Shoyu Ramen Soup Base

If you’ve made my Tonkotsu Base, then you have a basic shoyudare, or strong soy sauce flavor base, with which you can combine any stock or fat to make a simple shoyu ramen. This recipe combines the stock, shoyudare, and fat into one.

With this recipe, I’ve slow-cooked oxtail sections in a big crock pot, which helps render the fat from the bones without having to constantly stir. You could also make this in an instant pot, slow cooker, large Dutch oven, or heavy-duty pot. The oxtail adds a meaty goodness and complexity to the fat component that complements the soy sauce. You’ll have to go to an Asian market to find dashi, or Japanese stock, which comes in an instant granular form—there are many varieties to choose from, so just make sure to pick one that has bonito fish as the primary ingredient. It’s also important to have dried shiitake mushrooms, as they’ll give a more intense flavor to the soup than fresh ones. The final soup will taste overly salty, but when the noodles are added in, they will soak up the soup and balance it out.

Shoyu Base

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Yield: Serves up to 12

Author: Amy Kimoto-Kahn

Prep time: 10 H & 30 MTotal time: 10 H & 30 M

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp bacon fat (optional but recommended), ghee, or coconut oil
• 2 medium-sized carrots, peeled and cut into large dice
• 1/2 onion, peeled and cut into large dice
• 3 green onions, cut into thirds
• 1 apple, cored and quartered (with skin on)
• 2 celery stalks, cut into thirds
• 5 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
• 5 dried shiitake mushrooms, broken up into small pieces
• 1 whole organic chicken
• 4 medium oxtail sections, roughly 2 inches (5 cm) long
• 1 lemon, quartered
• 2 qts low-sodium chicken stock
• 3⁄4 cup high-grade soy sauce
• 4 tsp dashi granules (Japanese stock)
• 2 tbsp salt
• 1⁄2 tsp white pepper
• 1 bay leaf

Instructions

1. In a crock pot, slow cooker, large Dutch oven or heavy-duty pot, combine the bacon fat, carrots, onion, green onions, apple, celery, garlic, and dried shiitake mushrooms.
2. Add the whole chicken, oxtails, and lemon, then pour over the chicken stock, followed by the soy sauce, dashi, salt, pepper, and bay leaf—the stock should almost cover the chicken.
3. Set the crock pot or slow cooker to high and let cook for 10 hours. If using a large Dutch oven or pot, bring to a boil over a high heat and set in an oven preheated to 200F for 8–10 hours. When the oxtail meat easily falls off the bone, your soup is done.
4. With a slotted spoon, remove all of the larger solids and discard. Strain the remaining solids with a finer sieve into a large pot. You should have a light brown, glossy, and fat-rich soup. At this point the stock can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen for 1 month.
5. In a separate saucepan, bring the Shoyu Base to a boil, then lower the heat and let simmer until it’s ready to serve. Right before serving, crank it back up to a boil.
6. Pour 2 cups soup over each bowl of noodles. Top each bowl with desired toppings.

Recommended Products:

Hon Dashi - Instant Bonito Soup Stock

Miso Base for Ramen - みそラーメン

Miso Base 

To Make in Advance: Ramen Noodles, Chashu, Marinated Half-Cooked Egg

Recommended Toppings:

Negi (green onions), sweet corn, chashu (pork belly), butter, half-cooked egg, garnish with a nori (seaweed) square.

Winters in Hokkaido in Northern Japan are severe and the comfort and warmth of a good Miso Ramen have made it a daily staple. The quality of the miso makes all the difference here, so shop around and taste a variety of miso to find one that will add more depth.  

Here, I've made a super flavorful Miso Base or misodare that can be enjoyed any time. Store it in the refrigerator and when needed you can make individual servings or enough to feed your whole family - this base offers the convenience of a one-person portion or a meal for many – all according to the base to stock ratio (3 tablespoons Miso Base to 1 cup/235 ml chicken or vegetable stock). Whether you're taking it to work for lunch or preparing a family meal, it will be worth the labor because once you make it, it’s practically instant. The Miso Base can be refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for one month.

