$116 vs $11 Ramen: Pro Chef & Home Cook Swap Ingredients | Epicurious

Pro chef Esther Choi, owner of Mŏkbar in New York and home cook Daniel are swapping ingredients and hitting the kitchen to make each other’s ramen recipes. We set Daniel up with all of the supplies he’d need to make Chef Esther’s luxurious $116 bowl of ramen while sending his more modest $11 worth of ingredients back the other direction. While Esther was using her expertise to elevate Daniel’s recipe, food scientist Rose dialed in to assist our home cook with a few questions he had along the way. Which one looks best to you?
Follow Chef Esther on Instagram at @choibites & @mokbar_nyc
Find Daniel at @iamdanielvictor
Rose is on Instagram at @rosemarytrout_foodscience
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Director: Chris Principe
Editors: Léa Kichler, Andy Morell
Director of Photography: Brad Wickham
Producer: Ness Kleino
Assistant Producer: Michael Cascio
Camera Operator: Paige Wollensak
Audio: Austin Rumsey
Production Assistant: Brandon Guillebeaux
Culinary Producer: Kelly Janke
Associate Culinary Producer: Jackie Beal
Post Production Supervisor: Stephanie Cardone
Associate Director, Post Production: Nicole Berg
Epicurious Video Team
Jonathan Wise
Ali Inglese
Dan Siegel
Rhoda Boone
Carolyn Gagnon
June Kim
Holly Patton
Myra Rivera
Billy Keenly
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[@rowanmelton7643]

I like how Esther's not ashamed to admit she likes the chicken flavouring. You'd think lots of pro chefs would look down on artificial flavourings

[@hannah2048]

Maruchan has *very* nice seasoning packets. Much better than any other I've tried.

[@Troglodyte]

My father was a chef and used the packets all the time. They're essentially powdered bullion.

[@frosty1515]

It has msg in it. Who wouldn’t like msg

[@dimitrijestanisic3478]

I mean those things are specifically made to be tasty, the other pro chefs are just damn pretentious

[@TheFi3nd]

Ahemm Marco pierre white

[@ajaxx664]

I love when the pro chefs ONLY use the ingredients given to them and just gets really creative with them. Its a little less impressive when they start pulling their own ingredients out of their kitchens.

[@0927kira]

yeah when the others do that I feel like the challenge loses its essence

[@foster-uz5rt]

Her techniques with the eggs blew my mind. I will not be making broth any other way now.

[@ajaxx664]

@@foster-uz5rt Dude i actually did that trick and my broth came out amazing! It was so creamy and made it just the right consistency

[@foster-uz5rt]

@@ajaxx664 i would not have known about it, if it wasn't for her! These are super good videos!

[@moonsauce480]

Those are the makings of a true cook/chef. Being able to transform ingredients not just use expensive ones.

[@HoneyRa8bit]

I love how when Rose explains, they show what to do. Then they show it AGAIN with detail. Small details like that really help

[@littlelizzyann]

I love Esther's comment on the rotisserie chicken: "this is like a nice gift." :D It's the backbone of the ingredients: it becomes both the stock and the meat component of the finished dish.

[@MrAsaqe]

I bet David knew about it as well. He doesn't make stock but know she would make a stock

[@supertetleman]

I just finished making my own ramen for the first time roughly based off this recipe. I took my time to make my own broth and everything came out great. But dang do you guys make this look easy; this turned into a 3 or 4 day affair for me inbetween all the visits to the market, letting things sit overnight, and boiling that broth. Thanks for the video, it led to a fun project!

[@crazymarkmc]

Damn that's awesome

[@madee.6831]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 3 to 4 days for ramen noodles and rotisserie chicken? damn imma just microwave everything bam 10mins done😂😫😫😂

[@Green_87]

I could feel how happy Daniel was after Esther complemented him on how good his ramen tasted. :D

[@rickirae7819]

I love how Chef Esther doesn’t let things go to waste. She deserves her own cooking show, I can hear her talk all day.

[@chanycekane4034]

Yess I agree. Lol I would watch it all the time... and gain like 50 pounds in the process because I am always hungry after I watch these videos 😂😂

[@pennyck9468]

I know, I keep looking for her

[@williamkrause4580]

agreed

[@ehoa1984]

Her***

[@jnsbing]

@@ehoa1984 who are you correcting?

[@MAMorelli]

I love how Esther emphasizes less waste. I really need to go back to freezing my vegetable scraps to be used for broth.

[@alaaosama1133]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/n4ayhoWqqrN8i9U

[@smamy8686]

I'm pretty sure if it's veggies you can turn it into fertilizer. Idk that's what my teachers told me

[@_.BlackArmor._]

@@smamy8686 along with any egg leftovers

[@kaleblewis4575]

This guy literally made my day so much better, dude was cheesing and joking the whole time! LOVE IT! We need more Daniels in this world! Also Esther was a badass with minimal ingredients, defiantly would of watched a video of her making her ramen!!!!!!!

[@terrancekayton007]

Yea, Daniel was a goofball. He had me rollin’ the whole time. Seems like a ton of fun!

[@ايناسعامر-ث6ش]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/b5jSiWeElsl7fKc woww😋😋😋

[@cuppntea]

really nice seeing a guy like that happy over delicious and best foods😭❣️

[@henrysanji3989]

By far the best episode, the more respectful and humble chef showed by far the best skills I’ve seen so far on the show.

