IF YOU HAVE A GOOD
QUESTION, E MAIL AT
WCCO.COM/LINKS.
WHEN YOU THINK OF RAMEN YOU
PROBABLY THINK TO A NICE, CHEAP
MEAL IN COLLEGE.
BUT TONIGHT, WE ARE NOT
TALKING WHAT YOU ATE IN THE
DORMS.
WE ASKED WHERE TO FIND THE BEST
RAMEN MINNESOTA HAS TO OFFER.
AS WCCO'S KATE RADDATZ
DISCOVERED, YOU WERE UNITED IN
YOUR VOTES.
Reporter: OKAY, THE MESSY
HISTORY OF RAMEN.
RAMEN.
RAMEN?
WHAT IS THE LAST TIME I HAD
RAMEN?
NOT THAT RAMEN.
THIS IS THE REAL DEAL.
THIS IS NOT YOUR COLLEGE
RAMEN.
NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT.
Reporter: HERE AT UNITED
NOODLES IN MINNEAPOLIS, THEY
MAKE THE BEST RAMEN IN
MINNESOTA.
IT IS SUPPOSED TO GIVE A
PERSON, YOU KNOW, THE COMPLETE
ALL FOUR FOOD GROUPS FEEL IN ONE
DISH.
Reporter: THE WORD "RAMEN"
COMES FROM THE CHINESE WORDS "TO
PULL NOODLE."
HOW IT BECAME AN ICONIC DISH OF
JAPAN IS A MYSTERY.
PREVAILING STORY IS THAT A
JAPANESE CHEF LEARNED RAMEN FROM
A CHINESE COOK.
Reporter: TODAY, EACH BOWL OF
RAMEN HAS FOUR BASE INGREDIENTS,
BROTH, NOODLES, TOPPINGS, AND
SEASONINGS.
THE SEASONING HAS OVER 20
INGREDIENTS AND THE BROTH TAKES
OVER 72 HOURS TO MAKE.
Reporter: HERE AT UNITED
NOODLES, BROTH IS KING.
THE BROTH IS THE SOUL.
EVERY TWO DAYS WE START NEW
BROTH, BOIL, ROASTED.
Reporter: THE FIERY BROTH
CALLED THE DRAMA RAMEN ARE A
FAVORITE OF THESE FIREFIGHTERS.
THE FLAVOR IS JUST AWESOME.
Reporter: IT IS A DRAMA OF
THESE FIGHTING EACH OTHER.
IT HAS PORK BELLY,
CARAMELIZED ONION, SOY EGG,
LEEKS AND SPECIAL SPICES.
ONCE YOU GET YOUR SHOP STICK--
CHOP STICKS RISE.
YOUR INDEX AND MIDDLE FINGER
GUIDE THE TOP CHOP STICK.
Reporter: THERE WE GO.
HOW IS THAT?
GOOD.
Reporter: THE ONLY CHALLENGE
IS TO TRY TO STAY CLEAN.
IT IS NOT EASY.
Reporter: DIFFICULT TO EAT.
IT IS, YOU SAID MESSY IS OKAY.
WHILE YOU SAVOR EVERY LAST
NOODLE.
CRUNCHY WITH THE SOFT NOODLES,
THEN THE BROTH YOUSHGS CAN TASTE
ALL THE SPICES.
IF YOU WANT TO MAKE YOUR OWN
RAMEN, YOU CAN GET THAT IN THEIR
SUPERMARKET.
THE NOODLE BUSINESSCOME A ONE
STOP SHOP FOR A LOT OF TOP CHEFS
IN THE TWIN CITIES TO GO AND AND
BROWSE AROUND AND FIND THAT, YOU
KNOW, THAT NEW INGREDIENT.
Reporter: UNITED NOODLES
SERVES AS ONE OF THE LARGEST
ASIAN SUPERMARKETS IN THE
COUNTRY BUT IT IS THE RAMEN THEY
ARE SERVING UP FROM THE KITCHEN
THAT MAKES THEM SOME OF THE BEST
MINNESOTA HAS TO OFFER.
THAT IS GOOD.
UNITED NOODLES, WE HAVE THE
BEST RAMEN IN MINNESOTA.
[ CHEERING AND APPLAUSE ]
UNITED NOODLES ORIGINALLY
STARTED AS A NOODLE FACTORY IN
1972 BY A FAMILY FRIEND WHO CAME
TO AMERICA FROM THE PHILIPPINES.
TODAY THEY SERVE 40,000 BOWLS OF
RAMEN IN A YEAR, AND THE RAMEN
RANGES FROM $12 TO $14,
OBVIOUSLY THE DISH I HAD HAD
MEAT IN IT.
BUT THEY HAVE VEGAN AND
VEGETARIAN OPTIONS AND YOU
BOTH-- HAVE YOU BEEN THERE
BEFORE?
WE LOVE UNITED NOODLES .
WE LOVE IT.
WE WENT TO THE RESTAURANT THERE
YEARS AGO, I DIDN'T REALIZE THEY
SERVED RAMEN.
I BUY RAMEN FROM THERE TO COOK
AT HOME.
Reporter: IT IS A
DESTINATION, YOU WOULD HAVE TO
KNOW WHERE IT IS TO GO THERE.
LET ME TELL YOU, IT WAS GOOD.
YOU GOT TO GO BACK.
ENORMOUS STORE.
HE WAS GREAT.
WONDERFUL.
YES.
ALL RIGHT.
NEXT THURSDAY 10:00 WE WILL NEED
A NOMINATION FOR MINNESOTA'S
BEST BIKE SHOP.
GOOD ONE.
YOU CAN VOTE FOR ONE OF THE
TOP 5 FINALISTS RIGHT NOW, ALL