Puritan & Co {SNAPSHOT}

This is a {Snapshot} of Puritan & Co. The original, detailed post about the restaurant as a whole is here.

Bryan and I stopped by Puritan & Co. for the first time this year. We'd visited it a few times last winter, but it somehow fell off our radars for the first half of this year. Even though Will Gilson wasn't in the house (he was at the Nantucket Wine Festival all weekend), the rest of the staff held down the fort admirably in his absence. Service was great, the food was all very good, and we walked away wondering, "why don't we come here more often?"

We started with the citrus marinated scallop (as an amuse bouche), and it was fantastic. The scallop was so sweet, and everything just came together very nicely in that tiny bite. I really was wishing I had actually ordered the appetizer portion of that dish.

Maybe next time.

We had a lovely starter soup that consisted of smoked pork belly, various beans, and a puree made out of . . . ramps perhaps? Alas, I cannot remember. I should have taken notes, but I did not. In any event, it was very, very good. We polished the whole thing off quite quickly. Of course, it was lovely to break that egg open and mix the yolk around with all the other flavorful elements of the dish.

We also tried a Crispy Pig's Head Torchon, which is made by mixing and rolling together various parts of a pig's head (organs are removed!) such as the cheeks, skin, etc. It was a tad rich for me, but Bryan enjoyed it quite a bit.
 Black Pepper Pasta ($17) with dandelion greens, guanciale, and spring garlic was absolutely fantastic. I loved the bitterness of the dandelion greens (my first time trying it!) and the pungent "bite" from the garlic. The freshly made pasta was lovely as well. I would most definitely order this dish again.
We were flabbergasted at how "rare" the lamb was cooked (a very, very good thing) in our entree, called Lamb Three Way. It consisted of lamb belly, lamb loin, and I can't remember the third one, maybe lamb tenderloin? The entire dish was incredibly tender and not too gamey at all. I'm going to hazard a guess that it's American lamb, which has a much milder taste than New Zealand or Australian lamb. Overall, the dish was excellent, with a lovely balance of flavors from fresh, seasonal spring vegetables.

If I go back, I definitely want to order more of that citrus cured scallop, as well as the pasta.

Gosh, I love spring ingredients.

Related Posts
Puritan & Co.
Garden at the Cellar
Cooking Class with Will Gilson
Tomato Vine Tasting Tour with Will Gilson

Puritan & Co.
1166 Cambridge St
Cambridge, MA

Chez Henri

This is the seventh restaurant post in the ongoing series Welcome to My New Hood, a series highlighting the neighborhood between Harvard Square and Porter Square in Cambridge. Other posts in this series: Rafiki Bistro (now closed), Super Fusion Sushi, Temple Bar, Giulia, Cambridge Common, and Ten Tables Cambridge. 
 
I've seen lots of restaurants come and go, but I think Chez Henri has been in Cambridge ever since I moved here almost twenty years ago (man, time flies).

Known best for its pressed Cubano Sandwich, Chez Henri actually has a lot of interesting Cuban/French inspired dishes that makes it just a bit different from your typical American style gastropub on this stretch of Mass Ave between Harvard and Porter in Cambridge.

Just recently, news came the this neighborhood stronghold is being sold and may be renamed. Chef-owner Paul O'Connell has indicated that he hopes to sell it to Dylan Black, current owner of Green Street who used to work at Chez Henri.

I met Chef Paul O'Connell at East End House's Cooking for a Cause benefit event last year. He was super friendly, sharing with me fascinating stories about how he has cooked for Julia Child (who used to live in Cambridge really close to the restaurant!) as well as the food blogger, "Julie" of "Julie and Julia" fame.

I'm a little sad to see this neighborhood institution go. I'm hoping that the new owners preserve what's great and unique about Chez Henri, namely its famous cubano, interesting Latin focused dishes, and solid French cooking. Initial news reports seem to indicate this is the intent of Dylan Black and his team, which is encouraging.

Nevertheless, if you want to taste the Chez Henri that you've known and loved the past 15 years, you might want to head over there before the end of the summer, which is when the changeover is expected to take place.

Here's a look at the first meal we had there after moving into the neighborhood.

Bryan started with Blanquette de Lapin, which is homemade cavatelli tossed with white wine braised rabbit, cream, and herbs ($15).This dish is definitely more French than Cuban (not sure if it has any Cuban influence, in fact). The texture of the homemade pasta was great, and Bryan liked the overall flavors of the dish. I personally found it to be a bit too heavy and rich, and could only handle a few bites of it.

