Anyone know how to make "proper" Ramen

Raymond Lin · 2 Dec 2017 at 14:30

I've been back a week now, and I have not been stop thinking about the ramen I had in Japan. I went to Wagamama literally the very next day I got home and it was the single most disappointing meal of my life.

I went for the signature Wagamama Ramen

Broth - I asked for rich broth (option on the menu) and got what taste like nothing more than salty chicken stock
Noodle - don't have the firmness
chicken - just sliced cold chicken that they put on a pan until slightly charred on the edges

Since then I am trying to make an authentic one, i don't mind which one, although my favourite is a joint between tonkotsu ramen (pork bone broth), and tsukemen ramen (dipping sauce).

The problem is I am not sure how I can replicate proper tonkotsu broth….I had this last Friday, this place is tiny, 16 seats inside queues round the block all day long and if you can be seated under 30 mins you've gone at the "quiet time".

I think I can source proper noodles, even good roast pork belly and make my own tea eggs but that broth….anyone got any good recipes?

FrenchTart · 2 Dec 2017 at 15:32

Fresh noodles. Decent stock - make it yourself.

For the tonkotsu pictured above you also need to simmer cubed pork fat for hours until it fully renders.

The most time consuming (and most important part) is the stock to be honest. A good shortcut is a pressure cooker. Get an electric one for ease of use.

Tyrone1Wils · 2 Dec 2017 at 15:36

Check out www.reddit.com/r/ramen and check out https://www.reddit.com/user/Ramen_Lord/submitted/ recipes.

Heard nothing but good things. Here's his Tonkotsu recipe. It's very ingredient and labour intensive. I've been meaning to make it but it's just having the time.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ramen/comments/2l2eas/here_it_is_the_granddaddy_of_them_all_homemade_18/

Serious eats even interviewed him and make an article about him.

http://www.seriouseats.com/2017/01/obsessed-interview-reddit-ramen-lord-mike-satinover.html

He does have a pressure cooker version but I can't find it atm.

Edit never mind, it was his latest post: https://www.reddit.com/r/ramen/comments/7arli8/fresh_dont_feel_like_spending_18_hours_making/

FrenchTart · 2 Dec 2017 at 15:50

^Good links

Raymond Lin · 2 Dec 2017 at 15:55

Strangely, I actually flew to Fukuoka for a bowl Tonkotsu ramen, for the authenticity, although it was EXCELLENT but the best bowl was that one in Tokyo...

Raymond Lin · 2 Dec 2017 at 15:57

Tyrone1Wils said:
Check out www.reddit.com/r/ramen and check out https://www.reddit.com/user/Ramen_Lord/submitted/ recipes.

Heard nothing but good things. Here's his Tonkotsu recipe. It's very ingredient and labour intensive. I've been meaning to make it but it's just having the time.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ramen/comments/2l2eas/here_it_is_the_granddaddy_of_them_all_homemade_18/

Serious eats even interviewed him and make an article about him.

http://www.seriouseats.com/2017/01/obsessed-interview-reddit-ramen-lord-mike-satinover.html

He does have a pressure cooker version but I can't find it atm.

Edit never mind, it was his latest post: https://www.reddit.com/r/ramen/comments/7arli8/fresh_dont_feel_like_spending_18_hours_making/

Thanks! I guess I have to look into getting a pressure cooker, or may be a slow cooker may be over 18 hours?

d_brennen · 2 Dec 2017 at 16:00

Go net a Japanese woman who can cook. Sorted

FrenchTart · 2 Dec 2017 at 16:15

Raymond Lin said:
Thanks! I guess I have to look into getting a pressure cooker, or may be a slow cooker may be over 18 hours?

Don't use a slow cooker. You can either pressure cook it or use a regular pan if you're doing the long version.

Lil old me · 3 Dec 2017 at 13:18

I had the exact same disappointment after living in Japan for a year! I have tried making my own, but much as I love a challenge in the kitchen, it was a LOT of work!

Best I have found in a restaurant in the UK is Shoryu Ramen

Hotwired · 3 Dec 2017 at 13:38

The time required sounds more suited to commercial than home preparation.

