Like Ramen? What's the best?

[masraum]

I love ramen noodles.


Funny, I still have 1 or 2 bowl EXACTLY like that from the first time I was in Japan.

I've been eating them since 1978 when my dad was stationed in northern Japan. We had never seen or had ramen before, and they sold them pretty much the same as they do today, in the styrofoam cups where you add hot/boiling water and let them sit for a few mins. There was a little more in them back then, small chunks of meat, scrambled egg, veggies and these things (pink and white thing, no idea what it is)


We thought that they were so tasty, and neat that we bought about 10 cases of them at the commissary and sent each set of relatives a case.

To this day, I still love ramen.

So, besides it being high in sodium and super cheap, do you like ramen, and which is your favorite? Do you add stuff to the package when you're making it?

I like spicy food, but I'm not a fan of the various Americanized flavors of ramen, especially the spicy flavors.

[HardDrive]

I do like ramen, and sadly, I like the cheapie grocery store brands like Top Ramen. I also like the Indian version of ramen, Maggi. They have some pretty wild flavors.

[Tim Hancock]

Ate a bunch in college. Always a couple tablespoons of margarine. Sometimes would also add any or all of the following: ketchup, cheese, canned peas.

[craigster59]

I like the cello bag Top Ramen, not so much the styrofoam cup stuff. You can pretty much add anything, HB egg, celery, carrot. I like cilantro and onion also.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Tim Hancock

Ate a bunch in college. Always a couple tablespoons of margarine. Sometimes would also add any or all of the following: ketchup, cheese, canned peas.

Do you eat them dry or as a soup?

My stepkids make the cheap kind (no styrofoam cup), and after they've got the noodles done, they pour off the "broth" and just eat the noodles.

I recently discovered this stuff.


It's basically ramen noodles in a wide, low plastic bowl. It's got a package of green leafy stuff in it (cabbage?). It's pretty good, I like it and I like that there's a little something extra in it.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by craigster59

I like the cello bag Top Ramen, not so much the styrofoam cup stuff. You can pretty much add anything, HB egg, celery, carrot. I like cilantro and onion also.

You know, I've never added anything to mine, but when I started this thread I thought "huh, maybe I should try adding some stuff." I think I'm going to give that a shot. I don't normally have a hard boiled egg around. I bet you could add a raw egg and it would cook due to the hot water.

The cilantro and onion sounds good too.

It's funny, your first sentence took me a second to get, I was thinking "cello, musical instrument bag, WTH?" Then it clicked.

[RANDY P]

two packs, ONE chicken flavor seasoning packet and a bunch of those frozen Gyoza on top.

soft noodles with both.

rjp

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by masraum

You know, I've never added anything to mine, but when I started this thread I thought "huh, maybe I should try adding some stuff." I think I'm going to give that a shot. I don't normally have a hard boiled egg around. I bet you could add a raw egg and it would cook due to the hot water.

The cilantro and onion sounds good too.

It's funny, your first sentence took me a second to get, I was thinking "cello, musical instrument bag, WTH?" Then it clicked.

I used to take a chicken breast and fry it with some pepper and either soy sauce or sprinkled with chicken bullion powder. Throw in some cut up veggies and/or peas and corn. Then throw the cooked noodles on top at the end. Quick stirfry'ish thing. Good, quick, cheap.

[RWebb]

are we talking about the best dried noodles in a plastic pac?

if not, then I'd say the fresh, refrigerated pac noodles are better than the dried ones

but... the fresh noodles in eateries are better still

and.. in Japan there are certain villages known for the very best noodles of certain types (buckwheat soba) for example

a friend was in China recently and tried a bunch of noodle places with his Chinese hosts (he's a pho-a-phile) and said the best noodles were in a small eatery where they tossed them across the room from the noodle making table to the cooks...

[Tim Hancock]

Originally Posted by masraum

Do you eat them dry or as a soup?

