Good for him. For some reason I really like this guy. gorgeous/goofy is a rare combination.

Such a gorgeous man! Those dimples are just lethal...I bet he has a lot more lucrative offers to look forward to.

Nong Shim = soothes the soul, hurts the body. hehe.

I like Ichiban ramen myself. Ichiban = #1 in my heart and wallet.

However, I use only 1/2 of the powder packet, to reduce the sodium. 1 bag or bowl of ramen is usually rated as being 2 servings worth (incredibly sneaky, since nobody shares a bowl of ramen after age 6), and each serving has around 1,000 mg of sodium. So, a single bowl of nong shim (2,000+ mg of sodium) is going to be over a day's worth of sodium. If, on some day, you have 2 bowls of nong shim, you might be looking at almost 3 days worth of sodium in two meals.

Hence, use 1/2 a packet - the taste is not watered down that much anyway. Mrs. Samsooki doesn't listen to me though and goes 100% packet every time (but, she doesn't drink all of the liquid), so that's the other way of doing it... not drinking all of the ramen broth.

@samsookie

I think we are going to have another bout of "white vine vs red wine/Almond Joy vs Reese's" debate.

Nong Shim Shin Ramen is the best dude. My family ate Ichiban in the 70s only because there were no other alternative and we heavily added kimchi and additional stuff to spice it up. When Neoguri and Shin Ramen came out we never looked back.

(I don't drink the liquid either since I always get sick from the MSG overload.)

Nong Shim's my go-to brand. There's some other good ones, but I like Nong Shim. I don't really think of ramen as being affected by star recognition, but I guess I could be wrong.
Maruchan makes "macaroni and cheese yakisoba" which is enough to banish them permanently from my diet.

"2. The Shin ramen also tends to be extremely spicy and makes you sweat while you eat."

I actually wish it was spicier to tell you the truth. I'm not sure if I'm making this up but I feel it has lost some heat over time. Cup ramen is no go for me. You have to eat the one you prepare in a pot.

If I want real japanese ramen I got to Misuwa in edgewater or Ippudo in NYC.

wow with $175,000 I can pay down my mortgage by more than half.. I want that money!

Anyone likes soya bean sprouts? Shin or Samyang Ramyun with soya bean sprouts with red pepper powders/crashed garlic/onions tossed in: yum...

Nong Shim is most definitely the best brand, imho.

I wonder if they really need to spend that much money on promotions since they're such a food staple. Oh well, fun ad for us soon to come, I'm sure.

yay for oh jiho!
yay for oh-ssis!!

Oh Jiho is so handsome! what a hottie! Yes, i'm happy he's getting more attention....handsome handsome man..

Good for Oh Ji-HOT. :)

Ichiban (original flavor) - classic ramen

Nong Shim - that's the spicy stuff, right?
We only use half the packet for that one. :(

I always like these debates :)

I use to get Shin, but JB's right the taste has changed over time. I didn't like Samyung ramyun originally, but now I like it a lot (I wonder if their soup base changed?). It's not as spicy, but the taste is pretty good imho. Haven't had Ichiban in awhile, but have to say I'm not a big fan of Maruchan.

Don't know what's happening on Oh Ji-ho news thread... Ramen noodles debates???

@10 momosan

>Maruchan makes “macaroni and cheese yakisoba”

You are just kidding us, right? It can't be true.

@16 hjkomo

Ichiban (original flavor) – classic ramen

Like you and JB, I grew up on this one and some other Japanese brands since I was there. I suspect they must have added some sort of something in them as they were so good(back then) and addictive. Now that I've been vegetarian, I get this organic ramen noodles in Sydney's Chinatown and make broth myself with seaweeds, soy source and other condiments. I noticed when arriving in Japan, Lots of Koreans are carrying a big box of Korean instant noodles, I guess they are asked to bring them by their relatives or friends? They must be the super spicy ones?

@celestialorigin: My guess is that the Koreans brought it for themselves. Almost like how when my family goes on a trip, my mom has to bring something Korean to eat by the end of the day.

When it comes to Ramen, I think of a Japanese family that owned a small Japanese restaurant for years. They made the best bowls of Ramen, although I never liked having pork slices added. Around two years ago there was a sudden boom of Japanese restaurants in that area, but were all "Americanized". It's a pity that the "real" Japanese restaurant had to close, as more people went to the more bigger, advertised "Japanese" restaurants.

