the ramen blog & other goodies!

For the uninitiated, Dr. Noodle is a Taiwanese brand of healthy “steam” ramen noodles, with exotic flavors such as shiitake spinach and this beef tomato.

Like the previously reviewed Dr Noodle shiitake spinach, I have to admit that these beef tomato noodles aren’t bad. Again, this is more of a flat Chinese-style instant noodle than Japanese ramen, but they have a nice, chewy texture. You would think that “steam” noodles would be relatively bland compared to the usually-fried instant ramen, but they actual have a decent flavor and soak up the soup nicely. And for those die hard fans of Maruchan’s Tomato Ramen, this just might your ticket to tomato ramen nirvana! I’ve never had the pleasure of having the Maruchan version, but the Dr Noodle beef tomato soup is exactly as it’s described: the beef stock is light (imagine a light chicken soup, but…err…with beef instead) with a strong tomato aroma and flavor. It’s a surprisingly good combination of flavors and has become one of our favorites.

If you’re looking for something different, or you’re a ramen fan who’s trying to eat more healthy, this is for you. (Remember that since it’s a Taiwanese brand, you’ll have a better chance of finding it at a Chinese supermarket than a Japanese market.) Even though this isn’t a “true” ramen, it gets an honorary rating of 7 out of 10.

Time for an “old school” ramen review. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a bowl of Sapporo Ichiban. I used to eat this as a kid and especially enjoyed the beef flavor, but for some reason stopped eating it as I grew older. Eating this ramen brought back pleasant childhood memories…too bad the noodles don’t live up to the memories.

The dominant flavor of the soup is the onion powder, with hints of garlic and msg, and just a touch of white pepper. The noodles are chewy and thick, almost udon-like in texture, and unfortunately tasteless. Oh, and there are a few onion flakes scattered throughout.

If you just want a quick bowl of noodles, these will do. My wife says these are “yum but not yum-o.” I say they get a 4.

And now, for something slightly different…

I’m a real snob when it comes to ramen: I believe that only “true” Japanese ramen, instant or otherwise, should be considered “ramen.” Korean “ramyun”? Not ramen. Chinese “la mien”? Nope. Try again. Not ramen. So what’s wrong with this picture?
1. The brand is called “Dr. Noodle.” Come on! That’s like saying “Mister California Roll” sounds like an authentic sushi restaurant!
2. Shiitake spinach flavor…shiitake and spinach?? Not exactly a traditional ramen flavor.
3. The words “non fried” smack in the middle of the package. (Shaking my head…I’m just not big on “healthy” foods…)

So why in the world am I doing this review? Why else do I do things I don’t normally do…my wife…likes it… (more…)