鏡開きの日、かなり久しぶりにランチで「さん太ラーメン」をいただいてまいりました。
頼んだのは… Stewed Pork（太肉）入りの醤油味。確か US$17.50 です。
スープがかなり変化していました。醤油が強くなって鶏ガラ出汁その他の複雑な風味は感じられません。今までの、「ひとくち飲んで…これは『さん太』のスープ」という際立った特徴は失われました。麺はスパゲッティ製麺機で造ったと思しき、断面が丸くて縮れのない麺のままのようですが… 麺も少し変わったかも。 太肉や叉焼の脂に少し獣臭い風味が残っているのは、減点です。
醤油味が強くなったのは好き嫌いが別れそう。醤油県で生まれ育った儂にはOK。でもその昔… 扁桃腺が腫れて寝込んだ晩に、家人が行列に並んで買ってきてくれたラーメンの味ではなくなったのが、ちょっとだけ悲しい。
まるで鏡を見ているようで、まるっきり集中できないというか… ラーメンの味がしない。(爆)
お食事後は、忍者マーケットで割り箸を買い占めてから、向かいのパイ屋でパイ買って帰りました。
（ちなみに昨日も Campbell(F) さんに忍者まで連れてきてもらって、割り箸買い占めてます♪）
【記事後悔後追記ここから】
これ…『加トちゃん』という加藤茶さんのキャラだったんですね。合衆国に住んでてほぼ NHK しか観てないので、全然存じ上げませんでした。すいません。
When it comes to the day of Kagami-biraki, it's on January 11th, right? In our home, we took down the Kagami mochi that we had offered and ate it while wishing for good health. It's considered bad luck to point knives at offerings, so we didn't use a knife; instead, we used a wooden mallet to break it open. We also used the word "hiraku” instead of "waru” because "waru" is also considered unlucky.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, did you order the Stewed Pork in soy sauce ramen at Santa Ramen? I'm surprised by the price of US$17.50. I can't help but convert it to yen, and at the current exchange rate, it's 2,535 yen! It might be due to inflation, but it really makes me feel the yen is weak.
However, I've been thinking personally for a while that when we look back, the ramen we had during our student days in Japan was of a lower quality. At that time, we thought it was reasonably delicious, but nowadays, we can find ramen of decent quality even at not-so-famous shops, and the ones with below-average taste have already been eliminated. The Japanese ramen industry has to provide delicious taste while keeping the prices reasonable, which is quite challenging.
In your comments, it seems that the soup has undergone quite a change. It's stronger in soy sauce, and the complex flavors of chicken broth and others are not as prominent. If the distinctive characteristic that used to make it "Santa's soup" has been lost, that's indeed unfortunate. If the price remains the same and the taste deteriorates even slightly, it's even more disappointing.
In terms of ramen types, I used to like tonkotsu flavor before, but as I grew older, I started to prefer a lighter soy sauce flavor. However, if the soy sauce flavor becomes too strong, as you mentioned, it could be a matter of personal preference. For someone like you, who was born and raised in Chiba, known for its soy sauce, it may be okay, but for someone from western Japan like me, who feels uneasy if they can't see the bottom of the bowl when eating udon, a moderate soy sauce flavor is preferable.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I understand your sadness about the taste of ramen that your family bought for you when your tonsils were swollen and you were bedridden.
Regarding the painting that was in front of your seat at Santa Ramen, it is indeed a character named 'Kato-chan,' played by Mr. Kato Cha. But your comment about feeling like you were looking in a mirror and not being able to concentrate at all, and that the ramen didn't taste like anything, well, while it's true that you might share the commonality of having slightly thinning hair, you don't wear round glasses, you don't dress in uninspired attire like a bellyband, so you're probably overthinking it (lol).
Yamada Denki sensei,
DeleteFirst off, please accept my apology for missing the season’s greetings. Very sorry.
There will be bunch of events in your area followed by the mirror-crashing on 11th, such as fighting and scrambling for dildo where is happening nearby, and enjoying the blow-job sushi. What a significant place Okayama is! In any cases, whether grab the dido or not, or having thick and juicy sushi all at once, I hope you guys will have a productive, fruitful and meaningful year.
With gratuity, over 20 dollars per a bowl of ramen is average in SF Bay Area. If you ask lobster ramen, it costs way over 50 dollars but spending $20 for lunch is quite average in our area… unless otherwise if I eat at Taco Bell. Lunch at McDonald’s would be way over $20 since I always ask French fries and soda with two burgers.
In regards to the ‘improvement’ or ‘degraded’ flavor of soy-sauce style ramen at Santa, it’s still above average quality but I am simply sad because I miss my good memories – my better-half-san made a line and beg Mr. Kobayashi the owner to to-go a bowl of ramen (20 years ago, take-away wasn’t allowed) and I could have hot ramen in my bed during the fever by tonsillitis. After those episodes, no more severe fever on me since I received tonsillectomy at age 44. So I lost my lifelong experiences of fever as well as the taste of soy sauce ramen at Santa. Well, this might be a good sign I am ready to across the river.
