Our little island tends to be a bit behind the times when it comes to food and drink trends. Sushi, burritos, bubble tea: all these crazes were already old hat elsewhere before they hit Dublin and started to slowly filter out beyond the capital.
On the frontline that is New York City, however, innovative chefs have come up with a pair of hybrid dishes that are attracting enthusiastic diners from miles around. The queues are epic, people camping out all night to get their hands on these precious, handmade snacks.
Who knows when they will reach our shores? Could be before the end of 2013, might take years. Whenever they arrive, though, you’ll need to be ready for the next-generation in food technology. I can hear stomachs grumbling already.
Ladies and gentlemen, meet the Cronut and the ramen burger. Which one will you choose when the time comes?
The Cronut
What is it? It’s a croissant. And a donut. At the same time. Enough said.
Who’s responsible? Dominique Ansel, of Dominique Ansel Bakery in NYC. He’s developed a proprietary recipe and trademarked the name.
How popular? Unbelievably so. Ansel produces a batch of only a couple of hundred $5 Cronuts a day, and they sell out every single time. Only the earliest risers and most committed queuers will get their mitts on one. The American media won’t shut up about the Cronut since back in May. Ansel, who has thus far resisted impulsive expansion and has started a daily Cronut auction to fundraise for the city Food Bank, has ‘inspired’ bakeries both in the States and internationally (Asia particularly) to create their own knock-offs. Dunkin’ Donuts in South Korea have developed a mass-produced croissant-donut hybrid. There’s only one true Cronut, though -
Irish prospects? High. Everyone loves croissants, everyone loves donuts, so this is a bit of a no-brainer. Whether Ansel will opt to unleash his version to the world or we end up with an inferior copy remains to be seen.
The ramen burger
Ramen "buns" are ready for smorgasburg in Williamsburg tomorrow. @ramenlab @goramen #ramenburger http://t.co/iH7q6K49iK
— Ramen Burger (@ramenburger) August 10, 2013
What is it? It’s a beef burger with a ramen noodle bun, dosed in a mystery shoyu sauce and served with scallions and rocket. Made from proper noodles, not the instant variety. Yum.
Who’s responsible? Keizo Shimamoto. Japanese-American Shimamoto started a ramen enthusiast blog called Go Ramen. It proved so popular he was able to quit his job and move to Japan to learn more about the delicious world of noodles and broth. He’s now back in the States, and he’s brought his newly developed Japanese-American hybrid dish with him.
How popular? Pretty popular. It hasn’t reached full-on phenomenon status yet, but even before the first one was sold earlier this month the American media was already declaring it the next Cronut (a high watermark, I’m sure you’ll agree). The dish has since been sold at two New York food fairs, inevitably selling out and leaving many disappointed punters hungry.
Irish prospects? Hard to say. Ramen isn’t quite as well known here as it is elsewhere: even in its instant form we generally call them pot noodles. Burgers, on the other hand, are one of the most beloved food groups in the country, and the more experimental kind have been doing exceedingly well in the various ‘gourmet’ burger joints. Expect some variation of this to be popping up in fashionable eateries before long.
(Image source: Wikimedia Commons)
