"A humble ramen shop coming to Logan Square in 2023" by the one and only Ramen Lord. This shop could be the most anticipated ramen shop of our lifetime. In this episode, I candidly chat with friend, fellow ramen freak, and soon to be King of ramen in Chicago. Be prepared for a long episode. No edits, no cuts, just raw Ramen Lord cooked to perfection.
Follow Ramen Lord: https://www.instagram.com/ramen__lord
Follow Akahoshi Ramen: https://www.instagram.com/akahoshiramen
Music by Ariel Loh http://lohmusic.com (https://www.instagram.com/lohariel)
Today's guests are Chef Daisuke Watanabe of Ramen Feel in Tokyo, Japan and Chef Erik Bentz of Cafe Mochiko in Cincinnati, OH with a special appearance by everyone's favorite apprentice, Jeffrey The Wang. On January 8, 2023, two incredible ramen chefs from two completely different backgrounds came together through the power of ramen and made our ramen dreams come true. I was fortunate enough to be there and it was undeniably a top 5 ramen experience in my life up until now. This is the story of how an 8-course collab popup came to be, told by the chefs themselves. Please listen when you get the chance.
Follow Ramen Feel: https://www.instagram.com/ramen_feel
Follow Cafe Mochiko: https://www.instagram.com/mochikocincy
Follow Erik Bentz: https://www.instagram.com/erik_bentz
Follow Jeffrey Wang: https://www.instagram.com/jeffreythewang
Music by Ariel Loh http://lohmusic.com (https://www.instagram.com/lohariel)
Today's guest is Chef Esther Choi, Owner and Executive Chef of Mökbar, a Korean-inspired ramen shop in New York City. Esther has appeared on several TV shows such as Iron Chef, Beat Bobby Flay, and Chopped. In this episode she provides insight on navigating a successful women-owned and operated ramen shop in the city while also pushing her own brand as a celebrity chef.
Follow Esther Choi: https://www.instagram.com/choibites
Follow Mökbar NYC: https://www.instagram.com/mokbar_nyc
Follow Ms. Yoo Cocktail Bar: https://www.instagram.com/ms.yoo
Follow Sessy Oil: https://www.instagram.com/sessyoil
Music by Ariel Loh http://lohmusic.com (https://www.instagram.com/lohariel)
Recently I’ve had a few past guests reach out to me asking if they can be on the podcast again. I feel like that’s a great thing because who doesn’t love a “where are they now” update. Our first guest in this series is Kyle Humphreys better known as @thekylemachine who went from ramen school in episode 16 to now shoyu shop Indy.
Follow Kyle Humphreys: https://www.instagram.com/thekylemachine
Follow Shoyu Shop Indy: https://www.instagram.com/shoyu.shop.indy
Music by Ariel Loh http://lohmusic.com (https://www.instagram.com/lohariel)
An episode that really needs no introduction. Mike Satinover aka the Ramen Lord joins the podcast to talk about the brand new noodle machine that has taken residency in his cush Chicago apartment. Mike and I have been friends for years now and it's always a pleasure to listen to him talk about ramen in such a brain-stimulating way. Unedited and unabridged, as it should be. Thanks Mike!
Follow Ramen Lord: https://www.instagram.com/ramen__lord
Yamato Noodle machine https://www.yamatonoodle.com/
Music by Ariel Loh http://lohmusic.com (https://www.instagram.com/lohariel)
In this episode I interview my good friend Tak Abe from Kodaiko Ramen in Sacramento, CA. Tak and I met in Tokyo during my Bassanova days and I have been one of his biggest supporters ever since. As a hapa (half Japanese-half American) he approaches ramen with respect from two cultures and loves to create new bowls without boundaries. A great conversation with a great friend. Please visit Kodaiko when visiting Sacramento and tell Tak I sent ya.
Follow Kodaiko Ramen + Bar: https://www.instagram.com/ramenkodaiko
Follow Tak Abe: https://www.instagram.com/therealal_bumen
Music by Ariel Loh http://lohmusic.com (https://www.instagram.com/lohariel)
On this episode, we spend time looking back on our brief 10-month residency at Ramen Shack in San Juan Capistrano, CA. Joined by four key members of the kitchen staff, I also discuss my health issues that led to our decision to close. Please take a listen and laugh with us as we keep things positive and reminisce about the good times.
Follow Jeffrey Wang: https://instagram.com/jeffreythewang
Follow Alex Park: https://instagram.com/darth.gastrameny
Follow JC Salazar: https://instagram.com/its.jcs
Follow Perry Lau: https://instagram.com/perryloud
Shack Sunday Crew:
Pinkusaru https://instagram.com/pinkusaru
Dine.and.drink https://instagram.com/dine.and.drink
Kennyoyama https://instagram.com/kennyoyama
Ramenosaur https://instagram.com/ramenosaur
Yolodiabetic https://instagram.com/yolodiabetic
Ramen_nomad https://instagram.com/ramen_nomad
Ramen_fiendd https://instagram.com/ramen_fiendd
Ramen_zac https://instagram.com/ramen_zac
Shio_bae https://instagram.com/shio_bae
A_wild_kamen https://instagram.com/a_wild_kamen
Mennealy_ceramics https://instagram.com/mennealy_ceramics
Music by Ariel Loh http://lohmusic.com (https://www.instagram.com/lohariel)
On today's episode, I welcome Steven Pursely from Menya Rui in St. Louis, Missouri. You may not know this but Steven has been studying ramen for close to a decade and has patiently weaved his way of ramen-making into one of the most anticipated shop openings of 2022. Menya Rui is a serious "craft" ramen shop where everything, including noodles, is made in-house. Steven's journey invokes memories of my own and it was a pleasure to find out more about him and what the future holds for ramen in the midwest and beyond.
