Anticipation for the meal
Trying out this ramen was planned! The night before, we put it out on our counter to create anticipation. Whether or not that actually affected our taste buds is unsure. We acquired this instant ramen at J-Town in Markham, Toronto.
Even our kitten seemed eager to try the ramen (not that he was going to be allowed to try it once cooked, sadly for him). He still quietly found his way onto the table to nibble and gnaw at the dry ramen, when we had our backs turned. Once it was cooked, he definitely did try to eat some, but we were on the lookout then! Guess Yuki’s a ramen kind of kitty!
Preparation of the instant ramen
Prepping this ramen was actually pretty straightforward, as most are. There was the added challenge of reading the label’s instructions that were completely in Japanese. Thankfully, I had two trusty means of understanding what was written: my Japanese-speaking brother as well as Google Translate. Of all the tools created by Google, this one’s by far my favourite as it allows me to understand a world and glimpse at cultures that I would have never been able to do so easily before. I shone my phone’s camera onto the Japanese inscriptions and here is (albeit quite roughly translated) what was needed to make the ramen enclosed in the packaging: boil 450mL of water, cook ramen in said water for 3 minutes and add the flavour and oil packets.
Stickered on the back was the ingredient list that I read on this specific Japan-imported ramen as it happened to be the only English/French translated bit. This time, there was no bamboo flavour in the packet, and boy was I relieved! In a previous blog post, I expounded upon how I sadly can’t stomach the taste of bamboo. I’ve tried it in multiple proper ramen establishments in various Japanese cities and still, it makes me queasy.
Final verdict for this quick meal?
When properly cooked, the ramen in this pack isn’t too soggy, nor is it too firm. However, I left the second serving sit in the pot for a little too long (oops!) and it does get a little softer than my liking. So, beware!
Taste-wise, this has got to be the best instant ramen I’ve tried in my 24 years of existence. Marutai’s ramen broth rivals certain restaurant broths I’ve had the pleasure of trying.
I will definitely attempt to get my hands on more of this ramen and highly recommend it to any and all ramen lovers who would like a quick fix at home.
Again, this time around, I did not add any vegetables and for a second time, this was a regrettable decision. Shallots, a hard-boiled egg, shiitake (or pig’s ear) mushrooms, and a piece of dried nori seaweed later and this meal would have easily been elevated.
Hungry for more ramen, try the Restaurant Style Ramen “ShoyuTonkotsu” taste by Menraku.
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