Make Instant Ramen Taste Extra Luxurious With This Mayo Hack

If you’ve ever been to an authentic ramen bar, you know just how decadent that steaming bowl of hand-spun noodles and rich broth is with every sip you take. A bowl of real ramen served to you by a seasoned chef is tough to beat. The variety of fresh veggies and different spiced broths into your memories long after you leave the restaurant and you wish you could whip up something as rich and tasty in the comfort of your own kitchen. Some ramen restaurants take the craft so seriously they won’t even let you bring leftovers home because the reheating process will strip away a ton of the traditional flavor, leaving you with a subpar product. Yeah, the world of ramen gets that serious, but we’re all thankful for it.

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Of course, there’s the other kind of ramen. You know exactly the kind we’re referring to. You probably have a dozen or so packages in your pantry right now. These hardened noodle squares sold alongside tiny packets of seasoning are incredibly cheap, which is why so many people stock up on them (we’re looking at you, college kids). Simply add boiling water, soften the noodles, add the seasoning packet, and voila! You have yourself lunch. It’s nowhere near as tasty as the stuff you can get from a chef at a restaurant, but in a pinch it works. However, there’s one crafty trick that actually makes your at-home ramen taste worlds better, and it only requires two easy ingredients. 

A Little Kewpie (And An Egg) Goes A Long Way

If you’re not familiar with Kewpie, prepare to learn about one of the tastiest condiments on planet Earth. If you’re a fan of mayonnaise, Kewpie is a Japanese brand of the condiment made with egg yolks (just the yolks, unlike the yolks and white in other mayo brands), rice vinegar, and MSG. This is a condiment that wallops your palate with umami. If you’re looking for a deeper, richer flavor in egg salad, tuna salad, or just about any sandwich, you have to make Kewpie your go-to sauce. But, we’re not here to talk about salads and sandwiches. This is about ramen, and lo and behold, this magical condiment―along with one raw egg―cranks cheap ramen up to 11.

The trick could not be simpler. Literally all you do is squirt a tablespoon (or more if you want your ramen to taste extra rich) into a bowl alongside a cracked raw egg. Now dump the pot of boiling water and softened ramen noodles directly into the bowl and start whisking everything together. Now, we know this might sound strange. You’ve probably never added a raw egg to ramen before, and you can’t figure out how mayonnaise and boiling water actually work in tandem to create something spectacular. But, alas, it does. The mayo and egg whip together into a rich liquid that combines with the boiling water to create a thick sauce that binds perfectly to the noodles. Finally, add your seasoning packet for additional flavor and you have yourself a rich lunch that outperforms the basic stuff by miles. Sure, it may not be the same quality as the pricey restaurant options, but it’s pretty darn good considering you can make it at home.

Kewpie’s Not The Only Trick

As genius as this trick is, it’s only one of the dozens of ways you can spruce up cheap ramen. You can add almost anything to the bowl to crank up the nutrients, flavor, and texture. You can easily add a variety of veggies to crank up the nutrients or use your own seasoning blend for a bolder bite. Ramen is a great palette for other ingredients, so flex your creativity and concoct your own restaurant-worthy dish. It’s simply too easy not to do.