Erim Kreidel is a self-confessed ramen nerd. Since returning from a trip to Japan – where he ate one to two bowls a day – he has spent days, if not weeks, trying (and succeeding) to recreate the perfect soup.
Erim’s interest in ramen began long before he even set foot in Japan. When looking into a possible trip in 2018, he found himself fascinated by the local cuisine – watching video after video on YouTube about where to find the best noodles. “Not long after checking into my first hotel in Tokyo, I was sitting in front of a steaming bowl of soup at Ichiran Ramen,” he explains.
By the time he got back to Germany he was completely hooked and knew he had to learn how to make the dish himself. Starting with trial and error, the initial results were mixed, and he soon became frustrated. It was after one too many mediocre meals, that took far longer to serve than to slurp, that he decided to return to Japan and learn from the best. Unfortunately he never made it. He was booked onto a cooking course in spring 2020 and we all know what happened next.
And yet the pandemic wasn’t all bad news for his quest. With no one able to attend the course in Japan, the school went online and Erim was finally able to prepare the perfect dish at his home in Munich. His friends and family were impressed and soon word got out.
Monaco Ramen
The products from Monaco Ramen became a food staple for many people during the ongoing lockdowns. In March 2021, he opened his first pop-up in Westend cafe sehrwohl, offering ramen kits to go. Later he was able to prepare and sell the soups himself. At present, you can find him in Onofrio’s Tagesbar in Westend.
His ramen takes ten hours to prepare. “I start making the noodles on Wednesday and the broth on Friday, before shuttling it all over to the roof garden at the weekend,” he explains. Erim uses real ramen flour from Japan, free-range chicken from Geflügelhof Engelbrecht, organic pork from Landmetzgerei Geigls and local vegetables. No MSG or shortcuts allowed.
More information
Website: Monaco Ramen
Current address: Onofrio’s Tagesbar, Gollierstraße 53, 80339 München