Raymond Lin · 3 Dec 2017 at 14:20

Lil old me said:
I had the exact same disappointment after living in Japan for a year! I have tried making my own, but much as I love a challenge in the kitchen, it was a LOT of work!

Best I have found in a restaurant in the UK is Shoryu Ramen

I’ll have to check them out, thanks! I literally went to Fukuoka for the Hakata ramen, you can’t get more authentic than that, so it’ll be interesting to compare.

Dave · 3 Dec 2017 at 18:45

Lil old me said:
Best I have found in a restaurant in the UK is Shoryu Ramen

Good suggestion - we always liked Kanada-Ya in London as well. Broth in there is a little better!

Scam · 3 Dec 2017 at 22:48

Lil old me said:
Best I have found in a restaurant in the UK is Shoryu Ramen

Working in the west end/Soho I consider myself somewhat of a conniseur of ramen in London. In order of preference;

Kanada-ya
Bone Daddies
Tonkotsu
Shoryu
Ippudo

Kanada Ya is leaps ahead of all of them. I actually work opposite it but the problem is it only seats about 20 people so it's impossible to get in at a reasonable time. So I end up walking to Bone Daddies about once every 1-2 weeks for a weekday lunch. Ippudo I initially hated but it seems to have improved vastly and is actually pretty good now. If I remember correctly everything is extra though (egg etc) which is a bit cheeky. Only been to Shoryu a couple of time and it was fine, but nothing special. Tonkotsu is decent but always come away slightly underwhelmed. Not sure why.

For the whole package (atmosphere and sides etc) Bone Daddies wins for me. Kanada-ya if you're solely judging on the food.

Edit; I think k Kanada Ya and Ippudo are the only ones that ask how you want your noodles cooked (soft, medium, hard).

FrenchTart · 3 Dec 2017 at 23:04

I've not had the ramen at Bone Daddies but the other food I had there was top notch. I'll have to try Kanada-ya next time I'm in Laaandan.

Tyrone1Wils · 4 Dec 2017 at 17:17

Sounds like I'm going to have to try Kanada-ya when I'm in London in January!

wozza2k · 4 Dec 2017 at 17:30

FrenchTart said:
I've not had the ramen at Bone Daddies but the other food I had there was top notch. I'll have to try Kanada-ya next time I'm in Laaandan.

What the hell did you eat at Bone Daddies then considering Ramen is their signuature dish...

FrenchTart · 4 Dec 2017 at 17:37

wozza2k said:
What the hell did you eat at Bone Daddies then considering Ramen is their signuature dish...

I went to the Shakfuyu BD's. https://www.bonedaddies.com/restaurant/shackfuyu/

We had quite a lot between us. The menu has changed but we had a few things that are still on there: Iberico pork, the steak (was a sirloin of some variety back then), some of the ceviche options, kale and cucumber, miso grilled corn, kinako french toast and a selection of quite a few other things. Two of us had ridden 300 miles to London the day before so we wanted something more substantial than ramen (also, as much as I like ramen, it's not so awesome that I'll pick it over more interesting looking options).

wozza2k · 4 Dec 2017 at 17:42

FrenchTart said:
I went to the Shakfuyu BD's. https://www.bonedaddies.com/restaurant/shackfuyu/

Ah that makes more sense. Hope you got the kinako french toast with matcha ice green, that is an immense dessert

FrenchTart · 4 Dec 2017 at 17:45

wozza2k said:
Ah that makes more sense. Hope you got the kinako french toast with matcha ice green, that is an immense dessert

Yeah, it was insisted upon by my friend showing us the place. Absolutely delicious

Raymond Lin · 6 Dec 2017 at 21:34

I cheated, found a place that sells concentrated tonkotsu broth, it was £20 for a 1L portion, very expensive but as it turns out, incredibly good!!!! I mean it is light years ahead of Wagamama and almost on Japan level, if the bowl above is 10/10, this is easily an 8, may be even a 9 once I work out the ratio to my liking.

It even has fat on the broth, I am satisfied and I can say this will do nicely as a substitute, vs slogging away for hours.