Pork belly & egg Ramen for lunch
https://redd.it/1ih2gin
@r_ramen
Miso garlic tonkotsu ramen with smoked brisket.
https://redd.it/1igpxba
@r_ramen
4am drunk Ramen at a 24H in Osaka.
https://redd.it/1iggx3c
@r_ramen
Menya Musashi Tsukemen & Ramen in Seattle
https://redd.it/1ig6icf
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First attempt at Kumamoto ramen
https://redd.it/1ifxshw
@r_ramen
made shrimp and vegetable tempura with the soba...who can complain about that?
I took this without Chihiro present, but if you want to take it I am sure it can be arranged. I would take it for a few days so it is not rushed and then go hiking and send me pictures since I missed out! Or come when I go again this coming January!
After a month and a half of ramen I welcomed the more subtle and less oily soba noodle. I actually love soba more than ramen, but it is not as well known outside of Japan, so I will give the people what they want and serve delicious ramen, but someday I will sneak in soba and have the people here fall in love with soba too! Goals.
\---also check out Kappabashi in Asakusa because they sell a lot of cooking items for restaurants there. I bought my soba knife there. Kappabashi
BUT WHICH ONE DO YOU CHOOSE?!
Each has their special character. It depends on what you want.
1. Take detailed notes: Record everything, including audio notes and photos, to ensure you capture all the information. This is key because you will forget. These two classes are both drinking from the fire hydrant, so summarize what you learned each day or you will forget the context.
2. Ask questions: Don't be afraid to ask questions to clarify any doubts.
3. Be prepared for challenges: Ramen-making can be physically demanding, so be prepared to work hard. You will break Genkotsu with a hammer. Lift heavy bowls of ramen. Clean up the kitchen every day, etc.
4. Respect the culture: Be mindful of Japanese customs and traditions, especially when interacting with senseis and other students.
Thanks for suffering through this long post and I hope this helps in your ramen adventures. If this did help please follow me, Kokumi Mendoza, and keep me posted on your ramen adventures!
https://preview.redd.it/h3m9qbbnamge1.jpg?width=1536&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cb30959fd2aabfc5c464d2fbdfe317c8749da07a
https://preview.redd.it/q6pnn6soamge1.jpg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=261fdeefaf701137256c7922ae177e71e5de17e9
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https://redd.it/1ifjieo
@r_ramen
More ramen. Still on the look out for Buldak Carbonara Ramen in Oseyo since it's cheaper than prices I've seen online
https://redd.it/1igu7zh
@r_ramen
Spicy Raman and chicken leg
https://redd.it/1igohj4
@r_ramen
Is it safe to eat this puffed up ramen?
https://redd.it/1igfabq
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Tonkotsu Night (was last night)
https://redd.it/1ig8a1g
@r_ramen
Crispy chicken skin is a solid topping
https://redd.it/1ifxv5r
@r_ramen
more accustomed to teaching foreigners and I noticed their tare recipes accounted for situations where ingredient substitutions may have to happen especially for living abroad.
They also take some cultural bits into account. For example, they offer MSG and no MSG recipes. They also traveled to bali for a kosher class, so they have that knowlegde, but I did not study a Kosher option.
Their approach to making a chintan and a paitan/tonkotsu was distinct. That is a personal preference, but I enjoyed seeing the different approaches to both the chintan and the paitan/tonkotsu. It gave me some courage to see thre is, in fact, grey area in the ramen world.
For two days out of the class they will open up the restaurant and you will serve ramen to Japanese people that come into eat. So, you have 2 days of serving during your class with them. That was enjoyable. I studied with another gentleman from France, so we took turns running the noodle station vs making the ramen bowls for the customers.
You will only really make the noodles in class for one day, but they teach you how to make kansui. I did not notice a difference in flavor between prepackaged kansui and the mixture we made ourselves. I bought the ingredients and packed them in my suitcase. Not a single issue bringing it back with me. This was liquid gold for me because baking soda leaves an ewww flavor on the noodles, so I wanted to avoid that at all cost.
Boss-san does not speak english, but I speak Japanese so I can confirm he is really nice and knowledgable. He makes delicious chashu, so I assumed he loves it. He does not! hahaha which is why is so meticulous with it. Chihiro-sensei will translate for those who do not speak Japanese.
Vegan I thought this vegan ramen was quite tasty and it send me on a spiritual deep dive on all the things that I could do with this base. It surprised me that I really enjoyed this flavor so much. This, I think, will also surprise you. I uploaded a picture of the vegan ramen. It has the mushrooms as toppings.
After the course I decided to take two additional 1 day courses in Japanese: Fish ramen and soba.
Fish Ramen
I think it is worth learning the fish ramen broth because it is a world that is just now really being explored. Ito sensei specializes in it, so he can teach things that only someone who is in the thick of it will know about. In five hours we learned 4 different styles and how to remove that fishy smell to give the soup a beautiful umami. It is a skill, however, that will need to be practiced with the fish you have locally. If this interests you please research your 5 most common type of fish so sensei can search for the fish that are similar to your area. If you use fresh swordfish in the class and live in the desert you may find it challenging to pull off that broth. Do that research and return with a solid base. I live in the desert. Poor me ;-)
Ito sensei is very knowledgable and Chihiro sensei will be there if you do not speak Japanese, so do not worry. Ito sensei is a personality and a half.
Udon and Soba
The soba class is in Hinode-cho in Akigawa Valley. I did not get to explore this city or the valley much, but it is a definite hiking and destination for Japanese people. I am going to come back and study soba more and hike in the future. I loved it so much. If you want to take this Chihiro sensei can help you schedule it. https://www.instagram.com/magicfood0075/
The dojo is a 40+ year dojo that has traditionally taught Japanese people, but the founder recently passed and his son, Koshinuma sensei, has taken over. He is very kind and he has a high level of skill. Making a soba noodle is much more involved than a ramen noodle. I made udon and soba. Udon is actually older than soba which shocked me because the udon was less involved to make than the soba. Sensei was nervous, bless his heart, because I was his first ever foreign student, but I thoroughly enjoyed the class. So if you see him please let him know Adrienne enjoyed the class haha. Plus he