[@pamalamb5230]

daniel and esther are both so charming, but in such different ways. i could watch them forever, this was so fun and tbh informative

[@1995marixsa]

The way she still respected the cheap ingredients is just awesome, I want her to be my chef, she is not only good at what she do, utilizes everything (no wastage), and gives clear instructions but she also respect every ingredient no matter how cheap or expensive.😍 love it

[@periwinkles2651]

Chef Esther is still my fave ever since I watched her compete in Iron Chef. 🥺❤️ love the videoooo

[@DanialKahloon]

Ok but how can you not fall in love with Daniel? btw Chef Esther was also amazing 💅✨

[@SarahR5338]

I can never look at Daniel again and not think of Bert from Sesame Street. Thanks to Uncle Roger. He called him Muppet nephew 🤣🤣🤣

[@SapioiT]

Would be interesting to have both the chefs and the home cooks use the exact same ingredients, to see how much of a difference that would make.

[@theotang8418]

I love how esther throw the recipe to daniel

[@mikelee7672]

I know I’ll never make the real tonkotsu ramen but I really love how Esther made a ramen that I could make and REALLY want to try

[@SkankinLozer]

9:40 Lmao as an ATLA fan I completely agree!

[@laurentbros320]

He did my boy appa wrong

[@icantswim8657]

we love skinned flying bison

[@dedayudi1739]

FR

[@cherrykkura]

I love how Esther takes the most out of the stuff she has and ends up making something amazing with the simplest ingredients.

[@OoakieDoke]

That's how it's supposed to be. All my mates ask me how I make ramen so good. You don't need an awful lot of money to make something so delicious. You just need to take the time and some patience. I love videos like these. I'm learning something new everyday.

[@gamerreviews71]

I made the 11 dollar version myself last night. added corn to it and some nori as well. took like 2.5 hours to make, but holy crap that was good. glad i followed along with the video.

[@b_man-25]

9:39 NOOO APPA! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HIM?

[@Quocalimar]

I love how she went HAM on his preparation. She was digging to that bowl like it was a last meal!

[@Ekam4521]

❤❤❤BRO chef Esther needs and WHEN I SAY NEEDS I MEAN NEEDS her OWN cooking channel she’s just BOMB

[@samanthafries4862]

I honestly like this because it shows us how a home chef can cook like a pro chef, and the pro chef can shows us home chefs how we can bring up ingredients that we all have/have access to a new level.

[@Jlz10]

Esther love her from the chicken sandwich video and Daniel always a classic

[@ItzP3ggy]

I watched this at 3 am and now I’m SO hungry and craving ramen😅

[@adaeze3979]

The two cooks are awesome. However, Chef Esther is phenomenal. She's a natural teacher and has just made me love cooking even more. What??? Awesome!

[@hannahansell9344]

Them: **really makes the Ramen taste amazing** Me: **uses the flavor package and probably over cooks the noodles**

[@alexdee5341]

I love Chef Esther! ❤

[@jmsantos1317]

Not him describing the pork belly as looking like Appa's furless body😭

[@adventuresofsharon]

This is the best episode so far of Pro Chef and Home Cook Swap Ingredients. They both have great personalities, and the ramens look so delicious!

[@CodeProvider]

in Japan, people are hardpressed to pay over $10 for ramen. It's a working man's food. It's a drunk 3AM food. It's not a high-end food, even though taste-wise, it sure is.

[@fumiko_is_typing...]

I cannot say I agree

[@CodeProvider]

@@fumiko_is_typing... what percent of ramen shops in Japan charge over ¥1000?

[@fumiko_is_typing...]

@@CodeProvider I had never said anything about the price. Just ramen is a important food.

[@CodeProvider]

@@fumiko_is_typing... I was talking about the price, and you disagreed

[@fumiko_is_typing...]

@@CodeProvider I just said that it IS an important and high end food.

[@КристинаЗябкова]

Daniel is fine af and loves ATLA and knows how to cook he's my dream man

[@ryangonsalves5644]

@The Professor who

[@laplelp7780]

@@ryangonsalves5644 himself

[@ayanokoji5594]

He might be still single so try your luck

[@leahc545]

@The Professor jealous?

[@estherkim7320]

These videos are very educational. I always save these to my playlist

[@julianserrano2274]

Oh my gosh, I have NEVER wanted Ramen so much more in my life. It looks so mouth watering and delicious 🤤

[@lukelawrencesparkswood6651]

Chef Esther's cooking is very Asian!! The way she chops and her philosophy kinda reminds me of my grandmother

[@HarharMahadev-bb1hi]

I not only love Chef Esther’s food, but I love her too. Confident. Smart. Cheerful. And pretty. I love her.

[@-astromine-5421]

How can she make a 2minute ramen noodles so complicated 😩✨✨

[@alextogo8367]

Chef's job is to always elevate a dish. Otherwise that title wouldn't be fitting.

[@drisshansfreetime453]

I love how the way Daniel is growing in this channel. Oh how the people in the CS used to mock him here being such a good looking guy with no talent in cooking. Still waiting for Rose's breakdown TBH.

[@loofah.1123]

Chef Esther is absolutely amazing omg... she did all that with 11 dollars wow

[@tune_smith]

No actually she didn’t. She used more eggs, more garlic, more ginger, an additional flavor packet and more of basically every ingredient except the chicken she was given. Rough calculations… She spent $18+. So it was a little misleading, but still cheaper than her version.

