Noodle Cups - Best Ones?

Maruchan > Nissin.

I usually get the maruchan ramen noodles though, not in a cup. Cook the noodles for about a minute (add seasoning packet to boiling water first), spread them out to form a bed, crack an egg (or two) on top to poach in the boiling broth, drain off most of the broth leaving enough to keep the noodles moist, enjoy.

I always crack an egg on top wether its the cup or package.

SyntheticBlinkerFluid wrote: I want to find a place that makes real Ramen Soup bowls. I had one once and it was delicious and very filling; they are usually very large portions.

You beat me to it! I love Japanese food. Cup ramen is like a McDonalds hamburger. It kinda looks like the real thing, but doesn't really taste like it.

If y'all have the time (apologies for forgetting who made the original post), keep the noodles, lose the "flavor packet". Easier to do if you buy the packaged "block" of noodles instead of the ones in the cup. I usually try to save some of the grease when cooking bacon or chicken in a small container, and then mix it with some water & this:

http://www.amazon.com/Ajinomoto-Dashi-Soup-Stock-5-28/dp/B0002YB40O

If you don't like fish flavor, just use some beef or chicken boullion cubes (although there'll be just as much salt in that as there is in the "flavor packet") instead.

OTOH, if you're looking for a cheap meal to take to work, use the cup ramen, but take a couple of pieces of lunchmeat, shred it up, and throw it in while it's boiling up. And driver109x is right..an egg will make it better. Crack a raw one, and pour it over the top while it's hot. The broth will cook it, just like Chinese "egg drop soup".

And another vote for Maruchan over Nissin, if you have to cook it up without throwing out the flavor packs.

EDIT: Forgot to post up my usual link when attempting to defend "real" ramen..

http://japanesefood.about.com/cs/noodles/a/ramen.htm

^ What he said! You can easily make home-made pho with those noodles, some green onions, thinly sliced beef or chicken and a pinch of fresh cilantro and/or basil.

I usually add a few(dozen) shrimpto my noodles at work, if we have any cooked up in back. The perks of working in seafood

Luke wrote: The best instant noodles... Made as per instructions on the packet, served with a fried egg, garnished with the fried onion. Probably mostly just MSG, really, but damn tasty.

Indo Mi for the win! Spicey chicken flavor is my favorite.

With sliced green onion, and sliced beef hotdog. Plus or minus the egg.

Lesley wrote: ^ What he said! You can easily make home-made pho with those noodles, some green onions, thinly sliced beef or chicken and a pinch of fresh cilantro and/or basil.

Lesley, I was gonna say something about much harder it is to make pho broth (here at home, I just used beef boullion..lotza salt) than it is to make real dashi for ramen, but I googled it first. There's now "instant" pho powder.

http://www.amazon.com/VV-Foods-Vietnamese-Flavored-10-Ounce/dp/B000PBRWC8

It ain't cheap, but the "customer reviews" make it sound like that stuff tastes as good as most of the broth they find in their local Viet restaurant..

Mmmm... now I'm hungry! I use the instant "Thai Kitchen" soup packages, which are much like the ramen packages but use rice noodles instead. The broth mix makes a very convincing tasting pho, and comes in garlic, ginger and chili flavours.

The best of the " instant" cup o noodles is the Nissan brand chilling tomato flavor. Though the wife has to bring it back from Japan. I have not found a local source for them...

friedgreencorrado wrote: Lesley, I was gonna say something about much harder it is to make pho broth (here at home, I just used beef boullion..lotza salt) than it is to make real dashi for ramen, but I googled it first. There's now "instant" pho powder.

You can get that in our small town grocery store.

It's a Foodland, so maybe Lesley has one nearby, and they carry it.

I go out once a week-every week, for pho.

mrhappy wrote: I like these the most.

Nong Shim makes the best ramen i've ever had. Used to be I could only get it at the oriental food store, now I can get it at my local grocer in the asian foods aisle. Life is good.

So which has the best (or least maggoty) flavor packets?

Is there any way of getting a more "natural" unprocessed cheap meal using ramen?

My mum uses those noodles to stuff homemade egg-rolls. So tasty, but too much work for just me to make by myself.

PHeller wrote: So which has the best (or least maggoty) flavor packets? Is there any way of getting a more "natural" unprocessed cheap meal using ramen?

Sure. Pitch all the salty sugar packets in the garbage. Boil the noodles as per normal. Add hot chili paste, a few bits of fish cake, mebbe some peas and shredded carrots, shrimps if you're feeling particularly adventurous, and throw in a bit of fried egg. Awesomely good, and cheap. And if you leave some of the water in it, the chili paste will make you a nice broth. Maybe a little fish sauce/soy for fun.

Wow, all these recipes for noodles. I have never added water to the cup, I just dump out the imitation peas and eat it dry then O.D. on the salty chicken bullion powder left behind.

Interesting to see all the posts in this thread. I assumed this stuff was what destitute college students and homeless people ate when they had money left over after buying beer and cheap wine.

Indo Mi For the Mother berkeleying WIN!

Ichiban noodles taste great dry.

great, you guys made me hungry. frozen burrito getting nuked now

I prefer the brick ramen to the cup ramen, and it's typically just a late night snack. One question though, WTF is "Oriental Flavor"?

pete240z wrote:

Don't know if they're the best, but I'm eating this right now. It's what they have in the vending machine.

I avoid all of these things, just too salty tasting and the noodles aren't the best either. If I needed quick calories I'd rather just eat yogurt or just have a Snickers. Not passing judgment, just sayin'.

16vCorey wrote: I prefer the brick ramen to the cup ramen, and it's typically just a late night snack. One question though, WTF is "Oriental Flavor"?

IIRC, some sort of miso/fish/something sauce.

mndsm wrote:

mrhappy wrote: I like these the most.

Nong Shim makes the best ramen i've ever had. Used to be I could only get it at the oriental food store, now I can get it at my local grocer in the asian foods aisle. Life is good.

+1 this is my favorite brand although where I get it (local liqour store, Asian food aisle at the grocery, 711, etc...) it comes in a bowl not a cup.

Nong Shim may be Korean, but if you gotta eat noodles with the "stock" flavor packet, get yourself some of the big bowls of their yakisoba flavor. It's not really close to the real thing, but it ain't bad!

And yeah, it's another weird Japanese thing. Real yakisoba is fried (yaki), but is actually ramen noodles, instead of soba (buckwheat noodles). Secret's in the sauce, tho..