There is more to instant noodles than just hot water and seasoning. They’re also steeped in historical and cultural significance. Instant noodles were developed in 1958 by Momofuku Ando as a postwar invention to help fight world hunger. Since then, they have grown into a massive industry that has inspired museums, poems, and prison bartering systems. They are simultaneously embraced as inexpensive food, proposed as a solution to potential food shortages, and used as a stage for culinary experimentation, which makes them ideal for the time in which we live. Along with the fact that a delicious bowl of instant noodles is comforting and enjoyable to slurp because it is warm, carbohydrate-rich, salty, and delicious
To agree on the best instant noodles would be impossible. There are 106 different types, according to the World Instant Noodles Association. 4 billion servings eaten worldwide in 2019. We couldn’t pick just one noodle. For those times when you want a quick, inexpensive, and delicious meal that you can prepare from your pantry by simply adding water, we decided to gather some favorites from discerning experts.
I requested the opinions of seven chefs, authors, bloggers, ramen reviewers, and noodle makers since the Wirecutter kitchen team was unable to get together for an in-person tasting. The noodles were then put to a taste test, totaling 11. When we tested, all were available for online ordering or delivery, but inventory can change. Depending on the region you live in, you might also be able to find some of these noodles in regional big-box stores like Walmart or Target, as well as in specialty Asian grocery stores. We hope you can use our research to stock up on whatever noodles you can find or will like if our recommendations aren’t available. Additionally, if you’d like to share any of your personal favorites, let us know in the comments section below.
1. NongShim Shin Black Noodle Soup (current price: $63 for 16 packages; approximately $4 per package)
The most popular Korean brand NongShim makes a wide variety of noodles, like most manufacturers. The Spicy Pot-au-feu Flavor, however, was the best of the few I tried. It has a flavorful broth that is complex and spicy, substantial dehydrated vegetables, and chewy noodles. I couldn’t stop eating these.
The Shin Black noodles are a more expensive variation of NongShim’s well-liked Shin Ramyun noodles, and they come with an additional “sul-long-tang” (ox bone) seasoning packet, which food blogger and cookbook author Maangchi suggested. Shin Black’s soup is creamier and less spicy than the original Shin Ramyun due to the imitation milky bone broth. While some Wirecutter employees adore the original, others are devoted to the Black noodles. And there is discussion about whether the Black noodles are worth the extra few dollars over the cost of the original in Amazon reviews and Reddit threads.
Beef extract and fat are listed as ingredients on the Shin Black package, and the broth does have a meaty flavor. It was the only one where the salt didn’t overpower the other flavors, like the garlic and the mushrooms. The noodles are a vibrant red color thanks to the mildly spicy but not overpowering chili in the soup base. Large pieces of mushroom, green onions, and discernible slices of garlic rehydrate well, taste good, and add a nice textural contrast to the chewy noodles. These were a happy accident; they probably replaced an item that was out of stock, but I still tasted them to see how they compared to the original. I’m not the only one who thinks these noodles are great; they’re ranked third in the Los Angeles Times’ roundup.
The Shin Black soup is more flavorful than the NongShim Shin Bowl Noodle Soup and has thicker, creamier noodles. The noodles from the bowl and packet options may differ due to the different ways they are prepared: The bowl noodles may be thinner because they are heated more quickly in the microwave, while the packet noodles may be thicker because they can withstand longer cook times in boiling water. The Shin Black noodles aren’t cheap, costing around $3 per package, but they’re more gratifying, flavorful, and enjoyable to eat than standard ramen.
2. At the time of publication, Prima Taste Singapore Laksa La Mian cost $31 for six packages, or about $5 each.
These noodles were suggested by The Ramen Rater, who has ranked them first on his annual lists of the best instant ramen for the past four years. The “broth is just a show stopper with a very flavorful paste and a large sachet of coconut milk powder,” he said of the Laksa La Mian. Luxuriant to the end. ” I agree. The dehydrated coconut milk blends into a rich, smooth soup with the ideal amount of salt and sweetness. The chunky, burnt-orange laksa paste has a mildly spicy flavor and tastes like dried shrimp and galangal. Bright red flecks that float to the surface when you combine the two remind you of Jupiter’s swirled surface. These noodles are air-dried rather than fried and are longer, thicker, and straighter than others. They have a neutral flavor, which complements the pungent broth.
These are the most expensive noodles I tried. They also had the most authentic restaurant-style flavor. This meal is more filling than standard chicken ramen and has more than twice as much protein per serving thanks to the hearty, shrimp-based broth. These would be elevated if lime and some fresh herbs were added for a burst of brightness.
