The Real Life Anime Story of the World's Greatest Amateur Ramen Cook Takerou Kanda

Follow me on instagram: / wayoframen
Shop way of ramen: wayoframen.com/shop
My Podcast: anchor.fm/wayoframen
Takerou Kanda is probably not someone you've heard about, but he might be the world's greatest amateur home ramen cook. When I had him on my podcast last year he completely changed my perspective on making ramen so I wanted to introduce you all to him and share some of his wisdom. I actually created this video a while ago but recently was given the OK to publish it so here it is!
Kanda-sans full podcast interview: anchor.fm/wayoframen/episodes...
Kanda-san's instagram: / jisakuramen

[@WayofRamen]

The next video on the channel is my Americanized version of a easy to make at home bowl of ramen Kanda-san demoed on Japanese TV so I wanted to introduce everyone to him first. He's my ramen yoda. I had actually filmed this video months ago but just got the OK to publish it so here it is!

[@Armymum13]

I'm smiling ear to ear @ "Ramen Yoda"

[@Gimilian1]

Thank you for sharing :)

[@Bloooooooooopp]

Please make a seafood ramen! Pork makes me sick so I can’t eat it and I watched your videos on chicken. It’s difficult liking ramen but can’t have tonkotsu loool unfortunate

[@Bloooooooooopp]

Literally any kind of seafood and I’ll be so happy. I mainly am looking to do shrimp flavor

[@fayolympia5855]

Thank you for sharing Kanda-san’s approach to ramen. A philosopher-cook who puts thought and love into every bowl of ramen he makes. I bow low. ❤

[@filthy_peasant_the_one2134]

lol the anime could be called “I left my job as a salary-man to become the best ramen chef in the world!”

[@WayofRamen]

he still has his job haha

[@cjaysez]

Lmfao!!!

[@cjaysez]

Not having a kitchen has opened up a new type of content of your channel. You’re a great story teller and your final statement was profound and it well rounded what Chef Kanda was saying. Hope to see more of these. 🍜

[@madiw2097]

there’s something that’s so incredible about home cooks for ramen - it’s such a labor of love, and for somebody to do it at home and do it well is.. really wonderful.

[@bunnyofdoom4501]

Super good episode. It would be great to have more stories like this and history of Ramen and such. Now I'm hungry! Ramen time. 🍜

[@Armymum13]

Omg....I got chills when they announced the winner....what a story.... & I'm eating a bowl of ramen... no where near anything professional but good & thinking of my tweaks for next time...

[@WayofRamen]

thanks for watching!

[@Eskay_OW]

this is such a good video i have no idea why it did so poorly compared to the other ones youtube is a scam!

[@WayofRamen]

haha its ok I had fun making it and I'm just happy I could share it

[@chronohax7186]

well said, the message is so good

[@craftedbyorre]

Truly inspirational, Ryan! Food and people are so intertwined, across all cultures. Would be great to hear the perspective on this topic from other ramen chefs in the community.

[@ChristophGangrel]

Takerou - san: "Obviously we don't add people into the soup..." Hannibal Lecter: Why the hell not? But seriously. Great guy and great video :) Takerou - san and his story really are like from manga...

[@cloud4565]

Just finished making a bowl, nice to see a new upload waiting for me when I checked my phone

[@WayofRamen]

thanks for watching

[@bloodgain]

"It's not like there's only one way to make something." Brilliant, brilliant man. He just _gets it_ so much better than most people. And he's just the right level of humble that let him pursue this knowledge but have the confidence to become an expert at it. Also, that gara-gara-gara pun was great. Such a great illustration of his point, and you translated it perfectly so that we could understand the pun and the point!

[@81blackace]

man, to be honest, this one video was the most heartwarming video I've ever seen. For me, Kanda-san explain about ikigai in less than 5 minutes. Kinda, bamboozled once when Kanda-san explain about the triangle. Thank you for such great and heartwarming video.

[@spicysmooth2]

The music was a bit heavy handed at the end, but damn it hit. My love language is acts of service & it really shines in my cooking. Every time I go home I cook for my Mom & I always love to see her sit back & enjoy a meal. Every attempt to repay her for every meal she made for me.

[@antonc81]

What a legend and testament to not just ramen geekery but how deep a lot of Japanese hobbyists seem to go in general. The interview with him on the way of ramen podcast was really interesting too. It’s easy to get stuck on technique with a technical cuisine like ramen cooking… his reminder to focus on people and ingredients really demonstrates he knows what makes good cooking.

