Ramen question

Scam · 13 May 2022 at 17:19

I treated myself to some top quality ramen at lunch today. It was a place I'd not been to since pre-COVID, and is one of the mini chains in central London that is consistently rated as one of the best. It was great, but I was slightly surprised to notice the meat (chashu pork, and pork mince as I was having a gekikara spicy version) were both fridge-cold when it was first presented to me. The broth was fantastic and super hot, so I just dunked everything and got on with it. Super tasty.

Would that bother you? I always assumed the chashu pork was slow cooked initially, then fried to order before being put on the ramen. Hmn...

Raymond Lin · 13 May 2022 at 17:36

The pork are cooked then refrigerated so that it can be sliced when ordered, or sliced in batches during busy serving period. Then it SHOULD be heated up, char with a blow torch usually or in a searing hot pan to get the caramelisation. Unless that’s not their style

Scam · 13 May 2022 at 17:47

I thought you might reply first

Yeah totally cool with it being refrigerated before serving. I get the process. Not sure if I feel like they’re cutting corners by not heating it up properly again though.

I was shocked by the price though. That particular bowl was £14.50 plus £2 for the egg! Not cool.

Shadowness · 13 May 2022 at 18:43

I always assumed Ramen (to the restaurant) was just an assemble affair. Apart from cooking the noodles, it's just a case of pouring in the broth, adding the egg (already pre-boiled), meat and other bits and bobs.
Not taking away that Ramen is one of my favourite dishes, but I thought all the work was in making the broth/stock. That's where the main flavour is.

Begbie · 13 May 2022 at 18:49

Scam said:
I thought you might reply first Yeah totally cool with it being refrigerated before serving. I get the process. Not sure if I feel like they’re cutting corners by not heating it up properly again though.

I was shocked by the price though. That particular bowl was £14.50 plus £2 for the egg! Not cool.

That's a bit mental, but eating out now just seems ridiculous. Though £16.50, plus some fried chicken and a drink - you're close to £30 for chicken and soup!

Raymond Lin · 13 May 2022 at 19:11

Shadowness said:
I always assumed Ramen (to the restaurant) was just an assemble affair. Apart from cooking the noodles, it's just a case of pouring in the broth, adding the egg (already pre-boiled), meat and other bits and bobs.
Not taking away that Ramen is one of my favourite dishes, but I thought all the work was in making the broth/stock. That's where the main flavour is.

Pretty much, you can in theory cook everything off site, deliver the "parts" to the restaurant to assemble.

I just made this tonight in 10mins.

explicit4u · 13 May 2022 at 19:18

Think that price is pretty standard for London, my local goto (Ramo Ramen) charge £14 for Oxtail ramen, I usually get some scotch bonnet wings or karaage chicken too, both £6

Scam · 14 May 2022 at 12:50

I just found the receipt and service was included too. So £18.50 something for one bowl of ramen and a tap water. Not cool, especially when there was minimal interaction for service itself (menu was a qr code scan etc, paying would have been too had it worked properly).

But yeah as above I’m totally cool with ramen being an assembly for restaurants. Just surprised me they didn’t warm the meat again. Oh well, tons of choice near my work. Sounds like I need to go compare them all now, what a shame

Raymond Lin · 14 May 2022 at 16:36

Ramen, traditionally is a working man's meal, it's meant to be a cheap meal so in Japan there is this unwritten rule and mentality to keep it cheap, to keep it affordable. Shops are often very reluctant to go above a certain price cap because of this. Even Michelin star places have the same mentality. We don't have that here, the nearest thing would be like a Fish & Chips shop and we have an expectation of price for Cod and Chips together.

A standard basic bowl is typically about 800 to 1000 yen, the current exchange rate is about £5 to £7, at it's worst and on average it would be about £9 a bowl for a very good one. There are of course some places charges 1100 or 1200 yen. But they usually never go above the £10 barrier when converted.

Those on the upper end usually have more meat

So this bowl is their signature, top left in the menu, 1050yen, about £6.65 today.

The exceptions are the specialty ones, like some specifically serve A5 Wagyu or those with lobsters...which is about £15, just under 2000 yen.

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