Slurpfest 2017 - Newtown, NSW

So, it's been another whole month since my last blog post but this time...I've had a good reason for that. The end of August and most of September has been all about my all-consuming obsession: Ramen. I think I've had more ramen in this month than I've had 2016 combined (and I eat a ramen pretty often). The reason for that is because 2017 marks the inaugural launch of Sydney's only ramen dedicated event: Slurpfest 2017 hosted by RamenRaff and Rising Sun Workshop. In Sydney, we've had item specific events before (i.e. Bacon Fest, Burgerpalooza, Meatstock etc) but I think this is the first event of its kind...not only for ramen but I think for Asian food in general (like, I don't think there's been a Pho-fest or some kind of Bao festival before) so the significance was huge.

I follow RamenRaff quite heavily and even I had no idea that this kind of thing could happen. At first, the teasers sort of suggested to me that Raff might be opening his own shop (the guy makes some pretty mean looking noodles) but alas, I was totally off. I don't think anyone else would have been able to pull off an event like this...I doubt anyone else has so much pull with Sydney's tight-nit Ramen-ya community so, kudos to you Raff, it was lovely getting to know you better over the course of five nights and to share Ramen ideology with you.

As soon as the tickets became available, I immediately went online and purchased all five nights one after another. The mildly inconveniencing thing about Eventbrite was that you couldn't buy all five nights in one go but that was a very, very slight thing that the organisers had no control over so that did not at all dampen my excitement about the event at all. And to be honest, good thing I bought all five nights in one go because the tickets almost immediately became sold out a day or two after. This was honestly both the most surprising and gratifying thing to me...that I wasn't along. That ramen fanatics in this city were as keen as I was. For those who didn't get to attend or read any collateral about the event, the way it works is each night the event was hosted, there was a different guest chef making something limited and unique for the event.

On the first night, I was keen as a bean and so I arrived 6pm on the dot so as not to be late (in Japanese culture, it's very impolite to be late)...and, I had no idea that I could rock up at anytime 6pm - 9pm. Not a bad thing though as it meant I was one of the first people through the door. At that point, I hadn't had the courage to strike up a conversation with RamenRaff so I stuck to myself and was seated at one of the single bar seats on the upstairs seating. Unfortunately, this also meant I had terrible lighting for the photos I took for the first night (Sorry, Higashida san).The first night was Gumshara's Higashida Mori san with the Meaty Tonkotsu ramen. For all who follow Sydney ramen culture, there is no way you won't know about Gumshara and their signature gravy like thick soup reminiscent of their mother shop, Mutteppuo in Japan. This night, the ramen was his usual standard of fantastic but I could taste a little bit more depth in the soup...it had a ever-so slight more of an umami based oomph to it. The highlight would have been the gigantic pieces of meaty-ass chashu that was fashioned into a little meat-lotus on top of the noodles. Comparitive to the usual fatty rolls of chashu, the meatiness and deep, porcine flavour of the chashu was most definitely outstanding. For each bowl, I think I'll proceed to give each a personal ranking and a title (at the end). For the first night, the title I give it will be the True O.G (Original Gangsta) because out of all the bowls...this deviates the least from the source material (not a bad thing for Gumshara die-hards).

The second night, I had something on so I could come a little later than I did the first night. That "something" I had on also meant I came on a half-full stomach which impeded on my ability to crush the bowl with absolute satisfaction. That said, Chaco Bar's turn was an absolute eye-opener. The title I give this particular bowl would be The Innovator. Out of all five nights, Chaco Bar's interpretation of Ramen was the most stylish and outlandish (at least, the one I picked was). You had a choice of two bowls....you could either stick with their signature Fat Soy OR, you could push the envelope and try their Occy Shabu Shabu ramen. I'm so, so glad I went ahead and picked the shabu shabu ramen because BOY WAS IT TASTY. I don't usually enjoy spicy ramen but this bowl had a really gratifying Sichuanese punch to it (you know, the one that builds and builds to a numbing orgasmic pain). That elevated the complex and rich, viscous soup to next levels of tastiness. Along with the fantastically chewy noodles, you also got their signature John Dory dumpling, sprigs of coriander, kikurage and, AND thinly sliced curls of Octopus meat. As if that wasn't enough carb, you also got a side of Octopus Tentacle Shime Gohan with it. Apparently, you were meant to mix it into the soup at the end to soak it up but....I just ate it plain which has it's own merits. The rice helped calm the spice and give your palette a good cleanse.



The third night was interesting....it was held on the same night that there was a SSM rally at Town Hall so Newtown was PACKED. Fortunately, those who know me know I have this almost magical luck with parking and I got parking a few doors down from Rising Sun. Now, it was time for the Artisans to show us what they got (eh? EH? You like what I got?). Cool Mac Cafe has fast become one of my favourite ramen-yas in the city. Somewhat to do with how close they are to where I currently work but mostly because their ramen is F%#^ing Delicious. They remind me of the first time I stepped into Batch Brewery in Marrickville. Before then, I had no idea Beer could taste that damn good and that there could be such variations from putting this artisan care into the product. Cool Mac's ramen is small batch based with heavy emphasis on this layered yet impactful stock. The ramen (named the O.G Kumamoto) was epic...UNBELIEVABLY good aburi chashu (fatty, tender and MELTS straight away), intense yet deep and satisfying broth, egg, menma, shiraga negi and toasted garlic. The highlight though was this....smoked schmaltz that they had on top. Like, game over man, game over.

