Desperate times call for desperate eating measures (and please contribute to your local restaurant worker relief funds!).
Mensho, Iza and Hinodeya are only doing takeout. Nojo is closed. That’s a quick scan of a few ramen spots we like in San Francisco. While the inability to slurp ramen is the least of our concerns these days, I’m beginning to miss the experience.
Takeout ramen is a tough sell for me, plus my wife and I are sheltering in place. So in an attempt to ease the longing, I’m trying a few of the new breed of instant ramen. Today it’s Mike’s Mighty Good, which tries to piggyback on the restaurant ramen craze by calling its product “craft ramen.”
Finding some of Mike’s products wasn’t easy last week, at least at my local Whole Foods. Today, supplies were better. I tried the fried garlic chicken first, thinking some leftover dark meat chicken would suffice for the protein topping.
The product comes with two packets: broth powder and oil. Boil water, add noodles, mix in the packets – done. Since I hardly ever eat instant ramen, I have nothing to compare to Mike’s. I was hoping to find something notable about it, even with diminished expectations. Not really.
The broth was thin, spiked with some pepper. Noodles were OK, I suppose, and I was pleased they were organic. My chicken slices and some leftover cooked spinach kept this meal from being a bore. Next time I might try adding a 6-minute egg. As a newbie to instant ramen, I’m assuming those in the know add as many toppings and flavorings as possible.
No star rating, as instant ramen isn’t really what we do here. Next time I will try one of the instant ramens that come in those large plastic bowls. Maybe I’ll find a reasonable substitute to ease my longing.
Until things open up again, I urge you to find a local restaurant worker’s relief fund in your area, or a social fund specifically for your favorite ramen place. Here’s one for Oakland’s Ramen Shop.
Or maybe purchase a gift certificate you can use in better times. Restaurants are hurting right now and some will not survive the next few months. Please do what you can.
