SALT FIRE WATER with Jacobsen Salt Co and Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan

Ben Jacobsen has a big heart that wants to share deliciousness with anyone he can. First, he created the incredible finishing salts that are the products Jacobsen Salt Co  and which elevate food all over the world. He brought artisan salt to the attention of the US chefs and American consumers. For that, we already owe him a great debt. Once you taste the hand harvested pure flake sea salt from the Oregon Coast, and all the possible flavors infused in salt, you can never look back.
The incredible finishing salts that are the products of Ben Jacobsen and Jacobsen Salt Co and which elevate food all over the world. The incredible finishing salts that are the products of Ben Jacobsen and Jacobsen Salt Co and which elevate food all over the world. The incredible finishing salts that are the products of Ben Jacobsen and Jacobsen Salt Co and which elevate food all over the world. The incredible finishing salts that are the products of Ben Jacobsen and Jacobsen Salt Co and which elevate food all over the world.

It’s like that point in your childhood that you step up from American cheese to real cheese. Suddenly, this whole world you can’t believe you were missing out on has been opened up to you, full of so much possibility. Thank goodness he had the patience and fortitude to work through the messy experimental two years to figure out how to harvest salt (the first since Lewis and Clark to harvest it in the Northwest in the 1800s!) and sampling up and down the coast to find the best sea area (Netarts Bay).

Now probably the most famous artisan salt producer in the United States, Ben didn’t stop there. With the old original salt trailer, he dreamed of salvaging it to create a communal table that people would gather warmly like a family to celebrate good food, good drink, and community. Partnering with Williams-Sonoma Open Kitchen (who believed in his salts to bring it from a Northwest secret to a national offering) and with Ingredient Sponsor New Seasons Market (they were the first to turn his hobby into a business by ordering his salt), thus was born the Jacobsen Salt Co.’s SALT FIRE WATER series. The original pallet is indeed part of the table we gather at (it’s the lighter brown wood in the middle below).
The dining table inside Jacobsen Salt Co. headquarters for the Salt Fire Water dinner series. The middle light brown portion is the original old original salt trailer he used when he first started. Ben Jacobsen dreamed of salvaging it to create a communal table that people would gather warmly like a family and enjoy incredible food - thus the Salt Fire Water dinner series The dining table inside Jacobsen Salt Co. headquarters for the Salt Fire Water dinner series. The middle light brown portion is the original old original salt trailer he used when he first started. Ben Jacobsen dreamed of salvaging it to create a communal table that people would gather warmly like a family and enjoy incredible food - thus the Salt Fire Water dinner series

I attended the third dinner of the 2015 series, which once again paired a Visiting Chef from another city with a local Portland Chef. The first dinner in April featured Chefs Nick Balla and Cortney Burns of Bar Tartine  San Francisco + local Chefs Greg and Gabi Denton of Ox to work together to create a shared experience while still maintaining their distinctive food perspectives – similar to what this third dinner was.  Then the second one in May was a PDX locals collaboration with Chef Jaret Foster of Foster’s Craft Cooking and Chef Kristen Murray of MÅURICE. They joined forces to create a Calcotada Dinner – a Catalonian celebration of the Calcot, a very special variety of onion that is fire-roasted, dipped in romesco sauce and eaten with one’s hands. You can see more incredible photos of this dinner experience at fellow blogger Aubrie at Portland Oregon Food Photographer , and Meredith blogging at Martha Chartreuse.