I started with the Bistro Salad (pictured up top), a pile of fresh greens tossed in a dijon and herb vinaigrette mixed with crispy potatoes, warm bacon lardons, and a soft boiled egg ($12). This is a classic French dish, and they dine a fine job on it.

This Cuban-inspired appetizer was a special of the evening, and thus not on the regular menu. The shrimp was cooked just right and the dish had a nice kick that came from the Cuban spices.

We also enjoyed Pressed Cornish Hen, which came with red Kouri squash polenta, truffle pan jus glace viande, and charred greens ($24). The chicken was juicy and tasted pretty good with the nicely browned skin.

For dessert, we shared a Strawberry Shortcake with Pineapple Sauce. Bryan and I have always loved biscuit-based strawberry shortcakes, so we enjoyed this particular dessert. It's not something that blew me away, but we liked how it wasn't cloyingly sweet. The ice cream added a balance to the entire dessert.

We thought all of the dishes at Chez Henri were pretty good, and definitely a step above several of the other gastropubs down the street. Of course, the prices are higher here, so you do pay a premium for the more upscale food. Nothing particularly blew us away, but everything was solid.

If you sit at the bar, you should most definitely try the Cubano, probably one of their most famous items. I didn't get one at this meal, but I've tasted it before, and it's quite good.

We'll miss you Chez Henri. Hoping the "new" you preserves the best of what you already have and adds even more to the neighborhood.

Thanks for a great 19 years!

Chez Henri
1 Shepard St
Cambridge, MA 02138

Jen's Top Restaurants to Visit in Boston

It has been a tough, tough week for those of us in Boston.

For me, I landed in Boston right around the time the lock-down was lifted, so thankfully we were able to catch a cab back to our home in Cambridge. Imagine our surprise when about 10 unmarked cruisers sped past our cab on Storrow Drive racing towards Watertown. We continued to hear sirens for several minutes, even after we got home.

Who could have imagined that the tenseness, craziness, and unbelievability of this whole week would finally reach some sort of closure in a couple more hours.

We were all relieved, and it was really, really nice to see Boston slowly coming back to life over the weekend. Going back to normal never felt so great.

In honor of my beloved city, I have written up a post detailing some of my favorite places to bring friends when they visit. I often get requests for where to eat while in Boston, and I've never really written up a proper post putting it all together.

So, please enjoy this write up of some of my favorite places to eat (plus a fun surprise at the end).

And if you have a chance, definitely come and visit!

1. Taste Boston's Famous Seafood

Boston has fantastic seafood - everything from our dizzying array of raw oysters to the awesome lobster rolls and clam chowder. Try the incredible lobster roll at Neptune Oyster in Boston's North End. Their hot lobster roll is especially famous, but everything there is really, really good. I personally love their oysters as well as the Johnny cake. The biggest negative about this place is that they don't take reservations and the restaurant is tiny. Waits can easily stretch to a couple hours long. Thankfully, you can leave your phone number and they will call you when your table is ready. However, don't show up too late. We've come and been turned away before because the line was so long they wouldn't be able to seat us that night.

If you don't want to wait at Neptune, Island Creek Oyster Bar is an excellent alternative because they take reservations (plus they are located a stone's throne from Fenway Park). This place has a great selection of local oysters plus lots of tasty seafood options. Of course, it is also very popular, so book early! Other decent stand-bys for seafood include Legal Sea Foods (very fresh but simply prepared seafood and excellent clam chowder) and (for that fancier steakhouse-like experience), the Oceanaire.

2. Italian Food in Boston's North End (+ pastries afterwards!)

The North End is a vibrant, food-packed neighborhood that is definitely a must-visit. Though most tourists will line up to eat at Giacamo's or Pizzeria Regina, we prefer Mamma Maria, a place serving excellent Italian food in a cozy, townhouse-like environment; or the buzzing Prezza, who has one of the best bolognese sauces we've ever tried and an awesome lobster fra diavlo (but really, everything is fantastic).  
For more casual, less expensive, but still excellent Italian fare, try Monica's Trattoria or Antico Forno. I always skips dessert at restaurants in the North End because I love heading over to

Mike's Pastry or Modern for dessert. Don't miss the awesome lobster tail at Mike's (my favorite!) or the delicious cannoli at either location. Lines can get long on weekends, though you can sometimes avoid the lines if you opt for sit-down service at Mike's (if there's an open table).

