Best Ramen

[kdramafan]

Re: Best Ramen

I prefer Korean Ramen (Shin Ramen) the hot & spicy and the kimchee flavor.

[Miulang]

Re: Best Ramen

An ode to ramen and its inventor, the recently departed Mr. Ando (includes a recipe and a sneak preview of a new movie starring Brittany Murphy called "The Ramen Girl" ).

Miulang

[cynsaligia]

Re: Best Ramen

I like going to Taishoken, that place is really good.

http://onokinegrindz.typepad.com/ono...taishoken.html

they do tsukemen and ramen, and their gyoza are really good.

i (cyn) prefer taishoken, closely followed by kyoto ramen in mccully shopping center. eric prefers the same, but in the opposite order. i think i like that the soup at taishoken seems somehow thicker and heartier. eric likes the more subtle flavors of kyoto ramen.

for saimin, i will always always always have a soft spot in my heart and an empty spot in my belly for the simplicity of palace saimin on king street in kalihi. when ono for saimin, eric will drag me to shiro's in waimalu, but it's not as if i protest.

as for the instant stuff--the old school, cheap, wanna eat something super fast and i doan care what it is will reach for the top ramen. granted, after i eat it, i am immediately filled with regret and have the need to flood myself with water in response to all the sodium and msg. then i swear never to eat top ramen again...but then i'll find myself buying a pack or two six months later when i see it on sale at foodland.

but, there's this stuff in a bowl from japan that i get maybe once a year from daiei (well, it was daiei then). the packaging was a reddish orange and black, i think.

[pzarquon]

Re: Best Ramen

A friend e-mailed me the write-up in today's New York Times:

Mr. Noodle

Momofuku Ando, who died in Ikeda, near Osaka, at 96, was looking for cheap, decent food for the working class when he invented ramen noodles all by himself in 1958. His product — fried, dried and sold in little plastic-wrapped bricks or foam cups — turned the company he founded, Nissin Foods, into a global giant. According to the company’s Web site, instant ramen satisfies more than 100 million people a day. Aggregate servings of the company’s signature brand, Cup Noodles, reached 25 billion worldwide in 2006.

Arigato gozaimasu, Ando-san!

[Pomai]

Re: Best Ramen

News of the day is that Momofuku Ando, inventor of the Instant Ramen Noodle and founder of Nissin Foods, has died at 96 of a heart attack.

Inventor of Instant Noodles Dies at 96

I'll have a Cup Noodle for lunch today in honor of him.

[D'Alani]

Re: Best Ramen

I'm looking for Scallop extract/powder (included in the soup base above), which from what I've been told is a "secret ingredient" to great Ramen broth. Does anyone know where and how it's sold? Japanese name? I tried Google but nothin' specific showed up.

Try "Googling" powdered scallop extract, or go to www.nikkenfoods.com/seafood.htm

[Pomai]

Re: Best Ramen

Packaged fresh ramen over dry is usually my ramen of choice in the supermarket, but I decided to try this dry type that's been available at Marukai and Daiei (DQ) for quite a while now..


Myojo Chukazanmai Japanese Noodles with Soup Base, Soy Sauce Flavor - $1.59 (membership sale price).

The usual flavors were available, including Soy Sauce (my choice), Tonkotsu and Miso.

The single-serving contents include...


Dry wheat-based ramen noodles, dry seasoning base (left) and liquid soup base.

To result in a bowl of Shoyu Ramen...



The broth has good depth, but the dry seasoning has way too much MSG in it. The liquid soup base has soy sauce, sesame and other oils, which I think is the saving grace here. Thankfully the Sesame Oil wasn't overpowering, but just suttle enough to savor.

Ramen is never complete with just broth and noodles, therefore I jazzed it up with my mandatory sliced Chashu (Japanese "roast" pork), Menma Ajitsuke (shoyu/sugar marinated bamboo shoots) and green onion. The sum of its parts another saving grace.

As a whole, this bowl of Ramen was pretty darned good. Shoot, almost worthy of being served in a shop. Tone down on the MSG by scaling back on that dry packet and the broth will be just right.

I'm looking for Scallop extract/powder (included in the soup base above), which from what I've been told is a "secret ingredient" to great Ramen broth. Does anyone know where and how it's sold? Japanese name? I tried Google but nothin' specific showed up.

[mapen]

Re: Best Ramen

Pomai,
When you make the chashu for your ramen, what cut of pork do you use? How long do you simmer it?

Edited to add: Pomai, I followed the link to your blog where I found a more detailed post and your recipe for the chashu. It answered my question. Thanks!

[keoki_sing]

Re: Best Ramen

Hakata (Tonkotsu) Ramen is the best for me.