My dinner brought together Ivan Orkin of Ivan Ramen of New York and Japan  (his first time in Portland! Come back again please!) and the man behind the hard to get into (reservations are out at November) worst kept “secret” restaurant in Portland, Earl Nissom of Lang Baan.
The table setting for the Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, presented Williams Sonoma and New Seasons The table setting for the Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, presented Williams Sonoma and New Seasons

Wines were poured from Brooks Winery throughout the evening.
Wines provided by Brooks Winery for the Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, presented by Williams Sonoma and New Seasons Wines provided by Brooks Winery for the Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, presented by Williams Sonoma and New Seasons Wines provided by Brooks Winery for the Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, presented by Williams Sonoma and New Seasons

And now, the recap of the Salt Fire Water dinner with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan:
The menu for the Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, presented by Williams Sonoma and New Seasons Wines provided by Brooks Winery for the Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, presented by Williams Sonoma and New Seasons

First course

We started with a First course of passed hors d’oeuvres while all the guests trickled in and mingled together.
The mingling of guests while enjoying a glass of Brooks Winery white during the First course of passed hors d'oeuvres at the Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan The mingling of guests while enjoying a glass of Brooks Winery white during the First course of passed hors d'oeuvres at the Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan The mingling of guests while enjoying a glass of Brooks Winery white during the First course of passed hors d'oeuvres at the Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan The mingling of guests while enjoying a glass of Brooks Winery white during the First course of passed hors d'oeuvres at the Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan

Those Bites included this Braised Beef Tongue with Dashi + Beef Broth and Scallion by Ivan Ramen. This is a house specialty that he serves at the Ivan Ramen location dinner menu at 25 Clinton in New York, and for this event he served it in shot glasses. It’s probably a lot more convenient to eat in a bowl then as an appetizer like this as I tried to shake the beef from the bottom.
Braised Beef Tongue with Dashi + Beef Broth and Scallion by Ivan Ramen for Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, presented by Williams Sonoma and New Seasons Braised Beef Tongue with Dashi + Beef Broth and Scallion by Ivan Ramen for Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, presented by Williams Sonoma and New Seasons

The Daikon XO with Dried Shrimp and Scallop Chili Oil by Ivan Ramen is also available as a starter at the Ivan Ramen location for both lunch and dinner – you should definitely keep that in mind if you visit NY because I probably could have enjoyed a dozen spoons of these.
Daikon XO with Dried Shrimp and Scallop Chili Oil by Ivan Ramen for Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, presented by Williams Sonoma and New Seasons Daikon XO with Dried Shrimp and Scallop Chili Oil by Ivan Ramen for Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, presented by Williams Sonoma and New Seasons

Lang Baan’s Earl Nissom’s spoon was Sweet Sticky Rice with Sun-dried Mud Fish, Fried Shallot, Kaffir Lime. This is a prefect representation of Thai food with it’s balance of bold flavors of salty, sweet, savory, sour, a little funky… all together in one bite.
Sweet Sticky Rice with Sun-dried Mud Fish, Fried Shallot, Kaffir Lime by Lang Baan for Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, presented by Williams Sonoma and New Seasons Sweet Sticky Rice with Sun-dried Mud Fish, Fried Shallot, Kaffir Lime by Lang Baan for Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, presented by Williams Sonoma and New Seasons

Next from Lang Baan was Salt-baked Red Tilapia with Rice Noodles, Little Gem Lettuces and Dill.
Salt-baked Red Tilapia with Rice Noodles, Little Gem Lettuces and Dill by Lang Baan for Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, presented by Williams Sonoma and New Seasons Salt-baked Red Tilapia with Rice Noodles, Little Gem Lettuces and Dill by Lang Baan for Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, presented by Williams Sonoma and New Seasons

My favorite of the three offerings from Lang Baan though were these spicy Northern Thai Lamb Tartare with Avocado and Belgian Endive, though maybe my bias towards spicy food and particularly Northern Thai food is influencing me with this choice.
Northern Thai Lamb Tartare with Avocado and Belgian Endive by Lang Baan for Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, presented by Williams Sonoma and New Seasons Northern Thai Lamb Tartare with Avocado and Belgian Endive by Lang Baan for Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, presented by Williams Sonoma and New Seasons

Second course

Matthew Domingo, our Master of Dinner I’ll call him, gently herded us to the tables for the next four courses. You can see Ben Jacobsen and Ivan Orkin surveying the guests by that entrance to the William Sonoma Open Kitchen, perhaps talking about future plans for another get together of deliciousness…?
The mingling of guests while enjoying a glass of Brooks Winery white during the First course of passed hors d'oeuvres at the Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan - you can see Ben Jacobsen and Ivan Orkin surveying the guests enjoying the First Course right there by the entrance to the William Sonoma Open kitchen.

