Steps

1. Cut off the stems of 3 eggplants and cut them into irregular bite-sized pieces.
   🕒 04:55
2. Place the irregularly cut eggplant into a container, cover it, and heat in a microwave for 3.5 to 4 minutes.
   🕒 05:55
3. Finely mince 10g garlic.
   🕒 06:16
4. In a separate container, add 1.5 tbsp MSG(Ajinomoto) Rice Oil and the minced garlic.
   🕒 07:49
5. Furthermore, add 1 tbsp soy sauce, 0.5 tbsp rice vinegar, and 6 dashes AJI-NO-MOTO (Umami Seasoning), then mix to create the eggplant sauce.
   🕒 08:04
6. Thoroughly drain the water from the microwaved eggplant.
   🕒 09:25
7. Pour the prepared sauce over the drained eggplant.
   🕒 09:34
8. Adjust the taste by adding 1 pinch salt and a dash umami seasoning, to taste. Mix and chill in the refrigerator to allow the flavors to meld, creating a delicious side dish. [Chef's Tip!] Chilling in the refrigerator allows the flavors to soak in deeply, making it even more delicious. Using MSG(Ajinomoto) Rice Oil, which is suitable for raw consumption, results in a clean and refreshing finish without any greasiness.
   🕒 10:26
9. As a garnish for the soup, thinly slice 20g scallion (long green onion) (approx. 4-5cm).
   🕒 11:10
10. Place the sliced scallion (long green onion) into a bowl and chill.
    🕒 11:34
11. To the bowl containing the scallion, add 2 tbsp soy sauce, 200ml cold water, 10 dashes AJI-NO-MOTO (Umami Seasoning), 3g bonito powder, 0.5 tsp sugar, 1 tsp rice vinegar, black pepper to taste, 2 tsp MSG(Ajinomoto) Rice Oil, and 1 tsp MSG(Ajinomoto) Sesame Oil, then mix and chill the soup in the refrigerator. [Chef's Tip!] Using MSG(Ajinomoto) Rice Oil and Sesame Oil in an approximate 2:1 ratio creates an elegant aroma and deepens the richness. Rice oil has a neutral, clear taste, making it ideal for enhancing the aroma of sesame oil while adding richness.
    🕒 11:57
12. Cut 70g pork belly into bite-sized pieces with kitchen shears.
    🕒 17:35
13. Bring a pot of water to a boil and start cooking 1 serving Chinese noodles according to package directions.
    🕒 18:06
14. While the noodles are cooking, prepare a bowl of ice water.
    🕒 18:26
15. 30 seconds before the noodles are done, add the cut pork belly to the pot and boil it with the noodles.
    🕒 18:51
16. Immediately transfer the cooked noodles and pork belly to the prepared ice water, rub and wash them by hand to thoroughly remove any sliminess, chill them completely, and then drain. [Chef's Tip!] Thoroughly chilling the noodles in ice water removes sliminess, increases their chewiness, and makes them more delicious.
    🕒 19:18
17. Add the drained noodles to the chilled soup bowl.
    🕒 20:15
18. Arrange the boiled pork belly, 1 hard-boiled egg cut in half, menma to taste, and green onions (chopped) to taste on top of the noodles.
    🕒 20:29
19. Sprinkle Aji Shio (seasoned salt) to taste over the arranged pork belly and hard-boiled egg to adjust the flavor. [Chef's Tip!] To save the effort of making ramen eggs (Ajitama), simply sprinkle Aji Shio over a boiled egg to create a ramen-like experience.
    🕒 21:06