15 of the Best Japanese Instant Ramens According to Our Clients
Jump to:
Despite the fact that ramen is originated from China, it has evolved in Japan and become one of the standard and most popular Japanese dishes in Japan and abroad. Japanese ramen has gained a lot of popularity and is now also largely consumed abroad. However, even if you have an interest in ramen, some of you may opt to eat at the convenience of your home rather than in a crowded restaurant.
The solution to such demand are instant noodles which were created by Momofuku Ando, founder of Nissin Foods, in 1958 as a postwar invention to help curb world hunger, and since then, they’ve bloomed into a huge industry. This article provides 15 of the best instant ramens according to our clientele and available at Japanese Taste. For a complete list of instant ramen please check here. For those who wish to explore other instant noodles such as soba, udon, and yakisoba, see this article.
Nissin Raoh Tantanmen Instant Ramen
Nissin's Raoh series is a long selling instant ramen brand in Japan. Raoh ramen features straight noodles which mix well with the soup compared with the wavy noodles. In addition, Raoh's instant noodles are processed with Nissin's non-frying technology and the noodles are made from whole wheat. These processes make noodles less oily but more nutritious, and the texture is chewy like the one from fresh noodles.
This is a Tantanmen (Japanese version of Sichuan Dan Dan noodle) flavor. It's a spicy ramen but not extremely pungent because it also contains mild chili oil and sesame paste. As a result, this gives the soup an excellent balance of spiciness and sweetness. If you add soy milk, pork mince, chopped green onion, or cheese, you can enjoy this dish further.
[callout-1]
Nissin Raoh Champon Noodles Instant Ramen
The following is considered to be the four major ramen flavors in Japan: syoyu (soy sauce), miso (fermented soy bean paste), shio (salt), and tonkotsu (pork bone broth). Among these four, tonkotsu flavor normally features the intense flavor of pork and is said that it tastes better when blended with other types of dashi. This recreation of Champon ramen from Raoh series allows you to experience a complexity of tonkotsu and seafood.
Champon refers to local noodle dish in Nagasaki. Its tonkotsu-based soup is blended with seafood and sesame seeds, so it provides excellently rich and flavorful soup. Tonkotsu soup generally has strong smell, but due to the exquisite balance of these three ingredients, its distinctive odor is mild. The champon soup goes excellent with vegetables.
[callout-2]
Nissin Chicken Ramen Noodles
This is an updated version of the world's very first instant noodles created by Momofuku Ando the father of instant ramen. The taste is now regarded as old-fashioned, still it definitely stays in the permanent place of "standard" instant ramen. A simple classic soup of poultry origin and vegetable broth is gentle to your stomach and intestines, suitable for those who prefer lighter ramen or those who wish to have a light meal.
There's a pocket on the middle of the dried noodle block where you can put a raw egg into it. This'll make the taste Chicken Ramen more luscious and richer. Besides, by adding an egg, the ramen goes more nutritious. Why not try this and experience genuinely original and orthodox instant ramen?
[callout-3]
Itsuki Foods Kumamoto Mokkosu Tonkotsu Ramen
This instant noodle is manufactured by a company at Kumamoto, one of the Prefectures in Kyusyu (the southwesternmost of Japan’s main islands). Kyusyu region is a mecca of tonkotsu ramen, and Kumamoto style has quite distinctive feature that kuro ma-yu (black garlic oil) is used as a condiment. This enables to make more flavorful and robust soup. Our recommendation for those who want to eat full-bodied ramen.
The soup is a lovely blend of pork bone, chicken, seafood, and vegetable stocks which perfectly suits with non-fried, middle-thick, and straight noodles. If you're a person who loves tonkotsu ramen and has a desire to experience the real one, this ramen is your choice. We offer this product either in a set of 3 packets or set of 10. Also, you can also purchase the black garlic oil at our shop.
[callout-4]
Nissin Instant Cup Noodles Soy Sauce Flavor
Here's another classic Japanese instant noodles manufactured by Nissin, the top ranked instant noodle maker in Japan. Nissin's cup noodles are convenient because both noodles and toppings are already included in the cup without being packed. In other words, once you open the lid, all you need to do is pour the hot water into the cup and wait for 3 minutes.
