Ramen rides new wave of popularity
In recent years, ramen has made a resurgence.
But the cheap pantry staple is a far cry from the most authentic dish that has gained popularity across the nation, in Chicago and the suburbs.
Across the Chicago area, ramen shops have popped up, from Lettuce Entertain You's Ramen-San in River North to Ramen House Shinchan in Palatine. Chicago chef Bill Kim even hosts a popular annual Ramenfest.
But what you may think of as a simple dish is far more complex — and it's the type of meal that everyone has a varying opinion of.
Chef Robin Nathan, who teaches ramen classes at Marcel's Culinary Experience in Glen Ellyn, says her favorite dish — Shoyu Ramen — is three separate recipes that are then added together: the soup base, meat and creamy soft-boiled eggs. “It's a labor of love — it's not hard to make, but it is time-consuming,” she says.
An authentic ramen recipe also incorporates traditional Japanese rituals and customs, says Nathan, who notes that the ramen trend has been hot in the city for several years now and is slowly trickling into the suburbs.
Amy Kimoto-Kahn, a fourth-generation Japanese-American, who lives in San Francisco, knows these customs well. The author of “Simply Ramen: A Complete Course in Preparing Ramen Meals at Home,” she grew up immersed in her Japanese culture — including cooking ramen with her mom.
“Once people try really good ramen, they become intrigued at how varied it can be,” she says. “That's what keeps them interested. The more you learn about ramen, the more you understand how multifaceted it is. You can go to a place and have great noodles and good topping but the broth might not be good.”
A great ramen dish, according to Kimoto-Kahn, consists of five things: a flavoring base called tare, fat, broth, noodles and toppings, which can vary by region, depending on what's in season. “Each of these can be elevated on any level; to get them all right is an art,” she says.
A favorite recipe, included here, from her book includes a miso base, which is a daily staple in northern Japan, and, to elevate the ramen dish, teriyaki Beef-Wrapped Asparagus. Once made, the flavorful miso base, called misodare, can be stored in the fridge for up to a week, or frozen for up to one month, and used when needed. The base to stock ratio is three tablespoons of miso base to 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock.
The teriyaki beef can be added to the miso base, along with ramen noodles. Other popular options to add to the dish include fried string potatoes and a marinated half-cooked egg.
Kimoto-Kahn's book includes recipes for both, as well as making homemade ramen noodles.
For pre-made noodles, you can use fresh noodles from a ramen shop, fresh packaged noodles that come with a soup base packet, dried ramen noodles, dried chucka soba noodles, gluten-free packaged ramen noodles or rice ramen noodles.