Tokyo Shoyu Ramen
The original Tokyo bowl: a clear, savoury chicken and dashi broth seasoned with soy tare, springy noodles, melt-in-the-mouth rolled chashu pork, a jammy marinated egg and bamboo shoots. A weekend project that rewards every minute.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Start the chicken broth
Rinse the chicken bones, then put them in a large pot (at least 5 liters) with the water and heat slowly over medium-low heat. When it starts to bubble, skim off all the foam, then add the onion, ginger and garlic. Keep it at a very gentle simmer, with only small slow bubbles, for 2 hours; a strong boil makes the broth cloudy.
- 1.5kg chicken carcasses
- 3.5 liters water
- 1 onion
- 1 thumb ginger
- 4 cloves garlic
✅ Done when: broth is pale golden and smells rich, no raw-chicken smell left
Cook the pork belly
At the same time, mix the soy sauce, , , sugar and 300 ml of water in a small pot. Heat the oil in a frying pan over high heat and brown the rolled pork belly on all sides, then transfer it to the pot. Cover and cook over low heat for 2 hours, turning it every 30 minutes; keep the cooking liquid, it will season the soup (called ).
- 200ml soy sauce
- 100ml
- 50ml
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 300ml water
- 700g pork belly
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
✅ Done when: pork is tender when pierced with a skewer and the liquid is dark and glossy
Make the soy eggs
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Add the seaweed and fish flakes
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Cook the noodles
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Fill the bowls
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Start the chicken broth
Rinse the chicken bones, then put them in a large pot (at least 5 liters) with the water and heat slowly over medium-low heat. When it starts to bubble, skim off all the foam, then add the onion, ginger and garlic. Keep it at a very gentle simmer, with only small slow bubbles, for 2 hours; a strong boil makes the broth cloudy.
- 1.5kg chicken carcasses
- 3.5 liters water
- 1 onion
- 1 thumb ginger
- 4 cloves garlic
✅ Done when: broth is pale golden and smells rich, no raw-chicken smell left
Cook the pork belly
At the same time, mix the soy sauce, , , sugar and 300 ml of water in a small pot. Heat the oil in a frying pan over high heat and brown the rolled pork belly on all sides, then transfer it to the pot. Cover and cook over low heat for 2 hours, turning it every 30 minutes; keep the cooking liquid, it will season the soup (called ).
- 200ml soy sauce
- 100ml
- 50ml
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 300ml water
- 700g pork belly
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
✅ Done when: pork is tender when pierced with a skewer and the liquid is dark and glossy
Make the soy eggs
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Add the seaweed and fish flakes
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Cook the noodles
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Fill the bowls
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
The Story Behind the Dish
Ramen arrived in Japan with Chinese immigrants in the port cities of Yokohama, Kobe and Nagasaki in the late 19th century, where it was known as 'shina soba' — Chinese noodles. In 1910, a shop called Rairaiken opened in Tokyo's Asakusa district with Chinese cooks serving noodles in a soy-seasoned broth to Japanese customers. It's widely regarded as the first ramen shop, and its bowl is the ancestor of today's shoyu ramen.
After the Second World War, cheap imported wheat and returning soldiers who had eaten noodles in China helped turn ramen into a national obsession. Every region developed its own style — miso in Sapporo, rich pork tonkotsu in Fukuoka — but shoyu remains the classic Tokyo bowl.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Shoyu ramen is the purest expression of the craft: there's nowhere for a weak broth to hide. Its clear, umami-rich soup, balanced by soy tare, is what many ramen masters consider the true test of skill.
💡 Fun Fact
Instant ramen was invented in Japan in 1958 by Momofuku Ando, founder of Nissin. Today, more than 100 billion servings of instant noodles are eaten worldwide every year.
Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan
35.71°N, 139.80°E
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