REVIEW: The Ultimate Instant Ramen

By Zoie Calora ‘23

Instant ramen is one of the classic meals for students. The simplicity of this quick and easy meal makes it so accessible. The question now becomes, how do I choose which brand of ramen to buy?

Originally, instant ramen was made as an easy way to feed Japan post World War II. Momofuku Ando, the creator was inspired after seeing long lines of people waiting for ramen. He debuted his instant ramen packet in 1958.

What started as a simple ‘Chiken Ramen’ packet has now evolved into many different brands and flavors of instant ramen.

Catlin Gabel School(CGS) seniors, Niah Sei 23’, George Pritchard 23’, and I blind taste-tested four popular chicken-flavored ramen brands: Top Ramen, Maruchan, Cup Noodles, and Sapporo Ichiban. Lastly, as a wild card, we also are tasting a popular spicy beef broth ramen, Shin Ramyun.

Cup Noodles, Maruchan, and Top Ramen can all be found at most local grocery stores whereas Sapporo Ichiban and Shin Ramen are found more commonly in Asian markets like Uwajimaya and 99 Ranch.

We ranked and rated them out of 10 based on flavor (the broth), texture (the noodles), and overall taste(the broth and noodles together). We tasted them successively following the instructions on the back of the packaging.

#4 Cup Noodles 2/10

Cup Noodles is an instant ramen staple but sadly it was a letdown. The noodles, when cooked following the instructions, were still hard and crunchy on the inside. Other than the below-par noodles, the broth was actually enjoyable. There was a nice balance of salty and chicken flavoring. Cup Noodles cost $0.69 to buy per cup. If cooked for longer than the instructions said, I think cup noodles could have gotten a better rating and showed their fuller potential.

#3 Top Ramen 3/10

Compared to Cup Noodles, top ramen had opposite problems. The noodles were a good texture and size, but the broth tasted plastic-y. At first, the ramen smells flavourful, but after the first taste, you get very disappointed. The strong scent masks the Top Ramen costs $0.39 to buy per package.

#2 Maruchan 5/10

Maruchan was similar to top ramen, just a little better in every way. The broth had a little more flavor and the noodles were very similar. The noodles were a nice size and texture. The overall bite of Maruchan ramen was underwhelming. It costs $0.39 to buy per package.

#1 Sapporo Ichiban 8/10

Sapporo Ichiban, a Japanese instant noodle brand, was a great basic ramen. It costs $0.89 to buy per package. The broth tasted like a classic chicken soup that you eat when you’re sick. Pritchard, Sei, and I agreed we would choose this ramen over the others.

Spicy Ramen Section ~ Shin Ramyun

Shin Ramyun is a South Korean instant noodle brand popularly known for its spicy ramen. Shin Ramyun costs $0.89 to buy per package. Personally, this is my favorite I think the spice adds a nice extra layer to the ramen that the others don’t have. The broth itself has a very rich flavor that stands out. The noodles are a little thicker and wavier which I enjoyed.