The era: Freshman year of college, circa 2005. The scene: The college town grocery store.
I vividly remember strolling through the aisles on a mission to snag as many budget-friendly and easy-to-prep snacks as I could fit in a couple of bags—a reasonable amount to carry across campus and back to my dorm room. In addition to the microwave popcorn, fruit leather, jerky, and granola bars, you better believe that I stocked up when a promotion sign boasted that 10 packages of ramen were just $1.
For years, I linked instant ramen with that time of life, viewing it as a cheap and efficient—yet far-from-remarkable—meal. That is, until I tried my first spoonful of handcrafted ramen at a Japanese restaurant. Featuring a complex and creamy broth, delightfully bouncy noodles, a jammy egg marinated in soy sauce, tender pork belly, and earthy mushrooms, it was as close to a food hug as I could imagine…