The Zaza Ramen Book

A book for foodies, offering a practical and easy way to learn how to make Ramen, whilst exploring the production process, Japanese cuisine and culture, and incorporating seasonal products.

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A year of Zaza Ramen packed with photos and in 12 monthly chapters: from appetisers, to ramen to desserts, but also the Japanese fluids: a specially designed soda and sake, whisky, liquors. Clearly, "simplicity" in this case becomes an achievement: the "combination by subtraction" of two worlds. Ramen in this sense is modern Japanese cuisine in context, a dish made up of three basic elements interpreted in different ways: broth and fresh pasta with a choice of vegetables, meat, or seafood. Zaza Ramen's interpretations are, above all, delicate, and they are all prepared on site with the highest quality ingredients. The first clue is in the name: in the Italian version of the incredibly popular Manga series Lupin III, Zaza is the well-liked Inspector Zenigata, who is often seen eating Ramen. The choice of name is a metaphor, with a touch of irony, for a popular Japanese product proposed to an Italian audience. If it is true that Ramen is the most popular dish in Japan, here, in the heart of Milan, we find a high-end but still authentic version that is rigorous in its approach and clearly aware of the ingredients of Italian gastronomic culture.
Another clue is the logo, which contains no trace of classic Japanese iconography but instead has a contemporary style. A bowl, a spring of wheat, and a drop of water: the raw elements of Ramen symbolise essentials, purity, and authenticity. The same guiding principles are to be found in the design of the restaurant's interior, with natural materials and small details borrowed from Japanese tradition.