Before the fourth night, I thought it'd be a fantastic idea to make my entire week about ramen so on the Thursday, I had the Super Volcano Ramen from Makanai @ Chatswood, the Miso Ramen from Ryo-Tei (for all who wonder, my all-time favourite...reminds me of my spiritual home, Sapporo) AND to top it off, one last bowl of Butter's Fried Chicken Ramen before it left for good. That was the same day/night I would go for Slurpfest again so yes, I can have ramen several times over a couple of days and not get sick of it.

The fourth night really brought back memories for me....Chef Haru Inukai's Truffle and Potato Potage ramen....the very last bowl I had from Ramen Ikkyu before they closed up shop for good. To me, Chef Haru (and his bowl) deserve the title of Iron Chef because he reminds me of one of my childhood heroes, Chef Hiroyuki Sakai from the SBS re-runs of the Japanese version of Iron Chef. The first time I had his food was at Blancharu celebrating the very first year of the Mrs and I dating. This was the degustation that blew my mind for the first time and made me fall in love with fine dining. So, since Chef Haru decided to take the Salaryman route and close up Blancharu to open a ramen shop, I've been a fan. I was absolutely heartbroken when I heard Ikkyu closed so night #4 was sorta this, long awaiting reunion with an old friend.The flavour was as good as I remember it to be....delicate, complex and clean with this distinct yet not overpowering taste of truffle lingering at the bottom of the soup. The chicken breast was perfectly tender and juicy and the pepperiness of the roquette really, really did wonders for the overall flavour profile.

So, in between the fourth night and the fifth night, Coolmac announced that they would do Friday Ramen Nights....KEEN! That Friday, I finished work at my usual 4:30pm, trained it to Milsons Point and happily waltzed over like an idiot at like....4:45pm. (Way too early, service starts at 5:30pm). So, I walked off, took a seat by the station and read manga until just before 5:30pm (actually walked a bit more to add a few minutes and not to appear too keen) but I'm happy to say I'm one of the first people to make it. Two bowls were on offer that night: their O.G Kumamoto from night #3 or a Torigara Shoyu. I'd been craving a really good Shoyu (like the one I had at Kamakura Honten Dotonbori) so i opted for that. F#$% me that was good....best. shoyu. thus. far! The stock had a depth and richness to it that I had not experienced in any other shoyu ramen to date. And the whole package just tasted of the best and most delicious roast chook you've ever had. On top of that, I also pigged out and got the Aburi Chashu and Miso Mayo Donburi which supplemented my meal rather well by giving me pork fat glazed grains of delicious rice to consume.

SO, final night....both dejected that it's over and excited to see how good the last bowl was. Last shop to present their work was O-san Ramen which I quite like as well. Haven't had their bowl since the massive fire at Dixon that made them relocate. Again, diners had two choices: the Ozzy Tonkotsu which was pork, chicken and clam based or the Modern Classic which was an entirely fish based stock. Sticking to the theme, I chose the Ozzy Tonkotsu for the thickness and my love for clams. O-san's offering was the only bowl to use thin, straight noodles which I think really helped carry the soup's flavour through and through. As soon as I took the first sip and bite, it reminded me of the days I used to go to Fook Yuen and have Chinese Banquets on the regular....in particular, the steamed oysters. That sweet, salty and umami packed Chinese soy sauce, the abundance of shallots/spring onions and ginger and the brininess from the giant oysters....all prevalent in this bowl. Furthermore, the chunky pieces of grilled chashu they had on the bowl had a really nice black-pepper punch to it....very enjoyable indeed. The title? Definitely The Dragon...it's almost feels like O-san has soaked up a lot of influence from where it's based (Chinatown) and infused it into his style. Most definitely has some Bruce Lee impact in there!

Overall, I have to say that this September has proven to be one of the most memorable of my life. Not only did I get to absolutely indulge in my one passion (I got a few people notice my ramen tattoo and shirts) but I also got to experience a fanatical community that I never believed, even existed. I got to meet two of my long-time follows (Thank you RamenRaff for allowing me to sit and chat with you and thank you to RamenWithFriends, you guys are amazing!) and see so many people who loved ramen almost as much as I do. When I ate upstairs, there were two nights where I got seated at the communal tables where you get to make conversation with other diners....two fond memories I had was when I got to show my ramen chops in-front of a couple who lived (literally) on top of Yasaka Neutral Bay and Japanese mother-and-daughter pair. Another night where I got to sit with a group of friends where one of them even asked me about my blog after.