Miso Base for Ramen

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Yield: 12

Author: Amy Kimoto-Kahn

Prep time: 45 MinTotal time: 45 Min

Ingredients

• 1 medium-sized carrot, peeled and cut into large dice
• ½ onion, peeled and cut into large dice
• ½ apple, cored, peeled and cut into large dice
• 1 celery stalk, cut into large dice
• 3 garlic cloves
• ½ bacon fat (recommended), ghee or coconut oil
• 2 tbsp sesame oil, divided
• 1 ½ cups ground pork
• 2 tsp fresh ground ginger
• 1 tsp sriracha
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp kelp granules (optional but recommended)
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp ground sesame seed paste or tahini
• ¾ cup Shiro miso (white miso, which is lighter and sweeter)
• ¾ cup Aka Miso miso (red miso, which is darker and saltier)
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock, per serving based on the number of servings

Instructions

1. Add the carrot, onion, apple, celery and garlic to a food processor. Pulse into a fine chop. It’s better to use a food processor but if you don’t have one, finely chop these ingredients by hand.
2. Add bacon fat and 1 tbsp of sesame oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the finely chopped fruit and vegetables and cook until onions are translucent and apple is tender, stirring occasionally, for 10-12 minutes. When done, turn heat down to medium-low.
3. Add your ground pork to the cooked vegetable mixture. Cook for about 8-10 minutes until the meat is no longer pink. Stir in the ginger, sriracha, soy sauce, kelp granules, apple-cider vinegar, and salt. Incorporate well.
4. Return the entire mixture to the food processor and pulse until pork is finely ground. It is better to use a food processor, but if you don’t have one, then use a potato masher or wooden spoon to break the mixture into very small pieces in the skillet.
5. Add the sesame seed paste and miso to the ground pork mixture and mix well. It should have the consistency of a thick paste. Your base is done.
6. Bring the Miso Base and chicken or vegetable stock to a boil (depending on the number of people you are serving, use the ratio of 3 tbsp Miso Base to 1 cup (235 ml) chicken or vegetable stock). Lower heat and let simmer until it’s ready to serve. Use about 2 cups (475 ml) soup per serving. Right before serving, crank the heat backup to boil the soup.
7. Boil the noodles—if fresh, boil for about 1 minute; if packaged, boil for about 2 minutes. As soon as they’re done, drain well and separate into serving bowls.
8. Pour 2 cups of soup over each bowl of noodles. Top each bowl with desired toppings.

Notes

Tips!

• I like to freeze my base in ice cube trays and pop them out whenever I need them. 1 use 2 ice cubes per cup of stock.
• You can omit the bacon fat if you don’t have any but I wouldn’t recommend it because it adds flavor. Next time you are cooking bacon in the morning, simply save your fat in a jar and refrigerate it!  
• A trick to grating ginger: freeze your ginger in pieces with the skin on and take it out of the freezer right before you are ready to grate it.  No need to peel the skin off, it is edible. You can use a rasp or find a Japanese ginger grater online or in any Asian cooking store.

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Eggs Three Ways for Ramen

On my culinary adventure to seek out the best bowls of ramen at proper ramenya’s, one thing remained consistent - high quality bowls were topped with a perfect half-cooked egg: a centered bright yolk the color of a gleaming sunset - just barely cooked, resulting in a thick liquid center that oozes all over your ramen with whites that are smooth as silk, springy but still firm, with no trace of grey or pale yellow anywhere. A perfect egg completes a bowl…but who has time to be perfect? My friend Robin can’t stand a runny yoke, I get it. So make your egg(s) the way you like them: half-cooked, fully-cooked, poached, raw, Japanese omelet style. Here are the recipes for three different egg options to suit your egg-fancy.

Ajitsuke Tamago (Marinated Half-Cooked Egg)

I try to save time when it comes to cooking in my house, so this recipe is actually two.  The ingredients I use to soak my half-cooked eggs in are the same as my mom’s recipe for teriyaki sauce. If you want to skip the teriyaki sauce step entirely, then that’s fine too.  The other short cut – if you are making or plan to make Chashu or Kakuni, then you can use the braising liquid left over to soak your eggs

Ajitsuke Tamago (Marinated Half-Cooked Egg)

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Yield: 6

Author: Amy Kimoto-Kahn

Prep time: 1 HourCook time: 1 H & 30 MTotal time: 2 H & 30 M

Ingredients

• 6 eggs at room temperature. Eggs should be brought to an even temperature in a warm bath before boiling so that cooking times do not vary. Also, poke a pin-sized hole in the bottom of the shells of the eggs for easy peeling later.
• ½ cup bonito fish flakes

Teriyaki Sauce - only make this sauce if you don't have the braising liquid from your Chashu. If you are making Chashu, you can use that liquid instead of this.

