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The Ramen Lover's Thread

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If you have never had an authentic bowl of ramen, you are missing out. Find out the nearest ramen joint to your area and get out there STAT.
 
For the rest of you have love yourself a tasty, steaming bowl of noodley goodness, post your pics and add location details and help out the uninitiated.
 
I'll start with this one. Kara-Miso Ramen (literally spicy miso) from a chain store called Ramen Bandai (formerly Kurumaya Ramen). Was good for what it was, but since they took out their signature garlic from the miso (name change and chain consolidation I think) it just doesn't hit the spot anymore. :-(
 
Still enjoyed it though!
 
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SmokenFire said:
In Chicago my go to ramen spot is High Five Ramen right by Randolph and Halsted.  Focking phenomenal - get the 'high five ramen' - the 'full spice' version.  Pork belly and hard boiled egg. Soooo good.   
 
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That looks freaking amazing. I will have to save that place to my phone next time I step in shitcago. 
 
filmost said:
 
Also here's something new for you. Momofuku's David Chang makes an omelet flavored with ramen seasoning lol. In theory, it sounds delicious but I imagine it is pretty damn salty.
 
[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1vHuhaxGe8[/media]
 
David Chang is fekkin' AMAZING.
 
There's a show on Netflix called "Mind Of A Chef", and it has like 10 episodes of David doing his thing from Japan to Copenhagen. The show is narrated by Anthony Bourdain. If you want to see some awesome use of ramen noodles, that's the place to go.
JoynersHotPeppers said:
I want to find a local place that makes their own noodles first and foremost! This Japanese place claims they do their own but not so sure on that...soba
 
 
Whole Foods has some dried soba noodles in the ethnic section that are damned decent Not quite as good as fresh, but it's close. Organic and all. The hardest part of a true soba setup anyway is the broth.
 
If anyone has a good soba noodle broth recipe please post it up. I would love to get away from the one I use. It's lacking a bit.
 
SmokenFire said:
In Chicago my go to ramen spot is High Five Ramen right by Randolph and Halsted.  Focking phenomenal - get the 'high five ramen' - the 'full spice' version.  Pork belly and hard boiled egg. Soooo good.   
 
l.jpg
 
YESSSSS! That looks effing delicious!!!
 
 
 
 
JoynersHotPeppers said:
Not ramen but today's lunch....
 
 
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Awww Chris you tease me so! Can't wait til May, gonna have my mommy make me some.
 
Shit, I should start a Pho shop here in Japan!
Naga Chomper said:
 
 
Whole Foods has some dried soba noodles in the ethnic section that are damned decent Not quite as good as fresh, but it's close. Organic and all. The hardest part of a true soba setup anyway is the broth.
 
If anyone has a good soba noodle broth recipe please post it up. I would love to get away from the one I use. It's lacking a bit.
 
The dirty secret of soba broth is that everyone in Japan uses stuff out of a bottle---that is unless its a family establishment that specializes in Soba---and is how I would recommend you do it. It's just easier.
 
Soba/Udon broth comes as a concentrate in bottles such as the following, and can be plastic or glass.
 
yamaki-men-tsuyu-400ml.jpg

 
All you do is mix with water to taste. If cold soba, use ice water. If hot soba then heat it up on the stove and toss in extras like shiitake or enoki mushrooms, scallions, pork belly, yuzu rind, etc.
 
If you are eating cold soba, hang on to the water that you boiled the soba noodles in. Here in Japan they pour the stuff (hot) into the dip and sip on it after finishing off the noodles. It's called "sobayu".
 
If you insist on making your own, then a close approximation I think would be to mix up hondashi and then add mirin and soy sauce to taste.
 
BOOM! Shirunashi (soupless) TanTan ramen.
 
First you get it and it looks like just any other bowl of ramen, unremarkable even. Heck they even forgot the soup! WTF?!
 
10946430_1575912709290466_790229633_n.jpg
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Then you mix it up. BOOM! Smacked right in your face by that oh so delicious aroma of red chillies, garlic, and sichuan pepper corns.
 
