“A beginning is the time for taking the most delicate care that the balances are correct.” – Frank Herbert

While this isn’t a beginning (and most certainly not an end), this is something I want to handle delicately and with a balanced approach. It’s not every day I review my 5000th product. So, I thought I would ask the advice of those around me.

I’ve got some ideas on what to review. One is to revisit my roots. When I was a young child, my first exposure to instant noodles was in the form of a meal my mother would prepare for me. She found a product called Nissin Roasted Ramen. She would boil it for a couple minutes, drain it, fry it in a pan with a little oil so the edges would get crisp, then add a couple of beaten eggs. the noodles on the edge had a light crunch and the egg and non-crunchy ones would work very well. The product eventually was discontinued, and we traveled from my hometown of Anacortes to Seattle. My parents asked for a comparable product, and that product was Nissin Chikin Ramen – which was the first variety on the market in Japan in 1958; Momofuku Ando’s brainchild. Of course, I’ve reviewed that and derivatives/spinoffs of that one. One option would be a new spinoff of Nissin Chikin Ramen which would be difficult to find, I’m sure.

Another option would be to try something from a country I’ve never reviewed an instant noodle product from. That’s a thrilling thing for me. That’s going to be difficult to source too.

I definitely want it to be something interesting and fascinating… I like the going back to my roots thing. I would really never have taken this journey if my mother hadn’t introduced me to the instant noodle at such a young age, nor would we have visited the Japanese market in Seattle. That place was amazing to me as a child, as the noodle aisle there had all these bright colored packages with text on them that I could only guess what they said. I was kind of an odd kid (I guess I’m an odd adult as well). When I was young, I would sleep on the patio on warmer summer nights in a sleeping bag (my version of camping) and before I called it a night I would have my father’s old shortwave radio and try to tune into exotic sounding foreign broadcasts. I’ve always been into the exotic – the new, the different. The instant noodle is a blank canvas that can be painted with the flavors of the world; a great diplomat for flavors to be shared on the cheap.

So, I ask you. What are your thoughts? I’m planning a very special and in depth review #5000. At present, I’ve posted review #4788 today, however I’m ahead of that. Way ahead. As of right now, I’ve last reviewed #4965.  It’s nice to be far ahead. I could take a month off and still be far ahead.

Granted, I need to review something new. Calls for me to review Shin Ramyun or Indomie Mi Goreng will be ignored as I’ve reviewed those plenty of times. I would love to hear from anyone – companies, people, anybody. As always, I appreciate your continued support of what I do. It’s really great when I get somebody saying ‘hey I know who you are’ at the store. Well, this has been The Ramen Rater wishing you enjoyment of your noodles each and every day!

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