Austin360 blogs > Miss Adventure > Archives > 2007 > January > 10
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
RIP Ramen Guy
The Ramen Noodle Guy died. Frankly, I had no idea there was one person responsible for inventing the Most Important College Food Ever, but apparently there was and now he’s dead. When I had a friend from Virginia crash-land at Stately Miss Adventure Manor for a few months, looking for a job he practically existed on Ramen and chopped up hotdogs.
At the time I was mortally offended — his oodles of noodles insulted the inherent dignity of my gorgeous Le Creuset saucier — but now I understand that ramen is a rite of passage, just like getting your ears pierced or taking a late night road trip to Mexico just to see if the nachos are better there (they’re not).
Since my grandparents who raised us spent so many years in Asia, my brother and I ate ramen fairly often. William liked his noodles dry and without the little silver flavor packet, which I viewed as heresy. I liked mine the way the Good Lord (and Momofuku Ando) intended it, with lots of steaming salty broth. It’s not that I particularly enjoyed the broth which in my household came in two flavors: yellow and brown. I just liked what happened after all the noodles were gone. My grandfather, who is a no-foolin’ Harvard-degree holdin’ expert on Chinese culture, told me the best way to compliment the chef was to sluuuuurp the soup — paying special attention to volume and creativity of noise — and once the broth was gone, to release a window rattling belch.
Just to be polite, of course.
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