In the world of instant noodles, Momofuku noodles have made a name for themselves as the gourmet version of everyone’s favorite apocalypse bunker food. They took a concept—cheap, easy-to-prepare, pre-packaged noodles—and executed it with simple, quality ingredients and an “air-dried” noodle cooking method that absolutely elevates their taste and texture above other brands. That being said, the “chili crunch” debacle earlier this year—in which Momofuku chef David Chang rubbed planet Earth the wrong way by enforcing a trademark on the phrase “chili crunch”—made Momofuku the first instant noodle brand to almost get canceled. If you’ve accepted Chang’s apology, great! If you haven’t, hey, you probably aren’t interested in consuming his noodles (in which case you can check out our other ramen noodle ranking).
For this taste test, I prepared these Momofuku instant noodles per the packet instructions. (See, I’m lawfully good every once in while.) I cooked the noodles in boiling water, fully drained them, and stirred in the sauce packets. For restaurant-grade noodles, it doesn’t get much easier than that, fam. The high quality of the noodles themselves was a given, so for this ranking of the best Momofuku noodles, we were really looking for the flavors that were undeniably unique, authentic, and memorable. Let’s get into our ultimate Momofuku noodle review.
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- Momofuku Spicy Soy Noodles
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Ranking the best Momofuku noodles is trickier than you would think. I’ll say it: For a chef touted by critics for his innovation, four out of five of these taste pretty similar to one another. The overwhelming flavor, in every version except our #1, is sesame oil. Luckily, I happen to love sesame noodles—and I can also appreciate when instant noodle brands aren’t afraid to turn up the heat, which is definitely the case here. Also, these five Momofuku flavors either have thin, ramen-like noodles or larger, wide-cut noodles. The Sporked team prefers the wide-cut noodles. They’re much more unique and have an almost handmade appeal. These Momofuku Spicy Soy Noodles come with the thinner type of noodle, and since the flavor itself is pretty basic…it belongs at the bottom of our ranking.
Credit: Merc / Target
- Momofuku Sweet & Spicy Noodles
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There’s not a huge difference between Momofuku Sweet & Spicy Noodles and the Spicy Soy version we put in fifth place, but the larger, wide-cut noodles are a cut above the thinner ones (pun intended). The sugary sweetness and notes of Korean chili paste here should theoretically add more depth, but again, the dominant flavor is still sesame. But if you like a good amount of sweetness in your instant noodles, you’ll probably like these!
Credit: Merc / Momofuku
- Momofuku Spicy Chili Noodles
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The flavor “Spicy Chili” has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? Makes it seem a little different from the rest, don’t you think? Well, not exactly. The Spicy Chili sauce tastes a lot like the Spicy Soy noodles, only with the wide-cut noodles we prefer and a little bit more of a zesty punch. Don’t get me wrong; these are still yummy! The spicy heat has a more rounded and deep savory flavor thanks to the chili and rich soy. But do they stand out from the rest of the Momofuku instant noodles we prepared and tasted? Not really.
Credit: Merc / Momofuku
- Momofuku Soy & Scallion Noodles
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While the thicker Momofuku noodles typically have a leg up on the thinner ones, these Soy & Scallion noodles are the exception in my book. They are quite versatile. (I know that because I took all the leftover Momofuku packages home after my taste test, and survived off of this flavor in particular for a week.) You can eat these plain, enjoying the balanced soy and umami flavor enhanced by the scallion seasoning packet. You can also doctor them with spicy mayo, garlic, a soft-boiled egg, stir-fried veggies, etc. The flavors here easily complement other ingredients. Additionally, these are the best Momofuku noodles to buy if you prefer a more standard ramen experience.
Credit: Merc / Target
- Momofuku Tingly Chili Wavy Noodles
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The impossible has been achieved: We finally tried a flavor of Momofuku instant noodles that doesn’t completely rely on sesame oil! Truly an accomplishment. The Sichuan spices, spicy chili oil, and tingly, numbing flavors combine to make something very unique. And these are the fancy wide-cut noodles we’re pretty obsessed with, so overall, we were pretty pleased. So go ahead, get your chili crunch™ ready, because this is definitely the best Momofuku noodles flavor of the bunch!
Credit: Merc / Target
Best Momofuku Noodles!
Best Momofuku Noodles!
Best Momofuku Noodles!
Best Momofuku Noodles!
Best Momofuku Noodles!
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!