How to recreate the original "Rairai-ken" Ramen

Introduction

This is an introduction to a recipe that recreates the original Ramen from Rairaiken, a representative Rairai-ken in Asakusa, Tokyo.
The original Ramen at Rairai-ken is said to be the birthplace of Tokyo Ramen, and it is a long-established restaurant frequented by fans from all over the country, as you can eat the same classic Shoyu Ramen that has remained unchanged since the old days.
The soup stock is made from chicken bones, pork knuckles, Dried sardine, vegetables, etc., and has a light Light taste rich flavor.
This is a recipe that uses commercial Ramen soup to easily recreate the taste of the original Rairai-ken Ramen.

How to make the original "Rairai-ken" Ramen

Materials Rairai-ken

・Water...10 liters
・Chicken bones...1kg
・Pork bones･･･1kg
・ [Commercial Use] Chicken Clear Soup (CP-TC4)...3kg
・ Onion...200g
・ Dried sardine...50g

Rairai-ken

1. Boil chicken bones and pork bones in boiling water for 2-3 minutes to Blood removal, then immediately remove and rinse under running water.
2. Place the drained blood chicken bones and pork bones in a pot and simmer over low heat for 2 hours.
3. By carefully removing the scum that appears during the process, you can reduce strange odors and unpleasant flavors.
4. Add Dried sardine and Onion and simmer over low heat for 4 to 5 hours.
5. Cook while breaking down the bones, and if the soup Evaporation and reduces during cooking, add water to make up for the loss and return it to the original amount.
6. Once the bones have been broken down, they will form the base of the flavor. [For commercial use] Add frozen chicken clear soup (CP-TC4) and dissolve over low heat.
7. Once the frozen soup has thawed and the flavors have blended well, it is ready.

History and origins

In 1910, Kanichi Ozaki opened Ramen a restaurant in Asakusa, Tokyo. He hired a chef from Canton, China to create Ramen. The name of the restaurant is said to have come from his wish that customers would come to the restaurant.
At the time, a bowl of Ramen was 6 sen. Tendon was 12 sen, kakesoba 3 sen, and curry rice 7 sen.
In 1921, there were 13 cooks and 5 to 6 menial workers. It is said that they prepared food from 6:00 a.m. and served more than 1,000 meals during the business hours of 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. It is said that they made 2,500 Ramen meals a day during the New Year's holiday, which can be said to be the central restaurant of the first Ramen boom. In 1928, the menu name was changed from "shina soba" to "raumen," probably because the name "Ramen" gradually spread.
The noodles were made in the store with Wheat Flour, egg, and brine, and were handmade until around 1930, but were replaced by machine-made noodles around 1935 because they could no longer make them in time.
Ramen The addition of Shoyu flavors to the then basically salt-flavored sauce, grilled pork, bamboo shoots, and other ingredients not previously found in Chinese-style noodle dishes, laid the foundation for Japan's Ramen culture.
In 1943, the war intensified and "Rairai-ken" closed its doors. In 1954, the restaurant reopened in Yaesu, Tokyo.
In 1965, it moved to Kanda. The business closed in 1976. He had many apprentices and spread the name of Rairaiken and the Ramen store. Currently, Marudebu Sohonten, a Ramen store in Gifu Prefecture, is the successor to the Ramen store of that time.
Rairaiken" was said to be the first Ramen specialty restaurant in Japan for a long time, but the Yokohama Ramen museum announced in 2020 that it was not the first in Japan, and that there were already many Ramen specialty restaurants competing with each other in 1910 when "Rairai-ken" was opened. However, the achievement of "Rairai-ken" in the Japanese Ramen scene is great and should not be forgotten.

Store Information

• Store name: Rairaiken
• Address: 1-23-2 Asakusabashi, Taito-ku, Tokyo
• Opening hours: Monday to Friday 11:30-15:00, 17:30-21:00, Saturday 11:30-15:00
• Closed: Sundays

*Business hours and holidays may change, so please check with the store before visiting.

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Precautions

*Created by Nishio Ryoichi as an homage to "Rairai-ken."

*This recipe is for reference only. It aims to have a similar taste, but may differ from the original recipe of "Rairai-ken."

References