Dining Out: Gimmari and Beef Noodle Soup at Jeon Ju Hyang

Since I'm still getting over my cold, it was obviously time for more noodle soup. So I went back to Jeon Ju Hyang with my mom. I don't know if they've always had this combo deal on their menu or if it's apart of the revamp they seem to have had in the last year, but they offer an appetizer + noodle + can of pop combo for $24.99, which I think is a pretty good value. There's six options each for the appetizer and the noodle dish, so I decided on the gimmari and the beef noodle soup.

Gimmari
Beef noodle soup

For some reason, I'd never gotten any of the appetizers here, but the gimmari is freaking delicious, chockfull of glass noodles and super crispy on the outside. Would absolutely order again, even without the combo. The beef noodle soup was good, but I do think the chicken version here is better — I'm not sure if it's the way they marinade their chicken or the way they cook it, but I prefer the flavour of it more than the beef, which seems more ginger-forward. Regardless, either one works perfectly if you've got a cold. (Ask for more tissues, though — you will have to blow your nose at least a dozen times throughout the meal as the steam works it's way through your nasal passages...)

Jeon Ju Hyang

5694 Highway 7

Markham, ON L3P 1B4

(905) 201-1002

Dining Out: Jjamppong (Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup) at Jeon Ju Hyang

It was inevitable after too little sleep and traveling on a plane: I caught a cold. After three straight days of honey lemon water and canned soup, I needed real food. Which means a big fat bowl of noodle soup.

Jjamppong

I used to go to Jeon Ju Hyang with my mom at least twice a month. But I'd actually been boycotting them because I got COVID from a server there last January, right before my trip to Asia. (I know it was that specific server, too, because he was coughing over my food while carrying it to the table WITHOUT A MASK ON. I felt sick the next day and took a COVID rapid test and it came out positive. Like, SUPER DARK LINES. I lost my sense of taste for over a week and will never forgive that smug teenage motherfucker.) But I decided to give them a try again because I very specifically wanted their jjamppong and the craving was unreal. And, you know, it's been nearly two years. It was time to let go of my grudge.

Turns out, they've had a bit of an overhaul — completely new staff, a revamped menu, and it seems like new ownership, too. (Except the BTS poster they've had up since opening is still there, which is what really matters.) But most importantly, the jjamppong is just as delicious and satisfying as I remember it. So, consider my boycott over. 

Jeon Ju Hyang

5694 Highway 7

Markham, ON L3P 1B4

(905) 201-1002

Dining Out: Satay Beef Noodle Soup, Egg & Luncheon Meat Sandwich, and Hong Kong-Style French Toast at Neighbourhood Cafe

New Hong Kong cafe alert! I saw Neighbourhood Cafe featured in multiple IG reels recently so I suggested going there for an early dinner with Minji and Daniel (my fellow cha chaan teng fiends).

Satay beef noodle soup
Egg and luncheon meat sandwich
Hong Kong-style French toast
Neighbourhood Cafe offers a fairly big variety of HK cafe foods, but I ultimately decided to go with the satay beef noodle soup set, which comes an egg sandwich (to which I added slices of luncheon meat for $2) for just under $14. Got an unsweetened iced HK lemon tea on the side, and shared the peanut butter-filled Hong Kong-style French toast for dessert. Everything I had was excellent and honestly better than I expected — they don't skimp on flavour, portions, or freshness of ingredients. The value is great considering the cost of dining out now, and there are even better deals for breakfast and afternoon tea sets. Service is also friendly and incredibly efficient. 

Having eaten at many HK cafes around the GTA, I would absolutely come here again over other similar restaurants — as long as it's during off-hours. We came here just after 5:30PM for an early dinner and didn't have to wait for a table and found parking right away, but by the time we left around 7:00PM, the parking lot was packed with tons of cars waiting for available spots. So, be warned. 

