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Move over, sushi: Ramen is finding a new legion of fans in the U.S.

Oh yeah, eating ramen is one of the big things my family looks forward to each year when we go back to visit Japan. It would be awesome if some decent ramen shops opened up around here. When they do open up be sure to order the Miso chashuu oomen. That gives you the extra meat and extra noodles. ;)

Sad thing is the increased popularity will probably skyrocket this extremely affordable and "easy for pre-teen to make" meal.

Unfortunately you can't get a great ramen in Salt Lake. I've tried a couple of the ramen shops mentioned in New York, but my favorites are Santa in San Mateo, CA, and Sapporo in Vamcouver, BC. Get the tonkotsu chashu at Santa and you'll become a ramen addict, too.

MSG MSG!! White flour White flour!! Just more foods that add to our unhealthy diets!

Ramen noodles are delicious! I like them with cheese and hotdogs! Ummmmm, Ramen noodles, cheese and hotdogs. We could solve the worlds hunger problems with Ramen noodles, cheese and hotdogs. James for President!!

When I lived in Japan as a missionary for two years, Ramen was always a staple whether in a restaurant of in our apartment. Mostly because it was cheap, but it was delicious too. When they open that new restaurant that "been ther done that" suggests, additional "to die for" menu items should include Gyoza, yaki-soba, yaki-meshi, okonomiyaki, katsudon buri, and ten shin han. Wow, my mouth is watering just thinking about those dishes!

Ramen is the PERFECT 72-hour kit food. It weighs virtually nothing and you can shove into nooks and crannys in your pack and can't hurt it. A small stove and some water and maybe a meal pack from an MRE give your whole family a meal.

Try Korean ramen. That stuff has some kick!

Ramen escribe in the article and ramen sold in the styrofoam cups in grocery stores are different.

The Ramen in the cups have ZERO nutritional value. You'd be better off eating cardboard.

I'd rather eat my own (anything) than a bowl of Ramen.......especially with hotdogs and cheese? Are you serious? We're talking about Ramen noodles here, what's next, a gourmet Mac and Cheese restaurant? Or how about PB&J for $20? I know, we'll serve milk, ritz crackers, chicken noodle soup and oreos on a plate, put tvs in the restaurant and have the customers watch Sesame Street while they dine.........Genius!

There's actually a really good place for Ramen, Sukiyaki, etc. in Orem by the University Mall. Yamato Japanese Restaurant. I lived in Japan for a bit and the food's authentically amazing (pretty awesome since the owners are Korean--they have a great Korean BBQ too).

My wife is from Japan so we get to travel there once a year. The one must do item on our itinerary is goinng to our favorite ramen shop. I've yet to find a decent ramen shop stateside. There is a place in SLC called Koko's Kitchen. Their broth is fairly good, but they use cheap noodles. If they would improve their noodles I would probably be there once a week. Ramen ftw.

p.s. Top Ramen and real ramen are two completely different things. As homer would say, MMMmmmmm.....Ramen!!!

Man on my mission in Sapporo where it was cooooolllld, I used to love the ramen shops on freezing cold days! I would think a Ramen shop in Park City somewhere would fly like crazy on cold winter days! Anybody ever try Hiyashi Ramen (Cold noodles with a great cool sauce) on a hot day! What a great cool meal!! I would frequent a restaurant here!!

I also served a mission in Japan. I just wanted to make everyone aware of that fact.

Hey Folks. . .

Let me put a word in here for Vietnamese Phu (pron. FUH).

Ramen is what you add to it. The broth is important and then the "extras." The Vietnamese include, as a staple in Phu, bean spouts (added raw to steep in the broth at your table), and fresh herbs, lime, onion (almost akin to manudo). Cooked meats such as flank stake, tendon, tripe, and other varieties of beef can be added.

One excellent aspect of Phu and local Vietnamese restaurants is that it is very inexpensive. As little as $5.95 a bowl. We have some very good Vietnamese restaurants around the valley, especially around the Redwood and 3500 South area.

And what's nice is that several of the local asian food stores will show you how to make it.

As far as the dry ramen goes I was pleased to run into a whole variety in Salt Lake, beyond the generic salt packet ones sold at your supermarket.

There is a foreign market near Koko's kitchen on the same street as Coco's Cafe, that has more varieties than Ive been able to try. Favorite so far is the black bean paste ramen.

To: "Ramen??? Wow"

I'm echoing "cardboard by any other name". Your ramen is different than the ramen mentioned in this article.

Samurai Noodle in Seattle is a great Japanese Ramen shop. It's in the International district, next to the Asian supermarket store. A small store and always busy. You'll be lucky if you can sit down. Avoid the lunch rush and go before 5 pm. They only have dining in accomodations for 10 people.

To Sapporo Ramen, try driving down Redwood Road.
Also, try the Oriental Market on 667 South 700 East SLC for grocery items you mentioned. There's also Sage Market which makes Japanese food on 1515 S Main St. They don't have as many options as the Oriental Market but they make Gyoza and may even catch them making O-Bentos.

I know it's Korean but try the Korea House on 1465 South State Street, they make tasty ramen and soup. I go there when I'm craving Japanese. I know, it's not the same, but it's close enough :)

The difference between instant ramem typically sold in the stores for 6/$1 and the stuff described in the article would be analagous to comparing Spaghetti-Os (the generic kind) to anything found in a high-end Italian Restaurant - same genre of food but a world of difference in the quality.

What's a ramen chief?

We used to buy frozen ramen noodles and make our own dashi (soup) by boiling pork bones and with seasonings . I don't like the dried ramen but the fresh or frozen noodles are really yummy.