Over fifty-two thousand. That is how many culinary explorers have embarked upon the ramen-making journey at The Story of Ramen, a half-day cooking workshop offered in San Francisco in the Mission District. Opened for business in 2016, this enterprise is the brainchild of two partners, Manville Chan and Jeff Parsons. Both left high-tech careers to pursue the low-tech world of noodles, toppings, and broth.
As the story goes, years ago Manville, the founder, taught himself how to make ramen. He was so intrigued by the savory concoction that he took it a step further. Manville flew to Yokohama, Japan, the original home of ramen, to learn and sit at the feet of masters at the International Ramen School. He thought that if he loved ramen this much and enjoyed making it, perhaps others would want to learn how to make it as well. Once he shared his vision with Jeff, Jeff couldn’t resist the opportunity to become an investor. He is the main instructor who enthusiastically explains how to make the dish he loves the most.
On a recent sunny Saturday, our crew of five drove from Sunnyvale to San Francisco’s mural-filled Mission District. During these past few years, fun experiences have served as birthday and Christmas presents at the Leong household. We all love ramen, and it was a no-brainer to sign up for this special class. For now, no other cooking course in the Bay Area offers ramen-making.
Parking in the Mission can be tricky, so I recommend giving yourself an extra 30 minutes to find a good spot. That’s just me. I suppose you could allot 15 minutes, but I ALWAYS like to be early. There is no parking lot or garage nearby, so you have to find a place on the street.
Taking the two-hour course, instead of the four-hour advanced class, was a good entry-level step into the noodle universe. The first session costs about $70-$85 per person, depending on your AM/PM time slot, and you register online at www.ramenpartysf.com. Over the years, they have attracted corporate teams from Google, Yahoo, and industries of every ilk. Guests have included tourists from distant lands as well as locals coming to try something new.
Walking over after parking, we immediately saw the bright red awning: THE STORY OF RAMEN, so it is not hard to find. The place is gated in the morning, and right when it opens at 11 a.m., the metal rolling gate lifts up. When you arrive, Jeff warmly greets each participant with a hello and a welcome. Guests are invited to come 15 minutes ahead of time to enjoy an appetizer of gyoza (Japanese dumplings). You can also order sake or soda to go with your meal. Our class had about 12 folks in all celebrating various birthdays and anniversaries. We were celebrating my husband Frank’s birthday ahead of time.
The Story of Ramen is an extremely clean, well-lit establishment. Long and rectangular, the small area is comprised of one row of wood tables and chairs. The atmosphere is cheery with a mural of a nighttime street scene of Yokohama, plus snapshots of Japanese noodle stalls on the other walls. Information on the company, noodle descriptions, and more are hung on large panels.
Now in 2024, it’s been about 8 years since the duo have honed their classroom techniques, and it is truly a well-oiled machine. After we sat down, we picked up our chopsticks, only to see a clever survey printed on the paper sleeve. Jeff told us to each write down our party’s group name and to check off the level of spiciness we liked, whether we wanted a soft boiled egg, and then our preferred salt level. After he collected these, we washed our hands.
Next, Jeff had us walk up to the counter to one of the colorful KitchenAid mixers to begin our lesson. There are about two or three participants per mixing station. He had us weigh and measure our ingredients which were laid out precisely. Jeff also told us how to make the dough using a special technique. We ran the ball through the mixer attachment which flattened it into into a nice soft sheet. Another attachment later on would shred the sheet into ribbons, quite the photo op for everyone. In fact, each station is thoughtfully set up with a phone stand so you can video yourself hands free. While we worked, Jeff explained how ramen was invented and where to buy specific ingredients.
During the two-hour session, we did not make the broth. That is for the four-hour session to tackle. However, we did wander into the back kitchen to boil our own noodles for 90 seconds in water, and also we had the chance to flame torch our slice of pork belly. Note to all: you can bring your gluten free friends as Manville and Jeff offer a noodle for such personal needs. Also, vegetarians can also enjoy the ride as they can opt for tofu instead of pork. While Jeff is the talker, Manville is the quiet one behind-the-scenes, setting things up, wiping areas down, and preparing one ingredient after the other so not a beat is skipped.
The best part of the party comes at the end. Manville ladles the hot broth into each bowl, and you apply your own toppings such as egg, pork, wood ear mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and green onions. All were happy to sit down, slurp, and burp. Whispers of “oohs, aahs, and mmms” emanated from every table. Smiles all around. There is a Q & A session for any other questions you may have lingering in your minds. Manville and Jeff promise to send the recipes for everything that was made, including 12-hour broth, so we can replicate our ramen dish at home.
If your group is tired of painting odd canvases at paint parties and making succulent bowls, join in the fun at The Story of Ramen, and you will wind up with a unique story of your own.
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When You Go:
The Story of Ramen
3231 24th St.
San Francisco
www.ramenpartysf.com