Michael Tarnoff: I have been seeking out fine and interesting foods for four decades. Growing up in a house with hundreds of cookbooks, my taste buds were shaped and honed to appreciate the world’s cuisines.
My family would take countless trips into “The City” to try new restaurants and new flavors. The love of food is in my genes, and I’m ready to share this love with you. Today, Ramen is a passion of mine, as I look for different flavors and textures to delight the palate.
Frank Cioffi: It was the last day of my first visit to Japan. As I walked the corridor of a Marunouchi office building in Tokyo, I saw it: a row of 8 or 9 men on stools, leaning into their bowls, slurping. It was a restaurant (Tonari) consisting of only a counter. No place to walk in; just a counter.
I took the only empty seat, pointed to a menu item, and had my first bowl of ramen (beyond the instant kind). Wow. Since then I’ve been exploring the flavors, the richness, the limitless variations of this – the single most consumed dish in Japan – whose popularity is still growing worldwide. I never tire tasting ramen, talking about it, reading about it. So now, a few close, equally enthusiastic friends and I get to write about it.
Itadakimasu! いただきます!
David Siegler: I am relatively new to enjoying and learning about ramen. I am delighted to have two excellent tour guides (my two Ramen Club brothers “RCBs”) in my ongoing explorations of this delicious and intricate food. I may not have as discerning a palate or as many descriptors as my RCBs, but I know what I like and am confidant in my good taste.
I expect my contribution to our blog will be more visual than written as taking photos comes easy for me.
For me Ramen Club is a chance to explore an intriguing food with my RCBs and occasional guest slurpers.
We explore, we have fun, we eat. Life is good – like a rich tonkotsu broth!