Manly ramyun
December 16, 2012 9:13 AM Subscribe
Eat ramyun like a man (SLYT ramenblue)
I thought when we paid $5 we wouldn't see ads on MetaFilter.
Yeah, and weird use of Leonard Cohen. Was he paid for this?
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 9:23 AM on December 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
Yeah, and weird use of Leonard Cohen. Was he paid for this?
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 9:23 AM on December 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
... instant ramen? Real men roll their own.
(I don't)
posted by yeolcoatl at 9:31 AM on December 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
(I don't)
posted by yeolcoatl at 9:31 AM on December 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
That was great, Ryoo Seung-ryong is lookin' good. I laughed, what a fine commercial. Also it made the Leonard Cohen song much better to have something cool to look at instead of having to sit through it with my eyes closed.
posted by Ice Cream Socialist at 9:33 AM on December 16, 2012 [4 favorites]
posted by Ice Cream Socialist at 9:33 AM on December 16, 2012 [4 favorites]
I'm super starving for ramen now. Spontaneous meetup?
posted by byanyothername at 9:37 AM on December 16, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by byanyothername at 9:37 AM on December 16, 2012 [2 favorites]
After the buildup, that set-dressed instant ramen was a let-down. Road trip to the South Bay, anyone? There are these two duelling ramen places down there.
posted by zippy at 9:44 AM on December 16, 2012
posted by zippy at 9:44 AM on December 16, 2012
Wait, you mean some people don't eat ramen this way?
posted by xedrik at 9:45 AM on December 16, 2012 [4 favorites]
posted by xedrik at 9:45 AM on December 16, 2012 [4 favorites]
*puts on ascot, heads to kitchen*
posted by gwint at 9:46 AM on December 16, 2012 [5 favorites]
posted by gwint at 9:46 AM on December 16, 2012 [5 favorites]
Seducing the egg out of the chicken was brilliant.
I also can't believe there isn't even one ramen joint in this town. Eh, this is Springfield--I'm sure they'd ruin it.
posted by sourwookie at 9:47 AM on December 16, 2012
I also can't believe there isn't even one ramen joint in this town. Eh, this is Springfield--I'm sure they'd ruin it.
posted by sourwookie at 9:47 AM on December 16, 2012
As a long time ramyun eater I appreciated this post. I only recently discovered that Shin Ramyun now comes in a deluxe BLACK LABEL version. It has a beef bone soup base and bits of dried meat.
I also discovered the Ramen Rater. That blog is seriously amazing. This guy has probably eaten more different varieties of ramen than anyone on the planet. I commented on his blog and he sent me a detailed excel file of every ramen he'd ever tried...it was like 10,000 lines long.
posted by pravit at 9:47 AM on December 16, 2012 [11 favorites]
I also discovered the Ramen Rater. That blog is seriously amazing. This guy has probably eaten more different varieties of ramen than anyone on the planet. I commented on his blog and he sent me a detailed excel file of every ramen he'd ever tried...it was like 10,000 lines long.
posted by pravit at 9:47 AM on December 16, 2012 [11 favorites]
Eh. I think you'd be better served by watching Tampopo (again).
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 9:54 AM on December 16, 2012 [9 favorites]
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 9:54 AM on December 16, 2012 [9 favorites]
pravit, that Ramen Rater site is impressive - and he's already reviewed Namja Ramen, featured in the ad.
"Namja Ramyun" is literally "Man Ramyun" but is a pun that can also be read and interpreted as "If you are a man ..."
(and some extra Ryu Seung-Ryong goodness here)
posted by needled at 9:58 AM on December 16, 2012 [3 favorites]
"Namja Ramyun" is literally "Man Ramyun" but is a pun that can also be read and interpreted as "If you are a man ..."
(and some extra Ryu Seung-Ryong goodness here)
posted by needled at 9:58 AM on December 16, 2012 [3 favorites]
"Namja Ramyun" is literally "Man Ramyun"
It's a cookbook!
posted by zippy at 10:18 AM on December 16, 2012 [8 favorites]
It's a cookbook!
posted by zippy at 10:18 AM on December 16, 2012 [8 favorites]
FUUUUHHHHHH BEEEECHUZZZZ! Shin Ramen's transformation to Boss Noodles. How to eat ramen like a real man.
