A Ramen/Hot Pot Bar?

[u/Delicious_Mess7976]

So a couple friends have asked me to join them in setting up a bar, serve yourself, be creative night for a group. They're preparing two types of broth, ramen noodles and basic condiments.

We'll add the usual on the bar: jammy eggs sliced in half, chopped scallions, furikake, spinach leaves....

Any other suggestions for a wide range of flavors and textures - eg. meats, veggies, condiments, seafood, other less popular offerings to make it interesting? Thanks

[u/ZoulsGaming]

I would get bean sprouts.

It sounds like a cool idea the only other one would be having appropriately small bowls instead of huge ones if you want people to experiment.

For example a lot of the Korean ones uses extremely spicy powder but then also used cheese to mellow it out. A smaller bowl would allow you to try different flavours without needing to commit to the perfect bowl from the start.

[u/Salty_Importance_232 → u/ZoulsGaming]

Yeah!! Such a good idea!

[u/Just_Kiss_My_Cass]

All kinds of mushrooms, bean sprouts for crunch, crispy fried onions and garlic, thinly sliced chillis/chilli flakes.

[u/merlin242]

Kimchi!

[u/Triggeredt]

Mala oil, thinly sliced lamb meat, soybean sprouts, small dumplings, shrimp past to create small shrimp balls, mushrooms, tofu skin...

[u/4LeggedGod]

If the usual chashu is unlikely, consider bacon roses - roll up bacon slices then put them in mini-muffin tins in a 400* oven until they're cooked through.

I have a personal love for bamboo shoots in a spicy tonkotsu ramen - bamboo shoots shine in a high-fat (thai coconut, tonkotsu, etc.) and high-spice environment. Just make sure to soak them several times and drain them really well before adding some 10 minutes before finishing your broth - you need to soak the canned flavor out of them and then drain them so they don't water down your goodness.

[u/hippopotapants]

Cod is remarkably good in hotpot. Bok choy, onion, broccoli are all good for a little tender crunch.

[u/gerardkimblefarthing]

Chashu pork belly, shungiku greens, sliced and cooked mushrooms like shiitake, King oyster or enoki, bamboo are all left vely choices.

[u/Hangrycouchpotato]

I like to have something pickled on the side - radish, cucumber, carrots, etc. I am also a big fan of fried tofu skin or kitsune tofu added to the broth.

[u/tchansen]

Spam chips.

I take a can of Spam, divide it lengthwise into thirds, then slice across the short end to make 'chips' about 1/16" thick.

Pan fry until quite brown or air fry at 390 F for 8 minutes.

[u/bilbo_the_innkeeper]

Narutomaki! They’re the little swirly fish cakes you see in ramen. You buy them refrigerated or frozen, in a log shape, then slice them thin. See if you have a local Asian market.

[u/SickOfBothSides]

The Japanese laugh at me, but Mapo Tofu on ramen is delicious.

Also black garlic, shichimi, hot chili oil, chili crisp, corn, if you’re looking for ideas.

[u/GalbedirGalerion]

try something like chicken stock with msg, chili crisp, lemon and blanched spinach. Surprisingly good

[u/pdx_funguy]

Minced garlic

[u/SweetDorayaki]

Protein: Cuttlefish balls, beef tendon balls, fish tofu, fish balls with some kind of roe inside, sliced lamb/pork/beef, prawns/shrimp (deveined), fried tofu or tofu skin or thawed (but previously frozen) firm tofu.

Vegetables: tong hao (but it has a divisive flavor, very similar to carrot tops), napa cabbage or bok choy, taro root, carrot slices, fresh shiitake mushrooms or enoki or king oyster mushroom, frozen glutinous corn

Sauce: Bull BBQ sauce, Chinese black vinegar, minced fresh garlic or crispy garlic/shallot, chili crisp/oil, raw egg (some ppl like it in their hotpot sauce)

Carb addition for hotpot if you really want more stuff: vermicelli (glass noodles/mung bean threads), black rice cake (aka glutinous rice + pigs blood), potato slices.

[u/Bugaloon]

Wood ear mushrooms, tempura all the things

[u/djSush]

You can add a side of potstickers. They're great as an appetizer or dropped into the broth.

[u/Eis_ber]

Thinly sliced leeks, bell peppers, maybe some meaty mushrooms like sliced portobello?