(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best noodles

sorry to hear you dont live near any asian markets. but you can just type "udon" into amazon. you should get the same variety of udon as most asian markets. i personally would try every brand and see which one you like. because everyone likes their udon differently, you may be like me who likes a much thicker udon (http://www.amazon.com/Myojo-Japanese-Style-Noodles-Jumbo/dp/B002LC9THU/ref=sr_1_13?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1407170887&sr=1-13&keywords=udon)
or maybe you like the thinner kind (http://www.amazon.com/Hime-Dried-Udon-Noodles-28-2-Ounce/dp/B007W0D0HQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1407171003&sr=1-1&keywords=udon)
its up to you! happy eatting

GF 15 years here and an ex-professional chef. Without knowing where you live and which stores are in your area, I'd go with the following:

1. Tinkyada is very good. Holds it shape well. TJ's sells it as their house brand.
   
   
2. Barilla and Ronzoni are also okay, available in grocery stores, a blend of rice and corn. They are sturdy and hold up well in salads.
   
   
3. The teal/green package referenced here is Ancient Harvest, widely available. IMO it is fragile and won't make a good salad. It goes from al dente to mush too quickly when cooked.
   
   
4. Hard to find but delicious, King Soba makes a few different GF Asian-style noodles.
   
   Some tips:
   
   
5. For a salad, be sure to cook the pasta until tender but not mushy (keep tasting). If you undercook them i.e. al dente, when cold they will be gritty and unpleasantly textured. Don't be surprised if you have to cook several minutes longer than the label suggests (over 10 minutes). Go by taste/texture, not by the clock.
   
   
6. As soon as cooked, drain and rinse in cold water until cool, then drain for a few minutes.
   
   
7. As soon as drained, season and dress the pasta with some of the dressing and seasonings you will use in the salad. This will improve the flavor a great deal.
   
   
8. Reserve some dressing to add to your salad at the last minute before serving. It really perks up the flavor.

The whole idea came from this SkinnyTaste recipe but I only used the pork recipe from her meal. These are the noodles I used. I prefer brown rice noodles but these are what hubs picked up, and they worked great!

I assembled the bowls by starting with a quarter of the noodles with 2T of the meat broth drizzled on top, then stacking up a half cup of thinly shredded red cabbage, a quarter of the pickled veg (recipe is somewhere in the comments), 2.5oz pork and a few chopped up cilantro leaves.

I contemplated using a bed of quinoa but I’m happy I decided to go with rice noodles! It made four huge portions and was very filling without being ridiculously heavy.

Hi, wernermuende!

 

I just started my search for palm oil free instant ramen as well!

So far, I have found Koyo and King Soba to be the palm oil free/organic brands.

 

[King Soba on US Amazon] (https://www.amazon.com/King-Soba-Noodles-Organic-Edamame/dp/B00DB2JYX8/ref=sr_1_6_s_it?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1511987954&sr=1-6&keywords=KING+SOBA+ramen)

 

I feel that our best bet is to purchase palm oil free instant noodles and cooking our own ramen.

 

Nonetheless, I will continue the search!

Not exactly Ramen but these Laksa noodles from a manufacturer called Koka are AWESOME. I get a case shipped to me every other month. Each bowl contains dried rice noodles and four different packets: coconut powder, curry powder, spicy oil, and a pack of dried baby shrimp, dried peas, other spices, and chili flakes.

Sooo good. I usually toss is some more frozen shrimp to make it more filling.

Recipe looks great, I can't wait to try it!

I've never had Shirataki noodles before and these NOoodles seem to have the best rating on Amazon. Anybody have experience with them?

Any rice noodle would work. In Vietnam, a lot of people even prefer Pho broth with Ramen noodle (the type that comes prepackaged), so that's an option too. If you want to do the rice noodle route, I'd recommend something like this that would take not too long to cook:

Thai Kitchen Stir Fry Rice Noodles, 14 Ounce https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016F7GFV4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_b723wbXVWEG9J

Or better yet, if you live near any Asian market, they sell fresh Pho noodles in the refrigerated section.

lol nice.

i havent had any trouble finding soba noodles at any chain grocery store but then again i am in los angeles... not sure where you're at but here's a good product on amazon!

http://www.amazon.com/Hakubaku-Organic-Soba-Noodles-9-5/dp/B002WQ8UC0/ref=sr_1_3?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1452638120&sr=1-3&keywords=soba+noodles

The basil seeds were pure luck - found them at a small Asian supermarket.

The konjac pearls I use are about 3/8"-1/4" in diameter (not perfect spheres, think big couscous).

