Mike Satinover, known on Reddit as /u/Ramen_Lord and moderator of the subreddit /r/ramen, said he grew up with the Maruchan chicken flavor, and “the creamy one was, like, extra boosted. I don’t actually think this one is objectively good, I just enjoy it for nostalgia from time to time.” The creamy chicken flavor tastes better than the regular chicken flavor by the same brand. The broth seems fatty, but it’s a little thinner than the Nissin tonkotsu broth; oil droplets shimmer invitingly on the surface. The “creaminess” comes from a “powdered cream substitute.” Some green herbs fleck the soup, but they’re purely an aesthetic gesture; they have no taste. These noodles are salty but less so than the regular chicken flavor, and it’s hard to stop eating them. They left me wanting a Coke to go with them.
7. Nissin Top Ramen Noodle Soup Chicken Flavor ($6. 50 for five packages, about $1. 30 per package, at the time of publication).
6. NongShim Shin Light ($18 for four packages, about $4. 50 per package, at the time of publication).
11. Nissin Chicken Ramen Noodle, which at the time of publication cost $20 for five packages (roughly $4 per package),
It’s tangy, salty, and slightly porky, but as Kimoto-Kahn points out, the soup lacks the richness that comes from simmering a bone broth for hours. Sesame seeds and a separate sesame oil packet are included in the seasoning. Their nuttiness comes through. However, the soup does have a faintly artificial flavor, as if liquid smoke were used to flavor it. The thick, slick noodles are chewier than most other noodles I’ve tried, and they’re about the width of bucatini (they’re not fried either). The addition of dried scallions gives the ramen a more finished meal feel.
This flavor is the first to have a unique flavor. It smells a little bit like herbaceous cheese with faint hints of artificial cream. I’m still not sure if I like it.
Avoid Maruchan Shrimp at all costs. If it manages to get into your pantry, I suggest doing a thorough exorcism and discarding any noodles that came into contact with it. You never know. It’s possible that some soup cans have acquired the pink Cthulu odor.
A regular food column called “I ate it so you don’t have to” examines unusual foods, both good and bad. It runs every other Thursday-ish at noon-ish.
It’s not too bad when you try the broth on its own. It just has a nightmarish interaction with the actual noodle.
For the purposes of reviewing noodles that people can find everywhere, I narrowed my instant ramen analysis to the two most common brands: Nissin Top Ramen and Maruchan. I tracked down every variety I could find for this ranking over the past couple of weeks. If I couldn’t find it, there’s a good chance you won’t either.