Follow Steven and Menya Rui: https://www.instagram.com/menyarui_stl
Mentioned in this episode is the film Ramen Dreams by Michael McAteer.
Music by Ariel Loh http://lohmusic.com (https://www.instagram.com/lohariel)
Back in 2019 when Ramen Shack had an opportunity to do a pop-up at New York City's oldest ramen shop--Rai Rai Ken, I was lucky to have 5 of my closest ramen friends join me. In this episode, we reminisce about that time and reflect upon the last three years of hardship and the joys of owning our own ramen shop. The pop-up was a celebration of First We Feast's Gochi Gang Season 1 and was coincidentally filmed as a documentary by Alvin Zhou for Tasty, which has now garnered millions of views on YouTube.
What It Takes to Make 400 Bowls of Ramen From Scratch • Tasty
A Ramen Expert Breaks Down the Three Styles You Need to Know | Gochi Gang
Follow Eric Yoo: https://www.instagram.com/menyahosaki
Follow Vinh Thai: https://www.instagram.com/ramen512
Follow Erik Bentz: https://www.instagram.com/mochikocincy
Follow Scott LaChapelle: https://www.instagram.com/pickerel_ri
Follow Jeff Wang: https://www.instagram.com/jeffreythewang
Music by Ariel Loh http://lohmusic.com (https://www.instagram.com/lohariel)
Follow Keizo on instagram: https://instagram.com/goramen
Music by Ariel Loh https://lohmusic.com
The Way of Ramen podcast is back with a brand new host! In this episode, our new host Keizo Shimamoto interviews me, Ryan. In this episode, I pass the torch to Keizo who will take over podcast duties. We cover where I've been, why I disappeared, and our shared vision of what we see for the greater ramen community.
In today's episode I sit down with TJ Valderrama who also goes by Valderamen online and we have a very fun discussion about making ramen in the Philippines as well as his ramen journey. TJ is an interesting guy because I didn't know this before we started recording, he's actually a professional actor / talent whos on TV in the Philippines all the time. He's been in dramas, and variety shows, but this has never really come up prior because all he usually talks about with my is ramen. His enthusiasm for ramen is infectious and I think anyone whos serious about ramen is gonna instantly fall in love with TJ.
Congrats to TJ for being selected to be a housemate on Pinoy Big Brother! Good luck!
https://instagram.com/valderramen
Some clips of TJ on TV:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2rW-onoSCs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0mj5FwTv4E
https://youtu.be/m0roKjGujL8?t=299
Follow me on instagram: @wayoframen
Details on the Real Ramen Program: https://www.instagram.com/p/CUamyLyPpjn/
In this episode I sit down with one of the OGs of the ramen community, David Chan who is also known online as Nichijou ramen. David is a fantastic ramen cook who at the time we recorded this episode had just won the contest to become Top Ramen's chief noodle officer. In this episode he goes over what that experience was like and then we get into what's he's been approaching ramen as of late. We actually recorded this episode months ago but I just got really busy with the sale of my business at the time and to be honest, I was also a little burnt out on content creation. So its a late going up, but I hope you still enjoy it and I'm very sorry David for not getting this out sooner.
Follow David: https://instagram.com/nichijou.ramen
Real Ramen Program: https://www.instagram.com/p/CUamyLyPpjn/
Patreon: https://patreon.com/wayoframen
Shop: https://wayoframen.com/shop
Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/wayoframen
Just wanted to share this conversation! Please let me know what you think because I have other ones with people like Keizo Shimamoto that I feel would be a waste if I'm the only one who gets to hear it.
Well, we did it boys, on this episode, I sit down with the legend himself, Keizo Shimamoto. To many aspiring ramen chefs, Keizo is considered one of, if not the best ramen chef in America. His passion for ramen is unrivaled and his dedication to the pursuit of ramen is truly inspiring. Many outside of the world of ramen know him as the creator of the viral sensation the ramen burger, but to bill him just as that, is really selling him short of what he truly is. In Japan he would be considered a shokunin. A craftsman who dedicates his life to the pursuit of excellence in one specific field. Think of the Jiro from Jiro dreams of sushi. like that but the ramen version of that.
This was a challenging interview for me to do just because of the sheer amount of things I wanted to talk about and ask him. We went for 2 and a half hours and I still felt I had so many more things that we could have covered. In this episode we cover Keizo's history with ramen until this point and his philosophy and advice for making good ramen.