Neighbourhood Cafe

9021 Leslie St., Unit 4

Richmond Hill, ON L4B 0B2

(905) 707-8885

Dining Out: Wonton and Beef Brisket Noodle Soup at Wonton Hut

There's one place that I go to eat at least twice a month and that is Wonton Hut.

Wonton and beef brisket noodle soup

For some reason, I never post about it, maybe because it's so ingrained into my dining routine, like fast food for some people. But they make, in my opinion, one of the best wonton noodle soups in all of the GTA. Honestly, better than the ones I've had in Hong Kong. (To be fair, it's owned and run by Hong Kongers, but still.) I always get the wonton noodle soup, sometimes with flat rice noodles instead of the typical Chinese egg noodles or with beef brisket added in, but it is ALWAYS delicious. Their wontons are made in-house and are huge and plump and filled with whole shrimp, and the broth is flavourful and perfectly salted. Anyway, the weather is gloomy AF today (it is April and we quite literally have had an ice storm and freezing rain — indeed, Canadian spring is a joke), so I decided to get a bowl of wonton and beef brisket noodle soup (with some Chinese broccoli on the side) — one of my ultimate comfort foods.

Wonton Hut

Markham Town Square

3760 Highway 7, Unit 2A

Markham, ON L3R 0N2

(905) 604-9060

Dining Out: Tteok Mandu Guk and King-Size Meat and Kimchi Mandu at Jin Korean Noodles

My friends Minji, Daniel, Samuel, and I were all craving something hot, soupy, and comforting for dinner since it's been -10℃ everyday for the past week. So we made the unanimous decision to go to Jin Korean Noodles:

Tteok Mandu Guk
Half-Half King-Size Mandu

Since we just started the new year, I decided to get the tteok mandu guk (rice cake soup with dumplings) as per Korean New Year tradition, and we shared an order of their signature king-size mandu (half meat and half meat with kimchi). I gotta say, I've been coming here since they opened during the pandemic and they never disappoint. Their line-ups get crazy but it's always worth the wait. Will have to come back ASAP for my favourite kalguksu. It's noodle soup season, after all.

Jin Korean Noodles

230 Commerce Valley Dr. E., Unit 7

Thornhill, ON L3T 7Y3

(905) 764-5922

Dining Out: Maple Wood Duck Breast Shoyu Ramen at Koi Sakana Ramen

Maple Wood Duck Breast Shoyu Ramen

It's cold and snowy, so you know what that means: it's noodle soup season! But I wanted something unique, a combination I haven't had before. Enter the Maple Wood Duck Breast Shoyu Ramen at Koi Sakana Ramen. A very generous portion of juicy, smoky, slightly sweet duck breast in a light shoyu broth with thin springy noodles, a perfectly soft-boiled egg, wakame, corn, and scallions. It was exactly what I wanted and I didn't even know it. 

Koi Sakana, you are officially 2 for 2.

Koi Sakana Ramen

735 Markland St., Unit 7

Markham, ON L6C 0G6

(905) 882-8802

Dining Out: Deluxe Tonkotsu Ramen at Koi Sakana Ramen

Went for lunch with Minji and Daniel at Koi Sakana Ramen:

Deluxe Ramen in tonkotsu broth

They are known for such specialties as the "Ice Cream Volcano Ramen" and the "Chocolate Curry Udon," but since it was my first time checking them out, I decided to go for the somewhat less adventurous Deluxe Ramen: chashu, pork cartilage, egg, dry mushrooms, corn, naruto and scallions in tonkotsu broth. Maybe it's because I haven't had ramen since coming back from Japan in April, but this was particularly delicious and satisfying. I do prefer my ramen noodles to be a bit thicker, but the broth was rich and flavourful, the chashu was thick and fatty, and the egg was perfectly soft boiled. This place is also a two-minute drive from work, so yeah, I'll be coming back soon. Noodle soup season is upon us, after all.

