SEREMBAN, Aug 24 — Have you ever had cilantro ramen before?
Before you get all weirded out and start lecturing about the ills of bizarre food pairings for the sake of social media likes, do give this a chance.
After all, I have some experience with unusual food creations, from octopus lattes to more types of hybrid pastries than you can devour in one sitting.
Let me assure you that adding some green magic to a bowl of ramen is far from the weirdest food idea I have come across... and in this case, it works wonderfully.
I enjoyed the bowl in question at Toraichi Izakaya in Seremban 2. They aren’t known for their Coriander Ramen specifically but more run-of-the-mill versions that wouldn’t raise an eyebrow.
A typical bowl of ramen at Toraichi Izakaya consists of tonkotsu (pork bone) broth and Hakata style ramen noodles, along with various toppings such as sliced chashu, seaweed, spring onion and wood ear fungus. A seasoned boiled egg or ajitsuke tamago is a popular add-on.
The difference lies in the tare or ramen base sauce: kimchi (for the Tora Ramen), seaweed and kelp (Midori Ramen), spicy málà (Aka Oni Ramen), salt (Shiro Shio Ramen), salt and burnt garlic oil (Balaku Shio Ramen).
Therefore the Coriander Ramen is more of an outlier, listed on their daily specials board rather than the regular menu. (It’s a near-constant presence though, perhaps due to ready availability of the greens at the pasar.)
Where the Coriander Ramen truly stands out is using the green herb as both a topping and a tare; the fresh leaves for the former, the minced and oil-blended version for the latter.
Which is not to say Toraichi Izakaya tries too hard to reinvent the wheel. The trappings of an old-school Japanese diner are still present, from the chochin lanterns and red curtains to the refillable glasses of iced green tea.
Indeed, the shop’s interior is typical of any izakaya in Japan; though instead of seats along the counter, there are more comfortable standalone tables and chairs.
We begin our meal with an assortment of yakimono (dishes grilled, baked or fried over direct fire).
Fans of both Italian style vongole (white wine and clams) and panna (cream) sauces will love the Asari Cream Sakamushi. The manila clams (asari) are baked with butter, cream, garlic, chillies and sake, creating an intoxicating soak for the fresh molluscs.
For those who prefer grilled bites, the Pork Tsukune - Toraichi Izakaya’s signature pork meatball skewers glazed in sweet yakitori sauce will hit the spot. We decided the Tebasaki Shio or koji marinated chicken wing might have benefited from more generous seasoning, however.
Other yakimono includes Buta Bara (apple marinated pork belly) and Yaki Bata Enoki (baked white enoki mushrooms with butter and pepper) and Yaki Ika Shio (salt grilled squid).
Another unusual dish - certainly not one we have savoured at an izakaya before (or any Japanese eatery, for that matter) is the Blueberry Chicken. Their version comprises chunks of tori-karaage (Japanese style fried chicken) and iceberg lettuce drizzled with homemade blueberry sauce and topped with dried cranberries.
It sounds odd but the flavour pairings work: the sweetness of the berries and the tanginess of the cream cutting any greasiness present from deep frying proteins. The iceberg lettuce - never a favourite of mine - works well here too, giving everything a nice, refreshing crunch.
The pièce de résistance is Toraichi Izakaya’s Corn Parmesan. This unintentional showstopper is the last to arrive at our table, which is understable given how the local corn is slowly baked to order.
A thick shower of grated Parmesan cheese, a dousing of chiyu (rendered chicken fat) and a final flourish of bonito flakes - all the umami you need for a dish that is simple and sweet. We didn’t waste a single niblet.
Honestly, all you need for a good meal are flavour pairings that work. It doesn’t matter if it’s "authentic” or "fusion” as long as it tastes great, no?
Toraichi Izakaya
319G, Jalan S2 B13, Uptown Avenue Seremban 2, Seremban
Open Tues-Sun 12pm-2:45pm & 5pm-9:30pm
Tel: 011-36675144
Web: https://toraichiizakaya.com/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/toraichi_izakaya_my/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/Toraichi.Izakaya.my
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.
