I thought they were all super charming! …And chill; idk if that’s a thing with chefs in Japan but I appreciate that none of these three had that high-strung/intense energy (or the loud dramatic “celebrity chef” energy) that is stereotypically associated with successful chefs in English-speaking Western countries, unfortunately (…or both of those energies; like Gordon Ramsay is associated with lol. Love the guy tho)
Bro you got pushback on that??? I've only ever bought top ramen because I got a few 6 packs so cheap once so it was like 7 cents each lol. It was so much harder to finish than I should have been😂
@N.Oriiiiamerican mindset? You know this is an asian joke where instant ramen is the most affordable and easily found food in any supermarket when you are in high school or college where you have limited money and have to pay rent
@N.Oriiiiwhat tf are you even talking about. She literally said herself she ate certain ramen in college. It has nothing to do with America or a mindset 🤡
The older gentleman doesn’t know the brands, but clearly knows his noodles. Loved his energy. The other two were very knowledgeable and def knew their brands!!
@Bat_Boy I similarly stayed with Japanese noodle brands for the longest time because that's what I grew up eating, but the Korean and Southeast Asian (Ibumie, Indomie) are all worth trying! Just make sure you go into it with an open mindset, because their flavor profiles can be quite different, though equally delicious.
@Vonnegut84 Uh... did we watch the same video? She practically got everything pinned down way more than the others did, but it's understandable because she seemed to be a regular consumer when she was still a student.
Can I just say I love how these chefs aren't being automatically dismissive of instant ramen just because it's instant ramen. They actually take the time to talk about how each one is prepared a little differently. Like they bother to speak a bit scientifically about it and then talk about taste and texture and flavor.
Most chefs in my experience love some basic junk and comfort food. Instant ramen is some of the best and easiest sort of comfort food, and it's very easy to jazz up to be a pretty dang decent meal.
It's so fun listening to people who know what they are talking about. One of them would say something, and then it would cut to someone else saying the same thing and confirming it.
I LOVED that the one chef explained and critiqued the Cup Noodles on the idea that it's purpose and goals are different with cooler starting water and unique preparation.
"Oh it IS vegan... it tastes vegan..." made me laugh 😂 these chefs really know their stuff and got so many brands correct! Would love to see them featured again!
I love how each chef is basically saying the same stuff but in different vibes 😂 the woman is very conversational, the one guy is really direct and technical, and the older Japanese guy is very pleasant and smiling even when he’s saying it tastes bad 😂😂😂 Oh and the Japanese guy saying the noodles are Japanese or not 😂
I got the feeling when the guy in black would say it's not Japanese, he meant it's a brand not familiar to him. Not that he was being disparaging, as some commentators seem to take it. Like he knew the taste exactly of the brands he grew up with.
@ nah I didn’t take it that way at all. I’ve lived in Japan so I knew ppl who would say that. Not in a negative way tho, just like saying it tastes different than Japanese which tends to be mild compared to a lot of other types of cuisines
Japan is the origin of instant noodles,they even have a museum dedicated to it. I wish they tried some of the instant yakisoba noodles. Those are the best.
🙄You seem like the type that'll praise a grown adult, who ties their shoe laces faster than you. Must be part of that soft "everyone gets a participation trophy" generation.
And most of them were once struggling college kids eating ramen as well. Same with other foods. The goal is to supercede fast food and other cheap foods and then move the goalpost.
It's very impressive but I'm fairly confident they know the packages they're tasting beforehand and may even have them laid out in front to help guess/eliminate. Seems clear after watching all the videos in the series given they guess very niche items and never something not part of the tasting.
@万恶共匪毒害中华no it's not. What are you talking about? You're using your own colloquial language, we are using ours, which in our country is called instant ramen and has been called that since the 90's before you were born..
one thing i noticed about professional chefs is they know some chemistry. Knowing which ingredients go together is so important because of chemical reactions of the food. Like how the third chef mentioned alkaline water. I would have never thought to try boiling my noodles in alkaline water. Food is so amazing.
That's why food scientists are a thing and they basically know almost why everything works in terms of food! Ofc any chef would know their specialty but food scientists know the broad scope!
it's so nice being vindicated. ive said for YEARS that Maruchan was better than Nissin, but allll my friends swore up and down that Top Ramen was better. I could never see what they saw in it, there was always so much less flavor than Maruchan
Yep. Top ramen even has a 'stale' taste to the noodles, it's far worse than maruchan. It was like a magic trick in university where I can blind pick top ramen every time, because I did not like it as much.
I love that these professional chefs have obviously had these instant noodles often enough that they can recognize them. They seem to be authentic experts on ramen, even instant.
@justinjakeashtonI'm Indonesian, and when it comes to Indomie I actually prefer other flavors. The classic mie goreng is fine but either I grew out of it (I'm 28 and I've eaten Indomie since a child), or they changed the ingredients over the years
I like the Japanese chef calling it ramen, and the Korean calling it ramyun. I first ate ramen in Korea, so I call it ramyun, but my wife pronounces it ramen. The Korean chef saying "It's healthy, I wouldn't recommend it to my worst enemy". was beautiful.
If you want to generalize it then it’s ramen since instant ramen was invented in Japan. I have no problem with calling korean ramen brands as ramyun but to say ramen in general as ramyun just doesn’t make sense.
@davidk4082 The word is based on Chinese letters 拉麵 and we just call it differently. In Japanese its ラㅡメン while in Korean writen as 라면. As for originality, i know the future owner of Jin ramen went to Japan to study it and came back, created ramen company in Korea. But as Japanese ramens are rather... blend, it wasn't really popular. Later, they added some more Korean style spices, mostly of garlic and green onions with pepper, it took a different course with those of original Japanese style. My personal favorite ramen is 무파마 Mupama, which tastes primary based on radish, green onion, and garlic.
