Ramen is noodle soup. There are different ways of eating noodles. Some will have it fried with many spices, eggs, and chopped vegetables. Others will keep it simple by just boiling it. The traditional Japanese way of eating noodles is with soup.
The noodle is, of course, an essential part of this food, but what makes it yummy is the broth. You can add an egg, roasted chicken, cheese, coconut milk, mushrooms, sprinkle some lime juice, soy or chili sauce, and add the vegetables of your choice. Each ingredient will give the broth its own unique taste.
Ramen is now a famous fast-food in Japan, but many believe that it came from China. Peasants from China originally invented noodles, and soon enough, they crossed over to neighboring Japan, where they were sold from food carts. However, the popularity of ramen in Japan really soared after the Second Sino-Japanese war after the Japanese troops came back from China. There was a better appreciation of Chinese foods.
So, though ramen is now a Japanese food, it originated from China. Two types of ramen noodles are available now – “soba noodles”, which is made from buckwheat, and “udon”, made from wheat. It is the fatter variety.
Wagamama
Wagamama is a British chain restaurant that serves Asian and Japanese cuisine. Founded by Alan Yau in 1992, they now have more than 150 stores throughout the UK, including London, Aberdeen, Birmingham, Brighton, Cambridge, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Oxford, and many other places. Their headquarters are in London in the UK.
Wagamama makes some of the best and most popular ramens in the western world. You can now make it at home as well, prepare a copycat recipe, that will look and taste just like what you can order from any of the Wagamama stores.
How to Make Wagamama Ramen?
There are so many creative ways to prepare the Wagamama ramen. You can include chicken, sweetcorn, eggs, spinach, prawns, tofu, and crabstick into your Japanese noodle soup. Add the seasonal greens and toppings of your choice. It can be chilly, or it may have a bit of a tangy taste. This will be a wholesome and hearty meal.
But make sure to serve the traditional way – in a black bowl. In Japan, UK, and elsewhere in the world, the Wagamama ramen is served as breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It is heavier than a light snack but depends on the ingredients and toppings you use.
Here is one great way of preparing your Wagamama ramen recipe.
Wagamama Ramen Recipe
Course: MainCuisine: JapaneseDifficulty: Easy4
servings20
minutes20
minutes422
kcalDon’t delay and make this copycat Wagamama ramen recipe today. It’s like having the secret keys to Wagamama enabling you to make your own dish from home.
Ingredients
700 ml 700 of chicken stock
5 tablespoons 5 of soy sauce (1 tbsp for seasoning)
3 cloves of garlic, halved
1 sliced ginger
1 teaspoon 1 of Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon of Chinese five-spice
375 grams 375 of ramen noodles
2 teaspoons 2 of sesame oil
400 grams 400 of cooked chicken breast (or pork, if you wish)
1 teaspoon 1 of white sugar, optional
Chili powder, just a pinch
- For the Garnishing
4 tablespoons 4 of sweetcorn
100 grams 100 of baby spinach
1 sheet of nori, dried and shredded
4 eggs, boiled, peeled, halved
Shallots or green spring onions, sliced
Directions
- First prepare by halving the garlic and slicing the ginger.
- Mix the chicken stock, 4 tablespoons of soy sauce, garlic cloves, sliced ginger, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, Chinese five-spice, and 300 ml of water in a large saucepan or stockpot.
- Now boil your mixture over high heat.
- Bring down the heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
- Taste your stock now. Add some more soy sauce or 1 teaspoon of white sugar if you want to make it saltier or sweeter.
- Cook your ramen noodle according to the package instructions.
- Drain it and keep aside.
- Now slice the cooked chicken or pork.
- Fry it in 2 teaspoons of sesame oil until you see it beginning to brown. Set aside.
- You are almost done. Divide your noodles between 4 bowls.
- Top them all with 25% of the meat, 1 tablespoon of sweetcorn, half an egg for each bowl (2 boiled eggs divided between the 4 bowls), and 25 grams of spinach.
- Now drain your stock into a pan. Boil once more.
- Divide your stock between the 4 bowls.
- Sprinkle 1 shredded nori sheet, sesame seeds, and sliced shallots or spring onions.
- Let the spinach wait for a while before serving.
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Nutrition Facts Per Serving
Calories 422, Carbohydrates 75g, Total Fat 15g, Protein 51g, Sugar 7g, Fiber 6g
What Is the Ramen Noodle Made of?
It is made from water, salt, and wheat flour like many other types of noodles. The mixture is kneaded into a dough, and then rolled, cut, and finally steamed. Kansui, alkaline water, is a crucial ingredient. This is what makes the difference, giving ramen noodles its signature springy texture.
Difference Between Ramen and Instant Noodles
Ramen, originally known as “shina soba”, is typically made of hand-pulled wheat noodles and has pork or chicken stock. They are sometimes topped with bamboo shoot, sliced pork barbecue, and scallions. There are regional varieties too. For example, the British version available at Wagamama is slightly different. Again, people in the Japanese city of Sapporo have miso ramen.
Instant noodles are made by dehydrating noodles. They come with a seasoning packet and are easier to cook. But purists will never have them because they always want their own flavors and variations.
The Soup
It is the soup that makes Wagamama ramen so yummy. The soup is made from pork or chicken stock and combined with different ingredients. It can even have pork or beef bones, onions, dried baby sardines, tuna flakes, and kelp. You can be creative and experiment with different ingredients in various proportions. That will, however, make it your own recipe, and not a copycat Wagamama ramen preparation.
Toppings
Once the basic noodle soup is ready, you can flavor and season it with many toppings like braised pork or sliced barbecue, seasoned mustard leaves, green onion, fermented bamboo shoots, beans, dried seaweed, butter, corn, soy sauce, or olive oil.
Conclusion
The Wagamama ramen noodle is a wonderful and wholesome food that you can easily prepare at home with a few simple ingredients. It will keep you full for longer as well. You can prepare the noodle soup in many ways – like the original Japanese or Chinese version, in the Wagamama way, or you can experiment and come up with your own recipe too. Be creative. Think of new ways of preparing this yummy food.
