UPDATE (April 11, 2024) — This event is sold out. Tickets will not be available at the door.

Schedule

Wednesday, April 17, 2024
6:30 p.m. Panel Discussion
7:15 p.m. Ramen Demonstration
7:30 p.m. Ramen Noodle Tasting

From its humble origins in Japan's Yokohama Chinatown in the early 20th century, ramen has become a global culinary and cultural phenomenon. Starting in the post-war period, ramen stands and shops began popping up across Japan, adapting Chinese wheat noodle soups for regional variations across Japan as the dish became a ubiquitous and popular street food.

Beyond its gastronomic appeal, ramen holds profound cultural significance, acting as a unique social and dining experience. Its global popularity attests to its ability to transcend cultural boundaries and unite people through a shared love for this comforting and versatile noodle soup.

Join an immersive experience celebrating the world of ramen as Sushic Director Robert Gondo and Sun Noodle President Kenshiro Uki, in a conversation moderated by Kuriko Wong, share the elegant and meticulous craftsmanship required to make the noodles from scratch. Tsujita Artisan Noodle Chef Yuino Kunamoto will present a demonstration on preparing a bowl of ramen and serve Tsujita's signature dish tsukemen (dipping ramen), while guests enjoy a bowl of ramen prepared onsite by Killer Noodle.

Each ticket includes one bowl of tsukemen noodles prepared onsite and a take-home ramen kit courtesy of Sun Noodle. The tsukemen dish contains pork, shrimp, and gluten. No substitutions available.

About the Speakers

Robert Gondo is the Director at Tokyo Gardens Catering (TGC) which provides sushi to HEB and major U.S. grocery chains. TGC has worked with HEB for over 20 years and today is the largest sushi company in Texas. Robert is also Director at Sushic, a local catering company that serves private clients, major events, universities and hospitals. TGC/Sushic is a family business, which originally started as a Japanese restaurant in Houston by Robert’s grandparents in 1966, before transitioning to retail in 2001.

Robert received his MBA from the Ross School of Business at University of Michigan and undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia. He is part of the American Leadership Forum - Houston (Class LIX - 59).

Chef Yuino Kumamoto serves as the regional manager for Tsujita Artisan Noodle in Houston, Texas. Born in Yokosuka, Japan she has worked at virtually every level of the restaurant industry over the last 25 years. She began working for the Tsujita Group in 2014 and was tasked with opening and managing restaurants in both California and Texas. She was most recently charged with opening Houston’s Tsujita Artisan Noodle in 2024.

Chef Yuino enjoys learning about all aspects of restaurant business and especially enjoys trying new recipes. She loves talking with customers and asks that you say hello the next time you visit Tsujita Artisan Noodle.

Kenshiro Uki is the President of Sun Noodle North America and Director of Sun Noodle Europe. He oversees strategy and operations out of the company's Carlstadt, New Jersey, location. A third-generation noodle maker, Kenshiro grew up taste-testing ramen noodles at his family's Honolulu facility. With his sister Hisae, he launched Sun Noodle's innovative ramen pop-up concept, Ramen Lab, in the competitive New York restaurant scene during a peak growth period for Sun Noodle. Kenshiro earned his business management undergraduate degree and his MBA in international management from Whitworth University.

About the Moderator

Kuriko Hasegawa Wong is a multicultural, multilingual communications and public relations specialist, with two decades of experience helping the world’s biggest organizations and their leaders cut through the noise and communicate with impact on a global scale. She currently heads communications for the Consumer Business Group at Tata Consultancy Services, the No. 1 Indian IT service provider, where she is working to position the company as a strategic business advisor to the biggest global brands in retail, consumer goods, and travel.

Her previous in-house and top-tier agency experience includes localizing the global Accenture brand in the U.S. Southwest, helping Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ headquarters move to Texas, and expanding Moody Gardens’ reach to Spanish-speaking media.  Kuriko is also a certified yoga instructor, workplace chair yoga evangelist and cycling enthusiast. She is based in Houston, Texas. 

Asia Society hosts today's leading voices, providing commentary on events in news, society, and culture. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect Asia Society views.

Business and Policy programs at Asia Society Texas are presented by Bank of America, Muffet Blake, ExxonMobil, and United Airlines. Major support comes from Nancy C. Allen, Chinhui Juhn and Eddie Allen, The Brown Foundation, Inc., bp America, and Houston Endowment Inc. Generous funding provided by Anne and Albert Chao, ConocoPhillips, Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas), Regions Bank, and Stephanie and Frank Tsuru. Additional funding is provided by the Friends of Asia Society, a dedicated group of individuals and organizations committed to bringing the best in public programming.

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About Asia Society Texas

Asia Society Texas believes in the strength and beauty of diverse perspectives and people. As an educational institution, we advance cultural exchange by celebrating the vibrant diversity of Asia, inspiring empathy, and fostering a better understanding of our interconnected world. Spanning the fields of arts, business, culture, education, and policy, our programming is rooted in the educational and cultural development of our community — trusting in the power of art, dialogue, and ideas to combat bias and build a more inclusive society.