The True Story Behind Tsukemen Ramen

Ramen, glorious ramen: The food that sees us through the good, the bad, the lean times, the lazy times… When in Japan, indulge in as much ramen as you can because it’s a truly spectacular meal when done right. But leave some room; there’s a secret dish, still somewhat unknown outside of Japan, that all food lovers must try: Tsukemen. And there’s only place to go to get it: the basement of the Tokyo train station. Over the years, Tsukemen Ramen became more popular throughout Japan and since 10 years very popular in cities like New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, London and Vancouver.

Founder of Taishoken Ramen Mr. Yamagishi

Like all great things, Ramen’s origins are a bit mysterious, but according to Hiroshi Osaki, a man with perhaps the greatest job title ever — “Ramen Expert” —the first truly specialized Ramen shop opened in 1910. It wasn’t until 1958 that we got instant Ramen noodles and college kids everywhere were saved from starvation.

Turns out the 1950s were a big decade for Ramen. Kazuo Yamagishi invented Tsukemen at 17 while apprenticing at a ramen restaurant in Tokyo in 1951. The story goes that Yamagishi saw a man dipping some noodles into a cup of soup and a culinary event was sparked. 

By 1961, Yamagishi added his new dish to his menu but called it “special Morisoba,” which consisted of a bowl of cold soba noodles and a bowl of hot soup to dip them in. Tsukemen differs from traditional Ramen in two big ways: the noodles and soup are served separately, and the broth for Tsukemen is thicker to better coat the noodles dipped in it. Yamagishi’s creation was a massive hit. Sadly Mr. Yamagishi is no more here with us but his legacy continues to inspire millions of Ramen enthusiasts around the world. 

At first some Ramen purists balked, but Tsukemen has only grown in popularity, in no small part thanks to Ryosei Mita, who studied under Yamagishi. Mita opened Rokurinsha in 2005 and it wasn’t long before he was dealing with lines wrapping around his tiny shop, patiently waiting their turn for a bowl of thick, savory soup and a bowl of either warm or cold noodles. Eventually, Rokurinsha needed to move to accommodate its legion of hungry fans and ended up in Ramen Street in the Tokyo Station basement.

This little 12-seat restaurant is smack in the middle of a massive concourse of Ramen options and still

Traditional Ramen Bowl Set

it has a line for the food. You’ll be able to use that time to choose your meal so you’re ready to tap it into the automated ticket machine at the entrance. Do you want hot or cold noodles (hot noodles help keep the soup warm as you dip, but it’s personal preference), want a normal serving or the extra large (normal is fairly substantial), and what toppings do you want — a boiled egg or shredded pork? You really can’t go wrong, even if you get to the machine that’s completely in Japanese and panic, glancing at the snaking line waiting behind you. Push any one of the pictures of Tsukemen on the machine and you’ll be in gastro-heaven. Conveniently enough, you can use your subway card to pay.

Rokurinsha’s tsukemen broth is simmered for 13 long hours, using a secret recipe that includes things like pork, chicken bones, fish, like dried mackerel, and veggies. It blends together to form a thick, flavor-packed liquid designed to perfectly coat the plump, chewy noodles. In addition to any toppings you might’ve ordered, you’ll get a bamboo shoot and, floating delicately on top, a piece of seaweed holding powdered fish. Maybe some of these ingredients sound unusual or you’re not sure how it’ll all come together, but boy does it. It’s been described as umami and that’s the closest word.

The noodles are specially designed for Tsukemen and are heaven in their own right. They have to be, since they’re essentially the main event in this dish; the broth is more of a dipping sauce to compliment the Chinese-style noodle. They have their own rich, sweet, delicious flavor, so try a few sans broth.

There is some etiquette to enjoying Tsukemen. At Rokurinsha, you’ll place your order and pay at the automated station, then will be shown to a seat. A glass of water will appear, a bib (you will definitely need it), and moments later, your two bowls: broth and noodles. Slurp and slurp loudly as you eat, though try your damnedest not to spray the people around you.