Of course, real men keep their rating secret, have scads of people surrounding them and taking photos of their every bite, and keep a secret diary of their consumption with so many pictures one cannot tell if the noodles are going in or coming out of his mouth.
If the former: how does he stay so svelte?
If the latter: what superpower is this that he does not share it with the world to end hunger?
The only thing I have more of than soap is noodles. This may be a lie. Noodles: the base of any food pyramid. The foundation of any cure. So special god himself hid our DNA in them.
posted by herrdoktor at 10:35 AM on December 16, 2012 [4 favorites]
Of course, real men keep their rating secret, have scads of people surrounding them and taking photos of their every bite, and keep a secret diary of their consumption with so many pictures one cannot tell if the noodles are going in or coming out of his mouth.
If the former: how does he stay so svelte?
If the latter: what superpower is this that he does not share it with the world to end hunger?
The only thing I have more of than soap is noodles. This may be a lie. Noodles: the base of any food pyramid. The foundation of any cure. So special god himself hid our DNA in them.
posted by herrdoktor at 10:35 AM on December 16, 2012 [4 favorites]
That is amazing and glorious.
posted by LobsterMitten at 10:51 AM on December 16, 2012
posted by LobsterMitten at 10:51 AM on December 16, 2012
And that noodle-slurp at the end is epic.
posted by LobsterMitten at 10:52 AM on December 16, 2012
posted by LobsterMitten at 10:52 AM on December 16, 2012
The strange thing about ramen, at least for Koreans in the US, is how it's followed the development of Korea as a country. Well, ok, I realize that this is very anecdotal, but I swear it's true.
From childhood onward: Japanese brands such as Sapporo, which is about as Top-Ramen-y as you can get. Then slightly fancier packs that had wider noodles with a chunk of freeze-dried bean curd. Then all of a sudden, holy shit, KOREAN noodles? Spicy. Good. Thick noodles. Think Shin. Think Neoguri. With small packets of freeze-dried vegetables: we're nut just talking about the small green flecks of whatever in Sapporo packs. We're talking about chunks that would magically bloom into recognizable bits of green onion, or mushrooms (which I'd always pick out. Because fuck mushrooms).
But then there was this strange decline in the quality of Korean instant noodles, which I took to mean that the economy of the land of the morning calm was suffering. All of a sudden, the veggie packet that came with Shin noodles turned into something that seemed more like veggie dust. Like what Doritos uses to add coloring to their chips, almost. And worst yet: the square of laver that came with Neoguri? GONE. What the hell? That was part of the ritual! Before the water boiled, before the noodles went in, before you made a soup from powder, you had to add this strange, dark green square of seaweed that would turn into something that was like wet leather made from a giant sea turtle, only, you know, it wasn't from a turtle cause that'd be disgusting.
And now? Now you've got Shin Black. You've got noodles marked as "Premium." You've got freaking news reports as to what the most popular brand of noodles and they're hard to find in the markets (read: Nagasaki). I go to a big market with pop to buy some Nagasaki, am told that they just got some in but some other people already bought all the boxes, and all they've got left are three packs of crushed Nagasaki noodles.
There's more expensive brands, too, further distancing themselves from instant ramen's humble roots: "wellness" noodles. Prepped and packaged in the non-fried manner. With clear broth. Likely spiked with vitamins and antioxidants.
Who buys these? The new rich. The well-to-do. The lower-class who want to be middle-class, who want to be of the upper class. Who wouldn't be caught dead buying the brown, plain, cardboard box of (gasp!) Sapporo Original Flavor. Because we want the Black. We want the Premium. We want freeze-dried chunks of beef in addition to nearly whole pieces of freeze-dried mushrooms and onions. We want to prepare our noodles in Le Creuset pots, or at least purpose-built square pots with lines for 400, 500, and 550ccs of water. We carefully boil our noodles and lift them out with chopsticks as the water boils because we think that makes them cook better: lift, lower, stir. Lift, lower, stir.
