Taiwan Ramen is a delicious, spicy noodle dish made with chewy noodles, spicy seasoned pork, and garlic chives in a broth that truly packs a punch! Despite the name, it was created in Nagoya, Japan (my region!), and it's extremely spicy!
Add 600 ml water to a pot with 1 dried shiitake mushroom(s) and 5 g dried kelp (kombu). Leave to soak for about 30 minutes. (You can leave longer for more flavour if you have time)
Frying the Pork
Heat a frying pan on medium heat and add 1 tsp sesame oil. Add 2 cloves garlic and 1 tsp ginger root, and fry until fragrant.
Add 100 g ground pork to the pan with 1 pinch salt and pepper and fry until browned.
Once browned, add ½ tbsp chili bean sauce (tobanjan) and 4 dried red chili pepper.
Mix well, turn off the heat and put a lid on top to keep it warm for when its time to dish up.
Making the broth
Heat up the pot of water with the dried shiitake and kombu.
Bring it to almost boiling, then remove the shiitake and kombu and reduce the heat to simmer.
Add 1 ½ tbsp soy sauce, 1 ½ tbsp Chinese-style chicken bouillon powder and 1 tsp oyster sauce. Mix well and simmer on the lowest setting until the noodles are done.
Ramen
Boil 2 portions ramen noodles in a separate pot, following the instructions on the packaging.
Once cooked, rinse with fresh boiling water to remove any excess starch and transfer the noodles to serving bowls. Pour an equal amount of broth into each bowl and top with the seasoned pork and garlic chives.