Mesha's Home-made Pomegranate & Red Wine Jam

Jam or fruit preserves,  are simply a combination of fruit, vegetables, and sugar, canned/bottled for long-term storage. In most of today's recipes for fruit jam often includes the need for pectin, which is a natural gelling-agent. 

I found this bowl of pomegranate fruit (already peeled and ready to eat) sitting in the fridge for almost a week now and decided that it would be a waste to dump it. So, armed with a glass of wine already tipsy, and Google at my expense, I decided to make some jam.

Now, upon Google-ing pomegranate jam, a lot of the recipes I found require pectin. Owning a normal pantry, I do not have pectin, so I googled jam recipes without the need of pectin and the closest I found, was substituting honey for both sugar and pectin.

Great.

I don't have honey.

So, what the heck. If the pomegranate is meant to be in the bin, may as well improvise.

Ingredients:
1 peeled and ready-to-go pomegranate
1/2 cup Hot water
1/2 cup red wine of your choice
Just a little less than 1 cup of brown caster sugar
Preferably, you own a blender as you will need this to thicken the mixture naturally.

Method:
1. Put the pomegranate fruit into a medium sized saucepan. Add the remaining ingredients.

2. Bring the fruit/wine mixture to a boil.

3. Once it has been brought to a boil, lower the heat (medium-low) and let it simmer for 30-45 minutes. Stir throughout the process to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.

4. Transfer the mixture into the blender and blend it to your desired consistency. Transfer it back into the pan.

5. Let the blended mixture simmer on medium heat for 5-10 minutes, keeping an eye on the mixture to ensure that it does not burn or stick to the pan. This is where the concoction should start to thicken.

6. Let it reach the desired thickness of the jam and pour it into a storage utensil of your choice. Let it cool before you refrigerate it.

7. Once it has cooled, serve it with toast or scones! Enjoy ~

Okay. Not the best photo but my first home-made jam! Voila! 

Verdict:
I am obviously not a connoisseur in jam-making and it is my first play-it-by-ear jam. I must advise that this jam does not have the same consistency as the jams you buy at the supermarket. Without the use of pectin or any other gelatine products, it has a distinct viscous consistency (like those thick, almost crystallised honey), so don't freak out when it is not as jelly as you imagined/hoped it would be.

I also want to advise to probably add in less sugar than I did, unless you have more fruit (like 2 or 3) as it is super duper sweet after the reduction process. Nonetheless, it still tastes like jam!

Selfishness, Hypocrisy & Self-Justification (Who isn't these days?)

So, today's topic is based on selfishness and hypocrisy. First up, I just want to clearly admit that I am - I mean, who isn't? Who does not think about themselves first? 

I never said I wasn't and never denied when I am accused of being selfish. The reason being that it is in human nature to be selfish. We can be allowing, and selfless when we need to be but in total we are (those who are completely selfless are thus, named saints due to their acts of selflessness, but seriously, how many of those people are out there these day?).

Think about it.

When was the last time we were completely unselfish? Yes, there might be a one or two, here and there, but not often unless you're a generous bastard donating to charity and etc., etc.

But, even with regards to charity, how often do you donate? Do you sacrifice half your pay-check because you want to donate and live on the minimum standards, or just because you felt generous and handed in your spare change to "supposedly" make a difference in this world?

I would like to think that if we were completely selfless, we'd give everything that we have to others in need, with maybe just enough to barely cover our own asses. In reality, the first person we'd think about is, ourselves.

This includes family. I don't know about you, but no matter how much I'd like to help, it comes to: 1) How much I can help, 2)If there are costs involve, how much am I able to spend before it affects me? 3) Is there enough help/support provided before I can exceed what I'm willing to spend/sacrifice to help them?

You may think that I am a cheap bitch person, but that is the truth! How many are willing to sacrifice everything they have for someone? Not that much.

We live in the ME FIRST world and I can understand why. It is in the right of a person to think, "Hey, I'll put my needs first before others". It boils down to the simple survival instinct in all of us. Heck, it started as soon as you were a little sperm, racing millions of other sperms, and the main aim is to fertilise the egg. You're the sperm who already survived the tedious journey inside the uterus, and be goddamned if the next sperm is going to penetrate the egg. Or maybe you got lucky as a sperm.

Anyways, besides that, another example would be like the safety manual in an aircraft. You know, the part where the oxygen mask drops down, and they always emphasize on putting it on YOU first before others. Well, isn't that selfish, cause you're putting yourself first before others? But who cares! It's your life and you are in the right of putting YOU FIRST.