But in our pursuit of the most incredible noodles, they are missing out on the pleasures of Noodles For Real. Not just freshness, but of company, and time. Of conversation, and sharing. And of the supreme pleasure of opening a pack of simple noodles, pouring in the soup packet straight into the bag, carefully closing the opened end and crushing the whole lot against a wall and eating it raw, crunching the small bits and the lucky chunks in one's mouth and thinking of the Hermit Kingdom. And then getting back to StarCraft II.
posted by herrdoktor at 11:00 AM on December 16, 2012 [39 favorites]
From childhood onward: Japanese brands such as Sapporo, which is about as Top-Ramen-y as you can get. Then slightly fancier packs that had wider noodles with a chunk of freeze-dried bean curd. Then all of a sudden, holy shit, KOREAN noodles? Spicy. Good. Thick noodles. Think Shin. Think Neoguri. With small packets of freeze-dried vegetables: we're nut just talking about the small green flecks of whatever in Sapporo packs. We're talking about chunks that would magically bloom into recognizable bits of green onion, or mushrooms (which I'd always pick out. Because fuck mushrooms).
But then there was this strange decline in the quality of Korean instant noodles, which I took to mean that the economy of the land of the morning calm was suffering. All of a sudden, the veggie packet that came with Shin noodles turned into something that seemed more like veggie dust. Like what Doritos uses to add coloring to their chips, almost. And worst yet: the square of laver that came with Neoguri? GONE. What the hell? That was part of the ritual! Before the water boiled, before the noodles went in, before you made a soup from powder, you had to add this strange, dark green square of seaweed that would turn into something that was like wet leather made from a giant sea turtle, only, you know, it wasn't from a turtle cause that'd be disgusting.
And now? Now you've got Shin Black. You've got noodles marked as "Premium." You've got freaking news reports as to what the most popular brand of noodles and they're hard to find in the markets (read: Nagasaki). I go to a big market with pop to buy some Nagasaki, am told that they just got some in but some other people already bought all the boxes, and all they've got left are three packs of crushed Nagasaki noodles.
There's more expensive brands, too, further distancing themselves from instant ramen's humble roots: "wellness" noodles. Prepped and packaged in the non-fried manner. With clear broth. Likely spiked with vitamins and antioxidants.
Who buys these? The new rich. The well-to-do. The lower-class who want to be middle-class, who want to be of the upper class. Who wouldn't be caught dead buying the brown, plain, cardboard box of (gasp!) Sapporo Original Flavor. Because we want the Black. We want the Premium. We want freeze-dried chunks of beef in addition to nearly whole pieces of freeze-dried mushrooms and onions. We want to prepare our noodles in Le Creuset pots, or at least purpose-built square pots with lines for 400, 500, and 550ccs of water. We carefully boil our noodles and lift them out with chopsticks as the water boils because we think that makes them cook better: lift, lower, stir. Lift, lower, stir.
But in our pursuit of the most incredible noodles, they are missing out on the pleasures of Noodles For Real. Not just freshness, but of company, and time. Of conversation, and sharing. And of the supreme pleasure of opening a pack of simple noodles, pouring in the soup packet straight into the bag, carefully closing the opened end and crushing the whole lot against a wall and eating it raw, crunching the small bits and the lucky chunks in one's mouth and thinking of the Hermit Kingdom. And then getting back to StarCraft II.
posted by herrdoktor at 11:00 AM on December 16, 2012 [39 favorites]
What
posted by blue t-shirt at 11:17 AM on December 16, 2012
posted by blue t-shirt at 11:17 AM on December 16, 2012
crushing the whole lot against a wall and eating it raw, crunching the small bits and the lucky chunks in one's mouth and thinking of the Hermit Kingdom. And then getting back to StarCraft II.
