the ramen blog & other goodies!

There’s a nifty web site called itotally–um…iliketotallyloveit.com where people can submit random cool stuff to be rated and ranked. Apparently, someone submitted our very own ramen lapel pin, where it’s racked up an astounding fifteen “i like totally love it’s”, making it more…err…”like totally loved” than the Star Wars Storm Trooper mug and even Gucci Sunglasses! Woohoo!

BUT…we’re rated below the I Hate Your Kids T-Shirt and Capri Sun. Admittedly, the t-shirt’s kind’a funny, but c’mon…Capri Sun!? Ok, it’s not bad on a hot day, but it’s not even real juice!

So for the three of you who actually bought a ramen pin, thanks for stuffing the ballot box! For all you other ramen fans out there, go vote! With a few clicks, maybe our humble little ramen pin can be as popular as Domo-kun!

I think this is just a repacked version of this. The noodles seem to be a little bit better this time around…maybe…but overall, this instant ramen is still pretty average. The soup is decent but not particularly flavorful, and whatever flavor it has is overwhelmed by garlic and msg. Be prepared to down a large glass of water to chase the msg and garlic flavor from your mouth. It gets the same score as last time: 6 out of 10.

Apparently, Chinese censors don’t like ramen blogs. According to the web site greatfirewallofchina.org, prominent ramen blogs such as the Official Ramen Homepage and our own innocent ramenramenramen.net are both being blocked! Blocked I say! by the ramen-fearing censors in China! Freedom-loving ramen-lovers everywhere, let’s show those censors we’re not intimidated. Your job is to eat as much ramen as humanly possible this month (it’s National Noodle Month after all) and show them that we will persevere!

Santouka Ramen. Santouka Santouka Santouka. Everywhere you look, someone is saying how great Santouka ramen is. Is it really *that* good? Is it everything everyone says it is? Or is another case of ‘don’t believe the hype?’

This was actually the fourth time I’ve been to Santouka Ramen. The first time was in Tokyo, where it was also hyped by a friend as great ramen. The Santouka we went to was on the top floor of a department store in Shinjuku, and it was the fanciest ramen house I’ve ever been to. It was swanky and hip, as if it was a ramen house for ‘the pretty people.’ I eagerly ordered and devoured a bowl of shoyu ramen and … Read the rest of this entry →

…at least according to the National Pasta Association.

I couldn’t find much more about this, and it seems more geared toward pasta appreciation than ramen appreciation, but does anyone really *need* a good reason to celebrate ramen? Eat up, folks!

I reviewed the shoyu version a while ago. Time for the tonkotsu version! Well, the noodles are the same thin kind with a decent chewy texture. The soup isn’t exactly filled with with pork flavor and is a bit “msg-y” but decent…only decent. The soup is actually a tiny bit spicy for a tiny kick and there are small slivers of garlic to liven up the flavor. Bits of cabbage, green onions, some corn, and maybe 1 tiny piece of bamboo garnish the noodles.

Overall, it’s not bad, but nothing special. The lovely feeling of a msg and garlic coated tongue afterwards is a nice touch. It gets a middle-of-the-road 6.