Dalco Point Noodle Farm

I grew up in North Seattle (Wedgwood), but my family’s roots on Vashon go back to the mid-’70s, when my dad and a couple buddies bought property on Pohl Road.

I spent a lot of summers with my grandma, and some of my best memories are in her kitchen — baking, canning and learning that good food is equal parts craft and care.

Cooking eventually became my career. I worked my way through restaurant kitchens, trained at Dubrulle French Culinary in Vancouver, B.C., and spent time at Arnaud’s New Orleans before returning to the Northwest, and ending my restaurant life as Executive Chef at Ponti Seafood Grill. Life took a few turns — marine carpentry, boat work, a startup — but I’ve always circled back to food.

That’s how I landed in what my family calls “the noodle zone.”

Like a lot of parents, I bought instant ramen for the kids. They liked the noodles, not the seasoning packets. After staring at a growing stash of packets, I figured: why not make the noodles myself?

I pulled out a hand-crank roller, took my lumps with the learning curve, and eventually hit something I was proud of. With some equipment upgrades, production ramped up fast — and making noodles became the best part of my week.

Now I’m making traditional alkaline ramen noodles right here on Vashon, focused on a product that’s simple, versatile and built for real cooking at home. The noodles are vegan, with long shelf life, and I’m working on additional varieties and cuts (think buckwheat, whole wheat, and different widths) as well as soup bases.

If you want to try them, you can find my Vashon-made ramen at Thriftway. They’ve been selling well, and I’m expanding distribution through Crown Pacific Fine Foods — with Stadium Thriftway in Tacoma coming soon and PCC on the horizon.

Down the road, I’d love to offer ramen classes, Vashon-only memberships, and community-minded givebacks — and eventually, a small storefront lunch counter.

Jake Lawrence Reagan