Instant noodles are supposed to be the meal you reach for when you want something cheap, quick and impossible to mess up. These six listings take a rather different approach.
From Japanese tonkotsu ramen sets costing close to $90 to a limited-edition Korean gift box that can cross the $100 mark, these are some seriously atas noodles to cook in your own kitchen.
1. Samyang 1963 X Jjareureu Wooji Korean Instant Ramen Gift Set
At about $52.65 to $107.19 for the 16-pack listing, this Samyang set makes the usual supermarket multipack look very economical indeed.
The limited-edition gift concept brings together Samyang 1963 and Jjareureu Wooji, two premium noodles built around the use of beef tallow. Samyang 1963 pairs beef-bone broth with ingredients including radish, spring onion and Cheongyang pepper for a spicy soup, while Jjareureu Wooji takes the idea in a different direction with a rich black bean sauce. The original Korean gift set was created for Chuseok and packaged to resemble the sort of fancy food hamper you might actually present to someone, rather than the emergency noodles hiding in your office drawer.
Check out the latest price here (as it might change): https://s.shopee.sg/4VdI9YUu4Z
2. Ippudo Akamaru Gift Set
At $88.29, this direct-from-Japan Ippudo set is firmly in restaurant-dinner territory.
It contains three Akamaru ramen packs together with three Kaedama packs, with each Kaedama providing two servings of refill noodles. Akamaru is Ippudo’s richer, spicier take on Hakata tonkotsu ramen, making this the more assertive option of the two Ippudo sets here. The extra noodles are also a very Japanese ramen-shop touch: kaedama is essentially the second helping of noodles you order when there is still broth left in your bowl. Just try not to think about how many ordinary instant noodle packets $88 can buy.
Check out the latest price here (as it might change): https://s.shopee.sg/2VsDlvNYYB
3. Ippudo Shiromaru Gift Set
If you prefer Ippudo’s classic side, the $78.48 Shiromaru gift set follows the same generous format with three Shiromaru ramen packs and three two-serving Kaedama packs.
Shiromaru is the brand’s classic Hakata-style tonkotsu option, so this is the one to consider if you want the pork-broth experience without choosing the red, spicier Akamaru version. Like the Akamaru set above, it is shipped directly from Japan and supplies additional noodles for stretching the broth into a second round.
Check out the latest price here (as it might change): https://s.shopee.sg/6q1CvulLwz
4. Tonkotsu Ramen Assortment From Shin Shin, Issou, Ikkosha and Number One
This $34.63 direct-from-Japan listing is basically a mini tour of famous tonkotsu ramen names without requiring an air ticket to Fukuoka.
The assortment features ramen associated with Shin Shin, Hakata Issou, Ikkosha and Number One, giving you several takes on the pork-broth style rather than committing the entire purchase to one brand. That makes it particularly interesting for ramen nerds who would rather conduct a very serious taste test at home. Whether the kitchen should subsequently be reviewed on Google Maps is up to you.
Check out the latest price here (as it might change): https://s.shopee.sg/6fhmjd7J6p
5. Ichiran Classic Tonkotsu Ramen, 5 Servings
Ichiran is famous for Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen, and this $26.90 box brings its thin, straight noodles home in a five-serving format.
The noodles are paired with the components needed to recreate the brand’s pork-broth ramen experience without queuing at an Ichiran outlet overseas. Five servings also makes the price easier to swallow than some of the gift sets above, although at roughly $5.38 per serving before you start adding your own egg, chashu or other toppings, nobody is going to mistake this for bargain-bin instant mee.
Check out the latest price here (as it might change): https://s.shopee.sg/1LgGNr7cgy
6. Ichiran Hakata-Style Curly Noodles With Chintama Gochujang Set
Priced at about $22.85 to $32.13 depending on the listing variation, this direct-from-Japan option switches from Ichiran’s familiar straight noodles to Hakata-style curly noodles.
The ramen comes in a five-serving format, while the listing also offers a Chintama Gochujang set, giving shoppers a rather different Ichiran purchase from the classic straight-noodle box above. If your instant noodle cupboard has somehow reached the stage where noodle geometry matters, congratulations, you have officially become the target audience for premium ramen.
Check out the latest price here (as it might change): https://s.shopee.sg/7VGtjDGOgH
