Shoyu Ramen

Shoyu Ramen

A clear, soy-sauce-based ramen broth from Tokyo, served with springy wheat noodles, chashu pork, and a jammy soft-boiled egg. This is a streamlined home version that still respects the traditional building blocks: dashi, tare, and fresh noodles.

Prep

30 min

Cook

90 min

Total

120 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •1.5 L (6 cups) water
• •20 g (0.7 oz) kombu (dried kelp)
• •30 g (1 oz) katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes), substitute 5 g shiitake if unavailable
• •1 kg (2.2 lb) chicken carcasses/wings, use skin-on, ideally Japanese breed; pork bones optional for extra body
• •1 whole onion, halved, charred
• •15 g (0.5 oz) fresh ginger, smashed
• •4 cloves garlic, smashed
• •120 ml (½ cup) Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu)
• •2 tbsp mirin
• •1 tbsp sake, cooking sake is fine
• •1 tsp rice vinegar
• •400 g (14 oz) fresh ramen noodles, fresh preferred; 1 bundle per serving
• •4 whole eggs, for soft-boiled eggs
• •200 g (7 oz) chashu pork slices, warm in broth before serving
• •4 stalks green onions, thinly sliced
• •1 sheet nori, halved, optional
• •2 tbsp shoyu tare salt, adjust to taste

Steps

1. 1 Make tare: In a small saucepan, combine 120 ml soy sauce, 2 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp sake, and 1 tsp rice vinegar. Heat gently for 2 minutes, then cool. This is your seasoning base.
2. 2 Make dashi: Soak 20 g kombu in 1.5 L cold water for 30 minutes. Heat slowly to 60°C (140°F), then remove kombu before boiling. Add 30 g katsuobushi off the heat, steep 4 minutes, then strain.
3. 3 Make chicken broth: In a separate pot, cover 1 kg chicken carcasses with 2 L cold water, bring to a gentle boil, and skim. Add charred onion half, 15 g smashed ginger, and 4 garlic cloves. Simmer uncovered for 45 minutes, skimming foam. Strain and reserve.
4. 4 Combine broths: Mix equal parts dashi and chicken broth to make roughly 1.5 L finished broth. Keep warm; do not boil.
5. 5 Soft-boil eggs: Lower 4 eggs into boiling water and cook exactly 6 minutes 30 seconds for a jammy yolk. Immediately ice for 3 minutes, then peel. Marinate in 60 ml tare for at least 1 hour, ideally overnight.
6. 6 Warm chashu: Heat chashu slices in a small portion of the finished broth for 1 minute just before serving.
7. 7 Cook noodles: Boil 400 g fresh ramen noodles in plenty of water for 2-3 minutes, until just chewy. Drain and rinse briefly under cold water to stop cooking, then portion into 4 bowls.
8. 8 Season bowls: Divide 3-4 tbsp tare among 4 bowls (adjust to taste; tare is salty, not optional).
9. 9 Assemble: Add hot broth, then noodles. Top each bowl with chashu, a halved marinated egg, sliced green onions, and nori. Serve immediately; ramen waits for no one.
10. 10 Food safety: Egg yolks should reach at least 70°C (158°F) for food safety; the 6:30 timing gives a safe jammy yolk. Chicken broth must reach a full rolling boil during cooking. If using store-bought chashu, reheat to 74°C (165°F) internal.