3. A Splurge One Night?
Although Boston hasn't been rated by the likes of the Michelin Guide, San Pellegrino Top 50 Best Restaurants list, or other lists that get passed around, we have our own fair share of fantastic fine dining options. Here are my favorites.

Watermelon Pearls and Oysters at O Ya 

For a twist on Japanese food (one of my favorite cuisines), head down to O Ya in downtown Boston where Tim Cushman will delight you with his creative takes on sushi. Must try dishes include the fried Kumamoto oysters nigiri, grilled chanterelles & shitake mushroom "sashimi", and the foie gras nigiri for dessert (yes, chocolate sauce and dessert wine). If you're into sake, Chef Cushman's wife Nancy Cushman is a certified sake sommelier and can create a great pairing for you.

Ken Oringer is one of the most famous chefs locally, and it's not hard to see why. Both of his restaurants, Clio and Uni Sashimi Bar serve beautiful, creative, and well executed dishes. Clio is more traditional French, while Uni Sashimi Bar is a twist on Japanese cuisine.

A Course from The Ultimate Chef's Tasting at Craigie on Main

For true nose to tail dining, check out the ever popular Craigie on Main across the river in Cambridge for overall excellent food. Chef Tony Maws is fanatical about the quality and the source of all his food, and it really shows. His burger is so famous and popular (even at a whopping $18), that it often sells out before 7PM (and you have to know about it to ask for it, since it only appears on the bar menu now). I've enjoyed everything from the casual brunch (best bloody Mary I've ever tried, by the way) to his "Ultimate Chef's Tasting." This guy's got true talent, and it's definitely worth trying his restaurant if you have a chance.

A twist on a Lobster Roll from Menton

For that refined, sophisticated high-end French experience, Menton is well regarded as the best option in the city. Barbara Lynch set out to even out-do herself in offering a new level of haute cuisine never seen in Boston. It seems like Chef Lynch has succeeded, even receiving the honor of being Boston's first ever Relais & Chateaux recognized restaurant, an honor indeed. Menton offers various tasting menus inspired by local ingredients and interpreted with French techniques with influences from all different sorts of cuisines. We've tried several meals there, and have always been impressed by the food, ambiance, and service. It really is one of the best high-end restaurants in Boston.

For a more unusual, Mediterranean experience, check out Ana Sortun's Oleana, which derives quite a lot of influence from Turkish cuisine. Chef Sortun's husband is a farmer, and therefore the restaurant also strongly emphasizes the use of local and seasonal produce, produced with organic methods when possible.

Another fun and unique place is Scampo, an excellent Italian-leaning restaurant located in The Liberty Hotel, a former prison. The architecture of this prison makes this building pretty interesting to visit. The food at Scampo, from Boston's well-known chef Lydia Shire, is also excellent.

4. Boston's Excellent Gastropubs & Neighborhood Restaurants

Russell House Tavern
One thing that has spoiled me here is the plethora of really good gastropubs. I almost thing I take it for granted. Just in Cambridge alone, I only need to walk a few minutes to find a really good, reasonably priced pub where I can get excellent food and a great selection of craft beers. There are tons of these around, so I'll just mention a few of my favorites. Keep in mind that I do live in Cambridge, so my choices may be a little skewed towards places that are convenient for me. 
Russell House Tavern is something that's almost too good to be true: a restaurant located at a prime location (the heart of Harvard Square) serving fantastic food at very reasonable prices. They have a huge bar in the lower level (great place to try to grab a seat if no reservations are available), and a great selection of draft beers. They emphasize local and seasonal ingredients, and the food is excellent.

