For the broth

1. Use a really good-quality butter if you can. Here and virtually everywhere, I start with a cultured, salted butter from grass-fed cows. This sounds fancy but doesn't have to be. Kerrygold, for example, is sold in most supermarkets at a reasonable price. If you'd like to make this recipe vegan, you can swap in a vegan butter of your choice.
2. Minced fresh shallot, garlic, and ginger create the first layer of flavor. You can strain them out of the broth before serving if you like, but I prefer to leave them in.
3. Mirin is a sweet Japanese rice wine that's pervasive in cooking and in dipping sauces. It's pretty easy to find in grocery stores these days, but you can also buy it here.
4. My favorite boxed vegetable broth by far is Imagine No Chicken lower-sodium broth. It has a great flavor profile and none of the rust-colored nonsense that plagues many other brands. It works beautifully in this recipe. You can, of course, use vegetarian dashi instead if you happen to have it on hand.
5. I like to use lower-sodium soy sauce since it packs all the umami with less salt.
6. A small amount of tahini (sesame seed paste) adds depth and creaminess to the broth that mimics pork ramen, without really making the broth taste like sesame.
7. White miso paste is made from fermented soybeans. It has a salty, sweet, and savory vibe and is among the most mellow of the miso varieties. You'll stir it in after taking the broth off the heat to keep the live cultures thriving. Buy it here.

For the tofu

1. Fresh garlic is great, but truth be told I sometimes use garlic powder in this marinade.
2. Five-spice powder is a warm, cozy, and slightly astringent spice blend made from star anise, fennel seeds, Szechuan peppercorns, clove, and cinnamon.
3. Hoisin sauce is a savory, salty, sweet sauce based on fermented soybean paste.
4. Safflower oil is my high-smoke-point, neutral-tasting vegetable oil of choice. You can substitute another oil that has similar properties, such as canola, sunflower, peanut, corn, or vegetable oil blend.
5. Extra-firm tofu stays intact, absorbs marinade well, and has a nice, gently chewy texture.

For the noodles

1. If you can get your hands on the excellent-quality fresh ramen noodles made by Sun Noodle (a Hawaii company with a NJ production facility that supplies to many of the best ramen shops in NYC and NJ) or another similar company, I highly recommend them. If not, it's okay to start with dried noodles.

To assemble the ramen

1. Feel free to get creative with the toppings, swapping in what you’ve got (and what you love).
2. I like to include a flavorful finishing oil or hot sauce. Here I've used chili crisp, but black garlic oil, hot chili toasted sesame oil, or even sriracha would be great.

Make-ahead tips

1. You can cook the broth in advance, stopping before you add the tahini and miso, and store in an airtight container in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for up to a year. Reheat to boiling, then continue with the recipe.
2. You can make the char siu tofu up to a week in advance if you like, and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
3. Cook the noodles and assemble the ramen just before serving.
4. Assembled leftovers will be okay in an airtight container in the fridge for a day or two, but the noodles will continue to absorb the broth and soften. You can add more broth before reheating if you like.