For regular Ramen, I just use Maruchan and dump in Kimchi to make Kimchi Ramen :/
If not that, I just add green onions, squash slices, and small slices of green jalapenos to the Maruchan Ramen packages.

The cup Ramens have lost their taste and Neoguri noodles are becoming too thin.

--

That aside, that picture is awkward o.o
Handsome face, but look below and there's an arrow and he's smiling... heh.

OJH is yum and he goes well with anything... with ramen... yumyum!

I grew up on the Japanese nissin original flavor ramen, that tiny sesame oil packet is <3

I loved Shin in college... but I agree the flavor (and the texture) is not the same anymore. But when I eat Shin, I use very little of the cooking liquid, pour in half a packet of the soupbase, I need a fried egg and I put gojujang in and mix it into a gooey mess. I know it's not authentic, but I can't get enough of it.

For the best texture in instant noodles, Myojo Chukazanimai hands down ...but I don't care for the soup base that much, had to add my own flavorings...and I love sesame oil in ramen. it's the closest to noodles at authentic ramen places.

Oh, ye of little faith, I present to you: The Horror Of Cheddar Yakisoba. So it's not officially macaroni and cheese flavor, but let's face it - it's macaroni and cheese flavor. *shudder* There's also tomato-basil yakisoba, which is better theoretically but so very, very wrong.

The sodium's not a big deal unless you have high blood pressure. Most people can handle well over the daily "recommended" amount with no problems. (And not all blood pressures can be reduced with reducing the sodium.)

Samsooki, you must live somewhere where spicy food is on the menu more of the time than it is in my hometown. Bland but tasty is practically the culinary slogan here, so I eat spicy where I can get it.

Love ramen noodles. LOVE OJH even more!!! :)

@ 23 Dav

'The sodium’s not a big deal unless you have high blood pressure. Most people can handle well over the daily “recommended” amount with no problems.'

It depends on how u regard as 'no problems' it's still taxing your heart to work extra loads (it has to work harder to expel the salt (with the fluid it's retaining in the blood along the way) and your kidney has to work harder as well.

'The average intake of sodium by Asian / Pacific Islander is like 3,500 mg of sodium per day. So, having 2 servings (1 brick) of ramen with 2,000 mg of sodium seems like an okay amount.'

the other 1500 mg must've been fr the couple slices of spam.

lol... my mom likes pan fried spam with her ramen.

"the other 1500 mg must’ve been fr the couple slices of spam."

Kimchi if your korean. You can't eat ramen without good Kimchi especially the young radish one.

Samsookie you totally sound like my dad. I eat pretty healthy in general but splurge on certain items like an occasional ramen here and there. I think as long as your not eating Ramen every day you can eat the noddles and also drink the soup.

LOL I love it JB! SLURRRRRRRRP.

But why aren't you sharing what brands you've been rotating around? I need recommendations yo!

And the things I would do to get paid $175,000 to eat 10 servings of ramen. Man life is unfair haha.

Btw, I've never seen a happier person shot with an arrow. :)

"IMO, you guys are putting your life on the line if you drink all of the soup part."

Check out the latest research - salt is considered to be less of a contributing factor these days than it used to be. Calcium/potassium deficiency is beginning to look more and more like a central figure in high blood pressure (along with those genes!).

Sure, if you have kidney problems, you won't be able to filter the salt and that will affect your blood pressure. And if you have heart disease, you'll want to watch it. But if you're not already ill, you're not going to OMG DIE from drinking ramen broth, especially if you're eating a variety of foods. If you're subsisting solely on ramen, you've probably got other difficulties (food insecurity, poverty) that are more important than the sodium.

Samsooki, none of us follow all our own advice. And no, increased salt does not ipso facto mean reduced potassium, but I'm not really equipped for a biochem presentation in comment space. (To be really impressive, there have to be loads of drawings, and what's the point in biochem if you can't be really impressive.)

I draw the line at anchovies, kimchi, AND squid in ramen, though. Although it's probably delicious.

