While going through the refrigerated noodle section at Hatoya Japanese Grocer here in Charlotte, I found this bag of Maruchan noodles I had never seen. While it does use ramen noodles, it is not a soup – there is no broth mixing, and no reason to heat a certain amount of water in order to make the base mix. These are, basically, sesame cold noodles, and they’re pretty delicious.
A good sliced pork recipe can elevate your homemade ramen to a savory meal in ways just adding hard-boiled eggs can’t. Pork slices add to the flavor of the broth, give a more robust visual aesthetic, and taste damned delicious. You can even use it for packaged ramen. This is my personal recipe for a braised pork using a center loin. It may not be the most ideal or traditional cut or recipe for a ramen, but it works for me, and it can double as an anytime-recipe outside of ramen prep, which is ideal when coming up with meals for your family.
I picked this package of Shimadaya Shoyu ramen up in the freezer section of my Japanese grocer. I liked the look of the packaging and, as all packaged ramen aficionados know, the freezer section ramen is usually the best ramen. This particular brand, however, left me severely wanting.