As someone with celiac I wouldn't either. I don't know how they managed to make a ramen that tastes like nothing. Now, if they had gotten ahold of some Gluten Free Meister that's another story. Granted those are nearly $9 a pack.
@AprylaCeliac here too! Most of these brands are just trying to capitalize on a trend, they have no idea how to make or cook gluten free flours. I personally just get Korean glass noodles. They don't really taste like anything but they have an amazing, chewy texture that you really can't get out of any other GF noodle. Soaking them is a requirement so definitely not instant! Bialetti has a GF pasta line too.
Can't go wrong with spare Maruchan ramen noodles. Don't even have to use their seasoning pack. A few spices and herbs and such and you can make a decent cheap ramen that won't raise your blood pressure, as much.
@akota7526I think it's the difference between something being vegan by nature and something being vegan by design. The explicitly vegan noodles were all western ones that, by the sound of it, tried to modify meat-based recipes to appeal to vegan tastes/expectations rather than just choosing recipe options that were inherently vegan.
@Manicpixiedreamgorgon but it was a miso soup? Some people add meat to their miso soup but traditionally its vegan. She should've just said it was a bad miso soup lmao
The Momofuku one had me dying. The transition between the chef who worked at Momofuku saying it's very savory and umami to the other two chefs saying the flavor is weak made me laugh. Had the same reaction when I tried those noodles.
Blows my mind. I love how the three of them guess so accurately. It's amazing how they can know about the creation process, the ingredients, the brand of a commercial soup with such accuracy and with just a taste.
Honestly if you’re asian you’ve eaten so much ramen in your life, it’s not crazy to guess. I am american-korean and can tell the difference between top ramen, shin ramen, indome ramen.. that said, i could not tell the differences between like nissin and maruchan.. i also would have a hard time between some buldak and indome ramens.. 😅. That said, i am also impressed with these chef’s accuracy 👏
Yup what D-Z said. If you've eaten a lot you can guess some of these mofos when they're cooking across the room. Maruchan chicken cup noodles has a very distinct smell that activates something in my brain.
i eat the chicken ramen much more-seems to cook better and has better flavor….however, i would take nissin or maruchan any day…i just buy tj’s cuz i live where theres nothing else!!
Okay I just want to say that at this moment 2:18 into the video I paused it and they started with my second favorite brand of Ramen. However when this is done I will be switching to whatever they think is the best 😂
i honestly LOVE toshiaki-san's reactions to all of the ramen he tries. he stays pretty open minded and even has nice things to say about some of the ramen that aren't always so loved. he's very wholesome!
I had it for the first time last week and at first I didn't think it was that spicy. Well, that's because I was just eating the noodles. When I started drinking spoonfuls of the broth my throat tightened up and my eyes started watering but my nose nicely cleared LOL
I am impressed with how many they could name outright and how consistent all of their comments were. Gives a lot of weight to their analysis. Nice video and nice job judges.
The Shin Ramyun Black is my favorite. I served 2 years in South Korea, and for lunch you could go to the KATUSA snack bar and get spicy ramyun, a side of kimchi and a ice cold coke in a glass bottle for under $5 The Shin Black brings back memories.
My lunch when I was there was at little shop called ma's just off base. Basket of whole fried squid tentacles (long tentacles with suction cups still on them) and some fries and glass bottle coke. Edit, this was 2004.
Yeah. The Ichiran ramen kit is $30 bucks in a lot of places now and when you compare that to the $2.50 ramen, its like you might as well go to a ramen restuarant at that point if you're gonna spend $30.
Maruchan is superior to Nissin Top Ramen…if you are going for budget basic.🤗 If I buy this type, I only buy Maruchan Roasted Chicken. I add things…👍🏻🤗😋
I always prefer to get Sapporo Ichiban because I feel it's still within that budget range, but Maruchan hands down if absolute bottom-price is what you need to go for.
I second the guy who replied to pick Sapporo Ichiban over Maruchan/Nissin. It is a little more expensive, but it's so much better, and honestly the price is still pretty bottom of the barrel
Sapporo is still miles better than both Maruchan and Nissin in that same sorta style. I also put it in the low cost category, though it can cost twice as much as those two...but STILL extremely cheap since those two are ABSURDLY cheap.
2 of the three chefs named my two favorites in shin black and Sapporo ichiban. I love both of those. It's especially nice seeing sapporo ichiban rated higher as a lot of people don't care for it
Sapporo is great just because it's so much more affordable than some of the other nicer ramens. Like if I'm getting ready to pay 10 dollars for a package of the Ichiran, I might as well just spend 7-8 dollars more and go get a bowl at a sit-down restaurant.
after looking at this video, I went to the store and to buy the Ottogi jin ramen, the nongshim shin back , and picked up a shin gold (chicken flavor). Thank you for putting me on to other brands! I love ramen
I am a very regular instant ramen consumer and this was weirdly validating to watch! I’d love to see this panel do a part 2! Would love to hear the chefs’ thoughts on Neoguri seafood, fly by jing, TJ’s squiggly cut noodles, chapagetti jjajang, JML pickled cabbage and some other flavor variations of brands they’ve covered already: shin gold or green, indomie spicy or bbq, buldak curry
Final Verdict: Eunjo Park: Fav: Ichiran $9.67 Alt: Ottogi Jin $2.62 Douglas Kim: Fav: Ichiran Alt: Shin Black $2.29 Toshiaki Kondo: Fav: Sapporo Ichiban $1.38
@mr.swedishfish12 I'm not a chef at all, and am American, but I lived in Japan as a small child and got fed a lot of ramen. Sapporo Ichiban is my favorite, too. I think upbringing definitely affects our fondness for different flavors.
