16 Identity Crisis Driven Foods to Try or Avoid

Ramen Burger: East Meets West and Gets Weird

I used to joke with a pro-bread friend that bread was just really dry huge noodles and he countered that noodles were thin soggy bread. Apparently you don’t have to decide between the two at all. Keizo Shimamoto had an epiphany when trying a pork sandwich in a ramen bun in Japan and gave birth the the Americanized version in 2013, the Ramen Burger.

Available at food stands run by Shimamoto, fans of the Original Ramen Burger have been known to line up for blocks and wait for hours to sample his wares. Trying to tap into that experimental burger crowd vibe, big chain Red Robin made its own ramen burger (without any involvement from Shimamoto) earlier this year and sold it in its restaurants for two months.

You might ask how can you build a bun from noodles? The ramen bun is made from cooked ramen mixed with egg to coat, pressed into a flat disc, and then fried in a skillet until both sides are golden brown. Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. The classic seasoning packet isn’t involved, the flavor comes from the burger, sauce, and any toppings involved.

A home version isn’t too hard to make, though maybe it misses some of the finesse of the Original Ramen Burger. It was definitely a fun experiment and an unusual variant of a burger, but I’m not sure I feel like I am clamoring to have them more often. Until I experience otherwise, I have to vote that the jury is still debating the merits of this identity crisis food.

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