Ramen Noodles : Do you eat them? And why do you love them so?

ha ha! Get yours from TOP NOODLE!
http://www.asian4you.com/models-tour/kath03f043.jpg

Quite right. Momus has also eaten there, as has Chris Barrus.

I love our local Asian market (yeah, only one). I can't tall what's in most of the packaging, so I always buy interesting looking things, especially the ramens, and then we have "tasting" nights, where we try to figure-out just what that flavor is supposed to be. But my favorite, hands down, has to be the Korean spicy seafood mix - great for clearing the sinus' and all. But I hate it that they use cuttlefish in their mix. Completely wrong.

Oh, and I also make an awesome coleslaw with "crunchiness" coming from crushed ramen that's been sauteed in a miniscule amount of oil with sesame seeds until toasty and aromatic and irresistable. I think the dressing is oil and sugar an - hmmm...some sort of vinegar - cider, I think. Gosh, I'm making myself hungry.

am now quite fond of the pork flavor with a little hot sauce. per Spencer Chow's recommendation.

Destroy: shrimp flavor. I think the most disturbing thing about it is that it actually tastes and smells like shrimp. That's not right.

I am eating shrimp flavor right now, though, so that I will not have to eat it later.

This is considered quite normal in Japan. Not rude at all.

We tend to make ramen when we have left over pork roast. I make mine with miso, shitake, Chinese broccoli or bok choy, and bean sprouts and ginger. It's perfect in the winter.

This stuff you don't make broth with, you eat it dry. It comes with four separate compartments of stuff to mix in with it: Oil with spices, thick, gooey soy sauce, red pepper, and the fourth, largest packet is almost 100% MSG!

It is the greatest thing in the world.

(but when I eat it I don't put egg on it like in the picture, of course; and I throw away about half the MSG packet).

aren't yakisoba and ramen different things?

I bought one of the $.99 microwave yakisoba meals, opened it up and it's just a brick of ramen, ramen seasoning and some skanky looking dried veggies.

since i thought the vegetables highly suspect, i used to skim them off the dry ramen block and toss 'em in a glass container. over the course of 3 years of college i saved up a 16 oz. mason jar filled to the brim. it was quite attractive.

one night i got very very high and very very hungry and filled the jar with hot water to make some sort of reconstituted vegetable succotash. the vegetables expanded significantly, filling in the interspaces between themselves and actually looked like some sort of primary-hued Seurat-inspired sculpture.

the veggies also seemed to develop some kind of weird gelatinous texture: when, in further throes of cannaboid whimsy, i decided to invert the mason jar over my face, they stayed exactly where they were, the spoon i used to dig into them stayed wholly vertical when inserted.

i didn't eat any, because they looked too pretty.

probably for the best.

Timely bump! I JUST made some and sat down at ILX to enjoy my meal. MMMMMMMM

Hahaha same here, I just had plain ramen noodles I boiled in veg stock and shoyu soy sauce, then I tosed steamed brocoli and chopped boiled egg through it and chucked in some kecap manis and sesame oil. Num. That was breakfast.

Soba noodles are awesome and way healthy. If you can get Hakubaku noodles do try them - very good Japanese brand, and they make them in Australia (well some of their stock at least) due to a special protein found in our wheat.

http://akimages.crossmediaservices.com/dyn_li/200.0.88.0/my_cms_p2ionline_com/CMS/NewPhase/data/images/7297478_7805060_437.jpg

Yakisoba is fried noodles in sauce--it's a little like lo mein. It's not in broth like ramen.

http://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Operator-of-Ippudo-ramen-chain-to-list-on-Tokyo-market

bump immediately produced cravings

I wish it wasn't such a pain in the ass to get ramen here - there are a half dozen meh places and one great one but that requires a half hour drive and hoping there's not a line out the door. Worth it, though, I'll just not eat all day and get ramen + a rice bowl with fried diced pork jowls.

In the Philippines, where demand for Japanese food is growing, some Ippudo fans expressed excitement after being told about the company's listing and overseas expansion plans.

feel like more and more asian countries (notably korea first, then china, philippines etc.) are beginning to obsess over japan and mimick their food and more of their culture

i was gifted a fruit basket for new year's by a philippine lady this year eg

US:cheeseburger::Japan:ramen ?