[@trinhhung6675]

Yo Way of Ramen, I just want to say I can help you with this. I'm a foreigner, living in Japan for about 4 years plus now. My Japanese is good enough to come and work for a ramen company ( from next year actually). I love ramen, and your channel is helping me to gain knowledge about ramen a lot. So, I can communicate in both English and Japanese at the business level. If you need me to help you translate or communicate with Japanese, I can do it for free, for some hours per week, let me know. Just love the content and I might help you to have better quality from talking, or understanding people in the ramen world (which I'm about to be a part, soon).

[@dukenguyen1146]

hay lam!

[@Amplifymagic]

This was a great podcast episode

[@WayofRamen]

changed my whole perspective

[@dmncookp]

i wasn’t expecting this to be such a beautiful video 😂i’m in awe

[@WayofRamen]

Thanks for watching

[@judymccall9636]

I loved everything about this video and I thank you for sharing your journey with us (as well as the video clips with Takerou Kanda). The most impactful part for me was near the end, approx 7:06. It was profound and resonated within. my 66 yr old journey. Maybe that's part of why we come to youTube. Or, at the very least, why i came here wanting to learn how to sew set-in sleeves, fell down the rabbit hole and ended up learning about a man whose curiosity drives him to greatness in fulfilling his goals and his own measure of success. Regardless, thank you for taking the time to share with us.

[@johnfatland4618]

Loved the podcast episode!

[@cameronphenix2096]

"Who are you?" "I'm just a ramen chef for fun."

[@keithmaxon9510]

Love this format. Please keep this up if you can.

[@albertozaffonato1325]

Really loved this video man 🙏

[@moremusiclessnoise7217]

Love this! This is the ramen advice I was looking for.

[@Harlton001]

Thank you for sharing this story, excerpt from your interview and the words you said after 6:25. This topic expressed by yourself and Kanda-San is profound. It opens up a mindset I feel not everyone has or sees. Thank you for this.

[@ForteDFO]

I think these discussion/history videos are important and refreshing, and you should keep doing them. Its also probably a nice change of pace for you as well, i imagine. This was super cool!

[@yaboi3473]

This hit me hard man. Especially towards the end. Passion curiosity knowledge information. Very strong words that hold alot of weight towards anything in general. Great content like always man

[@lynnbruner5933]

I have watched almost all of your videos and found so many of them inspiring. This one I found unspeakably inspiring, not just about ramen but a way to approach life. Thank you!

[@joelwilliamson3322]

That knowledge at the end is truly inspiring. Thanks for a great video

[@Magius61]

This is great. Objectives, methods, and attitude are so much more important than a specific recipe or piece of information without context. What a lovely human being. Thanks for sharing this.

[@Phantasmogorica]

Really cool video! Love your content, even if its not a cooking video. Cool story, well told that actually brought a tear to my eye

[@kpopimpresario3997]

That was super inspiring. Thank you!

[@YoavSilver]

Woah, man, your channel grew so much! Also - GREAT VID

[@blackdynasty6653]

This is beautiful, thank you for posting Ryan!

[@WayofRamen]

Thanks for watching!

[@scottbearden]

I miss your uploads. I just want you to know your videos got me through the pandemic lockdown. Thank you for your contributions to culinary KZbin.

[@jivezinampan9140]

This video bursts with inspiration. Thank you.

[@coreygilles847]

This is wonderful thank you

[@gastron3rdcookingyt225]

This is my new favorite Way of Ramen video

[@Armymum13]

Omg!!!!! LOVED this!!!!! I will never be one to make professional level Ramen or even homemade noodles, but I LOVED his explanation of the triangle & the random dots....that made so much sense to me....& the hito-gara....I deeply believe in that...how you are & even the mood you are in effects what you cook & how you nourish the ones you are cooking for...I know little of Japanese culture, but I am curious...and have always believed in if I am going to do something, to do it with all my heart, I believe the term is "kokoro ire"... apologies if I haven't understood that correctly...I am looking to find my hito-gara. My version of Ramen that is perfect for me & nourishes my heart...❤ thank you Ryan for posting this...I need to go listen to the podcast!

[@Adam-rn1fy]

We missed you!

[@WayofRamen]

thank you

[@kobito610]

That's very inspiring thank you

[@clewstah]

Love it.

