What's good, everybodyI'm back once again. I'm sure you ramen lovers can't wait to for my illustrious, legendary review. So let's skip the introduction and get right to it. If you recognize the brand name Maruchan and are triggered by nights slurping cheap ramen because you were too broke to eat actual food, this review is for you. Maruchan is a Japanese noodle company that has profited greatly from starving college students across the United States for their cheap, affordable ramen. They produce their products in Tokyo, Japan, but also boast a plant in Irvine, California, Richmond, Virginia, and San Antonio, Texas. The word, Maruchan, is actually composed of two words: Maru meaning round in Japanese, referencing the face of a child (i.e. - Look at the logo), and chan as a term of endearment.
PreparationIf you look at this styrofoam cup and still have difficulty preparing ramen (even after reading my other blogs), I think you should stop cooking on your own. But, since I am so kindhearted and empathetic, here's how you go about preparing this -
And as always, this is the pièce de résistance. And if you haven't followed her already (and I know who does and doesn't), then peep her page on Instagram @zuccthefrenchie.
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I don't know what Bibim Men means but I can tell you that the popular Korean dish Bibimbap means "mixed rice." Judging from the common prefix of bibim, and how I've mentioned that the Chinese word for wheat noodles is mien, for the sake of the blog let's assume that this is the Korean derivation of mixed noodles. PreparationWhat I like about these noodles is how enthusiastic they are about you eating their food. Don't know what I mean? Take a look at the side image which shows the directions that can be found on every bag. I followed the directions and they are very, very simple. They go as followed:
Does the Preparation sound familiar? It should because I've prepared it exactly like Nongshim Chal Bibim Myun's Cold Noodles! And if you remember, the coldness helps maintain the texture of the noodles while emphasizing the spiciness of the sauce. Paldo's Bibim Men noodles isn't that different. There is a good balance between heat and cold. The one issue I have is that it is a little too sweet and not spicy enough as its Nongshim counterpart. I do suggest adding some vegetables or meat such as pork or chicken with it to for some extra textures and flavors. Overall - 7/10 Sadly Zucc went home this weekend :(. But here's my girlfriend's awesome cat, Penny, to make up for it.
HELLOOOO RAMEN LOVERS
Now you're probably sitting there wondering, "Jimmy... THIS IS MADNESS. I thought Chow Mein was Chinese, how can it be related to Japanese ramen??" Don't get mad that easily, fellow Bramen. The Japanese word for ramen is derived from the Chinese word pull, something you do when you make hand pulled noodles. Therefore, ramen does have some roots from China. Also, this was extremely cheap, you can find it for under $1 from Modern on Arthur Ave, and I'm doing this for the sake of the blog prompt since I am broke. SO RESPECT MY AGENCY. PreparationFor this, you'll prepare it similar to cup/bowl ramen. Don't make the same mistake that I did, and spray some of the oil residue in the "savory sauce" packet on the counter.
This actually didn't turn out that bad. The savory sauce turned out to taste like a sweeter, less saltier soy sauce. The noodles had a dense texture when you bite into them and were good quality. Unfortunately, I only had about 3 pieces of beef in my box, and one of em was too chewy. This is a good substitute if you want to save some money and/or too lazy to hit the local Chinese spot. Being that we're in New York, the chow mein you'll find anywhere could probably blow this out the water. For convenience, however, I'd eat it again. Overall - 8/10 Once I finished eating the chow mein and had some leftover sauce, I was still hungry. So here's what I did - threw in some freezable dumpling (you can find a whole variety at any Korean supermarket, I got mine from HMart. Put it in the microwave for about 2 minutes, take them out and mix it all up the leftover sauce and you're good to go! The sweetness along with the slight saltiness of the savory sauce is enough on the dumplings where it won't be drenched but is still good enough to want more. Either you have great patience to have read everything or you just scrolled down here for the best part of the blog. I can't blame you for the latter, though, she is very cute. Here's you weekly @zuccthefrenchie picture.
HELLOOOOWelcome, welcome ramen lovers. For this week's review, we'll be looking at an easily accessible ramen, Nissin Ramen Bowl - Kimchi flavor. I picked up my bowl from Modern down the block on Arthur Ave for under $1.
PreparationNissin came through and made super easy for you to prepare this so shoutout to their ramen engineers for its emphasis on ergonomics. And hopefully whoever from class that suggested I prepare ramen differently is happy with this (I still haven't forgotten about you). It goes as follows:
Sadly, I was a little disappointed with this ramen. Though it boasted a kimchi flavor, it didn't have a robustness of flavor or even that much nuance that you would typically find in kimchi. If you do like spicy ramen, this is a good go to. But if you're looking for something that is authentic to richness and multi-dimensioned taste of kimchi, you're betting off eating actual kimchi. Overall - 6/10 You made it this far?? Good for you. Here's your prize: a picture of Zucc staring at me eat this bowl of ramen.