The other thing I found amazing was the quality of the ramen. Like, watching videos on Youtube from Brian @ RamenAdventures, I had this pre-conception in my mind (however, false that assumption was) that ramen festivals would mirror the ones in Japan: heaps of shops setting up temporary stalls to show us some special items. And, in a way, this was just like that only I felt that there was a mild hesitation to push the envelope. Each shop (with the exception of Chaco Bar) showed of in spectacular fashion, what they do best. There is no denying that each of the guest chefs are masters of their own right but what I would have liked to see was more experimental types (i.e. Tsukemen or Mazemen). That said, in discussing this with Raff and Rising Sun, that wasn't the point of this session. This was more of an exercise in proving the sustainability of an event like this....in validating the fact that Sydney loves ramen. I think next year (hopefully), the theme will reach into individual expression. Allowing each chef to use us as willing guinea pigs to try out any and every idea they have brewing in their brilliant minds. I most definitely look forward to next year (that said, I won't be let out on Sundays for a while now....)

Oh, and if you're STILL reading this, my ranking is as follows and AGAIN, this is entirely personal preference....don't hate on me:

1. The Artisan (Cool Mac Cafe/Junichi Okamatsu)
2. The Iron Chef (Haru Inukai)
3. The Innovator (Chaco Bar/Keita Abe)
4. The O.G (Gumshara/Higashida Mori)
5. The Dragon (O-San/Kazuteru Oh)

Hana Jurin - Crows Nest, NSW

Oh, it's been a bad month for me....not July itself, that was amazing but more end of July until now...Aside from the Mrs being sick the last week or so, I feel like I've been in a bit of an emotional slump. I just haven't had the motivation to do anything at all (go gym, blog or cook) and so, the last month has resulted in me gaining a significant bit of belly baggage, emotional baggage (as a result of stress at work) and some. So, I really have to make a conscious effort to get back into the routine of things that make me happy....starting with blogging.

I had one of the MOST memorable meals of my life on the 22nd of July (my birthday) and I didn't even find the time to sit down and blog about it! So, for months now, I've been pestering the Mrs about what she had booked for my birthday dinner. I never used to like surprises (the element of having to deal with an unknown factor unnerved me severely) but since being with her, I've grown accustomed to and have started to enjoy when people plan pleasant surprises for me. So I've been asking her for months what she had planned for me knowing that the one thing I wanted to have (omakase) had to be booked months in advance (for all those people who want to know how I managed to book Sashimi Shinsengumi...I got lucky). Month on month, the Mrs would tell me "Nah, haven't booked anything...sorry" when secretly, she'd organised omakase at Hana Jurin months ahead! Sneaky fox!

Obviously, she could only really keep the secret until the day before because I had to drive there but upon hearing that I was going to get omakase for my birthday dinner, I was ecstatic! I spent that weekend treating myself to the Overwatch World Cup and on the night, just before we were due to go, the Mrs met me in the city and we drove off early to avoid being late. Omakase is Japanese for "I'll leave it to you" which is a traditional Japanese method of dining where a diner leaves themselves completely at the will of the establishment. The chef decides exactly what is fresh and what is right to serve at the right time to maximise the diner's enjoyment of the meal and the experience.

If Sashimi Shinsengumi was the cheaper entry-point to this exquisite world of sushi enjoyment and if Sokyo is the high-end decadent version, then I would say Hana Jurin is the mid-tier cost but super authentic and traditional experience. If you want to get the most real sushi omakase experience you can, I would recommend coming to Hana Jurin. But be warned, omakase is for the true sushi fanatics and those who are open to following tradition. Do not mistake yourself into thinking that it's a great date idea (unless of course, your date is a sushi nerd) or a casual dinner with friends because just as much as the master is to respect you as a guest, you are equally supposed to respect the master and the establishments rules and ceremonies for the entire process.

You must:

1. Always be on time. 
2. Never cancel last minute...last minute cancellations are never ok
3. Try to eat the nigiri as quickly as you can as it's served exactly at the time and temperature it's intended to be eaten at
4. Never ask for soy sauce or wasabi...each piece is designed and season as it should be eaten.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, if you're still keen on the experience, I would highly, highly recommend it. Chef Tomoyuki Matusya is a second generation sushi master and his skills and passion for sushi are second to none. I assure you that if you enjoy sushi, Japanese cuisine and the general aesthetic and philosophy behind the Japanese way of doing things, you will absolutely LOVE the experience that you have here. Each piece of sushi down to each grain of rice (I kid you not, each grain is perfect) is carefully crafted so that you can have the ultimate eating experience and you really, really taste the every bit of skill the chef has acquired with each piece.

I'm not going to go in depth into each piece but I will post the pictures of each piece in chronological order so you have a flow of the night. For in depth reviews of each nigiri piece, please visit the @mrandmrschopsticks instagram for more information though the piece you get if and when you go will be somewhat different as the pieces are seasonal.

This experience was memorable for me not JUST because it was my (perfect) birthday or the fact that I got to indulge in one of my most favourite food items but because the whole night made SUCH an impression on me. Chef's skills are supreme and the journey he takes you through is one of profound discovery of different flavour profiles and textures. Not only that, the other guests on the night also had a wonderful time and near the end of the night, we all sat around the sushi bar in a strange sense of comfort. I legitimately feel like I was transported to a small, intimate sushi bar in the more traditional parts of Tokyo. This sort of experience was something I thought I could only get in Japan and if only for that, it was WELL worth every cent paid.