3. NongShim Chapagetti & Neoguri (at the time of publication, $24 for eight packages, four of each flavor)
This combination ramen dish, also known as jjapaguri, chapaguri, or ram-don, became even more well-known in Korea (video) thanks to Bong Joon Ho’s Oscar-winning film Parasite. It combines two different kinds of noodles: one pack of Chapagetti, which is a jajangmyeon-style black bean noodle dish, and one pack of Neoguri, which has a fiery seafood stew flavor. These flavors are available in a combo pack from NongShim, but you can also purchase them separately, frequently for less. In order to fancify this dish as they do in the film (video), Maangchi recreated this popular combination with a side of butter-cooked ribeye steak. It’s delicious, especially with the added meat.
The bouncy noodles are evenly covered with a smooth, viscous, earthy sauce after being prepared using Maangchi’s technique. The tangy seafood-flavored Neoguri broth balances the Chapagetti sauce’s sweetness from the black bean paste (chunjang). The carrots, which tasted shockingly overcooked and bitter, and the brown, spongy dehydrated bits in the Chapagetti mix (presumably “meat flakes”) weren’t to my taste. However, the Neoguri noodles’ large kombu (kelp) flakes provided an additional layer of brininess and some texture. Both of these noodles were thicker and more resembling udon than other varieties, but they were also chewier. After trying the noodles on their own, I added some steak to the dish, and the fatty meat went well with the jjapaguri. The process for making Maangchi was the trickiest I tried (it involves setting aside some broth and adding noodles back to the pot after draining), but it only took a few minutes to make the meal.
4. Oh! Ricey Instant Pho Noodles (Beef Flavor) ($40 for 24 packages, about $1) 70 per package, at the time of publication) .
These quick pho noodles are a favorite of cookbook author Andrea Nguyen when she doesn’t have time to simmer a broth for hours. “It has so much MSG, but in about 5 minutes, you’ll have a bowl of pho to slurp up,” she complains. “I was charmed by the presentation of these noodles, which feature numerous dried scallions and thin slivers of wheat protein “beef.” This soup was satisfying to eat and is a decent imitation of pho; it felt more substantial than other simple noodles.
I dipped my face into the steaming, flavorful broth and breathed in the aroma of anise and other savory spices. Although it was a stimulating experience, the Oh! Ricey Noodles tasted better than they smelled. The light broth and salty soup didn’t have much depth, but a sachet of oil provided some much-needed fat. The thin rice noodles didn’t hold up as well as thicker ramen noodles once they were cooked. When you chew a big mouthful, they seem spongy. These are even simpler to prepare because you can simply add boiling water to them rather than cooking them in a pot or the microwave. Adding lime, beef, sprouts, and herbs would make this dish complete.
5. At the time of publication, Nissin Raoh Ramen Noodle Soup (Umami Tonkotsu Flavor) cost about $2 per package.
In a bind, Simply Ramen author Amy Kimoto-Kahn prepares these Nissin Raoh noodles in this flavor, which are comparatively simple to locate in shops or online. These come with a separate packet of oil and seasoning, so the broth appears a little bit richer, she said. Although it lacks the density of homemade tonkotsu, the tonkotsu is well-flavored, not overly salty, and even appears to be homemade due to its creamy white color. The noodles have good elasticity. ”.
The soup has a tangy, salty, and slightly porky flavor, but I concur with Kimoto-Kahn that it lacks the depth that comes from simmering a bone broth for a long time. Sesame seeds and a separate sesame oil packet are included in the seasoning. Their nuttiness comes through. But the soup does have a faintly artificial flavor, as though liquid smoke was used to flavor it. The thick, slippery, bucatini-sized noodles are chewier than most other noodles I’ve tried and are not fried. The ramen tastes more like a finished dish when the scallions are dried.
6. NongShim Shin Light ($18 for four packages, about $4. 50 per package, at the time of publication).
These noodles are air-dried, making them slightly healthier than other fried NongShim varieties, according to Tomonori Takahashi, the creator of Jinya Ramen Bar restaurants, who also notes that they “retain a nice flavor.” These noodles came in a bright, acidic broth that tasted like tomatoes. It was the spiciest dish I tried, but it wasn’t as overly salty as chicken ramen. (After two bites, my eyes started to tear up and my nose started to run. ).
Like most of the ramen I tried, the noodles are thin, springy, and somewhat chewy. The vegetables in this dish’s flavors and mouthfeel were disappointing, but they still have a nice appearance. Mushroom slices were meaty but a little tough. A poor foil to the flavorful broth are the tiny shavings of bok choy and carrots, which tasted musty and flavorless as if they had been cooked to death in a stock. Scallions add a hint of freshness.
7. Nissin Top Ramen Noodle Soup Chicken Flavor ($6. 50 for five packages, about $1. 30 per package, at the time of publication).
