Noodles and Their Treatment

Overview

Chang's approach to noodles — both in ramen and in the ssam bar preparations — addresses the treatment of noodles after cooking that separates professional from home results: the noodle after boiling must be handled to preserve its texture in the bowl.

Key Principles

- **Rinsing:** Cold-water rinse after draining ramen noodles stops the cooking instantly. The rinsing also removes surface starch that would make the noodles gummy in the bowl.

- **The broth temperature:** The bowl must be very hot before the noodles are placed in it — cold or warm bowls immediately cool the broth below the temperature at which it is experienced correctly. Chang specifies heated bowls for every ramen service.

- **The noodle portion:** Weighed rather than estimated — 120–130g per bowl for standard ramen.

- **Noodle type:** Fresh (or frozen fresh) alkaline noodles — the kansui-alkaline noodles for ramen specifically. Fresh noodles have a different texture and flavour from dried.

Source

Momofuku