"I have measured out my life withcoffee spoons Zerg rushes."
posted by zippy at 11:32 AM on December 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
"I have measured out my life with
posted by zippy at 11:32 AM on December 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
With all this talk of ramyun eating I went out in the rain to the Hong Kong supermarket and bought a pack of Shin Ramyun Black, $6 for 4 ramen. An exorbitant price for instant noodles to be sure, considering freshly cooked food can be had for less than $1.50 in Chinatown. But the milky beef bone soup base, the dried sliced peppers that taste surprisingly fresh when rejuvenated, the bits of jerky-like freeze dried beef...if that makes me one of the lower class who want to be middle class, then count me in goddammit!!
I've also noticed that a lot of Korean restaurants in NYC and Toronto offer instant ramen on their menus. While I imagine they jazz it up a bit I've always thought it strange that one would go to a restaurant to eat instant noodles.
posted by pravit at 11:45 AM on December 16, 2012
I've also noticed that a lot of Korean restaurants in NYC and Toronto offer instant ramen on their menus. While I imagine they jazz it up a bit I've always thought it strange that one would go to a restaurant to eat instant noodles.
posted by pravit at 11:45 AM on December 16, 2012
Holy crap. That's amazing! The only thing that would make it more amazing is if it came with a small mallet. Like for crabs. Or maybe if I were as handsome as the people in the video and kept up with my tae kwon do. KEEEK! KEEEK!
(The elbow strike was most badass.)
BRB. Time to go grocery shopping and then hit the hardware store.
posted by herrdoktor at 12:02 PM on December 16, 2012
(The elbow strike was most badass.)
BRB. Time to go grocery shopping and then hit the hardware store.
posted by herrdoktor at 12:02 PM on December 16, 2012
I'd love to make a nice ramen soup out of Shiritaki noodles. This makes me want to find a recipe!
posted by Malice at 12:20 PM on December 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Malice at 12:20 PM on December 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
The ad is referencing Ryoo's role in this year's film All About My Wife. He plays a self-confessed "casanova", a Man's Man who is hyper-masculine as well as cultured and sophisticated in an over-the-top way. See the trailer. There's a moment around 1m4s where you see him doing a fancy half-turn while preparing fresh fruit juice.
posted by shortfuse at 12:59 PM on December 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by shortfuse at 12:59 PM on December 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
I can't listen to this with volume on at the moment, so i'm imagining that the Leonard Cohen song in question is Story of Isaac and cracking myself up.
posted by Dia Nomou Nomo Apethanon at 2:08 PM on December 16, 2012
posted by Dia Nomou Nomo Apethanon at 2:08 PM on December 16, 2012
I was a little worried when he started to stroke that chicken, but all he wanted was an egg.
posted by Kevin Street at 2:14 PM on December 16, 2012
posted by Kevin Street at 2:14 PM on December 16, 2012
This is great. My husband just had ramen for the first time about a month ago, and he was like, "wow, these are really good!". I'll have to show this to him. He loves chopping things too, so maybe I'll get a gourmet ramen meal out of it. Thanks!
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 4:20 PM on December 16, 2012
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 4:20 PM on December 16, 2012
Just because I'm cranky and pedantic this morning, I'll note that according to the most recent revision of the official government romanization scheme for 한글, 'ramyun' would be read 'ram-yoon', as 'u/yu' are now mapped to ㅜ/ㅠ. The preferred spelling in English, for at least the last decade or so, would be 'ramyeon', since ㅓ/ㅕ are mapped to 'eo/yeo'. Romanization is a massive pain in the ass, thanks to repeated historical waffling about the best way to do it.
This doesn't apply to the Japanese stuff, which is probably best romanized 'ramen', as usual. The distinction between the two is important to preserve, I think.
Oh, and I don't know if you can buy them outside of Korea, but recent polls have shown that the recently introduced Snack 면 is a runaway favorite here in Korea in terms of taste. I can confirm that it's pretty darn tasty, even though I tend to avoid ramyeon, because even though I love it, that shit's fucking poison, no matter how amazing it tastes.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 4:25 PM on December 16, 2012
This doesn't apply to the Japanese stuff, which is probably best romanized 'ramen', as usual. The distinction between the two is important to preserve, I think.