Sounds right except ramen isnt something people make at home as it is quite elaborate

In terms of 'fast food' ya tho

going to japan kinda ruined ramen in North America. i still like the 1$ packs though, Vietnamese grocery store by my house has half an aisle of em

recent favs

http://taphoa24h.com.vn/files/sanpham/3170/1/jpg/vifon-pho-bo-an-lien.jpg

http://www.theramenrater.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/2015_1_3_rrv_001.jpg

http://www.theramenrater.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/2015_1_3_rrv_001.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aGoh__TziVc/SRtIGOwbe9I/AAAAAAAAASg/Y2qPOqqvME0/s320/20081112-front.jpg

Ramen is the easiest japanese food for north americans to get right tho

But ya there are like two good ramen restaurants in la

in terms of packs I highly recommend this one, nice hit of chilis
http://www.theramenrater.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/2012_8_7_823_001.jpg

Packs are nasty garbage tho

Down there with kraft dinner

this is my ramen spot

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/feast/2012/dec/06/izakaya-masa-japanese-treasure-mission-hills/#

i like the pictured salty ramen with corn a lot (shio ramen) but i prefer the soy based shoyu ramen, which looks like this

http://ot-foodspotting-production.s3.amazonaws.com/reviews/4407175/thumb_600.jpg?1390035669

i also enjoy a nice spicy ground pork ramen from time to time

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/0e/d1/a2/0ed1a2e956181ff969cb665cc007f8a1.jpg

at this spot

https://robeastblog.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/rbst_pan_yakyudori_convoy.jpg

really nothing warms my heart like cheap japanese food

One man's nasty garbage is another man's tasty garbage xxp

But ya there are like two good ramen restaurants in la

― F♯ A♯ (∞), Saturday, January 7, 2017 10:05 PM (fifty-nine minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

which? i went to Silverlake ramen today, p good!

Daikokuya but the one in little tokyo/downtown la and tsujita *annex* in west la

apparently there are two Ippudos in Paris, who knew. ime ramen in Paris is ok (though it's usually called "lamen", which cracks me up), but yeah, having it in Japan ruins it for elsewhere. in Tokyo right now and had an incredible bowl yesterday, maybe again tonight though okonomiyaki sounds better.

I do make a miso soup and throw noodles and a soft boiled egg in it and call it a 'ramen' every now and then. It's of course not at all anything like even local Copenhagen ramen-bar-ramen, but it's better than most other soups I know how to make. But I dated a Japanese girl once, and she seemed absolutely appalled that I did so. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

in Indian/Pakistani & Halal markets I've been getting into the ramens whose flavors are in a diff. style - tomato, curry, etc. Had one with a name like "Lemon Twist" or something yesterday, A+ ramen

euler, ippudo at least the kanto shops have a paris ramen with a beef consomme base, if you get homesick.

That Pho ramen with beef is my fave brand! Their chx and shrimp versions, too. I simmer lemongrass and curry leaves, then use Thai green curry and coconut paste to make it completely different. Admittedly. Oh and lime. It's great though.

I'm convinced these guys have the best ramen you are going to find in the US: http://ramen-tatsuya.com/menu-5/

Like most things in Austin, they have a bit of a hipster doofus vibe, but the food is the real deal. They just opened a sister restaurant specializing in izakaya, I'm itching to check it out.

https://www.facebook.com/Ten-Ramen-444307449050589/
best ramen in Dallas

I'm never more than a mile from good pho but it's just not as satisfying as ramen to me.

Theres a tatsuya in pasadena but i havent been

Its a fast food chain in jp tho fwiw

those are different restaurants, this is owned locally in Austin

I'll have to remember to check out Ten Ramen next time I'm in Dallas

I don't know what picture Simon H. posted, but I got a pack of Prima Taste Chilli Crab noodles recently and it was amazingly good. (As it should have been for $3.29.)

Oh good to know moodles

on north american ramen cities, vancouver does pretty well-- a few branches of japanese franchisers, including santouka, taishoken, marutama, danbo, and north america chain jinya. kintaro for dirtbag pork milkshake cheese on top ramen that reminds me of the deserted shops here that look nothing like the minimalist design + sudachi razor clam broth + mt haku spring water places, and it was around before the ramen boom in the city, only people in the lines were japanese and korean language students. gmen in richmond, which i never went into when i actually lived in richmond but it's cozy and the ramen is really good.

Incredible that I have never posted on this thread before.

Shin Ramyun is still incredible although there are now 878973 imitation ones that are pretty much exactly the same.

i've had very limited exposure to good ramen so i don't know a whole lot but i have this place within walking distance from my job and it's outstanding imo: https://www.yelp.com/biz/otani-noodle-cleveland-3. no idea whether it is the real deal but the depth of flavor in the three types of broth they have - tonkatsu, shoyu, and miso is incredible. the texture of the noodles is amazing.

it's like 20 degrees F here today so i think i might get some today

the prima taste stuff were pretty good although soooo expensive - you'd think there should be an actual crab inside!

indo mee remains the best hangover noodles though. all packs of oil and stuff mixed in, then a fried egg on top eat and then gulp down a can of coke. good as new.