Koi Sakana Ramen

735 Markland St., Unit 7

Markham, ON L6C 0G6

(905) 882-8802

Dining Out: Satay Beef Pho at Pho Time Authentic Vietnamese Eatery

Satay beef pho

It's officially fall which means NOODLE SOUP SEASON HAS BEGUN. (Note that noodle soup season really encompasses fall and winter and part of spring, too. Toronto is cold for half the year, okay?) But today is also GLOOMY AF, which is when I want something a little richer, a little spicier. Enter the satay beef pho at Pho Time. You can get this at pretty much any pho restaurant, but the one here is particularly delicious.

Pho Time Authentic Vietnamese Eatery

9255 Woodbine Ave., Unit 7A

Markham, ON L6C 0G5

(905) 534-0808

Dining Out: Spicy Cream Seafood Udon, Chicken Curry Udon, and Chicken Karaage at Mikaku Udon Bar

After watching JUNGKOOK: I AM STILL (10/10, obviously), Iris and I decided to go for dinner at Mikaku Udon Bar:

Spicy Cream Seafood Udon

Chicken Curry Udon

Chicken Karaage

We ordered the Spicy Cream Seafood Udon, the Chicken Curry Udon, and the Chicken Karaage. There are dozens of ramen restaurants in every city, but there are few, if any, restaurants that specialize in udon. Mikaku does some pretty revolutionary things with udon — so much so, that it may actually be my favourite noodle now. Will absolutely come back, and hopefully soon; I need to make my way through the entire menu.

Mikaku Udon Bar

360 Highway 7, Unit 10

Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3Y7

(905) 707-8787

Dining Out: Dry Crispy Chicken Wings, Dual Smoked Rib & Braised Rib Pho, and Stir-Fried Butter Beef Rice with Sunny Side-Up Egg at Nam

My colleagues and I decided to go out for an early dinner after work at Nam:

Nam's Dry Crispy Chicken Wings

Dual Smoked Rib & Braised Rib Pho

Dual Smoked Rib & Braised Rib Pho

Stir-Fried Butter Beef Rice with Sunny Side-Up Egg

I say this with no exaggeration: this was the best Vietnamese meal I have ever had in my life. I have not actually been to Vietnam, but this place is owned and run by actual Vietnamese people (no offense to the dozens of Chinese-owned Viet restaurants in the city) so I trust that the food is as authentic as it can get here. (Also because my colleague, who is actually from Vietnam, said that this is her personal favourite Viet restaurant in the city and she's very picky about her Viet food, so I trust her judgment.) All the food we tried was excellent here, but the Dual Smoked Rib & Braised Rib Pho, which I shared with Minji, was truly outstanding. It's the only pho I've ever had where the meat was actually separated from the bowl of noodles, and the meats are so juicy, so tender, and so flavourful, that I see no reason to get anything else. Well worth the premium pricing. Nam2, its sister restaurant, is also great (they share the same menu), but the service is far, far, far superior at Nam. And they actually listen to you when you tell them NO CILANTRO.

Nam

9206 Leslie St.

Richmond Hill, ON L4B 2N8

(905) 763-3888

Dining Out: Grilled Calamari, Fritto Misto, Penne Ricce with Beef Tenderloin, and Tiramisu at Luna Ristorante

I haven't seen my friend Chelsea and her family in ages so they invited me out for dinner at Luna Ristorante, where we had the most incredible Italian meal:

Grilled calamari with arugula, cherry tomatoes, and lemon vinaigrette
Fritto misto with lemon and aioli
Pasta special: Penne ricce with beef tenderloin, mushrooms, and sun-dried tomatoes in a peppercorn cream sauce
Tiramisu

Okay, every dish was truly delicious this evening, but the pasta special was SPECTACULAR. It is one of the most unique pasta dishes I've ever had, and each component worked so perfectly together that I genuinely wonder why they haven't added it to their permanent menu. It's richer than a tomato sauce-based pasta, but somehow lighter than a typical cream pasta — I could easily have eaten two portions of this. To my tastebuds, this pasta was flawless. 

