Eating ramen: this is how it’s done
Who remembers the episode of Chef’s Table (season 3) featuring American ramen chef Ivan Orkin? After studying the art of making ramen in Japan for years, he opened his own ramen restaurant. First in Tokyo, then in New York: Ivan Ramen – by now a pilgrimage site for ramen fans. On Bloomberg Ivan shares all the dos and don’ts of eating such a steaming bowl. A summary:
1. Mangia subito!
The bowl of ramen arrives at the table piping hot, and that is exactly how it is meant to be. Don’t first sit down to discuss your family or relationship at length. After one quick snap or Instagram story, you really have to start on that steaming bowl. Otherwise, the steaming broth will overcook the noodles, and the starch from those overcooked noodles will also cloud your broth. As the Italians say when the piping-hot pasta arrives at the table: ‘Mangia subito!’
2. Untangle first
The ramen usually comes in a bundle. If you try to pull out a few strands with your chopsticks, your entire outfit is bound to end up covered in them. So first use your chopsticks to loosen that knot well in the bowl, so you can pick up small amounts at a time.
Slurp, you bastard!
3. Slurp, you bastard!
First, slurping cools the hot noodles down to eating temperature. Second, the fact that they are slurpable at all proves that the broth is fatty enough to cling to the noodles and let them slide easily into your mouth. Are the noodles too dry and therefore impossible to slurp? Choose another ramen place next time.
4. Don’t bite them off
Don’t bring more noodles to your mouth than you can handle in one go. Biting them off halfway and letting them fall back into the bowl is so not done according to ramen etiquette.
5. Over-the-top ping
The temptation to choose all the toppings is great, but then you can no longer taste the quality of the broth. So hold back. There is always a next time (provided the broth is good).
Biting them off halfway and letting them fall back into the bowl: not done.
6. Drink
The pork broth in tonkotsu ramen in particular is salty. But none of the ramen broths are bland. So drink plenty of water or beer with it. Even better: at least 80% oxidized oolong tea, which conveniently breaks down the fat at the same time.
7. Finally
Putting the bowl straight to your mouth is perfectly fine. Ramen chefs even consider it a compliment. Asking for more noodles is fine too. On the other hand, no chef will be offended if you don’t completely empty your bowl; the broth is, after all, very salty and fatty.
Would you like more in-depth advice? Then watch this key scene from the film classic Tampopo.