[@lamcho00]

Esther looks so cute and doesn't have a ring on her finger. She's also obviously a very good cook. I was really impressed how she improvised with the limited ingredients. I feel like obligated to make a marriage proposal. Though I'd feel bad if she had to cook at home too.

[@jesseortegon3264]

Can’t wait to try out Auntie Esther’s $11 ramen Haiya

[@pompom2621]

I love watching Esther

[@a_kholdun]

11:31 I bet her Asian ancestors are so proud of her

[@QuadDamage3]

"Let's spend two days and sixteen times as much energy as the bowl of noodles give you" Looks tasty, though.

[@shaanpatel3413]

Uncle roger after seeing msg in the recipe - hmmm , the waterfall of msg go into the ramen

[@brendoncorrigan1842]

Cheap dish: Whole rotisserie chicken - $3:99 Expensive dish: Water - $3.00 ... yeah okay

[@TheTruth-kq3ji]

Exactly what I said!

[@chimecho2964]

2:55 I agree with all them except for the broth cuz tbh I like dry ramen more

[@TheRealProfChaos]

"skinspiration" that sounds gross... that gave me a solid chuckle

[@JOhnDoe-nl4wj]

instant ramen $1.19 garlic $1.39 ginger $0.99 rotisserie chicken $7.99 eggs $3.29 scallions $1 soy sauce $3.99 sesame seeds $2.99 totalling $22,83 fml i'm in germany

[@Astaroth73]

Oh yeah, MSG, the lord, the jesus, the savior of seasoning, you can basically add MSG to almost everything and makes it better

[@Hope12Grace90]

Hi Uncle Roger

[@jimmycarburator2012]

msg ruined my marrige

[@yvans.73]

I was so excited when she brought out the msg! I love that she still utilizes the ramen packet too, I feel like most of the chefs feel like theyre too good for them, but theyre great when used creatively

[@jimmycarburator2012]

@@yvans.73 i agree, just adding homemade aroma oil and an ajitama to packet ramen elevates it. finally a chef that isnt afraid of using msg

[@methdrinkerr]

Look up what is does to animals and people in long term studies. It causes cancer, weight loss and so many more health issues. It’s literally pointless. Use some umami or soy sauce or something if you need

[@L.poke3521]

we all know daniel would be working with atleast 1500$ worth of ingredients if chef yuji was in place of chef esther

[@tyriaeliis738]

Esther is bomb and so knowledgeable 😆 she is definitely a pro she can make a meal out of anything

[@emsii678]

i love how chaotically fun daniel is and calming esther is, polar opposite as it finest

[@thesevenkingswelove9554]

Exactly in mbti Daniel would be ESFP and Esther is ISTJ

[@RealNeonPlayz]

^oh boy

[@manalkhan3224]

@@thesevenkingswelove9554 I'm glad I wasn't the only one silently trying to to type them 😅

[@Sarah-by2rt]

I love how the pro chef had respect for the ingredients and was able to bring out their best qualities and make a beautiful dish, even though she normally works with high quality stuff. That’s the sign that she’s talented bc she’s able to bring up the ingredients to her level

[@Maoki]

Because everyone starts out with the basic ingredients she was given, and she herself respects her humble beginnings, hence why she brought out the best in them by utilizing the years of experiences she's accumulated.

[@slkbfly0183]

My thoughts exactly.

[@colbyshannon6548]

And despite her being accustomed to high quality ingredients, she still had so much appreciation for the ramen flavor packet XD

[@anon_234]

The thing that stands out for me in ALL of these videos is the sheer amount of wasted ingredients the pro chefs end up with. They throw garlic in a broth, fish it out and put new garlic in other parts of the dish. What do they do with the old stuff, just throw it away? Or in the videos where they use just half a pineapple or piece of fruit as a garnish. Not enough attention goes to how much the pro chefs waste vs the home chefs, who use everything they bring.

[@deebaabidi5106]

@@Maoki yeah, with all these videos the pro chef has been a home chef before, I mean the minute they started baking they didn’t just go to culinary school ! Which is why I think with these types of cheaper foods , like ramen * instant ramen is REALLY cheap at least in the us I mean like the generic ones not the super fine ones! *

[@SavageGreywolf]

"Do you want to come work at my restaurant?" Next episode: "Hi, I'm Daniel, I'm a level 3 chef"

[@maggotbitch]

I mean, at this point...he's pretty pro

[@69putana]

LOLOLOL

[@Serouzo]

"And I have been working at Mokbar for 3 weeks"

[@saraymolina6637]

@@69putana Pppp

[@fathiali6326]

@@ashanein llllllllllllllllllllllll

[@Fridanextdoor]

She's soooo good at talking. Her voice is so smoothing and calming!

[@nanochic]

Yes love when she explained things.

[@cementeater6149]

@@nanochic 7 years ago🙀🙀🙀

[@nanochic]

@@cementeater6149 am a time traveler.

[@thisisme4074]

@@nanochic ooh just realised what you did. weird…

[@thisisme4074]

love hearing her pronounce the ingredients and explain things… i’m so gay.

[@KnightlyNerds]

As someone who is untrained and works with cheap ingredients when cooking, I really appreciated Chef Esther's approach to cooking that ramen. It is the kinda thing I do all the time, definitely not to her level, jazzing up cheap simple meals is a lot of fun and satisfying.