[@TeresaAlexandraCosta]

I've never eaten Ramen - but this video is inspiring at so many other levels as well. Thank you!

[@DaGreenSift]

This is a good video. It's a shame this doesn't get more views.

[@etherdog]

What a great story, Ryan!

[@vanderley3]

Wow. So much philosophy into making ramen, who would've thought. Great insight video.

[@patzmaru98]

I agree, with what he said "it's about the person cooking and who they're cooking for" like genuinely wanting to do something and being curious ☺️

[@Jasongy827]

curiousity is when you start to wonder and find more profound questions and sometimes all the time the most imporvement

[@cherylmedeiros6287]

Passion and curiosity is a great combination!

[@blackknightjack3850]

"When we truly start to die is when we stop asking questions" I think another way to put this is that people are afraid of death because they have so many questions left to ask.

[@certainstrength]

Really enjoyed this episode. If possible, please work in these types of videos from time to time even after you get your kitchen back

[@katl8825]

this is such an adorable and inspiring story T - T

[@FlaccidPlatypus]

Nice video

[@themysterytraveler6536]

Dude is super dedicated, even more impressive for an "amateur". Mad respect!

[@dernick5060]

Cool new format especially for someone not japanese

[@charlesr.8159]

I like how curiosity will now become an integral part of achievement, not just passion.

[@octaviacoquus8857]

Look at that jolly face; this dude is a distillation of wholesomeness. Like a japanese ken bone.

[@dannychane]

He seems like an idol I never knew he existed!

[@johnfatland4618]

Cool 👌👌

[@sabahbubbler]

I like that. Walking on different paths, some are ahead, some are behind. Perhaps it's not about levels but different types of paths. I used to be bummed out that a guitarist, metal specifically got so good at shredding guitar, arpeggios and playing at fast speed while I played for how many years, I'm not as fast as them. I felt like Im the worst. Then as I got older, I realize there's different paths. Look at Eric Clapton, Angus Young, Tom Morello and Santana. They're not the fastest guitarist but certainly one of the best in their own way. Their creativity on phrasing, licks and making music with their unique identity. Like Kanda-san said, think about who you want to make your art(ramen) to rather than how do I become the best artist(ramen maker) Same with drawing, rather asking how to do gesture drawing or anatomy, think why you're drawing and who you're doing it for Thank you so much for the video

[@shumyboykenobi5227]

Wow nice

[@mzungu1970]

You went all Guru for a moment there. Makes total sense though.

[@maggiejetson7904]

Life lesson for sure.

[@spencerpond4098]

He had training arcs and even a tournament arc.

[@jmatos316]

Ask a Cuban mom why her food tastes so good, and she'll say its because of the love she puts into it :) Its kind of what he was saying about that heart of hospitality ... :)

[@MongoosePreservationSociety]

yeah man, this is good.

[@LegoCookieDoggie]

This is honestly how you become a professor or an expert in your field. I saw that I am going through the same process with my academic career

[@spookydexx]

the way he talks about making ramen is inspiring asf

[@papaarmo5028]

Like dude I know I have always tried to cook with my soul in a sense. But, it's really more than just that it's like he said what is that best Ramen I can cook for that person. It's learning your customers. What without them realizing it the foods not different it's the cook adding himself into the food so that the customer feels line the cook cooked that just for them. Like that burger was made especially for you the way you want it even without asking.

[@kealebogapoifo6703]

Make ramen don't make ramen you'll always get a like from me ☺️ love your content

[@katemckay6173]

❤️❤️❤️

[@charlesrobbins5683]

This guy has the same mentality about me and my brewing

[@MongoosePreservationSociety]

follow your curiosity, i like that

[@hapapa]

Great video. Question about noodles. Are udon noodles the same as ramen noodles just bigger?

[@Cytronello]

Nope or at least traditionally. Udon noodles consists of 3 ingredients which are water, salt and flour. Water content is usually high like 45+%. Udon noodles arent alkaline.

[@WayofRamen]

Udon noodles don't have kansui which is the alkaline component of ramen noodles. you can make the in a similar way though!

[@hapapa]

@@WayofRamen Thank you sensei!

[@hapapa]

@@Cytronello thank!

[@Mike-Eye]

I have lots of questions to ask about Ramen.

[@user-ti9zc1xv2b]

By the way he answered your question, I'm almost sure he has some kind of engineering job.