We always had the kind that comes in a plastic sack..... Boil some water in a pan, toss in the dried block of noodles. Once they become soft, drain off most of the water then toss in the ingredients. In the 80's in college, I think we used to get five packs for a dollar.... two packs made a decent meal.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by red-beard

I used to take a chicken breast and fry it with some pepper and either soy sauce or sprinkled with chicken bullion powder. Throw in some cut up veggies and/or peas and corn. Then throw the cooked noodles on top at the end. Quick stirfry'ish thing. Good, quick, cheap.

Wow, gourmet noodles!!

Originally Posted by RWebb

are we talking about the best dried noodles in a plastic pac?

if not, then I'd say the fresh, refrigerated pac noodles are better than the dried ones

but... the fresh noodles in eateries are better still

and.. in Japan there are certain villages known for the very best noodles of certain types (buckwheat soba) for example

a friend was in China recently and tried a bunch of noodle places with his Chinese hosts (he's a pho-a-phile) and said the best noodles were in a small eatery where they tossed them across the room from the noodle making table to the cooks...

Right, instant style ramen. Hmm, refrigerated noodles? I've never seen those. I'll have to check the local Hong Kong Food Market.

Yeah, I'd love a good soba shop, but I'm pretty sure there aren't any. There was a Japanese restaurant not far from my house that made pretty much everything good and fairly traditionally including ramen. They were in a crappy location and didn't last long.

I do like Pho, but I usually eat the Bun Bo Xao or it's comparable instead of the soups. It's beef on vermicelli with veggies, fried onions and peanuts. I'm fortunate to have a really good Vietnamese place fairly close. I'm unfortunate that my wife isn't a huge fan.

I'd love to get back to the orient again. I was young when I was there before, so I wasn't quite as gastronomically adventurous as I would be now.

Originally Posted by Tim Hancock

We always had the kind that comes in a plastic sack..... Boil some water in a pan, toss in the dried block of noodles. Once they become soft, drain off most of the water then toss in the ingredients. In the 80's in college, I think we used to get five packs for a dollar.... two packs made a decent meal.

Yeah, I think they are still 5 or 6 for a dollar unless you buy a case at Sam's Club, then they may be 10 for a dollar. Yeah, that's basically how my kids cook it. I just don't get draining it. I guess that would make it less messy to eat.

[RWebb]

for the instant style ramen, I just buy whatever's cheap & toss in whatever is lying around...

you can buy miso (soybean paste) in jars - lots better than powdered

[Heel n Toe]

Read the sodium content on back of the packet... then run away.

I suppose if you used them in some recipe in which you poured off the boiling water after stirring for a few minutes, you might be able to reduce it somewhat.

[Tim Hancock]

But I like sodium.

[id10t]

I use the noodles but ditch the seasoning packet, or if I keep the seasoning I'll use maybe 1/4 of it.

Otherwise I hit my spice rack and season 'em up myself.

[MotoSook]

Sodium? Check the canned soup labels.


The stuff you buy at American groceries are not as good as the stuff you can get at Asian stores. I like the Kung Fu brand. The beef flavor is great. I usually add an egg in the boiling water (with the seasonig) and stir lightly to get big chunks so as to avoid the egg drop soup size egg pieces. Once the egg is right, I add the noodles.

I also will boil dumplings (frozen from Asian stores) in the seasoning. When the dumplings are cooked I then add the noodles.

You can added any veggies to it and sliced meat. Get creative.

I also add Scrirracha, tea spoon of sugar, Maggi soy sauce, lime and fried onions. Bean sprouts if I have it. Great flavor and texture.

The refridgerated noodles are Odon noodles (fat rice noodles) and they come in different seasoning flavors. I also add meats and veggies to this.

I put in the right amount of water so as to not be too dry or soupy. All depends on how I plan to dress it up. Never pour out the water...just use the right amount...or you're just pouring out the flavor. I you like it dry, just start with less water.

[RWebb]

new study out on salt just a few days ago - not the killer we thought (maybe)

[teenerted1]

i prefer frozen udon noodles from the asian market

[Joeaksa]

I put some smoked peanut oil in mine then some spicy soy or other asian sauce. Maybe some sliced lunch meat that has been hanging around. Still love them from the college days!

[widebody911]