• 1 cup shoyu (soy sauce)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1½ tsp grated ginger
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• ½ cup mirin (sweet rice wine)

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan over high heat, whisk together the shoyu, sugar, ginger and garlic in a medium saucepan. Once the mixture starts bubbling and the sugar dissolves, remove the heat. Make sure it doesn’t bubble over. Stir in the mirin and cool to room temperature or refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. With a slotted spoon or a Chinese strainer, gently add the eggs to the boiling water, and immediately set a timer for 6 ½ minutes.
3. While the eggs are cooking, prepare an ice-bath for them. When the eggs are done, immediately transfer them to the ice bath. Let them cool in the ice-bath for about 10 minutes, then remove the eggs and peel them.
4. In a shallow container that is deep enough for the eggs to be covered in liquid, combine 3 cups (700ml) water and 1 cup (235 ml) teriyaki sauce or 1 cup (23 ml) Chashu liquid. Add your eggs; cover them with a paper towel by pressing the paper towel down so it’s touching the top of the eggs; and sprinkle the bonito fish flakes over the paper towel - the weight of the epapr towel will help the eggs marinate on all sides and the bonito will flavor the eggs. Let marinate and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
5. Remove the eggs from their soaking liquid, and cut each one in half with a very sharp knife. You’ll end up with a beautiful half-cooked egg filled with liquid-gold goodness, ready to complete any ramen recipe!

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Poached Eggs

Poached eggs aren’t as labor-intensive as Marinated Half-Cooked Eggs, and their runny center provides an instant sauce to swirl into ramen soup. Cook them ahead of time and when your other ramen components are ready to assemble, just warm the poached egges in the ramen cooking water for 10 seconds before slicing and gently transferring to the bowls.

Makes as many eggs as you need

Prep time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

Eggs (as many as you need)

Dash of white vinegar or a squeeze of lemon juice

Directions:

1. Fill a medium-sized pot with about 1½ inches (3.5 cm) water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the white vinegar or lemon juice - this will help the eggs to coagulate quicker and reduce the amount of feathering around the edges, but don’t add too much or the eggs will taste sour. Once the water comes to a boil, reduce to just above a simmer.

2. Crack an egg into a small ramekin or cup.  If poaching more than one egg,  prepare up to 3 ramekins at a time - I don’t recommend cooking more than 3 at a time.

3. Gently slide the eggs out of the ramekins and into the simmering water.  Take care not to crowd the pan.

4. Cook the eggs until the whites are opaque, about 3 ½ minutes.

5. With a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked eggs to a paper towel to drain.  If not using immediately, store in a water bath in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days. 

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Japanese Omelet – Tamagoyaki

You will need a Japanase tamagoyaki frying pan (it’s rectangular), to get a visually appealing omelet.  If you don’t have one, a regular frying pan will work but you end up with the uniform rectangular shape that distinguishes this omelet.

Makes enough for 4 ramen portions

Prep time: 10 minutes  

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1 green onion, chopped

1 teaspoon shoyu (soy sauce)

1 teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

Nonstick cooking spray

 Directions:

1. In a medium sized bowl, whisk the eggs with the green onion, shoyu, sugar and salt until foamy.

2. Over medium-high heat, warm 1 teaspoon vegetable oil into your tamagoyaki frying pan. Drip a tiny bit of oil in a frying pan - if it sizzles on contact, the pan is sufficiently hot. Add about a quarter of the egg mixture to the pan and tilt the pan so that the egg mixture covers the bottom in thin, even layer.  The egg will start cooking quickly so you’ll need to move fast.  

3. Using chopsticks, gently roll the egg mixture tightly towards you from the part of the pan furthest from the handle.

4. Quickly add a little more cooking spray to the exposed part of the pan.
   Pour another quarter of the egg mixture into the pan, lifting up the cooked portion to get some egg underneath it to cook.

5. Roll the egg mixture away from you this time as it combines and attaches to the cooked egg layer.  Nudge it to the back to the front of the pan, where you started before.

6. Repeat two more times until you’ve used all of the egg - the omelet will obviously increase in size with each layer.

7. Roll the omelet out of the pan and you should have a rectangular-shaped block with your layers of egg.  Let cool and slice vertically before serving.  

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Cold Noodle Broth

My brother-in-law, Victor, got this recipe from his uncle who runs a small restaurant in Yokohama, Japan. The broth is very strong, so use it sparingly. It's more like a flavorful sauce than a soup, so don't over-serve this one. It's super simple and perfect for a nice hot day served cold over chilled noodles.

Cold Noodle Broth

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Yield: 6-8 servings

Author: Amy Kimoto-Kahn

Prep time: 30 MinTotal time: 30 Min

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups sugar (I prefer baker's sugar as it's finer and dissolves quicker)
• 1 1/2 cups mirin (rice wine vinegar)
• 1/2 cup shoyu (soy sauce)
• Sesame oil

Instructions

1. In a medium pot over medium-high heat, add the water, sugar, vinegar and shoyu. Mix well until the sugar dissolves.
2. Remove from the heat and let cool before using the broth.
3. Right before serving, add a couple of drops of sesame oil to each serving. Serve over cold noodles with your toppings of choice.