Cambridge Brewing Company
I have a soft spot for Cambridge Brewing Company, one of our local microbreweries. They make a lot of fun beers throughout the year - everything from a pumpkin ale during the fall to a fun, smoky spicy hot pepper beer that we recently tried. The food is good, the ambiance is fun (try the tower of beer!), and sometimes they even have a jazz brunch on weekends, which is fun and relaxing. Garden at the Cellar in Cambridge still (in my mind) has the best rosemary truffle fries around, while Cambridge Common has a mean selection of beers (over 30 on draft) plus inexpensive (and solid) food. Puritan & Co. is helmed by a super talented chef and has great charcuterie and oysters.
One of our favorite go-to restaurants Bergamot falls more into the new American category, although they do have a small bar where we love to hang out. Bergamot has a fantastic $39 three course deal that they offer all the time. Chef Pooler is extremely talented and executes fantastic, flavorful dishes that change frequently due to the seasonality of ingredients. Another favorite, Ten Tables in Cambridge, offers a warm and cozy ambiance in which to enjoy new American fare made from local and seasonal ingredients. In the summer, enjoy a lovely meal while sitting outside in Harvard Square at the Monday Club at Upstairs on the Square. Best Casual / Ethnic Tastes It was hard to cull down this list, so it's a bit longer than the others. There are just a lot of good ethnic eats here!

For a unique style of rich, pork-bone broth ramen, try Yume Wo Katare in Porter Square, where you can try the unusual "Jiro"-style ramen not found in many parts of the US. Don't be surprised if you have to wait in line outside to get into this tiny little place which only accepts cash. For hand-pulled noodles made in the style of Xi'an, drive far out into the suburbs to get a taste of Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe. Get the liang pi (weekend only), lamb stew, and handmade noodles, but skip the flatbread sandwiches.

My favorite Brazilian restaurant is Muqueca in Inman Square, which offers delicious seafood stews called moquecas. The mariscada is also excellent, and the yucca fries and cashew fruit drinks are just fun to try. My favorite not-so-hidden ethnic gem is Baraka Cafe, a North African Tunisian restaurant right on the edge of Central Square. Service can be a bit slow at this family owned restaurant, but the food is really good and (in my mind) worth the wait. Definitely try the cherbat, their signature Algerian style lemonade made with rose petals and North African spices.

Bartley's Burger

One of the most famous burger places in the entire city is Bartley's in Harvard Square. This place is almost an institution in the Square and often has lines going out the door on nice days. The burgers are named after various celebrities in fun, irreverent ways (often poking fun based on current events). They're also pretty tasty.

One of my favorite local places for excellent salads and pizzas is Area Four in Cambridge right near MIT. I love the thin crust pizzas that they make, which often come with really creative toppings. Their salads are excellent, and are often made with more unusual seasonal ingredients, such as their shaved Brussels sprouts salad (yum). Emma's in East Cambridge also makes great thin crust pizzas. Our favorite is the No. 4, which includes cranberries, potatoes, and bacon.

For excellent Southern American / French cuisine, try Hungry Mother in Cambridge. Reserve early, because this is one of those places that is virtually impossible to book same day reservations (unless if you want to eat at really odd times).

4. Don't Forget the Sweets!

Toscanini's Ice Cream
Boston is obsessed with ice cream and I really think we have some of the best ice cream in America. My personal favorite is Toscanini's (or Tosci's) in Cambridge, which offers an eclectic variety of flavors that is ever-changing.  His brother's place, Rancatore's, in Belmont and Lexington also serves similar ice cream, though the flavors are more ordinary. Other popular places include Christina's and JP Licks, but Tosci's is my favorite.
One of my all time favorite baked items in the entire city of Boston is High Rise Bread Company's vanilla loaf. I've even tried making it (though my version based on their recipe still doesn't taste quite as good as the real thing, though it's close!). Aside from all the wonderful breads and sweets that they sell, High Rise also makes excellent sandwiches. There are multiple locations in Cambridge, and it's a fabulous place to have a relaxed lunch (though come early if you want to make sure you get a seat! I usually try to come before 12pm on a weekday).
The most famous bakery in Boston just may be Flour Bakery by Joanne Chang. Her sticky buns are the most famous. They were featured in a throwdown with Bobby Flay and won. Rumor has it that you have to go early otherwise the sticky buns run out, though I've seen them at the Central Square location as late as 6PM. The fresh baked bread here is excellent, and it makes the sandwiches especially tasty.
This is by no means a comprehensive list of all the really great restaurants in Boston. It's a list of places that I would recommend to my friends if they asked me for advice. I hope you find it helpful, and feel free to comment below or email me with any questions.

Come support Boston!

Boston Strong.

(just for fun, in honor of Boston "coming back", here is an animated video I made a couple years ago with vegetables building themselves into a Boston skyline)

Yume Wo Katare

Call me a chicken or call me lame.

