Instant ramen might seem like a humble kitchen staple, but Instant Ramen Kitchen proves it's anything but basic. Peter J. Kim takes what many of us see as a dorm-room quick fix and turns it into a springboard for culinary creativity. With over 40 inventive recipes, a flavor wheel, pantry-building tips, and guidance on ramen varieties, this book offers a vibrant and approachable way to turn your ramen game from routine to remarkable. Whether you're just boiling noodles for the first time or looking to spice up your well-worn routine, you'll find plenty of ideas here to stir up your inner kitchen artist.

What makes this cookbook stand out is its global lens—recipes like Xi’an-style Cumin Lamb Ramen, Ramen Fideuà, and B.E.C. Ramen (yes, bacon, egg, and cheese!) show off ramen’s versatility in comfort food from around the world. Kim doesn’t just teach you how to follow a recipe—he teaches you how to think like a ramen chef, offering his own tried-and-true improvisations to inspire you to riff confidently. This is a love letter to instant noodles, celebrating them not as a guilty pleasure, but as a gateway to low-stakes, high-reward kitchen experiments that are as fun as they are flavorful.

Great introduction and description of all the options flavors. I would've liked to see more photos of the finished ramen bowls in the recipe section

This just didn't do it for me. About 50% of the book was backstory that truly lost me and left me exhausted when the recipes finally came in.

As a long time consumer of ramen packets, and one who enjoys the more authentic and fresh ingredient versions more readily available, I found the title to the eye catching. Also, I like varied cuisines and this covers both. There is a mix of "ethnic" recipes fused with the inexpensive ramen packets. For example, aloo gobi ramen for those who like the Indian dish which I very much do! shakshuka ramen, borscht ramen, chicken Parmesan ramen, just to name a few. This book definitely expands upon what my latchkey creative childhood came up with, putting different ingredients with those convenient little squares.

Instant ramen just got a personality upgrade.

I went into this thinking it would be fun. What I didn’t expect was to come out of it feeling like a low-key noodle alchemist. This book doesn’t just hand you recipes. It opens a portal to all the ways you can mess with a cheap packet of noodles and end up with something that feels weirdly personal and kind of brilliant.

The writing is clever without trying too hard, and the recipes are the perfect balance of approachable and creative. You don’t need a fancy kitchen, just a little curiosity and maybe some chili oil. :)

Highly recommend if your soul runs on carbs and chaotic good energy.

I wasn’t expecting to learn so much from this ramen cookbook, but I did! And my husband is going to love all the new recipes and toppings we’ll be trying out in our house!

Instant Ramen Kitchen is a unique blend of the history of ramen, food science and a bit cookbook too. There are so many unique pages that catch my attention like a color wheel with umami, aromatic, sweet, rich and acidic with all the foods that fall under that ingredient. It’s not quite what I was expecting, it is much more detailed with the science of how to cut a carrot into different shapes, a salinity chart, protein and vegetable cook times and even a ramen flowchart.

I really enjoyed the history of different brands of ramen with full color photos of each of the packages. The last part of the book is many recipes with elevated inspired recipes like egg drop ramen, beef stroganoff ramen and shakshuka ramen. It would be the perfect gift for the ramen fan in your life.

Thank you to Chronicle Books for providing access to an eARC via NetGalley.

The perfect cookbook for the teenager or college grad in your life. Also a great cookbook for anyone wanting to spice up a cheap dish and make it feel luxurious. While diving into flavors and cooking methods, this cookbook also gives diversity to the humble packet of ramen.

I LOVE how real this cookbook is. I knew from the start with the introduction that I was going to love it. I had my fair share of delicious home cooked meals growing up, but as a child and even now, I am not immune to dinner straight from the microwave.


In fact, I just had picante chicken ramen for lunch yesterday. No fuss, literally just the noodles and that delicious sodium packed flavoring and it was fantastic! Lol. Could I have tweaked it and made it into a culinary masterpiece ( okay maybe that's taking it too far)? The answer is absolutely. Those little noodle bricks are cheap and more versatile than you know.


Will I be recreating a lot of these recipes? 110% yes I will.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

The first half of this book wasn't something that interested me, I mostly skimmed. When I finally got to the recipes I found many that I would like to try.

I pick up lots of cookbooks, and I make lots of creative late night ramen, so it was only natural for me to take a peek at "Instant Ramen Kitchen." Despite that, I wasn't exepcting to love it as much as I do. It’s one of the most thoughtfully organized and genuinely useful cookbooks I’ve picked up in a long time, and I’ve already flagged several recipes to try ASAP. The layout is clean and intuitive, and I especially appreciate how the book helps you decide what to make based on how much time you have or what you’re in the mood for; there’s even a clever and fun flow chart that makes choosing a recipe feel effortless. The book manages to stay focused on its niche while still offering a surprisingly wide variety of dishes, all of which feel perfectly approachable and full of personality. The infographics, the history and breakdown of ramen flavors, the modern aesthetic, the playful but smart recipes; it's safe to say I love, love, love this book.