Recommended Products:

Kadoya Sesame Oil

Lobster Ramen →

I recently had the pleasure of making my lobster ramen and also getting a little exercise in with my fellow mommy friend, Nicole DeBoom. Nicole is the Founder & CEO of SkirtSports, and like the super mom she is - she manages running a business, staying fit and chasing around her 6-year-old little girl Wilder who is a good buddy of Ellie's. Check out our adventures here as we walk through making lobster ramen at my house and also give you some comic relief.

Always a crowd favorite - I've made Lobster Ramen only about 5 times so it truly is a labor of love but so satisfying to see the look on people's faces when they take their first bite. The lobster shell infused Shio Base is layered with flavor, the thinly shredded red cabbage adds a vibrant pop of color and the lemon zest gives it all a fresh brightness that pairs well with the lobster. It's decadent, delicious and definitely one of my favorites.

Lobster Ramen (ロブスターラーメン Robusuta-Ramen)

Serves 6

Prep time: 45 minutes, plus time to make Shio Ramen Soup Base, fresh Ramen Noodles (optional), and Roasted Garlic (optional)

These components need to be made ahead of time:

Shio Ramen Soup Base – See Recipe for Shio Ramen Soup Base.

Ramen Noodles (optional) – See Recipe for Ramen Noodles. Or noodles can be purchased.

Roasted Garlic Butter (optional) – See Recipe at bottom.

Ingredients:

Six lobster tails, about 5 to 6 oz each

6 tablespoons ghee or clarified butter

wooden skewers soaked in water for at least 15 minutes

Lobster Stock ingredients:

12 cups chicken or vegetable stock – homemade or store bought

12 tablespoons unsalted butter

¾ cup mirin

1 large rectangular piece of kombu (about 10” length) – cut in to large squares

12 dried shitake mushrooms, crumbled into small pieces

6 bay leaves

Additional Toppings:

1 small mound of arugula and spinach mixed together per serving

2 lemons with zest (1 teaspoon zest and 1 wedge per serving)

½ head purple cabbage, shredded (1 small mound per serving)

1 dollop of Roasted Garlic Butter (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450º F.

2. Split the lobsters down the center of the back by turning over and cutting in half lengthwise through the shell with kitchen shears, starting from head and leaving the tail intact.

3. Thread a soaked skewer through the underside of the tail through the bottom of the shell.

4. Brush the underside portion with the exposed meat with clarified butter. Wrap in foil and set in a roasting pan in one layer. Bake for 15 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes and remove the lobster tails from the foil, reserving the drippings to add to your stock.

5. Make the Lobster Broth: in a large soup pot over high heat, combine the stock, butter, mirin, kombu, dried shitake mushrooms, bay leaf and reserved lobster drippings. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.

6. Carefully remove the lobster meat from the shell by sliding a knife under the meat and gently lifting it out of its shell. Do this over your roasting pan to save any of the juices that drip. Add the shells and any of the lobster juices to your stock. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.

7. Have all of your toppings ready so that they can be quickly placed on top of your ramen when it's ready.

8. Place a pot of water to boil for your noodles.

9. Line a colander with cheesecloth and set it over a pot large enough to hold the stock. Strain the lobster stock and return it to the stove.  Add 1/2 cup of your pre-made Shio Base. Right before serving, crank it back up to boil.

10. Boil the noodles—if fresh, boil for about 1 minute; if packaged, boil for about 2 minutes.

11. While the noodles are boiling, pour two cups of piping hot soup into each bowl. As soon as the noodles are done, shake out all of the excess water and lay a portion into each bowl of hot soup by folding them on top of each other so they do not look messy.

12. Top each bowl with a lobster tail, shredded purple cabbage, a small mound of spinach and arugula mixed together. Add zest of lemon and a dollop of roasted garlic butter and squeeze a lemon wedge over each bowl before serving.

Roasted Garlic Butter

Many ramen shops offer cloves of fresh garlic and a press at the table so you can squeeze the garlic right into your ramen. I prefer the more subtle flavor of roasted garlic (plus I don’t like sweating garlic all day). This butter adds flavor and richness to any ramen soup and it’s delicious spread on bread or toast.

Serves: 4 - 1 tablespoon portions

Prep time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

Quantities can be increased for more portions or to save for later. This can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

1 head garlic  

4 tablespoons or 1/2 stick of unsalted butter at room temperature

Salt and pepper

Olive oil  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400º F

2. Cut about ¼ inch off of the top of the garlic bulb to expose the cloves and place the garlic on a piece of aluminum foil.

3. Drizzle the bulb with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and wrap with the foil to cover completely.

4. Repeat with additional heads.

5. Place on a cookie sheet on the center rack and bake for 1 hour until the bulb(s) start popping up out of their skins and are caramel in color.  You can take a peek to check.

6. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins onto a cutting board. With the back of a knife or a fork, mash the cloves into a paste.

7. Transfer to a small bowl and combine with the butter until well incorporated.

8. Store in a covered container and refrigerate for up to 4 weeks. Bring to room temperature before using.  

Blue Apron Kahn Family Pork and Miso Ramen →

ORDER YOUR BLUE APRON BY NOON ON MAY 31ST TO GET OUR KAHN FAMILY PORK AND MISO RAMEN! Send me an email at epjoishii@gmail.com and I'll send you a free voucher to try! If you get a chance to order it for the week of June 5th, we hope you enjoy it!

This past August we entered the Blue Apron Kids Cooking Camp Contest and WON a trip for our whole family to go to NYC and help the Blue Apron team create a recipe! We had so much fun, week after week, following the rules of the contest and submitting our posts on Instagram. Here are some of our favorite posts:

WE HAD TO MAKE HOME MADE WHIPPED CREAM AND HOLD IT OVER OUR HEAD!

WE HAD TO TALK ABOUT OUR FAVORITE SUMMERTIME INGREDIENT AND HOW WE USE IT.

WE HAD TO TALK ABOUT WHAT OUR FAMILY DOES TO HELP OUT WITH MEALS.

WE HAD TO CORE LETTUCE, DE-STEM KALE, PEEL A CARROT AND SOME GARLIC.

WE HAD TO PLANT SOME PEA SHOOTS AND WATCH THEM GROW!

When we got the email from Blue Apron telling us we won, we were beyond thrilled. They arranged to fly us to NYC, put us up in a hotel and take us to their secret Blue Apron test kitchen where we would create a recipe with them. We had such a fun time seeing where they keep all of their many spices and ingredients, learning about their recipe creation process (how they are limited to 10 ingredients and 10 steps or less) and watching the photographer take pictures of the final recipe.

We had decided ahead of time that we would work on a ramen recipe. What was most challenging was the limitation of ingredients and steps. I really feel like the final result is one that gives depth and flavor in a short amount of time. I also had a new respect for Blue Apron and the recipes it sends me, knowing that they always have to follow the parameters of 10 ingredients or less and only 10 steps or less. Given those limitations, don't expect the best ramen you've ever had - but this is pretty darn good. Here's the description right from Blue Apron...

This summery take on ramen was developed in collaboration with the Kahn family of San Francisco, Calif., winners of the 2016 Blue Apron Kids Cooking Camp. A satisfying, earthy broth gets its savory flavor from three ingredients: miso paste, dried shiitakes, and kombu—a type of dried seaweed with a delicately briny flavor. It's the perfect base for fresh, springy ramen noodles topped with seasonal asparagus, cooked to retain its tender bite. Sweet-tart marinated cucumber, served on the side, adds a refreshing crunch to the dish.

Scroll through to see the epic day with had creating Pork and Miso Ramen with the Blue Apron team!

Shio Ramen Soup Base

This recipe starts off with the same components as my Miso Ramen Soup Base but I’ve added fresh and dried shitake mushrooms to give it added depth. It also incorporates the nice fatty flavor of bacon fat.  I experimented with different types of salt for this recipe to see which came through the best. I chose fleur de sel because I liked the earthiness that it added without it being overwhelmingly salty and it helps keep the taste of the soup lingering on the palate.  You can make your own original recipe with any special salt you have on hand.

Shio Ramen Soup Base

Serves: up to 12 servings

Prep time: 45 minutes for making Shio Base, 15 minutes for making broth plus time required to make Ramen Noodles (optional) and topping

Shio Base Ingredients:

1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped

½ onion, peeled, large dice

3 green onions, white part only, chopped

½ apple, peeled, seeded, and chopped  

1 celery stalk, large dice

3 cloves garlic,

5 fresh shiitake mushrooms

1/2 cup bacon fat*

1 tablespoon sesame oil

3 teaspoons dashi granules (Japanese stock)

2 tablespoons fleur de sel

Broth ingredients:

Unsalted butter ( 2 tbsp per serving)

low sodium chicken or vegetable stock (2 cups per serving)

Mirin (Japanese rice wine) (2 tbsp per serving)

1 large rectangular piece of kombu (about 10” length) – cut into large squares (1 square per serving)

dried shiitake mushrooms, crumbled (2 mushrooms per serving)

salt as the miso base is very salty.

These components need to be made ahead of time:

Ramen Noodles – See recipe for Homemade Ramen Noodles

Chashu and Marinated Half-Cooked Egg - See Chashu and Marinated-Half Cooked Egg recipe

Recommended Toppings:

negi or green onions, fresh spinach, chashu (pork belly), marinated half-cooked egg, garnish with nori (seaweed) square(s).