Honestly speaking, I remember ‘mustache dance’ or ‘chotto-dakeyo’ but I never seen this old guy of bald, stached with spectacles. And Sensei… when I used to wear round-shaped eyeglasses. (but in that period, I was fully bearded)
The article you posted; "謹賀新年 あけましておめでとうございます" on MONDAY, JANUARY 1, 2024 had the comment section set to "New comments are not allowed." So, I ended up putting my season's greetings in the comment section of your article "Beyond Expectations Card" on TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2023. It's not something for which you should apologize. I'm the one who tends to comment all over the place like whack-a-mole, and I truly apologize for that.
ReplyDeleteI see, you refer to "鏡割り" as "ミラークラッシュ."
Yes, indeed, near our clinic at Saidaiji Kannon-in, there is a unique festival called "Eyō Hadaka Matsuri” that takes place. The origin of this naked festival dates back over 500 years when people used to snatch paper talismans. However, as more people started seeking these talismans, and because paper could tear easily, it was replaced with wood. Nowadays, we call it "Shingi”, but it's definitely not a dildo (lol).
As for "ehōmaki”, it refers to an uncut sushi roll traditionally eaten while facing a specific direction in silence during the Setsubun festival. Originally, in the Kansai region, people would enjoy uncut sushi rolls, known as "marukaburi”, "marukaburizushi”, or "futomaki zushi”, facing the direction of good fortune. However, during my childhood in Okayama, I don't recall such customs being practiced. It was later popularized as "ehōmaki" by Seven-Eleven, initially in some non-Kansai stores in Hiroshima Prefecture. Its popularity grew, and it gradually spread to other regions and stores throughout Japan.
So, while we do have numerous events in our region during this time, apart from the naked festival, these various events are not unique to Okayama. In other words, becoming a fortunate man (Fuku-Otoko) by obtaining Shingi during the naked festival holds significant meaning for men residing in Okayama, but enjoying a thick and juicy futomaki sushi roll isn't as region-specific.
Nevertheless, as you mentioned, despite a challenging start, I also hope it turns out to be a productive and fruitful year for everyone.
Yamada Denki sensei,
DeleteI am sorry for my nasty naughty imaginations but I dreamed Dr. F, who shows off white mustache, grabs that “Shingi,” personally perfectly shaped as dildo, and he’s training blowing service by thick and huge maki sushi… oh, I do love Okayama. Please forward my warmest regards, or love, to Dr. F.
We don’t have uncut maki sushi, and there’s no chance to have Shingi either… the closest match is something made with silicone and sold at adult store.
So I can’t expect anything further here – and visiting downtown SF is too risky because of too many junkies and undocumented immigrants, I would rather fly over my ‘heaven.’ From next Wednesday, I’ll be visiting Istanbul, followed by Istanbul in February then Istanbul in March.
After those stress (and something) releasing periods, I have to stay at home for 9 weeks for renewing my passport. The expedite renewal use to took 4 weeks, but now State Department requests 9 weeks since pandemic happened.
After the passport renewal, I plan to fly over Narita and hopefully see you on the first day of June. So if the passport renewal has been delayed, I’ll let you know as soon as possible. Please keep your fingers crossed.
Oh, I see. With tips included, is it the average for a bowl of ramen to cost over $20 in the San Francisco Bay Area? In that case, Santa Ramen's pricing still seems reasonable, right?
ReplyDeleteHuh? They have a menu item called "lobster ramen"? Just from the name, it's clear that ordering something like that would likely cost over $50, even to me.
Wait, spending $20 on lunch is considered average in San Mateo?... In typical Japanese regional cities like Okayama, very few people would spend over 1,000 yen on lunch.
You mentioned Taco Bell, which is headquartered in Irvine, California. It seems that, for a long time, they only had locations within U.S. military bases in Japan. Around 2015, they started opening stores in Tokyo, Osaka, and Yokohama.
You might wonder why I'm interested in Taco Bell. Well, it's because a couple of years ago, the news broke that the company that had signed a franchise agreement for Taco Bell in Japan had transferred all its shares to Kozo-Sushi (one of their shops which also leased land and buildings from me was right in front of our clinic).
Well, I apologize. I certainly can't indulge in playful fantasies like yours, especially when it comes to Doctor F and his white mustache, as I'm very familiar with him through our daily medical practice. So, I can't even dream of him personally holding a perfectly dildo-shaped "Shingi" and engaging in blowing service training with thick and huge maki sushi – in fact, I'd rather not (lol). While I appreciate your love for Okayama, I'm afraid I won't be able to pass on your warm greetings or affection to Doctor F (again, lol). Please make do with something made of silicone and sold at an adult store (another chuckle).