Luna is Il Postino's sister restaurant, so it's no wonder why their food is so goddamn delicious (and their menus are very similar as well), but one huge difference I found here is the service. Il Postino is friendly and professional, but at Luna, the servers (including the owners themselves) treat you like family. They go above and beyond to make sure your experience is simultaneously comfortable and impeccable. I cannot rave about this place enough. It's quite far from home (about 30 minutes by highway) but TOTALLY WORTH THE DRIVE.

Luna Ristorante

Nature's Emporium Plaza

16655 Yonge St., Unit 9-10

Newmarket, ON L3X 1V6

(905) 710-7833

Hong Kong 2024 Travel Log: Day 6 — Wonton and Tripe Rice Noodle Soup from Aberdeen Fish Ball Noodles 香港仔鱼蛋粉

Wonton and tripe rice noodle soup

We went to this teeny tiny restaurant called Aberdeen Fish Ball Noodles (as it turns out, there are a lot of restaurants called Aberdeen Fish Ball Noodles in Hong Kong, but there isn't a lot of information about this particular one) that specializes in HK-style noodle soup (not just fish balls), so I got the rice noodles with wontons and tripe (what can I say, I was in an intenstine-y mood). It was so good that I will even forgive them for adding cilantro to my bowl.

Aberdeen Fish Ball Noodles 香港仔鱼蛋粉

Friends' House

6A Carnarvon Rd., G/F

Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon

Hong Kong

Hong Kong 2024 Travel Log: Day 6 — Stir-Fried Beef Rice Noodles, Stir-Fried Singapore-Style Vermicelli Noodles, and a Toasted Egg & Luncheon Meat Sandwich from at Ngan Lung Restaurant 銀龍粉麵茶餐廳

Aaaaand we're back in Hong Kong! As per usual, we were starving after getting to our hotel from the airport, so we just decided to eat at the closest cha chaan teng, which happens to be Ngan Lung, where we ate on our first day in Hong Kong.

Stir-fried beef rice noodles
Stir-fried Singapore-style vermicelli noodles
Toasted egg and luncheon meat sandwich

Okay, so we may have written off Ngan Lung a little too hastily. The afternoon tea special we got last time was mediocre, but their fried noodles are quite excellent. (We got two cha chaan teng staples: beef chow fun and Singapore-style mei fun.) Their egg and luncheon meat sandwich is also pretty good, so I can't even say it's their breakfast foods that are disappointing. And the service was also significantly better this time around, perhaps because it wasn't during peak hours. So maybe we just went on a bad day when both the cook and our server were in bad moods? (Maybe they're dating and got into a fight. Yes, that's got to be it.) Again, I'm not sure this place merits awards, but you know, I'm glad we tried it again.

Ngan Lung Restaurant 銀龍粉麵茶餐廳

Friends' House

4B Carnarvon Rd.

Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon

Hong Kong

(852) 2721-1155

Tokyo 2024 Travel Log: Day 3 — Carbonara Udon at Tsuru Ton Tan Udon Noodle Brasserie

Since we were in Shibuya, we decided to have dinner inside Shibuya Scramble Square at a restaurant called Tsuru Ton Tan Udon Noodle Brasserie. Luckily, we weren't too hungry when we got in the insane line-up because we had to wait for nearly 45 minutes to get a table. (At which point we became very hungry.)

Carbonara udon

I decided on the carbonara udon, which includes udon noodles, thick-cut bacon, eggplant, broccoli, fried lotus root, and an egg yolk. This tasted INCREDIBLE, especially when the egg yolk is mixed into the cream sauce, which makes it extra rich and flavourful. It doesn't like look it would contain that many things just from looking at it, but I kept finding different veggies and slices of meat as I fished around in the bowl. 