These traditional noodles are also advised by Takahashi, who stated, “What more needs to be said? Momofuku Ando introduced instant noodles to the general public. Today, Nissin is still a leading brand, and the Cup Noodles name is well-known in both the US and Japan. Top Ramen comes in a variety of flavors, but the “Original” is the most well-known. These are common supermarket staples that bring back memories of my childhood and college years, when there would be a case lying around the house and I would quickly whip up a tasty bowl of noodle soup for lunch, according to Andrea Nguyen, who also mentioned the Maruchan chicken ramen. ”.
These were the best chicken-flavored ramen noodles among all the more common varieties. The broth is golden, oily, and vegetal-tasting. Concentrated flavors more closely resemble a bouillon cube than a delicate chicken broth. The soup has less salt than other soups I’ve tried. The noodles are delightful to eat and appear to be springier and curlier than those from Maruchan.
8. Gourmet Spicy NongShim Shin Bowl Noodle Soup ($30 for 12 packages, about $2) 50 per package, at the time of publication).
Maangchi said of this bowl: “I don’t like instant ramyeon much, but I like Shin Ramyun in a pinch. It’s the longtime most popular ramyeon among Koreans. The broth is hot, savory, and filling, and the noodles have a chewy texture. These noodles, the only choice to come in its own bowl, cook quickly in the microwave without dirtying a pot or a dish. But once more, compared to other NongShim varieties I tried, the noodle texture is very different. Compared to the other, more elastic ramen noodles, they are thinner and have a wheatier flavor. The broth was less spicy but similar to the NongShim Light variety. Some mushroom flavors come through. Although there are flakes of herb, mushroom, and carrot, they are shreds as opposed to the slices in the Shin Black and don’t add any flavor. This noodle had a yeasty aftertaste that I didn’t enjoy. However, these are the least expensive options I tried when compared to other NongShim options.
9. Maruchan Creamy Chicken Ramen Noodle Soup (49 per package at the time of publication)
/u/Ramen_Lord on Reddit and administrator of the ramen subreddit /r/ramen, Mike Satinover, claimed to have grown up eating Maruchan chicken and that “the creamy one was, like, extra boosted.” This one isn’t particularly good in my opinion; I just occasionally find it nostalgic. “The creamy chicken flavor by the same brand tastes better than the regular chicken flavor. Oil droplets shimmer enticingly on the surface of the broth, which appears to be fatty but is a little thinner than Nissin tonkotsu broth. The “creaminess” comes from a “powdered cream substitute. Some green herbs are scattered throughout the soup, but their presence is purely decorative and unappealing. Although less salty than the regular chicken flavor, these noodles are very addictive. They left me wanting a Coke to go with them.
10. Maruchan Ramen Noodle Soup (Chicken Flavor) ($3. At the time of publication, 20 was purchased for 12 packages, or about 27 per package.
Tomonori Takahashi also cited this variety as a classic. He said, “A long-standing brand from Tokyo, they have been a mainstay in Japan since 1953.” When you need a quick meal, these noodles will satisfy your craving and still be comforting to eat. However, the broth lacked the Nissin Chicken Ramen’s flavor and tasted like stale, dried herbs. It’s also overwhelmingly salty. Although the noodles were not as elastic as those from Nissin, they were still pleasingly springy.
11. At the time of publication, Nissin Chicken Ramen Noodle cost $20 for five packages, or about $4 each.
The original Nissin’s chicken ramen with an egg on top, according to Mike Satinover, was good. The packaging’s retro design in maroon and orange is just as stylish as one of Beyoncé’s most recent Ivy Park spotswear releases. However, compared to all the other delicious ramens I tried, the inside noodles are subpar; perhaps adding an egg would make a difference. These may have a nostalgia factor for some. However, the noodles have a strong wheat flavor and are soggy. There is no glistening oil in the broth, which is a watery, murky brown color.
After compiling their suggestions, I tasted each of the 11 noodles that our experts recommended to see how they compared. I tried the noodles over a few days, grouping them based on flavor profiles. I believed that adding eggs, vegetables, meat, or cheese to the noodles or adjusting the seasoning or water to taste—practices that ramen lovers all over the world heartily recommend—would skew the testing results. So I cooked all the noodles according to the directions on each package and only consumed what I needed. (With one exception: after trying the noodles on their own, I did add steak to the jjapaguri according to Maangchi’s recipe. ).
I took note of the noodle texture, flavor, and consistency of the broth, as well as how well the additions, such as vegetables or meat, rehydrated. A dish’s “truth in advertising,” or whether it tasted as described on the package, was how Lucas Kwan Peterson ranked ramen in his arbitrary guide for the Los Angeles Times. I also kept that metric in mind.
