"Tonchin, a sleek and modern ramen shop, recently opened a new outpost in Los Angeles (there are also locations in NYC and Japan). While I knew the noodles were going to be great (don’t skip the mazeman), the real sleeper hit of the menu is an unassuming item called “oyster mushroom kimchi.” The name is misleading in that the dish is actually perfectly tender strips of oyster mushroom lacquered in a sweet-but-spicy kimchi sauce and not an actual kimchi made from the mushrooms, but regardless, I found myself dreaming about the mushrooms days after my meal. They arrive stacked neatly in a little bowl and topped with a messy tangle of shredded scallions and disappear quickly. If I could, I would keep a jar of these mushrooms in my fridge at all times, to eat plain, as a snack, or over a bowl of hot white rice as a quick meal. As much as I love to share food, next time I go to Tonchin, I am getting my own order." - Alexandra Domrongchai
