This Is the Ferrari of Noodles
Are you crazy about instant noodles? Once you’ve read this, you’re ruined forever. Because from now on, you’ll never want anything other than making ramen yourself with the chewy noodles from Sun Noodle. What kind of noodles are these, and why are they so delicious? I’m going to tell you.
Maybe you’re such a die-hard ramen fan that you’ve already heard of Sun Noodle. I didn’t know these noodles until recently, and now I’m hooked. They’re so much better than any other noodles I know. And as always, that’s down to a mix of the freshness of the ingredients and a whole lot of love.
Sun Noodle: the Ferrari of noodles
Sun Noodle is a family business founded in 1981 by Hidehito Uki. Not in Japan, as you might expect, but in Hawaii. Hidehito’s father did make noodles in Japan, though. Fresh noodles, to be precise. He sent his son to Hawaii with a noodle machine to give a workshop there.
When Hidehito tasted noodles in Hawaii, he immediately thought: this could be better. He decided to stay on the island and used the machine from Japan to make fresh noodles of the quality he was used to from home. He visited restaurants with them, and perfected his noodles in collaboration with the chefs. During the day, he made custom fresh noodles for each chef, exactly as that particular chef wanted them, and in the evening he delivered them to the restaurants. And that’s what happens with something that’s truly good and truly delicious: chefs wanted nothing but his noodles.
David Chang is a fan
And speaking of love: he met Keiko, they got married, and together they started a small noodle factory. Their excellent noodles didn’t go unnoticed outside Hawaii either. Before long, ramen chefs in Los Angeles wanted Sun Noodle too. To meet the demand—by then, renowned chefs David Chang (known for Momofuku and the Netflix series Ugly Delicious) and Orkin of Ivan Ramen (known from the Netflix series Chef’s Table) were fans—Hidehito opened a noodle factory in Los Angeles in 2004. His son subsequently opened a noodle factory in New Jersey in 2011.
Now it’s time for Sun Noodle to conquer Europe, and a factory has been set up in the Netherlands. Naturally, you’re wondering where you can buy these delicious noodles. Unfortunately, the noodles are currently only available to professionals, but we’ve been promised that work is underway on options for home cooks. We’ll keep you posted!
Steaming bowl of ramen
Just because they’re not yet available for home use doesn’t mean you can’t taste them. Half-Japanese Ken Claes is co-owner and chef of Tokyo Ramen Takeichi. He has been cooking with Sun Noodle for years. At one of his four locations in Amsterdam or at the ramen shop in Amstelveen, you can order a delicious steaming bowl of ramen with Sun Noodle. If you like spicy food, you definitely have to try his spicy ramen! And sorry, once you’ve tasted Sun Noodle, you won’t want anything else—I warned you.
Also read:
- New season of Netflix’s Chef’s Table: noodles as the theme
- Popular Samyang noodles pulled from shelves: too spicy
- Women are curling their hair with pasta, and it works like a charm
Image: Sun Noodle