[@ايناسعامر-ث6ش]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/b5jSiWeElsl7fKc woww😋😋😋

[@christophertaylor9100]

Yeah, the ingredients, they do count, but the preparation and skill matters much more. Many really good recipes are quite simple, but its the execution that makes the difference.

[@Insharai]

Right, this is probably the most informative of these I've seen, and it is so accessible. Beyond technique it's such a good philosophy and approach.

[@sagessp7519]

Daniel: *sends ingredients to pro chef* Pro chef: *NEW RECIPE.*

[@yangverse]

@Laura Brown shut up 😀

[@idfkidfcidgaf7711]

Laura Brown shut up

[@imbored7660]

Laura Brown shut up

[@MINGUS-g6i]

@Laura Brown shut up

[@fionalenana1244]

@Laura Brown shut up

[@biancarosa4953]

I LOVE the way they were soooo respectful, and no one made mean comments on the ingredients they chose for each other

[@MayBlake_Channel]

Better than I would've done. I would've been 💩-talking the MSG the whole time ;P Probably would've wound up using it anyway and then being embarrassed with myself for all the shade followed by hypocrisy

[@biancarosa4953]

@@MayBlake_Channel PFFFTT ladies and gents that's honestly

[@TheStepmonkey]

@@MayBlake_Channel LOL

[@alaaosama1133]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/nau0gXtpqsdlmNU

[@anshumansingh8631]

Yup every human should learn 1 thing in life- being down to earth

[@emmarose6877]

[recipe below] Just tried making Esther's $11 version (only without meat and then we added mushrooms at the end) with my sister. We had it for lunch and I would highly recommend it. Our mom and our other sister were very impressed with us doing this by ourselves, and it's actually pretty doable for younglings like me. So don't be intimidated by it! My sister and I's version of Esther's $11 version : (serves 4 and takes ~2 hours) Ingrediets : -veggie broth from walmart [it already had 4 servings] (fight us, we decided to make this today. what did you expect?) -3 stems of scallions -4 eggs -5 cups of water -1/4 cup veggie oil -4 cloves of garlic (minced) -2 tablespoons of peeled and chopped ginger -4 ramen noodle servings -1/3 cup soy sauce -red pepper flakes (to taste) -mushrooms (to taste) -fried onion bits that we already had (to taste) ~broth~ 1. dump broth into a pot. leave be for now ~tare~ 2. in a different (and cold) sauce pot, add 1/3 soy sauce, 2 out of 4 cloves of garlic, and half of your chopped ginger (1 tablespoon) 3. take out a small bowl and a strainer for later 4. now turn the heat on to boil for 5 mins 5. take it off heat and strain your tare into a small bowl 6. in the strainer, you still have garlic and ginger bits. dump these bits into your sitting broth for flavor, leave broth be for now ~aromatic oil~ 7. mince the rest of your garlic and chop the rest of your ginger, leave on cutting board for now 8. take out a small bowl with a strainer in it and a small plate with a paper towel on it for later 9. take a large pan and add 1/4 cups of veggie oil and 2 of your scallion stems (cut with kitchen scissors) 10. heat this until its starts to bubble 11. when it starts to bubble, add your garlic and ginger, don't leave 12. when the garlic starts to turn, take it off heat, then strain it 13. in the strainer, you have scallion, garlic, and ginger pieces. dump them onto the plate with the paper towel to dry. they will become crispy. leave be your oil and yummy bits for now. ~eggs~ 14. take out a small pot and add 4 cups of water and bring this to a boil 15. take out your eggs, and get 1 cup of cold water from the sink 16. dump cold water into the pot then take it off heat 17. gently add your eggs in then cover the pot 18. let sit for 15 minutes 19. during those 15 minutes, take out a medium bowl and fill it with ice and water 20. after 15 minutes, gently take the eggs out and into the ice bowl 21. let it until cool ~noodles~ 22. cook your noodles (i think we all know how to cook instant ramen, right? if not ask google, it's easy) 23. put strained noodles into your ramen bowl ~assembly~ 24. add broth (to taste) into your ramen 25. lightly drizzle your tare and your aromatic oil into the bowl then mix (to taste) 26. add your fried aromatic oil yummy bits (to taste) 27. add fried onion bits (to taste) 28. add mushrooms (to taste) 29. crack your egg into the bowl 30. add red pepper flakes (to taste) 31. have a wonderful time eating this because it takes 2 hours hope this oversimplification and unnecessary specification helps anyone!

[@sodahwa1117]

replying to save this-

[@taylinandpayton1879]

Reply to save this too-

[@Othermind972]

rep

[@wrenchguy2937]

I love you

[@notjeybiii9076]

Imma take note abt this for future purp 😗✌️

[@gjaeigjiajeg]

There is a guy out there who can cook minute rice in 58 seconds. Then there is Esther, who can cook 2 Min packet noodles in 2 hrs. Equally impressive.

[@mo0man]

I can make 2 minute noodles take 2 hours too! But in a very different way

[@sabest4971]

Her cooking noodles is not long though Only the preparations

[@alpreviation7281]

It’s because she puts in the rice, she puts in the flour, she may be hunger, but won’t devour, she puts in the wok, puts in more flour than she takes what’s ours.