Bah. So, the synopsis of this long-winded rant, is that I think it is okay to be selfish (not too much until everyone hates your guts). I hate pretentious hypocrites who doesn't seem to realise or probably in denial in the fact that we are all selfish.

I've been called a selfish bitch many times, and I can live with that, cause I know I am. To those who said me that, well, I wish you'd stop being so goddamn judgemental and a hypocrite. I don't see you going around doing selfless acts and trying to be a saint. Until you do though, STOP THE "HOLIER THAN THOU" fucking bullshit and leave me alone.

Queen Bean Espresso Review

It has been a hectic three weeks of training (who knew travel consultants had such intensive training programs!) at Flight Centre's head office in Brisbane. 

I must admit that I am a bloody lazy person by nature and prepping lunch is not my forte (I also do not like having sandwiches every single day for lunch; I enjoy variety). Thank heavens, that there is a well-situated cafe on the ground floor of the building! 

I like how the chairs have the honeycomb design and the honey coloured walls portray the actual name of the cafe! Somewhat themed.

Everyday, they have different lunch specials advertised on their tiny chalkboard out front. I remember the first time I went there for lunch about a couple a weeks ago for their $8.50AUD Bacon & Eggs Special, which came with a free small cup of coffee (of your choice). Normally, as a special, I was half expecting a small portion of bacon and eggs, but I was wrong! It was quite a generous portion of bacon and two eggs (cooked to your liking, although scrambled was probably extra), and four slices of toast. 

So, in following days, where I couldn't be fucked walking anywhere else for lunch, I either ordered the special or items from their display fridge.

As a heads-up, I did not take any photos of the Bacon & Egg dish :( Many apologies!

Chicken Parmigiana with fries and salad (Lunch special: $12.00 AUD)

Smoked Salmon & Dill Potato Cake 

Choice of 2 salads: Pesto Pasta & Sesame Soba with Chicken

Creamy Carbonara (Lunch special: $10.50 AUD)

This cafe does have a relatively nice ambience, often packed during rush hours (morning coffees and lunch time). However, standard of food, it is relatively normal - not bad, but not great either. The only dish which I actually enjoyed immensely was the Smoked Salmon & Dill Potato cake, WITH the requested Hollandaise sauce. 

Queen Bean definitely does appeal to those working in the same building as it is really convenient. With the relaxed, casual atmosphere and friendly staff, it is not a surprise that it is packed during the peak hours. 

Though I do like Queen Bean, it is definitely not a place for great food. Price-wise, it is quite expensive for some of the food they are serving. Mind you, the salad mix and lunch specials are often alright, due to the quantity of food they serve.

Anyways, verdict time!

• Presentation: 2.5/5 (So-so, nothing out of the ordinary.)
• Taste: 3/5 (Mediocre not spectacular)
• Service: 4/5 (Relatively quick service and some nice/friendly staff)
• Monetary Value: 3.5/5 (To be honest, there were some that were alright like the Bacon & Egg special that came with a coffee for $8.50AUD and the salad combo, which I find worthwhile price vs size. Other dishes, personally I find to be quite pricey for the standard of food)

It is a cute little spot to check out though, if you're around that area!

Queen Bean

545 Queen Street | Brisbane, QLD 4000 

(P): 07 3831 3119

(W): http://queenbean.com.au/

Perth Visit 2013 (07/11 - 12/11)

Perth City, or also known as Dullsville to locals, was my home for four years of my life. The nickname came about as it is the most isolated major city in Australia - all the other major cities are on the East Coast! Ironically, I now miss Perth and find it less "dull" than Brisbane. I'm quite biased as I had an established social circle and my mother is there too. 

Whilst waiting for my visa to be granted earlier on this month, and being unemployed at the time, my mother thought it would be best if I could pop over to pack some of my belongings that I had left behind and also an excuse to catch up again. Also, what better than dear old Mummy sponsoring my entire trip! Spoilt brat

Tickets were soon bought after confirmation of Mummy's registered days off and the anticipation of actually going back to Perth brought me much joy and excitement - I got to see Mummy, friends & especially the food!

Virgin Airlines' Scrambled Eggs & Bacon breakfast option. Served with a small fruit salad & Raspberry muffin.

