Engineering the perfect bowl of ramen requires mastery. And late chef Yuki Onishi, who opened Tsuta in Singapore after learning the tricks of the trade from his father, certainly aced this skill — leading up to being recognised with a Michelin star, a first for a ramen joint anywhere in the world, back in 2016. His secret — a unique dashi ‘soup broth’, with oils and sauces come together to create delicate, multi-layered umami bliss. And this weekend, The Leela Palace Chennai in collaboration with The Soul Company will be bringing this novel experience to Chennai.
Noodle nuance
To ensure authentic flavours, we find out that 30 kgs of noodles will be flown down from Singapore. “There is a secret recipe for the blend of the noodle flour. It takes two hours to produce each batch,” says Diganta Chakraborty of The Soul Company. Meanwhile, the broth will be made at The Leela with dried fish imported from Japan. “The chefs use three different broths — chicken, claim and fish soup — to create a single bowl of ramen broth,” he adds, giving us a sense of the layers of nuance that go into assembling this ramen recipe.
Shoyu the magic
Vegetarians will be pleased to note that they won’t be left out with a Vegetarian Soba ramen on offer, and yes the broth will be vegetarian as well. Of course, the most popular order is the Original Truffle Shoyu Soba, while the Chicken Paitan Soba (choose from spicy and non-spicy) is close behind. Teriyaki Chicken baos will be served as appetisers to whet your appetite before the ramen is rolled out. Although we’re likely going to ‘bao out’ of the latter and instead save room for a second ramen bowl instead.
For dinner only, 8 pm onwards. At Spectra. September 1 and 2. INR 4,750, per person inclusive of beverages.