[@genjibone6076]

@@alpreviation7281 IT TOOK ME SO LONG TO GET THE REFRENCE

[@xelacormier5236]

and then there’s the “extra” home-cookers who are right in the middle

[@rylietinajero8827]

Are we just ignoring Daniel tasting the stuff, and then literally going, “ooh. Mommy”

[@hungry6677]

maybe he tried to make a bad pun edit: mom I'm famous

[@rachel-wx5tv]

@@hungry6677 yeah he tried to say umami LOL

[@dallasapollo]

Good thing the flavor is called “umami” and not “udaddi”.

[@bruhdude6168]

@@dallasapollo ikr

[@RyyFoo]

That cracked me up 😂

[@derrickzehr4154]

I love the fact the Esther doesnt add a bunch of her own ingredients She adds basic things like water or seasoning but she doesnt completely change ingredients

[@aisha02a]

i think epicurious got some of our feedback on that! the recent eps have been this way with the pros. they've been using less and less extra ingredients :>

[@aaroncohenour559]

That’s what makes it a challenge

[@Bergen98]

I mean, water, sugar, salt, pepper and oil- are more than fine. Those are basics ingredients that anyone can use

[@greninjafw]

It's probably because they are no longer doing this in their own homes where they would have other things

[@derrickzehr4154]

@@greninjafw the epicurious crew gets them everything they need Even if it's not part of the low end meal

[@michellemarion3077]

Daniel is so funny, I love his commentary. I also love how Esther explained everything she did in detail

[@nishantjoshi1027]

I really want an episode where the home cook just butchers everything completely lol

[@okotoksmarkh]

Yes that would be great

[@benbauer7866]

They shouldn’t be allowed to phone a friend lol

[@andrewthezeppo]

Level 1 and Level 2 swap. Level 1: I'm going to attempt to make a basic home dish Level 2: I'm going to attempt to make this trash edible.

[@stacycole1935]

Throw Steven and a cheesecake in there.

[@Josh-ss2ww]

Watch the 3 levels of burger you’ll find exactly what your looking for

[@A1phaz0ne]

Honestly, it was extremely cool seeing what Ms Choi did with the 11 bucks worth of ingredients. That something that I could learn to do and apply to my own budget ramen lol. Its insane how amazing she got that to look.

[@Marianna2877]

And you can use that leftover chicken and other ingredients for other foods too.

[@tbhidk8693]

Hey don’t forgot what Daniel did with his saying he was a home chef

[@Marianna2877]

@@tbhidk8693 I'm a home chef and I know how to cook many things with scratch and come out to be restaurant worth of foods. But I agree both of them did something different than usual.

[@dinobeans4347]

literally same lmaoo

[@jeffwells641]

One of the key takeaways I think is that, while a true high quality broth takes time and effort (48 hours for Chef Choi's), you can get 80% of the way there pretty easily if you're smart about it (2 hours for a basic but tasty chicken broth). A lot of this was just knowing what to do with the ingredients available. That's why I really like shows like this, where you get to see what a pro would do with simple ingredients. There are a few other channels where a restaurant chef shares their home cooking, so they're taking all the shortcuts they wouldn't in a restaurant but then putting in the effort where it has the most impact.

[@SEELE-ONE]

“I’m dismantling the carcass to extract more flavor from the bones” is the most necromancer thing I’ve ever heard a chef say…

[@jeanetten.s.8557]

Is your... Is your necromancer trying to eat the body?

[@linebrunelle1004]

well said. Generations of global home cooks have been extracting extra flavours by boiling animal bones. With one medium size rotisserie chicken (save on my electricity bill by buying cooked chicken) I was able to feed a family of ravenous teenagers at least 4 meals. Soup, stew, pot pies, sandwiches, etc.

[@killa4hire]

@@linebrunelle1004 I am fascinated (and broke). Please elaborate if you are willing.

[@StoneThaProfit]

@@killa4hire seriously we all wanna know

[@kotic79]

Gonna bring that chicken back to life halfway through your meal

[@elefantindaroom3543]

This guy should be a voice actor. I love his voice. Or really any actor. I love his energy and expression too!

[@cptswagger]

Reminds me of andrew garfield

[@Carnomus]

Agree

[@estebangutierrez1458]

I just seen him in a body wash commercial or something, good for him

[@RippleR24]

@@guru5382 What’s his IG?! I’d love to follow!

[@onetwothreefourfivesix789]

@@RippleR24 It’s in the description I think.

[@andrewleeadkins93]

Also, finally the pro chef was able to taste the home chefs creation and vice versa. That’s all I had ever asked of this. And also the fact that Ester took a rotisserie chicken from the deli and turned it into like 6 different elements is very impressive.

[@xDistructer]

What you mean finally? They already did it in the first episodes as well... I think there was the Corona think and the social distancing that stopped it for a while

[@maimee1]

Maybe the reason why we like Esther so much here is because she's extra but not so extra to do things we can't reasonably do at our own homes.

[@ffwast]

That's what an actual skilled chef is,cooking better not just buying more expensive ingredients

[@eshav.3552]

Agreed

[@skar9556]

Hey, Chef Frank has a name.!!

[@lunar5842]

We stan a queen who respects the Maruchan seasoning packages!

[@vandaway1]

I also love the fact that she's showing us how to up our cooking skills WITHOUT having to buy all kinds of special machines/knives/mixers/etc.... like I know he's using a kitchenaid mixer with the 2 pasta attachments aka (around $280-300 for the machine and around $80 per attachment) $450 worth of gear just for this one recipe because he's making noodles from scratch but she's showing us that not only can you make an amazing meal for $11 bucks worth of ingredients but also with items most adults already have in their kitchen.