(the mi goreng ones)

I had ramen for lunch today! Pretty good but $13 for ramen (before tip) seems not right. That said, I don't know any place cheaper and I have leftovers so eh why not.

I think we're reaching peak ramen around here. At least six places, which feels like a lot for a small city.

We make pretty good non-pack fake ramen at home too, although getting the egg right is the eternal struggle.

Lol. But that damned egg is the best part of it!

Oh, I forgot to tell the best detail about my local ramen bar: It's run by a brewery, and they brew a special, and great, ramen beer to go with the soup :) I love that place.

that sounds horrid

here are things that make ramen good: heat, saltiness, rich broth full of fats and proteins
here are things that make beer good: cold, bitterness, bubbles

"ramen beer" needs at least a little more explanation

Ramen is beer food. It goes great with beer, especially so with the special beer the brewery is brewing for the purpose.

Right. Carlsberg.

Mikkeller. They run a brewery in San Diego as well, I think.

mikkeller makes good beer ime

there's a great mikkeller bar in SF right by the tenderloin iirc
will have to try and visit again when I go next month

tonight I went to Nakamoto in Shinagawa (in that line of ramen shops under the tracks) and holy shit was that spicy but good. got the hokkyoku ramen which is evidently about the spiciest one they do. I just picked the place with the longest line but when I noticed all the fire and dragon pictures around, I began to get the idea. then I noticed how much coughing and nose-blowing was going on inside, which are rare ime in public in Japan. anyway it was terrific.

probably more likely to find the japanese having a pint at an izakaya rather than a ramen restaurant tbh

I'm jealous of living by Mikkeller brewery + ramen bar, seems like a nice way to live.

Got a nice bowl of tonkotsu last night and a bowl of rice + pork jowls that may be my new favorite way to clog an artery.

went here last night: http://www.michiramen.com/

I don't love them quite as much as the place I linked above, but the Sapporo ramen I had last night with buttered corn, ajitama, and spicy oil was fantastic.

Gardena has the best secret ramen joints in SoCal.

xposts yeah ramen feels like what you'd eat like after you've had several beers to fill up. during a session probably be having like yakitori or something.

I do make a miso soup and throw noodles and a soft boiled egg in it and call it a 'ramen' every now and then

Sounds like what I just made for lunch. I'm sure it appalls ramen purists, but I think miso is a perfectly acceptable vegetarian broth substitute for ramen. It has the right thickness, mouth-feel and saltiness anyhow. Easier than simmering pork knuckles all day too. I got some fresh ramen noodles at a Japanese market last weekend, so I've been making a lot of ramen lately.

that just sounds like a type of miso-based soup tho, not ramen

Well, whatever you call it, it's good. I make it with sauteed mushrooms and some kind of greens, like yu choy, a little wakame, and a healthy amount of fresh ginger.

what defines ramen? for me it's the noodles, and i thought miso broth ramen was an accepted variation.

if you go to those small old school/traditional ramen shops in japan, they usually boil the crap out of pork and bones

there are new variations but theyre not even available at those old school ramen shops, but after exporting it to the west, i know there are now all types of soups, but from what im aware even chicken, miso and vegetarian broths almost always have fish broth at restaurants

Popular seasonings like miso, shoyu (soy sauce) and shio (salt) are just that: seasonings to a stock broth which could contain anything from fish, chicken, pig head and feet, pork bones, seaweed, etc.

Ramen in Japan is highly regional, maybe akin to BBQ in America (e.g.: pork vs. beef, brisket vs. ribs vs. shoulder, mustard vs. vinegar vs. honey sauce, etc.)

been eating Ramen all my life. recently i mix one pack Ramen with a whole bunch of kale so my body doesn't entirely hate me for it.

*Nongshim Shin Black with Beef Bone Broth*

i never knew i would end up such a fan of tiny dehydrated mushrooms. i just love that texture. mushroom mouthfeel should have its own designation. not just umami. mushrami is more like it.

My wife got a case of Shin something-or-other from Costco and I am psyched.

Also we did a couple nights of "Italian ramen" (udon noodles, pesto, various veg and fake meat, etc) that was ridiculously good.

speaking of Italian ramen, I make this Udon Carbonara quite frequently, it'll probably end up giving me a heart attack, but damn it's good

https://food52.com/recipes/84861-stir-fried-udon-recipe-with-bacon-parmesan-gochujang

Indo Mie brand Mi Goreng is delicious but has five separate packets and squeezy bits for seasoning and kecap manis and coconut oil inevitably get all over my hands. Jin Mild Ramen from Ottogi is really really good but I wish I could remember where I got it -- could have been stores in Atlanta or Memphis. May have to succumb to Lord God Bezos for some more.

Samyang Hot Chicken (black packet) is my staple at the moment, with Tajín on top.

