Wontons Again?.. Why the heck not!

This time.. we visit what is probably my favourite place for wonton noodles at least until I find someplace better! Today I take you to Wonton Chai Noodle~ They have multiple locations but I personally prefer the one on Kennedy & Hwy 7 inside the T&T plaza. There are several reasons I choose this place as my favourite wonton place.. let us start with the menu.

It only has THREE columns!! So simple so pure~ Essentially you just pick your type of noodle then pick your topping and then pick whether you want soup or not.. and hey presto! You have my kind of fast food. This outing I went with my girlfriend and her sister.. you ready? This is what we ordered

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I had a bowl of Wonton + Dace Fish Balls with Egg Noodles (Extra Noodles) in Soup while the girls shared a Wonton + Beef with Egg Noodles in Soup. Now the breakdown so let us start with the broth!

The broth is one of the main reasons I keep coming back to this place, it is extremely flavourful! It’s clear and not too oily but most of all.. it comes out piping hot! Usually taking photos prior to consumption allows the food to get cold rather quickly but not this bowl, even after the inaugural pictures you can seriously burn your tongue with this broth! I also like to add white pepper before I chow down~ Makes all the difference in the world.

The noodles are not made in house but are cooked to perfection and come out properly al dente. The noodle is that highly nostalgic type that you probably ate whilst growing up in Hong Kong.

The Wontons are just pure love.. I don’t know how they managed to stuff as many shrimps as they have into that ping pong sized wonton but its simply amazing. The only thing I love more than their wontons are.. their DACE FISH BALLS!!! Hand-made to perfection and even comes with its own warning on the menu telling you that there may be trace amounts of small fish bones. Silky smooth fish paste with a springy texture that is to die for!

Next up is something I cannot stress enough.. If I had only one reason to ever revisit a place time and time again it would be this.. Their Hot Chili Oil is THE BOMB! I’ve never had chili oil like this ever until I found this place. It is probably the most fragrant and flavourful chili oil I have ever consumed that can also kick my ass. I am an avid eater of anything spicy and man is this oil spicy. First bite is sharp kick to the face and then from there on after the burning sensation becomes like a powerful incendiary making it’s way down your esophagus.

I give this noodle joint a 4.5/5

The Almighty Burger

Don’t let the title fool you since this blog is all about noodles.. this burger is nothing but the almighty mythical legend.. called the.. RAMEN BURGER!!

This creation was voted as one of “The 17 Most influential Burgers of All Time” by Time Magazine. Originally crafted by Keizo Shiamoto, he combined two of the greatest foods of all time.. burgers and ramen!

This is my take on the original Ramen Burger hand crafted by none other than myself. Here’s the recipe so that you can make it at home yourself! Inspired by #SortedFood

RAMEN BURGER (Makes 3 Burgers)

Ingredients

• 2x Instant Ramen (Sesame Flavour was used)
• 1lb Ground Pork
• 1x Onion
• 1x Zucchini
• 2x Cloves of Garlic
• 1 Tspn Grated Ginger
• 2x Eggs

Cooking Directions

1. Cook Instant Ramen until “Al Dente”. Strain and combine with two beaten eggs.
2. Portion cooked Ramen into six equal parts. Shape into patty’s, wrap in plastic wrap, and place into refrigerator for approximately 30mins to set.
3. After Ramen has set in the fridge, lightly pan fry on medium heat with a little oil until golden brown on each side.
4. Thinly slice half an onion into rings and set aside. Finely dice the other half the onion and Garlic Cloves.
5. Take Instant Soup Base powder, Grated Ginger, finely diced Garlic and finely diced onions then mix it into the Ground Pork, use your own judgement on how much seasoning you want.
6. Portion Ground Pork into patty’s roughly the same size as your Ramen Bun’s and pan fry until fully cooked.
7. Using a Peeler and Zucchini. Run the Peeler down the length of the Zucchini until you have ribbons. Lightly toss the ribbons in salt & pepper as well as the sesame oil that came with the Ramen package.
8. Assemble burger as such, Bun, Burger, garnish with Zucchini and Onion rings, then finally the top bun.
9. Enjoy!

So the verdict of my spin on Ramen Burger must also start with the broth! You might think “But, Bryan there is no broth” but I beg to differ! If the patty was cooked right the succulent juices from the Ground Pork mixed with the Instant Soup Base makes for a delicious broth in every bite you take!

Next up is the noodles, the crispy exterior of the bun creates a wonderful sensation welcoming you into the soft and tender noodle texture in the middle of the bun.

The patty was incredibly flavourful and juicy especially when accented by the garnish. The Zucchini was incredibly fragrant and earthy tasting because of the sesame oil, while the raw onion helped to kick it up a notch.

All in all I enjoyed this meal very much and will be doing it again in different variations! The combinations are endless! Please try out the recipe, put your own spin onto it by adding your favourite things and do please tell me about your Ramen Burger.

Next Episode of Ramen Burger – Sriracha and Sweet Corn

I give this noodle creation a 4.5/5

Enjoy Noodle King

Post numero uno!! I will start with the self proclaimed Noodle King, this wonderful shop opened up recently featuring the first “Jook Sing Mein” that I know of in Toronto. Jook Sing Mein is a rare type of noodle where the chef uses a bamboo log to press/knead the dough.

Enjoy Noodle King serves this rare noodle in its most popular form.. with wontons! So I went ahead and ordered myself the biggest bowl of 竹昇雲吞麵 (Jook Sing Wonton Mein) that was on the menu! Here is what it looks like~

Noodle King Special

The Noodle King Special had an assortment of things like the following; wontons, dumplings, pork hock, beef brisket, beef tendon, beef ball, fish ball, and fried fish skin.

I had ordered an extra side of fried fish skin.. because why wouldn’t you in the first place?

My girlfriend also ordered herself the tradional bowl of noodles with shrimp wontons and this is what it looks like!

Jook Sing Wonton Noodle

So let us start with the broth like all noodle enthusiasts should start with.. it was clear and lightly flavoured, had an almost delicate feel to it.

The noodles as expected was made al dente and did not have a very strong egg taste/odour which is desirable in this kind of mein.

All the toppings I had were splendidly flavoured and was quite happy with, except for the beef brisket which was tough and hard to consume.

What would have improved this meal was if they included some form of veggie in each bowl rather than charging for a separate dish.

I give this a noodle joint a 3.5/5