I was originally tempted to get 1.5 servings of noodles because Japanese portions are usually smaller than North American ones and I have a very, shall we say, North American appetite. But good thing I didn't, because these bowls are MASSIVE (like, it could fit a pretty big watermelon). Based on this udon alone, I'd say that it's definitely worth trying and coming back to eat, but probably not worth waiting in line for 45 minutes, so I'd either visit during off-hours or try going to one of the other dozen locations around Tokyo. (I mean, to be fair, Shibuya Scramble Crossing is the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world, so I guess line-ups to eat around here are to be expected.)

Ramen, check. Soba, check. Udon, CHECK. Japanese noodle trifecta, COMPLETE!

Tsuru Ton Tan Udon Noodle Brasserie

Shibuya Scramble Square

2 Chome−24−12 スクランブルスクエア 13階

Shibuya, Shibuya City

Tokyo, Japan 〒150-6113

+81-3-6419-7155

Tokyo 2024 Travel Log: Day 3 — Shrimp Tempura Soba Lunch Set at Sojibo

We obviously have to get the Japanese noodle trifecta while we're in Japan, so today's lunch: soba!

Shrimp tempura soba set meal

We found a soba restaurant called Sojibo, where I got the shrimp tempura soba set meal, which also comes with a bowl of takikomi gohan on the side. The soba noodles are pretty standard, but it's satisfying and filling and the set is an incredible value at ¥1140. (I guess a lot of the office workers nearby agree 'cause it was a full house by 1:00PM.) Anyway, that's soba checked off the noodle list, and now we have udon left. Let the journey continue!

Sojibo

Shinjuku Mitsui Building

2 Chome-1-1 

Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku City

Tokyo, Japan 〒163-0490

+81-3-3346-1351

Tokyo 2024 Travel Log: Day 2 — Yuzu-Tsuyu Tsukemen and Aburi Koro Chashu Gohan at Afuri

Well, you know I can't stay in Japan for very long without getting another bowl of noodles.

Yuzu-Tsuyu Tsukemen

Aburi Koro Chashu Gohan

One thing I really wanted to try on this trip was tsukemen, which is like ramen but instead of having all the hot broth inside the bowl already, the ramen (served cold) is dipped into a separate, much more concentrated sauce (served hot). So when we decided to go to Afuri for dinner (my mom wanted ramen), I decided to get the Yuzu-Tsuyu Tsukemen with both chashu and chicken. It is a refreshing, aromatic bowl of delightfully bouncy noodles, and the hint of yuzu adds a really lovely brightness to the umami of the dipping broth. This would make an amazing summer noodle option, actually.

This set also came with a bowl of their Aburi Koro Chashu Gohan — a rice bowl with grilled chashu, yuzu, and daikon oroshi — which is honestly just as delicious as their noodles (according to both me and my mom, who also got it with her ramen set). I guess it can get overlooked because, you know, Afuri is a noodle restaurant and the gohan is technically under "side orders" (we love carbs with a side of carbs!) but I would honestly come here just for this. (You know, if I lived in Japan and didn't want noodles for some reason.) 

Afuri

Shinjuku Sumitomo Building

2 Chome-6-1 

Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku City

Tokyo, Japan 〒160-0023

Osaka 2024 Travel Log: Day 3 — Rich Beef Bone Ramen at Mugen Ramen 無限ラーメン千日前店

We originally wanted to go to Creperie Alcyon for lunch, but after lining up for 15 minutes and not having the queue move at all, we decided to find something else, which is how we ended up at Mugen Ramen:

Rich beef bone ramen

You can customize your ramen after ordering your base bowl, so I chose the rich beef bone ramen with extra rich broth, extra char siu, sirloin beef slices, and a soft-boiled egg. I think this is the first time I've had beef bone-based broth, and it is EXCELLENT. It was the creamiest, most flavourful broth I have ever experienced. The noodles are thinner than standard ramen, but they cling better to the thick broth. The char siu was excellent (I ordered an extra 2 pieces), but the raw beef slices didn't cook enough even after sitting in the steaming hot broth for over 5 minutes, so the texture of the meat felt almost slimy with the rich broth. Not sure if that's how it's supposed to be, but I would stick to the char siu here. Overall, though, a delicious, satisfying lunch, and shockingly, no line-up. Worth visiting if you're looking for ramen in Dotonbori. (Also, ignore the ratings on Google. The reviews for this location are being given to another location because this one isn't listed in English.)

