Ramen Rumble 6 reigns with delicious noodles
On Jan. 22, 2024, we were invited to Morimoto Asia at Disney Springs to experience the culinary competition, Ramen Rumble 6, which challenges chefs from across Central Florida to make their best version of the Japanese Noodle dish.
During the event, now in its 6th year, guests have the opportunity to sample each dish and vote for their favorite, with the winning chef receiving the Ramen Rumble championship belt (ala professional wrestling). Perhaps best of all, the entire affair raises money for Give Kids The World.
The event began with a few words from the host but jumped quickly into the main event, which is, of course, the ramen. We were treated to five of the most delicious bowls of ramen I had ever had, not to mention some of the more fascinating takes on ramen, including a deconstructed sushi experience and traditional Mexican soup ramen.
The Ramen Rumble 6 Contenders
- Pozole Ramen from Chef Wendy Lopez of Reyes Mezcaleria – Spicy Mexican soup flavors with unique ingredients. Review: Really unexpected
- Seafood Deluxe Cold-Dipping Ramen from Chef Sonny Nguyen of Domu – This ramen came with instructions to “grab the sushi grade fish and some noodles, dip, slurp.” Review: The quality of each ingredient here was really high
- Gyuton Ramen from Chef Yoko Takagi of Ramen Takagi – Hand-cut noodles with a simple yet tasty beef and pork broth. Review: The real winner here was the roast beef in the ramen.
- Oishii Abura Soba (Oiled Ramen Noodle) from Chef Takeshi Ikeuchi of Morimoto Asia is a unique take on ramen with no broth but just oiled noodles. Review: There are a lot of unique flavors in this one that worked well together.
- Hambagu Shoyu Ramen from Chef Lewis Lin of Susuru/Juju – This ramen was very decadent and felt very “American” with rib eye, wagyu fat, and a shoyu egg. Review: With some of the richest flavors of the evening, this one was my vote for the winner.
After all the ramen, we were served special ramen-themed desserts, including a really cute ramen-shaped pastry.
And the Winner is …
After everyone had voted and finished dessert, the votes were tallied, and the overall winner was announced: Chef Yoko Takagi of Ramen Takagi with her Gyuton Ramen!
We also learned that Give Kids The World likes to think of each donated dollar they receive as a smile, which was followed by the big announcement that the event had topped last year’s total and raised thirteen thousand smiles.
For all you ramen lovers out there, this is one of the best events in Orlando – though be warned, it may spoil you for all other ramen – and we can’t wait for The Ramen Rumble 7.
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