Slurping is a compliment to the chef. In between bites, however, don’t stick your chopsticks into your noodles in lieu of using the holder; this resembles a funeral ritual involving rice. Once you’ve finished your noodles, if you have any broth left, you can ask for soup-wari, which a lighter broth used to dilute the concentrated broth so you can eat every craveable bite. Don’t linger; as soon as you’ve finished, head on out so the next person in line can finally eat.

Taishoken Restaurant at Eifukucho in Tokyo, Japan

Umami powder to unlock the 5th flavour

Rokurinsha is far from the only place in Japan to get Tsukemen, but it’s unequivocally some of the best in the country. They have other locations now, like in Tokyo Skytree, but there’s something about enjoying a world-class dish from a world-class restaurant in the bottom of a busy train station. Only in Japan.


Kazuo Yamagishi the founder of Taishoken Ramen passed away at the age of 80

Hiroshi Osaki, 56, a ramen critic who has frequented Taishoken for 35 years, commented, "What makes good ramen is said to depend on the pork stock, chicken stock and personality, and I think that's the phrase for him (Yamagishi). His ramen represented his gentle character. I will miss him."

A wake for Yamagishi will be held at Gokokuji Temple in Tokyo's Bunkyo Ward on April 7, followed by a funeral ceremony the next day. Mr. Yamagishi but his legendary Tsukemen Ramen (Mori-soba) is the greatest legacy for Ramen fans around the world.

How to make Tsukemen Ramen

The richness of the Tonkotsu broth is well worth the half a day it takes to simmer, just make it a day or two in advance and it will be ready to go. Toppings and extras really make the ramen experience so don’t skimp — and make sure to slurp your noodles like the Japanese do! Although this might not be the authentic recipe but still close to the original version.

Serves 4 – 6


INGREDIENTS

For the Tonkotsu (pork bone broth)
2 pork trotters, cut in half length-ways (ask your butcher to do this for you)

1 kg pork leg bones, cut into small chunks (ask your butcher to do this for you)
2 brown onions, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, bruised
5 cm piece ginger, sliced
200 g swiss brown mushrooms, sliced
250 g piece fatty pork belly skin
4 litres water

For the braised pork shoulder
1 kg piece boned pork shoulder or boned and skinned pork belly
100 ml thin soy sauce
150 ml mirin seasoning
100 ml cooking sake
60 g caster sugar
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
2 spring onions, sliced into 2 cm batons
4 cm piece ginger, sliced
2 cloves garlic, bruised
500 ml tonkotsu broth or chicken stock

For the soup

1 medium eggplant, cut into 1 cm dice, salted and rinsed
40 ml canola or peanut oil
1 small leek, thinly sliced
½ cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
6 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
reserved tonkotsu broth
reserved braising liquid
5 g katsubushi (dried skipjack tuna flakes) or bonito flakes

3 Tbsp Japanese sesame paste (neri goma)
1 Tbsp genmai miso paste
100 g black fungus, sliced or torn

For the eggs

4 – 6 soft boiled eggs, peeled
150 ml soy sauce
10 ml dark soy sauce
40 ml mirin rice wine seasoning

To serve
400 g Japanese ramen noodles
8 – 12 scallops
1 Tbsp butter or oil
1 large handful bean shoots
8 – 12 sheets toasted, salted nori sheets
menma (fermented bamboo shoots)
shichimi togarashi, Japanese chilli sprinkle
extra katsubushi (dried skipjack tuna flakes) or bonito flakes

TIPS

The Tonkotsu stock can be made up to a week prior and stored in the fridge until required. It will solidify when cold but will return to liquid when heated.

Genmai miso is a fermented soybean paste made with brown rice (genmai) instead of the more traditional polished white rice. White or red miso can be used if you’re unable to find the genmai variety.

Salting eggplant removes excess moisture and bitterness. Place diced eggplant in a colander, sprinkle generously with salt and set aside 10 mins. Rinse to remove salt, then pat dry with paper towel.




METHOD

To make the tonkotsu broth, place trotters and bones in a large stock pot over and cover with water. Bring to the boil then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain through a colander and discard the dirty water.