As we were seated, Brooks Winery’s Runaway Red was poured.
Wines provided by Brooks Winery (here Runaway Red) for the Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, presented by Williams Sonoma and New Seasons Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, moving on to the seated courses as Brooks Winery Runaway Red is poured Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, moving on to the seated courses as Brooks Winery Runaway Red is poured

The Second course was by Ivan Ramen, and was a dish of incredible Mushrooms Casino with King Oyster Mushrooms, Baby Clams, Bacon, and Crispy Panko. I even liked the fact that we were eating these with the chopsticks as it forced us to really taste the components slowly rather than just shoveling it all in with a spoon like a food drug. Thankfully I or you can get the fix on again at Ivan Ramen’s dinner menu in NY.

Third course

For the Third course, Lang Baan was passed the baton and served a dish of Bee Local Smoked Honey Duck Curry with Cherry Tomato, Potatoes, Onion, Basil, Shallot and Coconut Rice. The Duck was sooo tender and smoky, the curry was a mix of peanut and spiciness that leaned on the side of a massamun mashed up but with deeper savoryness and heat like a red curry that could be calmed by the sweetness of the coconut rice.
Third course of Bee Local Smoked Honey Duck Curry with Cherry Tomato, Potatoes, Onion, Basil, Shallot and Coconut Rice by Lang Baan for Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan Third course of Bee Local Smoked Honey Duck Curry with Cherry Tomato, Potatoes, Onion, Basil, Shallot and Coconut Rice by Lang Baan for Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan Third course of Bee Local Smoked Honey Duck Curry with Cherry Tomato, Potatoes, Onion, Basil, Shallot and Coconut Rice by Lang Baan for Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan

Fourth course

The baton is back to Ivan Ramen, who presented a cold ramen (available at both Ivan Ramen and Ivan Ramen Slurp Shop in New York) in the form of Cold Lemon Shio Dashi Ramen with roasted tomato, Jacobsen Sea Salt, Toasted Rye Noodle, Dungeness Crab, and Scallion Oil.
Fourth course of Cold Lemon Shio Dashi Ramen with roasted tomato, Jacobsen Sea Salt, Toasted Rye Noodle, Dungeness Crab, and Scallion Oil by Ivan Ramen for Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan Fourth course of Cold Lemon Shio Dashi Ramen with roasted tomato, Jacobsen Sea Salt, Toasted Rye Noodle, Dungeness Crab, and Scallion Oil by Ivan Ramen for Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan

Fifth course

I know many of us were wondering about the dessert listed, as it seemed like a really bizarre combination. Well, trust in Lang Baan and Earl Nissom to show us that Coconut Ice Cream with Corn Salad, Jacobsen Vanilla Salt, Purple Rice, Strawberry, Peanut, and Jackfruit is a perfect combination of textures and a worthy dessert for such a memorable meal.
Fifth course of Coconut Ice Cream with Corn Salad, Jacbosen Vanilla Salt, Purple Rice, Strawberry, Peanut, and Jackfruit by Lang Baan for Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan Fifth course of Coconut Ice Cream with Corn Salad, Jacbosen Vanilla Salt, Purple Rice, Strawberry, Peanut, and Jackfruit by Lang Baan for Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan

For more photos, check out the Williams Sonoma blog entry for #SaltFireWater Dinner with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan or search the hashtag #SaltFireWater on Instagram!

