Ever since he started lowering down his red bucket Ramen-kits during the pandemic, Christopher Selig of Food Technique Berlin has been serving up some of the most delicious and authentic noodles in the city.
Recently, he has been hosting a ongoing pop-up series at Chipperfield Kantine. At the latest event, he’s invited two renowned Ramen-chefs from Tokyo to Berlin to serve up a three day special event on Tsukemen, or “dipping ramen”. This is a chance to taste something truly special, with this dished ranked at the number 7 best Ramen in Tokyo, and number 12 in all of Japan.
For some extra information, Christopher Selig put some questions to chefs Hiromitsu Mizuhara and Chikara Iyama.
What are Tsukemen?
The literal translation of Tsukemen is dipping Ramen. Here, the soup and noodles are served separately. You then dip the noodles (which are often cold) and other toppings bit by bit into the hot soup. Its super comforting to eat and in Japan it is an extremely popular alternative to normal Ramen (where noodles are served in soup). Since the noodles are cold and the soup is hot, this format gives you a lot of new opportunities to play with different textures and temperatures.
What is Kombusui?
For Tsukemen with lighter soups, often Kombusui is used to enhance the flavors. Kombusui is a slightly viscous extract from Kombu (seaweed), in which the noodles are served. It is a very particular Japanese ingredient, providing a texture and flavour that people love in Japan. It intensifies all aromas, it comes in contact with, making it perfect for dipping ramen.
What makes Ramen so special for you?
Everything is possible with Ramen. In my shops, however, we mostly specialise in Ramen with Japan-inspired flavors, which makes it particularly easy for Japanese people to warm to.
What do you think about Ramen in Germany?
We have not eaten much Ramen here yet, because there are so many other exciting new things for us to try. For me its only the second time in Europe (after our visit to Berlin last year) and I am trying to taste as many new things as possible.
- Food Technique Berlin at Chipperfield Kantine, October 4-6, more info