Shin Black. Take 2 pieces of diced bacon. Fry in pot to render oil. Put in one shallot and 2 mushrooms minced. Get some maillard on the shallot and then put the spice packet in to toast. Toast it and then add the water and the broth packet and veg packet. Cook until al dente. Stir one beaten egg in vigorously to emulsify. Serve with green onions on top. Packet Ramyun perfected.
@akota7526 They were chicken flavored, last I checked, that's not vegan. it's also like the Japanese chef said, if you want a vegan broth, you're better off just making a vegan noodle soup rather than trying to make ramen, which usually has meat/fish-based broth, into something it isn't.
the maruchan ramen did well also - love that one of the cheap ones. I carry that, shin black, and the buldak carbonara (I use only 1/3rd packet LOL) at my house. The momofuku noodles are AWESOME as a base for a dish (I'll add meat+veggies) so I also carry those haha
I don't usually have instant noodles but when I do it's Shin Black. Though if I have a cold, Buldak to melt my sinuses into a plasma state is not unthinkable.
I'm amazed that they are so accurate with they predictions. I always thought all ramen was basically the same with just different levels of quality, but they explain the nuances so well.
I came here for laughs, but stayed as it was soo intriguing. One of the most interesting taste tests I've seen for long. I don't really even eat ramen.
Great selection of noodles and even better selection of Chefs. They each had their own charm that made the episode easy to watch, it didn't seem at all like 20 min.
@shoyuramenoff The sauce comes in a packet, so you can adjust the level of spiciness, I usually go for half a packet per portion, then it's absolutely delicious and it's not too spicy :)) So the ones crying 'spicy' literally do that to themselves :D
I appreciate that they went in a random order, so as not to bias the chefs towards a specific brand or stlye of noodle. Astonishing quality of video, and great experts brought on for this. RUclips is officially better than paid TV now. Well done!
There is an actual flavor called shrimp lime habanero? That sounds nice. And yeah, for the super basic budget version of ramen, Maruchan is the king and has been since I was a child in the early 90s.
@PlaySAI'm not sure of this but there was a time it's seemed Maruchan was an East Coast brand and Top Ramen was West Coast. At least where I grew up in the northeast, I only ever saw Maruchan. It was only when I moved to the Pacific Northwest in the 90s that I even heard of Top Ramen.
@grannyweatherwax8005 I'm sorry for your trauma. lol. Top Ramen is so flimsy both in noodle quality and flavor profile to Maruchan- in my opinion, of course. I grew up with Maruchan, and the first time I tried Top Ramen I was taken aback- like, "what is this? You call this ramen?"
I feel like chef 1 isn’t getting the recognition she deserves for her accuracy
She got plenty she is fine.
She got the most screen time. What are you talking about?
Feels like all of them were impressive at guessing the brand or type. They clearly know ramen.
@LMIP7777…bc she was guessing them all correctly. They’re gonna show those clips. Skill issue on the other chefs part
@L@LMIP7777 Screen time isn’t praise😅
Second guy trust with any meal. The third guy trust with my final meal .
Perfect description 😭
1st Chef: Calm and charming
2nd Chef: Serious and Insightful
3rd Chef: This not Japan HAHAHAHA
478 likes and no comments yet? I'll fix that - and yes you’re on point 😂
also 3rd chef: but I eat
(vary relatable)
@seb_the_tree Hah, yeah, I know that feeling "too spicy but I can't stop eating"
I thought they were all super charming!
…And chill; idk if that’s a thing with chefs in Japan but I appreciate that none of these three had that high-strung/intense energy (or the loud dramatic “celebrity chef” energy) that is stereotypically associated with successful chefs in English-speaking Western countries, unfortunately (…or both of those energies; like Gordon Ramsay is associated with lol. Love the guy tho)
I could listen to these three all day. Especially the two dudes. One guy so on point, other guy just laughing having fun.
I feel so validated saying Maruchan is better than Top Ramen for the past 20 years
ive had maruchan since a child and always stood by that when i had to eat top ramen
Same, eaten it as a kid, and the first time I ever had the Nissan I was so surprised by the difference. Very disappointed
Bro you got pushback on that??? I've only ever bought top ramen because I got a few 6 packs so cheap once so it was like 7 cents each lol. It was so much harder to finish than I should have been😂
Big difference for sure.
Ong
The Japanese chef roasting the flavour with a big smile was so funny to me
😂😂😂 very entertaining!
lol, I loved his energy
@jujunoyasumi me too, and for almost all of them he was like, "...and I'd still eat that."
Thats Asian folks for you haha. Calmly degrades and humiliates you with a smile 😊😊😊😊
"Very bad! 😁"
The first two chefs were methodical with their analysis and the 3rd is just goes by vibe, i love him lol
“Wavy noodle, like dis best, very chewy 😊”… 😂😂😂
Basically he chose the one he grew up eating😂
Same. I was smiling every time he came on.
Kondosan is awesome and has a great ramen in his NYC restaurant! Rockmeisha
@Mister_Y I mean, what do you expect, when its all bag instant ramen?
The female chef defo had lots of those instant noodles in her schooling days to recognise them all 😭
i mean.. people like ramen, saying in her schooling days is a bit of a american mindset.
@N.Oriiiishe literally talked about eating specific instant ramen brands in school because it was cheap
@N.Oriiiistupid
@N.Oriiiiamerican mindset? You know this is an asian joke where instant ramen is the most affordable and easily found food in any supermarket when you are in high school or college where you have limited money and have to pay rent
@N.Oriiiiwhat tf are you even talking about. She literally said herself she ate certain ramen in college. It has nothing to do with America or a mindset 🤡
“Too much spicy but can’t stop” If this isn’t the most relatable thing I’ve ever seen 😂
The chef in black is giving me cool uncle vibes, the cheekiness whilst knowing his stuff. Bless him.
