The latest issue of the highly recommended Japan or Die Newsletter has review of Ramen Heads (2017), a documentary about Japan's dedicated ramen culture.
The documentary focuses on Osamu Tomita, whose tsukemen (dipping noodles) expertise has earned him the "TRY Ramen Grand Prize" for top ramen chef four years consecutively. "What makes it interesting is that we can offer a delicious meal starting at just $8," says Tomita. "Meals priced at $500 are bound to be great. But our goal is to create an amazing experience for just $8."
According to the review, Tomita obsesses over every element, especially the noodles, which he designs specifically for maximum "slurp-ability." The newsletter quotes him explaining: "If the noodles are too short, they'll get slurped up all in one shot. We want people to really slurp the hell out of our noodles…so they're longer, thicker, and smoother."
Tomita's restaurant is insanely popular — "People show up as early as 6:30 am to wait. Reservations open at 7 am and you are given an approximate seating time that could be several hours later," says Japan or Die. "The intense dedication these chefs have to ramen is inspirational. Applying a single-minded focus to the perfection of a specific, singular food is something that makes Japanese cooking and restaurants unique."
Previously:
• Watch: the economics of a Japanese ramen shop
• Add Kewpie mayonnaise + 1 egg to instant ramen for extra kokumi
• Caffeinated ramen in a squeeze tube for one-handed slurping while videogaming
• Ramen geek reviews over 4,000 instant noodles
• Enjoy a dish of 'Godzilla Ramen' complete with a creepy reptilian claw emerging from the steaming bowl
• Confessions of a hardcore instant ramen lover
• Mesmerizing video: how instant ramen is mass-produced in a factory
• How to slurp ramen
