Coast to Coast Ramen: Lukshon Chef's LA Favorite, Santouka Ramen, and NY Hot Spot, Momofuku Noodle Bar

Momofuku Ramen at Momofuku Noodle Bar

The ramen craze may have reached its apex a few years back, but my love for rich broth, springy noodles, crisp vegetables, and fatty pork has never waned. A couple weeks ago I tried Momofuku Noodle Bar in Manhattan's East Village, a place I'd wanted to try since it opened, but had never had the time to wait in its long lines. When I returned to LA and tried Sang Yoon's Lukshon a few days later, I fell in love with his restaurant and read everything about him I could find online, including a New York Times' interview that listed four of his favorite restaurants. One was Santouka Ramen in Culver City, so I knew I had to check it out. Friday to Friday, coast to coast, which would have the better ramen?

I cut my ramen teeth at Minca, a small ramen shop below my previous apartment in Alphabet City. When I was too hungover or it was too cold to go outside, I would run downstairs in my sweats to pick up a huge bowl of Minca ramen to take home to enjoy with Project Runway reruns. The considerable effort required to climb five flights of stairs demonstrates my reliance on Minca's healing powers and my first ramen love left its mark. I generally crave a Minca-style ramen -- one with plenty of fat and salt.

Miso Ramen, Pork with Rice and Salmon Roe with Rice at Santouka Ramen

Santouka offers just that. Their miso ramen gave me a euphoric feeling that continued after lunch as I wandered the aisles of the Mitsuwa Marketplace in which it's located, overwhelmed and excited by the offerings of sakes, shochus, sojus, pastries, candies and sushi grade fish. My mother, grandmother and I shared the regular set plate of miso ramen with a side of salmon roe on rice and an additional side of pork on rice. For $14.78 (incl. tax) we stuffed ourselves and still had leftovers. We're not the biggest eaters, but it's rare for the three of us to so thoroughly enjoy a lunch out for less than $15.

New York's Momofuku Noodle Bar presents a lighter, healthier-feeling version of ramen with pedigreed ingredients. I played it semi-traditional on my first visit and ordered Momofuku ramen -- pork belly, pork shoulder, poached egg -- and steamed pork buns. The namesake ramen was fresh but not as rich and salty as I usually crave in ramen. I enjoyed the contemporary space and lively environment and will return to sample their more creative offerings, such as foie gras ramen.

A big bowl of ramen is always soothing and has become one of those foods I seek for comfort. Santouka and Momofuku satisfy different moods. When in New York I'll walk to Momofuku for avant-garde ramen. When in LA I'll drive to Santouka for that classic ecstatic rush of salt and fat. Two ramens, two coasts, two moods. What's your go-to ramen spot?

There's Magic in White Cow Dairy's Little Glass Jars

I'm really into yogurt. As in, I eat whole milk yogurt pretty much everyday. Usually for breakfast, but really any time of day will do. I've found it easily satisfies a dessert craving when blended with bananas, dates and vanilla.

In California Strauss Family Creamery is my go-to dairy; in Indiana it's Traders Point Creamery; but the most exciting yogurt I've found comes from White Cow Dairy in New York. I've tried White Cow's 5.5 ounce glass jars filled with Rhubarb Yogurt, Cherry Yogurt and Pumpkin Pie Filling ($2.99). All are seriously special: smooth, sweet, satisfying.

The Cherry Yogurt is made with whole milk, yogurt cultures, Singer Farms cherries and maple sugar. It's unlike any yogurt I've ever tasted. Imagine a healthy, unfrozen Dairy Queen Blizzard -- so thick, you can turn your spoon upside down like in the old DQ ads, and filled with delicious bits of cherry throughout peachy-pink cream -- and you're getting close to understanding the initial draw of White Cow yogurt.

Add to that taste that White Cow Dairy is an extension of Blue Hill Farms and the milk comes from cows that graze on grasses and flowers in East Otto, New York. The ingredients in all their products are pure, simple and local.

Next time you're in Midtown Manhattan looking for a quick snack on the run, grab a little glass jar at Murray's Cheese in Grand Central Station. Then stop for a moment to savor just how amazing a yogurt can be.

