Instant noodles are my thing.
They always have been.
What's funny is that I don't remember when it was that I really started to appreciate a (simple) bowl of noodles cooked five minutes on the stove.
Maybe it was when I realized I could boil the noodles so soft over the stove that they became near like a pudding.
Maybe it was when I realized I could put an egg inside the noodles and let it cook until the yolk became a golden orange ball of chewy texture.
And maybe it was when new flavors began popping out on our supermarket shelves that were so affordable one could happily try.
I've always had a penchant for new flavors that catch my eye.
And the memory of those flavors on my palate stick with me most of the time.
I've not forgotten my first taste of shrimp flavored noodles from Myojo.
Neither have I forgotten the taste of creamy tom yum from the Mama brand which I first ate whilst in Bangkok, Thailand.
Then there're the Indonesian brands, the Japanese brands and the Korean brands.
I don't remember exactly what all their brands are, except maybe Indomie (Indonesia), Nissin (Japan) and Nongshim (Korea).
Between all the flavors that Nongshim- and the other Korean brands- have on our shelves, I like kalguksu potato noodles, and the ramyun with the shrimp soup that's got the cheeriest-looking color of orange and tastes more like a lobster bisque than of shrimp.
Oddly enough I've never ventured to try any of the fiery ones, but I've had a cup cheese-flavored ramyun (something like that).
I'm open to new flavors though.
If I weren't, I wouldnt have discovered Nissin's Kyushu Black, Kyushu White, Shoyu, Tonkotsu and Hokkaido Miso ramen.
Out of all these, Kyushu White, Hokkaido Miso and Tonkotsu I like the most.
Their creamy soup bases grant me a sense of warmth, making me feel as if I'm snuggling under the blanket on cold, rainy nights, or hugging my favorite soft toy tight.
It isn't only for the instant variety that I like Tonkotsu or Miso though.
I like them anyhow.
Especially Tonkotsu, which soup base I will try to have whenever I opt for ramen at cafes, diners or restaurants.
Once in a while, however, I decide to skip on my favorite flavors and go for brand new ones.
Like the UFO Truffle Carbonara ramen which I got from DDD couple of months ago.
I'm glad I chose to try this one.
It's addictive.
So much so that I've found myself searching for this UFO bowl at supermarkets and getting disappointed when I can't find one.
To be honest, it's really hard to describe, but it's amazing what they've done with the seasonings, especially that of the truffle, which I think is very difficult to replicate, but is so good that it hits the nail on the head with its distinctive, delicious taste.
What intrigued me even more, however, was how well it blended with the creamy, cheesy (?) taste of the carbonara.
It didn't taste awkward, anything like that, and I could well imagine just how pasta with carbonara and a hint of (real) truffle would be.
This was instant ramen, of course, and the sauce wasn't thick like carbonara sauce would be, but there was a hint of creaminess somewhere, and it made me feel like I were having spaghetti, even if I were sitting cross legged on the bed of a hotel room carefully trying not to spill any drops of soup onto the clean white linen sheets in front of me.