After creating 100% Quebec ramen, the entrepreneurs behind Gaijin Ramen and Ogari San restaurants are doing it again with a completely homemade dumpling product, from the filling to the batter.
Recognized and appreciated for its chirashi bowls – a Japanese specialty similar to poke bowls -, Ogari-san Thus adding a new string to its bow.
“We wanted to make other products and we chose dumplings, which have become popular in recent years,” explained co-owner David Trudeau-Fournier.
He and his partner, Alexandra Jolie, opened their first branch in 2013 at Pyramide de Saint-Foy in their early twenties. They expanded to Saint-Roch in 2017 and the following year they launched another banner, Gaijin RamenIt specializes in making Japanese and Korean inspired soup meals.
Recently, they have been offering their customers to stock delicious dumplings that are not overly processed, unlike those found in supermarkets. You can freeze them at Ogari San or eat them on site at one of the three restaurants.
Machine imported from Japan
The small bites are made from vegan dough made in Ogari San’s kitchens on rue Saint-Joseph, which serves as a centralized production site.
A machine newly imported from Japan allows them to make dough made from wheat flour from the Moulins de Soulanges in Saint-Polycarp, Monterrey. The dumplings are then assembled individually by hand.
Ogari san dumplings
Photo courtesy of Ludovic Gauthier, Ogari San
“We like to do everything ourselves. We control the production better, control the quality better and can no longer choose what we want”, asserts the autodidact David, who also approached his doctoral thesis on bread to better understand the action of gluten.
It should be said that the batter for ramen and dumplings contains much less water than is used in making bread, for example, which has led to a lot of trial and error on the part of the founders.
“We had difficulties at first, but watching videos on YouTube, making calls, looking everywhere you learn,” David said.
And their tenacity paid off, as the dumplings stand out for their generosity, their thick batter and their three toppings: pork, pulled beef or vegan (made with tofu). I loved the beef, subtly married to the sweet potato, and I was pleasantly surprised to find a vegan version that was so delicious. Not forgetting the divine accompanying sauces!
As for gaijin ramen, the home-made noodles, whether in a spicy broth or salty-sweet with miso, make all the difference and are truly delicious.
A ramen soup from Gaijin Ramen
Photo from Gaijin Ramen’s Facebook
Half and half pay
Young entrepreneurs are also stepping up their efforts to reconcile accessibility with their social-responsibility and environmental values.
On their counters, there is no tuna, which is threatened by overfishing, but vegetable proteins, salmon from British Columbia, pork from Ferme Rustic in Saint-Croix-de-Lotbinière, and chicken from Ferme des Voltigers.
Ogari San’s Korean Bowl
Photo from Ogari-san’s Facebook
“We, our tour, and this has always been one of our most important values, work with local ingredients as much as possible”, shares Alexandra.
Second, vegetarianism, often offering consumers a half meat and half tofu bowl, reduces costs as well as consumption of animal protein. And trust me, you won’t be disappointed with their veggie options like Korean orange tofu (yum!), roasted pumpkin seeds. Gochujang (delicious!), cauliflower Karage or cashews.
Photo from Ogari-san’s Facebook
Didn’t I say they do it too? Kimchi Vegan and their own sauce Sriracha? Your taste buds will be delighted.
Ogari San: Pyramid of Saint-Foy and 837, Saint-Joseph East
Gaijin Ramen: Pyramid of Saint-Foy
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