Yen Ta Fo Noodle Soup

Type of Noodle: Vermicelli (thin rice noodles)

What's in it: Shrimp, Squid, Scallop, Fried Tofu, Lettuce, Bean Sprouts, Yen Ta Fo Sauce, Chicken Broth, Spring Onions, Cilantro

Price: $9.95

Where to Find it: Sila Thai, (Chantilly, VA)

Rating:

Summary: I was pretty excited to try this soup because I have never heard of it before. From the description on the menu, it sounded so "exotic". The first thing that caught my attention when the soup arrived was its pink hue. Immediately I thought this color was from the squid because it has a similar color as Adobong Pusit, a Filipino squid dish. Come to find out, this color comes from red tofu which is an important ingredient in Yen Ta Fo. I was expecting a zesty flavor, but it turns out this soup has a sweet flavor to it. I'm not a big fan of sweet tasting soup. According to the recipe, you are supposed to use 2tsp. of sugar. I'm guessing they went a little overboard on my particular bowl. 4 bowls for appearance, 2 bowls for taste. 3 bowls for overall rating. Yen Ta Fo = Ehhh.

"Sapporo Style" Shoyu Tonkotsu Ramen

Type of Noodle: Egg Noodles

What's in it: Roast Pork, Bean Sprouts, Bamboo Shoots, Scallions, Ground beef, Soy Sauce Flavored - Pork Based Broth.

Price: $10.95

Where to Find it: Ren's Ramen (Bethesda, MD)

Rating:

Summary: Finally! A legitimate ramen spot in the DMV. The wife and I just recently discovered Ren's Ramen last month. It is the only place (that I know of) that serves authentic Japanese ramen. The only reason this particular soup did not receive 5 bowls is that it only comes with 1 piece of roast pork! You have to pay for extra slices of pork. You can also purchase other toppings like butter, or hard boiled egg. If I chose to add all the toppings, I could easily have a $20 bowl of soup. However, this is the closest thing to eating a bowl of ramen from Japan so I guess that beats a $1000 plane ticket! Ren's Ramen is a little back room in Daruma, which is a small Japanese grocery store in Bethesda, MD. Stay posted for reviews of the other delicious soups from Ren's!