@WebberWebbies yeah, he was the MVP of the video for sure
yea he chill af
He seems so cool, I love this uncle
He’s the best and we love his NYC restaurant Rockmeisha.
@julieonthemic5367 Whoa, that is honestly a very cool name for a restaurant.
The older gentleman doesn’t know the brands, but clearly knows his noodles. Loved his energy. The other two were very knowledgeable and def knew their brands!!
I'm with him on Sapporo Noodles. I want to try the Korean ones now. (I always avoided them because, to my western eyes, looked too weird).
@Bat_Boybuldak is really tasty, carbonara is great and I like the other flavours too
The korean ones are the tastiest! @Bat_Boy
@dshockeybreaks Buldak is delicious, but they’re very spicy. I’ve never tried the carbonara version, just the spicy chicken.
@Bat_Boy I similarly stayed with Japanese noodle brands for the longest time because that's what I grew up eating, but the Korean and Southeast Asian (Ibumie, Indomie) are all worth trying! Just make sure you go into it with an open mindset, because their flavor profiles can be quite different, though equally delicious.
I love how the first chef knew pretty much every brand, she definitely came up the hard way through culinary school
You mean the second, the first woman doesn't name anything
@Vonnegut84 What are you even talking about
@Vonnegut84 Uh... did we watch the same video? She practically got everything pinned down way more than the others did, but it's understandable because she seemed to be a regular consumer when she was still a student.
Yep lol
@Lewej1The second guy was naming brands way more than she was
"It is on healthier side but I'd not even recommend it to my worst enemy"
LMAOOOOOOOOOO
Chef 1: Heart
Chef 2: Mind
Chef 3: Soul
😂😂😂
You got it down bar for bar
That's deep, bro.
You nailed it ❤
Peak
Wheres reality and space?
Can I just say I love how these chefs aren't being automatically dismissive of instant ramen just because it's instant ramen. They actually take the time to talk about how each one is prepared a little differently. Like they bother to speak a bit scientifically about it and then talk about taste and texture and flavor.
Most chefs in my experience love some basic junk and comfort food. Instant ramen is some of the best and easiest sort of comfort food, and it's very easy to jazz up to be a pretty dang decent meal.
It's probably because all 3 of them grew up with instant ramen.
Bro two of them are Korean. Instant noodles is a given in our diet.
You must not know anything about our culture.
Instant ramen is eaten weekly if not daily
And they made the buldak correct.
It's so fun listening to people who know what they are talking about. One of them would say something, and then it would cut to someone else saying the same thing and confirming it.
1st reply
I LOVED that the one chef explained and critiqued the Cup Noodles on the idea that it's purpose and goals are different with cooler starting water and unique preparation.
"Oh it IS vegan... it tastes vegan..." made me laugh 😂 these chefs really know their stuff and got so many brands correct! Would love to see them featured again!
That cracked me up as well.
It's funny, because the Buldak original spicy is vegan as well.
@Zaapiel22 you cant tell cuz the spiciness blinds everything else....
ye
@Zaapiel22 yeah it is, but the difference is that buldak's one of the best ramen brands out there
I love how each chef is basically saying the same stuff but in different vibes 😂 the woman is very conversational, the one guy is really direct and technical, and the older Japanese guy is very pleasant and smiling even when he’s saying it tastes bad 😂😂😂
Oh and the Japanese guy saying the noodles are Japanese or not 😂
I got the feeling when the guy in black would say it's not Japanese, he meant it's a brand not familiar to him. Not that he was being disparaging, as some commentators seem to take it. Like he knew the taste exactly of the brands he grew up with.
@ nah I didn’t take it that way at all. I’ve lived in Japan so I knew ppl who would say that. Not in a negative way tho, just like saying it tastes different than Japanese which tends to be mild compared to a lot of other types of cuisines
Japan is the origin of instant noodles,they even have a museum dedicated to it. I wish they tried some of the instant yakisoba noodles. Those are the best.
@Evil.Totoro Oo can you recommend which ones to try?
"This pretty bad."
Straight up annihilated 😂😂
especially after the first girl tried to keep it polite lol
8:09 I was taking a drink and almost spit it out, 2nd guy is honest and I appreciate it.
Especially after Nissan and Maruchan got "meh it's okay" reviews.
Like, when you're LOSING to $0.40 ramen packets, you're doing something wrong.
Can’t disagree brown rice noodle IS bad! lol…
I died
Shin Black is the gold standard of instant ramen. It’s rich and beautiful. One is NEVER for me and I binge EVERYTIME so I have to stay away 😂😂😢😢
Honestly. My favorite ramen for years and I always end up making at least one more bowl in a single sitting haha!
Try Nissin Hokkaido Miso Ramen
I like the red better
@kevinthefishkid I always drop an egg in and the best best best is when I add a slice of provolone cheese on top
You have no tastebuds
Just want to say, whoever did the editing for this video did an excellent job!
bro is blowing bubbles on it LMAOOOOOOOOOOOO
@svmos.m our little comedian
@svmos.mhave you never received a compliment
🙄You seem like the type that'll praise a grown adult, who ties their shoe laces faster than you. Must be part of that soft "everyone gets a participation trophy" generation.
@ShadWall84_yt its okay to say you never receive compliments
I'm amazed by how they knew every ramen
Majority of asians can tell the difference in the same way we can differentiate white rice types
And most of them were once struggling college kids eating ramen as well. Same with other foods. The goal is to supercede fast food and other cheap foods and then move the goalpost.
It's very impressive but I'm fairly confident they know the packages they're tasting beforehand and may even have them laid out in front to help guess/eliminate. Seems clear after watching all the videos in the series given they guess very niche items and never something not part of the tasting.