Ok! I did not know the versatility of more than one ways to make ramen besides the obvious one that is on the back of the package but man this sound absolutely delicious and cannot wait to try them out!

Peter begins the book by mentioning his first cooking experience of making and eating ramen by saying it slippery chewy noodles embued in a heady broth of umami and chicken broth. He was hooked, hi Korean Mom added egg and scallions whilee Peter experimented with hot dogs, frozen broccoli, and leftover Korean food.
David uses precise measurements, timing and specific ingredients in his recipes so use some of them to hone your ramen making skills then branch out on your own.

The tools that are needed are simple and easy to locate - a 2 qt saucpan, a 2 cup measuring cup, chopsticks, kitchen timer, prep bowls for ingredients and a slotted spoon.
The preparation phases are:The Prep, Pre Simmer, The Simmer and The Finish, with explanations and pictures.
There is even a Plating Technique to show you how to present your ramen!

You will learn the different types of ramen,they are spicy and saucy; the different types of flavor packets, salty, sweet, umami and more!

Peter uses long simmered bones, collagen and tonkatsu to make a rich broth - this is not your 5 minute ramen!

You will find egg drop ramen, couscous ramen, beef stroganoff ramen and many more.
Enter your culinary journey with a beloved comfort food and enjoy!
You are set up for success!

A cookbook and guide on how to cook and arrange instant ramen.

The first half in particular seemed targeted specifically to beginner cooks or cooks that aren’t yet too confident in the kitchen but have made some instant ramen in their life, at lear according to the package instructions. It goes in depth on the roles that different ingredients play, how to substitute ingredients, the basic steps in making ramen, and different common cooking techniques and what they bring to a dish. That part is a bit dry, like a textbook, but it is certainly packed with knowledge. It kind of reminds me of the show Worst Cooks in America, like this is directed at people who are at a slightly higher skill level than the contestants there.

The second half is actually where the recipes are, with classic ramen recipes and then well-known recipes from around the world but with the starch component replaced with instant ramen (and the recommended flavor of ramen to use for each recipe). I’m a bug ramen and instant ramen lover, but at least for the classic recipes, I do agree with Uncle Roger and think if you want traditional ramen going to a ramen restaurant is a safer bet, but I appreciated the love for instant ramen woven throughout this cookbook. It’s a fun concept of a cookbook, but I think inexperienced cooks or people who want to do more with their instant ramen will get the most out of this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Chronicle Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was expecting a lot more from this cookbook. A little bit of history in the beginning is good but 50% of the book being Ramen history? A bit much. Tried a few of the recipes, especially the sauces, and enjoyed them. Just feel like this was more of a ramen history book vs a cookbook.

This book is everything you want to know about Ramen but didn’t know you wanted to. I don’t know many people who don’t like Ramen. I find it interesting that a go to meal can be turned into soups, stews and main meals. This book is a must for anyone who likes to cook at home and try new things.

This book is more in depth than I ever expected it would be! It’s perfect for seasoned ramen lovers wanted to step up their game as well as beginners wanting to try something different. Visual learners will appreciate all the charts! So handy! I loved the wheel chart that showed the different ingredients and toppings by flavor profile. I personally would have appreciated having photos for every recipe. I think this would make a fantastic gift and if I remember, I will definitely buy a copy for my son.

Okay but this book is super cool. The first half of the book is explaining the intricacies of ramen and it's history. It explains how it came to be and how it's traditionally eaten. It even breaks down the flavors and ingredients that come in the packets of instant ramen and how and why they are used. I love how the book has a modern infographic feel to it through out. But, my favorite thing is the unconventional recipes in the back that give you a completely different twist on making ramen. I actually want to try them when I can. Especially the way they made mac and cheese out of it with only 3 ingredients. Very cool book!

I absolutely loved this book! It’s full of so many exciting ideas to make your ramen even tastier. Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Chronicle Books for the ARC.
#InstantRamenKitchen #NetGalley

I loved this cookbook! When I saw it on netgalley, I immediately knew I needed to read it. It definitely exceeded my expectations, I loved that the author gave us the history on ramen. Throughout this cookbook Peter Kim has demonstrated his passion for Ramen. I am always looking for ways to upgrade my ramen packs and this cookbook has given me so many recipes/ideas that I can not wait to try. A problem I find with cookbooks is that I often think I could find the same recipes on Pinterest but I did not feel like that with this one. I will definitely make sure to pick this up when it's published.