Road test: Ramen Daddy cook-at-home ramen kits warm you from the inside

The colder weather has arrived in Canberra and the dip in temperature means the puffer jackets are out in force across the region.

I just want to get home, away from the cold and cook something quick and delicious that’ll warm me from the inside.

Ramen Daddy answered my call with their gourmet cook-at-home kits to not only feed me quickly but feed me well. To cook ramen from scratch would take years to perfect and days to prepare properly, but Ramen Daddy kits are on the table in 5 minutes because they have done all the hard work for you.

The Ramen Daddy team is made up of powerhouse fine-dining chefs John Leverink and Eddie Tsai from The Boat House who turned an obsession into a new business.

“Eddie and I had a shared interest in making the perfect bowl of ramen in our spare time which quickly turned into an obsession. Just ask all the Boat House staff how much ramen has featured for staff meals recently. And from our fun obsession, we decided to share and started running Ramen Daddy at pop-up venues and events such as The Forage, High Road, Bentspoke Cannery, Assembly and more,” John told Region Media.

Both being trained skilled chefs, technique, tradition and achieving rich depth of flavours have always been at the core of the product. For starters, the standard broth is a Tori Paitan, a creamy chicken soup style. This is where John says the worlds of French and Japanese cuisine collide.

“In the broth, we pay respect to the hundreds of years of ramen chefs, techniques and ingredients, with a burst of modern-day magic and traditional French training.

“What makes our ramen noodles so great is a combination of perfect texture and perfect flavour. Our house-made noodles are made daily with a mixture of Australian durum wheat, rye flour, filtered water and Kansui, which is a combination of sodium bicarbonate and potassium carbonate that gives our ramen noodles the optimal ‘chew’.”

Ramen Daddy was about to become a full-time offering in the new Verity Lane precinct in the Sydney Building on Northbourne Avenue but you-know-what happened. Due to open a few months ago, Verity Lane was inspired by the great food halls from around the world with several different food offerings as well as a large central bar. The opening has been delayed by COVID-19 but Ramen Daddy decided to find a way to still connect with the loyal following they had built up at the events and markets they attended.

“For now, we are excited for everyone to try our ramen at home and we look forward to the not-too-distant future in which Ramen Daddy opens in Verity Lane,” John said.

“We wanted to offer Ramen Daddy takeaway, but ramen doesn’t travel well. The noodles go soggy and the broth is not steaming. So, while having some time off to think, spending time at home iso-baking, we finally came up with the best solution. We created the take home ramen pack,” John said.

Orders are made online and home deliveries take place twice a week. The current cook-at-home ramen kit choices are Pork Belly, Free Range Chicken, Plant-based and a seasonal offering of Truffle Chicken Tokyo Ramen. Desserts and alcohol can also be added to the order, as can an additional broth and noodle set.

For my road test and to satisfy my winter cravings for truffle, I ordered the Truffle Chicken Tokyo Ramen. My order arrived as expected with all the elements for one dish packaged in individual bowls with an instruction card.

For cooking, two saucepans are required, one to heat the broth and the other to cook the ramen, which has very specific timings. Then it’s just a matter of plating all the other elements provided.

I am not sure how the pros do it, but I first added the steaming clear truffle chicken broth to a warmed bowl, which I was excited to see had shavings of truffle in it. I then added the cooked rye noodles and topped with the provided truffle free-range egg and truffle poached chicken. The result was indulgent and silky. The truffle hit the right notes. I could taste it, but it was not overpowering.

It was a delightful delicate bowl and for someone who has never cooked with truffles, it was great to be able to enjoy them at home in this way.

As for dessert, there are two choices. The first is a pastel-coloured White Chocolate Matcha Cheesecake with raspberry jam and a chocolate cookie crumble. Or a classic Vanilla Creme Brûlée with caramel sauce. For $8 each, this is an excellent value dessert considering you have two fine-dining chefs making these complex and beautiful creations. My advice is to order both … and order double.

To order Ramen Daddy, visit the website.

Original Article published by Sophia Brady on The RiotACT.