I am a noodle fiend. I would live on noodles if I could. So I don't know how I haven't come across Ivan McCombs, who's known on social media as RamenKingIvan.

The book starts with a comprehensive look at the types of noodle available, as well as a list of the kitchen equipment needed to create these dishes, and some of the common ingredients.

There's a section on the basics, including bone broth and Korean-style marinated eggs.

Some of the recipes are very basic - as simple as heating a pack of instant ramen and adding an egg or some dumplings as toppings. Others are more unusual, including ideas for using fruit in ramen, or making ramen breakfast burritos.

There were a few recipes that were a bit more bizarre and 'out there'. I don't think I'm going to be blending up a Big Mac and fries to make a soup any time soon...

The book also contains ideas for using noodles in other ways, such as a crispy coating for fried chicken, or making ramen onion rings.

Some aspects of the book are quite American-centric, with some of the ingredients being things that aren't easily available in the UK, so that's something to be aware of.

In the final section, guests share some of their recipes, including 'struggle meals', which aren't all necessarily ramen.

The writing style is friendly and the recipes are easy to follow. There's nothing complicated about these dishes, they're all very accessible. The photography makes just about everything look tasty and appealing. Some of the recipes I would try, many I wouldn’t. And it's still a big no from me when it comes to the blended up McDonald's.

3.5 stars, rounded up.

We are a ramen loving family and I really liked how simple the recipes are in this book. They are all clearly written with enough explanations that my two teenage boys would be able to follow especially as the recipes use instant noodles.

We tried out some of the recipes which included the Korean style marinated eggs and the ramen chicken nuggets- both of which we really enjoyed especially my fussy eater son. There are still more recipes we want to try!

This is perfect for anyone living on a budget or in a dorm who likes the prepackaged ramen. I was hoping for more recipes that were from scratch, but also this is great. I am looking forward to trying some of the recipes with my husband. Also, the egg info toward the beginning was super helpful.

What a fantastically fun little cookbook! Ivan McCombs combines relative simplicity with some real out-of-the-box creativity, taking ramen to places I did not expect, but now would love to try on my own!

This had some really good recipes and some that were really strange. I thought it would be more like what to add to ramen, but it went all out adding ramen as crust to chicken and everything.

Super informative and creative cookbook! I really like the diverse types of ramen recipes it contains. I would have never thought to make grilled cheese using ramen, or even the ramen pizza. I am definitely going to try a few recipes with my kid and see what happens. I enjoy the good photography that showcased the recipes super well, and made everything look really appetising. I would definitely recommend this to home cooks of all kinds of skill level, even families with kids who could definitely help in the kitchen. Definitely going to buy for my family.

You might think that making ramen is one of the easiest and fastest meals to prepare, filling the stomach and tasting sinfully good. Of course, it all depends on how you make it and what ingredients you add, catering to the wishes of the cook and the hungry eater.

YouTuber RamenKingIvan has written his own ramen cookbook, and I have to admit, I was skeptical at first. I wondered what a noodle soup recipe book could offer since ramen is typically such an easy dish to prepare. But oh, how surprised I was! Ramen with watermelon or dragon fruit? How about kiwi and pineapple? Or perhaps with blueberry sauce? Maybe you're in the mood for chicken wings or corn dogs? No problem—just break up instant noodles to substitute for breadcrumbs. The book is filled with completely crazy recipes that promise unexpected taste experiences. I never would have imagined some of these combinations! And since each recipe comes with a photo of the finished dish, I was amazed—everything looked delicious and mouthwatering.

Perhaps the most unusual recipes for me were the so-called sandwich recipes, where a grid of instant noodles replaced the bread. The idea of a crispy instant noodle sandwich might sound wrong, but the pictures made it look surprisingly appetizing. I haven't tried it yet, but who knows—maybe at some party, I'll finally give it a shot! 😊

In addition to the recipes, the cookbook also includes introductions to different types of noodles, lists of ingredients that can be used in ramen, and tools necessary for making the soup (from essential utensils to possible kitchen gadgets for experimentation). Some of these tools I never would have thought of, but based on the descriptions and pictures, they seem quite useful.

But did I try anything from this book? Of course! I started with the easier and more straightforward recipes. In the future, I'd love to try adding watermelon to my ramen, and if I can find some yuzu, I'd give that a shot as well. Since I haven't ventured into Asian cuisine deeply yet, I’ll have to settle for experimenting at home! 😊

Thank you so much, NetGallery and Harvard Common Press, for this wonderful reading experience!

