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.

Looking to upgrade your old ramen standby? Ivan McCombs gives readers tons of fantastic, creative ideas - not only soup! I also love a cookbook with colorful, beautiful photos and Insanely Good Ramen Meals delivers on this, too.

I didn't realize all the twists you could put on ramen noodles and I was excited to try some of these recipes. Ramen is always a staple in our house and a quick meal for when I don't feel like cooking. I've tried a couple and they were a hit for our household.

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read and try these recipes!

I'm likely not the target audience for this as I have ramen on my shelf, but typically don't end up with a lot of other processed foods, and while these recipes *seem* simple (and many are), they also rely on processed foods or specific items that I would never be able to source in the rural area where I live.

Overall, some of these were fun ideas for making something simple feel a little more complete, but some of these also just sound really odd.

If you like fruit with your savory, and live in a city where sourcing odd ingredients is easier, this might be a good fit!

This has some great ideas for using ramen to make meals. There were more recipes than I expected for things that use ramen in less traditional ways - e.g. breading for chicken nuggets, in burritos, as bread for grilled cheese. I would have loved to see more recipes that had mix and match combos for making your own ramen (and soup). It definitely made me think about the possibilities ramen can have!

Insanely Good Ramen Meals has a bunch of fresh takes on doing more with Instant Ramen than just using as directed. I wasn’t overly excited about most of the dishes as I enjoy cooking and most of the “recipes” were just throwing other pre-made ingredients in with the ramen. I do love marinated eggs with my ramen so I was happy to see a recipe for a Korean Style Marinated Eggs that is different from others I have. The only other recipes I’m really interested in trying are the Beef Ramen (using TJ’s Beef Birria) and the Chicken Meatballs and Grape Ramen. I do think this is something I would have enjoyed while in college and looking for cheap, convenient meals but I am past that stage of my life now.

I come to this book as someone who has tried several dozen kinds of instant ramen. My social media isn't engulfed with it, but I am a kind of expert. And boy, is this book questionable. It also further confirms my suspicion that there's a strong difference between an entertainer, a cookbook writer, and a great chef. McCombs is only one of these.

Don't get me wrong, some of these meals do look "insanely good". But so much of this book is inexplicable. Despite being the "ramen king", the front section is dedicated to cookware. I would've expected a section on different kinds of ramen, how instant ramen is made, and how to use it to your advantage. Since many of these recipes would appeal to younger readers (see: Ramen Chicken Nuggets), this would be a worthy inclusion that would also inform other audiences reading the book about what actually comes in the packet when you buy instant ramen. For example, most Americans don't know that most ramen is dehydrated by deep frying fresh wheat noodles.

That's not the worst crime this book commits, however. McCombs seems worried about selling you on McRamen, but not worried enough on how to make Chicken Meatballs and Grape Ramen-- which involves the inclusion of a grape pixie stick-- seem good. Maybe there's something I'm missing, since grape jelly is commonly served with meatballs, but neither the photo, recipe, or description make it seem very appetizing. Similar goes for a watermelon ramen recipe that includes chicken dumplings. McCombs (and the editor) also show their lack of cooking chemistry (and cost!) expertise, and direct the reader to deep fry in olive oil several times. Olive oil is expensive, it has a low smoke point, deep frying food in it renders the health qualities negligible, and it often adds a weird tang to fried foods.

I feel that I understand the target audience may be people just beginning to cook. However, with the misleading directions and lack of expertise, there are far better books by cooking influencers that are more comprehensive and include more actual knowledge about cooking with packaged ingredients.