In 2020, Hearts Choices owner Tippawadi “Nan” Thammanatr opened Nan’s Noodle House, specializing in vegan dishes with pan-Asian flavours. Thammanatr passed away in 2022, but the new owners kept the name and plant-based philosophy to honour her legacy. Today, Nan’s Noodle House boasts two locations serving dishes like pho, laksa, pad Thai, pancit and a bursting-with-flavour black garlic ramen. We caught up with sous chef and creative director Brandon Bauzon to learn how it’s made.
The Broth
“We make our ramen broth in-house, in the same way you’d find in a traditional Japanese joint, with the kombu, the onions, the dried mushrooms and everything, except, obviously, it’s vegan, so there are no bones,” Bauzon says. “It’s similar to a tonkatsu — it’s a bit thicker because we do add quite a bit of [red and white] miso, as well.”
The Garlic
Traditionally, black garlic is slowly fermented, but “we do our black garlic a bit differently,” Bauzon shares. “We char it on the outside so it becomes black, but it still has that really nutty flavour on the inside. Our volume is so high that we just can’t keep up [with the slower style].” The ramen is topped with whole cloves, as well as garnished with an oil made from the same black garlic.
The “Pork Belly”
The protein on top is an imitation “pork belly” made from a secret mix of rice flour, tapioca flour, texturized vegetable protein and other ingredients, then layered and steamed to emulate the mixture of fat and meat you would find in a real braised pork belly. “When it’s finished, we cut it, fry it until golden brown and deglaze it with our asado sauce, which is a Filipino sauce that gives it a kind of porky flavour,” Bauzon says.
The Rest
“We get our noodles from Hung’s Noodles, which is a local producer — we really try to embrace supporting local businesses,” Bauzon says. The black garlic ramen is finished with mushrooms reserved from the stock-making process, bamboo shoots marinated in-house, sweet corn, bok choy and nori.
3103B Edmonton Tr. N.E., 403-455-0590; and 12445 Lake Fraser Dr. S.E., 403-478-8853; nansnoodlehouse.com, @nansnoodlehouse