Broth is not an ingredient. Broth is a promise.
At Sage we simmer our tonkatsu broth for fourteen hours. No shortcuts, no flavour enhancers, no stock cubes. Just bones, water, patience and technique. What comes out is not simply soup; it is the foundation of a dish you will still taste days later.
Why fourteen hours?
It is the question we get most often. The answer is simple: collagen needs time. The bones we use, pork bone and chicken carcass, are rich in collagen. Only after hours of low, slow cooking does that collagen dissolve into the broth. Only then do you get the creamy, viscous texture that defines a real tonkatsu.
Cook it for less? The broth stays thin. Bland, pale, empty. Not here.
The role of umami
Alongside collagen we work with dashi, a traditional Japanese seasoning made from kombu and katsuobushi. Dashi adds a depth you can never get from meat alone. It is umami in its purest form: the fifth taste, which turns soup from good into unforgettable.
A good ramen never tastes the way you expect. A good ramen tastes the way you did not know you wanted.
Toppings: the final chapter
Broth and noodles are the foundation. The toppings tell the story. Ours include:
- Pork belly, confit and flamed
- Half a marinated egg, ajitsuke tamago
- Bamboo shoots, menma
- Fresh spring onion
- Nori
- Naruto, the pink and white spiral of fish cake
Every topping is a decision. Not filler, not decoration, but purpose.
Come and taste it
Our ramen is on the menu every day until 17:00. You do not need to book for lunch, but it is wise if you want to be sure of a table.
The Sage kitchen brigade
