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Is there such a thing as healthy ramen? If so, please share.

900ss

900ss

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 2, 2006
Location
San Jose CA
Moto(s)
None, but my brother has 56 and counting.
Name
Ken
I don't like to eat salty or fatty foods, and haven't for many years. I will pick around fat if it is present, even including bacon to a degree. I will not eat duck.

I am intrigued with restaurant quality ramen; where can I find some that is on the healthier side? Is there such a dish? I know they are worlds apart but I do enjoy Pho from time to time. I live in San Jose.

sf.eater.com

11 Essential Ramen Shops in the South Bay

Where to find the most comforting bowls of ramen below the Peninsula
sf.eater.com sf.eater.com

Adding, if anyone would like to take my ramen virginity (so to speak, please be gentle :giggle:), lunch is on me. I will forewarn you however that I am boring. That is all. (y)
 
my biggest issue with most ramen is the typical salt content. the dish though is easy, noodles, broth and meat & vegetables of your choice. super easy to prepare from scratch.

so to answer your question directly, yes, there is.
 
Ramen is all about the broth. You can control the salt/shoyu and dashi if you make your own. Pick your meat and veg. Quick ramen noodles are fried then dried. There are air dried quick versions. Making your own noodles rocks. Buckwheat soba is beneficial. Play around with it and have some fun. Fresh herbs are my fav as well as fresh mung sprouts and a soft boiled egg. There are many authentic places in the Bay Area to experiment. Mebbe even buy fresh noodles. Trying to recall the name of a good place in the city… GL
 
Vegetarian and vegan ramen exists and can be very tasty. If you want to reduce fat that’s a good place to start.
 
I’m also getting cranky about salt so I’ll be watching this thread, too. I love a good ramen but swear that all food is too salty these days.

*cue Andy Rooney worthy rant*
 
The problem with ramen is the noodles are full of oil, usually cheap-shit oil like palm oil which is very high in saturated fat. Typically 30-40% of your daily allowance in one serving, lol
 
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900ss said:
I don't like to eat salty or fatty foods, and haven't for many years. I will pick around fat if it is present, even including bacon to a degree. I will not eat duck.

I am intrigued with restaurant quality ramen; where can I find some that is on the healthier side? Is there such a dish? I know they are worlds apart but I do enjoy Pho from time to time. I live in San Jose.

sf.eater.com

11 Essential Ramen Shops in the South Bay

Where to find the most comforting bowls of ramen below the Peninsula
sf.eater.com sf.eater.com

Adding, if anyone would like to take my ramen virginity (so to speak, please be gentle :giggle:), lunch is on me. I will forewarn you however that I am boring. That is all. (y)
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Coworker & I had a chat about Ramen and Udon the other day. He likes #3 on that list(in Japantown) and a place around the corner for Udon. I've not been there, but now I want to go (I live close).
I could join you for lunch one day, but since I'm still working it would have to be a saturday.
 
Reli said:
The problem with ramen is that it's full of oil, usually cheap-shit oil like palm oil which is very high in saturated fat. Typically 30-40% of your daily allowance in one serving, lol
Click to expand...
Pretty sure we're talking about "real" Ramen, not the bricks in the store.

I like regular ramen over Udon (smaller noodles). I like the Shoyu over the Miso ramens. Shoyu, I think, is a darker broth than the Miso.

I do not like Pho, I simply don't care for the spicing, and I don't much care for rice noodles and pasta that used heavily in the Vietnamese food that I have had.

I'm not going to simplify the broths, as they're not just "chicken soup". They can be quite involved in their creation.

Most ramens can be made spicy if you like (and not, you know, 5 star curry spicy, just...spicy), I don't typically get mine spicy.

Most of the ramens I have had come with assorted vegetables (bamoo shoots, mushrooms), typically a slice of pork loin, maybe an egg, and that pink Japanese fish cake (perfectly edible and tasty, its just...pink).

One place I had a ramen, and it came with "beef ball".

After I got it, and took some bites, "beef ball" was NOT "meat ball". I'm pretty sure it's exactly what they said it was, rather than what I projected it to be. Not awful, I wouldn't get it again, however.