Review in Estonian (will be published Aug 08, 2024): https://brixieblog.wordpress.com/2024/08/08/insanely-good-ramen-meals-the-ramen-king-ivan-cookbook-ivan-mccombs/

First, I've never heard of Mr McCombs and second I thought ramen were noodles plain and simple to which you added/cooked in your broth. So, a bit behind there. The recipes are, indeed, simple, clear, well illustrated and quick. Ideal for some people who don't really want to cook perhaps. Besides the flavoured noodles as a start, there is far too much packeted this, that and the other - not so much of the fresh produce promised in the description. Some could be 'fun' but I'll give them a miss thanks. I am clearly not the target audience. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

Wow this book has blown my mind. Who knew you could
Make a ramen pizza and I am already planning ramen Mac and cheese for tea tonight. Thank you for giving me so many ideas on what to do with noodles as I always end up with a boring stir fry type bowl and nothing else.

I had never heard of Ivan, but I like ramen noodles because they are cheap, stores well, and are fast and easy to cook. The title says "good", and a lot of the meals here I'm sure are very tasty, but somewhat complicated for me. Thus, the best part for me is the last chapter.
I'm impressed with all the alternate uses, like the pizza, but horrified by the BigMac.
The book is very beautiful, with excellent illustrations and layout, and should have its place
in many kitchens.

Unfortunately this cookbook was not for me, but I can see it being useful for a novice cook or a student with limited supplies. There is a good variety of ramen recipes to choose from and they are all very easy to follow

I was unfamiliar with Ivan prior to reading this book but I'm a big fan of ramen so I figured I'd give him a shot. This cookbook is so easy follow and has big, beautiful picture with bright colors.

I can't wait to try out some of these recipes. Ramen buffalo chicken wings?! Yesssssss!!!
There are so many different ramen varieties, everybody will find something they want to try.

Insanely Good Ramen Meals focuses on upgrading and making new recipes from just a package of ramen. There are a ton of different and innovative meals, but some of the recipes were a little too out there for me.

The Sections are
Chapter 1: The Basics
Chapter 2: Chicken and Turkey
Chapter 3: Beef
Chapter 4: Seafood
Chapter 5: Vegetarian
Chapter 6: Sides and Snacks
Chapter 7: Cooking with Friends Recipes

Each recipe has servings, prep time, cook time, little recipe blurb, ingredients, and directions with a picture of the meal.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This cookbook is so FUN!

So many out of the box ramen ideas with easy to follow recipes.

If you love ramen and love seeing unique and creative ways to make and consume ramen, THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU!

Thank you to NetGalley, Quarto Publishing Group – Harvard Common Press, Harvard Common Press and Ivan McCombs for giving me an ARC of this cool cookbook!

I have a shelf of instant ramen packages at my house. The recipes in Insanely Good Ramen Meals inspire me to go beyond the basic recipe on the package. Why not at least add an egg, right? And maybe even more than that!

Ramen is a constant companion food for our teen patrons, and this cook book is sure to find a welcome place in any library collection that serves young and new adult patrons! In informative introduction provides an excellent base for branching out and exploring options, and the way in which the book ramps up from the familiar noodle and egg dish to wild and over the top combinations will ensure that there is a little something for everyone. Although there are recipes highlighted for those with special dietary restraints, adding that information to the introduction could have made the book more welcoming but regardless, the index and recipe lists should help everyone find the adaptations they require. Readers who are familiar with Ramen King Ivan will be doubly excited to dive in and enjoy a dish with their internet "family" and this book is sure to be a draw for any library programming focused on culinary arts or internet culture. Thank you to NetGalley for access to this delicious arc.

Super creative recipes organized by ramen basics 101, chicken, beef, vegetarian, and seafood. The cookbook includes staples for enjoying ramen, such as bone broth and soft boiled eggs. I was pleasantly surprised to also see creative versions such as ramen grilled cheese and pizza. Yummy! Fun cookbook for the creative and adventurous ramen enthusiasts. Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC

3.5

Insanely Good Ramen meals is a collection of recipes that commemorate the humble staple, ramen noodles. This was a beautiful cookbook, with stunning images to go along with the recipes. I also appreciate a multimedia book where there are different QR codes to link you to video. However, I found it odd that there was a recipe for original ramen, and it not expanding beyond the "follow package instructions"

To be fair someone who would pick up a cookbook should know how to cook but if that case, removal of that page seems necessary. Additionally, as an alternative for package ramen, it was good to place in different types of noodles, but a majority of the recipes focused on the package ramen. Some of the recipes as well are not as... appetizing as it sounds, although I may attempt some of the more questionable recipes

Besides the previous comments, I do think this cookbook is interesting and creative!

I love the sound of the recipes in this book, I can't wait to try them! Due to disability it can be hard for me to cook for myself and eat properly so it's really nice to still have quick easy meals that are fresh ideas and not the same old instant noodles. I really liked the photos and the recipes were easy to follow

This had a lot of interesting recipes but for the most part a lot of them were a little too “out there” for me.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.