*  you can omit the bacon fat if you don’t have any but we wouldn’t recommend it. Next time  

   you are cooking bacon in the morning, simply save your fat in a container and refrigerate it! 

Directions:

1.  In a food processor combine the carrot, onion, green onion, apple, celery, garlic and fresh shiitake mushrooms and process until very finely chopped, almost like a paste. It's better to use a food processor, but if you don't have one, finely chop these ingredients by hand.

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2.  In a medium size pot, warm the bacon fat and sesame oil over medium high heat. Add the finely chopped vegetables and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and apple is tender, 10 to 12 minutes.  Add the dashi and fleur de sel and mix well.

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3.  Start making your broth by adding butter to a large saucepan and heat over medium high heat.  Once the butter starts to brown and smells nutty, add the stock, mirin, kombu and crumbled dried shiitake mushrooms.  Bring to a boil reduce to simmer, and cook for for at least 15 minutes, then remove solids with a sieve.

4. While the broth is simmering, place a pot of water to boil for your noodles.

5. Add the Shio Base to the broth (depending on the number of people you are serving, it's 3 tablespoons Shio Base to every 1 cup of broth). Lower heat and let simmer until it's ready to serve. Use about 2 cups soup per serving. Right before serving, crank the heat back up to boil.

6.  When the noodles are cooked, drain well and separate out into serving bowls. Pour two cups of your soup over each bowl of noodles and add your desired toppings.

Ramen Tour of Tokyo →

Ramen Tour of Tokyo

Want to try the real deal in Tokyo, Japan?  My colleague Brian MacDuckston from ramenadventures chaperoned us to these six ramenya’s.  I’d highly recommend them for a nice well-rounded tour to experience the different types of ramen available in Tokyo. 

Most Tokyo ramenyas have very minimal seating, with seats at a bar and no waiting area. The chef is always present and is typically only accompanied by one or two apprentices, depending on the size of the shop. It’s quiet. The Japanese like to face the chef and eat without talking or socializing. It is the same at sporting or concert events in Japan, people stand side-by-side but there isn’t much interaction as they enjoy the show. It is their way of showing respect to the performer, and at a ramenya, to the master and his expertise. 

Customers respect the line and wait without complaining, no looking at their phones or talking too much. They place their order and pay at a small ticket machine at the front of the shop, make a line outside and sometimes line up along the wall in the back of the restaurant as their turn draws closer. When a seat opens up, they are prompted. You sit down quickly, hand over your ticket, and wait for your ramen. Within minutes, the bowl is presented on a raised bar in front of you. They dig into their ramen, and finish within 15 minutes. With a polite “gochisosama”, they exit and the next person sits. This efficient system keeps the line moving quickly. 

Some ramenyas are set up in more of a restaurant style with a waiter, a menu, and proper drink service. You are welcome to stay longer at these establishments but my advice is to show respect and do as others do. Eat, enjoy and get out. You can talk later.  

1.    Japanese Soba Noodles Tsuta, Master Onishi-san

東京都豊島区巣鴨1-14-1

Tokyo, Toshima-ku, Sugamo 1-14-1

Closest station: Sugamo

Open 11:00-16:00

Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays

Don't let the name confuse you.  "Soba" translates to noodles, so this is a ramen shop, not the traditional "soba" noodles you are thinking of. This was our first ramen stop in Tokyo and probably the most formal of all of the ramenya’s we went to.  It had a long line at 11AM, it was the first time we used the ticket machine to place an order, and everyone was quiet as a mouse, except for the slurping of course.  We were advised by Brian to only take pictures of the ramen but to do this very quickly.  Our bowls were placed on the raised bar and it was as if we were paying homage by reaching for it with both hands and placing it in front of us to consume. My traveling partner and photographer for the trip, Andi and I each shared the Shoyu and Shio varieties and thought they were divine.  The soup wasn’t too heavy so we were able to finish them both, the egg filled with liquid gold and just enough negi (green onion) and chashu. The Shio version had a delicious green pesto type topping that I think was made with anoriko, a powdered seaweed.

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2. LaShowHan, Master Okada-san

東京都千代田区神田錦町 1-4-8

Tokyo, Chioda-ku, Kanda Nishikicho 1-4-8

Closest station: Ogawamachi

Open 11:00-15:00, 17:30-20:00

Saturdays 11:00-14:00, 17:30-20:00

Closed Sundays

This was my first taste of tantanmen, a Japanese adaptation of a Szechwan style spicy noodle dish known as Dan Dan noodles. I don’t tend to like super spicy food, but the Premium Si Chuan Style bowl was not too overpowering and the sansho chili pepper gave it a earthy, lemon taste that just slightly numbed my tongue. I loved that it was served mazemen style (or without soup) so that the spices and the sauce were folded into every bite. I was just as fond of the owner, Master Okada-san. It’s also not a strict sit, eat and get out establishment, which was refreshing! 