Oh, and I don't know if you can buy them outside of Korea, but recent polls have shown that the recently introduced Snack 면 is a runaway favorite here in Korea in terms of taste. I can confirm that it's pretty darn tasty, even though I tend to avoid ramyeon, because even though I love it, that shit's fucking poison, no matter how amazing it tastes.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 4:25 PM on December 16, 2012
Malice: "I'd love to make a nice ramen soup out of Shiritaki noodles. This makes me want to find a recipe"
Hoping you mean "shirataki" there because the mental image of "shiritaki" is just too much to bear.
("Shirataki" literally translates to "white waterfall," while "shiritaki" literally translates to "butt waterfall")
posted by DoctorFedora at 4:52 PM on December 16, 2012 [2 favorites]
Hoping you mean "shirataki" there because the mental image of "shiritaki" is just too much to bear.
("Shirataki" literally translates to "white waterfall," while "shiritaki" literally translates to "butt waterfall")
posted by DoctorFedora at 4:52 PM on December 16, 2012 [2 favorites]
I have bowls like that I got from a thrift store. Where can I get more of the same?
posted by Evilspork at 4:53 PM on December 16, 2012
posted by Evilspork at 4:53 PM on December 16, 2012
Ooops, I guess I should add that '면' is 'myeon' and just means 'noodles'. Thus the 면 in ra-면 (which actually sounds more like 'la-' when Koreans say it, but that's a whole other bowl of pronunciation noodles).
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 5:04 PM on December 16, 2012
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 5:04 PM on December 16, 2012
Congratulations, the inclusion of Leonard Cohen makes this at least as strange as the Star Wars 1978 Japanese tuna fish ad... Almost.
posted by J.W. at 5:21 PM on December 16, 2012
posted by J.W. at 5:21 PM on December 16, 2012
Yes, "ramyeon" would be the correct romanization but the manufacturers themselves are using "ramyun" - e.g. Nongshim. Paldo, the makers of Namja, have chosen to use "ramen" in their English-language packaging.
Also, are you talking about 스낵면 from Ottogi foods? Ottogi ran a number of events earlier this year celebrating 20 years since 스낵면 was introduced.
Earlier this year there was a trend for "white broth" ramen (white because of the absence of red pepper powder in the soup) such as Nagasaki, but the red ramens came roaring back in the fall, including the newly introduced Namja. The overall best-selling ramen in Korea for over 20 years has been Shin Ramyun, though.
posted by needled at 5:27 PM on December 16, 2012
Also, are you talking about 스낵면 from Ottogi foods? Ottogi ran a number of events earlier this year celebrating 20 years since 스낵면 was introduced.
Earlier this year there was a trend for "white broth" ramen (white because of the absence of red pepper powder in the soup) such as Nagasaki, but the red ramens came roaring back in the fall, including the newly introduced Namja. The overall best-selling ramen in Korea for over 20 years has been Shin Ramyun, though.
posted by needled at 5:27 PM on December 16, 2012
love ya dok
posted by lazaruslong at 5:28 PM on December 16, 2012
posted by lazaruslong at 5:28 PM on December 16, 2012
Who wouldn't be caught dead buying the brown, plain, cardboard box of (gasp!) Sapporo Original Flavor.
Weird - I just had that last night! As a non-regular eater of ramen, I just go for what I had in childhood, but maybe I should branch out. Perhaps it is time to grow.
posted by ignignokt at 5:44 PM on December 16, 2012
Weird - I just had that last night! As a non-regular eater of ramen, I just go for what I had in childhood, but maybe I should branch out. Perhaps it is time to grow.
posted by ignignokt at 5:44 PM on December 16, 2012
Yes, "ramyeon" would be the correct romanization but the manufacturers themselves are using "ramyun" - e.g. Nongshim. Paldo, the makers of Namja, have chosen to use "ramen" in their English-language packaging.
Which I find infuriating, I must admit, especially when it's big companies that are responsible. It is windmill-tilting of the first degree, I know, and a minor compulsion. The Korean General Distributed Incompetence Field means that the sloppiest, most inconsistent romanization actually happens in Korea rather than outside, so I see it all the time, and it makes my eyeballs vibrate.
