8. Gourmet Spicy NongShim Shin Bowl Noodle Soup ($30 for 12 packages, about $2) 50 per package, at the time of publication).
10. Maruchan Ramen Noodle Soup (Chicken Flavor) ($3. At the time of publication, 20 was purchased for 12 packages, or about 27 per package.
4. Tomonori Takahashi, founder and CEO of Jinya Ramen Bar restaurants, email, April 20, 2020
The ingredients list on the Shin Black package includes beef extract and fat, and the broth does taste meaty. It was one of the only ones where other flavors, like garlic and mushroom, shone through the salt. The chili in the soup base, which is hot but not overpowering, turns the noodles a vibrant red. Discernible slices of garlic, large pieces of mushrooms, and green onions rehydrate well, actually taste good, and provide a nice textural contrast to the chewy noodles. I received these as a happy accident—they were likely a replacement for an out-of-stock selection—and decided to taste them anyway to see how they compared to the original. They’re ranked third in the Los Angeles Times’s roundup, so I’m not alone in thinking that these noodles are great.
3. Hans Lienesch, author of the noodle review blog The Ramen Rater, email, April 20, 2020
Wu-Mu ramen is exactly what you’re looking for if you want perfectly chewy ramen. Instead of being deep-fried, the noodles in this Taiwanese ramen brand are steamed before being dried. The steaming gives these lower-fat noodles the perfect chewy texture. Ramen perfection would be that distinct texture combined with a slightly sweet, unmistakably salty, umami-rich black bean sauce.
We carry ramen noodles from well-known Korean brands Samyang and Nongshim. Are you ready for intensely delicious flavors and a little (well, maybe a lot!) of heat? Take the latter’s Shin Ramyun Hot & Spicy Noodles, for instance, as proof that these two companies know how to deliver both flavor and heat. There is really nothing better for those who enjoy strong, spicy flavors.
It’s hard to think of a common savory flavor that hasn’t appeared in ramen form at one point or another, including kimchi, chicken curry, pickled mustard, black bean paste, and four-cheese ramen varieties. You could eat ramen for an entire year and never get bored of it because there are so many different varieties available.
We at Yummy Bazaar make it simple to purchase ramen online. Our incredible selection invites you to experience new flavors while recalling old favorites. We’ll deliver the ramen you order from us right to your door. Even free shipping is available on orders of $59 or more of your favorite ingredients and foods from around the globe!
Unless it’s Samyang’s Nuclear 2X Spicy Chicken Ramen, in which case wait until you’ve mastered their regular spicy chicken ramen before even considering trying this one. You should keep plenty of milk and honey on hand because the twice as spicy version is so much hotter than the regular version—it’s so hot that it inspired YouTube challenges!
Best soupy instant noodles
Instant noodle debates cannot be taken seriously without the viewpoint of Lucas Kwan Peterson, food columnist for the Los Angeles Times. In November 2019, Peterson created a comprehensive, in-depth power ranking of 31 varieties, rating each one based on taste and how much the instant noodles resembled their non-instant counterparts on a matrix (similar to New York Magazine’s “Approval Matrix”). You can’t go wrong with instant noodles from MyKuali, according to Peterson, who admitted to us that he “hasn’t been keeping up with new ramen releases as much as I should” since publishing his guide. The Malaysian instant noodle brand is “easy to find online, for one thing. The white Penang curry MyKuali, which contains green chiles that give the white curry a satisfying heat (the term “white” here refers to the fact that it is made with green chiles, not red), is his favorite.
These instant noodles from Sapporo Ichiban made Peterson’s power ranking, falling somewhere near the intersection of “Better Taste” and “Tastes More Like Thing” on his matrix. They also happen to be the favorite instant noodles of Sheldon Simeon, the chef-owner of Tin Roof and author of Cook Real Hawaii, who calls these noodles “crazy ridiculous.” Simeon explains that the “Momosan” in the name nods to their creator, chef Masaharu Morimoto, whom he describes as “one of the best chefs in the world.” Simeon adds, “Sometimes, to make the broth even creamier, I’ll crack an egg in it, stirring it directly into the soup, almost like egg-drop soup.” Then, to kick up the heat, “I add a bunch of Tabasco or black pepper. We do that at the restaurants, too — lots of black pepper in our broths.” To make these noodles an even more substantial meal, Simeon says he will occasionally toss in “leftover roast pork: I’ll freeze individual portions with sliced green onion in small Ziploc bags, and all I have to do is add it to the hot broth.”
You may already be familiar with Priya Krishna’s preferred instant noodles if you’ve read her Strategist article on the best Indian snacks available on Amazon from the New York Times food reporter. “I have dedicatedly consumed Maggi masala noodles for my entire life.” They are perfect — spicy, salty, and equally delicious whether prepared really soupy or more like a loose sauce. They are India’s answer to Instant Ramen. By including more aromatics, Krishna intensifies the flavor. “I love to doctor them with soy sauce and a ton of cracked black pepper, or sauté ginger and garlic before adding the noodles and the soup base. ”.
Mama’s Creamy Tom Yum Noodles come recommended by Nong Poonsukwattana, the chef behind Portland’s chicken-and-rice haven Nong’s Khao Man Gai, for their tangy, lemongrass-laced flavor. She says they have been a staple since she was a kid, when she would “just crumble the noodles and put everything that comes in the package on top and eat it.” (Noodle connoisseurs know that any crunchy fried instant noodles are pretty great straight from the package.) While these instant noodles are traditionally prepared as a soup, Poonsukwattana says she instead uses them in a noodle salad in an effort to eat healthier. She adds shrimp, shallot, lemongrass, mint, and lettuce to the cooked and strained noodles and swaps out the tangy seasoning packet for a citrusy fish-sauce dressing.
If the price made your eyes water a little, know that the 20-pack of noodles includes a long-handled spoon that you can use to cook them.
Food writer Cathy Erway, author of The Food of Taiwan, pointed us to these noodles that come with an extra ingredient to make the dish, well, extra. “They have this little packet of black-garlic oil, which creates these little droplets of black oil across the top of your bowl — a nice touch that feels kind of fancy for instant noodles,” she says. Erway also cracks an egg into her noodles as they cook. “An egg is imperative: About halfway through the cooking process, I crack one into the center of the pot with the noodles and don’t stir it anymore,” she says. “A couple minutes later, the noodles and egg are cooked; the yolk is usually still a little soft.” Occasionally, she adds more: “If I happen to have some fresh leafy greens like spinach, I’ll also drop them into the pot toward the end of cooking.”
FAQ
Which brand of ramen noodles is best?
- Mama – Creamy Tom Yum. …
- Nongshim – Shin Ramen. …
- Indomie – Mi Goreng. …
- Nissin Cup Noodle – Curry. …
- Paldo – Jjajangmen. …
- A-Sha Momofuku Collab – Soy & Scallion Noodles. …
- Maggi – Masala. …
- Maruchan Gold – Soy Sauce.
What are authentic ramen noodles called?
Ramen noodles are made from wheat flour, eggs, salt, and kansui mineral water (not to be confused with buckwheat soba noodles). And the chewiness, flavor, and color of ramen noodles are all distinctively derived from this alkaline mineral water.
Why did they discontinue ramen noodles?
No, Maruchan ramen has not been discontinued. However, the company has experienced issues with its supply chain, making it more challenging to meet consumer demand.
Is ramen and instant noodles the same?
The only similarity between ramen and instant noodles is that both are noodle soups. While instant noodles come in a wide variety of manufactured noodles, ramen is freshly made. Think before calling something “ramen” the next time.
