Ep. 9 : Erik Bentz (@mochikocincy) : Worked at Thomas Keller's French Laundry, now making ramen in Cincy

The podcast explores the journey of Erik Bentz, a traditionally trained chef who transitioned from Michelin-starred restaurants to creating ramen at Mochiko, a Japanese-inspired pop-up in Cincinnati. Bentz details his early cooking experiences, his time at the French Laundry, and his eventual focus on Japanese cuisine, particularly ramen. He discusses the challenges of sourcing high-quality ingredients for ramen, balancing costs, and experimenting with different flavor profiles. Bentz highlights the importance of soup in ramen, his experimentation with noodles, and his efforts to use the whole chicken in his ramen bowls. He also touches on the difficulties of educating customers on how to properly enjoy ramen.