[@tonyduranjr6570]

If Chef Esther had a cooking show I would binge watch the entire thing impatiently wait for more episodes

[@anirbanchakraborty1464]

Finally a home cook who doesn't freak out at every ingredient. "Ohh waterrrrr.... What do I do with it... HELPPPP"

[@oldcowbb]

finally a pro chef that actually use what they got and doesn't sub all the ingredients to more fancy stuff

[@anirbanchakraborty1464]

@@oldcowbb yup.. I was really surprised that she didn't use the dragon tears...

[@bedrijesuljaj3322]

Fax

[@Immortal_BP]

"What is this... oxygen?! How do I even use this, just breathe it in? Im totally screwing this up."

[@joker-ze2tm]

yup I need to call rose 😱

[@coconutsoda92]

Esther should make a cookbook with recipes like this where she takes just a couple cheap basic ingredients and makes masterpieces with them.

[@reddishcarrot62]

Yes!

[@clanisham3221]

I'm impressed with how the home cook can make the restaurant quality ramen and how the chef can take cheap ingredients to the next level with technique

[@runed0s86]

Technique and KZbin videos. He also knew how to use chopsticks correctly

[@khyatisrivastava3542]

@@runed0s86 everyone knows

[@gennysherard]

@@khyatisrivastava3542 You overestimate a lot of people lol

[@culturedbeegames1685]

@@khyatisrivastava3542 I am not a part of everyone, or so i have been told

[@leahc545]

@@khyatisrivastava3542 nope, I just recently learned how to correctly use chopstick and I’m 24

[@DowntownTasty]

I’d love you guys to give former inmates ingredients and see what they do vs a professional chef. Cuz let me tell you those guys can get really creative with limited ingredients. Some of its still nasty but some of it they’re spot on. I’ve been saying they need to open a restaurant or fast food place based on it and I think they have now.

[@christophertaylor9100]

Fresh Out channel has a few cooking videos, but too few, I'd love to see more

[@Vivising]

The man brought so much positive energy, that I had to smile watching him.

[@CarsonCheeley]

Honestly same

[@turtlesrprettycool3379]

Copied

[@CarsonCheeley]

@@turtlesrprettycool3379 shut up

[@Vivising]

@@turtlesrprettycool3379 I did not copy, he actually brought positive energy in the video

[@shirochii]

@@turtlesrprettycool3379 Stolen comment 😒

[@AC-xt9ut]

I attempted chef Esther's $11 recipe and it was so good! Took awhile and had another person helping, but it was so worth it.

[@crusniksimsman]

any idea where I can find like a written list of her measurements for the ingredients? I want to try and make it

[@Alexxldr]

@@crusniksimsman is in the video

[@lang-ed3bk]

it looks really yummy, but i feel that if you're going to spend that much time to make instant noodles, then you might as well cook "real food" (to my family, instant noodle has no nutritional value and is just emergency food, to hold you over until you get real food)

[@AndyStarzs1]

@@lang-ed3bk this was real food though. She didn’t just open a ramen packet and make instant noodles. She spent 2 hours extracting the flavor from chicken bones and making a nice stock, this is a full meal.

[@lang-ed3bk]

@@AndyStarzs1 the most filling part, the noodles, is not real food. if you add a bunch of ingredients to candy, does it make it real food? no, it may be jazzed up, but it's still not considered real food, only dessert or candy. besides, my cousin got leukemia from eating too much instant noodles; it's just something i try not to treat as real food.

[@angieterc2701]

Anyone else ever look at the home cooks and think there’s no way they are just home cooks? Like the way he slayed that ramen really has me doubting his credentials

[@jamesmcgarvey2261]

Yeah I do

[@Jacopski]

yeah also they ate their ramen separately and together somehow?

[@Z0Z33KY]

@@Jacopski u could see them preparing extra ingredients for a 2nd bowl.

[@KittyBeeViolinT]

I’m pretty sure they get directions

[@aragon2235]

I'm glad it wasn't just me.. I'm like this guy must be seriously underselling himself on his resume lmfao 😂

[@pensieve8489]

Fell in love with Daniel when he mentioned Appa haha, such a fun guy. Also, Chef Esther never stops to amaze me! Can’t wait to eat ramen noww

[@douganium3850]

shut up...now

[@hard_candy]

Esther looked like that really hurt her when they slid her ingredients away. 😂

[@alaaosama1133]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/n4ayhoWqqrN8i9U

[@ohmaryam9150]

Finally they made them try each others dishes

[@kiera2850]

They did it last episode too!

[@rowie4585]

They done this since the first episode of pro & home cook swap ingredients. They kinda stop for a while when the pandemic started due to lockdown, i guess, but now they back at it again. First episode is Frank and Lorenzo swaps ingredients for steak.

[@amanda-nm2rd]

They have been doing this?