Or maybe I'm just not a quite as devoted a ramen fan.

Sure, I'd been curious about Yume Wo Katare even before it opened. Who wouldn't be intrigued by the promise of authentic ramen from Japan, complete with thick, handmade noodles and a rich, flavorful broth?

But then there were the lines. The infamous lines that stretched down the block, especially on weekends. It wan't unusual to wait 2 hours for a bowl of noodles. Of course, from what I heard, the brave souls who waited in these long lines were rewarded with a phenomenal bowl of noodles. Those that were lucky bragged about "only" waiting 20-30 minutes. Those in the know advised going right at 5:00 pm (about an hour before they open).

"Usually they'll open the doors around 5:30 and start letting people in. This way, you only wait 30 minutes."

I live less than a 15 minute walk away from this place, yet I couldn't bring myself to go try it. The uncertainty of potentially having to wait in line for up to two hours most definitely deterred me, big time.


A few nights ago, Bryan informed me that he was going to be late coming back from work. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to try to catch this elusive place at a time when possibly, just possibly the line might be shorter.

We decided to take the chance. It was a reasonably "warm" night out (hey, if it's above freezing here in Boston, we think it's warm), and we were OK going to another backup place in Porter Square if necessary.

Surprisingly, at around 8:30PM, there was no line out the door. Instead, we walked inside, paid for our noodles at the counter, and stood along the wall of the restaurant . . . . waiting. Waiting and watching sixteen other hungry people slurp down their noodles.

Shockingly, within 5 minutes, 4 people finished their noodles and got up to leave.

We couldn't believe it.

We were finally in.

Yume Wo Katare opened in Porter Square (Cambridge) in October of 2012. Chef-owner Tsuyoshi Nishioka has five other ramen restaurants in Japan and decided he wanted to open one up in the US.

It took him awhile to find the perfect location. He tried out a bunch of places, including Hawaii and New York, before settling on Boston. He was searching for a place where there were lots of students - people who didn't have that much money but had huge dreams.

Tell me your Dreams. "Yume" means dreams in Japanese, and "Katare" is tell. 

The tiny restaurant is covered with colorful framed signs describing different people's dreams. You can pay $10 to display your dream for a month; $30 for 3 months; all the way up to $10,000 for 10 years (would that guarantee that he would stay open in that location for 10 years? - perhaps "until 2030" like the sign promises?).

Chef Nishioka is passionate about his ramen. He wakes up early each morning and spends two hours making the noodles by hand.

I asked, "muzukashii desu ka?" (isn't that difficult?)

He smiled and replied (in Japanese), "I have been doing this for ten years. I made ramen for ten years in Japan, so now it is not so difficult."

The pork bone "tonkotsu" broth (not to be confused with the breaded pork cutlet called "tonkatsu") is simmered gently for over 24 hours, never allowed to actually boil. What results is this thick, rich broth full of collagen, pork fat, and tons of flavor. Some liken it to a light gravy almost.

The restaurant specializes in one dish and one dish only: Jiro-style pork ramen. This style of ramen typically comes with thicker noodles (made from higher gluten bread flour), chashu pork and belly, and a thick, fatty pork bone broth. A pile of lightly blanched cabbage and fresh bean sprouts feebly attempts to balance out all that porky richness.

This unusual style of ramen (which some ramen purists refuse to acknowledge as ramen) started in Mita near Keio University at a place called Ramen Jiro. The gargantuan portions of noodles and pork became a hit with students who were looking for delicious, hearty food at a good value.

Especially popular with young college males, it soon became a lauded feat if one could polish off the entire bowl of noodles in its entirety - every single thick slice of fatty pork, the huge pile of dense noodles, the gobs of fresh garlic, and that ultra rich broth. It became a bragging right in and of itself.

Since then it has gained a cult following in Japan, spawning off over 30 other branches across Tokyo alone.
Bryan's bowl with extra vegetables and 5 slices of pork

At Yume Wo Katare, the choices are simple:

First, do you want 2 slices of pork ($12) or 5 slices of pork ($15)?

Second, right before serving you the noodles, the chef will ask you:

Ninniku iremasuka? (do you want garlic?)

I would highly recommend it, as the pungent, raw garlic really helps cut the rich fattiness of the pork belly and the broth. Some would even argue that it's not true Jiro style ramen without the garlic. It definitely offers the needed balance. Of course, be prepared to smell like garlic the rest of the night, because you get a lot!