Eating ramen is a hands on experience, combining chopstick skills and the big spoon. It's a slurpy festival. And, finally, I do not think I have ever finished a complete serving of ramen. It's a big bowl, with lots of broth.

I like it, it's yummy.
 
I didn't know there was such thing as healthy ramen. I take what I can get, if I know I'm going to indulge I make sure to exercise more that day so that I can break even (I never do LOL).
 
I like Ramen. That is all. Salty, fatty, probably, but I don't eat it every day. Same with Pho.
 
I like ramen but usually make the store bought brand but doctor it up.
I use Better than bouillon beef broth instead of the packet that comes with it.
mushrooms and assorted veggies a must usually sauteed and add a little mirin
seasoning is an asian blend from amazon that has ginger and other spices
little splash of sesame oil during noodle cook phase.
Chicken breast with salt, garlic and pepper pan fried and added once ramen is in the bowl.
 
I popped my own ramen cherry today, alone, all by myself, in the dark, with a dying laptop, everyone had gone home. Sigh. I should be president/cockwomble/king, I now feel fully qualified.

Kumako Ramen in Japan Town, San Jose, Wow, that stuff is filling. I did my best to slurp loudly, but my 66 year old English self was programmed donkey's years ago to shut my trap when eating, and eat quietly. SWMBO wants to give it a go; I will then try again to S L U R P L O U D L Y!

BTW, I had the low sodium bowl, which had slices of pork, scallions, and some other stuff.

SWMBO wants to give it a go. I know that my selection probably doesn't represent the best ramen (anywhere near it), but off the cuff I would say I prefer a nice bowl of pho.
 
I ordered a daikon salad (I love daikon), and it was quite good, although I don't know what the brown paste was that was on it. I guess I could have asked, but I was too busy slurping, you know, trying to fit in :ROFLMAO: The only things familiar to me were the Japanese beer and San Jose water. I am such a rube with some things.
 
900ss said:
I popped my own ramen cherry today, alone, all by myself, in the dark, with a dying laptop, everyone had gone home. Sigh. I should be president/cockwomble/king, I now feel fully qualified.

Kumako Ramen in Japan Town, San Jose, Wow, that stuff is filling. I did my best to slurp loudly, but my 66 year old English self was programmed donkey's years ago to shut my trap when eating, and eat quietly. SWMBO wants to give it a go; I will then try again to S L U R P L O U D L Y!

BTW, I had the low sodium bowl, which had slices of pork, scallions, and some other stuff.

SWMBO wants to give it a go. I know that my selection probably doesn't represent the best ramen (anywhere near it), but off the cuff I would say I prefer a nice bowl of pho.
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am totally triggered by this. very little of what people i’m in the vicinity of bothers me (ignorable, even if it does). but for some reason, the sound of someone eating drives me straight up a tree. my dude occasionally slurps his coffee just to set me off. he says the song ‘raging eyes’ describes me perfectly. and cracks up laughing when he pisses me off ‘yup, there’s my girl’. ballsy. i watch him when he sleeps. plotting.
 
littlebeast said:
am totally triggered by this. very little of what people i’m in the vicinity of bothers me (ignorable, even if it does). but for some reason, the sound of someone eating drives me straight up a tree. my dude occasionally slurps his coffee just to set me off. he says the song ‘raging eyes’ describes me perfectly. and cracks up laughing when he pisses me off ‘yup, there’s my girl’. ballsy. i watch him when he sleeps. plotting.
Click to expand...
Well hello there, upon my oath I will be on my best English behavior if we ever meet. I am happier and more comfortable in that space.

A long time ago I used to go with some Vietnamese co-workers to soup joints in San Jose after work. I never became comfortable with loud slurping and cringed at what was going on around me. HELLO, FINGERS SCREECHING ON A CHALKBOARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! After trying for a bit, I figured, meh, fuckit. If they don't like my quiet ways they can kick me out. Mickey D's will always welcome my quiet dińero. ;). Super Taqueria certainly did!!
 
So, what kind of plotting goes through your mind, pray tell? ;) I have plots of my own for my particular situation.

Tacky on my part, sorry. Some things are best kept to oneself.
 
You don’t actually have to slurp if you don’t want to, you know. It’s a personal preference thing. Nobody will think you’re weird either way you go with that.
 
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