My 12 year old literally walks across the street to the corner store and buys instant ramen with her allowance money.

When i had c.diff last summer and my body wasn't letting me consume anything, even water, the exception for some reason was takeout ramen. I ate pretty much nothing but spicy ramen with an extra egg and extra broth for two weeks straight and managed to not get sick of it.

I've been making Jjapaguri, a dish cooked by the Kim family mother Chung-sook in haste for the rich woman she served in the movie Parasite. It involves sautéing steak pieces and combining them with Jjapagetti and Neoguri ramen noodles and their accompanying flavor packets. It is a spicy, salty, savory noodle dish without too much liquid and is fantastic.

one of my go-to easy meals is nongshim veggie ramen to which i add air-fried tofu cubes and chopped collard greens, its got everything u need

I don't have an air-fryer but it sounds to me a lot like a convection oven. I coat firm tofu cubes with a little oil, soy sauce and corn starch and bake them on a tray in a convection oven at 400 for 15-20 minutes and they are great. I eat them with ramen, roasted vegetables and a little bit of broth

One of the meds I am taking has completely killed my appetite and one of the few things that almost always sounds good to me is ramen. I love it so much. There was a place in Cambridge, MA had the best I'd ever had. I wish I knew what their secret was. It wasn't anything fancy at all just ramen with veggies and eggs but it was so much better than anything I've ever been able to make. I wonder if it was the particular brand.

Whatever happened Ramen Noodle Eater I wonder

read about this place in the new yorker.

https://s3-media0.fl.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/jVR3rHbgz43jDozO_b-gwg/o.jpg

https://s3-media0.fl.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/fF1AyW2VtLNKAutwfjokWg/o.jpg

https://inoodlefactory.com/

Bought Snapdragon Spicy AF noodles recently and much like American microbrews i was disappointed and i renew my vow not to buy some u.s. Whole Foods-looking fancy noodles. they are always triple the price and never as satisfying as just regular old ramen. like American microbrews Snapdragon tried to kick my ass with its aggro blend of spices. i couldn't taste anything. it was just bitter heat. much like some "crazy" American IPA with 10 kinds of hops and 14 kinds of nutmeg in it. "The Land of Bitter Heat" should be this country's motto. unless you are talking bbq. then the country's motto should be "The Land of Amazing Fucking BBQ".

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81VXaeUcv-L.jpg

My teenager loves Buldok extra spicy chicken, which tastes to me mostly like heat and salt, but when I get ramen cravings I add a spoon of chicken bullion and use 1/3 of the spice packet and its pretty good. Add whatever veggies I have on hand: carrot, mushroom, baby bok choy.

my local Asian supermarket has been out of tom yam flavour ramen for WEEKS and I have had it up to here

Speaking of fancy ramen noodles that you can buy at Whole Foods, the Sun Noodle packets that come in the refrigerated section are pretty good, if a bit pricey. Refrigerated noodles have noticeably better texture than dry.

these are some funky noodles! wow. deep flavor. almost like a perfume flavor/smell. which might not sound appetizing but its unique to me.

https://cdn.yamibuy.net/item/486bd12fead4d916a7c3982532b8e478_757x757.webp

https://cdn.yamibuy.net/item/957e2aa50d0c6e2e51ad89a1cf5ab106_757x757.webp

https://www.yamibuy.com/en/p/spicy-and-sour-rice-noodles-9-03oz/1021101511?scene=item_brand&bu_type=brand&module_name=brand&index=1&content=MALIUJI

Looks good! Will investigate

the smell is definitely different. i mean, to my u.s. nose. there isn't really any comparison to any food here. its bitter, perfume-y, deep. the broth is hella deep. its a lot to eat!. the noodles are so slurpable.

one of my go-to easy meals is nongshim veggie ramen to which i add air-fried tofu cubes and chopped collard greens, its got everything u need

https://groceries.morrisons.com/productImages/504/504890011_0_640x640.jpg?identifier=e94896aaf35246b369716217860cc442
Samyang Hot Chicken Flavour Ramen actually are HOT. I once prepared it with some beef joint leftovers, it was a memorable, dashed together 5 minute meal.

i was boiling smoked pork bone ramen on the stove the other night and i threw some pastrami in it! i'm a wild man. tasted great. also added corn.

I've always been curious to try Korean army stew. Its a spicy soup made with instant ramen noodles, spam, hot dogs and sometimes even baked beans and American cheese slices, traditionally ingredients that could be bought cheaply as surplus from US army bases.

If I'm doing instant ramen I always throw in any bits of veg or meat to hand tbh, food of the gods

username checks out

trader joe's 'squiggly' noodles are pretty solid

I love the Trader Joe's squiggly noodles.