Whether it’s tonkotsu or miso, chashu or chicken, the quintessentially Japanese ramen has undoubtedly made its mark on Singapore. We now live in a city where ramen joints are nearly always within range and happiness is easily obtained once bent over a bowl, slurping up slick strands of noodles. But even with its sensational status, the makings of this Japanese staple remain a mystery to many.
We go behind the noodle bar at Miharu to find out what exactly it takes to make ramen, from the painstaking process of simmering broth to the labour of love that renders the dish its unmistakable comfort.
The noodle story
Ramen is synonymous with the N word: noodles. A good bowl of ramen begins with great noodles, marked by their taut, springy and easy to slurp traits. The basic components of wheat flour and kansui (alkaline water) make up the dough, which is spread into flat sheets before it's cut into strands. Shaped into yarn-like balls, the noodles are then left to age. If you’ve ever wondered why your ramen noodles have a pleasantly firm, distinctive bite that sets it apart from run-of-the-mill noodles, this is the process to thank for it.
Miharu uses Nishiyama noodles, flown in from Japan’s Sapporo prefecture in Hokkaido, and the journey proves worth it for authentic Sapporo style noodles — curly, yellow and silky smooth. The next time you’re at Miharu, peer into the glass-panelled cold room next to its dining space to watch noodles being cured in-house, two days at a time.
The base of all things good
The broth of the ramen is the holy grail, wielding the power to either make it or break it.
It all begins with simmering pork bones, vegetables and kombu (kelp) for long hours. This is prepared daily, in fresh, bountiful batches. So how does this single soup transform into the aromatic miso, creamy tonkotsu and savoury shio broths? When an order comes in, an individual portion of the soup base is ladled into a small ramen pot. To this, tare, a mix of Japanese seasoning, is added to give each broth its distinct flavour. Ramen chefs create their own tare and closely guard these trade secrets that give them an edge.Â
We learn that Miharu’s own secret recipe comes from a repertoire that holds 25 types of pastes and spices imported from Japan, mixed into different types of tare before being whisked into the broth-filled pot.
The perfect bite
As the broth boils, the ramen chef begins to poach noodles in a precise fashion. It takes down to the seconds between one to two minutes to achieve the perfect texture, depending on a customer’s request for bite. Some diners might like the firmer strands, lending an extra satisfying chew to each bite, while others may prefer a softer, easy on the jaw experience. But ask, and you shall receive; perhaps the reason ramen is so widely loved lies also in its adaptability.
Skim the menu at Miharu and you’ll notice the options for soft, normal or hard noodles. There is no right answer, but chef recommendations will implore that you go for the default hardness, which strikes the best balance when noodles are soaked in rich broth.
Top it off
Once the noodles are perfectly cooked and bathed in broth, next comes toppings! Chashu, or teriyaki chicken, hard boiled or soft boiled eggs, bamboo shoots or beansprouts — the possibilities are endless. These trimmings are cooked ahead of service and as the final step, added atop noodle and broth as the bowl reaches the window.
For a fully immersive Japanese ramen experience, Miharu sources many of their toppings from Japan to mirror traditional Sapporo ramen. Expect a medley of thick, tender chashu (Japanese pork belly), halved ovals of ajitsuke tamago (marinated soft boiled egg), a crisp nori sheet (seaweed), a handful of menma (bamboo shoots), corn, moyashi (bean sprouts) and a flurry of fragrant naganegi (spring onions).
Ramen is served
When the completed bowl of piping hot ramen is served, be sure to eat it fast. Slurp those noodles while they’re hot. The act of slurping not only cools the noodles down, but also brings you a touch of broth. And when all that's left is broth, never shy away from the simple pleasure of life that is drinking soup straight from the bowl. Enjoy!
Read more about the Sapporo style ramen at Miharu here, as shared by the Burpple community.
