Ivan Ramen : Love, Obsession, and Recipes from Tokyo's Most Unlikely Noodle Joint by Ivan Orkin (Ten Speed Press)
Ivan Orkin was the first foreigner to run and own a successful ramen shop in Tokyo, (home to over 5000 little ramen shops). Not only was he successful, but he did this mostly on his own. He didn’t do any apprenticeships at other ramen shops, he didn’t take any Japanese food courses on how to make ramen. In fact, he didn't even know how to make ramen when he started, but he does have a background in fine foods and is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. Celebrity chef and self-proclaimed bad boy, Anthony Bourdain had this to say about Ivan, “What Ivan Orkin does not know about noodles is not worth knowing.”
He opened his first ramen shop, "Ivan Ramen" in 2007 in Roka Koen, which is a little off the beaten path, away from the major tourist areas of Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Tokyo station. His first shop was so successful that a few years later he opened a second shop in Kyodo in Setagaya Ward called "Ivan Plus". He also managed to get a book deal in Japan and his book アイバンのラーメン (Ivan’s Ramen) was published in 2008 by Little More.
Ivan moved back to his hometown of New York and opened an "Ivan Ramen" shop in Manhattan in 2012. Ivan Ramen : Love, Obsession, and Recipes from Tokyo’s Most Unlikely Noodle Joint is his first book to be published in English and is his story. The book opens with his humble beginnings working part time at a Japanese restaurant in his teens to becoming the success he is today. He even provides the original recipe for his Shio Ramen that he serves at "Ivan Ramen". You can follow his easy step-by-step instructions to make the ramen he serves in the comforts of your own home.
I was fortunate enough to visit the first Ivan Ramen shop and have talked to Ivan Orkin in person. He was a very pleasant and friendly person and creates a homey atmosphere which makes it quite an enjoyable eating experience. His ramen shop is probably the only ramen shop that has ice cream on its menu as well. There are forty-three other recipes included in his book featuring different variations of ramen. However, one of my favorite dishes at his shop and a popular item on the side menu is his pulled-pork with roast tomatoes rice bowl.
Ramen in the U.S. has come a long way since the introduction of instant ramen and Cup Noodles. If you wanted a delicious bowl of ramen, you would have to travel across the ocean and satisfy your desire in Japan. But thanks to people like Ivan Orkin and other Japanese shops expanding into the American market such as Ippudo, Ichiran, Santouka, and Menya Jiro, you no longer have to plan a trip to the Land of the Rising Sun for a delicious bowl of ramen.
But beware, if you read this book on an empty stomach, you're going to have a craving for a nice bowl of ramen (and not the instant or cup noodles type)! ~Ernie Hoyt