@万恶共匪毒害中华no it's not. What are you talking about? You're using your own colloquial language, we are using ours, which in our country is called instant ramen and has been called that since the 90's before you were born..
@万恶共匪毒害中华so what about it isn’t instant then
2 professional chef's and 1 professional Uncle. love him so much
The “uncle” is a professional chef for many years with his own outstanding NYC spot. :)
lets not disrespect him like that lol
* Professional uncle chef. there i fixed it
@julieonthemic5367 snowflake
Uncles > Chefs
I like how all 3 are ganging up on the healthy versions. Food is for the taste!
Whoever got these three picked the perfect formula of personalities. Fun video.
Part of the script
fr
one thing i noticed about professional chefs is they know some chemistry. Knowing which ingredients go together is so important because of chemical reactions of the food. Like how the third chef mentioned alkaline water. I would have never thought to try boiling my noodles in alkaline water. Food is so amazing.
A similar thing happens with soft pretzels, which are boiled in alkaline water.
That's why food scientists are a thing and they basically know almost why everything works in terms of food! Ofc any chef would know their specialty but food scientists know the broad scope!
That's how traditional ramen noodles are made, with an alkaline solution.
Cooking is chemistry and biology!
Food is survival at core and helps nourish us but there's a whole bunch of science going on in the background.
it's so nice being vindicated. ive said for YEARS that Maruchan was better than Nissin, but allll my friends swore up and down that Top Ramen was better. I could never see what they saw in it, there was always so much less flavor than Maruchan
Your friends have bad palates. I prefer bland food.
Yep. Top ramen even has a 'stale' taste to the noodles, it's far worse than maruchan. It was like a magic trick in university where I can blind pick top ramen every time, because I did not like it as much.
Or the people that say there isn't a difference!!! There is a huge difference!!!
the biggest difference for me is the texture of maruchan noodle. the chew of the noodles is addicting
They taste equally amazing
That first chef knew her brands, wow. They were all lovely for different reasons.
For every ramen:
Chefs in white: give detailed analysis
Chef in black: this is not japanese
😂
maybe one day Japanese people will embrace other cultures (please note the sarcasm)
...but I'll eat it.
@sirris4330 They do, but as individuals, not as a whole. And they can become _really_ obsessively picky when it comes to authenticity...
I'd always wondered why Americans call their instant noodles 'ramen'. His reaction is the same as mine lol
Well, ramen is Japanese
I love that these professional chefs have obviously had these instant noodles often enough that they can recognize them. They seem to be authentic experts on ramen, even instant.
@DK_1983 indomie is mi goreng, not ramen. u are the stupid one. 🤣
@DK_1983 They know it well enough to know it sucks and is overhyped. LUL
Mi goreng is yummy tho
@DK_1983 not knowing indomie doesn't ruin your credentials. I like indomie but you're being so weird and mean for no reason. You're 41, act like it.
@justinjakeashtonI'm Indonesian, and when it comes to Indomie I actually prefer other flavors. The classic mie goreng is fine but either I grew out of it (I'm 28 and I've eaten Indomie since a child), or they changed the ingredients over the years
I like the Japanese chef calling it ramen, and the Korean calling it ramyun. I first ate ramen in Korea, so I call it ramyun, but my wife pronounces it ramen.
The Korean chef saying "It's healthy, I wouldn't recommend it to my worst enemy". was beautiful.
koreans say it w L- LA myun
If you want to generalize it then it’s ramen since instant ramen was invented in Japan. I have no problem with calling korean ramen brands as ramyun but to say ramen in general as ramyun just doesn’t make sense.
@suki355 the sound isnt r or l and i'd rather people just use r if they cant say it accurately
@jane-gp2cci said it’s how Korean say it.
@davidk4082 The word is based on Chinese letters 拉麵 and we just call it differently. In Japanese its ラㅡメン while in Korean writen as 라면.
As for originality, i know the future owner of Jin ramen went to Japan to study it and came back, created ramen company in Korea. But as Japanese ramens are rather... blend, it wasn't really popular. Later, they added some more Korean style spices, mostly of garlic and green onions with pepper, it took a different course with those of original Japanese style.
My personal favorite ramen is 무파마 Mupama, which tastes primary based on radish, green onion, and garlic.
The accuracy is crazy.
Lotus Foods Red Miso Ramen:
"I wouldn't recommend to my worst enemy"
dang girl!.
I have no idea if this is true, but "Lotus Foods" has big American but Vaguely Oriental Sounding energy.
As someone with celiac I wouldn't either. I don't know how they managed to make a ramen that tastes like nothing. Now, if they had gotten ahold of some Gluten Free Meister that's another story. Granted those are nearly $9 a pack.
Well only their Tom yum and kimchi flavors are decent tasting. The garlic mushroom lotus foods ramen is 🤢
@AprylaCeliac here too! Most of these brands are just trying to capitalize on a trend, they have no idea how to make or cook gluten free flours.
I personally just get Korean glass noodles. They don't really taste like anything but they have an amazing, chewy texture that you really can't get out of any other GF noodle. Soaking them is a requirement so definitely not instant!
Bialetti has a GF pasta line too.
worst part is the price: $6.33 for ramen that can't beat the $0.50 stuff.
The $3 twelve pack of chicken Maruchan helped me trough my darkest days
Can't go wrong with spare Maruchan ramen noodles. Don't even have to use their seasoning pack. A few spices and herbs and such and you can make a decent cheap ramen that won't raise your blood pressure, as much.
And for Pete sakes don't forget the hot sauce it's a must
@MmmHuggles macaroni or pasta could be cheaper than instant noodles i think (if u also look at the amount per price)
I'm in my 50's and I still love Maruchan at least once or twice per week.MMM
Growing up this was a staple, mixed with random leftovers or eggs.