[@redace4821]

Is the 3 level recipes they do not taste each others food Ingredients swap they always do that, due to lock down they stop that for a while

[@neoalex]

yay for vaccines

[@kristysteffens]

I wrote down Chef Esther's recipe for myself if anyone else wants it! *Ingredients:* Instant Ramen Garlic Ginger Rotisserie Chicken Eggs Scallions Soy Sauce Sesame Seeds *Making the Broth:* Pull off all the meat from the chicken, separating the skin from the meat. The meat on the wings might be too tough for the topping, use it in the broth with the bones & carcass of the chicken. Dismantle the carcass to extract more flavor from the bones. Add water to your stock. For aromatics, loosely chop scallion and ginger (skin on) and smashed garlic and add to pot Boil for an hour or two. *Making Tare:* Add soy sauce to the pot and add in chopped ginger, garlic, and ramen packet and boil for five minutes to make sure that the seasoning packet is fully incorporated, and ginger & garlic is fully extracted. Strain out the ginger and the garlic. *Aromatic Oil:* Chop up the scallions and add them to a cold pan, add vegetable oil, and turn on medium-high heat. While that gets hot, mince ginger and garlic. For ginger, you can peel it with a spoon to minimize waste. You can add scraps to stock. Add minced garlic & ginger to the pan. Do not walk away from the pan, the color will darken VERY QUICKLY. Watch closely and as soon as it starts to turn light brown, take off heat into a new container. Strain to separate the aromatic oil from the crispy topping bits. *Boiled Eggs (Onsen Tamago):* Put one cup of cold water into 4 cups of boiling water (this way the water is about 75-ish degrees Celsius) and let the egg hang out there for 15 minutes in a covered pan to keep the temperature in there. That way you get that super runny silky egg in the broth. Remove from water and put into a bowl with cold water & ice to cool completely before cracking (make sure to account for elevation). *After finishing the above steps, move on to the following:* - Strain the broth through a Shinwa and push down on the carcass with the ladle to get all the good stuff. - Add body to the broth with egg yolks. Separate out yolks from eggs and temper the egg yolks with the broth and slowly whisk. Add egg & broth mixture back into the main broth bowl. Avoid adding the hot broth too quickly, the eggs might begin to cook and curdle. - Fry the chicken skin by adding in vegetable oil and get to a high temperature. Test the heat by holding the chicken skin barely into the pan and waiting to hear a sizzle. - Fry the skin and put it into paper towels. Add some flavoring packet onto the skin for seasoning. - Add half a cup of tare to the chicken meat and put chicken meat back into the pan that was used for frying the skin. When the chicken starts to caramelize, it is ready. - Lightly toast the sesame seeds to release oil, and grind them up in a spice grinder. - Slice up some scallions into sexy scallions. - Boil noodles. *Assembling:* Add sesame seed to the bottom of the bowl and add broth. Add broth and noodles. Then chicken, some of the crispy mixture, and skin. Add egg and scallions and top with aromatic oil. Enjoy!

[@-e.rose-]

this is awesome, thank you :D needs more likes lol

[@Callmehmesoma]

You're right

[@peaceporter9089]

This should be pinned. Thanks so much 🙏🍜🍜😁😁🍜🍜

[@Cash4Fruit]

I appreciate you! -a broke college student

[@milovera19]

You’re an angel

[@theprousteffect9717]

I'm amazed how she built so many levels of flavor and texture. I've watched several episodes and am amazed every time how they elevate these simple ingredients.

[@WizardGirlzRule]

I love literally everything about this video. The editing is beautiful and smooth, I've never seen a better transition. The chefs are so great, they are both learning and teaching and we love to see it. Also they're both entertaining and keep my short attention span The recipe choice is great, because I literally want to do both. Keep doing what you're doing!!!

[@Bluue_3]

🌝

[@evelynrodriguez4770]

Tbh I felt like the transitions could be better. I had a little trouble sometimes. Aside from that I agree.

[@princessloveheartglitter]

Really I thought they kept on cutting the guy off at bits.

[@JollyRedGiant00]

Glad to see a pro chef that doesnt act like theyre too good for a cheaper alternative to what they usually make. With the right attention, you can really elevate any cheap food and this is a beautiful example.

[@kgsjk]

THIS!!!!! EXACTLY

[@DatBoiE]

Rose literally knows EVERYTHING she’s like a food preparation god

[@aryastarkofwinterfell6480]

Yea cuz shes a food scientist

[@hungryy226]

Goddess*

[@alaaosama1133]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hoTCXnedqtp4odk

[@mackan072]

I heavily doubt that she's going in 100% unprepared

[@toru410]

Fr

[@ShugoAWay]

I feel like a interesting version would be to total the cost of the home cook's version and that's how much the pro can spend to show where the viewer could focus the budget for a particular meal (so apparently this all ready exists but sense when has that stopped or even slowed showakers)

[@sierraparaham4454]

Oh wow I like this idea a lot more!!

[@richard35791]

well, with limited budget, even pro chef most likely buy things similar with home cook chef

[@ShugoAWay]

@@richard35791 but where do they focus it on do they go for a cheaper oil so they can get pink salt...does Frank cheat and grow his own cinnamon tree...do they sacrifice an entire ingredient so they can use a super fancy meat

[@daltigoth3970]

@@ShugoAWay Pink salt isn't anything special, mostly just a marketing gimmick. Its pink simply because it hasn't been refined to remove the impurities that naturally occur in salt, and it doesn't have any iodine or anti-caking agents added to it because it is sold in rock form, but the rock form also makes it a pain to use in cooking, as you have to first grind the salt into a separate container before you can accurately measure it for whatever your cooking. You directly grind into the dish because you'll never know how much salt actually came out from the grinding, so the level 3 chef isn't going to opt for pink salt unless they are going purely for presentation with some salt crystals on top of whatever they are making, which would be fiscally wasteful since pink salt tends to cost significantly more than other options. The size/shape of the grain has more bearing than the color/source for a chef on a budget. The level 3 chef would be more inclined to purchase salt with larger grains than your standard table salt, so Kosher salt would be the better all-purpose option, as it is cheaper and usually doesn't contain the iodine and anti-caking agents found in regular table salt. I suspect some of the level 3 chefs would handle things differently, but most are going to opt for the most cost-effective options for ingredients and simply use their knowledge and skills to bolster the flavors and presentation with those cheaper ingredients, as was done in this episode, or will create a recipe with less ingredients but use higher quality ingredients. It still would be fun to see what they would do.

