imitation noodles
I’m not quite sure what it is that makes them imitations (the ingredients are “wheat flour, water”)…or wait! I got it! Since noodle is singular, only ONE of the noodles is an imitation, and you just gotta find it. Good fun.
reader question: 80′s ramen
A reader from Autumn Heart writes:
I’m doing a painting of a Ramen package (I picked Maruchan chicken flavor.) It looks pretty lonely sitting all by itself, however, so I’d like to surround it with rays extending from it like a sun, some related imagery.
When I was a kid in the 80s, I remember that one of the readily-available ramen packages had small icon cartoons on the packaging, to go along with the flavor (a small hen for chicken flavor, and I can only assume there was a pig for pork, and a shrimp for shrimp. I was a big chicken nut, so that’s the one I remember.)
However, they’ve long since moved on from this packaging, and I cannot find a picture of ANYwhere.
You wouldn’t happen to have a photo of some vintage ramen packaging with the little chicken cartoon in place, would you?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
After some digging, we determined that it was not Nissin’s Chiken ramen, and she continues:
The image I’m thinking of is somewhat similar to this…
This is also going back to c.1983, so the possibility that it’s gone for good is quite real.
So can anyone out there help out? Show off your instant ramen knowledge! Leave your suggestions and/or questions in the comments below.
ramen alert: ippudo in OC!
Ramen fans might’ve heard of Ippudo, Shigemi Kawahara’s (aka the “Ramen King“) famous hakata ramen chain in Japan. With one location in New York, West Coasters have been left out…until now. For 4 days only, Ippudo’s original Shiromaru Motoaji Ramen will be available at the Costa Mesa Mitsuwa supermarket during their Japanese Gourmet Foods Fair.
…I guess it’s about time I write my review of Ippudo NYC from my ramen escapades in New York…
Dates: 5/27 Thursday to 5/29 Sunday
Location: Mitsuwa Marketplace
665 Paularino Avenue, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 557-6699
instant ramen final four intermission
Is there really an iPad at Ramen HQ? No…at least not yet. This teaser is just a pic of us goofing around with one at our local Apple store this morning. (Thanks for the free coffee and Krispy Kreme, Apple! Sorry we didn’t buy anything today!) It sure is purty…a bit heavier than I expected, and I had a lot of trouble typing with one hand while holding it with the other, especially with the space bar, which I kept missing. I guess you really need to hold it in your lap or set it on a desk. But it’s still very lust-worthy. We’re not a gadget blog, but if this was a ramen, it’d probably get a 9 out of 10! 
the ramenbox
I don’t often shill for web sites that sell instant ramen (though there are links off on the side for anyone in need), but this is a neat idea. It’s simple…and the picture above is pretty self-explanatory: you choose the size of the “Ramenbox,” fill it with your choice of instant ramen, pay a flat fee based on the Ramenbox size, and wait for the delivery guy! It looks like you can even earn free ramen by writing reviews and submitting pictures and videos.
To be honest, this might be less appealing to anyone who lives near an Asian supermarket. But if you don’t have any local sources for instant ramen, or you want to customize your own variety pack, or you just like the idea of coming home to a Ramenbox on your doorstep, check it out. Heck, this would be a great gift as well for any instant ramen fan.
I haven’t had a chance to try them out yet, but they were kind enough to offer our readers a 10% off coupon! Just use coupon code ramenramenramen when you check out.
ramen soap
Remember the ramen bath? Now you can bring your ramen bath accessories on your next visit. Soap up with Ramen Soap and wash up with a Cup Noodles Ramen Sponge: Takara Tomy is coming out with soap and sponges packaged as instant and cup ramen! They’ll only be available in Japan, so those of us stateside will probably need to settle for using a brick of instant ramen as a loofah…um…if you do, let us know how that works out…
via Akihabara News
