Spicy Shoyu Ramen

Prepare the ramen toppings ahead of time. Make my Ramen Eggs and Homemade Chashu a day in advance, so they’re ready to serve with your piping-hot ramen.

Gather all the ingredients. Note: Standard ramen bowls hold 1200–1400 ml. This recipe provides 1½ cups (360 ml) of broth per bowl. See Recipe Notes below if using larger bowls.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for cooking the noodles. Peel and grate 1 inch fresh ginger (a ceramic grater works well) to yield 1 tsp grated ginger with juice. Mince 2 cloves garlic using a garlic press. Nami's Tip: If you’re unsure how much ginger flavor to use, start with less and add more later.

Set a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add 1 Tbsp roasted sesame oil, the garlic, and the grated ginger with juice. Cook until fragrant, about 1–2 minutes.Nami's Tip: Feel free to adjust the amount of aromatics to your taste, and be careful not to burn them.

Add 2 tsp doubanjiang (spicy chili bean paste) and stir for 15 seconds.

Add 1½ cups chicken stock/broth, 1½ cups dashi (Japanese soup stock), and 2½ Tbsp soy sauce and bring it to a boil.Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes.

Taste and adjust the soup. Add 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and ⅛ tsp white pepper powder. Don’t be shy with the salt—the broth will taste less salty once you add the noodles. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and keep the soup at a gentle simmer while you quickly boil the noodles.Nami’s Tip: Have the soup hot and ready before the noodles are done. Ramen should be assembled quickly so everything stays perfectly hot.

Before cooking, loosen up 8 oz fresh ramen noodles with your hands. Once the pot of water is boiling, add the noodles and cook according to the package instructions. Here, I cook them in a big noodle strainer set inside the pot.

While cooking, stir and separate the noodles with chopsticks. When the noodles are done, drain in a strainer, shaking it a few times to drain off the excess water (otherwise it will dilute the soup broth).

Divide the noodles into the individual ramen bowls. Pour about 1½ cups (360 ml) hot soup broth into each bowl.

Now, arrange the noodles. Lift the soup-soaked noodles high with chopsticks and straighten them. When aligned, fold them from one edge of the bowl over themselves to form a clean, beautiful bundle.

Quickly arrange the prepared toppings on the noodles. Serve immediately and season to taste with additional white pepper powder and optional la-yu (Japanese chili oil).

Keep the leftover soup and toppings separately in airtight containers and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Cook the noodles right before serving.