@ Dav
yes, if u r otherwise healthy, u wont go OMG DIE on sodium, but again u only have one heart and 2 kidneys and u want it to last u a lifetime, so overworking them day in day out is still not sth I would call... no harms done.

it's just that salt is in so much more food items than potassium and calcium combined. We have a high daily requirement for calcium for bone density upkeep esp for girls after 25.

@ samsooki

it's just that we have a stricter window of tolerance for potassium, so a little more or less will tilt the balance to unacceptable range.

@ Dav
yes, if u r otherwise healthy, u wont go OMG DIE on sodium, but again u only have one heart and 2 kidneys and u want it to last u a lifetime, so overworking them day in day out is still not sth I would call... no harms done.

it's just that salt is in so many more food items than potassium and calcium combined. We have a high daily requirement for calcium for bone density upkeep esp for girls after 25.

@ samsooki

it's just that we have a stricter window of tolerance for potassium, so a little more or less will tilt the balance to unacceptable range.

1. lol, oh ji oh looks pretty happy in that picture for a man who has an arrow sticking out of his shoulder.

2. i eat ichiban! although i'm always open for new ramen recommendations. i think i must get some of these the next time i go shopping.

3. i also like to drink the soup, and while i'm sure the salt is slowly killing me, i think i feel all the saturated fat more. there's around 20% of saturated fat in a serving and there are 3 (yes, 3!) servings per packet (which i think is a joke, cause i definitely eat the whole packet in one go, soup and all). but ah, it's so worth it.

@samsookie
"Of course, given his temperament, i wouldn’t be surprised at all if he outlived me – there are people in this world that will live as long as they want to "

My inlaws are from Kyung Sang Do and my FIL is so temperamental. My MIL claims her husband won't ever die before her even though he eats whatever he wants, smokes and never exercises because of his bad temper. My FIL's dad lived to a very old age even though his doctor gave him 6 months to live when he turned 82 and he was exactly the same as his son.

ahh ramen.
I like how Oh Ji Ho is laughing with an arrow stuck to his chest.

"I want to swim in your sea of dimples." Park Mi-seon to Oh Ji Ho, Happy Together (New Year's Eve show)

hmm ramyun!

only got Shin Ramyun in the pantry coz it was on special at Korea-Mart..lol add an egg, some kimchi and im good to go!

a lil randomness * Paldo Jajangmyun has scary potatoe things which are gross, try pick it out of the pre-made Black Bean Sauce before adding it to your noodles, reminds me of the Fake 'potatoe' and gravy you get from KFC, bleh
But then i should make my own food..lol no way *insert Lil Britain accent* I aint bovered!

Oh Ji Oh = Delish

i bet stars get really stressed when they have to shoot junk food commericals, becuase the weight adds up! hahaha but who cares (:
i love sutah ramen! it's so delicious. and i like the jajangmyun instant stuff, cause where i live jajangmyun is so expensive, and the instant one is just as good ^^
and good for oh ji ho! he hasn't been starring in anything since 'fantastic couple' w/ han ye seul, so it's good to see him back on the market (:

chuno hwaiting! <3

funny how this discussion of ramen and the impact of sodium intake on hypertension is juxtaposed with the picture of Oh Ji-ho looking deliriously happy with an arrow stuck in his shoulder.

@33 -- sodium and potassium are both +1, and calcium is +2, but i don't think the valency of any of the ions involved is the cause for any deficiencies related to absorption. from what i've read, potassium deficiency could be related to hypertension more as a cause, and not as a result, of high sodium retention, since potassium depletion has been found in some studies to be associated with lower levels of sodium excretion, while potassium loading had the opposite effect, probably due to some effect on sodium reabsorption in the proximal tubule or loop of henle in the kidney.

then again, exactly how sodium/potassium reabsorption/excretion is managed in the kidney is a complicated subject, and someone with a better knowledge of renal and endocrine physiology could probably give a more satisfying explanation. the literature on the beneficial effect of low sodium diets on managing hypertension is pretty clear, though, so I'd say the upshot for anyone eating ramen should be moderation, as always :).

Yes! Thanks for the reply JB! I am definitely heading to Ktown tomorrow! :)

Chacharoni fills the craving for jajangmyun when you're really desperate, but I find I can't eat that much of it because it just tastes bleh....but better than chapaghetti fo sho. ;)