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.