[dropcap size=big]A[/dropcap]rmed with hand-sewn face masks, homemade shoyu broth, and dozens of soft boiled eggs, Ricky Yarnall is reviving his old ramen pop-up in the age of the coronavirus to serve Los Angeles restaurant workers who have lost their jobs.
“I’ve kind of always wanted to open a shop,” the head barman of Bestia and Bavel restaurants in DTLA said. “I’ve always just had a pretty good job and it was hard to give that up but, now, I have the time.”
When Los Angeles began sheltering in place in mid-March, Yarnall and other restaurant industry workers quickly lost their income as many eateries reduced staff or closed doors completely. He needed to find a way to keep busy during the day, so Yarnall turned to something he knew had always worked in the past: Making homemade ramen.
Cooking up big batches several times a week, Yarnall started delivering to friends and restaurant workers he knew were also out of work, but the business quickly expanded to include all of Long Beach and parts of Orange County. He offers a pay-what-you-can structure and donations from his patrons have allowed him to provide free portions to those without income. So far, he has sold and given away more than 200 portions and made donations with the proceeds to Black Lives Matter and two immigrant rights organizations: No Us Without You and Al Otro Lado.
Each batch takes two tedious days to create.