RAMEN-MANIA

Have you noticed the so called Ramen specialty shops are invading the world of fast foods lately? Several are legitimate branches from Japan but many are look-alike, me-too copies no different from LV bags and Rolex watches in Mongkok.  I am a noodle lover who swears by the famous comment by a dear friend ' ... I have not met a noodle I did not like'.

I took my 93-year old Mom for lunch last week and noticed this tiny shop with lots of Japanese words on their DIY menu, including a multitude of boxes to tick. For instance ... degree of al dente of the Ramen - which is thoughtful but why, if you do not like the chewiness of Ramen try cook-to-submission Sorba, which is not my cup of tea; saltiness of broth (technically it is a soup) but if the soup is diluted ie minus the Dashi, the Miso, the Pork Bone base to please the health conscious it is no longer a proper Ramen; then there are the accompanying veggie - including kernel of corn which, without doubt, is a Hong Kong innovation because fresh veggie is not an integral part of a Ramen. However, the order sheet says nothing about portion size like they do for rice portions in the Cha Charn Tang culture. Anyway, while the 3 admirable young men, probably partners, were full of passion their product was regrettably a look-alike as the pieces were just not there to make the jigsaw work.

That gimmicky sliver of Nori with Chinese characters - 'Noodle Craftsman' - was a cute touch. I was told they ordered them from Japan, and it is actually egg white that does not dissolve in soup but customers did not seem to be convinced, as most were left untouched.    

Well, folks, it was an experience but one I would rather not recommend to you.