Don't worry if you can't remember all this. There is a HUGE sign that explains exactly what the chef will ask you. At the end of the day, you just have to decide whether you want garlic or not.

Jen's bowl with 2 slices of pork

If you want to be authentic, you reply with "hai!" (pronounced "hi"). Of course, he understands a tiny bit of English. Bryan was so taken aback by the rapid Japanese that came out of Chef Nishioka's mouth that he just sort of looked confused and said, "I'm sorry, I don't speak . . ."

Chef Nishioka kindly repeated in English, "garlic. do you want garlic?"

You can also ask for extra vegetables, which Bryan did. It means you get a much bigger pile of the blanched cabbage and bean sprouts. Extra pork fat is the last option, but neither of us asked for it, since we already thought the soup had plenty of fat.

How does it taste?
It's is definitely different from any other ramen you can get in Boston.

The broth is deep, rich, intensely flavorful, and also quite fatty. It's very soul-warming on an icy cold day. I can just imagine how satisfying this bowl of soup would be for someone who has been standing out in the cold for two hours, starving.

The pork belly is lusciously melt-in-your-mouth soft and very flavorful. One of my pieces had less fat (perhaps it was pork shoulder?) and was just a bit tougher than the round slices of pork belly. I guess it depends on which pieces you get. The vegetables are fine - simply blanched, they are probably there more for texture than flavor. This dish is seriously all about the pork.

And the handmade noodles are great. Bryan especially liked that part.

"These are better than the noodles at Ippudo," he said.

Some may think Chef Nishioka is a ramen nazi of sorts. After all, there are many rules by which you must play if you want to eat here.

First of all, he only speaks Japanese. I almost felt like I was in Japan as I stepped into this little place - everything from the traditional "irasshaimase!" (welcome) that's yelled out right when you enter to the use of various Japanese phrases used throughout (like the garlic one).

Second, the place is cash only and they aren't shy about (gently) kicking you out of your seat if you're done. After all, there's almost always a huge line outside, and they try their best to move things along. We must have hit a lull, because by the time we left around 9PM, the line had started growing again.

Finally, everyone over the age of 12 must order a bowl of noodles - no sharing (even though the portion is huge!). They don't do take-out, and you can't take any leftovers home with you.

This rule was the hardest for me. On the one hand I felt terrible about throwing away so much of his labor-intensive handmade noodles and 24-hour broth. On the other hand, the idea of eating that entire bowl of pork belly, fat, and thick noodles just made me feel a bit sick. I was seriously stuffed even after eating just about half the bowl.

It looks like I didn't even make a dent, but this is what I had to leave behind.

Thankfully, Bryan did eat some of my noodles afterwards. I was seriously impressed with Bryan. Not only did he finish his own entire bowl (which was the bigger one with five pieces of pork), he made a sizable dent in my bowl of noodles.

At Yume Wo Katare, the chef will personally say "good job!" to you if you are able to finish your entire bowl.

Is it worth the hype?

Wow, that's a hard question.

The dish, as a whole, is very good with excellent execution on all fronts. The ramen broth is richly flavorful and the pork belly is luxuriously soft and tender. It's hard to get handmade noodles in Boston, so we really appreciate the care and dedication that Chef Nishioka puts into making them every morning. They have a decent "Q" to them, though I would still classify them as soft noodles.

This is the type of ramen that's hard to eat on a regular basis. It's just so rich and heavy, you're really kind of wiped out by the time you finish a meal here. Forget about trying to get some work done. Just go straight to bed with your pork-fat induced food coma.

I do love the concept of this place, and I liked being there. It transported me back to Japan, which made me very happy. In my own perfect world, I would be able to order a smaller portion size or take home leftovers. I wouldn't mind a wider variety of vegetables, and Bryan was sort of wishing for some hot sauce.

Of course, these are matters of preference, and it's more of a reflection of our personal opinions on Jiro-style ramen than on Chef Nishioka himself. Personally, I think Chef Nishioka is doing a fantastic job, something that is clearly, clearly evidenced by the popularity of this place.

Chef Nishioka will be going back to Japan for about a month (between April 7 and May 6th), during which time Yume Wo Katare will be closed. Update! He has postponed his trip. So you can still go get noodles!

