April 8, 2025

Ramen

I am no Ramen fanatic, but I found this "tier list" interesting and want to track down and try those in the top tiers.

This was from the following Facebook post, which had a myriad of followup comments:

The packages in the image are too small for me to reliably identify, but if you are already familiar with the product they are adequate.

If you want to get deep into this, try:

There is a subreddit for everything, and more besides.

A list from the above

Before I launch into the tiers, I want to say that I tried some hot Korean ramen (Buldak) and it was insanely hot and nothing I want anything to do with, ever again. Period.

Tier S (the best)

Tier A (next best)

Tier B (honorable mention)

Tier C and D

We won't waste our time here. This is the stuff you can find in any grocery store and what you might buy if you were desperately without money. Top Ramen, Maruchan, and the like.
These have only one thing going for them, they are cheap.

Where do you get these?

People say "Walmart", which I have yet to try. My local Safeway has only the Tier C and D stuff, pretty much as I expected. I visited two oriental markets in town. One is nasty, diry, and ghetto -- and only had "MAMA" and Buldak. The other (Lee Lee Market in Tucson, Arizona) had quite a few of these, including Buldak and Samyang which I avoided. The store is also clean and neat.

Nongshim - Shin black (and green)

I bought both Shin black and green. The green, although not in the chart above says "Nongshim black class noodles" and appealed to me as mushroom and fried tofu flavor. This and the black are made by Nongshim America Inc. in Rancho Cucamonga, California. 550 calories (green), 570 calories (black)
Price was $10.99 for a 4-pack so $2.75 for a package.

I made a batch of the green first. It was definitely spicy, but almost exactly at a point where I could enjoy it. However it is spicy enough that any mushroom flavor was entirely lost -- which is OK, I enjoyed it anyway.

Nongshim - Ansung noodles

Not on the list, but I bought it to investigate. The label says "beef and fermented bean" flavors. Price was $4.99 for the 4 pack, so half the price of black class noodles. $1.25 per package. 550 calories.

I tried this and it is great. Plenty spicy, but still within the range of what I can enjoy. I read that Ansung is Korean -- as is Nongshim. Good -- I would buy again.

Ansungtangmyun, or Anseong noodles, are a popular brand of instant noodles from South Korea, known for their mild spicy flavor and beef broth base. The "Anseong" part of the name refers to a small town in Korea, and "tangmyun" translates to "noodle soup".

Nissin Raoh Tonkotsu (green bag)

I couldn't find these in town, so I ordered them via Amazon. Pack of 6 for $16.08, $2.68 per package.

MAMA - Shrimp Tom Yum Flavor

These packages were $0.89 each. A bargain for a product rated in tier A. These are imported from Thailand. 420 calories.

Spicy, but not outrageous. It has a sour taste mixed with the spice and I didn't like it very much. The idea that there is a "shrimp" taste seems like a stretch. The price is right, but there are better options -- I won't buy again.

Indomie - Mi Goren and Special chicken

These are not soup. You are instructed to boil the noodles, then strain out the water, and combine the noodles with spices in your bowl. Price was $4.99 for the Mi goren and $4.01 for the chicken, and these are a 5-pack. So the price is $1.00 and $0.80 per package. These are a bargain. 400 calories (mi goreng), 350 calories (special chicken)
They are imported from Indonesia.

Buldak

The stores I visit have lots of this, but I nearly poisoned myself with this spicy stuff once and am not eager to repeat the experience. People say to just use 1/2 or 1/4 of the spice packet. The Carbonara is supposed to be their mildest, but I read someone saying they made it with 1/4 of the spice packet and still could not finish it. What is the point given all the other alternatives. People somewhere must like this stuff given all of it I see on the store shelves.

Jjajang (black bean sauce) is also reported to be their least spicy alongside the Carbonara.

Feedback? Questions? Drop me a line!

Tom's Culinary Resources / tom@mmto.org