For those lazier nights (or mid-day meals).
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Midnight comfort food for me, even full of MSG. saturated fat…When younger, they were normal meals.
Top choice:
Nissan cup noodle (prawn is the best)
Nissan Demae Ramen (original sesame oil flavour)
Fuku superior instant noodle (actually raw noodle is even better than cooked)
Doll Ramen (original pickled vegetables flavour)
Never really like the Korean ones like Shin, too spicy for me.
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I keep wanting to get instant noodles for lunch, but between the fat and the sodium it’s a no-go for me.
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Prima Taste Laksa is a delicious instant noodle splurge.
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There are a few instant rice noodles available that aren’t fried, and are lower fat. Still high sodium, though
This one is fairly easy to find in Canada.
Sungiven makes a lower salt low fat instant ramen, which I have not tried yet.
I often use half the seasoning packet when I make instant ramen, and throw out most of the soup, which cuts down on the sodium but not the fat or carbs!
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My favourite are the Thai brand Mama noodles, which get a mention in that article. We bulk buy the shrimp tom yum packs.
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I do this too! Glad to meet another soup thrower-outer!
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Chacun à son goût, as they say. They were always my favorite, but I don’t really eat instant noodles much any more.
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I like them because of the heat 
Although I can’t remember the last time I made the whole package deal — i.e. not just using the noodles OR the seasoning packets. Probz not since my late 20s 
It was an easy weeknight meal with both my ex and me working FT, and she’d always doctor it up with fresh cuke slices, or scallions, or whatever green veg we had in the fridge. We always had fried garlic & shallots in the pantry that she’d fry up in advance. This was also her way of trying to gently increase my tolerance level for spicy foods — by sneaking in crushed chile powder or other heat sources (always “too much” & I’d complain, of course 
) … but clearly, eventually (and long after we split) she turned me into an absolute convert.
It is near impossible for me to enjoy most of these soup styles without TPSTOHeat 
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Can anyone shed light on when these became popular in the US? I remember them being around for a very long time, but don’t recall having eaten them, and I definitely don’t remember them as “college food” at my college (78-80). I sort of remember “cup o’ noodles”. Are they the same as the plastic wrapped squares?
NVM I found this.
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Cup O’ Noodles (Just “Cup Noodles” since 1993) was (maybe still is) a styrofoam cup. You peeled back the paper on top, poured in the water, and a couple of minutes later your soup was ready.
The plastic wrapped squares were probably Top Ramen. At least that’s the brand we had when I was growing up. (A bit later than you, but close enough.) These days I use that brand for making broccoli slaw.
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I prefer Maruchan roast chicken flavor noodle cups, but can no longer indulge because of the sodium.
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I remember Nissin Top Ramen in the square plastic package. It was a rare treat (I think my parents framed it in that way for young impressionable minds) for us as kids in the early 80s in the US.
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I love Shin ramen - both the regular and the Black bone broth versions. I prefer the cups to the bricks, for some reason. I typically add some vegetables and/or protein to them so I’m not just eating a cup of carbs. And usually a little extra spice!
I also like certain flavors of other brands - Hao Hao and Indomie come to mind. As a spice nut I have also tried the infamously spicy Buldak flavors but I don’t care much for the texture of their noodles nor the sweetness in their sauces.
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Ugh, I love instant ramen, and my blood pressure curses me for it. If you’re of East Asian descent - and still reasonably immersed in your homeland culture, then instant noodles is kind of in your blood already. 
I limit myself to no more than 2 in a week, and usually they are quick lunch time meals for me when I work from home or a weekend lazy lunch. When I break it out for dinner, it’s been a super busy day. I grew up with some classic HK/Chinese brands like Doll brand, Kung-Fu, but I do find myself gravitating towards Japanese and Korean noodles today - Korean in particular. I also appreciate any attempts to offer non-fried noodles and even minimally healthier options.
I will give a shoutout to the less often seen noodles – the soft udon packs are still my fave, but also the rice noodles and bean thread noodles. There influx of more other regional Chinese noodles (a lot of dry, non-soupy noodles has been interesting). My sample size has been small, but I haven’t been very impressed with Western Market noodles. Maruchan is maruchan and has a place for the broke college students, but I’m talking about the TJ knock-offs, the Momofuku rip-offs. Of the few packs I’ve tried, they were not good (IMHO).
You can also find reviews at the Grand Daddy of ramen reviews: https://www.theramenrater.com/
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Agree - I have a pack of the TJ’s squiggly noodles with spicy sesame sauce I’m working through right now and they are mid. Less than mid, actually. I’ve been doctoring them up with meat/veg mix-ins, peanut butter, chili crisp, etc., but I wouldn’t buy them again.
My mother would make Top Ramen from time to time as a side dish with her “Chinese” lamb chops and sauteed broccoli. One package split between 4 of us.
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One package between 4 
!!!
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Yup. That’s my Mom for you.
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This is the opposite of the Moms in my family. LOL.
