Rogers High School culinary arts students recently got a taste of authentic ramen-making with Chef Basil Yu of Yagi Noodles.
Five students and their teacher, Chef Matthew Reilly, spent four hours at Yagi Noodles, diving into the world of nontraditional ramen.
“Chef Basil gave our students a masterclass in ramen cuisine,” says Reilly. “From the detailed technique of his handmade noodles, how to perfect the broth flavoring, and timing – we felt like Chef Basil shows us his secret playbook.”
The visit came about thanks to student Jeremiah Rodrigues, who worked at Yagi Noodles last summer. He suggested a ramen theme for the upcoming ProStart competition in February.
Chef Yu’s coaching focused on his unique take on ramen, which he calls “boldly American, inspired by Chinese and Japanese comfort foods.”
After this experience, the students decided on a ramen-themed three-course menu for the Feb. 25 competition. They’ve spent January practicing making noodles by hand and playing with different flavor combinations.
“As a chef and a teacher, I was blown away,” Reilly adds. He notes that the visit ran well over the planned class time, thanks to the generosity of Chef Yu and his team.
Yagi Noodles is located at 20 Long Wharf Mall in Newport and online at www.yaginoodles.com.
The Rhode Island Department of Education gave the following shout out of the event on X;
Culinary arts #CTE students in Newport recently had the opportunity to experience real-world cooking lessons with Chef Basil of @yaginoodles! They were able to master their culinary skills and techniques. More on RIDE CTE programs: https://t.co/Y1cA7XrvdD #CTEMonth pic.twitter.com/jrLWwnioSw
— Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) (@RIDeptEd) February 17, 2025