And even though this metric would be impossible to quantify, I thought about the entire eating experience: the trifecta of presentation, aroma, and flavor that makes a standout dish. All of the noodles I tried were satisfying. But the best ones were a treat and made me feel like I had accomplished more than just boiling water for five minutes.
1. Vietnamese Food Any Day author and cooking instructor Andrea Nguyen, email, April 14, 2020
3. Email from Hans Lienesch, creator of the blog The Ramen Rater, dated April 20, 2020.
4. CEO and founder of Jinya Ramen Bar restaurants Tomonori Takahashi, email, April 20, 2020
6. Reddit message from Mike Satinover (/u/Ramen_Lord), moderator of the /r/ramen subreddit, April 13, 2020.
7. Sun Noodle North America President Kenshiro Uki, email, April 20, 2020
The New York Times’s product recommendation service is called Wirecutter. When people are making purchasing decisions, our journalists combine impartial research with (occasionally) exaggerated testing to help them save time, effort, and money. We’ll assist you in making the right decision the first time, whether it’s locating excellent products or learning useful tips.
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.
1. NongShim Shin Black Noodle Soup (current price: $63 for 16 packages; approximately $4 per package)
Like most of the ramen I tried, the noodles are thin, springy, and somewhat chewy. The vegetables in this dish’s flavors and mouthfeel were disappointing, but they still have a nice appearance. Mushroom slices were meaty but a little tough. A poor foil to the flavorful broth are the tiny shavings of bok choy and carrots, which tasted musty and flavorless as if they had been cooked to death in a stock. Scallions add a hint of freshness.
9. Maruchan Creamy Chicken Ramen Noodle Soup (49 per package at the time of publication)
The bouncy noodles are evenly covered with a smooth, viscous, earthy sauce after being prepared using Maangchi’s technique. The tangy seafood-flavored Neoguri broth balances the Chapagetti sauce’s sweetness from the black bean paste (chunjang). The carrots, which tasted shockingly overcooked and bitter, and the brown, spongy dehydrated bits in the Chapagetti mix (presumably “meat flakes”) weren’t to my taste. However, the Neoguri noodles’ large kombu (kelp) flakes provided an additional layer of brininess and some texture. Both of these noodles were thicker and more resembling udon than other varieties, but they were also chewier. After trying the noodles on their own, I added some steak to the dish, and the fatty meat went well with the jjapaguri. The process for making Maangchi was the trickiest I tried (it involves setting aside some broth and adding noodles back to the pot after draining), but it only took a few minutes to make the meal.
Wheelchair Accessible Ramen Noodles Near Me
132 S Central Ave, Los Angeles, CA
317 S Broadway St, Los Angeles, CA
700 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
359 E 1st St, Los Angeles, CA
3500 W 8th St, Los Angeles, CA
123 Astronaut E S Onizuka St, Los Angeles, CA
368 E 2nd St, Los Angeles, CA
313 E 1st St, Los Angeles, CA
314 E 2nd St, Los Angeles, CA
333 S Alameda St, Los Angeles, CA
952 S Broadway St, Los Angeles, CA
615 S Spring St, Los Angeles, CA
341 1/2 E 1st St, Los Angeles, CA
337 E 1st St, Los Angeles, CA
7111 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA
209 N Western Ave, Los Angeles, CA
Ramen Noodles Open Now Near Me
327 E 1st St, Los Angeles, CA
329 E 1st St, Los Angeles, CA
132 S Central Ave, Los Angeles, CA
317 S Broadway St, Los Angeles, CA
700 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
456 E 2nd St, Los Angeles, CA
359 E 1st St, Los Angeles, CA
3500 W 8th St, Los Angeles, CA
123 Astronaut E S Onizuka St, Los Angeles, CA
368 E 2nd St, Los Angeles, CA
313 E 1st St, Los Angeles, CA
314 E 2nd St, Los Angeles, CA
333 S Alameda St, Los Angeles, CA
321 1/4 E 1st St, Los Angeles, CA
952 S Broadway St, Los Angeles, CA
688 Mateo St, Los Angeles, CA
FAQ
Why is ramen out of stock everywhere?
Widespread flooding in the nation’s wheat belt in 2021 has led to a shortage of the essential ingredient for noodles, which has been made worse by issues with the supply chain and the current conflict in Ukraine.
Why are stores getting rid of Maruchan ramen?
Even though Maruchan ramen has not been abandoned entirely, some particular flavors have Usually, this is brought on by low sales or a preference for the more well-liked flavors. Tomato-flavored ramen is one of the Maruchan goods that has been retired.
Does South Korea have ramen?
In South Korea, there are many different types of ramen. The mainstay of the market is ramen in a spicy red broth with beef. In the past, clear chicken broth-based ramen rose to popularity in South Korea.
What is the difference between ramen and ramen noodles?
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.