10948770_784388594976242_865412549_n.jpg
 
is the egg poached or hard boiled? I actually had something like this at noodlecat in cleveland this past christmas
 
BigB said:
is the egg poached or hard boiled? I actually had something like this at noodlecat in cleveland this past christmas
 
It is hardboiled to the point where the yolk begins to set but is still just barely runny. Then soaked in a flavored soy sauce like marinade for however long the shop decides they wanna do it.
 
Inside looks like this, although sometimes since the eggs are kept in the fridge the yolk looks more set than runny:
 
ramenhayatemaru2013b2.jpg
 
this chili oil stuff stains EVERYTHING lol. it wasnt too bad this time around because i didnt boil the noodles (yuck)
 
 
NzsgVHJ.jpg
 
EPIC!
 
filmost said:
BOOM! Shirunashi (soupless) TanTan ramen.
 
First you get it and it looks like just any other bowl of ramen, unremarkable even. Heck they even forgot the soup! WTF?!
 
10946430_1575912709290466_790229633_n.jpg
7
 
Then you mix it up. BOOM! Smacked right in your face by that oh so delicious aroma of red chillies, garlic, and sichuan pepper corns.
 
10948770_784388594976242_865412549_n.jpg
filmost said:
 
It is hardboiled to the point where the yolk begins to set but is still just barely runny. Then soaked in a flavored soy sauce like marinade for however long the shop decides they wanna do it.
 
Inside looks like this, although sometimes since the eggs are kept in the fridge the yolk looks more set than runny:
 
 
 
That sounds amazing! So just past soft boiled. And then marinated/pickled. Wow!
 
The Hot Pepper said:
EPIC!
 

 
That sounds amazing! So just past soft boiled. And then marinated/pickled. Wow!
 
Yep! The point is the white has to set enough for the shell to come off cleanly. When we think of soft boiled eggs in the west, it usually involves eating it out of the shell with a spoon b/c it is still mostly runny. But in Japan the translation of their word literally means Half-Boiled egg.
 
Serious Eats wrote a good article about making Ajitsuke Tamago awhile back. I am sure there are probably more posts out there somewhere, but this this one illustrates it very well. The 4th and 5th picture are your targets, depending on how you like the yolk, although the 4th is most common.
 
Another topping in use over here is more akin to western soft boiled eggs and is called Onsen Tamago.
 
DSC47904.JPG

 
The white has just barely set and is still a little runny. Usually, these are served room temperature or chilled so that the yolk will thicken up a bit more. I like to have it over rice, like so:
 
20110606_1504413.jpg

PexPeppers said:
this chili oil stuff stains EVERYTHING lol. it wasnt too bad this time around because i didnt boil the noodles (yuck)
 
I find that boiling provides the best consistency, but that the real key is reducing the amount of water called for. Usually instant ramen packets call for 500ml (just over 16oz) of water which is way too much in my opinion. I use about 350ml I think.
 
I also watch very carefully for over boiling. Basically, I'll use a pair of chopsticks to flip ramen brick as it is cooking and also try to separate it. Once it separates cleanly, I add the seasonings and probably about a minute later it goes in the bowl. Probably more like 45 seconds later.
 
BigB said:
is the egg poached or hard boiled? I actually had something like this at noodlecat in cleveland this past christmas
 
 
That guy at noodlecat is on the food map more than Michael Symon, you just haven't heard of him, yet. Lot's of goodness going on here that people don't hear about.
 
salsalady said:
Way before THP and Anthony Bourdain on Cabletv, we sought out Hamura Saimin in Lihue, Kauai, HI.  It cracked me up as there were minimal choices, and the cook knew what to prepare by the bowls that were stacked up on the pass-through. 
 
We'll go there again ..when we get back to the Garden Isle.............someday.......... 
 
I remember a double horseshoe shaped diner counter, the joint was tucked away in an industrial district.  Worn out bar stools, the laminate of the countertop wearing through in spots.....
 
One patron was a 'down on your luck' person, just wanting something to eat, someone plopped down a 5'er for a bowl of goodness for the person.....I regret not "catching what was going on" to be able to spot a bowl for the guy~
I was there several years ago for my 25th anniversary. We stayed on the island for 6 days and we ate there 3 times. It was really good and we heard about it from a local at our luau the first night we were on the island.  
here is a youtube video
and this one
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubdJxw8wCrk
 
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