The official instant ramen power rankings

10 November 2019, 04:02 PM

quote:
Hello friends, and welcome. Thank you for watching our new online series, “Off Menu” (you’ve been watching, right?) and subscribing to our brand-new baby bird YouTube channel. I don’t have anything new to say about the terrible things happening in our country right now, so let’s get right to it, shall we?

I am happy — elated, even — to present to you the totally inarguable, airtight and utterly incontrovertible L.A. Times Instant Ramen Power Rankings. For the purposes of this rankings, I have eaten every variety of ramen in the known universe [Author’s note: I have not done this] and have come up with an infallible ratings system to rank the 31 types listed below. I could not, obviously, include all ramens in this piece. But I endeavored to cover a broad swath of the noodle spectrum and keep it to no more than three (3) varieties per brand.

I’ve ranked the ramens based on two metrics: taste and something I call Truth in Advertising, or T.I.A. Does it taste like the thing it purports to taste like? Does the shrimp ramen taste like shrimp? Does the chicken taste like chicken? For this rankings, I have suffered and my extremities have swelled; my blood pressure has approximately trebled. But I do this for you, dear reader. And for capital-J Journalism.

https://www.latimes.com/food/s...source=pocket-newtab

10 November 2019, 04:48 PM

jodi

I used to cook top ramen with its packet, drain it, then fry it up with cheddar cheese in a frying pan. Sometimes I added broccoli to pretend I was being healthy.

10 November 2019, 05:11 PM

Matt G.

The only one of these I've ever had is the Maruchan chicken ramen, which was my go-to Sunday evening meal living in the dorms at university. The chicken flavor was on par with a Wyler's chicken bouillon cube, which is to say that it tasted like really, really salty chicken skin. But, for $0.19 back in the day, I didn't complain, and I've lived to tell my story.

10 November 2019, 06:59 PM

jodi

Yes! Because they didn’t serve dinner on Sunday night! We’d do kraft macaroni and cheese. And margaritas.

10 November 2019, 07:48 PM

wtg

Did you guys have one of those little immersion heaters to warm up the water? What a fire hazard.....they would sometimes pop out of the mug when the water started boiling...

I've tried several of the Nongshim products; they're pretty good. I only use half the seasoning packet because I can't tolerate the amount of salt in a full packet. Still plenty of flavor.

10 November 2019, 07:57 PM

Axtremus

Many on his list are “instant noodles”, and the South East Asian exports are very well represented!

10 November 2019, 10:44 PM

Steve Miller

I haven’t had Ramen in years. Looks like it’s changed.

I’ll get some!

11 November 2019, 12:34 AM

RealPlayer

I hear ramen has gone high-end, but have not explored. It might be hype.

11 November 2019, 11:37 AM

Axtremus

I look at Ramen going “high end” like I look at pizza or poutine going “high end.” The basic is still pretty basic, being “high end” is all about the toppings.

Fried potato strips with gravy and cheese curds = basic poutine
Top it with steak tips or foie gras and it becomes “high end.”

Ramen with an egg is basic.
Top it with five spice pork belly slices and it becomes “high end.”

12 November 2019, 07:18 PM

piqaboo

The Altoid is going to Ramen Fest this weeks. Its a night of noodles that has sold out well in advance of the event each of its 3 years. I'm looking forward to the post-event report.

17 November 2019, 10:10 PM

Big John

I like the larger hot and spicy chicken ramen bowls and maruchan and another brand make a decent chow mein for a quick 450 calories in a rectangular black tray.

I gave up on the round styrofoam cups -- too much sodium and BHA/BHT.

But I'll use the step up ones now and then -- and half the seasoning.

also great to add to stirfried meat and veggies. for roughyl .85 cents how can you go wrong?

Also like the noodles in the plastic pouches that are already cooked and squishy. Just add a bit of water and they stay intact better in the wok.