Look at these noodles! They look so chewy, firm, and full of noodlicious goodness. This is not a slam on the Bay Area ramen joints, but I gotta say it - these noodles were vastly better than most of the noodles served around the Bay.
The crazy thing is that this is a regular cup-a-noodle-style instant ramen from a road-side convenience store in Japan! No wonder I used to love these instant ramen thingies back in Japan as a child - it really is good!
The bowl (yes, it really does come in a bowl and not in a cup) of ramen contains powdered soup, flavoring/sauce, freeze-dried green onions, and vacuum-packed char siu pork and bamboo shoot pickles. This one, in particular, was styled after the famed Sano-city ramen, known for its quality noodles since the water there is supposed to be crystal clear and deliciously smooth.
I would much rather eat this bowl of ramen again than eat at most of the ramen shops in the Bay Area. But really, this is not a slam on the Bay Area ramen shops. It is just a proclamation of how serious the noodle-worship culture in Japan is - even instant noodles have been reborn into a culinary achievement!