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3. Mensho Tokyo, Master Shono-san

Address: Yubinbango112-0003 Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo Kasuga 1-15-9 1F Closest Station: Kasuga

Hours 11AM – 3PM and 5PM -11PM

Closed Tuesdays

Web: http://menya-shono.com/tokyo/access/

I ordered the Shoyu-Niboshitare Tonkotsu Ramen with a side of tender lamb.  The tonkotsu is cooked with pork and lamb bones with a lamb chashu and the most interesting prep of menma in long strips to top it off.  My favorite part was Master Shono-san’s signature spice mix of ground cinnamon, cumin, and fennel seeds that was provided in a shaker at the table. The décor and ambience are cool and casual - he has a chandelier made out of Niboshi or dried infant sardines in the front of the restaurant. He also has 5 other ramen shops in Tokyo with one US location in San Francisco

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4. Fuunji, Master Miyake-san

Address: Hokuto first 2-14-3 1F, Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Closest station: Shinjuku

Hours 11AM – 3PM and 5PM – 9PM

Open Monday - Saturday

I read about this place on ramenadventures.com before my trip and was so excited to taste their tsukemen, or dipping noodles with Brian himself.  Unfortunately, he had another appt to go to but he made sure we purchased the right ticket at the machine in the back and ushered us in. It was worth the wait - a complex and layered chicken-bone soup with deep fish flavors and an intensity that made every noodle laden bite satisfying. Brian would later tell me that the soup is actually a tori paitan, with chicken bones cooked in the same way you would pork bones for a similar soup. It is then added to a 2nd fish soup to give it that smoky flavor.  This was the first place we’d been to where the line continued to the back of the bar where everyone watched over the customers in anticipation as seats would free up and our line would slowly move ahead.  The master was super serious, very concentrated and intently involved in his preparation for us.  I was mesmerized.

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5. Tsukomo, Master Takahashi-san

Address: Hongoku Build. 1F, 1-1-36

Hiroo, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Closest station: Ebisu

Hours 11AM – 5AM

Open everyday

This ramenya is famous for its Cheese Miso Tonkotsu Ramen. A special type of local artisan cheese called Golden Gouda is incorporated into the soup and also piled high on top. It’s shaved to almost a powder form right at the bar so it sinks and melts into the soup to give you a rich, thick satisfying meal. You won’t be hungry an hour or five later. 

6. Usagi Shokudo, Master Mori-san

Address: Aobadai 1-30-12 Meguro-ku,Tokyo Closest station: Naka-Meguro

Open 11:30AM to 10PM

Closed Mondays

They serve tori paitan here which is ramen with a creamy chicken soup. There are only two menu items and they were out of one so we ordered the torishiroramen - their signature creamy chicken soup with a shiodare.  There were delicate pieces of perfectly tender chicken and thin fried onions and shredded negi (Japanese green onion) on top with a crispy piece of garlic toast and some sweet minced garlic on the side.  It was a graceful dish and very well orchestrated.  The restaurant is more upscale in a seated restaurant style space.  The line here took a little longer because of this but it was well worth the wait. They were voted best rookie tori paitan by Tokyo Ramen of the Year magazine in 2014, deservedly so.  

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Basic Ramen Toppings

It's time to make Ramen Toppings!  Don't try to do this all in 1 day - follow my step by step process for an easier way to make ramen at home.

Step 1: Make Miso Ramen Soup Base - keeping in mind there are 3 other basic soups I will show you later:

Shio - salt based, Shoyu - soy sauce based, and Tonkotsu - pork bone based

Step 2:  Make Homemade Ramen Noodles or buy fresh ones at the store

Step 3: Make Ramen Toppings

Here's a list of basic ramen toppings that you use at your discretion at any time along with those that require some time to make.  There's no hard and fast rule for what to top your ramen with, but what's most traditional are negi or Japanese green onion (use what's available to you), a half-cooked egg, chashu (braised pork), menma (seasoned bamboo shoots), sweet corn, kamaboko (Japanese fish cake) and roasted nori (seaweed).  In Japan, toppings as well as soup bases vary by region but here in America, anything goes.  I'll start by giving you the recipes for Chashu, Kakuni, Menma, Eggs 3 Ways and Roasting Nori.  Have fun and add what you like to make your own unique variation!

