December 21, 2007
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Friends and Ramen: The San Francisco Treats
Pictures at an Exhibition Update (finally!): 4 shots taken from an evening field trip to downtown San Francisco.
From my recent trips, I realize that there are few pleasures that the business traveler can enjoy. And tasting good local cuisine is up there on the list. Of course, I did enjoy a tasty seafood meal at a Fisherman’s Wharf establishment (risotto at Alioto’s). However, tonight was the first time that I had the opportunity to enjoy a delicious bowl of ramen; a perfect meal for a chilly evening!
My old volleyball buddies, Michael and Grace, had moved up to the Bay Area in Belmont nearly 3 years back. I met up with them and they took me to a nearby popular joint called Santa Ramen. Yes, that is the name of the place!
While the decor was a little too modern for my taste, and the wait was considerable (40 minutes for a table and our orders), I did enjoy the tonkotsu chashu ramen very much. It definitely warrants another trip when I return in April! Santa’s goodies pictured below.
I laughed when Grace said she was pleased that their local ramen establishment met “Akio’s seal of approval”! I make no claim to be a ramen expert yet (Give me 20 more years). And if you think that I am crazy about ramen, you should check out rameniac’s website. Comprehensive and impressive, although I must admit that his preferences and mine differ.
After dinner, we spent a long time catching up over coffee and dessert back at their home. We did reminisce a lot about our volleyball days and camping trips. But, it was also great to share our current concerns with one another. I left their home feeling a little sad that our time together was short, but glad that a future camping trip is in the works. We’re shooting for Kings Canyon in mid-spring.