Also, are you talking about 스낵면 from Ottogi foods? Ottogi ran a number of events earlier this year celebrating 20 years since 스낵면 was introduced.
I'm misremembering perhaps -- we don't have any in the house, so I can't check if it's Ottogi or not. A new recipe or formulation, perhaps? Something about it was new, anyway -- my wife was just telling me about it the other week, because we keep getting Shin Ramyeon for free when I buy beer at the local box store, and we don't much like it.
Earlier this year there was a trend for "white broth" ramen
Oh man, there's a new 국수 place we go to near home that has 나가사끼-style 짬뽕, and I love it so much.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 5:52 PM on December 16, 2012
Which I find infuriating, I must admit, especially when it's big companies that are responsible. It is windmill-tilting of the first degree, I know, and a minor compulsion. The Korean General Distributed Incompetence Field means that the sloppiest, most inconsistent romanization actually happens in Korea rather than outside, so I see it all the time, and it makes my eyeballs vibrate.
Also, are you talking about 스낵면 from Ottogi foods? Ottogi ran a number of events earlier this year celebrating 20 years since 스낵면 was introduced.
I'm misremembering perhaps -- we don't have any in the house, so I can't check if it's Ottogi or not. A new recipe or formulation, perhaps? Something about it was new, anyway -- my wife was just telling me about it the other week, because we keep getting Shin Ramyeon for free when I buy beer at the local box store, and we don't much like it.
Earlier this year there was a trend for "white broth" ramen
Oh man, there's a new 국수 place we go to near home that has 나가사끼-style 짬뽕, and I love it so much.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 5:52 PM on December 16, 2012
Metafilter: literally translates to "butt waterfall."
posted by Kevin Street at 5:59 PM on December 16, 2012
posted by Kevin Street at 5:59 PM on December 16, 2012
Hoping you mean "shirataki"
I did, it was a typo. I can't imagine a scenario where anyone would believe I intended to say the ladder.
posted by Malice at 7:18 PM on December 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
I did, it was a typo. I can't imagine a scenario where anyone would believe I intended to say the ladder.
posted by Malice at 7:18 PM on December 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
Holy moly, herrdoktor, you hit it right on the head. An amazing recap.
More recently I had a contract job in the middle of nowhere in Montana and while strolling the aisles of the nearest Costco I found cases of the Nong Shim ramyun, kimchi flavored, in the big styrofoam bowls. I was blown away, who was eating this in that location? Unfortunately it's not on my diet due to the beef bone stock used but I thought a couple of my co-workers might like it for a snack since we'd already started running out of decent local restaurants.
The reaction was overly positive. None of them knew kimchi from KFC but they disappeared that first case in two days. In order to keep the crew happy, I bought another eight cases and by the end of that first week you'd have thought you were in a Korean office, with the quiet pootling of kimchi farts being heard throughout the cubes. In order to reduce the agony of our non-kimchi eating co-workers, I sent to my g/f in LA to ship me $300 of assorted ramyuns/ramens, with no kimchi flavored ones. That's where the second surprise occurred, the sweet potato noodles in pork bone broth from Nong Shim were the vast favorite. And just from smelling the broth, I could tell those things were spicy. So fun to see them break out sweating eating their ramyun, looking just like some Korean businessmen slurping noodles. Good times, good times.
Now then, where can I find some instant dduk bowls?
posted by Purposeful Grimace at 7:54 PM on December 16, 2012 [3 favorites]
More recently I had a contract job in the middle of nowhere in Montana and while strolling the aisles of the nearest Costco I found cases of the Nong Shim ramyun, kimchi flavored, in the big styrofoam bowls. I was blown away, who was eating this in that location? Unfortunately it's not on my diet due to the beef bone stock used but I thought a couple of my co-workers might like it for a snack since we'd already started running out of decent local restaurants.