Day 1: On board Virgin Airlines by 8:50am and a 5 hour plus trip to Perth. Nearly sustained Carpal Tunnel Syndrome after killing time playing games on the worst console ever. After arrival, Mummy had a surprise - a friend of mine, Aaron came with her to surprise me! We then went to Old Cathay for lunch - had to order Nasi Lemak as the first dish as per usual. After lunch, we decided to stop by the Victoria Park Hotel, where I used to play Australian Poker League (APL) tournaments every Monday night, for a beer or two. After beer, we went back to where Mummy was living and dropped off my luggage. Then, Aaron and I went to the Fuse Bar for my long over-due game of poker after a year! Managed to sit tight and scrape my way through to final table. Along the way, APL had free goodies to give out via lucky draw. I won myself a Corona bucket and a pair of aqua blue sunnies! It was also a great time to meet up with Isaac (whom I've also known through poker).

I would probably class Nasi Lemak as my favourite dish. I could also probably eat this 3 times a day and still not get sick of it.

Jellyfish & Shredded Chicken Salad

My beloved Corona bucket which I had to give away due to the lack of space in my check-in luggage T_T

Me with my new sunnies!

Outside table at City Garden with Isaac

Some fucking Spicy Chilli Beef indeed. It nearly made me cry when I was dared to bite a bit off the dried chilli. Jesus, that was a stupid move.

My absolute favourite at this restaurant: Chilli & Garlic Pepper Pork Intestines. To those who cringe at eating innards, I've converted quite a few of my Western friends with this dish!

After poker, Aaron had to leave early and by that point, I've had quite a bit to drink. I convinced Isaac to go for supper at City Garden. After supper, he dropped me off. I had quite a late shower and crashed (this may seem irrelevant now, but it makes sense in Day 2).

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Day 2: Headed down to North Bridge again, for a traditional Chinese breakfast for champions: Dim sums! After a year being in Brisbane, I could not believe that one of my favourite Chinese restaurants for dim sum, had shut down. Disappointingly, Mummy and I headed down to Dragon Palace instead. Service was shit - slow, ignorant staff who seemed to treat Westerners better (couldn't believe we felt racism in an Asian restaurant wtf?).

Mummy's bored pose

Clockwise from bottom left: Siu-mai (pork dumplings), Har Gao (Prawn dumplings), Fung Zhao (Phoenix's Feet aka Chicken feet) and tripe.

After breakfast, Mummy and I decided to walk to the city for a look-around. Aaron's girlfriend, Phoebe, was also a friend of mine who is an amazing nail technician. She was surprisingly free, for a Friday afternoon and Mummy treated us both to have had our nails done. Here's a little Mesha FAQ: I love sparkly things, so non-bling/sparkly nails was not an option. I chose Aqua/Teal acrylic nails this time. Mummy chose a more subtle, but more classy, Silver glitter instead.

Phoebe working on Mummy's nails

Absolutely love my nails! Phoebe somehow made these nails so light, they almost feel like my own nails! 

After our nails were completely bling-ed up, we decided to go shopping around for my partner's one month belated birthday gift: A Phillip water-proof electric razor.

I was quite sad that I actually missed out on the annual Good Life Festival in Brisbane this year, which is like a Foodie's dream expo. Surprise, surprise! Perth had it's Twilight Hawker Market! Better than nothing, I suppose.

People, people everywhere!

One Mexican stall that caught our attention. It sold roasted corn with a combination of toppings. 

We ordered "Miss Piggy"to share, which consisted of pulled pork, salsa, grilled corn and we requested guacamole as an extra. Yummy & Healthy!

Mummy & I, overlooking the Twilight Hawker Market.

Mind you, "Miss Piggy" wasn't our dinner. Oh, no sir! That was just an appetizer between us! Since we had to head back to North Bridge anyways, I asked for some recommendations from Mummy. She brought me to this Chinese restaurants that sold offal dishes. It was one of the best mix pork innards (pig's ears, stomach and intestine) stir-fried in sambal! *in love*

zomfg! So good!

After dinner, Mummy and I headed back. I needed a good shower after spending all day in the CBD area. HOWEVER, much to my disgust, her landlord locked the bathroom door! How rude! Apparently, I woke him up when I had a shower the night before and this is like his "revenge/teaching us a lesson" for showering too late. The worst part is that he wasn't even sleeping in the master bedroom with his wife cause he snores worse than a Snorlax.

Literally, the walls shake and we could even hear him in the bedroom down the hall (which was probably why his wife asked him to move as they had a newborn). Seriously, wtf?

You do NOT lock the bathroom door. No bloody tenant is going to want to rent if they can't even take a shower whenever they like? What if they were a shift worker, like I was as a waitress and don't finish until late? By late, in this instance, was like 10:45pm. Urgh

Mummy and I resorted to wiping ourselves with a face towel that night.

