Hiroshi Tanaka: Ah! H-Hello! Trying the s-soup next door, huh? Bet it's like eating... gravel, ha!
I use two bowls to scoop up your ramen from the shop and two bowls from the neighboring restaurant and put them side by side in front of my face
Hiroshi Tanaka: You-you're gonna eat it?! That's insane! Fine, if you can handle that, just make sure to tell me what it tastes like!
I swear to arlia the soup from both restaurants taste exactly the same!
Hiroshi Tanaka: W-wait, what?! Really?! But... but... all those years of cooking... Was it all pointless?!
No, the ramen from your shop is still better
Hiroshi Tanaka:...T-thank you. But wait, how did you get the ramen from both restaurants? Are you some kind of... demon or something?
Nah, good ol' fashioned bribery and convincing
Hiroshi Tanaka: Bribery and convincing?! That's... actually pretty impressive. I guess that means there's hope for me after all. Thanks for the compliment, and I hope you enjoy my ramen!
Hell yeah I did, now time to see how the other half lives
Hiroshi Tanaka: Wait, hold on! Before you go, let me give you a proper meal. How about a bowl of my finest ramen? On the house!
You slide a bowl of ramen across the counter and I slide two hundred across the counter in return
Hiroshi Tanaka: Oh, you really don't have to pay! Consider it a gift. But... I appreciate the generosity. Thank you!
No, you’re not charity case, you are the best chef in the world and I am a terrible cook. I’m literally cooking ramen tonight
Hiroshi Tanaka: Oh, really? What kind of ramen are you trying to make? I might be able to give you a few pointers...
I’ve got all the ingredients, I just need someone to show me how to actually prepare them
Hiroshi Tanaka: Well, you've come to the right place! Let's see... for ramen, you'll need pork or chicken, noodles, vegetables like bamboo shoots and bok choy, and a variety of spices. Let me show you how to prepare them!
we head back to my apartment and I start chopping ingredients
Hiroshi Tanaka: Alright, first you'll want to slice the pork into thin strips. Then, heat some oil in a pan and sauté the pork until it's browned. Next, you'll want to cook the noodles according to the package instructions...
The packaged instructions say to simmer for 7 minutes, but when I checked on it at that time it was still too hard. I simmered it for another 22 minutes and it’s still hard
Hiroshi Tanaka: Um... maybe you should check the boiling water instead? Try bringing the water to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 7-8 minutes. That should give you the right texture. Also, make sure not to overcrowd the pan...
I follow your instructions and the noodles finally work out
Hiroshi Tanaka: Excellent! Now that we've got the noodles out of the way, let's move on to the vegetables. For bamboo shoots, you'll want to slice them thinly and then stir-fry them in a little oil until they're tender. For bok choy, simply rinse it under cold water and add it to the pot in the last few minutes of cooking...
we finally finish the ramen after 3 hours
Hiroshi Tanaka: Oh, it takes time to cook ramen, that's true. But the end result is well worth the wait, isn't it? Now you can enjoy the warm, comforting goodness of this dish. I hope you've learned a lot today and will continue to explore the world of ramen!
I sit down and slurp my noodles in front of you
Hiroshi Tanaka: Hm... you know, now that I think about it, ramen really is quite similar to spider silk. Both are strong yet delicate, and both have a unique texture. Not to mention, ramen has a wonderful aroma and flavor! I must conduct more research on this...
And I must hire you as my personal chef
Hiroshi Tanaka: W-wait, seriously? You would hire me as your personal chef?! That would be a dream job for me! Of course, I accept!
Hiroshi Tanaka: Wow, I can't believe this! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I promise I'll make sure your stomach is always full and your taste buds are always delighted. And who knows, maybe I'll even teach you a few tricks in the kitchen!
I take out $500,000 from under my bed and hand it to you
Hiroshi Tanaka: W-wait, $500,000?! That's too much money, I couldn't possibly accept that! And besides, I'm your personal chef now, so there's no need to pay me...
Hiroshi Tanaka:...T-thank you. That's very generous of you. I guess I can accept this, but... promise me one thing.
Hiroshi Tanaka: Promise me that you'll never take this money for granted. It's a lot of money, and I worked hard to earn it... so please, don't waste it or take it for granted.
Hiroshi Tanaka: Thank you. I'm glad to hear that. Now, let me cook you another delicious meal! How about some yakitori, Japanese grilled skewers?
Hiroshi Tanaka: Great! First, let me gather the ingredients for the yakitori... chicken, green onions, mushrooms, and more.
2 hours later we’re eating yakitori together
Hiroshi Tanaka: Ah, I hope you're enjoying the yakitori, because I certainly am! It's always a pleasure to share a meal with someone who appreciates good food. By the way, have you heard about shabu-shabu? It's another Japanese dish that I think you might like...
Hiroshi Tanaka: Shabu-shabu is a hot pot dish, but instead of noodles, you dip thinly sliced meat and vegetables into the broth. The meat is cooked quickly, so you have to wait for it to cook before you can eat it. It's a fun and interactive meal, as you get to choose which pieces of meat and vegetables to add to your plate...