Above is Myojo's my preferred brand. Careful when getting it all the packaging looks the same so you gotta either know how to read the Japanese label or get the right colored one. It even comes with the pork bone stock in it which you add after you boil the noodles and add the soup base. Then once its in your bowl you add the pork bone base with all of its greasy goodness.

My wife's from Fukuoka so I had a chance to to eat it first hand and it was G-O-O-D, GOOD! This instant is really good also though.

I'm sure most Japanese super's have the brand in stock in Hawaii and for the mainlander's/trans-planted local's Mitsuwa's Supermarket (West Coast and Jersey. The lucky bums!) has them as well as you can order it online at Asian Food Grocer. Heres a link:

(http://www.asianfoodgrocer.com/index...&Category=1441)

I live in Utah so I always stock up when I go visit relatives in LA or beg relatives for some when they come up from California.

Other than that the ramen shop at Maui's Shirokiya's at Queen Kaahumanu Center was awesome to bad it closed (RIP).

Aloha and Enjoy!

[nachodaddy]

Re: Best Ramen

Looking for the perfect Ramen? Some source material.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092048/

Going to Uwajimaya today... I'll keep my eyes out for it.


Scriv, perhaps you can add this to your trivia question game...............what does the below picture represent? ( I know you will clean that up)....

[Pomai]

Re: Best Ramen

Pomai Wow, you're a fabulous cook! Your pictures always make me hungry

Arigato Gozaimasu! Thankfully you're refering to my effort in making authentic ramen, and NOT just adding hot water into an instant Cup Noodle.

IIRC, it was Lyla Berg's 2004 campaign where she distributed instant ramen with her flyer. I never did cook it. It's probably still in the cupboard. lol

If a political candidate passes out SUN NOODLE ramen, only THEN would I guarantee their vote! That's what you call being "PRC" (Politically Ramen Correct).

[Adri]

Re: Best Ramen

I'm no branding or marketing or campaigning expert, but whaaat? Giving away ramen packs?

So, the message is:

- Case feeds the hungry? (or the freebie-seeker?)
- You're so poor, this free food will make you grateful enough to vote for me? (But what if I'm homeless and have no way to cook it?)
- Sparky was famous for his navy bean soup, I'll be famous for the dehydrated/reconstituted ramen I serve office visitors in DC?
- I'm LOCAL too!(?)
- I'm the "Top" candidate and will use my noodle in DC?

Well, if Jeremy Harris can give away ice cold slices of watermelon to parched Kailua 4th of July Parade viewers, (which made total sense and was greatly appreciated in the heat of the day), I guess Ed can give away ramen.

JH's campaign also gave away plastic bags full of eggplant and someother veggie (bell pappers?), I recall there was a little kerfluffle over whether the person who gave him the veggies to give to potential voters made a campaign contribution and how do you value the veggies for reporting purposes if they are a campaign contribution. But I also recall hearing how impressed people (especially people in Chinatown and Kalihi) were with Harris giving away vegetables. I think it had something to do with "showing" that he understood local culture, giving something back to people that didn't seem to be a vote-for-me-bribe (although it certainly was intended to help get votes) and seemed humble. It's also like "I'm your next door neighbor." in the sense of if you were growing something like eggplant (or mango or avocado) and you had plenty, you would share with your friends and neighbors, right? These were local items, not generic bottles of water or "mainland" things like tape measures (which Ann Kobayashi gave away at one time).

Pomai Wow, you're a fabulous cook! Your pictures always make me hungry

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: Best Ramen

So I went to this little Asian Market (that's the name) and asked about Ramen and they gave me some shoyu ramen? OMG I am never buying Ramen at the grocery store again! It was worth the language difficulties and travel time too! It was nothing like Top Ramen

First of all, I wouldn't trust Ramen from a store named "Asian Market". The name alone implicates too many unknown variables. Stick with a Japanese-named Ramen shop, operated by Japanese. That's my criteria here in Honolulu as well. I don't want Ramen that tastes like Kim Chee or Pho.

For any ramen to be inferior to Top Ramen instant noodles has to be REALLY BAD. Yikes.

Pomai -- I think blueyecicle meant that the shoyu ramen from Asian Market was a lot better than her usual Top Ramen from the grocery store. I mean, she said it was worth the time and hassle. Right, b?

[Pretender]

Re: Best Ramen

Gomaichi Ramen (631 Keeaumoku). Their chicken Tan Tan ramen is quite good. I always interpreted the high ratio of Japan national customers as a good sign.

[Got2HaVKaYaNoW]

Re: Best Ramen

Do you mean "Rai Rai Ramen" on Oneawa, near Taco Bell?

.

Rai Rai!....LMAO, hows me RA RA? yea thats the one. ra, ra, <giggling>