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Day 3: Woke up and headed straight to the bathroom for a shower. By the time we finished refreshing ourselves, Mummy took me to the new Hippo Creek branch in Karawarra for brunch. Instead of the sit-down, proper dining menu, we ordered from the bar menu instead. The "bar" food there was bloody amazing and pretty darn cheap for the amount of food we ordered. The appetizers, we had the choice of 3 for $38, so we ordered 1/2 dozen natural oysters, 1/2 dozen Kilpatrick & Buffulo Wings with blue cheese dipping sauce. On top of that, we ordered a pizza and I had a pint of cider to myself. Boy, were we stuffed!

Au naturale oysters

Pizza & Buffulo Wings

After this late lunch, we wandered round to Carousel shopping centre to kill some time before meeting up with D'Arcy at Malaysian Delight, for obviously more food.

Le Mr. Know-It-All

After dinner, they wanted to show me the new Perth casino. It was no longer known as the Burswood casino as the famous Melbourne Crown casino took over and turned it into another Crown casino! To be honest, I was skeptical about the change and so-called renovations, thinking, how much would there be to change.

Boy, oh, boy, was I wrong.

The new Crown Perth casino is... is... omg! Totally revamped, inside and out! There was firstly, more parking and they've also created an easier access to the casino from either ends. The interior of the casino decorated with gold-related decor and it simply looked fancier and obviously much newer. Floor space was also extended, so noobs can get quite lost in there. Pokies machine galore and so many more new tables with even $5 Black Jack tables. WTF?! From a mediocre casino, Crown has turned Burswood into one of the best I've seen in Australia! (Brisbane's Treasury Casino is shit in comparison now, but news of renovation to Treasury has been going around).

D'Arcy and Mummy was lucky that night, making quite a profit. Mummy, turned $25AUD + $5AUD (contributed by D'Arcy) into a whopping $300AUD. By a pokies machine. Lucky biatches. On the bright side, Mummy decided to share the good fortune with me by giving me $100AUD as pocket-money. Definitely a spoilt brat now.

After the casino, we went home and after the same wiping-body ritual we had the night before, we soon crashed into deep slumber.
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Day 4: It was finally a day to actually sort through the crap I had left behind. Surprisingly, I thought I had two boxes full, but instead, it seemed like most of my things had disappeared, including my uni assignments, much to my despair (I had a few assignments that I had lost the soft copy and needed the printed version. Wanted it as a contribution to my portfolio, but all is gone FML). After sorting and packing, we caught up with Dominic, again at Malaysian Delight.

Can you guess what I ordered?

YESH. More Nasi Lemak! :D

Then, there's Mr. Supposedly-Shy, Dominic

Who told us to take this awful photo of us! 

After lunch with Dominic, I had to rush off and drop my sorted belongings home before Mummy had to drop me off in the city to meet up with Omar and Dawson for dinner. I was happy when we all agreed to go to Sinabro, as it is one of my favourite Korean BBQ restaurant.

This is how much food we had ordered between the 3 of us wtf. Notice the bottom right corner.

We ordered so much, there wasn't enough room on the table!

Happy times.
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Day 5: Last day in Perth. Spent the morning arranging and packing my luggage. Went to the city again as I had a slight problem with my nails. Had lunch prior to fixing my nails at Nao Japanese Restaurant. Saw Phoebe. Fixed my nails. Done. Caught up with Elizabeth for coffee and then some alcoholic drinks.

Spicy Ramen with charsiu

The lovely English lady, sipping her latte.

Just the two of us

After catching up with Elizabeth, Mummy and I realized how long it has been since we actually went to Miss Maud's for their smorgasbord! It is not exactly the fanciest/best buffet I've been to, but somehow Miss Maud's have left quite a few good memories and I enjoy the selection & quality of the food served at the buffet. We had also invited Aaron & Phoebe for dinner.

Group photo! <3

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Day 6: Had an early morning flight back to Brisbane. I couldn't believe how fast 5 days can slip right past you, especially when you're having fun.

Mother & Daughter selfie

I definitely do miss Perth, especially now, with renovations and the introduction of more restaurants and shops. What made Perth so important to me, despite it being Dullsville, is the experiences I've had living there - I started and finished university, made many friends (a huge transition from being the unpopular kid in high school into developing lasting friendships), experiences with the opposite sex, introduction to alcohol and so many more important aspects of my life.