To sign up for future SALT FIRE WATER Feasts – click to the Jacobsen Salt Co Eventbrite Ticket site. The next one is a bargain I think on July 12 – “Eclade de Moules” – a French tradition of roasting fresh mussels with pine boughs and then eating then with one’s hands that will take place just outside the Jacobsen Salt Co. Headquarters at 602 SE Salmon St.

The $55 includes a wine happy hour, the feasting with the roasted fresh mussels, and then going inside for a communal buffet featuring Foster’s Craft Cooking as well as live music, a photo booth, and Oregon craft beer & wine.  There will be two seatings, and tickets to the experience are limited to 100 people.

Menu details include

  • Fire-roasted mussels with good olive oil, Jacobsen sea salt and Ken’s Artisan Bread
  • Summer’s Ratatouille Gratin
  • Pissaladiere
  • Northwest Nicoise Salad
  • Cherry Clafouti

If the Calcotado dinner looked amazeballs to you, here’s you second chance for a similar experience!

What do you think of the dishes by Ivan and Earl – what do you think would have been your favorite?

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Warming up with Mirakutei Sushi and Ramen

Here’s my personal prescription for when you are feeling cold and stuffed up for cheering yourself up.

Step 1. Go to Mirakutei at 536 E Burnside Street. It’s a small little cute place that only seats maybe 40, so best if you are in a party of 4 or less. If you are truly not feeling well, it would be best to go alone and not get anyone else sick and also don’t have to try to make conversation while eating, you can just focus on slurping as messily as you want. Or you can make the funny faces necessary. Funny Faces? Slurping? You’ll see soon.
Mirakutei Portland at 536 E Burnside

Step 2. Order some sushi and sashimi.
Sushi at Mirakutei, the Buri Belly, Salmon Belly Aburi, Tuna, and Yellowtail

If you are stuffed up, be a little generous with the wasabi that you dip the end of your chopstick into and mix into your soy sauce to clear your sinuses. Pour very little soy sauce because you want to make sure you taste the fish, not the soy sauce. In fact, it’s best if the reason you are having soy sauce and wasabi is to after you eat a sushi, then a little taste of wasabi + soy sauce, and then a piece of ginger. And then a sip of water. Then the next piece.

I went for Buri Belly, Fresh Salmon, Salmon Belly Aburi, Tuna, Unagi, Uni, and Yellowtail. ALL my favorites.
Sushi at Mirakutei, I ordered the Buri Belly, Fresh Salmon, Salmon Belly Aburi, Tuna, Unagi, Uni, and Yellowtail Sushi at Mirakutei, I ordered the Buri Belly, Fresh Salmon, Salmon Belly Aburi, Tuna, Unagi, Uni, and Yellowtail Sushi at Mirakutei, I ordered the Buri Belly, Fresh Salmon, Salmon Belly Aburi, Tuna, Unagi, Uni, and Yellowtail Sushi at Mirakutei, I ordered the Buri Belly, Fresh Salmon, Salmon Belly Aburi, Tuna, Unagi, Uni, and Yellowtail Sushi at Mirakutei, I ordered the Buri Belly, Fresh Salmon, Salmon Belly Aburi, Tuna, Unagi, Uni, and Yellowtail Sushi at Mirakutei, I ordered the Buri Belly, Fresh Salmon, Salmon Belly Aburi, Tuna, Unagi, Uni, and Yellowtail Sushi at Mirakutei, I ordered the Buri Belly, Fresh Salmon, Salmon Belly Aburi, Tuna, Unagi, Uni, and Yellowtail Sushi at Mirakutei, I ordered the Buri Belly, Fresh Salmon, Salmon Belly Aburi, Tuna, Unagi, Uni, and Yellowtail

Step 3. Make sure that you instruct the servers to not bring you your ramen until you signal completion of your sushi and/or sashimi course. Perhaps if you came with friends, you might want to also get some yakitori, or gyoza too. But now it’s time for Genki Ramen or Tonkatsu Ramen.
Genki Ramen at Mirakutei, which is white miso based and has shredded ground char siu and scrambled egg