"it tastes healthy in a bad way"
"ah yeah it's vegan. it tastes vegan"
Yes, those are indeed words spoken in the video.
😂
Funny cause many Buldak flavors are vegan too and she loved those
@akota7526I think it's the difference between something being vegan by nature and something being vegan by design.
The explicitly vegan noodles were all western ones that, by the sound of it, tried to modify meat-based recipes to appeal to vegan tastes/expectations rather than just choosing recipe options that were inherently vegan.
@Manicpixiedreamgorgon but it was a miso soup? Some people add meat to their miso soup but traditionally its vegan. She should've just said it was a bad miso soup lmao
"I wouldn't recommend it to my worst enemy"
The way the person opens the packages gets me every time.
…why? Should he have used scissors to delicately open it?
@Drpepperspray1010 Usually you open it at the back in the middle
@Drpepperspray1010 Chainsaw, the traditional way
It's like they're taking out all of their pent up anger issues on those packets
HowToBasic vibes
The Momofuku one had me dying. The transition between the chef who worked at Momofuku saying it's very savory and umami to the other two chefs saying the flavor is weak made me laugh. Had the same reaction when I tried those noodles.
To be fair it's not their best flavor but I definitely add to them. 😂
And the one who liked it was a former employee.
@chocolateaudacity7643 i agree! they def chose the blandest flavor. i love their sweet and spicy one and always have it in my pantry.
yea i had the chili ones and the soy scallion both had almost no flavor i had to add my own sauce.
I also liked the cut with "I like this more than Ichiran./I liked Ichiran better" 😂
Blows my mind. I love how the three of them guess so accurately. It's amazing how they can know about the creation process, the ingredients, the brand of a commercial soup with such accuracy and with just a taste.
Honestly if you’re asian you’ve eaten so much ramen in your life, it’s not crazy to guess. I am american-korean and can tell the difference between top ramen, shin ramen, indome ramen.. that said, i could not tell the differences between like nissin and maruchan.. i also would have a hard time between some buldak and indome ramens.. 😅. That said, i am also impressed with these chef’s accuracy 👏
...An excellent Chef exhibits a bit of History, Biology, Agriculture and Science. They always have a story or information to share about the craft.
Yup what D-Z said. If you've eaten a lot you can guess some of these mofos when they're cooking across the room. Maruchan chicken cup noodles has a very distinct smell that activates something in my brain.
Eunjo Park has the mind of a chemist. This was great.
“I wouldn’t try it again” is exactly how I felt about the Trader Joe’s miso ramen. As soon as it came out I knew lol
It’s so bad. I think it’s one of the few things I immediately threw out instead of powering through eating.
I love that ramen! They also sell squiggly noodles which is more creamy (sauce & oil packets, no broth) for I think $5 for a 4-pack. Delicious.
@TigerGreenethat one is horrible too lol
@nundulan Actually, it's incredible. You probably tasted something else, like raw sewage you scooped out of the gutter.
i eat the chicken ramen much more-seems to cook better and has better flavor….however, i would take nissin or maruchan any day…i just buy tj’s cuz i live where theres nothing else!!
Trader Joes and Whole Foods always do bad in all the episodes. LOL
loll because its white savior washed foods
It's like they give ChatGPT a description of the food and the result is what they sell
They should have tried the trader joes squiggly noodles
I was given a package of Momofuku ramen. I tried one pack and threw out the rest after two bites. I second the Trader Joes. Terrible product.
Whole foods is pretty bad with ethnic foods
*If epicurious doesn't have these three chefs take regular ramen and jazz it up. it'll be a crime against humanity!*
second this!
Oh totally!
I love the 3rd chef “this is interesting” 8:03 😂😂
The this pretty bad at 8:11 got me dying 😂
I started crying at that. The fact he said it while smiling
It was so sudden and he said it so pleasantly😂
Trader Joe's straight scamming at $5 a pack
😂😅 was not expecting that but I needed that laugh.
Shin Ramen Black is my favorite and has been for years. It's also been spreading to most grocery stores so it's easy to find now a days.
They sell in walmarts.
I recently had Shin Gold and it unseated my previous winner Shin Black. Shin is really solid all around though.
Too bad we can't get the korean made shin Ramen black. We get the US made one. The korean made taste better.
We get the Korean one in Asian stores in the UK. It’s also cheaper than the price on the vid.
@elcoreano11unfortunately it’s so expensive though 😭 i can only get it occasionally
It's like watching Americans eat fries. "This is McDonald's. This is frozen ore Ida. This is Wendy's. This is Red Robin. This is Arby's. 🤣 🤣
So you cant tell the difference with ramen you’ve been eating?
you would see a Belgian person spitting all those Belgium knows the fries!
😂😂😂
😂😂😂
@RicoSoprano_we can but we wouldnt be able to guess the brand
Okay I just want to say that at this moment 2:18 into the video I paused it and they started with my second favorite brand of Ramen. However when this is done I will be switching to whatever they think is the best 😂
"I wouldn’t recommend to my worst enemy", an absolutely brutal review of the lotus ramen lol
i honestly LOVE toshiaki-san's reactions to all of the ramen he tries. he stays pretty open minded and even has nice things to say about some of the ramen that aren't always so loved. he's very wholesome!
"Not my favourite, but I still eat!"
He’s super sweet irl too! And his ramen is awesome!
Shin Black is my favorite, and you can get it almost everywhere now.
It’s perfect for a cold winter day
Yes I love it!