Mugen Ramen 無限ラーメン千日前店

1 Chome−2−2 無限ラーメン

Dotonbori, Chuo Ward

Osaka, Japan 〒542-0076

+81-06-6755-8925

Osaka 2024 Travel Log: Day 1 — Original Shoyu Ramen with Thick Sliced Pork at 人類みな麺類 FACTORY (Jinrui Minamenrui)

Greetings from Osaka! After our flight and checking into our hotel, we were tired and hungry, so we went on a hunt for dinner on Dotonburi Street and decided on ramen at a restaurant called 人類みな麺類 FACTORY, (or Jinrui Minamenrui).

Shoyu ramen with thick sliced pork

I asked the server what he recommended, and he told us to try the original shoyu ramen with thick-sliced pork, so that's what we ordered. Again, I'm no ramen expert, but the noodles were springy, the broth was ultra-flavourful and just oily enough, the bamboo shoots were big and crisp, and the pork was ultra-thick (THICCCC) and fatty (they have an option called "World's Thickest Grilled Pork," and I can't even imagine how huge that is given how thick the regular cut is). Okay, yes, the sodium and fat grams are intense, but man, it was a super-satisfying, delicious bowl of ramen — just what we needed after a long day of travel with the cool weather outside. 

人類みな麺類 FACTORY (Jinrui Minamenrui)

Osaka Ramen Building

1 Chome−1−15 1階

Dotonbori, Chuo Ward

Osaka, Japan 〒542-0071

Hong Kong 2024 Travel Log: Day 4 — Wonton Noodle Soup at Mak Man Kee Noodle Shop

My mom suggested to go to Mak Man Kee for some classic wonton noodles for lunch. Apparently, my aunt and uncle used to help run this noodle shop before they retired. As with the Australia Dairy Company, which is right next door, there was a long line-up outside and that's when I found out that this place is actually Michelin-starred.

Wonton noodle soup

Mak Man Kee is possibly the most no-frills restaurant I have ever seen — quite literally white walls and no decor but its huge yellow menu at the back — with as many tables crammed in the tiny space as possible. But as expected, we had the most perfect, textbook bowls of wonton noodle soup. Big wontons full of plump prawns and firm, springy egg noodles in a clear, flavourful broth. In fact, it might be what all wonton noodle soups are based off of. Paired with a plate of choy sum, it was the quintessential Hong Kong lunch. Worthy of its Michelin star. I only wish the portions were bigger, 'cause I could've easily eaten two bowls of noodles.

Mak Man Kee Noodle Shop

51 Parkes St.

Jordan, Kowloon

Hong Kong

(852) 2736-5561

Hong Kong 2024 Travel Log: Day 1 — Scrambled Eggs and Ham with Croissant and Beef Satay Instant Noodles at Ngan Lung Restaurant 銀龍粉麵茶餐廳

We were able to check-in to our hotel room early, so we freshened up and then went on our merry way to get lunch at the closest cha chaan teng (or HK-style tea restaurant) we could find, Ngan Lung. Since it was already 2:30PM, we both decided to get one of their afternoon specials:

Scrambled Eggs and Ham with Croissant

Satay Beef Instant Noodles

Did the food come in less than 2 minutes? Yes. Are the servers scarily efficient and abrupt? Yes. Did it hit the spot? Kind of. The noodles were okay, but the ham inside the egg was cold and the croissant was also cold. Apparently this restaurant has won awards, but I'm not sure for what. There are far better cha chaan tengs even in Toronto, in terms of value, quality, and portion. Will continue the hunt.

Ngan Lung Restaurant 銀龍粉麵茶餐廳

Friends' House

4B Carnarvon Rd.

Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon

Hong Kong

(852) 2721-1155