And the winner of the How Do You Top Ramen challenge is …

This fun contest celebrating the 50th anniversary of America’s iconic noodle soup continues until the end of the month. But there is a Seattle boss who has already proven that she definitely deserves the league title.

Deeply delicious story

Nissin Foods Founder Momofuku Ando’s initial mission in creating the instant version of an iconic noodle soup dish was driven by a humanitarian purpose. In the late 1950s it was quoted: “Peace will come to the world when people have enough to eat.

It is credited with starting a three minute revolution when Top Ramen was introduced to the United States in 1970, first arriving as Cup Noodles. This instant classic was the result of research showing that most Americans don’t have bowls large enough to accommodate ramen. Back in the day, when the Campbell’s brand dominated supermarket shelves, ramen was considered downright exotic.

Fast forwarding past the billions of packs sold and consumed since, the company has found a clever way to commemorate Top Ramen’s 50th anniversary. The search for the very first “Chief Noodle Officer”After a heated social media competition called How Do You Top Ramen, tagging photos on Instagram. Top Chef All Star Melissa King will choose the winner, who will receive $ 10,000 and a 50-year supply of Top Ramen.

“As the inventor of instant ramen, Nissin is proud of our place in history and all that we have done to bring new innovations and delicious Top Ramen products to people across the United States over the years. Last 50 years, “Mike Price, CEO of Nissin Foods USA, is quoted in an official press release. “The Chief Noodle Officer is the perfect way to celebrate this important business milestone. If you’re a noodle fanatic or self-proclaimed ramen recipe guru, then this dream job is for you.

The official teasing for this competition includes this edict: “Candidates for this position must be passionate about springy noodles and enthusiastic about bold flavors. “

Well, Chief Mutsuko Soma absolutely crushes him on both counts.

Inspired creations

Born in Japan and based in Seattle, Chef Mutsuko Soma is already quite famous for her delicious, hand-made soba noodles. When Food & Wine named her one of the Best new chefs in 2019, they called her a soba evangelist. Amen!

Before the pandemic, it was practically impossible to sit in your comfortable Kamonegi, which makes it one of Seattle’s hottest restaurants. Then COVID-19 arrived and changed everything for every restaurant on the planet. Currently, Kamonegi only does take out and deliveries.

Like many in the food industry trying to cope with the new normal, Soma fails to interact with diners, serve food on pretty plates, and stretch her culinary muscles to offer specialties. So, when she read the article on the Top Ramen challenge, she spilled a lot of ink into her creativity.

“I miss creating food. And creating noodles is my strongest card, always, ”Soma said. “When I started creating dishes, I had so many ideas. Therefore. I decided to do 50 for the 50th anniversary. Then I thought, it might help people. I can make fun food on a low budget. A lot of people still stay at home and cook, so I hope this helps. ”

Among Soma’s long list of whimsical Top Ramen dishes:

• Fried Fried Noodle Poutine
• Korean corndog
• Cinnamon-sugar churros
• Basteeya, a savory Moroccan pie
• Roman style pizza
• Lasagna
• Pineapple upside-down cake
• Paella
• Chocolate Taco Ice Cream Sandwich
• Mac-and-cheese made with Jalapeno Cheetos
• Mishmash
• French onion soup
• Shrimp Toast
• Fried Mexican Ice Cream

All these gems are captured like real food-porn and shared on the chef’s table Instagram. If you think she might have the basics of a successful cookbook, start over. She details each recipe with ingredients and instructions on each item, some with how-to videos.

Can diners order his best ramen dishes?

The short answer is no, but Kamonegi’s ever-changing menu is full of dishes that add a cool twist to traditional preparations. Like the Philly cheesesteak with marinated beef and sautéed mushrooms served on a local baguette sea ​​bass, the elegant shrimp bisque and the foie gras disguised as tofu.

One of the best sellers? The ramen for two, which features a long simmered shio broth emboldened by shrimp, chicken and pork. It’s a bit the opposite of the sachets used to season Top Ramen. They’re all delicious, maybe just on different levels.