Review plus Ideas: Mike's Mighty Good Craft Ramen

I'm a pretty big ramen fan and came across this product in a Facebook ad, if I remember correctly.

I never buy the super cheap ramen packs you can get for 25 cents that are loaded with MSG and unhealthy oils, but I do use Koyo instant ramen (higher quality ingredients) a fair bit, and occasionally Lotus foods quick cooking ramen (though i find their noodles stick too much for my liking). Mike's Mighty Good is significantly more pricey, but they advertise having a rich broth and being 'craft ramen,' so I knew I had to give it a try.

I wasn't sure what to expect. I'm mostly vegetarian, but not strict, so I decided to order the Pillow pack Variety Sampler of all five kinds they make, which include: 1 Pork Tongkotsu, 2 Fried Garlic Chicken, 1 Vegetarian KimChi, 2 Savory Miso, and 1 Beef Pho. Certainly some Crafty names and marketing there at the very least! Each pillow pack comes with a seasoning packet and a tiny packet of oil in addition to the ramen pillow.

https://mikesmightygood.com/product/ramen-pillow-pack-variety-sampler-7-pack/

While good, I have not been blown away at all, especially considering the price. I paid more than double what I pay for Koyo ramen, which, with just a little effort can be spiced up to be as good as Mike's Mighty. For instant ramen, the broth is fairly satisfying, but I would not go so far as to call it rich, as they do. It is definitely not spicy if you are remotely used to spicy food. Even the Kimchi is obviously seriously watered down for the American palate spice-wise, as it has no bite or kick whatsoever. I found that bit particularly disappointing. Let those with no taste for hot foods stick to a couple milder varieties and spice up that KimChi flavor already! Otherwise, why even bother calling it Kimchi?!!

All in all, if you don't mind paying a bit extra, it might be worth ordering a handful to see what you think and if you might be a bigger fan than I am. I plan on sticking mostly with the Koyo brand, mainly for the signifcantly lower price, but will probably order some Mike's here and there for the sake of variety. Rather than go into details of my thoughts about each flavor, I'd rather share some ideas I use to add spice and flavor, not only to Mike's Mighty Good, but Koyo and other quick cooking ramen.

1. Sprinkle to taste some good Korean hot chili flakes. This variety of chili flakes both blends well and can add a pop of color to your final product.

2. Throw in a raw or boiled egg at the end of cooking (and stir around a bit if using raw). A raw egg will add richness and a source of healthy fat to the broth

3. Add a drizzle of toasted sesame oil at the end

4. Get some good quality Sichuan peppercorns for grinding in. While not really hot themselves, in addition to having a distinctive flavor of its own, sichuan pepper brings out the flavor of other peppers and spices really well. This worked especially well in the Pork Tongkotsu flavor of Mike's Mighty Good. It's not cheap, but with Sichuan, a little goes a long way. Quality and authenticity also matters when it comes to this spice. Here's what i use: https://www.amazon.com/Red-Sichuan-Peppercorn-Grade-Organic/dp/B01AYGLP4E/ref=sr_1_9_s_it?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1520528917&sr=1-9&keywords=sichuan+pepper

5. Trader Joe's Everyday Seasoning almost always finds it's way into whatever ramen I happen to be cooking that day.

6. If you're a fan of tofu like I am, marinade some cubes in liquid smoke even just for a few minutes before tossing into your ramen for an interesting twist.

7. Use whatever vegetables you want of course, but two of my favorites that go really well together in ramen if you like them are: Mushrooms (pretty much any will do, i even used canned and frozen a lot) and regular old green cabbage. While I love Napa and Bok Choy, I've found my favorite for ramen is a plain old head of green cabbage.

8. a splash of Sherry vinegar, Sherry, Rice or apple cider vinegar for added tang.

9. Extra ginger. While the higher quality instant ramen flavor packs most usually include ginger, it's never enough in my experience. Use fresh, powdered, pureed jarred...anything...just add more!!

10. I also like Coriander, fresh ground black pepper and this orange ginger concoction I get at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/True-Orange-Seasoning-Natural-Ingredients/dp/B00IHBY18Q/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1520529053&sr=8-3&keywords=true+lime+orange+ginger

11. Add some juice from a jar of kimchi for extra spice and garlic, and even the kimchi itself if it suits your mood

I do other things too..these are just the ones that first come to mind. What do you like to add to your instant or semi instant ramen to bring it up a notch? List your ideas and suggestions below. And Let the Ramen-ing commence!