The reaction was overly positive. None of them knew kimchi from KFC but they disappeared that first case in two days. In order to keep the crew happy, I bought another eight cases and by the end of that first week you'd have thought you were in a Korean office, with the quiet pootling of kimchi farts being heard throughout the cubes. In order to reduce the agony of our non-kimchi eating co-workers, I sent to my g/f in LA to ship me $300 of assorted ramyuns/ramens, with no kimchi flavored ones. That's where the second surprise occurred, the sweet potato noodles in pork bone broth from Nong Shim were the vast favorite. And just from smelling the broth, I could tell those things were spicy. So fun to see them break out sweating eating their ramyun, looking just like some Korean businessmen slurping noodles. Good times, good times.
Now then, where can I find some instant dduk bowls?
posted by Purposeful Grimace at 7:54 PM on December 16, 2012 [3 favorites]
I miss Yeo's which had duck flavor and a killer hot curry.
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 8:22 PM on December 16, 2012
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 8:22 PM on December 16, 2012
pravit: "I've also noticed that a lot of Korean restaurants in NYC and Toronto offer instant ramen on their menus."
Wait, not real ramen, but instant ramen?
posted by Bugbread at 8:29 PM on December 16, 2012
Wait, not real ramen, but instant ramen?
posted by Bugbread at 8:29 PM on December 16, 2012
In Austin, it seems that ramen has become the new hip thing, replacing the past few years of food trailers in hip quotient.
Ramen Tatsu-ya up north has had lines out the door the past few weeks it has been open, and the East Side King trailer franchise now has a brick and mortar ramen restaurant in back of the Hole In the Wall club on the drag.
It's all gourmet (a light year away from Top Ramen), extremely delicious, and very popular.
posted by hanoixan at 8:40 PM on December 16, 2012
Ramen Tatsu-ya up north has had lines out the door the past few weeks it has been open, and the East Side King trailer franchise now has a brick and mortar ramen restaurant in back of the Hole In the Wall club on the drag.
It's all gourmet (a light year away from Top Ramen), extremely delicious, and very popular.
posted by hanoixan at 8:40 PM on December 16, 2012
Yeah, I once ordered ramen at a Korean restaurant in Orange County and was dismayed to get a bowl of instant noodles --at $6 it was one of the saddest eating-out experiences of my life.
I like Maruchan chicken soup instant noodles the best (and they're still only like $.25/pack!) but recently discovered these Green Tea ramen noodles, which are fun, even if I find their health claims, ahhh, dubious.
posted by estherbester at 8:42 PM on December 16, 2012
I like Maruchan chicken soup instant noodles the best (and they're still only like $.25/pack!) but recently discovered these Green Tea ramen noodles, which are fun, even if I find their health claims, ahhh, dubious.
posted by estherbester at 8:42 PM on December 16, 2012
Hehe. Now I know where I'll be going for dinner.
I live/work in a South Korean college towns, so one of the perks is that there are tons of cheapo restaurants.
Mmm, Korean food.
"and was dismayed to get a bowl of instant noodles"
That would bum me out too but what's strange here is that in a lot of pojang macha (little orange food tents that set up at night) serve instant noodles. Or if you go to a baseball game, they sell instant ramyeon and have little hot water dispensers. So my non-expert take is that the line between "instant" and "freshly homemade" is a little different here. 20 years ago a pack of instant ramyeon was a definite luxury good.
Unfortunately, the stuff is way too salty. I've had to cut way back since I moved here.
posted by bardic at 8:54 PM on December 16, 2012
I live/work in a South Korean college towns, so one of the perks is that there are tons of cheapo restaurants.
Mmm, Korean food.
"and was dismayed to get a bowl of instant noodles"
That would bum me out too but what's strange here is that in a lot of pojang macha (little orange food tents that set up at night) serve instant noodles. Or if you go to a baseball game, they sell instant ramyeon and have little hot water dispensers. So my non-expert take is that the line between "instant" and "freshly homemade" is a little different here. 20 years ago a pack of instant ramyeon was a definite luxury good.
Unfortunately, the stuff is way too salty. I've had to cut way back since I moved here.
posted by bardic at 8:54 PM on December 16, 2012
Wait, not real ramen, but instant ramen?
