How Sun Noodle Ignited the Love for Ramen in the U.S.

Sun Noodle is a family-run company that started in 1981. Hidehito Uki was just 20 years old when he decided to leave Japan and start a small noodle factory in Honolulu, Hawaii. One wouldn't guess the extent of work going on inside the factory. Many suggest that this unassuming factory started America's love affair with ramen. Today, Uki's custom-made ramen noodles are sold all over U.S. and shipped as far as Europe.

In an interview with BBC, Uki humbly expressed his gratitude over compliments given to his noodles, "We feel really lucky, but we're just doing whatever we need to do for the noodles." Uki's first job was a noodle maker in Japan, under his father. He was then sent to Hawaii to sell machines and to teach customers the proper way to make noodles. He then came to realize that Hawaii has only one type of noodle for their ramen, this is contrary to Japan's custom where various types of broth call for specific type of noodle. His aim has now become clear: To make specialty ramen noodles. However Uki had difficulty selling his noodles when he first started. Ramen shops were importing noodles from Japan and they are sceptical about locally made noodles. Until one ramen shop agreed to purchase his noodles. With the owner's recommendations, they created a customized ramen specifically for that ramen house. That's when Uki realized the importance in customizing noodles for individual customers. According to him, each ramen shop has its own distinct style and flavour of soup, and they need a unique noodle to match that. Ten years after, he opened his first factory in Los Angeles, California at the urging demands of his customers. With the expansion of his customers' businesses, the need for fresh noodles increased. The California plant also ships fresh noodles to customers in Canada and South America. In 2012, he eventually set up another factory in New Jersey to meet demand for his noodles, all fresh not frozen, across the country. This factory also ships to France, Switzerland and United Kingdom.

Uki finally took ramen education a step further by setting up his own Ramen Lab in Manhattan. It operates as a restaurant for the public at night. The company brought its own ramen chef from Japan, Shigetoshi Nakamura, who provides workshop in the proper preparation of ramen. Nakamura is widely considered one of Japan's greatest chefs and you can find him at the other side of the counter every evening masterfully preparing ramen.