[@ShugoAWay]

@@daltigoth3970 yes ik it was a sarcastic example i thought it would be obvious next to the cinnamon tree joke

[@mageonyx1703]

"Appas furryless Body" Oh god I cannot unsee now

[@roguevector1268]

Same.

[@picklepirate]

Right, he has such great energy

[@leahc545]

Oh my god I can’t unsee that now😂😂he’s so funny

[@leahc545]

@@picklepirate I’ve only seen one vid but I already love him😂

[@asterphobia]

I couldn’t Unser it and I wanted to cry so badly now 😭😭

[@ChefJulieYoon]

This was a fun watch. I love Chef Esther and I can verify her ramen at Mokbar is next level. Didn’t realize how much work went into it. But I am seriously impressed with her resourcefulness and technique with the instant ramen! 😳 I’m definitely going to have to try to make a copycat version of that. The crushed sesame seeds to add creaminess and the crispy rotisserie chicken skin…genius!

[@alaaosama1133]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/n4ayhoWqqrN8i9U

[@AzeriZuriA]

I wanna visit Mokbar

[@yorkiyorkxx]

She used to work at Café de la Esquina in Brooklyn

[@AzeriZuriA]

That is indeed correct

[@wonderyearsdouche475]

Girl, You're Thicker Than A Bowl Of Oatmeal🌟

[@Josh-if9nc]

Where uncle roger?

[@Ritandrew]

😂😂 ayyioo

[@Kuulpb]

no matter how often I see her name, I still cannot believe the food scientist's name is just perfect for food scientists, Rosemary ( a herb) and Trout ( a fish), like, I don't know if it could be more fitting.

[@spacebar9733]

Her parents likely loved to cook. That’s so beautiful, she tells such a story.

[@QQzs]

Nominative determinism!

[@karga9014]

S A M E

[@jessicalukram74]

Right

[@oneofyou6773]

I thought it was a joke till I Googled her. lol

[@Passionforfoodrecipes]

I'll be honest my first thought was, $11 ramen?! So expensive 🤣

[@mnels5214]

SAME

[@tasorodri]

Yeah, but with most of the ingredients you buy it once and get 20 ramens

[@BrosMinecraft2]

@@tasorodri and that's what makes ramen so great

[@tackywacky99]

i gladly pay $20 for a bowl of top notch ramen where I live. xD nothing beats it

[@MrAsaqe]

@@tackywacky99 welcome to LA and Jinya

[@shelbyheinreis9160]

Me who always thought Daniel to be too "broish" for my taste, suddenly hear a Last Airbender reference... "I see you are a man of taste, sir..."

[@andrewthezeppo]

I never thought of him as a "bro" type to me he's more an attention starved metroxexual. I think of "bro" as cargo shorts, polo shirts and beer whereas Daniel is more designer jeans, button downs and fancy cocktails.

[@leyadil]

@@andrewthezeppo A “bro” can be anyone. They don’t only wear cargo shorts and polo shirts-obviously.

[@mecube9148]

Never got bro vibes but fake hipster vibes

[@andrewthezeppo]

@@leyadil it's more than just what one wears, it's an attitude mostly and not one I associate Daniel with.

[@dominiqueetienne8529]

@@andrewthezeppo what's a subway sexual??

[@vanessaholder1791]

No he did not mention Appa. I’ll never be able to look at that friendly beast the same way 😅😅

[@samanthayeager6721]

Daniel very much gives Sokka vibes and I know that’s something he’d say too 😂😂🤣

[@FlagCutie]

@@samanthayeager6721 And now I can't unsee that lol

[@brianng3414]

I can't believe he mentioned Appa and then continue to cook the pork. That is very sad... hahaha...!

[@CreepyChris_66]

I couldn't believe he did Appa like that. I was horrified when he cooked him

[@diannevita4574]

Which friendly beast - Appa or Daniel???

[@videosfavoritosdegle]

I like her, and how she managed the recipe. That's what pro chefs are supposed to do with the recipes

[@zhucookkitchen5172]

haha totally agree with it

[@lila_for.president]

2024 anyone?

[@Speville_Fabiana]

Yeah

[@hypernature]

OMG! My heart melted when Ester said she loved the instant ramen packet ... and then she sprinkled on EVERYTHING! Ramen is one of my fave dishes, I never get tired of it. Imma try to be brave and do both versions.

[@rengenobta2857]

The other day I was watching my grandma cook fish stew and I saw her holding something silver… it was a used ramen flavoring packet

[@shadow_realm47]

@@MelodyWisp you must watch Shokugeki!!!!!!!:3

[@joshuapittman5208]

Indeed. There is never a situation when ramen isn't appropriate. I'm jealous of Japan, it's on ever corner there.

[@janemagsayo3997]

Do it!!! 😁

[@alaaosama1133]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hoTCXnedqtp4odk