Ramen Dojo – Sans Slurp

Why do I always find myself driving down to San Mateo for good ramen? With gas prices so high, I wish there were better options in the city.

Ramen Dojo is a tiny place with about 7 tables and a few seats along the counter. Thus, there is inevitably always a line. And the service is inefficient, so the line tends to move slowly. The same person takes the orders, handles the bills, and calls the names on the lists…and often not in the most practical sequence. I try not to get too annoyed as I watch empty tables waiting to be filled while she does other stuff, then slams the kitchen when she seats everyone all at once.

Fortunately, I forget about the wait as soon as my big beautiful bowl of spicy miso ramen arrives. The noodles have the perfect amount of chewiness, and the tender slices of pork just fall apart in my mouth. The quail egg, garlic cloves, and green chives enhance the rich ramen…and I always add a helping of their crunchy, sweet bamboo to round out the flavors. My only wish is that they put more broth in the bowl. The broth is so thick and served in such a small quantity, that it’s more like a stew than a soup you can slurp your noodles with. And slurping your ramen is proper Japanese etiquette! BITE METER: Ramen Dojo – 4.0 bites (out of 5.0)

Bistro Vis à Vis – Cupid Misfires

I’m surprised by the high ratings received by Bistro Vis à Vis on Yelp. There were some creative ideas, but overall the food was just average…not deserving the ~$100/person bill. Maybe it was because their regular menu wasn’t available when I ate here (it was the same week as Valentine’s so they required everyone to have the set menu). Regardless, the service was clumsy and needs work. Our waiter was forgetful and would literally just drop food and wine off at the table without saying anything (he could have at least told us what kind of wine was being paired with each course!). The restaurant also lacks personality. I knew something was awry when I pulled up and found out it was located in a strip mall (it’s hard to overcome the cheesiness of a strip mall even if you are in Marin).

Abalone with Blood Oranges – the fresh abalone from Santa Cruz was coated and pan-fried, giving a unique savoriness and succulence, while the blood oranges added sweetness and acidity.
Mushroom and Shaved Truffle Salad – way overdressed. The tartness of vinaigrette overwhelmed the delicate truffle flavor. And the parmesan crisp was more rubbery than crispy.
Octopus Paperdelle – I forgot to take a photo, but you’re not missing much. I was expecting a rich paperdelle dish, but got pasta in a light broth instead. While the broth developed a good seafood flavor, the octopus was bland and chewy. The table next to me sent this dish back; I was too nice to do the same.

Pork Loin with Potatoes – best dish of the night. The pork was flavorful and juicy. I liked the use of different potatoes (gold, purple, and sweet) and serving them two ways, roasted and fried chips. The roasted potatoes were especially delightful…left ever so slightly raw in the middle to give them a bit of a crunch without tasting undercooked.
Chocolate Cake with Raspberries – dense, sweet chocolate. Nothing more, nothing less.
Okay food. Clumsy service. Weird ambience. Go someplace else.

BITE METER: Bistro Vis à Vis – 2.0 bites (out of 5.0)

Morimoto Napa – A Pearl in the Heart of Napa

Sushi in the middle of Napa Valley?! Seems like an unlikely place to be able to get fresh fish flown in regularly from Japan, but if anyone has the connections and financial backing to make it happen, it’s celebrity chef Masaharu Morimoto (known best for his culinary skills and creativity on Iron Chef). And he definitely delivers at his newest restaurant Morimoto Napa…the seafood was excellent.

Uni (sea urchin), Chu-toro (medium fatty tuna), Hotate (scallop), Tamago (egg cake) – Nothing makes me more happy than *really* good sushi. The uni was creamy goodness, the chu-toro melted in my mouth like soft butter, and the scallop was crisp and sweet. I was tempted to order more, but also wanted to try the cooked items. Only the tamago was average; I was hoping it’d be light and fluffy like Urasawa’s.
Foie Gras Chawan Mushi – Intoxicating!! The silky foie gras custard was topped with a sweet soy broth and thin slivers of duck breast…so rich and luscious. I also appreciated the dollop of fresh grated wasabi to give it a bite on the finish. This dish was seriously addicting…I couldn’t stop until I had scraped every single bit from the bowl. Our waitress rightfully called this dish “Morimoto’s crack”…I’m hooked and coming back for more!
Spicy King Crab – I was delighted to see the huge portion of crab. It was sweet, succulent, and elevated by the spicy tobanjan aioli and crunchy tobiko toppings…finger lickin’ good! This dish was even better than I had remembered it from my dinner at Morimoto NY several years ago. My only request for next time would be to use a little less aioli.
Sea Urchin Carbonara – I had been wanting to try this ever since I first visited the restaurant’s website. I was thrilled how the distinct uni flavor and creaminess came through in the sauce as it coated the perfectly al dente noodles (even more so than my uni pasta at Le Bernardin), but unfortunately the dish was a tad too salty. It would’ve been phenomenal without the smoked bacon (did I really just say that?!)
Seafood Toban Yaki – a claypot of lobster, king crab, shrimp, scallop, mussels and clams in a spicy red miso sake broth. To my surprise, the broth lacked depth and a developed seafood flavor…all I got was spice. My least favorite dish of the evening.

Chocolate Banana Dessert – a tasty trio comprised of a banana shake (cold and refreshing), chocolate pot de crème (sweet decadence), and ginger-banana bread with miso caramel (wonderfully light, while the miso rounded out the caramel’s sweetness and gave it an extra dimension)
I really enjoyed my dinner at Morimoto Napa. The food is anchored by Japanese cuisine while also successfully infusing Western flavors and fun. The restaurant’s décor is a little too modern and flashy for Napa, but at least it tries to incorporate the wine country with vine branches along the slate gray walls and using an exposed trunk for the sushi bar.

BITE METER: Morimoto Napa – 4.2 bites (out of 5.0)