Most of all, I miss my mother! :(

Easy Naan Bread Recipe (I Have Naan Left!)

Naan is a popular leavened flat-bread which most of us associate with the Asian cuisine- in particular, Indian cuisine and cuisines from the surrounding area. 

Naan also holds its own place in my heart as it brings back fond memories of going to a mamak stall at ridiculously stupid early hours in the morning for a very, very late supper. This bread pairs well with the spicy, aromatic herbs and taste of all sorts of Indian curries, and especially, when it is freshly out of a tandoor oven, along side tandoori chicken. My absolute favourite naan, which I order every single time I visit Steven's Corner in Malaysia, is the Garlic Cheese Naan (think garlicky pizza with puffy, soft, luxurious naan bread as the "pizza" base). The Steven's Corner OUG branch is still the original place I go to for that particular naan!

Funnily enough, I only decided to make my own a long time ago whilst in Australia during a Caravan, Camping, Boating & Fishing expo. How weird, right? The chef on the day won us over with his Bush Spiced Naan Bread & Crusted Roo recipe and ever since, I have been using the recipe (simplified to accommodate what I already have at home) to make naan.

So, on weekends when we are out of bread at home (and when I actually find the motivation as I am that lazy!), this is a great simple, almost fool-proof way to make your own naan at home without a tandoor. 

Ingredients:

1 sachet or 1 tsp dried yeast

500g plain flour (I used 2 cups)

3/4 cup warm water

3 tsp sugar

1 beaten egg

2 tsp salt

1/4 oil (I used olive oil. Macadamia oil was used in the original recipe as it was the feature produce of the day. Any cooking oil should work fine.)

1/4 cup of yoghurt/milk*

3 tsp spice mix of your choice* (Especially in Australia, there are many bush spice mix available in grocery stores. If bush spice isn't available, get creative and mix your favourite mix of herbs or throw in some poppy/sesame seeds!)

*:What I did not use in this batch as I was lazy didn't have any and wanted see the result without those ingredients.

Method:

1: Mix 1 teaspoon of sugar with 1/4 cup of the warm water, then add the dried yeast. Mix the yeast in and let it sit until froth appears.

Not the best looking image of frothed-up yeast. Looking at this still give me goosebumps.

2. Whilst waiting for the yeast to froth, I quickly beat up an egg in a separate bowl.

If your egg doesn't look like this, well.. I don't know what you did wrong. Seriously! Jokes.

3. In a big bowl, mix other remaining ingredients together and the started yeast. Knead dough for a couple of minutes, into a smooth ball.

Mine isn't perfect. Don't judge! If yours looks a bit rough, like mine, it's a sign that more flour could have been added (just don't add more than 3 cups in total). Yoghurt or milk does help for a smoother dough, from what I've heard.

4. Cover the bowl with the ball of dough (I used clingwrap) and leave it in a warm place until it has doubled in size (mine took 45 minutes to an hour).

5. Take the risen dough and a)If you are bloody awful at measuring a perfectionist, you can attempt cutting equal portions of the dough. b) If you are like me, I just estimate and pull off chunks of dough as I go along. These portions are to be rolled into balls/spheres.

6. Dust a large chopping board, or any clean surface you are working on with a little bit of flour. Flatten the balls of dough with a rolling pin until they resemble small pizza bases. 

Extra sprinkled flour helps the dough not to stick to surfaces. Don't over do it. I used half a tablespoon for each ball of dough.

7. Heat up a non-stick frying pan on medium to high heat. The original recipe said to use hot BBQ plates or a cast iron pan. I used one of those small non-stick frying pans you can easily get at any grocery market! No oil needed. 

8. Once the pan has heated up, put those flattened dough into the pan. Again, the original recipe stated for it to be heated for no longer than 30 seconds maximum, assuming if you are using a scorchingly hot BBQ plate or cast iron pan. For me, on high heat, I decided to play it safe (didn't want the dough to be still raw) and 30 seconds on each side. 

Just a heads-up that the dough will puff during cooking. I completely forgot about that and freaked me out for a second!

The End Result:

Burnt marks on my batch as I really seared these on high heat!

I found some of mine a bit dry as due to a number of factors - I rolled some of the dough quite thin and left it a tad too long in the frying process. But the rest were good! I mean, who doesn't like fresh, hot bread? Flat or not flat!? Especially with generous portions of butter! 

For breakfast, I had this with Spicy Tuna Mayo (swear I have that with everything!) and some cheese or just some butter.

I definitely can't wait to make more variations of these in the near future! 