[@SeanTaka]

Is there a video or a translated version of the podcast interview?

[@WayofRamen]

its linked in the description

[@JBlizzyFan]

this video wasn't in my sub box :/ almost missed it

[@bryant1968]

if i could double like. i would !!

[@commentarytalk1446]

I really enjoy delicious Ramen but I wonder what is both delicious and nutritious and if there's a "king ramen" of this sort?? For me the first thing I want to serve people is nutritious and then add delicious. Ramen feels like it ticks those boxes but perhaps if one eats Ramen regularly how to increase nutrition while maintaining delicious?

[@alphonsoburgessjr.4113]

How exactly does this "gara-gara" pun go in Japanese? I catch something like "torigara butagara hitogara tte kotoba ga ramen no naka de wa arun desu yo", but I am not positive...

[@lucaromualdo8580]

We need more translated cc

[@rwidn8434]

I thought this was unlisted?

[@theauthor3259]

A Ramen Channel with no Kitchen? 😱

[@zojirushi1]

Is this a reupload? I remember watching this before. 🤔

[@WayofRamen]

yeah it was unlisted but could be found with some searching. now its public. you must be a good fan :)

[@zojirushi1]

@@WayofRamen yessir :D 👀🙈😌🍜

[@alxnlol]

where to eat

[@jamesjennings4668]

What's happened? Have you stopped doing your blog I hope not

[@Brokout]

Did you ever play SF4? If so, do you miss the game?

[@WayofRamen]

yes i played it A LOT when it first came out, so much so that playing it caused me to have some pretty bad anxiety so i quit fighting games altogether.

[@Brokout]

@@WayofRamen I hear you! I don’t play any more either, but watch gameplay of the old masters like Daigo and Bonchan with great pleasure... like a well made bowl of ramen, thank you brother

[@lovewillwinnn]

tunaFISH? Would people be confused if we just said “tuna?” 🤔

[@mrpizzacat8273]

Dude better get an anime

[@valdomero738]

Based and Ramenpilled

[@thomasedwards4515]

Braised and Chashupilled

[@JeremyL1983]

Change the channel name to Philosophy of Ramen

[@urouroniwa]

This is probably more detail than you want but... In Japanese, if you want to say "the way of", you use "dou" (which is pronounced a bit like "dough" in English). And here we go on a bit of a historical journey. In 1879 Japan forcibly annexed Okinawa. Before that time Okinawa was its own Kingdom. This was about 15 years after the Meiji restoration where the Shogun was kicked out and a new imperial government was formed. Before the Meiji restoration Japan had a policy of intense isolation. The Meiji imperial government wanted to expand and one of their first movements was to take over the island of Okinawa. Okinawa was the home to karate and when the Japanese set up shop they were worried that well trained martial artists might band together to form an effective rebellion. In fact, 20 years later that exact thing happened in China (see the "Boxer Rebellion"). In an effort to prevent that, they made it illegal to teach karate. Karate teachers, showing that they understood Japanese culture, stopped teaching "karate" and started teaching "karatedou". In other words, they stopped teaching how to fight and started teaching how to live using karate as a model. This appealed to the Japanese and the idea of studying "whatever-dou" quickly came into fashion. As I said, the word "dou" (which is often spelled "do" in roman characters) means "the way". It is literally the "tao" or "dao" from Chinese philosophy (as in the "tao te ching" or "dao de jing" depending on the transliteration you prefer). I could go into even greater detail here, but I'll spare you. I'll just say it's a philosophy that can help you reason about various problems in surprising ways. There is a Daoist religion, but the "dao" that survives for the most part today was incorporated in what was known as "Chang Buddhism" and that move to Japan in about 700 and eventually evolved into Zen Buddhism. So... Long story short: "The Way of Ramen" would be "ramendou" in Japanese which would mean "the way of living your life through the teaching of making ramen" -- thanks to very politically clever karate practitioners in Okinawa. Hopefully not all of what I've typed is wrong. I *am* a random guy on the internet, after all. If this makes you curious, I recommend discovering what you can find for yourself :-)

[@satoshiketchump]

Kanda san's advice on imagining where you're serving the ramen and who you're serving it to, is the reason Yuki Soma won in the soba round by making yakisoba, to everyone's surprise and delight.

[@Leon-ld8kr]

If you declare with your mouth, Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the deadyou will be saved Romans...10:9,Pls Repent And accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour Rapture and Hell is the consequence please.😭