Revved Up For Ramen, Part I: HiroNori

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Shoyu ramen with added broccolini at HiroNori.
Shoyu ramen with added broccolini at HiroNori.

I’m sure I’m not the only one cranking up the heat in the early morning, bundling up in warm sweaters all day, and craving mightily a big bowl of steamy ramen as the sun sets.

So, it’s no wonder that I found my way recently to HiroNori.

Named for friends Hiro Igarashi and Nori Akaska, they opened their first location in Los Angeles in 2017. Two years later, it was even mentioned in the Michelin Guide. It now boasts 16 locations throughout California, including three in Silicon Valley: Cupertino, San Mateo, and Santa Clara.

It was the latter location that I visited on an early weeknight, where a steady stream of folks getting off work, as well as delivery drivers, were picking up to-go orders.

It’s no-cash payment with a 20 percent service charge is automatically added to your tab.

HiroNori was founded by two friends.
HiroNori was founded by two friends.
The Santa Clara location.
The Santa Clara location.

Don’t let the tarps on the walls deter you, as the place is getting a new interior paint job in the coming days. The dining room may be pretty bare bones, but it’s done up in stylish, wooden slat stools at blond wood tables.

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A One-Pot Honey Garlic Chicken with Mushroom Fregola That Really Hits the Spot

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Honey garlic chicken, mushrooms, and fregola in a fabulous one-pot dish.
Honey garlic chicken, mushrooms, and fregola in a fabulous one-pot dish.

If you’re already dreaming of sticky, honey garlic chicken wings for Super Bowl Sunday, this dish is guaranteed to score a touchdown with you because it takes that same irresistible combination of flavors and makes a complete one-pot meal out of it.

“One-Pot Honey Garlic Chicken with Mushroom Fregola” is a can’t-miss recipe from the new “Italianish” (DK), of which I received a review copy.

It’s by Hudson Valley, NY-based Danny Freeman, the brains behind the popular DannyLovesPasta Instagram and TikTok accounts.

It’s a collection of more than 100 Italian-American recipes that have their roots in tradition, but include creative shortcuts and techniques to make them easily accessible for home cooks, especially those with harried schedules. There’s even a handy “time index” that suggests recipes to make for “fast meals” and “60-minute meals.” Many of the recipes are sure to appeal to kids, too.

After all, Freeman knows all about that, having given up his career as lawyer to raise two kids with his husband.

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Tuck Into Tagliatelle — With Korean-Style Ragu

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Italian tagliatelle with a tomato-less ragu that gets a Korean twist.
Italian tagliatelle with a tomato-less ragu that gets a Korean twist.

You may know gochujang, the fiery red fermented Korean chili paste.

But perhaps lesser known are its compatriots: doenjang, fermented soybean paste; and ganjang, a thin, dark soy sauce.

These three fermented pastes and sauces are essential building blocks in Korean cooking, according to Mingoo Kang.

The Seoul-born Kang should know. He’s chef-owner of Mingles in Seoul, which not only holds two Michelin stars, but was named one of Asia’s “50 Best Restaurants.”

In his cookbook, “Jang” (Artisan, 2024), of which I received a review copy, he explores how these three ingredients are integral to his heritage and his cooking.

The book was written with assistance from Joshua David Stein, a New York City cookbook author and Nadia Cho, who has been a liaison for chefs and journalists to Korean food and culture.

“Jang,” which rhymes with “song,” showcases more than 60 recipes, some traditional and others more unconventional. They run the gamut from “Ganjang Granola Yogurt” and ‘Ssamjang Cacio e Pepe” to “Yangnyeom Chicken (Korean Fried Chicken)” and “Doenjang Vanilla Creme Brulee.”

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It’s Meyer Lemon Pudding Cake Prime Time

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A super simple cake that bakes up souffle-like on top, and creamy pudding-like on the bottom.
A super simple cake that bakes up souffle-like on top, and creamy pudding-like on the bottom.

Jessica Merchant wasn’t kidding when she wrote that this “looks like nothing but tastes like everything.”

Her “Meyer Lemon Pudding Cake” might never win a beauty award, but this light-as-air creation will floor you with its fathomless wallop of zingy citrus taste.

This easy-as-can-be cake is from her newest cookbook, “Easy Everyday” (Rodale), of which I received a review copy.

The creator of the How Sweet Eats blog, Merchant offers up 100 effortless eats. This is a woman who believes dinner should never take more than 45 minutes to prepare, and breakfasts and lunches should be ready in a snap.

That’s evident in recipes such as “Whipped Cottage Cheese Protein Pancakes” (throw everything in a blender to make the batter in seconds), “Fire Roasted Lentil Lunch Soup” (saves time by using canned lentils), “Sticky BBQ Meatballs with Herbed Smashed Potatoes” (makes use of your favorite prepared barbecue sauce), and “No Bake S’Mores Pie” (the filling is made on the stovetop).

This pudding cake is one of those magical concoctions where the batter separates as it bakes so that the top turns fluffy like a souffle — without the anxiety of actually making one — and the bottom becomes creamy like a cross between pudding and curd.

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Fast and Fabulous Rantei

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The omakase sashimi at Rantei restaurant. What a spread!
The omakase sashimi at Rantei restaurant. What a spread!

You know a restaurant has got it going on when it’s nearly full on a weeknight even before 6 p.m.

Such is the case with Rantei, the Japanese restaurant located in the Franklin Square Mall in Santa Clara.

The city long ago — and perhaps foolhardily — demolished its downtown and erected this small, open-air, concrete-faced mall instead. It doesn’t exactly scream warm and fuzzy. So, when you encounter a restaurant there that’s abuzz with activity, you take notice.

Step inside and you’ll find an ample-sized sushi bar with seating, as well as tables, and even tatami rooms.

Near the host stand.
Near the host stand.

It’s definitely popular with students from nearby Santa Clara University, too, no doubt because it has a large menu, with a variety of traditional and more contemporary fare.

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