Wash pot, trotters and bones, scrubbing where required to remove any excess congealed blood and scum. Return the trotters and bones to the clean pot and cover again with cold water.

Heat oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add onion, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 – 7 minutes or until onions have begun to caramelise. Add onion mixture and mushrooms to the pot of bones, place over a high heat and bring to the boil.

Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Skim the surface of the liquid to remove any scum released from the bones, then place the piece of pork belly into the pot.

Simmer for a further 4 – 6 hours, or longer if possible. Check regularly and top up with water to keep bones submerged until the final hour, then allow the broth to reduce a bit and concentrate. Cool slightly then place a muslin-lined colander over a bowl and strain. Reserve stock and discard solids. The stock can be made up to a week prior and stored in the fridge until required.

To make the braised pork shoulder, place the pork in a saucepan that is an inch or two wider than the meat and a few inches deeper — you want it to have a little bit of room when it is braising but not too much. Add remaining braised pork ingredients (soy sauce through stock) and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 – 1 ½ hours or until tender. Turn off the heat and allow the pork to cool in the stock. When cool, move the pork to a plate and cover until ready to serve. Don’t slice the pork too early or it will dry out. Strain the braising stock through a fine-meshed sieve covered with muslin, reserve liquid and discard solids.

To make the soup, heat oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over high heat. Add the leeks, corn, shitake mushrooms and rinsed eggplant and cook, stirring, until vegetables are golden and tender. Add reserved tonkatsu, braising liquid, and bonito and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 5 – 7 minutes until the stock has slightly reduced.

Remove pan from heat and immediately whisk in the sesame paste and miso, then stir through the black fungus. You don’t want to bring the soup back to the boil at this point as the stock will split.
While the soup is cooking, prepare the noodles according to packet directions then plunge into cold water to chill.

For the eggs, place soy, dark soy and mirin in a small saucepan and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Add the peeled soft boiled eggs and simmer for 2 minutes or until the yolks are cooked to your liking. Ensure the eggs are completely submerged, topping up with a little boiling water if required.
Heat a medium frying pan over high heat and quickly sear scallops in the butter for 30 seconds on each side.

Divide ramen noodles into serving bowls. Thinly slice pork and halve the eggs, and arrange on top of the noodles. Finish each bowl with scallops and a few pieces of nori. Serve with bean shoots, extra bonito, menma (fermented bamboo shoots) and shichimi togarashi on the side.

Kamikoto Sharpest Knives on Earth

To begin with, I am not a Kamikoto representative, this blog post is to share my experience and review on my recent Kamikoto set purchase. When I first started cooking I quickly figured out that having a sharp knife was important to success in the kitchen. The first cooking class I attended showed me which knives work best for which purposes, and what to look for. Fast forward to last year, when I was taking online courses, and learned even more about kitchen tools. I’ve been pretty obsessed with cutlery since then, and I even have a Santoku tattooed on my arm! Hence, why I am very excited to share my review on this Senshi Kamikoto knife set, with you. I bought my Kamikoto Set on Amazon, you may find further Kamikoto reviews here.

Kamikoto Knife Set: Chef’s Knife

Butternut squash: I used this to peel, slice in half and chop the squash. For the larger cuts, it takes a second to get used to the one-sided edge, because it wants to curve into what it’s cutting. If you know this going into it, it’ll be easier to cut straighter lines. Other than that, the blade is supremely sharp and cuts through the hard squash, effortlessly. For the chopping, there are no issues, and the one-sided edge helps to push the cut pieces away from the blade as you go. The large blade was great for cutting thin slices and Julienne cuts of the squash, as if it were soft!

Butter lettuce: On the other side of the spectrum, soft and airy lettuce can sometimes be smashed while being chopped or cut off of the whole head. With a couple of subtle back and forth motions, the Chef’s knife sliced through the fragile lettuce without smushing it or super visibly oxidizing the edges, which can happen with duller knives.