I just had it last night with two eggs added. 😉
same, i was super happy to see it was one of the chef’s favourites as well. i felt validated in my choice lol
I love how they put respect on the shin black name :D
I would watch a show/panel of these three Chef Judges every single day giving their opinions on ANYTHING. Please make it happen
5:08 That Buldak spicy chicken is no joke, it goes down hot and comes out hot.
worse coming out than going down lmao
its not even that bad i eat them all the time and im 13
Just FYI, you just said "That spicy chicken spicy chicken is no joke"
A way to spicy
I had it for the first time last week and at first I didn't think it was that spicy. Well, that's because I was just eating the noodles. When I started drinking spoonfuls of the broth my throat tightened up and my eyes started watering but my nose nicely cleared LOL
I am impressed with how many they could name outright and how consistent all of their comments were. Gives a lot of weight to their analysis. Nice video and nice job judges.
The Shin Ramyun Black is my favorite. I served 2 years in South Korea, and for lunch you could go to the KATUSA snack bar and get spicy ramyun, a side of kimchi and a ice cold coke in a glass bottle for under $5 The Shin Black brings back memories.
My lunch when I was there was at little shop called ma's just off base. Basket of whole fried squid tentacles (long tentacles with suction cups still on them) and some fries and glass bottle coke.
Edit, this was 2004.
Dont forgot triple cheesy egg sandwich
@shawnbowen683303-05 casey
Thank you for your service sir
Yeah. The Ichiran ramen kit is $30 bucks in a lot of places now and when you compare that to the $2.50 ramen, its like you might as well go to a ramen restuarant at that point if you're gonna spend $30.
Very cool video, but the number of ads was a bit overkill.
Best chef panel I have seen in some time. All chefs were incredibly knowledgeable and insightful, but all attempted to not be rude. This was great!
Maruchan is superior to Nissin Top Ramen…if you are going for budget basic.🤗 If I buy this type, I only buy Maruchan Roasted Chicken. I add things…👍🏻🤗😋
YES I agree! One of the reasons it's better is because it has MSG, whereas the U.S version of Nissan took the MSG out years ago.
I always prefer to get Sapporo Ichiban because I feel it's still within that budget range, but Maruchan hands down if absolute bottom-price is what you need to go for.
I second the guy who replied to pick Sapporo Ichiban over Maruchan/Nissin. It is a little more expensive, but it's so much better, and honestly the price is still pretty bottom of the barrel
Maruchen noodles are better than nissin noodles. The packaged one.
I like maruchen roasted chicken too
Sapporo is still miles better than both Maruchan and Nissin in that same sorta style. I also put it in the low cost category, though it can cost twice as much as those two...but STILL extremely cheap since those two are ABSURDLY cheap.
2 of the three chefs named my two favorites in shin black and Sapporo ichiban. I love both of those. It's especially nice seeing sapporo ichiban rated higher as a lot of people don't care for it
I'm with you on the Sapporo Ichiban, too. It's a great brand and one of my regulars
yeah i had sapporo ichiban chicken recently and i loved the flavor and noodles! thought it was so weird it's always rated so low
Sapporo is great just because it's so much more affordable than some of the other nicer ramens. Like if I'm getting ready to pay 10 dollars for a package of the Ichiran, I might as well just spend 7-8 dollars more and go get a bowl at a sit-down restaurant.
Yeah sapporo ichiban is solid. I think its not as popular because it lacks a spicy flavor
Its because theyre better quality and taste better, Its no contest. Buldak carbonara is too spicy, and too sweet idk how they manage that.
Shinramyun is MASTERPIECE
after looking at this video, I went to the store and to buy the Ottogi jin ramen, the nongshim shin back , and picked up a shin gold (chicken flavor). Thank you for putting me on to other brands! I love ramen
So what's the verdict?
Shin gold is a little mid but those are the best ones . Jin and shin are top tier, the buldak is great too if you love spicy
@lowkeyebonyyno way you haven’t tried it atp but the red packages of shin ramyun are my absolute favorite 🙌🏻
Shin gold is actually a product only for exports. There is not a single shin ramyeon gold in korea. I actually want to try it..
"instant ramen" FTFY
the 3rd chef saying "trader joe again?" when the noodle was bad LMAOOOO
I am a very regular instant ramen consumer and this was weirdly validating to watch! I’d love to see this panel do a part 2! Would love to hear the chefs’ thoughts on Neoguri seafood, fly by jing, TJ’s squiggly cut noodles, chapagetti jjajang, JML pickled cabbage and some other flavor variations of brands they’ve covered already: shin gold or green, indomie spicy or bbq, buldak curry
I'd love to see their reaction to these as well!
There’s an American brand I see often, Mike’s I think. Had it once or twice…mediocre.
I was hoping they would try Neoguri seafood, it’s one of my favorites
Yes! I was surprised there was no Neoguri
I was kinda annoyed that they gave the most random mama flavour for them to taste, they are usually well know for their seafood ramen.
17:07 - "no japanese" 🤣
The third guy is sooooo sympathetic! Wow he seems like he'd be the awesome chill uncle everyone knows but has no direct ties to. Loved that guy
I love that everyones favorite was the $10 per pack ramen. Ima stick wit my shin black
Yeah tbh at that price I'll just get restaurant ramen.
At $10 per pack it BETTER be the best!
I had to order some to try it. No way can I afford to get addicted to it, but I gotta know what it tastes like now. lol.
@Isaac.Eiland-Hall I've ordered it a few times! It really is the best instant ramen you can buy. Def worth trying once
@Gluckdrache I've tried a few like the Hikari, those ones are a nice cheaper alternative to the Ichiran.
Final Verdict:
Eunjo Park:
Fav: Ichiran $9.67
Alt: Ottogi Jin $2.62
Douglas Kim:
Fav: Ichiran
Alt: Shin Black $2.29
Toshiaki Kondo:
Fav: Sapporo Ichiban $1.38
Indomie clears them all
@Rrrr101-x9l indomie is great for its price but i'd always opt for the $2 noodles (samyang, ottogi) if i had to make a dinner out of it
@GarrettDenton checks out that the korean chefs chose the popular korean ones and the japanese chef chose the popular japanese one lol
@mr.swedishfish12 I'm not a chef at all, and am American, but I lived in Japan as a small child and got fed a lot of ramen. Sapporo Ichiban is my favorite, too. I think upbringing definitely affects our fondness for different flavors.
