In a Bowl, on Wheels, Off to Flavortown!

I was hangin' with my brother and our friend Eric yesterday; we decided to go get something to eat because that's our favourite past time.

And it was about 10:30pm and our palates and stomaches were being tortured watching Food Network's "Best Thing I Ever Ate." (And of course there's Guy Fieri of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," whose job we are all secretly coveting... if only it didn't come with the bleach blonde hair and its tool-y disposition).

After making consulting with the crystal ball that is Yelp for a late-night eatery, we decided to make a trip to Asa Ramen, a hole-in-the way ramen shop in the South Bay. It was the last night all three of us were in the same city, so why not grab so local eats!

We were really lucky to have gotten there on the first go as the place is really easy to miss. The shop sign is also in Japanese kanji, which we can barely read. Venturing a guess, we turned out to be right. The restaurant side (I think the other half of the place is a bar) was starting to fill up with its late night patrons so we were seated at the bar. The menu was thankfully short (two ramens with an assortment of takoyaki--fried octopus with various toppings), with big enough writing for the dimly-lit establishment, and reading Yelp reviews made ordering even easier!

"3 Koterri Ramen please!"

I usually smell the food before I eat it--it's just a habit--and I couldn't wait to sip the fragrant broth even though I'm pretty sure they just spooned it out of a boiling hot pot. It tasted just as good as it smelled! Eric told us that "koterri" means "rich," as in "rich in flavour." The seasoning was amazing, having absorbed all the flavour that the sliced pork has to offer (when eating ramen, one of the pillars of judgment is the taste of the broth). It really is one of the best, if not the best, broths I've had in ramen ever! Being both flavourful and tasty, there was a lot of body to the broth, it wasn't oily and the green onions held its hand like an old friend! As a comfort food, there wasn't a crazy lot of dimension to the broth, but that's not what you're looking for in comfort food anyways. Though nice and light, the broth is the statement in the ramen!

The noodles were cooked al dente and are probably made in the shop. The toppings on the ramen were modest, containing plenty of chopped green onions, two slices of pork and sliced bamboo, which I really enjoyed. The bowl cost about $6 (one can upgrade to a large size for an additional $2). Asa is modest in size: when we left, there was a line going out the door. If you do plan a trip there, I would recommend going with a small party, as it's a more intimate eatery. Overall, it was a pleasant eating experience and I am definitely planning on making a trip to Asa Ramen again!

Speakeasies in San Diego

I first discovered the novelty of San Diego's speakeasies when my pal Donna had her 22nd birthday at Vin de Syrah in Downtown San Diego. 'Speakeasy' is a term from the Prohibition era when alcohol faced being illegal, so speakeasies were set up as secret watering holes in the 2o's. I was invited to go along and visit the Alice in Wonderland-themed wine bar and found it absolutely charming in decor!

From large hedge-mazes to playing cards on the ceiling to animal statues, the vibe of Vin de Syrah is a classier place for a night out; I would recommend dressing to impress here. As any speakeasy, Vin de Syrah is hidden in central Downtown San Diego on a corner. A set of stairs lead down to a graffiti-lined basement and a door camouflaged in a hedge.

Being the poor student that I am skipped out on ordering their wide selection of fine wines (I know, go to a place called "Vin de Syrah" and not order wine?! Readers, I'm spending most of my greenbacks on education--whether that's doing anything for me is up to you to decide). Instead I opted to share cheese platters and sangria (white and red) with my pals. The cheese boards were very gourmet and there was one coconut-cured gouda that I was particularly fond of. With the cheese came various marmalades (a honey-ginger marmalade that was lovely), chocolate that resembled that of a heath bar (not too crazy about it), slices of green apple, grapes, an assortment of other cheeses and slices of bread that seemed less fresh than the other accoutrements on the board (in the US I'm not a fan of bread--every other country seems to bake bread better than we do--so maybe I'm a carb-snob).

The red and white sangrias were equally tasty! I don't have an in on their marinating process, but it seemed to have been done well as the sangria was sweet with different layers of flavour. The perfect girly drink!

For DarlingYellow's birthday, we visited The Noble Experiment. This exclusive speakeasy requires you to TEXT a reservation in advance--they do not take walk-ins, so don't expect to be admitted even if you do find the secret door (dressed as a stack of kegs) at the back of The Neighborhood on the east side of Downtown SD. The Noble Experiment is small and intimate, seating maybe about 30 people, so also don't go expecting to have a huge hen/stag party there.

The decor inside is hip and pretentious almost; with one wall lined completely with golden skulls facing the bar, the ceilings and adjacent walls are decorated with oil paintings and LCD screens with trippy graphics, including a mounted deer head graphic that--what is that? Did it wink at me? I should stare at it for the next five minutes just to make sure!!! Flash photos aren't allowed to preserve the ambiance of the speakeasy--okay, fine, it is pretentious. Luckily, the service is quite friendly and not pretentious at all.

The vibe of the speakeasy is pretty classy, so in going I would dress to impress, though not formally. The booths are intimate... meaning they are quite small. They were cramped for our party of six. I'd recommend inviting no more than 3 other people to go with you. The prices are also a bit more, but you are getting fancier drinks; the drinks start at $12 and there is no vodka or beer in the place to keep with the prohibition theme. Feeling girly, I ordered the strawberry daiquiri:

Together, our group ordered strawberry daiquiris, "The Cloud," Country Gentleman and the Morning Glory Fizz (there is a pretty small menu, but despite this, you can order any mix you want). Dealer's Choice is also an option, being that the waitstaff will ask a bit about your tastes for drinks and bring back a surprise for you. "The Cloud" was a drink with grapefruit juice that I loved and would order again. My strawberry daiquiri, though with "light rum" packed quite a punch, so if you're a lightweight like me, go slow. It was definitely the most fragrant drink of them all; the quartered strawberry garnish sold it, to be honest. Taking a sip of your daiquiri also lets you catch a whiff of the strawberry, the main essence of the drink. I personally enjoyed the Dealer's Choice more than the daiquiri.

The Country Gentleman boasted spirits of 100 proof (50% alcohol) and knocked me clean off my feet! The apple brandy was tasty and powerful, but I'm not a huge drinker, so I will let you judge this for yourself.

I enjoyed my experiences at both places thoroughly and I would love to return, but I can tell you it's not going to happen frequently because of the hefty prices. Nonetheless, I recommend them both for quite an experience!