Rice paper: Now, this one may seem odd, but if you have ever tried making rice paper bacon, you know that chopping uncooked rice paper is HARD! If you don’t have a good knife, you end up cracking the paper into unusable pieces. It can be very frustrating! For this test I ran 1-cm of the tip across the rice paper, then cut down, rolling the blade over the score and it was beautiful. The length of this knife really helps to get a full strip out of the paper.

Avocado: Lastly, I wanted to see if this large blade was versatile enough to get the thinnest slices out of something soft. As you can see from the photo, the slices are oh-so-thin, consistent and this avocado was super buttery. All it took was a few up and down motions and it was effortless. Avocado roses for everyone!

Kamikoto Knife Set: Utility Knife

Carrot: I used this smaller knife to peel, and do an assortment of cuts on a single carrot. Because the blade is nimble, it was not intimidating to use for more delicate or precise work. On the other end, even though the blade is small, it still cut through the dense carrot easily. I really enjoyed cutting the 1/8-inch Julienne sticks with this blade, perfectly.

Tomato: I feel like we’ve all seen the infomercials with a weird knife or tool cutting through tomatoes in one fell swoop. That’s not realistic, or necessary. Cutting tomatoes should require a motion that goes both down and across, to get a uniform slice. The utility knife nailed it, and got thin slices, even from a very soft tomato.

Lemon: I found that I really liked using this blade on the left side of the lemon to slice off thin pieces for zest/drinks. It was super sharp, really easy to work with on smaller items and cuts like this. Then I went for the hyper-thin slices, which sometimes can get messy with dull blades (again with the smushing!). But, in this instance, they were stunning.

Green onion: I love topping Asian-style dishes with green onions! So, I thought it appropriate to try out some delicate angled cuts on one for garnish. The utility knife cut uniformly and completely through, which can sometimes be hard for small, fibrous veggies.

Kamikoto Knife Set: Conclusion

A classical Kamikoto knife set

If you are looking to seriously invest in knives that will possibly outlive you, this knife set is a great choice. Especially, with their lifetime warranty! The price may be a little off-putting, at first, but they have options for everyone. After looking at their site, I found that you can get a great deal on a knife that is made-to-order! The Santoku from Kamikoto can be ordered ahead of time for a fraction of the price, at even less than some competitors of lower quality.

Most importantly, you can really feel the quality of the blades, and the sharpness is pretty incredible. I’m very excited to have these knives in my kitchen, and know that I will be using them again and again. Though, I certainly won’t be lending them out, anytime soon.

The Perfect Asian Spicy Prawn Dish

If you love Asian food, you’ll go mad over these Chilli Garlic Prawns! The sticky sauce is spicy, sweet and garlicky and I think you will be surprised how few ingredients it requires. And when you taste it you will be amazed what great depth of flavour it has! I often wonder who doesn't like spicy prawns unless alergic to it.

This takes 15 minutes to get on the table. Cross my heart. So start cooking the rice before you start

these prawns (shrimp)!

When I go to a restaurant and try a dish I like, I usually have a fair chance of getting pretty close replicating the dish at home. Even if I can’t make something straight off the top of my head, I’ll know where to look to find a recipe to use as a base, or a Chef that makes something similar.

I promise I’m not trying to blow my own horn here (and I can’t do desserts!!), I’m just explaining how this recipe evolved. And it came to be after I had a Stir Fried Prawns (Shrimp) in Chilli Jam at a Thai Restaurant.

I was going to try to replicate it using a homemade Chilli Jam recipe, but then I got lazy. Instead, I tried to achieve the same flavours using a little bit of this, a little bit of that, a dash of this and a splash of that. And what do you know? It came out darn delicious. Really, really tasty and pretty close to making this with a homemade Chilli Jam, but just a whole lot easier and faster.I promise I’m not exaggerating when I say that this really does taste like Spicy Stir Fries you get from modern Asian restaurants. I don’t claim this to be authentic Asian because it probably isn’t an authentic Asian stir fry but every ingredient in the sauce is certainly used in many Asian dishes!

I served this with rice and steamed baby buk choy. Here is my real lazy but very effective way of steaming Asian greens. I know it is not environmentally friendly and one of my friends totally “had a go” at me about this, but I can’t help it, it’s ingrained in my DNA because it’s how my grandmother used to steam Asian greens!