Nao Japanese Restaurant Review

Ramen! Ramen everywhere! I am now a self-professed ramen addict!

In Perth, I recalled visiting a tiny Japanese restaurant, donkey years ago, called Nao, (which was introduced by a friend of mine) renowned for its ramen dishes. So obviously, I had to re-visit Nao!

It is still a tiny restaurant, however, they have upgraded the back area with lounges (they actually have a toilet now!)

The kitchen is literally almost right next to us! 

I love ramen with a spicy broth, so I had to order the Spicy Ramen. Mother had the Miso Ramen.

Spicy Ramen

Miso Ramen

Service was prompt and food arrived soon after orders were taken. I wasn't quite impressed with the presentation of the food (mine had no bean sprouts!). The Miso Ramen looked alright, but mine was really, really plain looking - with just one thin layer of charsiu (pork) and one nori sheet (dried seasoned seaweed). 

Taste-wise, it was good, however, I think I've been spoilt by Taro's Ramen and half-expected more toppings. The noodles were thicker than Taro's but still somewhat al dente and chewy (personally, I prefer the thinner ones). The broth is also quite rich (I am not too sure whether it would have been considered a tonkatsu, considering it was quite a rich, fatty broth). 

The best part about Nao, is the choices of ramen offered (plain, spinach infused and chilli infused) and a large selection of extra toppings, at extra cost. 

I was quite surprised at the prices charged at this restaurant - for the large bowls of ramen we ordered (with no extra toppings), it was $10AUD (Miso Ramen) and $11AUD (Spicy Ramen) respectively. Money-wise, this is an excellent restaurant!

Nao also offers a variety of other classic Japanese dishes if ramen is not your thing, but why would anyone go there for something else? 

Anyways, this restaurant has definitely made it to the "Frequent Revisit (Whenever I'm in Perth)" list!

• Presentation: 2/5 (Could have been better!)
• Taste: 4/5 (Great ramen and full of flavour)
• Service: 5/5 (Quick! Couldn't be better especially when empty tummies are growling for food)
• Monetary value: 5/5 (Huge-ass bowl. I was stuffed after mine and that was without any extras)

Don't you just love ramen? I do! Check it out in Perth!

Nao Japanese Restaurant

117 Murray Street | Perth, WA 6000
(P): 08 9325 2090
(W): http://www.naojapaneserestaurant.com.au/

A Mini Revisit Review: Taro's November Special - Jiro Ramen

My, how time flies! It's November already! 2013 has definitely been the fastest year ever! As everybody knows, I love going back to Taro's (like literally at least once a month, minimum) and love how they have monthly specials, offering different special dishes or free ramen upgrades (ramen quantity upgrades). 

Decided to head down and saw Jiro Ramen as November's special! 

I love how quiet it is as one of the first customers there in the morning! 

I'm still a noob with regards to ramen so, here's what a little researching showed:

"Ramen Jiro is of course technically ramen, but it is somewhat different from any other ramen in Japan. It is tonkotsu broth with shoyu added, but the broth is more like a thinner (but very rich) pork gravy and in most branches it has a large amount of suspended fat (abura). The noodles are (typically) very thick and chewy but not quite as eggy or yellow as regular ramen noodles...The pork is a very rough cut, usually from the tenderloin but sometimes from some less recognizable part  of the pig, and occasionally will be mostly fat. The veggies are usually cabbage or moyashi (bean sprouts), and each branch has its own ratio of the two. Ramen Jiro is certainly not for those who are health conscious, and those of weaker constitutions can feel a bit queasy after eating there for the first time, especially if they force themselves to finish the whole bowl." 

Taro's version of the Jiro ramen!

Well, I didn't really know what Jiro Ramen was, and thankfully I ordered the small, cause holy bejeesus! It's a huge portion in comparison to the other ramen! Now, after Googling, I thank God I grabbed a take-away container and brought it home.

I never had Jiro ramen, but I think it is alright (I'm still the fire tonkatsu kinda girl) bug it could have been fattier in a way. The broth is very rich but based on my research, I personally felt it could have more lard (I love pork lard and I don't care if I died of a heart attack later on! It's too good to pass up!). Taro's version had a lot of bean sprouts, which I find awesome and had a smaller ratio of cabbage.

The noodles were thick (think thicker, bigger, badder version of the ramen) and al dente! Chewy, thick, noodle-y heaven. If I had known better, I would have had asked for raw chopped garlic, but oh well, it's still good!

Will be back for more monthly specials!