How Can I Make Momofuku Ramen At Home?

Sometimes I like to plan backwards: I imagine the finished bowl first—steaming, umami-rich broth, a glossy marinated egg, tender chashu—and then work in reverse to make it happen. That mindset helps when juggling long-simmering broth with quick prep. For a true Momofuku feel I emphasize three components equally: the broth, the tare, and the toppings. Broth gets bones (pork + optional chicken), kombu, shiitake, and a long, gentle simmer. The tare is concentrated—I use a dark soy base, a touch of mirin, toasted sesame oil, and a faint note of fish sauce; you can blend in roasted garlic for more depth.

For chashu, I sometimes roast a pork belly roll at low temp for a few hours, then finish in a sweet-salty braise; it saves active attention while delivering that melt-in-your-mouth texture. Eggs are soft-boiled 6–7 minutes, chilled, and marinated overnight in the tare. Noodles should be fresh and cooked aggressively briefly so they keep bounce. When assembling, spoon tare into the bowl first, pour boiling broth over it, and taste—adjust with a little extra tare or sesame oil. Little flourishes like toasted sesame, nori, or quick-pickled bamboo shoots elevate the bowl. It takes some practice, but each step is repeatable, and tweaking one element at a time keeps it fun.

Whenever I'm craving something soul-warming and a little extravagant, I make a homemade Momofuku-style ramen that hits all the right notes. I start with the bones: a mix of pork neck/bones and a few chicken carcasses if I have them. I blanch the bones once to remove scum, then roast some of the pork bones and aromatics (onion, garlic, ginger) for depth. After that I simmer everything low and slow—anywhere from 6 to 12 hours—adding kombu and dried shiitake for umami in the last hour. Skimming is tedious but worth it; you get a clearer, cleaner-tasting broth.

The tare is where you get the Momofuku vibe: a concentrated seasoning of dark soy, a touch of mirin, and toasted sesame oil with a little sugar and optional fish sauce for complexity. I make chashu from a rolled pork belly braised slowly in similar flavors, and ajitama (marinated soft-boiled eggs) are a must. Cook fresh alkaline noodles briefly, assemble with a swirl of hot broth, a spoonful of tare, sliced chashu, egg, green onions, and a sheet of nori. If you’re short on time, use a pressure cooker for the bones or buy high-quality pork stock and focus on getting the tare and toppings right—I do that on busy weeknights and it still tastes like indulgence.

I've been experimenting with a Momofuku-style ramen that leans on clever shortcuts, and honestly it's doable on a weekday with a little planning. My trick: make a potent tare the day before (soy sauce, mirin, a splash of sake, toasted garlic oil) and stash it in the fridge. For broth, I sometimes start with store-bought pork bone or chicken stock and then amp it with kombu, dried shiitake, and a quick roast of onions and garlic simmered for a couple hours. The tare carries a lot of the flavor profile, so you can cheat on the long broth and still get that rich, savory punch.

For toppings, I sear thin pork belly slices fast and marinate soft-boiled eggs overnight. Noodles are the easiest bit—fresh ramen noodles cooked just shy of al dente. When assembling, add a generous teaspoon or two of tare to each bowl before ladling the broth so you can control saltiness. It’s not the full-time Momofuku ritual, but it scratches the itch better than takeout most nights.

I like keeping things tight and practical when I make Momofuku-style ramen: focus on broth depth, a good tare, and solid toppings. Quick recipe checklist—bones (pork ± chicken), kombu and dried shiitake, roasted aromatics, long simmer or pressure-cooked for 2 hours if you’re pressed for time. Make a tare: dark soy, mirin, a dash of sesame oil, and a tiny bit of fish sauce. Marinate eggs overnight and prepare pork belly either by slow oven roast or a quick pan-sear with a braising splash.

Tips that save the day—blanch bones to remove off-flavors, chill broth to skim fat if you want clarity, and always add tare to the bowl before pouring broth so you can control seasoning. Fresh ramen noodles matter; if you can’t get them, try high-quality dried alkaline noodles. Simple, repeatable, and rewarding—give small tweaks a try and see which part becomes your favorite ritual.