Yup, usually the Shin Ramyun brand. I mean, I imagine they put some actual cooked meat and fresh vegetables, but it's still instant noodles.
Instant ramen is also sometimes cooked with ddeokbeokki(rice cakes) in a spicy sauce, and the resulting concoction is called ra-beokki.
I have also seen instant ramen offered as a condiment for the big Korean pot cooking - it's somewhat similar to hotpot, but more sautéing than boiling.
Maruchan chicken soup instant noodles
The noodles of my childhood! I used to love eating them "dry", taking them out from the water after they were cooked and mixing it with the seasoning package.
posted by pravit at 10:41 PM on December 16, 2012
Yup, usually the Shin Ramyun brand. I mean, I imagine they put some actual cooked meat and fresh vegetables, but it's still instant noodles.
Instant ramen is also sometimes cooked with ddeokbeokki(rice cakes) in a spicy sauce, and the resulting concoction is called ra-beokki.
I have also seen instant ramen offered as a condiment for the big Korean pot cooking - it's somewhat similar to hotpot, but more sautéing than boiling.
Maruchan chicken soup instant noodles
The noodles of my childhood! I used to love eating them "dry", taking them out from the water after they were cooked and mixing it with the seasoning package.
posted by pravit at 10:41 PM on December 16, 2012
The echoey shouted bits reminded me a lot of Screamin' Jay Hawkins.
posted by orme at 4:38 AM on December 17, 2012
posted by orme at 4:38 AM on December 17, 2012
Purposeful Grimace, you can buy these small cups of instant ddukbokki at the Asian grocery stores. Sadly, I can't seem to find any images or links to them! But the rice cake/cylinders come in an airtight package with an oxygen absorber thing in it, and you rinse the cakes, dump em in the bowl, pour sauce packet over em and microwave them for a bit.
They're not superdupersweat, and they've got nothing but rice cakes and sauce in them, but man, they're pretty good when all you've got in the kitchen are eggs, instant microwaveable bowls of rice past their expiration date, and beer.
posted by herrdoktor at 7:00 AM on December 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
They're not superdupersweat, and they've got nothing but rice cakes and sauce in them, but man, they're pretty good when all you've got in the kitchen are eggs, instant microwaveable bowls of rice past their expiration date, and beer.
posted by herrdoktor at 7:00 AM on December 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
Thanks, herrdoktor, you're my hero! I like making my own dduk bokki, but it's a real pain to keep the dang things from sticking together. It requires cups and cups of oil. But then I get to control how much gochujang I put in the sauce (read: tons. It must make me sweat from the first bite). And I like the spicy version much more than the sweet version. Hmm, now I'm making myself hungry. I wonder if I have any dduk in the freezer?
posted by Purposeful Grimace at 10:16 PM on December 18, 2012
posted by Purposeful Grimace at 10:16 PM on December 18, 2012
There's also these foil packs of ddukbokki sauce you can use. I wish I could remember the exact method of preparation, but I seem to remember not having to do anything but possibly add water and the dduk. I'm not even sure if you've gotta add the water. No oil or anything else necessary!
I've also found that frozen dduk, or anything not super fresh, benefits from being soaked in lukewarm water for long enough to thaw or, if not frozen but just kinda hard, soaked for, say, 10 or 20 minutes. Before doing this though, I separate the stuck pieces together and give it a couple of rinse cycles.
But yeah, I'm with you: making your own from scratch (minus the magic behind making the actual dduk), or ordering some at a restaurant or street vendor is the BEST.
posted by herrdoktor at 11:16 PM on December 18, 2012
I've also found that frozen dduk, or anything not super fresh, benefits from being soaked in lukewarm water for long enough to thaw or, if not frozen but just kinda hard, soaked for, say, 10 or 20 minutes. Before doing this though, I separate the stuck pieces together and give it a couple of rinse cycles.
But yeah, I'm with you: making your own from scratch (minus the magic behind making the actual dduk), or ordering some at a restaurant or street vendor is the BEST.
posted by herrdoktor at 11:16 PM on December 18, 2012
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posted by maryr at 9:21 AM on December 16, 2012