ReplyDeleteIf you successfully renew your passport, it looks like we'll be able to see on the first day of June. I've already made reservations for two nights from May 31, 2024, to June 2, 2024, in a TWIN HILTON GUEST ROOM at Hilton Tokyo Odaiba, 1-9-1, Daiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo 135-8625, Japan, with the phone number +81355005500. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem at this time Midori-san will be able to join us. Please understand.
In any case, I look forward to seeing you.
Yamada Denki sensei,
DeleteIn regards to my dream-come-true events with Dr. F, you can simply give him double doses (6mg only) of eszopiclone or certain amount of propofol. Please get an appropriate instruction from Dr. Doi since he was the pro. And after Dr. F lost his part of consciousness (don’t make him totally unconscious. That’s not fun), I will take care of the rest…
♪ I can show him a world, Shining, simmering, splendid
♪ Unbelievable sights, indescribable feeling
♪ A whole new world, A dazzling place he never new
♪ But when he’s way up here, it’s crystal clear…
I am pretty sure Dr. F will encounter ‘A Whole New World’ and then he will be ‘enlightened.’ (LoL)
So, please help. I will prepare some silicone tools with KY jerry.
(KY doesn’t mean Kuki Yomenai, in this case. (lol))
§
So… you already booked two nights at Odaiba Hilton? I sincerely apologize I can’t secure room in The New Sanno. My rank is too low to offer a room for someone. However, we can eat at any restaurant you want – this time I am thinking of Teppan-Yaki or Tempura (or both) at Kikuya restaurant, where I don’t invite you, Atsu-san and Oku-shama yet so far. Let me reserve a counter or table for party of five, including iSO-san.
Plus, we maybe spend more time at somewhere. Let me talk to Atsu-san and iSO-san what we can arrange on the day of June 1st, or even Friday night.
Please note: I will have to take my mom and sister to Hakone onsen from following Monday to Wednesday, so I won’t be able to spend Sunday afternoon with you. Sorry in advance.
Anyhow, I won’t update this blog so often – I might not report my 3 times of Istanbul visits before the trip to Japan. But please stay in touch.
Yes, I have already booked a 2-night stay at the Hilton Tokyo Odaiba. I don't have any specific preferences when it comes to dining, so I'll leave the choice of restaurant to all of you. However, I do enjoy teppanyaki, but if it's only tempura, I might not be able to eat too much. For some reason, I've never been able to finish a "tempura-only" meal. Of course, if it's teppanyaki with tempura, that's perfectly fine.
ReplyDeleteHaving a party with Atsu-san, his wife-san and iSO-san, along with a total of 5 people, would make it a fantastic celebration for my 66th birthday. I sincerely appreciate the effort you're putting into making the reservation for someone like me.
Furthermore, is there any other plan for additional time together? Considering that I might spend the evening of May 31st in preparation for that additional plan, initially, I was thinking of taking ANA Flight 660 from Okayama at 19:55, arriving at Haneda at 21:15 on May 31st. However, I've decided to delegate all of my afternoon work of the day to Dr. Doi (hahaha) and take ANA Flight 656 from Okayama at 14:20, arriving at Haneda at 15:40. With this schedule, if I take a taxi from Haneda, can I check in at the Hilton Tokyo Odaiba by 16:30?
I noticed you'll be going to Hakone with your mother and sister from Monday, June 3rd to Wednesday. Of course, I'll be returning to Okayama on Sunday afternoon, June 2nd, so I won't interfere with your precious family time.
Is your first visit to Istanbul coming up soon? Well, if there's anything new or exciting happening, please do share. Of course, it's perfectly fine if you don't report anything, but regardless, I'll be praying for your safe travels. Let's continue to stay in touch in the future.
I initially thought of the part:
ReplyDelete♪ I can show him a world, Shining, simmering, splendid
♪ Unbelievable sights, indescribable feeling
♪ A whole new world, A dazzling place he never knew
♪ But when he's way up here, it's crystal clear...
and it reminded me of the song "Seven Seas Of Rhye" by Queen:
♪ I stand before you naked to the eyes
♪ I swear that you'll be mine
♪ Mister do or else die
♪ You are mine, I possess you
♪ I belong to you forever
♪ Then I'll get you
♪ And with a smile
♪ I'll take you to the Seven Seas Of Rhye
This song was composed and also had lyrics written by the late Freddie Mercury. The original vocal version is featured on their second album, "QUEEN II," but an instrumental version of this iconic song was included on their debut album, "Queen."
Rhye is said to be the name of a fantasy world that Freddie imagined when he was a child. Looking back now, it might be, that Freddie, deeply immersed in the gay world, saw the world in a completely different light as you mentioned ("shining, simmering, splendid, unbelievable sights, indescribable feeling, a whole new world, a dazzling place he never knew").
Hmm, whenever you bring up Dr. F, it somehow always connects back to Freddie Mercury. Speaking of which, I just had a phone call with Dr. F to discuss admitting one of our patients to F Hospital, so it feels even more vivid now (hahaha).