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All About Ramen: My First Bowl of 2026 – A Homemade "Fresh Start"

All About Ramen: My First Bowl of 2026 – A Homemade "Fresh Start"

Happy New Year, fellow slurpers!

The first week of January always feels like a deep, quiet breath after the wonderful chaos of the holidays. After a month of rich feasting and running around, my body and soul were craving something different: something comforting, but also... clean.

What's a girl to do? I wanted my first bowl of ramen of 2026 to be special. I didn't want to just go out for ramen; I wanted the act of making it to be my "fresh start."

So, I decided to spend a quiet Saturday in my kitchen, on a project to create the most mindful, restorative bowl I could. My goal: a Homemade Chicken Shoyu Ramen. This isn't the rich, creamy paitan I adore from places like Seirock-Ya. This is its elegant, refined sibling: a clear Chintan broth.

The Project: A Slow & Simple "Chintan"

This is all about ramen craft. I learned that a clear broth isn't "easier," it's just different. It’s an exercise in patience. Unlike a hard-boiling paitan, a chintan requires a gentle, low-and-slow simmer to keep the broth from clouding.

1. The Broth (The Soul): I spent four hours gently simmering a whole chicken with onions, ginger, garlic, and some dried konbu (kelp). The house smelled incredible. The goal is to gently extract all that clean, chicken flavour without breaking down the fats. It’s the same technique that makes the broth at Maruki Ramen so special.

2. The Tare (The Flavour): While the broth simmered, I made a simple Shoyu tare (the flavour base). This is what makes it a "shoyu" ramen. It was a mix of good-quality soy sauce, a little mirin (sweet rice seasoning), and a piece of the konbu from the broth.

3. The Toppings (The "Fresh Start" Part):

  • Poached Chicken: The best part! I used the tender, flavour-infused chicken from the broth itself, so nothing was wasted.

  • Ajitama (The 6-Minute Egg): No ramen is complete without it. I followed a classic Ajitama recipe to get that perfect jammy yolk.

  • Greens: I blanched some fresh spinach for a clean, green, healthy-feeling crunch.

Assembling the First Bowl of the Year

This was the mindful part. I placed a spoonful of the tare in my favourite bowl. I cooked the fresh noodles, strained them, and placed them on top. Then, I gently poured the steaming, crystal-clear golden broth over everything. I arranged my poached chicken, the ajitama, and the spinach.

I sat down, took a deep breath, and had my first slurp of 2026.

It was perfect. It was light, but so deeply flavourful. The clean chicken broth and the savoury tare were a perfect match. It was the complete opposite of a heavy, "sinful" bowl; this was pure, nourishing comfort.



Project Pointers: Should You Try This?

Here’s my "Yes and No" take on a homemade ramen project:

The "Yes":

  • The Mindfulness: It's a wonderful, slow, and rewarding project for a quiet weekend.

  • The "Clean" Flavour: You control everything. The taste is pure, and you know exactly what's in it.

  • The Aroma: Your home will smell like heaven for hours.

  • The Bragging Rights: "I made this!"

The "No":

  • It's a 5-Hour "Project": This is not a 30-minute weeknight meal. It takes time and patience.

  • It's Not "Cheaper": Buying a whole, good-quality chicken and all the ingredients isn't necessarily cheaper than just going out.

  • The Appreciation: It makes you truly understand why a good bowl of ramen costs what it does. The skill and time of the chefs is a gift!

Final Thoughts: A Perfect Start

This was the best way to start the year. It re-centered me and deepened my appreciation for the Ramen in Malaysia scene.

It's a fantastic project for any true ramen lover. It's the ultimate way to learn all about ramen. Here's to a new year filled with many, many more perfect bowls—whether we make them or (more likely) find them.

Happy Slurping,

Emily

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Location: Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

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