All you do is rinse the vegetables under the tap, shake excess water off (but don’t dry), wrap in cling wrap then microwave for 1 1/2 minutes (or so). That’s it!

You can do this with most Asian greens – Chinese broccoli (gai lan), choi sum etc. And if you want a really great sauce to serve on steamed Asian Greens, try my Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Saucewhich really does taste like what you get at Chinese Restaurants and Yum Cha (it’s made with more than just Oyster Sauce!). I love Lee Kum Kee Oyster sauce which fits perfectly.



Putting rice aside, and assuming you use raw peeled prawns / shrimp rather than peeling your own, my Chilli Garlic Prawns really is a 15 minute dinner. Here is how it goes down:

Finely chop garlic and ginger (green onions/shallots and fresh red chilli is optional garnish);

• Cook prawns (3 minutes tops);
• Make sauce (4 minutes);
• Steam greens (1 1/2 minutes); and
• Serve and look like a hero!

PS I know that I am usually a prawn snob and I really urge you to peel your own prawns but for a quick meal like this, pre-peeled is the way to go. Fresh, if possible. Frozen prawns are just not the same.

ASIAN CHILI GARLIC PRAWNS (SHRIMP)

Juicy prawns / shrimp in a sweet sticky, spicy, garlicky sauce. A quick dinner that tastes like a homemade Chilli Jam stir fry you get at modern Thai restaurants!
Recipe type: Dinner
Cuisine: Asian
Serves: 2-3

INGREDIENTS

10oz / 300g prawns / shrimp (peeled and deveined)
1 tbsp vegetable oil (or canola)
1 tsp sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp ginger, grated or finely chopped (can be omitted)
1 - 2 tsp chilli flakes* (Note 1)
½ cup water
2 tbsp Sriracha (Note 2)
1½ tsp soy sauce, light or all purpose
2 tbsp brown sugar (or sub with white sugar)
Garnish (optional)
Sesame seeds
Finely chopped shallots/scallions
Finely chopped red chilies

INSTRUCTIONS

Coat prawns in vegetable oil. Heat well seasoned skillet or non stick pan over high heat. Cook prawns for 2 minutes, or until light golden and just cooked. (Note 3) Transfer onto a plate.

Remove skillet from stove to cool down slightly, and decrease stove to medium.

Add sesame oil into skillet, return to stove. When heated, add garlic, ginger and chilli flakes. Cook until garlic is fragrant and starting to turn golden.

Add water, then remaining ingredients. Stir, increase heat to medium high, and let it simmer for 3 minutes or until the sauce starts to thicken to a syrup consistency.

Return prawns into skillet and toss to coat in sauce and reheat, and cook until the sauce thickens a bit more.

Garnish with sesame seeds, fresh chilli and shallots if desired. Serve with rice and steamed baby Buk Choy (Note 4)

NOTES

Sriracha by Huy Fong

* Adjust spiciness to taste with chilli flakes not Sriracha because the sauce needs the vinegar in the Sriracha.

1. Also known as Red Pepper Flakes. You could also use a jar of minced chilli or chilli paste but do not try to saute it with the garlic because it will spit everywhere! Stir it in when you add the water. Even this Masterfoods Chilli Paste from Woolworths in Australia is fine.

2. Sriracha is an Asian chilli sauce that is made with more than just chilli. It is now common in most supermarkets in Australia, US, Canada and UK. Hereis the one I use from Woolworths.

You can substitute with another hot sauce, even Frank's!

3. How to tell if prawns are cooked: Raw prawns hang straight by the trail, perfectly cooked prawns form a "C" and overcooked prawns will curl into an "O". Overcooked prawns have a rubbery texture and are not nice - so don't do it!

4. This is how I steam baby Buk Choy: Rinse under tap, shake off excess water, wrap with cling wrap and microwave for 1½ minutes on high. Remove cling wrap immediately (careful of steam) and serve!

5. Nutrition per serving, assuming 2 (generous) servings. Prawns and sauce only.