If you remember from my last review of an Ottogi product, is a South Korean product. Jjambong (or Jjamppong) is distinct Korean seafood broth cooked with garlic and red chili powder. It can be complemented with vegetables such as onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms. If you'd like to make your own batch of jjamppong, here's a recipe from the Wall Street Journal. Taking up the advice from our midterm, I bought this ramen from HMart, a Korean supermarket that opened up shop 15 minutes from where I live. They carry a really fresh assortment of meats, produce, and seafood. They also carry one of my favorite ice cream snacks that I discovered while backpacking in Vietnam, Samanco. It's definitely worth the try! Preparation
VerdictThe noodle are wide, thick, and slightly chewy. The broth may have been tarnished since I added grilled marinated chicken and steak 😞. It was still good, briny, and I was able to taste the seafood in it, only the marinade from my grilled meat did provide an aftertaste. The oil, however, did provide a fantastic heat which helped with the taste of broth soaking into the noodles. Definitely worth another retry because of a rookie mistake, but... Overall - 8/10 You've made it this far so you deserve it. Here's a throwback picture of Zucchiner.
Hello, Hello, Hello, Helloooo
PreparationThe instructions for this particular ramen differed from the others. Instead of boiling the water first and adding the spices, you have to add the spice/paste packets first. This is so that the broth base cooks evenly first for the la mian.
As expected, the la mian noodles were wide, thick, chewy, and delightful. The curry broth was spicy, flavorful , carried heat but was not too overpowering. It definitely had some nuttiness to it. For a packaged ramen, I was impressed. I would definitely eat again. Overall - 10/10 Here is everyone's favorite demon pupper watching me eat the curry ramen, @zuccthefrenchie.
Hey, how ya doin!
PreparationOkay, so preparing Ottogi's smash ramen is actually a lot different than how we prepared ramen in the weeks prior. To make it easy for everyone, please watch the short video below demonstrating how to properly prepare smash ramen.
I'm still home for spring break, but that doesn't mean that you won't be getting any dog pictures. Here's my derp of a dog, Cinco, wearing her hoodie. Cheers.
What's good, Interwebs!You didn't think Spring break would hurt my unhealthy eating habits, did you?! For this week, we're trying out Nongshim's Veggie Noodle Soup. PreparationIf you're still having trouble doing this with easy prep ramen, I really don't know how to help you out at this point.
This soup broth turned out a lot better than I thought it would. I came into it with low expectations and was somewhat blown away. It's perfectly spicy - not too hot where it's unbearable to eat while still holding on to some heat. it had a good mixture of vegetables from mushrooms, seaweed and carrots. The broth was very, very light and wasn't heavy like other flavors. The noodle texture was also chewy and absorbed the the various vegetable nuances of the soup. It have somewhat of a tofu flavor like it said it did, but it was a little plain for my liking. I'd definitely eat this flavor again. Overall - 9/10 Zucc is back home at her grandparent's crib for the weekend, so take a look at my derpy dog, Cinco, instead.
HEY, HEY, HEY!!! Welcome back, ramen lovers. This week our featured ramen can be easily accessible from your local 7-11 and is a fan favorite: give it up for Nissin's Hot & Spicy Shrimp. Nissin is a japanese company that's been around since the late '40s. They're actually the ones famous for making cup noodles. Drop under a dollar for any of their products and you have yourself a delicious meal (not a plug for Nissin, I promise). With this, you'll get 3 packets - seasoning, dried vegetables and shrimp, and "soup booster." The powder turned out to be a deep reddish orange. The dried vegetables were green onion, corn, and red pepper. PreparationSo this time around, I prepared this ramen differently. As I was instructed on the bowl, it is to be made through the microwave. Instructions are easy and if you can't be trusted to use a microwave, I really don't know what to tell you other than to stay very far away from me.
The broth wasn't as spicy as I thought it would be. Also, the labels said that it had lime and it wasn't as citrusy as I hoped it would be as well. The noodles were thin and circular and absorbed the broth well. The vegetables were plentiful but I found that a lot were hiding towards the bottom of the bowl. The shrimp were briny but not as ample as the vegetables. For a quick, simple, and easy dinner, this isn't a bad flavor to go to. The broth isn't as robust or distinct as other brands, but it's really not that bad. Overall: 7/10 You patiently waited, and she sure did too. Here she is, @zuccthefrenchie in all her glory.
Yooo, What's Happenin'??? Welcome back Bramenites. Sorry to kept you all waiting for so long. I've been swamped with midterm prepping but I finally made time to drop some ramen knowledge so buckle up. is Tom Yum?! Now if you recall from my blog on pork flavored MAMA noodles, this is a thai ramen. Tom Yam in this case is a spicy and sour thai soup. It is typically made with fresh stock, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, lime juice, fish sauce, and crushed chili peppers. My mother makes a Vietnamese version of Tom Yum that includes chicken, pork meatballs, and bean sprouts. It's one of my favorite things to look forward to when going home. PreparationPromise me you'll figure out how to do it on your own this time -
I have a personal bias of preferring the shrimp over the pork because of how robust and flavorful the broth is. The spiciness complemented by the heat of the crushed chilis perfectly blend together. The spritz of lime juices adds a citrusy freshness. Throw in some chicken or even an egg and you have yourself a great packaged ramen meal. Overall - 10/10 And as always, an obligatory image of @zuccthefrenchie
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April 2017
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