Momofuku Noodles
Ramen, elevated
I don’t know if these noodles count as a snack or a meal (and I don’t mean to restart the debate over whether soup is a meal), but it’s my Substack and I love these noodles, so I’m going to write about them.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when we could neither travel nor eat in restaurants, my family found ourselves watching the TV show Ugly Delicious starring celebrity chef David Chang. We traveled, and ate, vicariously through him and his show. We couldn’t go to one of his restaurants, but we could (and did) get the Momofuku cookbook. I’m no slouch in the kitchen (cooking is the one useful skill I possess), but some of the recipes in this book are a bit advanced. With more time on my hands than usual when we were quarantined at home, though, I tackled quite a few of the recipes in the cookbook, and the results were always delicious.
I guess because David Chang and his television show and cookbook helped get me through the dark days of the pandemic, I’ve developed a soft spot for him. I’ve since read his memoir — and I’ve also become a big fan of Anyday, the microwave cookware Chang endorses (you really can cook practically anything in the Anyday dish!). In short, if David Chang suggests I buy, cook, watch, read, listen to (the man also has a podcast), or eat something, I am down. Clearly, I’m not the only one who feels this way — because, in addition to the Momofuku restaurants (in NYC and around the world), there is also an entire line of Momofuku goods: Chili crunch (YUMMMMMM); seasoned salts (I’ve tried them all, and really like them); soy sauce (also very good!); tamari, sesame oil, rice vinegar (haven’t tried any of these yet, but I definitely will); and of course, noodles.
I’m a huge fan of noodles in general. Whether they’re Italian-style or Asian-style, I’ve rarely met a noodle I didn’t love. SEND ME NOODS.
The Momofuku noodles come in three varieties: Soy & Scallion, Tingly Wavy, and Spicy Soy. These noodles are definitely a step up from the ol’ 3-for-a-dollar grocery store ramen (no offense meant to grocery store ramen, which is affordable and delicious and feeds many, many people). What makes these noodles better, albeit more expensive (but still a bargain, in my book)? According to Momofuku, it comes down to quality ingredients and technique: the noodles are air-dried (for 18 hours!), not fried. They do have a lightness to them; I don’t feel weighed down after eating them (I think the serving size per package is just the right amount). The Momofuku noodles aren’t merely more delicious than other noodles, they’re also more nutritious, with 25% fewer calories than many instant noodles, plus twice as much protein. When it comes to sodium, you’re still out of luck; although, as the Momofuku website helpfully notes, the sodium is from the soy sauce packets that come with the noodles, and you can cut the sodium by using less of the packet or adding more water.
The difference between the flavor varieties is pretty subtle. The spicy soy is, as one would expect, the spiciest. The soy and scallion noodles come with little dehydrated scallions. The tingly chili is flavorful without being blow-the-roof-off spicy. Just like with other types of ramen, these cook up very quickly, in just a few minutes. I like to top them with a medium-boiled egg for an extra hit of protein — and of course, I like to add some Momofuku chili crunch, and maybe some kimchi. Now that I’m thinking of it, I should make some pickles from the Momofuku cookbook (easy, delicious) and throw a few of those on top, too.
Sure, we can now travel and go to restaurants (and we do!) And one of these days, I’ll make it to a Momofuku restaurant again (I did eat lunch in the East Village Momofuku many years ago and enjoyed it). But we live just north of the city, and frankly, getting on a train and going into the city on a weeknight to eat noodles is not going to happen, especially with work and school and sports and orthodontist appointments and other after-school activities happening on many days of the week.
But with these Momofuku noodles, I can have a delicious, easy, and inexpensive snack/lunch/dinner ready in just a few minutes — no reservations or travel required, and wearing sweatpants while eating them is perfectly acceptable.