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At the best Ramen places in Tokyo, you order Ramen out of a vending machine. The noodles are then prepared are served separately from the broth. Said noodles are dipped into the broth then eaten with each bite!
I think that's Tsukemen Ramen. That's the dipping ramen. Regular ramen, such as Miso, Black, Shio (salt), and Shoyu (soy sauce) don't need to be dipped. Just eaten (or slurped) from the bowl.
Interesting thing to note about your post is that is how some ramen restaurants will operate in Japan. You order from a machine, and then, pick up your order from a small booth when it's ready. Not to be confused with the actual ramen vending machines that actually make the ramen inside the machine. Japan has some of the coolest and weirdest vending machines on this planet.
However, there are plenty of restaurants, without the vending machine outside, as well. There are also some ramen restaurants where you cannot sit down, because you're expected to eat the ramen quickly. (Sort of like going to a pizza place in NYC and you're in a hurry....)
I think some of the best ramen is in Hokkaido. Of all places, the airport ramen restaurant is great. By far, my number 1 ramen spot in Japan. I can only judge Tokyo ramen whenever they come to stop by at Mitsuwa. It just isn't the same. :/ I have tried Osaka ramen, but I can't remember how that went.
Thankfully, here in NJ, we have Sun Noodle. Freshly made ramen that you can DIY. Much better than the instant ramen noodle that can be bought in a supermarket for 99 cents!
I think that's Tsukemen Ramen. That's the dipping ramen. Regular ramen, such as Miso, Black, Shio (salt), and Shoyu (soy sauce) don't need to be dipped. Just eaten (or slurped) from the bowl.
Interesting thing to note about your post is that is how some ramen restaurants will operate in Japan. You order from a machine, and then, pick up your order from a small booth when it's ready. Not to be confused with the actual ramen vending machines that actually make the ramen inside the machine. Japan has some of the coolest and weirdest vending machines on this planet.
However, there are plenty of restaurants, without the vending machine outside, as well. There are also some ramen restaurants where you cannot sit down, because you're expected to eat the ramen quickly. (Sort of like going to a pizza place in NYC and you're in a hurry....)
I think some of the best ramen is in Hokkaido. Of all places, the airport ramen restaurant is great. By far, my number 1 ramen spot in Japan. I can only judge Tokyo ramen whenever they come to stop by at Mitsuwa. It just isn't the same. :/ I have tried Osaka ramen, but I can't remember how that went.
Thankfully, here in NJ, we have Sun Noodle. Freshly made ramen that you can DIY. Much better than the instant ramen noodle that can be bought in a supermarket for 99 cents!
Now i want to go back to Japan. :sigh: And now i want Ramen.
Many ramen places will have protein options such as fish balls (no, not THAT type of balls...) available to add to your ramen. Think of an Asian version of Gefilte Fish, and you get the general idea of those fish balls. I like them, and you just might like them too.
I seem to recall that you do eat fish. Is my recollection correct?
Yes, it is! Thanks for the suggestion. I am a pescatarian, not a vegetarian, really. Don't eat meat and poultry but eat fish from time to time. Probably will give up fish eventually, but I'm not there yet.
At the best Ramen places in Tokyo, you order Ramen out of a vending machine. The noodles are then prepared are served separately from the broth. Said noodles are dipped into the broth then eaten with each bite!
But cheap dried ramen noodles are delicious as well
I've never heard of that, so searched and found Tsukemen.
When I made my weekly pilgrimage to the "Princeton" Whole Foods today (it's actually located in West Windsor), I decided to pick-up a menu from Genji Ramen, for future reference. Hopefully this will be helpful to Mightyqueen and others.
Genji Ramen's limited menu includes Veggie Ramen, which is described as: Light veggie broth, thin noodle, Mayu (black garlic oil), scallions, bean sprouts, red ginger, steamed mixed vegetables, black mushrooms, seaweed, and Ajitsuke-Tamago (marinated soft-boiled egg).
Unfortunately, I wasn't hungry enough for a big bowl of Genji's ramen delights, and I settled instead for a cup of WF's yummy Maryland Crab chowder.
Now i want to go back to Japan. :sigh: And now i want Ramen.
^___^ Haha. Luckily, at least, we do have some good ramen places here in the state. You would have to travel a bit to get to any of them.
Some may or may not compete well enough with what's in Japan, but they are what they are. (And of course, we have NYC next door with a plethora of ramen joints at this point in time. I'm not sure about Philadelphia for South Jerseyans though...)
And that is something of an uncertainty as it's an American invention. As I've never had one, I wouldn't know if it actually tastes good or not. I see it more as a gimmick, but that's me on that.
When I made my weekly pilgrimage to the "Princeton" Whole Foods today (it's actually located in West Windsor), I decided to pick-up a menu from Genji Ramen, for future reference. Hopefully this will be helpful to Mightyqueen and others.
Genji Ramen's limited menu includes Veggie Ramen, which is described as: Light veggie broth, thin noodle, Mayu (black garlic oil), scallions, bean sprouts, red ginger, steamed mixed vegetables, black mushrooms, seaweed, and Ajitsuke-Tamago (marinated soft-boiled egg).
Unfortunately, I wasn't hungry enough for a big bowl of Genji's ramen delights, and I settled instead for a cup of WF's yummy Maryland Crab chowder.
Thank you, Retriever! If I get out that way, I'll look it up. Sounds good.
Make it at home, it is not hard to make a quality broth yourself and add authentic ramen noodles. With a slow cooker it makes cooking broth easy. The good places uses meat scraps that most Americans don't use to make the fatty broth then mix in different types of seasoning.
Many Asian supermarkets sell plain fresh ramen bulk for $5 that makes 4 servings. You can also buy the soup base.
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