The speaker, Kezo Shimamoto, is a ramen chef who has been making ramen for over 10 years and has probably eaten over 10,000 bowls in his life. He started making ramen in Japan and moved to New York, where he created the ramen burger and the ramen shack. After the ramen shack closed, he was asked to do a special dinner, which took him five days to prepare.
The first element of ramen is the noodles, which are made from water, salt, and a blend of flowers. The noodles are then put through a machine to create sheets, which are then cut into ramen noodles. The second element is infused oils, such as niboshi oil made from dried sardine or anchovy. The third element is toppings, which can include chashu (pork belly), menma (bamboo shoot), and spinach. The fourth element is the soup, which is made from pork, chicken, and various vegetables. The fifth element is the tare, a flavoring that is made a few weeks in advance to mature. The sixth element is timing, which is crucial for the preparation and serving of the ramen.
The speaker also mentions that each bowl of ramen has its own personality and that he feels like he is giving birth to each bowl. He describes the process of serving the ramen as a dance, with the soup, noodles, and toppings being repeated over and over again. He also mentions a variation of ramen called tsukemen, which is a thicker noodle that is cooked for seven minutes, rinsed, shocked in cold water, and then plated separately from the ganja broth.
The speaker concludes by saying that if he had a chance to bring back the ramen shack with his team, he would do it in a heartbeat. He also mentions that today is his birthday and that he spent the day cooking and eating ramen.
1. A bowl of ramen is made up of six key components: noodles, oils, toppings, tare, soup, and thyme.
2. The speaker, Kezo Shimamoto, has been making ramen for over 10 years and has eaten over 10,000 bowls of it.
3. Shimamoto started making ramen 10 years ago in Japan and moved to New York to create the ramen burger.
4. Shimamoto ran a ramen shop in New York called Ramen Shack, which was the oldest existing ramen shop in the city.
5. Shimamoto has been asked to prepare a special dinner with 400 bowls of ramen for one day, a process that will take him five days to prepare.
6. The first element of ramen is the noodles, which Shimamoto prepares using water, salt, and a blend of flowers and egg powder.
7. Shimamoto uses a machine to make the noodles, which involves a process of mixing, kneading, and cutting.
8. The second element of ramen is infused oils, such as a neboshi infused oil made from dried sardine or anchovy.
9. Shimamoto prepares various toppings for his ramen, including chashu (pork belly), menma (bamboo shoots), and spinach.
10. The third element of ramen is the soup, which is cooked using a variety of ingredients including pork, chicken, and different vegetables.
11. The fourth element of ramen is the tare, a flavoring that Shimamoto prepares in advance.
12. The fifth element of ramen is the naruto, a critical piece that tells the customer it's ramen.
13. The sixth and final element of ramen is the timing of each step in the preparation process.
14. Shimamoto also prepares a variation of ramen called tsukemen, which uses a thicker noodle and is served separately from the broth.
15. Shimamoto's ramen shop is a pop-up, meaning it operates in a space that is not his own.
16. Despite the challenges, Shimamoto was able to successfully serve 400 bowls of ramen in one night.
17. Shimamoto's birthday was the day he served the final bowl of ramen, which was for him and was from the secret menu.