NOPE NOPE NOPE. i adore soba, and have found only Eden Oragnic 100% buckwheat soba to do the job. Individual packages are ~$8 at Whole Foods or you can get them cheaper via Amazon and subscribe and save: http://www.amazon.com/Eden-Selected-Whole-Buckwheat-8-Ounce/dp/B0012AOJ04/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hpc_1

Warning- they are very picky and apt to disintegrate into one massive chewy dumpling unless you are very careful to not overcook them, immediately rince them in ice water, and immediately oil them. Still, WORTH IT! Nomnomnom.

Totally,

If you wanted just the noodles, I've used these before, they're pre-portioned and make really nice diy ramen https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071Z6YX2M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_CEZGAb2NG9J34

If you meant the maruchan type packs with the powdered flavor stuff https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0131AUVAE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_lLZGAbCN0TKMF

I've also been experimenting with soba recently, these noodles are pretty standard! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007W0D0RG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_PIZGAbYCVVFBQ

I made it and served it over some of these noodles that I got from Amazon here. .

The noodles are a little al dente, so you may need to boil for 1-2 minutes. We just put the noodles in a bowl, microwave for 15 seconds, then serve the Chicken Cacciatore over it. Very good!

Next time I will saute the vegetables, drain and remove them, and then create the sauce next. I want the sauce to thicken up before adding back in the chicken and veggies. My peppers made my sauce a little watery.

Ai being tsundere (or somewhat similar):

Heisenberg’s uncertainty relation: Δx⋅Δpx ≥ h/4π

---------

Questionable Categorization

Since humanity has stood on their own two feet they began to categorize everything that was lying in front of their eyes. Something hard, solid and cold is categorized as stone, something we can drink to quench the thirst is categorized as beverage, someone who behaves not to the present system is categorized as abnormal. As the technology grows and the world becomes more and more complex with time the number of categorization exponentially increases: blue is not any blue: it is a wavelength from 430 nm to 490 nm; there is not only a one subreddit for Anime, there are several other similar subreddits which only distinguish with each other in particular themes. The present world is infected with categories, indeed it is over-categorized to an extend that two things cannot be distinguished. Like memes which become popular differentiate only in the choice of word or videos with Top 10 lists whose differences is gradually slim. MRW when I see a popular meme at the front page for two days (Somebody is gonna steal it, I definitely know it!). The borders between different qualities slowly dissolve until they are abstract numbers.

---------

The Lucky Bag i.e. the EA-Lootboxes of the shopping centers

”I spent time and money on this shitty game, and still don’t get Character X. But I’ll continue, there is still hope.” (Random person who plays gatcha-games)

This fashion of buying a thing which contains random things is addictive because the small hope of getting the main prize shines brighter than the black numbers of statistics. I can feel your pain, fellow gacha-players!



---------

Kaga-san wants to apologize to: the doubters’ war of crime and punishment

This is Ai Kaga: a student with a crystal clear innocent mind and a delicate heart which unsettles even with the smallest touch. It was one of these rainy days where the heavy raindrops cloud the minds of young people who are steadily growing up in body and soul. The streets that Ai entered were empty and wide, the only vivid thing was the rain which washed the soil of the ground to the drain. Her yellow raincoat seemed to shine life in the void. As she walked by the closed shops her eyes were attracted by a crouching shape: it was a young male that sat in a soaked box and is only covered in old grey newspapers: a beggar found in the possibly most pitiful state! As a social character Kaga must express pity and compassion for the poor weak people and this is reached by one powerful technique: Offering! Offering: a technique which forces people who got the present to say at least: ”Thank you!” to not feel guilty and rude; it is indeed a fearsome method to weigh upon the debit account of consciousness. With that Kaga offered the poor shape her umbrella, she even went further to put it on the ground which made the account’s number longer and redder; this is a one hit-victory for her! But she had not calculated one thing in her plan: as she is waiting for an answer only the mute eyes filled the silence of the falling raindrops. Then she suddenly saw a reflection on the frozen eyes: it was the eyes of someone who only hadn’t lost every profane possession but also the will to life. The poor male is just an amorphous ghost which possesses the rare gift of reflecting the hidden feelings and intentions of a person. Kaga who felt caught realized her own mistakes and immediately draws back: Result of this part: Ai Kaga’s loss.

In school Kaga was feverishly thinking of a plan how not to show the obvious force to thank after a kind act. With the help of the extraordinary helpful Kafuka Fuura she came to the conclusion: denying the intention of the act of being kind. A very useful method to block off from thank-responses from people. So Kaga used it! Another miscalculation thwarted her plan and this technique completely backfired at her: her shy personality fired up the male student’s soul by making them think of her as a tsundere-personality. And because she lives in a manga the boys’ hearts got an arrow-shoot of Amor. Result of this whole segment: Ai Kaga’s total loss.

---------

Annotation for Episode 5

Silhouette of DBZ characters: Yo, Shaft! Didn’t get you a copyright strike for that?

