Spicy Shoyu Ramen

Prepare the ramen toppings ahead of time (a day in advance for the ramen egg and homemade chashu) so they‘re ready to serve with your piping hot ramen soup.
A typical ramen bowl can hold 1200–1400 ml of liquid. We will prepare 1½ cups (360 ml) of soup broth per bowl for this size bowl. If you’re using larger bowls, please make extra soup broth to fill them up.
Gather all the ingredients. Prepare a big pot of water for cooking the noodles. Slowly bring it to a boil on medium heat while you prepare the soup broth.

Grate the ginger (I use a ceramic grater) and reserve 1 tsp ginger, grated, with juice. Mince or press 2 cloves garlic (I use a garlic press).
Nami's Tip: If you’re unsure how much ginger flavor to use, start with less and add more later.
Set a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil, the garlic, and the grated ginger. Cook until fragrant, about 1–2 minutes.
Nami's Tip: Make sure not to burn the aromatics.
Add 2 tsp doubanjiang (spicy chili bean paste) and stir for 15 seconds.
Add 1½ cups chicken stock/broth, 1½ cups dashi (Japanese soup stock), and 2½ Tbsp soy sauce and bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes.
Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and ⅛ tsp white pepper powder. Don‘t be shy about adding salt because the broth will taste less salty after you add the noodles. Cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and keep the soup barely simmering while you quickly boil the noodles.
Nami's Tip: You want the soup piping hot and ready to pour as soon as the noodles are done cooking.

Before cooking, loosen up 2 servings fresh ramen noodles with your hands. Once the pot of water is boiling, add the noodles and cook according to the package instructions. Here, I cook them in a big noodle strainer set inside the pot.
While cooking, stir and separate the noodles with chopsticks. When the noodles are done, drain in a strainer, shaking it a few times to drain off the excess water (otherwise it will dilute the soup broth).

Divide the noodles into the individual ramen bowls. Pour about 1½ cups (360 ml) hot soup broth into each bowl.
Now, arrange the noodles attractively using chopsticks. Lift the soup-soaked noodles high and straighten them. When they are neatly aligned, fold the noodles from one edge of the bowl over the noodles in the soup.
Nami's Tip: This is an optional step, but ramen shops typically do this so the ramen looks pretty.
Quickly arrange the prepared toppings on the noodles. Serve immediately and season to taste with additional white pepper powder and optional la-yu (Japanese chili oil).

Keep the leftover soup and toppings separately in airtight containers and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Cook the noodles right before serving.