Foo-Foo Challenge - Day 1: Shoyu Ramen

And so it begins. The unofficial Foo-Foo challenge: One noodle a day for 31 days straight. Okay, so you think I'm crazy or stupid or a combination of both. Well, I agree...hahaha. After having visited nearly 80% or more of all ramen restaurants located throughout southern California, It's time I try something new to appease my ramen obsession. What could be better than this? It was an idea that sprung from my recent dinner with Murakami-san (the owner) and it could possibly end up being tougher than climbing Mt. Fuji. There are no guarantees that I'll finish, but I would never be satisfied if I didn't give it a try. I will be posting semi-live on nightly basis throughout the month of October so if you happen to run into me, please say hello. And oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention that rameniac will be sponsoring my reward! ^_^


If you've ever been to Foo-Foo Tei, then you've seen the list of 31 types of noodles hanging from left-to-right on the far wall opposite of the entrance. First on this list (far right) is the Shoyu Ramen. A simple looking soup that is Murakami-san's most complicated and most difficult base to create. There's no pork in the soup base, but it begins with a blend of chicken, dried squid, and seaweed as well as several other ingredients. It tastes pretty impressive for a ramen outside of Japan. It's wafu style is light, yet strong enough to leave a nostalgic impression. The tender chashu is flavorful and lined with a layer of nourishing fat. The hanjuku egg is mostly flavorless, but the texture is smooth and fresh. The rest of the organic ingredients (moyashi, menma, naruto, negi) are also very fresh and all together delicious. If you lack a sense of adventure (as you will see in the coming weeks), then you can't go wrong with choosing the shoyu.


Afterwards, I was able to talk with Murakami-san about the different types of Kansui and how it adds "koshi" to any noodle. He insisted that it's very important for the soup to match the type of noodle you create (kansui content, texture, taste, etc.) or otherwise the results could be disastrous. He currently has Myojo produce his own custom brand of noodles, but dreams of someday having his own noodle making room to comply with health regulations. I can't wait!!

Tomorrow's ramen: Shio