Asia
Ramen is one of the ultimate comfort foods, with dozens of regional variations to choose from. Being time and preparation intensive, exceptional ramen really stands a whole level above its competition. Do not shy away from the many customizable options and the confusing Japanese-only vending machines. Lemi guide you through the process, and you'll be slurping up some of the best ramen bowls in no time. ๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป? ๐ธ Dashi or Flavour Strength is the ratio of pork broth to dashi broth used, and your choice will dictate the saltiness of your soup. If you are not comfortable with a strong pork flavour, choose a stronger flavour (more dashi). Just note that the more dashi, the more salty your broth will be. ๐ธ Richness or Thickness controls how much fat will be added to your broth. While it does not usually affect the overall flavour that much, a richer soup will be more creamy and pack more calories. ใใฃใฆใ (๐ฌ๐ฐ๐ต๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ๐ช) or ใพใฟใ (๐ฎ๐ข๐ฎ๐ช๐ณ๐ฆ) will coat the noodles and infuse them with the full broth flavour, but are best ordered when you have no intention of slurping up that soup.
When it comes to ๐ฉ๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐ค๐ฉ๐จ๐ช (pork-bone broth) ramen, ๐ญ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ผ-๐๐ฎ is the king. I have brought numerous people to this hidden alley down Kiyamachi street, with the promise they would be served โthe best ๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฌ๐ฐ๐ต๐ด๐ถ they will ever eatโ, and every time their skepticism melted away after the first slurp. Founder Tatsuya Hashimoto was only 23 when he opened the doors to the first Zundo-ya in Himeji city, after an inspiring meeting with one of Japanโs most renowned ramen chefs, Shigetoshi Nakamura. His dream was to โleave a lasting impression on our customers as well as bring happiness into their lives through our ramenโ. And happiness indeed did he bring, with a rich, creamy and comforting broth I have found nowhere else. ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ ๐ญ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ผ-๐๐ฎ ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ: ๐ธ To get the full experience, order the ๅ จ้จใฎใใ๏ผใใ (๐ป๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฃ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ด๐ฆ ๐ณ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ), which includes Zundo-ya's whole range of Kyushu toppings: chashu, soft-boiled egg, nori seaweed, fresh chives, garlic chips, bean sprouts, sesame seeds, chili and their signature ๐ต๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข pickle (which is absolutely delicious and you can even take home as a souvenir). ๐ธ Order the soup ใใฃใฆใ (๐ฌ๐ฐ๐ต๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ๐ช), and receive the full power of Zundo-yaโs secret weapon ๐ด๐ฆ๐ข๐ฃ๐ถ๐ณ๐ข, creamy globes of pork back fat. You can go all the way to ใพใฟใ (๐ฎ๐ข๐ฎ๐ช๐ณ๐ฆ), but I personally find it a bit too much. ๐ธ Noodles are offered straight or wavy, with straight being the original version. ๐ธ Ask for some ็ใซใใซใ (๐ฏ๐ข๐ฎ๐ข ๐ฏ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ช๐ฌ๐ถ), crushed raw garlic, to elevate your bowl to ramen heaven. Zundo-ya has now many branches all across Japan, and is launching itself into the international scene. My fingers are crossed they may come to Taiwan next.
121 Ishiyachล, Nakagyล-ku, Kyoto, 604-8002, Japan
For a different kind of rich, creamy broth head to ๐ก๐ผ ๐ก๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป. It might take you a couple of tries to find it, since as the name suggests this shop has no name, no signboard and is located in the basement of a nondescript building. Once you descend into the zen-like garden, you will be first presented with a vending machine through which you can select the size and the toppings of your ramen. All the broths are made from a thick, gritty ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ต that makes No Name Ramen stand out from the competition. ๐ก๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ: ๐ธ No ramen bowl is complete for me without a good soft-boiled egg, so I always order ๅณ็ใใ๏ผใ (๐ข๐ซ๐ช๐ฅ๐ข๐ฎ๐ข ๐ณ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ). ๐ธ The portions are as minimalistic as the decor, so if you are a big eater I recommend getting ๅคง็ (๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ช), the larger version. ๐ธ Next up choose between the four toppings: 1) ใใฃ๏ผใทใฅ๏ผ, classic chashu 2) ็ใใ็ ฎ, boiled beef slices 3) ้ถใใ็ผ, grilled chicken thigh chunks 4) ้่, roasted seasonal vegetables (or get them all!) and youโre ready to dig in. Once you are seated, serve yourself to water from the water coolers. And if you are wondering where the cutlery and spices are at, there is a secret drawer fitted under the table ๐.
Japan, ใ604-8005 Kyoto, Nakagyล-ku, Ebisuchล, 534โ๏ผ๏ผ CEOๆจๅฑ็บใใซB1" B1
๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป is the ramen I go to when Iโm feeling particularly unsociable. You will not see or speak to any staff, aside from the one leading you to your seat. And your small booth will be screened from the servers and other patrons on all sides. In the dark and hushed interiors, the spotlight streaming down onto your bowl of golden soup will draw you into a magical ramen heaven. Do not speak, just savour. Ichiran stands beside Zundo-ya as my favourite ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ธ๐ผ๐๐๐ ramen, offering a different take on this rich, addicting broth. While Zundo-yaโs is fat and creamy, Ichiranโs ramen is more mellow and refreshing and will have you gulping down the soup to the last drop (something you might want to avoid at Zundo-ya). I usually go for the simple Ichiran ramen, with the addition of a half-boiled egg of course. The broth is the star, and I donโt want to muddle it with too many competing flavours. At Ichiran you can customize every detail of your bowl, so it might take a little trial and error to find your sweet spot. The order sheet comes with their recommended version, so you can start with that. ๐ ๐ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ: ๐ธ strength - medium ๐ธ richness - ใใฃใฆใ (๐ฌ๐ฐ๐ต๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ๐ช), thick ๐ธ garlic - 1 clove (it will be perfectly blended into the soup), ๐ธ green onion and chashu ๐ธ spiciness - medium ๐ธ noodles - ใใใ (๐ฌ๐ข๐ต๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ), al dente
Japan, ใ812-0011 Fukuoka, Hakata-ku, Hakata Ekimae, 2-chลmeโ2โ๏ผ ็ฆๅฒกใปใณใฟใผใใซ B2F
Hidden within a shopping mall, sitting at the end of a bookstore, small and unassuming with some 10 counter seats, Morito Omiyaโs ๐๐ท๐ถ ๐ก๐ผ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ถ is the originator of the iconic ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ผ ๐ ๐ถ๐๐ผ ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป. For 70 years, it has been serving up this nutritious fare, the traditional flavour (butter-free and devoid of any fad twists) a hit with the locals, who return again and again to savour the taste they grew up with. After a long day of sightseeing in cold and windy Sapporo, the rich hot soup is a joy to the senses. The secret of this soul-warming broth lies, of course, in its miso paste base. While miso does not create a thick or fatty broth the way ๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฌ๐ฐ๐ต๐ด๐ถ does, itโs extremely rich in umami, a flavour that slowly spreads in your mouth, getting tastier and tastier with every spoonful. The thick curly noodles, specially created together with Nishiyama Seimen to best complement this dish, are cooked to perfection. A generous portion of vegetables and minced meat completes the dish. This ramen does not come with chashu, and the owner recommended to not add it as a topping. Chili paste is available for those who want an extra rush of heat.
Japan, ใ060-0061 Hokkaido, Sapporo, Chลซล-ku, Minami 1 Jลnishi, 3-chลmeโ๏ผ ๅคงไธธ่คไบใปใณใใฉใซ4F