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Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 47: Frank Striegl - Ramen Expert, Stock Broker, SMIS, Wrestler, Tech
Frank Streigl (St. Marys 2002)
President and Owner of Finom K.K.
Frank is the owner at Finom Inc., operating the brands Tokyo Ramen Tours and 5 AM Ramen. Essentially, he has one of the best jobs in the world. He eats ramen for a living. After St. Mary's, he majored in Sociology and minored in Law at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. His first job was in Tokyo, where he worked as a Nikkei stockbroker. After finance, he found himself working in tech, chiefly in sales and business development roles. From this point onward he would continue to work in sales, including at the online booking website Agoda. In January of 2018, he started offering ramen tours to inbound tourists, immersing himself in the world of ramen full-time.
Tokyo Ramen Tours https://www.tokyoramentours.com/
5AM Ramen http://5amramen.com/
Episode summary
1:55 - Introduction
3:45 - Of the 1000+ ramen places you have been to, where are the one or two that you recommend? (Harukiya and Taishoken)
5:44 - Soy sauce based v pork-based ramen for tourists
7:11 - The "Tsukemen" boom
9:14 - Ramen noodles / Childhood ramen favorites
12:53 - At what point did Frank decide to pivot from the tech/corporate world to the world of ramen
15:50 - How to eat ramen every day, but maintaining a healthy lifestyle
18:02 - The "1000 yen wall" 千円の壁
21:22 - The economics of being a ramen restaurant owner
24:41 - How to make ramen at home
27:22 - "Secret" ramen recipes, urban legend, or some truth?
29:39 - Franchised ramen locations - places Frank recommends
30:55 - Bad ramen experience? (*Coffee Ramen)
34:08 - Two more recommendation (on top of Harukiya and Taishoken), pork and miso ramen (pork - Tanaka Shouten, miso - Santora)
38:12 - Being a brother to a professional MMA fighter (Mark Mugen Striegl)
42:03 - The World Instant Ramen
46:22 - What is coming up in the next few years
Harukiya - Ogibukubo Station
1 Chome-4-6 Kamiogi, Suginami City
Soysauce Ramen
http://5amramen.com/ramen/harukiya-ramen
Taishoken - Eifukucho Station
3-5-3 Izumi, Suginami-ku Tokyo
Soysauce Ramen
http://5amramen.com/ramen/eifukucho-taishoken
Tanaka Shouten - Rokucho Station
Adachi City, Hitotsuya, 2 Chome−14−6 アンスリューム 1F
Pork Ramen
http://5amramen.com/ramen/tonkotsu-ramen-in-tokyo-tanaka-shoten
Santora - Edogawaa Station
362 Yamabukicho, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 162-0801,
Miso Ramen
https://tabelog.com/en/tokyo/A1309/A130905/13240660/
View all episodes
By Nickolas Harris
5
33 ratings
Frank Streigl (St. Marys 2002)
President and Owner of Finom K.K.
Frank is the owner at Finom Inc., operating the brands Tokyo Ramen Tours and 5 AM Ramen. Essentially, he has one of the best jobs in the world. He eats ramen for a living. After St. Mary's, he majored in Sociology and minored in Law at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. His first job was in Tokyo, where he worked as a Nikkei stockbroker. After finance, he found himself working in tech, chiefly in sales and business development roles. From this point onward he would continue to work in sales, including at the online booking website Agoda. In January of 2018, he started offering ramen tours to inbound tourists, immersing himself in the world of ramen full-time.
Tokyo Ramen Tours https://www.tokyoramentours.com/
5AM Ramen http://5amramen.com/
Episode summary
1:55 - Introduction
3:45 - Of the 1000+ ramen places you have been to, where are the one or two that you recommend? (Harukiya and Taishoken)
5:44 - Soy sauce based v pork-based ramen for tourists
7:11 - The "Tsukemen" boom
9:14 - Ramen noodles / Childhood ramen favorites
12:53 - At what point did Frank decide to pivot from the tech/corporate world to the world of ramen
15:50 - How to eat ramen every day, but maintaining a healthy lifestyle
18:02 - The "1000 yen wall" 千円の壁
21:22 - The economics of being a ramen restaurant owner
24:41 - How to make ramen at home
27:22 - "Secret" ramen recipes, urban legend, or some truth?
29:39 - Franchised ramen locations - places Frank recommends
30:55 - Bad ramen experience? (*Coffee Ramen)
34:08 - Two more recommendation (on top of Harukiya and Taishoken), pork and miso ramen (pork - Tanaka Shouten, miso - Santora)
38:12 - Being a brother to a professional MMA fighter (Mark Mugen Striegl)
42:03 - The World Instant Ramen
46:22 - What is coming up in the next few years
Harukiya - Ogibukubo Station
1 Chome-4-6 Kamiogi, Suginami City
Soysauce Ramen
http://5amramen.com/ramen/harukiya-ramen
Taishoken - Eifukucho Station
3-5-3 Izumi, Suginami-ku Tokyo
Soysauce Ramen
http://5amramen.com/ramen/eifukucho-taishoken
Tanaka Shouten - Rokucho Station
Adachi City, Hitotsuya, 2 Chome−14−6 アンスリューム 1F
Pork Ramen
http://5amramen.com/ramen/tonkotsu-ramen-in-tokyo-tanaka-shoten
Santora - Edogawaa Station
362 Yamabukicho, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 162-0801,
Miso Ramen
https://tabelog.com/en/tokyo/A1309/A130905/13240660/