• Basic Condiments: white pepper, shoyu (soy sauce), shichimi-togarashi (mixed chili pepper spice), chili paste, fresh garlic, vinegar, chili oil, sesame seeds, curry powder

• Basic Toppings - negi (green onion), sweet corn, parsley, butter, onions, kimchee, yuzu citrus, bean sprouts, spinach, ginger, mushrooms (shitake, kirurage), and kamaboko (Japanese fish cake)

• Topping that require recipes -

  • Chashu (braised pork) – sweet, Chinese style

  • Kakuni (slow cooked pork belly cut into cubes and braised)

  • Menma (seasoned bamboo shoots)

  • Eggs 3 ways

    • Marinated half-cooked eggs

    • Poached eggs

    • Tamagoyaki (Japanese omelet)

  • Roasted Nori (seaweed)

  • Beni Shoga (pickled ginger)

  • Mayu (black garlic oil)

  • Roasted garlic butter

  • Miso butter

  • Garlic chips

  • Fried onion

  • Fried string potatoes

Roasted Nori

Roasted Nori (Seaweed) Makes as much as you need

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Prep time: 2 minutes

These days you can find roasted and flavored seaweed in grocery stores, coffee shops, even vending machines. I prefer to roast my own because I feel like some of the varieties out there are too oily or don’t stay crispy when you eat it with steamed rice. If you purchase a package of seaweed made for sushi in big sheets, you can roast these over an open gas flame in seconds. I promise you'll never go back to those instant packs. These are crispier, tastier and you can make much more for the cost.

Ingredients:

Japanese nori (seaweed) in sheets

cooking spray or sesame oil

Directions:

1. Spray both sides of each sheet of seaweed with cooking spray or take a folded paper towel with some sesame oil on it to apply.
2. Over a low flame on a gas stove, gently waft the seaweed back and forth on both sides until the seaweed crisps up.
3. Set the finished roasted seaweed sheets on a paper towel and repeat with additional sheets.
4. Sprinkle each sheet with sea salt and stack them about 4 or 5 high.
5. Cut into fourths with a sharp chef's knife or with kitchen shears.

Here's a short tutorial video on how it's done! http://youtu.be/4nbZ4g3wFCM

Chashu (Braised Pork) and Kakuni (Braised Pork Belly)

Chashu is one of the most popular ramen toppings. It can vary in flavor, size, fat content – one ramenya might serve three thick, juicy pieces, another might give you two wafer thin slices the size of half your bowl. Its origin, just like ramen, stems from the Chinese char-siu, roasted or barbequed pork. You may recognize char-siu by its signature red exterior and lean meat, but Japanese chashu is completely different. It’s not red, has more fat and tenderness, and is typically braised rather than barbequed.  Braising calls for cooking it in liquid at low heat until the tough collagen in the meat breaks down. The result is a melt-in-your mouth, porktastic experience.  Chashu can be made from different cuts of pork and is traditionally tied so that it can be sliced into rounds. 

Kakuni is also pork but literally means “square simmered”.  It’s cooked in fashion similar to Chashu but but the pork is cut into squares before they are braised.

If you are making either Chashu or Kakuni, save the reserved braising liquid. It’s like liquid gold. Use the liquid for marinating half-cooked eggs or for combining with Shiodare (See Tonkotsu Ramen recipe) to make a very basic Shoyu Ramen Base.

Chashu (Braised Pork) and Kakuni (Braised Pork Belly)

Chashu (Braised Pork) and Kakuni (Braised Pork Belly)

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Yield: 4-6 portions

Author: Amy Kimoto-Kahn

Cook time: 4 HourTotal time: 4 Hour

Ingredients

• 2 pound slab of pork shoulder or other part with fat, cut into 4-5 inch wide long strips, rolled up into a nice round bundle and trussed with cooking string to keep its shape
• 2 ½ quarts or 10 cups water
• 1 quart or 4 ¼ cups dark shoyu (soy sauce
• 2 ½ cups of sugar
• 3/4 cup of mirin (sweet rice wine)
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon ginger, grated

Instructions

1. Combine the pork with the water, shoyu, sugar, mirin, onion and ginger in a large pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until pork is tender, about 4 hours. Skim any scum that floats to the surface.
2. Remove the pork from liquid. Insert a medium thick wooden skewer into the center the of meat. If it comes out clean, the pork is done.
3. When you are ready to use it, take the pork out of the liquid. Save the liquid for Marinated Half-Cooked Eggs or for adding to your Shoyu Ramen Base. Do not throw this away! Let the pork rest for at least 2 hours or overnight in the braising liquid in the refrigerator to make it easier to slice - overnight is best as the pork will continue to soak up the juices in that time.
4. Saute your sliced pork in a skillet for 1-2 minutes to render the fat and make the slices crispy before placing on top of ramen. Cut into ¼ inch (6 mm) thick rounds. Use as many slices as you’d like to serve on your ramen - typical amounts vary from 1- 3 slices.

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