Manichi Ramen & Wasabi Char-siu Food Illustration

                I recently finished a food illustration of one of my favorite dishes from Manichi Ramen!  They are located in sunny Honolulu, Hawaii right by Ala Moana Shopping Center.  My boyfriend and I stopped by because we were really craving ramen.  Hot soup and yummy chewy noodles; the perfect dinner after a hard day at work!  I decided to try the Soy Milk Ramen.  I was blown away by how this broth could be so rich and creamy and yet so light and delicate at the same time!  So amazing.  I also love chewy wood ear mushrooms and spicy, tangy pickled ginger.  The ginger cut through the richness of the broth perfectly.

            Now, let me get to my favorite appetizer.  I gotta tell you:  I LOVE ME SOME PORK BELLY.   So, of course I had to try their take on char-siu.  Thinly-sliced and grilled to perfection, these delicate morsels were so hard to not eat in one go!  I never thought to put wasabi on pork, but now I am addicted!  (This dish is the reason I have to put wasabi on my sliced pork whenever we barbecue at home.)

This particular trip to Manichi was from Winter 2017, so the dish does look a little
different now, mostly in the addition of sliced green onion right on top as garnish.

                 For the painting, I used my trusty Daniel Smith and Grumbacher watercolors.  I first did a rough outline using a 3H Mitsubishi pencil and then started with the brightest colors.  I wanted the warm yellow tones to be the first to lay down.   I then gradually started layering all the more "cooked" areas and also adding that beautiful char.  For the plate, I used Grumbacher's Payne's Gray and Daniel Smith's GORGEOUS Moonlight Shadow.  It's difficult to explain the color because I don't have a great shot of it here, but it's pretty much a deep indigo-violet with a reddish granulation when dry.  It makes for interesting shadows.

             You can see granulation a little better in the photo below. Look toward the left of the pork.

I used small dots and spots to mimic the textured surface of the plate.  You can also see that I added more warm sienna and orange tones to bring the painting to life.  The wasabi sauce on top was a mix of Daniel Smith's Green Gold, with some of the brand's Cascade Green and Grumbacher's Burnt Umber for shadow and depth.

               I also decided to break open this baby!  It's a Kuretake brand white ink illustration brush pen The ink is opaque and is perfect for adding details and highlights to paintings!  I used this to add that fatty, shiny deliciousness to the pork and to the highlights on the sauce and plate.

       

A close-up of the detail work.

My trusty Mistubishi pencil is also great for signing artwork on watercolor paper.

               Below is a photo of the finished painting.  I am so proud of it and am happy to share my favorite Manichi Ramen appetizer with the world in my favorite way!  I hope you are able to stop by their restaurant next time you are in Honolulu!    Cheers!  (Don't forget to order a nice cold beer with your meal as well. Hehe)

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Visit Manichi Ramen!

1430 Kona St

Ste 101

Honolulu, HI 96814

Article on Manichi from Dining Out