I’ve been on a low-carb diet lately no thanks to doctor’s orders. Now that I can’t have as much rice, bread, and pasta as I like, I’ve been craving instant noodles (a double whammy of carbs and preservatives!) even worse than before I was put on a diet 😦 In an attempt to stave off the cravings, here’s a list of my five favorite Japanese instant noodles in ramen, udon, and soba form.

Sapporo Ichiban Miso Ramen

Sapporo Ichiban Miso Ramen is a beautiful combination of firm, tasty noodles and mellow, flavorful broth. Miso ramen lends itself well to customization. I prefer mine with some eggs beaten in to make it just like egg drop soup, while one of my dorm sisters back in Tokyo liked hers with some freshly-shredded cabbage and sauteed ground pork plopped right on top.

Toyo Suisan Instant Curry Udon

A joyful discovery on my very first trip to Tokyo (I used to stink up one of the common rooms at the Yoyogi Olympic Memorial Youth Center — my bad), this rich and fragrant curry-flavored wheat noodle is extremely filling compared to its egg noodle cousins — thanks to its thick sauce and fat noodles. It is, however a pain in the ass to eat, as you will end up splashing half the curry sauce on your white dress shirt. Proceed with caution.

Nissin Cup Noodles Curry Flavor

Yes, I love curry noodles — can you tell? My other favorite curry noodle is the timeless Nissin Cup. Their take on curry noodles brings together tasty egg noodles, creamy sauce, and a handful of vegetables that manage to retain their shape and flavor despite the flash-drying process. A wonderful thing to find in your office drawer on a cold and wet day ❤

Sapporo Ichiban Sauce Yakisoba

You know that yakisoba you get for like PhP 5 at the local convenience store? You can forget that — that’s not how real yakisoba tastes like. If you want a small taste of the yakisoba sold in street corners and temple festivals, Sapporo Ichiban has you covered. Sure, it does take a bit of getting used to when cooking (it has fairly unusual set of cooking instructions), plus you will probably need a bottle of Kewpie mayo to up the ante on the creamy-delicious department, but I promise you the effort will be well worth it.

Sapporo Ichiban Tonkotsu Ramen

Filled with the essence of pork bones simmered gently for hours, and topped with the nutty taste of sesame oil, this happiness-in-an-instant helped me survive cancer surgery and late nights at the office. The egg noodles in this pack are richer and more flavorful than even their miso ramen counterparts, while the broth is creamy and dense and will warm you up in no time. Nom nom nom~

All five noodle variants are available locally — at Japanese supermarkets Chotto Stop, Yamazaki, and New Hatchin, or at the international food section of the SM Hypermarket or the Landmark Supermarket. Go pick out your own favorite, and tell me all about it ❤