The soup is dehydrated powder of soy sauce broth which quickly dissolves into hot water. The toppings are cubic meats, scrambled egg pieces, shrimps, and chopped green onion. These harmonize well with the chewy wave noodles. We offer this product with three options: a single cup, a set of 3 cups, and a set of 6 cups.
[callout-5]
Nissin Instant Cup Noodles Seafood Flavor
Nissin's another standard yet popular cup noodle is this seafood flavored ramen. In terms of publicity, this and the previous soy sauce Cup Noodle are considered as the two greatest instant cup ramens in Japan. For those who love seafood, you can't miss this product.
The milky soup consists of pork and seafood broths which gives lovely sinc with the noodles. Because it's not a fish-only soup, the taste isn't extremely fishy, so people who dislike seafood can try this ramen with smaller resistance. The toppings include squid, crab flavored fish cake, scrambled egg pieces, cabbage, and green onion. This product is sold in two options: a single cup, a set of 3 cups, and a set of 6 cups.
[callout-6]
Maruchan Seimen Shoyu Soy Sauce Ramen Instant Noodles
Maruchan Seimen series, or another major instant ramen brand in Japan, is worth trying. First, the noodles are produced by special Patented technology, which is designed to approximate to the fresh noodles. Its smooth and chewy textures give you a sense that you're eating the real ramen noodles. Second, the soup is truly standard: it's neither too light nor too heavy, so it's universally designed for everyone. Third, the soup is home-cooked by professionals attached to the company, so it taste gets closer to that of the restaurant's ramen.
All basic flavors of Maruchan instant ramen are available at Japanese Taste: namely, miso, shoyu, shio, and tonkotsu. If you want to make innocuous choice but also wish to have quality instant ramen, the Maruchan Seimen series will meet your expectation.
[callout-7]
Sanyo Foods Sapporo Ichiban Shio Salt Ramen
When someone asks "What's the most popular instant salt ramen?", many Japanese would recommend this ramen. Indeed, this one is a frequently top-ranked salt ramen in Japan. Here're the secrets of this ramen's popularity.
What makes this instant ramen original is the noodles are made of selected wheat and surprisingly, a yam. As a result, the noodle texture is so fresh and pleasantly sticky that it's pretty different from other ramens. As for the soup, it's a perfect harmony of meat broth (pork and chicken), vegetable umami (mainly onion and garlic), and spices. The soup is relatively light like the other shio ramens, yet has rich flavor. Also, the white sesame seeds attached as a topping brings out the flavor of the soup.
[callout-8]
Myojo Charumera Tonkotsu Ramen Instant Noodles
Have you ever heard that most Kyusyu people and some connoisseurs in tonkotsu ramen prefer to have it with the noodles being tough and powdery? This instant ramen is designed to eat tonkotsu ramen as locals and manias do.
The tonkotsu ramen noodles eaten in semi-boiled condition is called "barikata": bari is a Kyusyu dialect meaning "very" while kata means "hard", respectively. The hard, ultra-thin, and straight noodles contained in this product are the reproduction of the real Kyusyu ramen, and boiling it for only 90 seconds enables you to experience barikata texture. The dehydrated soup of garlic origin and pork-based seasoning oil are also the recreation of local style, which mixes very well with the noodles. If you wish to have softer noodles or dislike powdery touch, it's okay to boil the noodles longer. It's still delicious even if the noodles are heated thoroughly.
[callout-9]
Nissin Instant Cup Noodles Curry Flavor
It is no secret that a curry is another super popular dish in Japan; so popular that there're several ramen restaurants which offer curry ramen. Likewise, there are various curry flavored instant noodles, and this one is the most famous instant curry ramen.
