National Post
National Post
National PostFebruary 13, 2016
'The Chili version has a lovely crunch from the sesame and onions and the perfectly blended spices confer an instant hit of of irresistible umami.'
"Where does life begin? Shelf life doesn't have answers to the big metaphysical questions, but we've got a handle on some of the smaller items. Take, for examples, these unique Asian-inspired condiments, which were conceived in a tiny retail space in Toronto. Abokichi owners Jess Mantell and Fumi Tsukamoto started off selling rice balls known as onigiri in Japan, as common and as beloved as pizza slices, and expanded in to other casual foods. Along the way, they perfected a mashed-up concoction to go with the rice, made of sesame oil, miso paste, fried garlic and onion, and spices. Customers started buying the condiment, dubbed Okazu, and found new uses for it: on eggs, burgers, sandwiches, steak, chicken, pasta and vegetables. And so a star was born, in two flavours: Chili and Curry. The Chili version has a lovely crunch from the sesame and onions and the perfectly blended spices confer an instant hit of of irresistible umami.
FIVE STARS 
A, Brouwer & A. Wilson "
Also in Blog
The History of Tonkotsu Ramen in Kyushu
There is a special place in my heart, and my mouth, for ramen. I love it! Now as we are preparing to launch our own new healthy version, ABO Ramen, I’d like to share a bit of the inspiration for its creation as well as bring light to the style of ramen that I grew up eating in Kyushu.
There are many regional varieties of ramen throughout Japan. The table below shows a basic breakdown of the ramen styles from the north of the country to the south. This list is not exhaustive as I may have missed some, and experimentation is going on all the time.
Ramen by Region
Japanese Curry-Pan (Fried Curry Bread)
When I think about introducing Japanese food to North America, I was always wonder why curry-pan is not here yet, in a major way. Most of the street-styled Japanese food, such as ramen, karaage, okonomiyaki, takoyaki have similar attributes. It contains high fat, strong UMAMI and sometimes it is rich in carbohydrates.