Ramen Dojo

I made an amateur mistake. If I hadn’t blown out my taste buds ordering what I thought was a typical bowl of medium-spiced ramen, I’d be able to tell in you, in intricate detail, about Ramen Dojo, a get-there-early-because-it-gets-crazy spot in San Mateo.

I’d probably start by telling you about the three pork-based broths you can choose from: soy sauce, pork garlic, and miso. Then about your next decision - the level of heat - which begins with mild-spicy, then goes to regular spicy, and then extra spicy (you can see how I thought I was getting something in the medium-spice range here).

Next, if you wanted to fancy it up, I’d tell you all about their toppings. Their basic ramen comes with roast pork, fried garlic, mushrooms, chives, and a quail egg – but you can add extras like cod roe, kimchee, corn, or more eggs/noodles. The ramen also comes with a subtle, savory chicken “gravy” which is made from ground chicken, shiitakes and ginger.

Normally, I’d consider myself a pro when it comes to ramen. And spice-wise, I’m very proud of the fact that I’ve upgraded my heat tolerance (at least when it comes to salsa, or Korean tofu soup) from mild to medium. But I didn’t take into account that Ramen Dojo’s barometer of spice begins with spicy. My mistake.

But despite all my yammering on about the heat, I still really enjoyed my meal here. They share the same owners as popular Santa Ramen, as well as that same focused mission (and huge crowds). They concentrate on one thing and do it exceptionally well - with great care, authenticity and ingredients.

The broth had a silky richness and satisfying saltiness, the noodles were flavorful, and the toppings rounded out a nice range of crunchy, chewy, meaty textures. My rating is based on comments from my dining companions, including MFM who agreed about the spiciness, C. who appreciated the array of toppings, and D. who ordered the reddest, spiciest bowl of all and didn't even flinch (he's now my aspirational spice role model).

And then I’d probably wrap it up by saying they offer a few appetizers like takoyaki (squid balls) too – oh wait – that was served before I started losing feeling in my lips – so yes, I can confirm that those are indeed delicious. For everything else I’ll just have to go back another time and make sure I order appropriately. And you know, I can’t wait.

SAMIWICH'S TASTE RATING

Dulce de Leche Filled Cupcakes

makes 12 cupcakes

dulce de leche recipe adapted from Taylor takes a taste . . .

cupcake recipe adapted from Hershey's Kitchen

prep time: 30 min / cook time: 18-20 min

DULCE DE LECHE INGREDIENT

1 can sweetened condensed milk

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE INGREDIENTS

ingredients can be found here

DULCE DE LECHE WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING INGREDIENTS

1 c heavy whipping cream

1/3 c sugar

2 tbsp confectioners' sugar

2 tbsp dulce de leche

* If you want the frosting to be sweeter, you can add more.

DULCE DE LECHE INSTRUCTIONS

* Make sure your cans are not dented or damaged in any way. Using a damaged can could lead to problems when cooking.

• Remove the label from the can.

• Place the can on their side inside the crock pot.

• Fill the crock pot with water so that there is at least an inch of water covering the top of the cans.

* Make sure that there is always enough water completely covering the cans.

• Set the crock pot on low and cook the cans in water for 8 hours.

• When cooking is complete, let the cans cool until they are room temperature.

* DO NOT open the cans when they are hot because the cans can explode.

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE INSTRUCTIONS

• Instructions can be found here.

DULCE DE LECHE WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING INSTRUCTIONS

• Whip cream until it looks like whipped cream.

• Mix in sugar.

• Mix in confectioners' sugar and dulce de leche.

* I just mixed everything at one time (because I was being lazy), but you should really mix everything according to the instructions above to get the correct volume of the whipped cream.

ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS

• Using a paring knife, carve a small hole in the middle of the cupcake. Be sure not to cut too deep.

* You can use a spoon to gently remove more of the cupcake if needed.

• Spoon in a little bit of dulce de leche into the cupcake.

• Put the top back onto the cupcake and frost the top.

** ADDIECAKES' NOTE **

• If you don't want a domed top cupcake, fill the batter half way. You will end up with approximately 18-20 cupcakes.

ADDIECAKES' DIFFICULTY RATING

ADDIECAKES' TASTE RATING

The Sandwich Spot

I hate waiting in lines, but don’t mind as much when it’s for something that’s really, really good. And it might be a coincidence, but the last few really long lines I’ve stood in have all been for sandwiches. The really, really good kind of sandwiches.

Ike’s took almost an hour (see post here), busy So. SF spot Little Lucca’s took 40 mins (forgot my camera that day), and my first thought when I saw surf-inspired Sandwich Spot’s out-the-door-line was to forget it and find another place for lunch. But my second thought was it must be good, since everyone else was doing it*. So I got in line, and 25 minutes later I was glad I did. It was delicious!

If ordering a sandwich named the Porn Star or the Horny Hapa sounds embarrassing, this might not be the place for you. I ordered the former (while blushing, just a little), a finger-licking combination of marinated chicken, teriyaki sauce, bbq sauce, Bomb sauce (more on this later) and cheese. MFM went for the meaty Johnny GoodTimes – which was stuffed with ham, prosciutto, salami and provolone. Both sandwiches were big, tasty and a deal at $7.99.

These sandwich places have all found a crowd-pleasing formula. Besides long lines, another thing they all share is dutch crunch bread – and everyone seems to love this slightly sweet, crunch-topped bread. Everyone also loves a kickin', garlicky sauce. Aforementioned Ike’s has Dirty Sauce, Little Lucca has Original Garlic Sauce and the Sandwich Spot has the appropriately-named spicy/garlicky Bomb Sauce - which was amazing since it was actually distinguishable in my sandwich which was also dripping with BBQ sauce and teriyaki.

With so many good sandwich options in the Bay Area, how does one choose? Generally speaking, I’d probably go to Little Lucca’s for a more traditional sandwich, Ike’s if I wanted to go unconventional, and to the Sandwich Spot if I wanted something somewhere in between - and also if I wanted to sit, since it’s the only one of the three that offers actual seating. It's small - just a few tables - but it's nice plus, especially if you can't wait (like me) to sink your teeth into your sandwich right away.

*I'm pretty sure this is how lemmings get into trouble.

SAMIWICH'S TASTE RATING