'Be in the soup'
(Kit Leong / Shutterstock.com)
There are many sayings in our language that contain the word soup. We, the Dutch and Belgians, dream of soup. A delicious bouillabaisse or a winter pea soup with sausage will make your mouth water.
In The Sunday Nation I read a story about a Japanese restaurant in Bangkok. Not just any eatery, but a world champion in the field of soup, or Ramen as the Japanese call their soup. The owner Kousuke Yoshimura is therefore literally in the soup and judging from a business point of view, the fat is not out of the soup with him, nor is everything in his company going into the soup and the investments are not a bad soup.
Yoshimura opened his first Ikkousha restaurant in Japan in 2004 and the chain has since grown to more than forty very internationally oriented restaurants. In addition to Japan, you will also find Ikkousha restaurants in China, Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Australia, the USA and also in Bangkok.
The Ikkousha restaurants received the highest rating from Ra-Navi, the website of Japan's most renowned gourmet guide. What is so special about this soup, many may wonder. Judging by the opinion of 'ramen experts', it is the noodles in particular that have been proclaimed the 'Ultimate Ramen Champion' in Singapore. There are four different types of soup on the menu. The slices of stewed pork of the Ikkousha Tokusei ramen melt in your mouth, at least according to The Nation reporter. The black ramen contains a lot more of the tender shoulder pork with grilled garlic and sesame oil as extra seasonings. It won't cost you a fortune because for 220 baht you can enjoy the soup from the world-famous producer.
Thonglor
The Bangkok-based restaurant is not very large with 30 seats and is located in the J Avenue shopping center on Thonglor Soi 13, so it is easily accessible by skytrain. The restaurant is operated by PDS Holding, part of the Baiyoke Group, which operates as a franchisee. People are not unfamiliar with the Japanese food culture, because Uchidaya Ramen, Misokatsu Yabaton and Sekai No Yamachan already belong to the group.
Don't forget that in addition to this apparently world-famous Ramen restaurant, Thonglor has many more international eateries where you can spoil your taste buds.
To be fair, as a hobby cook and soup lover, I still have my doubts about pork broth. For me, nothing beats a beautiful veal shank that you let steep for eight hours, supplemented with a bouquet garni. But who knows, maybe I underestimate those Japanese and you have to taste it to be able to judge. So; I will.
I want to eat that soup with you soon in Bangkok
Regards,
Fons
Then I think you are underestimating the Japanese. When I visited Japan even more often, I especially liked to eat a ramen in the winter. You felt a lot warmer… a different species every time. Mmm my mouth is already watering and I just ate!
I've also tried ramen in Hua Hin, but you can't compare it to what I ate in Japan. So I will save your article and go to that restaurant on my next visit to Bangkok….
Our daughter-in-law is Thai and she is Buddhist. They don't eat beef. She puts pork or chicken in the soup. I think it's because of that, otherwise less customers will come if budhists can't eat this.
It may be her personal preference that she prefers pigs to beef, but to say that Buddhists do not eat beef is certainly not true.
According to one of the Buddhist commandments, one should not kill, although as long as food is concerned, all kinds of exceptions are made here.
Most Thais, if they have not consciously chosen a vegetarian life, will eat anything they like.
Moreover, there are many Thai dishes, where beef is an explicit ingredient.
Buddhist and therefore don't eat beef?
My in-laws are also Buddhist but they eat all the meat they can get or buy.
We do live in the esaan, maybe it is different here than in Bangkok….
She is from Chiang Rai
Also in Chiang Rai, if someone is not vegetarian, beef is eaten.
Either she is not a lover of beef, because she prefers pork and chicken, or you have completely misunderstood her.
Pork shank beats veal shank every time. I do assume a very well-groomed shank, so the butcher, and even prefer a nice thick organic pork shank. The fullness of taste, even without further ingredients in the broth, is unsurpassable. Before…. 3 hours is enough!