Congratulations to Keizo on his new job!
Follow Keizo on Instagram @goramen
Follow me @wayoframen
Support the show: https://patreon.com/wayoframen
Shop WoR: https://wayoframen.com/shop
Cringe With Keizo: https://youtube.com/c/wayoframen
In today's episode I sit down with Jake vo, the general manager and head chef of Yume wo Katare in Boston Masechusetts. Yume wo katare is a dream workshop, a place where people can come and declare their dreams publicly while also eating a huge bowl of Yume ramen. In this episode, which is very different than other episodes of this podcast, Jake shares how his encounter with Yume wo Katare and its creator Tsuyoshi changed his life. Jake didn't just learn to make great ramen, he learned to become a better Jake through ramen. In Tsuyoshi, Jake found a father figure who was not only willing but also able to put him on a path to live up to his true potential and I think that's something we're all searching for in life. I had a great time talking to jake as the 2-hour length of this episode shows and hopefully, you'll enjoy his story too.
Follow Jake: @yume_wo_katare
Follow me: @wayoframen
Patreon: https://patreon.com/wayoframen
Shop: https://wayoframen.com/shop
Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/wayoframen
in today's episode, I sit down with the man the myth the legend himself of the ramen community, Preston Landers. Preston, who is often just referred to by his first name by long-time ramen nerds, is an incredibly talented and thoughtful chef who is known for blurring the lines of eastern and western cooking when making ramen. His ramen challenges the boundaries of what could be considered ramen with his use of gourmet-inspired ingredients, flavors, and techniques.
In this episode we get into Preston's past with ramen, how he develops his unique style of ramen, his method for recipe development, and why he chose to focus more on fermentation and ceviche. This episode was basically why I started this podcast, I learned so much in just an hour and I'm so happy that Preston agreed to come and share his knowledge with everyone.
So without further ado, here is Preston Landers on the way of ramen podcast
Follow Preston:
https://instagram.com/prestonlanders
https://instagram.com/weirdceviche
Follow me on instagram: https://instagram.com/wayoframen
Support the Channel on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wayoframen
Shop way of ramen: https://wayoframen.com/shop
Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/wayoframen
On today's episode, we have a man that really needs no introduction, the one and only ramen lord back on the podcast to share his hot takes on many popular topics and talking points that get floated around the ramen world. Mike and I have been talking about these kinds of things regularly through Instagram etc but there was never a place where he just read off his list of things that he thinks are bs until now. This episode is the literal definition of esoteric so if you're new to ramen, you may have no idea what we're talking about but if you consider yourself a pretty nerdy ramen home cook or ramen chef, this is definitely an interesting conversation.
Follow Ramen Lord https://instagram.com/ramen__lord
Way of Ramen on Instagram: https://instagram.com/wayoframen
Patreon: https://patreon.com/wayoframen
Shop: https://wayoframen.com/shop
on today's show, we have the one and only Sho Spaeth, our favorite ramen loving contributor to the mega-popular food website serious eats.
Follow Sho on Instagram (@shospaeth)
Sho's work on serious eats: https://www.seriouseats.com/editors/sho-spaeth
Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/wayoframen
Support the Show on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wayoframen
Shop Way of Ramen: https://wayoframen.com/shop
In today's episode, I sit down with Jamie MacAulay the Chef and co-owner of CODA ramen in Halifax nova scotia. Jamie has been making ramen for a very long time both at home and professionally. He fell in love with ramen while living and working in kitchens in Vancouver, and later when he moved back to Halifax learned to make it with a mentor through trial and error. His kodawari shop in Halifax makes all the components in house and the success of his shops (first water and bone and now Coda Ramen) are a testament to the idea that diners in Halifax can tell when someone cares about their craft, even if they put ketchup on it sometimes.
Follow Jamie https://www.instagram.com/codaramen/
Follow me
https://instagram.com/wayoframen
https://twitter.com/wayoframen
Support the Show :
https://patreon.com/wayoframen
Youtube channel: https://youtube.com/c/wayoframen
On today's episode I sit down with Professor Ken Alabala, A food historian from the University of the Pacific. Ken has written 25 books on the history of food, one of which was completely dedicated to noodle soups. Ken came onto my radar when I was doing research for my homemade katsuobushi project. Elivin in the discord server pointed me to Ken's blog and his appearance on Japanese TV where he flew to Japan to learn to make katsuobushi at a real factory there. I thought it might. be fun to get him on the show to talk about his own katsuobushi experiments and his 2 years of research on noodle soups and his experience in Japan filming a documentary-style TV show. Ken is not a ramen chef or nerd like many of us, but his takes on food and the industrialization of food were fascinating. I had a great time speaking with Ken and I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did.
Ken Albala on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/ken.albala
Ken's Blog
http://kenalbala.blogspot.com/
Ken on Japanese TV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxAYbqetLjk
Follow me on instagram:
https://instagram.com/wayoframen
Support the show on patreon:
https://patreon.com/wayoframen
Shop Way of Ramen:
Follow my journey on Youtube