I love ramen noodles! I know you're thinking about the packet that you get at the grocery store that costs a dollar for three packets and you use a salty flavor packet to create a broth. Ramen noodles are made of white flour. They come in a pack in which the noodles are hard and stick together in a rectangle. They are boiled briefly and then flavor is added through a packet or a fresh made broth. I love ramen noodles because they are springy, long noodles that you slurp sensuously, whether they are fresh or the cheap ones from the store. Actually, those cheap ones can be made into something more interesting. They are a nice, blank palate for something more savory, but that's another post.
Today, I am addressing the ramen that is made in restaurants by ramen professionals. When I went to South Korea, they really knew how to make ramen sing. It wasn't that expensive for a huge bowl of ramen, about $4 and it was filled! The noodles were very fresh. The broth had vegetables, meat, or whatever you wanted.
I liked to put many things in my ramen: a boiled egg, pork dumplings, vegetables, cheese, and hot pepper spice. They served it in a large, steaming bowl. Sometimes, I would add some sesame oil. If it was available, I would add some gochujang. It was so delicious! I would mix in the cheese (American was their cheese of choice) so as to make the broth a little more creamy, but the broth is still the secret star. Let me explain:
The fresh broth is not made from flavor packets. It's made from a real pork or chicken stocks or miso. Stocks breed stocks. In other words, every stock has some of the stock that came before it. It makes a richer, deeper flavor. If that stock isn't tasty, the whole dish is affected.
There are many different places where you can get ramen (In South Korea it was pronounced, by the people I met, ramyen.). You have to find a place that fits your taste. I always loved going to a place in a part of Seoul called Sanbon. The ladies knew me and sometimes pinched my bottom. The only communication problem we had was that I wanted a boiled egg and not an egg dropped in raw. So, be sure they know what you want by pointing to the pictures that are usually provided or if someone else is eating what you want, point to their dish.
There are many places in New York that serve this dish. I have a favorite place, but that's for another post, too!
Ciao!
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