If you want to get a taste of that ramen, I'd suggest trying to go in the next month or so when the colder weather is still a bit of a deterrent for some. Otherwise, if you try to come back after May, you may be faced with those scary 90-120 minute waits again.

I love the fact that more and more Japanese places are opening up around Porter.

Seriously, perhaps I'll have to consider buying a 10-year "dream" just so he won't leave the area anytime soon.

Yume Wo Katare
(Porter Square)
1923 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA


Sources: Ramen Tokyo Rameniac NYTimes CNN

Bon Me (Cambridge)

Ever find yourself craving a Vietnamese sandwich? Or maybe a tea egg or edamame in the middle of the work day?

I used to work right in One Kendall Square in Cambridge, and I would have loved to have something like that just downstairs from my lab. It's too bad I don't work in the area anymore, because Bon Me, the popular Asian food truck, has opened up its first brick & mortar location right in One Kendall Square.

Bon Me originally started out as a food truck in Boston.  Husband and wife team Patrick Lynch and Alison ("Ali") Fong entered the City of Boston's Food Truck Contest on a whim in 2010 and won. Soon afterward, they opened their first food truck.

Here it is parked right at the Rose Kennedy Greenway (dreaming back to warmer times!). There are now two trucks (a blue one and a yellow one), and you can find them throughout Boston, such as at BU East on Commonwealth Avenue, SOWA outdoor market, and the Seaport area.

Patrick and Ali live in Cambridge and really wanted to open a brick-and-mortar place in their own backyard. Their dreams are finally realized this week as Bon Me in One Kendall Square opens its doors on Friday, February 22, 2013.

I had a chance to check out their menu at their "Friends and Family" soft opening earlier last week.

The menu is relatively simple - not too different from the truck menu - although they are adding a few new dishes, such as a Carrot, Hijiki and Wheatberry Salad. 

There are several fun types of Asian-inspired drinks from which to choose. I got the Thai Basil Limade, which is wonderfully fragrant and refreshingly not too sweet. The Vietnamese Ice Coffee is lighter than your typical Vietnamese iced coffee in terms of sweetness and creaminess. I would have preferred a stronger coffee, but overall the flavors were OK, and I'm glad it's not that sweet.

The Deviled Tea Egg is topped with spicy mayo and cayenne pepper and could be a great mid-day snack (much healthier than those chips in my vending machine at work!). Bryan really enjoyed this one.

The Edamame is served with a star anise and sesame salt, which is surprisingly tasty (even for someone like me who doesn't love anise). The edamame is served cold, which surprised me a bit, though that is how they serve it on the truck.

As for main dishes, you choose between three types: Sandwich ($6), Noodle Salad ($7), or Rice Bowl ($6). You then pick a "filling" to go with it. The night I went, the choices were Chinese BBQ Pork, Spice-rubbed Chicken, and Roasted Soy and Paprika Tofu.

If you choose noodles, you get a choice between soba or rice noodles. The rice noodles are a great choice for those who can't have gluten. The soba is a nuttier noodle, with a deeper flavor. I went with the soba and the tofu, which I really liked. All the vegetables were fresh, and the soft, marinated tofu was quite flavorful and carried the dish well.

Bryan went with the brown rice and spice-rubbed chicken. Bryan preferred the flavor of his chicken dish to my tofu dish, probably because the tofu is sort of sweet, and Bryan prefers savory foods in general.

Of course, if a place is called "Bon Me", you have to try their "bahn-mi" (Vietnamese sandwich). The sandwich turned out to be our favorite out of the three dishes. Not surprisingly, it's also their most popular item. It's not exactly a traditional Vietnamese bahn-mi ("decidedly unauthentic" is what they call it). After all, it is filled with Chinese BBQ Pork.

Nevertheless, the combination of the spicy mayo, pickled vegetables, and house made pate works well with the pork. The overall sandwich is tasty, and a pretty good value at $6 (especially for that area!).

The interior space is really nice. It's modern, clean, and comfortable. There isn't a ton of seating, but I anticipate this place will do a lot of lunchtime takeaway business. They also plan on ramping up their catering business, which will serve local businesses really well.

I think this will turn out to be a great, affordable option for a quick, healthy, and tasty lunch in Kendall. They plan on being open until 10PM at night, so it'll also be a great spot for a late night snack if you're hungry.

Best of luck to Patrick and Ali with your new endeavor!

Disclaimer - I did not pay for this meal. All opinions are my own.