen stand atmosphere you see in the movie, more of a low-key neighborhood japanese joint, but it may be the closest to the Ramen experience you saw in the movie you are able to get in these city limits. Thu Apr 19 17:32:09 -0700 2001 591533 0 zim 2 591732 Oh my. I guess I've gotta go. My apologies for veering off topic, but, speaking of Tampopo, I just saw another Itami movie last night, The Funeral. Though not nearly as food-heavy as Tampopo, there are a couple of memorable eating scenes, and the movie over all is fantastic. Mon Apr 30 16:46:33 -0700 2001 591694 0 Seth 3 591733 yeah its pretty nice, though not quite in the same league as tampopo. you might like "A taxing woman" also itami. in terms of the food, I'll stress again I 'm not a japanese connoiseur, but it was tasty, folks were firendly over all a pleasant experience, but not one you have to kill yourself for Mon Apr 30 17:20:00 -0700 2001 591732 0 zim 4 591766 Ah Tampopo. I watched the movie again last week and was once again motivated to go get noodles. I tried Joy Yee, Tampopo, the noodles from Mirai, and a place called Gaya which had the advantage of being open at 11:00 after I had finished watching the movie. Joy Yee was terrific. A neighboring table warned us away from the non-vietnamese/korean elements of the menu, so I passed on the japanese noodles. Instead, I had a nice Vietnamese Noodle Soup with seafood--clear noodles and excellent fishcakes. We also tried the short ribs, which were very tasty. The fruit drinks, as indicated elswhere in this thread were great. Until my shake at Joy Yee, I had never had a positive tapioca experience, but the tapioca beads floating in my Mango Lychee freeze were astonishing: chewy, gooey without being slimy, and unlike any conception of tapioca I had previously had. Gaya, which satisfied an immediate need after watching the movie, was alright. It's close to Tampopo on Lincoln, a couple of blocks south. They had no ramen, so I tried the Udon with Tempura. They put the tempura veggies and shrimp directly into the soup, so it was completely sogged out within minutes. The noodles were fine, and the little korean appetizers were alright, if a little confusing. Alongside the fishcakes, kimchee, and pickled sprouts, was a dish of what appeared to be macaroni salad directly out of the Dominick's container. Weird. Not terrific, and I wouldn't make it a point of returning, unless I once again had a late-night craving. I tried the Soba noodles with tempura from Mirai -- they too don't make ramen. Really good. The tempura stuff came on a separate plate, so no Gaya-sog effect, and the noodles were tasty. And they have the most solicitous service to be found within three blocks of my house. But the ramen from Tampopo was the real winner. I don't know how it'd compare with the real deal in country (t seems from other threads that there is probably no ramen in America to match the ramen in Japan), but I really enjoyed it and will definitely return. I tried the Sansai Ramen, advertised as ramen with pork and mountain vegetables. As Zim indicates above, the soup gets better and better the longer it's in front of you. The mountain vegetables, which as far as I can tell, consisted of green onions, leek flowers, some sort of mushroom and lots of other unidentifiable bits, were great--i didn't rest until I had picked out every bit. It came with a hefty slice of pork, that was very good, if a little dry. And the people were incredibly friendly. When quizzed, the server admitted that the restaurant was named for the movie, and that he too felt the same burning craving for ramen after watching it. I'm going to go over to Naniwa tonight after work. I can't remember if they serve noodles or not, but I'm hoping, and the location is right. Thanks to everyone for the tips. Wed May 09 12:33:35 -0700 2001 591733 0 Seth 5 591840 I haven't seen Tampopo, but I'm figuring that this is the place to report on my most recent noodle experience... I met a friend for lunch, Saturday, at Pho 777. [We'd never been before.] I took it as a good omen that the place was nearly full. I ordered a lime and soda and had a look at the menu. I was impressed by the breadth of the Pho menu... around 20 types. Choices included eye of round, well-done flank, brisket, meatballs, and variety cuts. In addition, they had a number of round rice noodle (bun) soups which contained combinations of beef/pork/seafood. [There were alot of other things on the menu, as well, but my focus was on the soups.] My friend, not being the most adventurous sort, got Pho Ga. [He always gets Pho Ga.] I decided to stretch a bit and try Bun Bo Hue. It was described as a spicy bun soup with eye of round and various pork cuts. Well, I lucked into one of the most delicious soups that I've ever had. The broth was an oily, murky brick-red... perfectly spiced and plenty complex. [NB It ponged, but that's a turn-on for some, I know.] It contained well-cooked slices of beef, various bone-in pork parts (including a trotter) and a generous amount of fresh noodles. Both soups were accompanied by a garnish plate. This included bean sprouts, shredded cabbage, Thai basil, and Ngo gai (saw-leaf plant). I'm still thinking about this soup... Oh yeah, my friend really liked his Pho Ga. We'll be back. Wed May 30 18:44:51 -0700 2001 591766 0 Erik M. 6 591841 Sounds like you had some great pho! But what is this verb "ponged", as in: "[NB It ponged, but that's a turn-on for some, I know.]" Pat Wed May 30 19:21:10 -0700 2001 591840 0 Pat Hammond 7 591842 Pong-- English term from my childhood. Smells, funks, reeks, etc. Wed May 30 19:45:57 -0700 2001 591841 0 Erik M. 8 591844 English as in British? It certainly is a new one on me! pat Wed May 30 20:10:49 -0700 2001 591842 0 Pat Hammond 9 591847 I should have said British. Puerile. [Anyone remember, Cheeky, the comic book?] Wed May 30 22:32:21 -0700 2001 591844 0 Erik M. 6 591845 Rent Tampopo and see for yourself. Preferably at some time when you can schedule in another noodle frenzy. Wed May 30 21:07:56 -0700 2001 591840 0 ironmom 1 592410 In today's metromix there was a little thing on Katsu on peterson. i was curious and checked out their menu - it seems they have quite a ramen selection as well. they seem a little cheaper than tampopo and might be worth checking out. here are the links: menu: http://www.menus.com/menus.com/modular_templ/menu_page.asp?Menu_id=7732703&mhd_id=10724&hd_id=92145&rest_id=7732703 metromix article: http://metromix.com/top/1,1419,M-Metromix-Dining-frommmxfont!PlaceDetail-5267,00.html Mon Aug 20 12:26:16 -0700 2001 591533 0 zim