Pictured below is the Genki one that sacrifices having the chashu pork for a mass of shredded chair siu pork and scrambled egg that you can break up and get little floating pieces of deliciousness as a reward for spoonfuls of the ramen broth, rather than one big piece of meat. They are both valid, good choices- it’s sort of the equivalent in my head of asking for pasta with marinara and big meatballs or pasta with a meaty ragu that is full of little chunks of meat all over.
Genki Ramen at Mirakutei, which is white miso based and has shredded ground char siu and scrambled egg Genki Ramen at Mirakutei, which is white miso based and has shredded ground char siu and scrambled egg

Don’t be shy about if you can’t finish all the broth, asking to take it home to drink later 🙂

What s your favorite comfort foods when it is super cold or you are feeling unwell?

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Jinya Ramen Bar in Los Angeles

Shortly after arriving at LAX and being picked up by my sister/bride to be, we grabbed a quick and very satisfying lunch at Jinya Ramen Bar before we went off to pick up her wedding dress in Koreatown and then off to check into the house we selected to rent for the bridesmaids via VRBO. Before picking me up, the car had already gotten filled up at Costco with muffins, croissants, OJ etc to help stock our rental home.

But, we needed a little more fuel before we continued on, and Jinya Ramen provided that warm tummy to help us out.
Jinya Ramen Bar, at Mid-Wilshire in Los Angeles Jinya Ramen Bar, at Mid-Wilshire in Los Angeles Jinya Ramen Bar, at Mid-Wilshire in Los Angeles

It was ironic that I had just written a post about takoyaki and how it had been a couple years since I had it, but then within just this past few weeks I had an opportunity to have it twice!

This Jinya is in a small strip mall so there are several parking spaces you can grab right in front of the restaurant. If you come when it is busy, there will be a sign up sheet for you that you should add your name and party size ASAP. We arrived around 1:45, so after the lunch rush had already subsided, so we were seated within 5 minutes.
Jinya Ramen Bar, at Mid-Wilshire in Los Angeles

The service is quick, with us quickly placing our orders for their classic and best seller ramen, the Jinya Number 1 of Tonkatsu Black which includes pork broth, pork chashu, kirukage, and egg along with the regular expected ramen flavorings like green onion, dried seaweed/nori, garlic chips, fried onion and a ramen special that was a bit spicier with jalapenos. There are additional toppings you can also add to your ramen, varying from spinach to tofu to corn, wonton, chicken, bok choy, etc. They have 9 other ramens, such as those with chicken if you don’t eat pork, and even a vegetarian one.

Looking at this photo now, with the cooler weather and cold rains, I can’t help but crave some more ramen right now!
Jinya Ramen bar at Mid-Wilshire, their classic and best seller ramen, the Jinya Number 1 of Tonkatsu Black which includes pork broth, pork chashu, kirukage, and egg along with the regular expected ramen flavorings like green onion, dried seaweed/nori, garlic chips, fried onion

You can also get combinations with your ramen, such as adding on pork gyoza and salad, or california roll and salad, or a curry rice… At the Mid-Wilshire location, we opted not only for pork gyoza but brussels sprouts tempura.
Jinya Ramen bar at Mid-Wilshire, pork gyoza that you can get with salad in addition to your ramen to make a combo Jinya Ramen bar at Mid-Wilshire, brussels sprouts tempura

And we got takoyaki, or octopus balls!
Jinya Ramen bar at Mid-Wilshire, takoyaki or octopus balls Jinya Ramen bar at Mid-Wilshire, takoyaki or octopus balls

Besides the 3 location in Los Angeles, you can also find Jinya Ramen in Las Vegas, Houston, and Vancouver Canada, and I think there might be one in Seattle (Bellevue) as well?!

Do you ever crave ramen on a cold rainy day? Where do you get your ramen fix at?

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