Grilled pork, pan-fried ground pork, a ramen egg or green onions are the perfect toppings to add into ramen.
1. Putting something into your ramen noodles make you happier
In 2012, on a cold November evening, I was boiling a pot of water on the simple gas stove alone in my apartment.
It was after work. I sighed and grabbed Kirin Ichiban and some meat as a topping for my instant ramen from the fridge.
I looked outside the window and saw that it was getting dark…
2. Meat options are ground pork, pork chashu, chicken chashu, and roast beef
1. Ground pork
If you want to thicken your ramen soup, you should pan-fry ground pork with sesame oil.
Umami from pork definitely adds some thickness into your ramen broth.
And fried pork will add some nice flavor caused by the maillard reaction.
2. Chashu
Chashu is a thinly-sliced piece of braised pork.
Imagine this:
Umami-rich, melt-in-your mouth, tender, marinated thin pork slices on top of a piping hot bowl of flavourful ramen.
Chashu Recipe:
3. Chicken chashu
The moist and juicy chicken chashu goes very well with your ramen.
Recipe is at the bottom of the chashu recipe above.
4. Roast beef
Some high end ramen restaurants serve roast beef as ramen topping instead of pork chashu.
It will add some luxurious feeling to your ramen.
This is a great topping option for people who are concerned about the fatty pork chashu.
The medium rare red meat goes well with your ramen.
2. Ajitama is another option
Ajitama is a marinated ramen egg.
This ramen egg is famous and well-loved for its firm and seasoned egg whites, coupled with a soft and succulent egg yolk.
Ajitama Recipe:
3. Baked tomatoes and asparagus make your ramen great
1. Baked tomatoes
This sour and sweet vegetable adds some freshness to your ramen.
But make sure the tomato is not too hot to eat.
2. Baked asparagus
Asparagus makes the perfect topping for miso ramen.
4. Pan Fried mushroom adds some umami into your ramen
It also makes you healthier.
Because fibers in mushrooms are great food for intestinal flora in your gut.
And making your intestinal flora healthy makes your overall health better.
Regular mushrooms are great.
But maitake mushroom and oyster mushroom are my top recommendation for your ramen.
5. Condiments to add to ramen
Using these different spices and condiments allow you to easily customize the taste of your ramen.
1. Black pepper
Pepper adds a bit of a spicy kick to your ramen.
It can be an accent to the ramen when used in moderation.
When you feel the taste of the soup is a little too simple, give it a try!
2. Vinegar
Used in moderation, vinegar can bring some fresh flavor to your ramen.
3. Garlic
The fragrant taste of garlic helps stimulate your appetite.
The aromatic flavours of the garlic can also enhance the overall taste of the ramen.
4. Butter
Adding it to your ramen will make your ramen broth thicker and creamier.
5. Shichimi
7-flavored spices that go well with miso ramen.
Although I love ramen on its own,
Adding some condiments to it can significantly enhance and change its overall flavour!
Due to Covid, a lot of good ramen restaurants have closed
It makes me feel very angry.
I used to eat ramen out frequently,
But in this situation,
Ramen shops have started to shorten the hours, limit the number of customers, or even closed their shops.
It has affected the industry so much.
I am afraid good ramen will be gone
But meanwhile, you still can enjoy ramen in the comfort of your own home.
Here are some of my recommendations for ramen lovers.
1. Sapporo Ichiban Shio Flavor
MY THOUGHTS OVERALL ★★★★☆
In truth, Sapporo Ichiban delivers a good quality shio ramen experience.
Actually, it is very difficult to find good shio ramen.
Do you know why?
Because it is very difficult to make it since it is very simple.
There are many good shoyu and miso flavored instant noodles out there.
But I feel specifically, the shio flavor market is monopolized by Sapporo Ichiban.
Think about this for a moment having good shio ramen for your dinner with your favorite ramen toppings.
Now, you want some, don’t you?
2. Nissin Raoh Shoyu Flavor
MY THOUGHTS OVERALL ★★★★★
It is nearly impossible to make restaurant quality noodles at home without the right tools and equipment.
How can you beat that?
Using Raoh’s shoyu flavour will help you achieve this easily. This is top-notch ramen hands down!
One pinnacle of instant noodles is the soy sauce flavor. It is expensive compared to regular ones but let me tell you, it deserves every single penny.
In a nutshell, I loved every bit of it.
...And I am sure you will too.
3. The problem here is that no toppings come with these packets.
Here are some topping options and recipes for you.
Green onion
4. Have you ever faced these issues...
A lack of large, high-quality soup bowl sets at home?
Are you still struggling with...
😢 ...small bowls that aren’t large enough for soups, noodles and toppings.
😢 ...spillage every time you eat out of your bowl.
😢 ...low-quality tableware and utensils that don’t compliment your food.
Look no further,
Our best-selling bowls are here to fix all the issues you face with small, inefficient tableware.
After struggling with spillage and leakage during dinner time,
We decided to introduce APEX S.K’s large soup bowls to the market.
Want to hear why some people absolutely love our ramen bowls?
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About the Author
Kei is a self-proclaimed ramen lover, blog writer and founder of "Apex S.K. Japanese tableware".
"I am from Ibaraki, Japan.
Ramen is great! It can bring you a sense of happiness and satisfaction that no other food can. I have been eating ramen for 30 years.
If there is no ramen, my life would be miserable.
Ten years ago, I worked as an office worker. The job was really stressful - excessive working hours, low wages, unpaid overtime work, and constantly being yelled at by my boss.
I was new and alone, no girlfriend, no friends, and felt very lonely.
My only oasis was the ramen shop near the office. For me, the ramen chef there was literally an angel. I saw a halo on his head. (No joke)
Tonkotsu shoyu ramen was my all-time favorite. He made ramen with broth chock-full of umami flavor, nice chewy handmade noodles, and tender chashu.
My greatest dream is connect people with ramen through my blog. I want to share a lot of interesting and funny stories and ramen trivia with you.
Knowing more about ramen can help you appreciate your ramen and make it taste extra delicious."
Did you know that we offer more than just a ramen blog?
We also have an exclusive collection of ramen-inspired t-shirts and hoodies that any true noodle lover will adore.
Head over to ApexRamen and check it out for yourself.
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