Where to Find the Perfect Mocha? The Answer's at Stumptown

Having left you all without a post for longer than I'd like to admit, I decided to use this snow day to share my most recent food adventures with you. I trekked through the nineteen inches of slushy snow on a cold day in New York to the dark warmth of The Ace Hotel's lobby. Yesterday I came here too, but without all the frozen puddles to wade through. I guess it shows what lengths I'm willing to go to get a good mocha and maybe betrays an addiction to finding the best -- it seems impossible to waste a meal on something less than perfect.

The music is lively and varied (Run-D.M.C., Django Reinhardt, The Beatles, Motown...). Behind a row of Macs, hip business execs, furiously at work, occasionally reach for a sip of their favorite drink. My coffee du jour was a large, dark, almost savory mocha made with Mast Brothers chocolate ($5), beautifully decorated with a foam leaf design and adorned with a ribbon of thick homemade whipped cream rosettes. To supplement this enormous caloric intake I added a muffin with chocolate chips ($3.50). The pastries are good, although sinfully rich. The coffees are perfect. The mocha has very little sweetness, making it possible to drink the large pint glass of coffee set before me. It's a real jump-start to my day.

Yesterday I enjoyed a medium latte ($4), a chocolate chunk cookie ($2.50) and a croissant filled with pastrami and sauerkraut ($5). The lattes and mochas are some of the best I've ever had, and the pastries are often unusual twists on rich pastry classics. If you feel like a morning treat, put on your hipster best, grab your Mac or a worn copy of Ulysses and take yourself out to Stumptown. You wont be disappointed.

Adventures 2010, No. 1 -- An Afternoon in Chelsea

Because the end of the year is almost here I've decided to do a year-in-review column where I'll talk about some of my favorite adventures of 2010.

I travel to New York regularly and have realized that the city is too big, too wonderful to explore all at once, so I've decided to break down my adventures by neighborhood. At the end of the year, however, I'll take on the city in its entirety and put together my ideal weekend in New York as a whole.

For now, let's start in Chelsea. A good friend recently had a baby, so I've been spending a lot of time in her neighborhood. Chelsea offers everything I'm looking for in a day of exploration: art, fashion, greenspace and plenty of good food and drink.

My picks for an inexpensive afternoon in Chelsea:

Eat Your Way Through Chelsea Market
Jump-start your adventure with a cappuccino at Ninth Street Espresso. Last March The New York Times published an article about the best coffee shops in the city, and I've been tasting my way through the Manhattan locations ever since. This is one of the best of the best.

Lose yourself while browsing contemporary books and creative gift cards at Posman Books. This independent bookstore is one of those places that makes me want to stop everything to just sit down and read, or at least gift others with that pleasure.

Raw, vegan, organic One Lucky Duck is a favorite stop if I want something healthy and filling after a yoga class. Try the spanking, a rich shake made with fresh coconut, blueberry, banana, cashew milk, cinnamon and vanilla.


Stroll the High Line
Enjoy an elevated view of the city as you make your way uptown.


Get Your Culture for Free at the Chelsea Galleries
The area from 22nd-26th streets and between 10th and 11th avenues and surrounding areas are filled with contemporary art galleries, some with museum-quality art. I get exhausted if I spend too much time looking at art, but am rejuvenated and revitalized if I give myself just an hour or two. On my most recent visit I stuck with 22nd street and wandered through most of the galleries and shops on just that street. I'm sure I missed a lot of great shows, but I also felt refreshed when I was finished.

Pace Wildenstein puts together museum-quality shows. They're currently showing photographs by one of my favorite artists, Hiroshi Sugimoto. (Nov. 6-Dec. 24)

Stop by Balenciaga and Comme des Garcons. Both out of my price range, but interesting spaces and the details of the clothes are incredible and worth a look up-close.


Enjoy Peace and Quiet on the Hudson River Park
Sit on bench and enjoy the book you picked up at Posman Books as the sun sets over the Hudson River. Savor the golden light on the Statue of Liberty as you nibble on a snack saved from Chelsea Market. Or if it's too cold, talk a brisk walk along the water and relish the peace and quiet that you found in Manhattan, just a few avenues from all the hustle and bustle.