Pocari: Pocari Sweat, isotonic bevarage

Dump, Sundae, Magascene, Chumpion: intentional misspelling of famous magazines: Weekly Jump, Shonen Sunday and Weekly Champion (I didn’t find out what the “Magascene” could be)

4:21: middle-aged man in the left corner, reading a manga: probably Aso Taro, politician and manga-fan

Peyang Yakisoba: you can order it on Amazon

Koishikawa: district of Bunkyo, Tokyo

KISS: an American rock band

Nagasawa Masami: an actress

Kouya Ruten: transl.: wilderness vicissitudes; a single of the J-Pop due FictionJunction Yuuka

Hibiya Line: Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line which also connets with “Akihabra”

Keikyu: a private railroad that connects inner Tokyo f.e. to Kawasaki, Yokohama and Yokosuka

Fujiwara Tofu Shop: a shop made famous by Initial D

Orix Buffaloes: a professional baseball team in Japan

Nice! I have the same ones. I'll have to give this a try, maybe with these noodles to save some cals:
https://www.amazon.com/Skinny-Pasta-9-52-Pack-Shirataki/dp/B06Y2L1262

MAMA Instant Noodles

This is the best brand I’ve found so far! Pretty much every meat flavor is vegan too.

-Duck Flavor
Duck Noodles on Amazon

-Pa-Lo Duck Flavor
Pa-Lo Duck Noodles on Amazon

-Beef Flavor
Beef Noodles on Walmart

-Vegetable Flavor
~No Link~

-Chicken Flavor
Chicken Noodles on Jet

-Tom Yum Flavor
~No Link~

-Tom Yum Pork Flavor
Tom Yum Pork Noodles on Amazon

-Moo Nam Tok Flavor
Moo Nam Tok Noodles On EFoodDepot

-Shittake Mushroom Flavor
Mushroom Noodles on Amazon

-Vegetarian Tom Yum Flavor
Vegetarian Tom Yum Noodles on Amazon

-Instant CUP Noodles (Pa-Lo Duck Flavor)
Pa-Lo Duck Noodle Cups on Amazon

-Instant CUP Noodles (Vegetarian Tofu and Shittake Flavor)
Tofu and Mushroom Noodle Cups on Amazon

-Instant CUP Noodles (Vegetarian Tom Yum Flavor)
~No Link~

-Instant CUP Noodles (Spicy Cheese Flavor)
Spicy Cheese Noodle Cups on Amazon

-Instant Oriental Kitchen CUP Noodles (Hot and Spicy Flavor)
Hot and Spicy Noodle Cups on Amazon

-Instant Oriental Kitchen Noodles (Hot and Spicy Flavor)
Hot and Spicy Noodles on Amazon

-Instant Oriental Kitchen Noodles (Korean Spices Flavor)
Korean Spices Noodles on Amazon

-Instant Oriental Kitchen Noodles (Mi Goreng Flavor)
Mi Goreng Noodles on Amazon

-Non-fried Instant Noodles (Spicy Miso Flavor)
Spicy Miso Noodles on EBay

Miracle Noodles are the other big brand.

Your best bet from what I've seen if you want a deal is to hit up your local asian grocer.

Oh my god. Look at these. Free shipping on orders over 25 dollars... I am going to stock up.

http://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Noodle-Shirataki-8-Ounce-Packages/dp/B004JRSAJS/ref=sr_1_4?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1372788976&sr=1-4&keywords=shirataki

The flavour of these is awesome. They also have a bit more bite and texture than then usual variety in my opinion

https://www.amazon.com/Zakkoku-Shirataki-Noodle-Carrot-Flavor/dp/B01MU4YM2Y

When I say fine egg noodles, I mean like these:
https://www.amazon.com/MANISCHEWITZ-Fine-Noodles-12-Ounce-Bags/dp/B0011BPEPS/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=fine+egg+noodles&qid=1562542324&s=gateway&sr=8-3

Using a 12 oz package is fine. It just gives the rice a different texture and flavor.

These are the kind I buy. I couldn't find an image of the reverse side of the package, but there is only one ingredient: sweet potato starch.

I use Miracle Rice that I buy i bulk from Amazon. I've done things like cauliflower rice and mash, but I have to admit that I'm just ridiculously lazy. The texture isn't spot on, of course, but it works.

I rinse these very well under cold running water in a strainer. The package says to boil them, but like I said, I'm lazy. I just cook it in the pan with the curry or whatever sauce or meal I'm making. It helps to absorb some of the flavor, too.

Kabuki ramen.

I never see this style mentioned here. From the package shape, you can see that they are not made with oil-fried noodles, as opposed to every other instant ramen I see here. Instead, the pack contains normal, non-fried noodles and a liquid sauce which is more than just flavor and oil.

Why aren't they more popular? On a scale from instant to restaurant ramen, I'd say they are on two-thirds to restaurant ramen.