Unlike most ramens, this product has thickened soup made from vege-broth. This makes the soup sweet and mild, yet rich and spicy curry flavor becomes tastier. The toppings included in this ramen are diced pork, minced pork, potato, carrot, and green onion. Best choice for those who wish to enjoy two major Japanese dishes, ramen and curry simultaneously! If you wish to customize your Curry Noodle, add cheese and/or egg yolk and the ramen goes premium. A single cup, a set of 3 cups, and a set of 6 cups are available options for this product.
[callout-10]
Nissin Raoh Tonkotsu Shoyu Soy Sauce Instant Ramen
This is another variation of Nissin Raoh instant ramen that features both filling noodles and delicious soup. The noodles are partially made of whole wheat to make them chewier in texture and to enhance the aroma of the wheat. It is often said that whole wheat is healthier than milled wheat, so you can expect additional health benefits from this instant ramen.
Tonkotsu shoyu is literally translated as “pork bone and soy sauce”, and is also known as “Iekei (pronounced as e-ae-kay) ramen”. Its soup is a blend of pork broth and soy sauce and has a complex yet somewhat addictive flavor. Although these instant noodles are milder than their real Iekei counterparts, if you feel the soup is too strong, you can add some toppings like nori seaweed sheets; it is said that nori sheets allow you to eat this ramen with little chance of growing tired of consuming it. Tonkotsu shoyu also pairs well with white rice.
[callout-11]
Itsuki Foods Kumamoto Ma-Yu Black Garlic Oil Tonkotsu Ramen
If you are a lover of rich ramen, you should try this ma-yu tonkotsu ramen from Istuki. Kumamoto Prefecture is noted for developing its own tonkotsu ramen style, and this product recreates one of its variations called kuro ma-yu tonkotsu ramen. This ramen features a combination of pork bone broth, garlic, and kuro ma-yu (black garlic oil), which makes its flavor extremely rich.
When you try this ramen, enjoy its aroma first, then start eating noodles and soup. The toppings that go perfectly with this ramen include ajitsuke tamago (ramen egg), chashu (Japanese braised pork belly), chopped green onion, garlic chips, and kikurage mushroom.
[callout-12]
Marutai Kurume Rich Tonkotsu Instant Ramen
The place of origin of tonkotsu ramen is often considered as the Hakata region in Fukuoka Prefecture because it is actually one of the city’s soul foods. However, strictly speaking, this ramen originates from Kurume: a city located to the south of Hakata. Compared with Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen, Kurume-style is less greasy so it is easier to eat. Kurume tonkotsu ramen also comes with a tasty and unique seasoning oil to enhance the flavor of the soup.
This instant ramen has a strong flavor of pork broth with accents of onion, ginger, and soy sauce. The noodles are straight and non-fried while the seasoning oil contains blend of pork extracts.
[callout-13]
Nissin Demae Iccho Ramen Instant Noodles
The Nissin Demae Iccho is a long-selling Japanese instant ramen that features the aroma of sesame. Its seasoning oil is a blend of sesame extract and ra-yu chili oil, so you can experience the rich aroma of sesame and the zesty punch of ra-yu. The garnish also includes white sesame seeds so fans of sesame can also fully enjoy this instant ramen. There is also a cup-noodles version.
Each serving of this ramen contains sesamin equivalent to 1,000 sesame seeds. By consuming sesamin, you are likely to obtain anti-aging and antioxidant benefits, a decrease in bad cholesterol, and cancer prevention benefits.
[callout-14]
Itsuki Foods Spicy Miso Tonkotsu Instant Ramen
This product is for consumers who enjoy a spicy taste. Its soup comprises tonkotsu soup, hot pepper, two kinds of rice miso, sesame paste, seafood, and huajao Chinese pepper. These ingredients offer a tingling kick of pungency with the rich umami of pork and seafood.
Serve this ramen with a cup of cold water, and if necessary, a towel to wipe away your sweat because it is very hot. According to the manufacturer Itsuki, the recommended toppings are bean sprouts, ramen eggs, green onion, and stir-fried minced meat. After you eat all the noodles, do not waste the remaining soup; which you can enjoy by adding rice and cheese and eating them as if you were enjoying risotto.
[callout-15]
0 comments