Frequently Asked Ramen Questions

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 A paitan (think of tonkotsu) broth needs 12–18 hours of continuous low heat. The bones must fully break down to release the collagen that gives it that creamy, cream color, milk-like texture. 

A chintan (clear broth think of shoyu or shio) takes 6–10 hours but requires different discipline: low, constant heat without disturbing the liquid. If you boil it too hard you lose the clarity — and you end up with something that's neither clear nor creamy. 

 Look at four things. 

The broth: tonkotsu should be opaque, creamy and almost like milk. If it's clear or watery, it wasn't cooked long enough. 

The noodles: properly made ramen noodles have a distinct texture, elasticity, and surface and different widths suit different broths. 

The tare sauce: this is the seasoning concentrate that gives the bowl its identity and salinity. Without a proper tare sauce, you have pasta water, not ramen. 

The toppings: chashu must be cooked intentionally, not just meat boiled in the soup. The marinated egg should have a creamy yolk and the marinade should reach to it. 

 Simple marinade: 1 part soy sauce, 1 part water, 0.5 part white or brown sugar. Marinade for a minimum 24 hours. If you want to marinate longer, reduce the soy sauce ratio to avoid over-salting. 

Traditional marinade: 1 part soy sauce, 1 part mirin, 2 parts water. Marinade for a minimum 24 hours. If you want to marinate longer, reduce the soy sauce ratio to avoid over-salting.

 Start from fridge temperature, drop into rapidly boiling water, cook 7–8 minutes. Since eggs vary in size the batches won't be identical . You can adjust the boiling time by ±30 seconds each time and check until you find your timing. Keep the heat  and boiling on high. If the water stops boiling it disrupts the process and lengthens the time needed to boil them correctly.

For M size eggs a good guideline is 7 minutes and 30 seconds.

 Low-hydration ramen noodles (below ~45%) can't be made with just a knife or a standard Italian pasta machine because the dough is too stiff and will seriously stress and sometimes break the machine. Use your home pasta machine with care. A proper noodle machine is necessary for authentic results. 

 For 45% hydration (suitable for a home pasta machine): 

100g fine quality flour 

43g water · 2g salt 

1g potassium or sodium carbonate 

2g egg powder (optional). 

Mix until it resembles wet sand. Press into a flat block, then laminate through the pasta machine. Lower hydration produces better noodles for ramen but risks damaging your machine. 

Ramen noodles are made with carbonate which is a stronger alkaline agent than bicarbonate. It affects gluten formation differently and protects the noodles from rapid deterioration. 

Always handle alkaline agents with care!

Oven-baked baking soda (at 180–200°C for an hour) converts to sodium carbonate and is a home-accessible alternative, though potassium carbonate gives a different texture. 

Occasionally, as a final balancing tool but never as a foundation. Traditional ramen ingredients are already full of natural free glutamates through fermentation: katsuobushi (smoked and fermented for months), soy sauce (fermented for years with koji), miso, mirin, sake, kombu, and long-cooked bone broth all release glutamate naturally. 

MSG is used last, if at all and in very small amounts. A guideline is around 0.5g/L or slightly more depending on the style. If the broth isn't built correctly (not enough boiling time, wrong temperature of extraction, high quality fresh bones, precise technique and control of the cooking process), MSG won't save it. 

 Spread preparation across the week rather than doing everything in one day. The most shelf-stable elements like Tare, flavored oils, noodles can be made ahead and kept refrigerated. Some components should always be made fresh: eggs, meat, noodles, and broths (unless frozen). Delicate garnishes also need to be fresh. 

For broth: make a large batch, portion into sous vide bags, and freeze. One afternoon of work gives you a ramen base for several months. 

 It has specific use cases but isn't recommended as a default. Going above 100°C causes faster caramelization even in liquids and that causes flavor  loss and aroma deteriorations. The result tastes "cooked" rather than fresh. For broths that require lower-temperature cooking, a pressure cooker actively works against the process. For some applications it's fine like the initial phase of tonkotsu broth; for delicate or long-simmered broths it's the wrong tool. 

 At entry level, no. As the craft becomes more refined, more knowledge is required. This is why people enjoy ramen all over the city but those who've been to Japan know ramen there operates at a level that hasn't been reached here yet. The gap isn't about ingredients alone; it's about technique, time, and a whole separate tradition of mastery. 

 My focus is always to stay as close as possible to the traditional style I'm presenting. I've made fusion ramen and still do occasionally, but my primary mission right now is to honor the origin of ramen. Japanese people deeply respect the effort invested and the feedback I've received from guests from different parts of Asia, Japan included has made my ramen better each time. 

There are different opinions on the matter. If there is genuine effort to follow the ramen making guidelines, if broth is done properly, noodles are made in-house, and it feels unique, baring the style of its creator or at least showing the respect, crediting its origin with consideration for tradition and the person you serve it to the price is well justified. The dedication involved is significantly greater than most other restaurant dishes including pizza, which sells at a similar price point. 

Sustainability , excellence and respect for the dish should be the guiding principle, not hype.