Recently Los Angeles Times released “the official instant ramen power rankings”. The list was being posted on Subtle Asian Traits and there were 240 people disagreeing with the chart of justice.
On November 5th, Los Angeles Times’s food columnist Lucas Kwan Peterson released the official instant ramen ranking that was stated as “the totally inarguable, airtight and utterly incontrovertible L.A. Times Instant Ramen Power Rankings”.
Kwan-Peterson said that the ramens were ranked based on two metrics: taste and truth in advertising, which means does the food taste like the thing it purports to taste like. The survey included 31 types of Ramen and no more than three varieties per brand. The following is the result that the humble columnist concluded:
Unfortunately, many university student’s favorite brand Nissin and Samyang are placed almost at the bottom of the list. However, other favorites like Nongshim ramen black and Indomie BBQ chicken flavor placed rather top of the list.
INDOME CHICKEN TERIYAKI dicampur sama FRIED ENOKI ? Good idea! #WhatsupCafe pic.twitter.com/uqnJOAHpXt
— What's Up Cafe (@Cafe_WhatsUp) September 5, 2017
The top three overall score of the list are Indomie (Barbecue Chicken), My Kuali (Penang White Curry) and Nongshim Shin (Black). The author described this specific flavor of Indomie with fix packaged mixers are “totally and utterly heavenly”. The Penang White Curry as “one of the best” because “it has deep seafood flavor, slightly sweet and almost coconutty”. Nevertheless, the writer commented that Black Shin ramen is “on the shelf of nearly every respectable grocery store and for a good reason”.
Personally, I refuse to believe the two instant-ramen, Nongshim Bowl Noodle Soup (Spicy Kimchi) and Nissin Demae (Tonkontsu with Black Garlic Oil) I literally live on has placed the dead-end bottom. I had hope that what I have been eating was not trash but this list proved me wrong.
Kwan- Peterson said that the Nongshim is not the ranked high on “truth in advertisement” because there is “none of the pungency, spice or funk of kimchi” and ended with the commentary with it being a “bland ramen”. I will be honest that I have been eating it obsessively ever since I started university because it comes as a big bulk at Costco. There are many instant ramen could easily rank below this ramen but I guess my taste bud does not do justice to the real quality of the ramen.
He continued by saying that the Nissin Demae (Tonkotsu with Black Garlic Oil) as something that “tastes fine, I guess, but fails hard on the truth in advertisement section”. This result has disappointed a few of my friends because if they have to choose an instant ramen this will be it. I love Nissin Demae but not specifically the black garlic oil ones so I cannot speak for the lovers. However, I always believe that Nissin Demae is a promising instant ramen brand. It is really popular in Hong Kong.
I am in no position to criticize a L.A. Times food columnist but I just believe that the way of making the ramen highly impact the result of the ramen. If this was a lab experiment I believe that could be an external factor that influence the result.
On a side note, I was visiting Osaka over the summer and my friend just casually introduced me to Sugakiya and since then I stopped eating any instant ramen that they sell in North America. The soup was creamy and thick, the noodles were not soggy and the salt level is perfect. I cannot say for the truth in advertising because I cannot read the Japanese packaging. In conclusion, I spoiled my taste bud once and it cannot go back to normal.