@mr.swedishfish12 yeah that makes sense, what's your favorite ramen? I'm looking for other recommendations
Shin Black. Take 2 pieces of diced bacon. Fry in pot to render oil. Put in one shallot and 2 mushrooms minced. Get some maillard on the shallot and then put the spice packet in to toast. Toast it and then add the water and the broth packet and veg packet. Cook until al dente. Stir one beaten egg in vigorously to emulsify. Serve with green onions on top. Packet Ramyun perfected.
The third chef is the one who I'd trust with my life
And your belly. He’s an amazing chef in NYC!
"Oh, it is vegan!... it TASTES VEGAN" She said it all without saying much lol
Then cuts into the 2nd chef blatantly saying it's bad lmao
+ the red miso one she even said "I wouldnt recommend it to my worst enemy"
Funny cause many Buldak flavors are vegan too and she loved them
@akota7526 They were chicken flavored, last I checked, that's not vegan. it's also like the Japanese chef said, if you want a vegan broth, you're better off just making a vegan noodle soup rather than trying to make ramen, which usually has meat/fish-based broth, into something it isn't.
@irondragonmaidenmost "chicken" flavourings are artificial
@irondragonmaiden it's halal certified and without real chicken
love these guys they're spot on with their commentary
Their accuracy was amazing.
Shin Black for four years straight
Im eating shin gold rn lol shin black is phenomenal
the maruchan ramen did well also - love that one of the cheap ones. I carry that, shin black, and the buldak carbonara (I use only 1/3rd packet LOL) at my house. The momofuku noodles are AWESOME as a base for a dish (I'll add meat+veggies) so I also carry those haha
We like the noodles, but make our own broth. Best noodles.
I don't usually have instant noodles but when I do it's Shin Black.
Though if I have a cold, Buldak to melt my sinuses into a plasma state is not unthinkable.
Shin black and nothing even close
I'm amazed that they are so accurate with they predictions. I always thought all ramen was basically the same with just different levels of quality, but they explain the nuances so well.
The third chef seemes so sweet!! You can tell he was happy to be there 🫶
To have the 3rd chef also pick my go-to noodles was all the validation I've ever needed. 😂
James Hoffman detecting Ethiopian coffee beans used in instant coffee by blind tasting vibes
I love how he is basically telling them how they made it wrong for him at 12:12
3rd chef is just happy to be there 😂
Buldak all day EVERY day!!
I came here for laughs, but stayed as it was soo intriguing. One of the most interesting taste tests I've seen for long. I don't really even eat ramen.
Dude these people are impressive more of them pls
It's crazy how the 10 cent cheapo ramen noodles are now 50 cents a package now.
They really know Ramen!
I find it amazing that they were able to name the brand and flavour of most of these. Absolutely amazing!
Each of the chefs had great personality, i appreciated each of them. Definitely loved the enthusiasm of the japanese chef the most!
Tokiashi Kondo won me over instantly with that smile
I was kind of hoping they were going to sneak Buldak 3x on one of them...
Great selection of noodles and even better selection of Chefs. They each had their own charm that made the episode easy to watch, it didn't seem at all like 20 min.
i would have easily watched another 20 of more flavours
I love the 3rd chef! Please bring him back 🗣️
Mi Goreng and Shin Black is all I need for the rest of my life!
"Im not scared of spicy"
"Ooh! Spicy!"
Swearing at the Buldak noodles is a valid response.
These are my favourite :( especially the carbonara one. Why the hate????
@VaivaPaula95 Don't think it was hate at all, really. Just surprise at how spicy it was. They probably didn't expect it.
I'm curious how they'll react if ask to taste test Indonesian spicier instant noodles, like BonCabe
@VaivaPaula95 I like them, but they are ridiculously spicy for the average person.
@shoyuramenoff The sauce comes in a packet, so you can adjust the level of spiciness, I usually go for half a packet per portion, then it's absolutely delicious and it's not too spicy :)) So the ones crying 'spicy' literally do that to themselves :D
I appreciate that they went in a random order, so as not to bias the chefs towards a specific brand or stlye of noodle. Astonishing quality of video, and great experts brought on for this. RUclips is officially better than paid TV now. Well done!
I love how they put on an absolute clinic! Just dripping with critical knowledge gained through lots of experience
Noodles are a gift.
Love how the guy in black is constantly smiling!
Maruchan is king in México. The shrimp, lime and habanero is the best!
Yeah. In fact, at least with my family, Maruchan is used as the catch-all term for all instant noodles.
There is an actual flavor called shrimp lime habanero? That sounds nice. And yeah, for the super basic budget version of ramen, Maruchan is the king and has been since I was a child in the early 90s.
@PlaySA I've not seen lime and habanero, but I've seen lime and chile piquin.
@PlaySAI'm not sure of this but there was a time it's seemed Maruchan was an East Coast brand and Top Ramen was West Coast. At least where I grew up in the northeast, I only ever saw Maruchan. It was only when I moved to the Pacific Northwest in the 90s that I even heard of Top Ramen.
@grannyweatherwax8005 I'm sorry for your trauma. lol. Top Ramen is so flimsy both in noodle quality and flavor profile to Maruchan- in my opinion, of course. I grew up with Maruchan, and the first time I tried Top Ramen I was taken aback- like, "what is this? You call this ramen?"
These three are superstars! Who knew there was so much to packaged ramen. Love this video.
Their favorite one is whomever they made a deal with prior to the video.