The best Japanese tonkotsu ramen from scratch

In a medium pot, combine water and mussels, bring to boil then simmer until the liquid reduce by half.

Strain through a fine mesh sieve. Discard the mussels.

Return the liquid to the pot. Add the rest of the ingredients (except miso). Bring to boil again then reduce the heat to simmer.

Then add miso and cook until it dissolves completely.

Turn off the heat, remove the pot off the stove. Set it aside for later use.

The ramen sauce is supposed to be salty than regular taste because it is used to season and adjust salty level of tonkotsu ramen.

Add pork bone into a large stocking pot and enough water to submerge them completely.

Bring to boil then simmer the pot for at least an hour. Skin any impurity that is floating to the surface.

After an hour, take out about 90% of the stock and set aside for later use.

Then add pork fat and enough water to submerge everything completely, bring to boil again.

Keep the pot boiling hard at all time on medium high heat to create such milky and cream texture for the soup.

Cook the mixture for 2 hours. During the process, when the water reduces and no longer cover pork bones and fat, add more water immediately. Approximately 30 to 40 minutes between every cycle.

After 2 hours has passed, continue cooking the stock for at least an hour. But this time, instead of adding fresh water to the pot, using 90% of stock was set aside to add to the pot.

Repeat the process of adding more water when it is reduced below the bones. Approximately 20 to 30 minutes between each cycle.

When you can no longer get the soup milkier and creamier, turn off the heat. Strain the stock and set aside.

Pat dry pork belly then lay it skin side down on a clean cutting board. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Neatly roll the meat into a roll then secure it tightly with cooking twine or butcher strings.

In a medium cooking pot, add cooking sake and enough water to submerge roll of pork belly completely.

Bring to boil then reduce the heat to medium-high and simmer until the liquid reduce more than half, approximately 30 to 40 minutes.

Skim and discard any impurity floating to the surface.

Add mirin, brown sugar, and soy sauce to the pot. Bring the pot back to boil until sugar dissolved completely.

Remember to turn the heat occasionally so it can cook evenly in the sauce.

You can partially cover the pot to speed up the process. Keep simmer the pot until the sauce reduce rapidly and start bubbling on the surface.

When the sauce becomes caramelized and the pork belly looks shiny dark brown, the chasu is done.

Turn off the heat. Take the pork belly out and cool down to room temperature before slicing into thin slices. Preserve the sauce for later use.

Combine all ingredients in a pot, bring to boil then simmer for at least 45 minutes to an hour.

When the bamboo shoots are tender, take them out of the liquid. Let them cool down at room temperature, cut into pieces, then set aside for later use. Serve cold.

Cook bean sprouts in boiling water for 2-3 minutes.

Take them out and blanch in ice cold water immediately.

Drain then add soy sauce, sesame oil, and chili pepper powder to season. Serve cold.

Quickly sear chasu in a cooking pan with a small amount of caramelized sauce before serving.

In a serving bowl, add about ¼ c ramen sauce.

Followed by a desired amount of ramen noodles. Give a few stir to coat the noodle with the sauce completely.

Add 1.5c of ramen stock in the bowl.

Add chasu on top together with other desired topping. Enjoy!