Tantanmen Ramen Recipe

Combine stocks

In a large stockpot, combine 8 cups chicken stock, 4 cups pork stock, and 1 cup dashi. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat — do not boil vigorously to keep clarity and flavor.

Infuse with aromatics

Add 3 tablespoons chicken fat to the pot and stir until melted. Add 1 teaspoon five-spice powder, 2 tablespoons mirin, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and simmer gently for 15 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Taste and adjust salt with soy sauce if needed.

Prepare tare

In a small saucepan, combine 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sake, 1 teaspoon brown sugar and 3 tablespoons house chili paste. Warm over low heat just until sugar dissolves and flavors integrate, about 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm. This is the five-spice tare + chili base to season each bowl.

Finish broth

After simmering, strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve into a clean pot to remove any solids. Keep the clear broth warm at a gentle simmer until serving.

If making house chili paste: heat 4 teaspoons neutral oil in a small skillet over low heat, add 2 teaspoons chili flakes and warm gently for 30–45 seconds (don’t burn). Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, 1 teaspoon grated garlic, 1 teaspoon grated ginger and 1 teaspoon miso (if using). Let cool, then store at room temperature short-term or refrigerate. Use 3 tablespoons in the tare as noted above.

Cook 66° eggs (soft-cooked yolk)

Bring a medium pot of water to a gentle simmer (not a rolling boil). Using a slotted spoon, lower cold eggs into the simmering water. Cook for 18 minutes for a 66°C-style custardy yolk set (timing based on experienced sous-vide equivalent; if you prefer a runnier yolk, reduce time to 7–8 minutes for typical soft-boiled eggs). Immediately transfer eggs to an ice bath (use the 4 cups ice) to stop cooking. Once cool, peel carefully and refrigerate until ready to halve and top bowls.

Cook noodles

Bring a separate pot of water to a rolling boil and cook the ramen noodles according to package instructions (typically 2–3 minutes for fresh, 4–5 minutes for dried) until al dente. Drain well and portion into 4 warmed bowls.

Prepare bok choy

Trim and halve baby bok choy lengthwise. Blanche in the ramen boiling water for 30–45 seconds until bright green and tender-crisp. Shock in ice water if you want to keep color and texture, then drain and set aside.

Grill shishito peppers

Heat a grill pan or skillet over high heat. Lightly coat shishitos with neutral oil and grill until blistered and charred in spots, about 2–3 minutes per side. Set aside.

Warm menma and roasted garlic

Briefly warm 1 cup menma in a small saucepan or microwave to take chill off. Warm roasted garlic cloves (if whole) by gently heating them in a pan with a touch of chicken fat until aromatic.

Assemble bowls

For each of the 4 bowls: Spoon 1 tablespoon (or to taste) of the warmed five-spice chili tare into the bottom of the bowl. Ladle approximately 3 cups of the hot strained broth into each bowl over the tare and stir gently to combine (adjust tare quantity to preferred salt/spice level). Add a portion of cooked noodles to each bowl.

Top ramen

Arrange toppings on each bowl: 1 halved 66° egg, 1 baby bok choy half (or whole small head), 2 grilled shishito peppers, 1/4 cup menma, 2 roasted garlic cloves (smashed if desired), a sprinkle of sliced negi (about 2 tablespoons), 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, 1/2 teaspoon furikake, a pinch of togarashi, and 1/2 teaspoon rayu drizzled over. Finish with a light dusting of additional five-spice if desired and an optional squeeze of lemon juice for brightness.