How to choose delicious ramen

1. Choose by the soup flavor

The soup is the key point that determines the flavor of ramen. There is a wide variety of types, such as soy sauce, salt, tonkotsu (pork bone), miso, and chicken-based, and the methods of preparation vary wildly depending on the ramen shop. Ramen soup is made by diluting a base sauce, called "kaeshi," with a broth carefully simmered from pork bones, chicken carcasses, vegetables, and more. The combinations of kaeshi and broth are infinite; you can consider that there are as many combinations as there are ramen shops.

Delicious ramen soup almost always involves time. Some shops simmer ingredients for several days, as just a single day of simmering is not enough, pouring immense time and effort into the slow cooking of the ingredients. The ingredients used vary from animal-based ones like chicken carcasses, pork bones, and beef bones, to seafood-based ones like dried sardines (niboshi), kombu, and shellfish, to vegetable-based ones like leafy greens and root vegetables.

Depending on the shop, some surprisingly use commercially available ramen soup dissolved in a basic broth, but this is clearly different from a handmade soup created over a long period. A ramen shop that is simmering large quantities of ingredients in a massive stockpot in the back of the kitchen is likely handmade, and will surely serve a delicious soup. If you are choosing, you should look for such a ramen shop.

Tonkotsu (Pork Bone) Ramen

Tonkotsu ramen soup is made by simmering pork ribs and marrow bones over high heat for a long time. The lipids found in the bone marrow and around the bones mix with water to create a cloudy white soup, characterized by a rich, savory, and creamy flavor. Originating in Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture, it is primarily enjoyed in Kyushu, as represented by Hakata ramen and Nagahama ramen.

Tonkotsu soup is often used not only for tonkotsu ramen but also as a fundamental soup base, frequently combined with soy sauce or miso seasoning, or used as a "double soup" with chicken or seafood broth.

Shoyu (Soy Sauce) Ramen

Shoyu ramen is the most familiar and long-standing variety for Japanese people. Ramen often referred to as "Chuka Soba" or "Shina Soba" basically refers to shoyu ramen. The flavor changes intricately depending on the type of soy sauce, its concentration, and the boiling time, branching out into all sorts of ramen lineages.

Until a while ago, chicken or pork bone broth was the standard, but recently, many shops use flying fish (ago) or dried sardines (niboshi). Most of these are relatively light and easy to eat, offering a well-balanced flavor that pairs richness with drinkability.

Seafood-based Ramen (Niboshi, Shrimp, Shellfish, Fish, etc.)

Seafood-based ramen uses broth made from dried sardines (niboshi), shellfish, shrimp, fish scraps, etc. This is a common broth used in coastal regions. Since it is a broth familiar to Japanese palates, it is characterized by a Japanese-style flavor with a strong sense of umami.

Recently, "niboshi ramen"—also known as "nibora"—using dried sardines as the main ingredient, has been increasing. The "rich-style" that emphasizes richness while suppressing the bitterness and harshness of the sardines has become so famous that the term "nibora" has become common. Lately, there has been a significant increase in variations, such as lighter versions or ones combined with animal-based broths.

Shio (Salt) Ramen

Shio ramen uses a soup simply seasoned with salt. Since there is nothing unnecessary added, it is characterized by allowing you to enjoy the flavor of the broth directly. It is suitable for people who prefer a light soup over a rich one.

For better or worse, the flavor of the broth comes out directly, so it can be said that it is a seasoning that allows for no deception. Shops that serve delicious shio ramen usually take their time to craft the broth, and it is often extraordinarily good.

Miso Ramen

Miso ramen is a uniquely Japanese ramen that uses miso for the base seasoning (kaeshi). Although miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning, most early ramen was soy sauce-based and miso was not common. However, following a suggestion by a famous foreigner that "Japanese should utilize miso more in their cooking," it gradually spread starting from Sapporo, Hokkaido, in the 1960s.

Sapporo's miso ramen is of a high level nationwide, and many owners of popular miso ramen shops in Tokyo and elsewhere trained at miso ramen shops in Sapporo.

Miso soup is truly diverse, with shops blending multiple types of miso, or even smoking or searing it. The greatest appeal of miso ramen is the deeply rich soup created by the fusion of the original, rich body of the miso and the umami of the broth.

Tori-Paitan & Tori-Chintan Ramen

Tori-paitan soup is made by simmering whole chickens or chicken carcasses over high heat for a long time. The lipids from the marrow and surrounding bones mix with the water, resulting in a cloudy white soup with a rich, savory, creamy flavor. It is characterized by the chicken's umami coming to the forefront, offering an elegant flavor and a mild taste.

Because it is milder and easier to eat than tonkotsu, it has firmly established itself as a new genre of ramen in recent years.

Tori-chintan soup is made by simmering whole chickens or chicken carcasses over low heat for a long time. Unlike the high-heat simmer of tori-paitan, simmering over low heat prevents the oils from emulsifying into the soup, resulting in a clear, light broth. It is great when you want to simply savor the taste of the chicken.

2. Does it have noodles that suit the soup?

Noodles are an essential point in making delicious ramen. No matter how good the soup is, if the noodles are subpar, it won't feel delicious. For example, thin noodles pair well with light-flavored soups, while thick noodles pair well with rich, oily soups. Strictly speaking, there are not just thin and thick noodles, but also "extra-thin," "flat," and "extra-thick" noodles.

The firmness of the noodles is also important. Even with the same thickness, the texture and "throat feel" differ based on the hydration rate (how much water is added) when making the noodles. A higher water ratio leads to a chewy texture, while a lower ratio leads to a firm, hard texture. Firmness also differs based on the boiling time, so the textures of noodles are truly diverse.

In delicious ramen, it is standard to use the noodles that are most compatible with the soup, so it is best to follow that lead. While a shop that offers many types of noodles gives you the fun of choosing, I don't feel a sense of commitment in that. A stubborn attitude like, "In this shop, eat our ramen with these noodles," shows a strong dedication to the ramen. I want to choose a ramen shop that competes with as few types of noodles as possible.

3. Is there dedication to the toppings?

While the main stars of ramen are the soup and noodles, a delicious ramen shop comes with toppings that look delicious just by looking at them. Chashu pork, seasoned eggs, bamboo shoots (shinachiku), grated garlic, wood-ear mushrooms, vegetables, seaweed, and corn are standard, but the taste of each differs from shop to shop. Even if we call it "chashu," some are chunky pieces that provide a substantial bite, while others are thinly sliced. Some are softly simmered, while others are "rare chashu" made via low-temperature cooking.

The dedication of a ramen shop is packed into its toppings, to the extent that some shops become more famous for their toppings than their ramen. Whether they have cut corners on the toppings or not—I believe this is an important point essential to delicious ramen. That is how important the quality of toppings is to ramen, and it is something I definitely want to see in a delicious bowl.