Definitely @PorkyBelly. I’m pretty sure at least one ingredient I used had MSG. 
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About 20 years ago I used to buy Mama noodles by the box and keep them at work, although I can’t recall which flavor. (Not shrimp, though.)
I used to keep a large Asian-type bowl, Asian spoon, and chopsticks in my office. Conveniently, the place I worked for had an almost-boiling water tap in the coffee room, mostly for tea, but it was perfect for my purpose. I’d simply tap some hot water over the noodles in the bowl, and while they were re-hydrating, I’d open the three little packs (soup base, garlic paste, and dried chilis). By the time I did that and got back to my office, a little stirring and lunch was ready.
I haven’t had Mama in a long time, so I decided to try them after seeing your post. I got single packs of pork and chicken flavor. Hopefully one of those was the one I used to lunch on back then.
Flavor bomb, all right!
[Just to be clear, I thought I was replying to Sgee’s OP, which is where I selected “reply”, but it looks like I was replying to PorkyBelly’s.]
Your post doesn’t show it was in reply to any particular post. If it had been the poster’s name would be in the upper-right corner of your post.
Replying to the opening post is the same as replying to the topic, it won’t show that you’re replying to any particular user.
So I see. I guess I’m still new at this…
And what’s wrong with that?! Yum!
Back to Mama?
I don’t think so. I liked the pork version more than the chicken, but both lacked that flavor, garlic, and heat punch that I remember. Maybe the flavor packs are smaller now? Whatever. The noodles tasted like cardboard. Maybe that’s the way they were long ago, and it was ok with me then, but not now.
So long, Mama.
I doubt this qualifies as ‘instant’ in any way, since the noodles take 6 full minutes to boil, and you need another half cup hot water for the soup base, but still…
Found at the local 99 Ranch:
Tsukemen!!
And, for a make at home option, it’s not bad! The fresh noodles are thick, slightly textured, super chewy and very springy, as a decent tsukemen noodle would be.
The broth is in the form of a concentrated paste you dilute with water. It says ‘seafood flavor’ which, eh, there’s some notes of fish-sauce/dried shrimp funk, but mostly its shoyu and MSG. I added some chopped green onion to it, and it could have used a jammy egg.
But it’s certainly something I’d buy again.
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Thanks to @js76wisco I gave the Jin Ottogi shot when it was on sale at Little Tokyo Marketplace. Good stuff and a solid dehydrated vegetable pack.
I also decided to break my longheld boycott of instant jjajjang noodles. The Ottogi ended up being pretty good with some scallops and carrots added. It was only $3.99 a pack on sale so maybe I’ll step up and try the $10/pack Chapagetti next.
I’m generally not a fan of fancified “restaurant style” ramen but the one exception was this clam ramen that was perpetually on sale at Mitsuwa for a while. I googled around but can’t find it. The packaging was all in Japanese but identified it as coming from a ramen-ya in Seattle.
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And my thanks to PorkBelly, whose link to “The Best Instant Noodles…” above led me to try Shin Black. They are, in fact, hands down the best instant ramen noodles I’ve ever had. Not quite the same as restaurant quality but getting there. Rich, chewy noodles in a creamy, flavorful broth. I topped with some “extra spicy” kimchee and it made for a very enticing bowl. Excellent – most definitely worth the extra cost.
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