らーめん

Sometimes when I am jaded with the endless varieties of food around me, nothing seems better than a hot bowl of ramen. As the saying goes: "Do not judge a book by its cover", one should not be fooled by its plain appearance.

Ramen is a Japanese noodle dish with Chinese origins. The Japanese word 'ramen' is a close abberation of the Chinese word for this style of wheat noodles 'la mian' which literally means 'pulled noodles'. 'La mian' is a popular dish in the northern parts of China where wheat is grown in abundance. Ramen is usually served in a meat-based broth. Typical toppings and garnishings are chasu (sliced pork), nori (dried seaweed) and chopped spring onions.

Ramen noodles can vary in shape and length from the chewy thick ramen, to thin and stringy. Some are long and straight while some are curly. There are four main types of soup in which ramen is served with - shio (salt), tonkotsu (pork bone), shoyu (soy sauce), and miso (bean paste). Each type of soup has its own characteristic flavour and texture. Shio and shoyu broths are usually light and clear, while tonkotsu and miso broths are cloudy, thicker and have a stronger flavour.

I have been fortunate enough to have tried several different types of ramen, thanks to the abundance of ramen joints here and the recent flourishing of Japanese imports into the country. Although ramen is usually on the menu of most large Japanese dining establishments, it is only ramen served in ramen-ya restaurants that are of the best quality.

One of the most recent imports from Japan is Menya Musashi at Eat Paradise, Isetan 1 Utama. The broth served at Menya Musashi is a mix of pork, chicken and fish (specifically sanma). The seasoning oil used will change the flavour and appearance of the dish. Pictured below in order are shiro (white - onion oil), kuro (black - fried shallots and garlic oil), aka (red - chilli oil). Ramen is served with chasu, menma (fermented bamboo shoots), aonegi (chopped spring onions) and nita mago (seasoned egg).