Here are the best-selected cup ramen according to Japanese people! When browsing through a grocery store in Japan, you might very well be overwhelmed by the hundreds of choices, so we narrowed it down to the 7 best!

The Best Cup Ramen Noodles In Japan!!!

Cup ramen noodles in Japan are the most convenient quick meal. From the busy Japanese businessmen and women to the school children, it seems everyone enjoys them. The Japanese know their ramen, and compared to any other country, the quality of the simple cup ramen is probably the highest in the world in the land of the rising sun. There is a wide variety of types too made by Japanese companies. Here is a list of some of the very best. The selection is based on an agglomeration of ratings and reviews by Japanese cup ramen bloggers so you can be sure they are top-tier choices!

Chili Tomato (Nisshin)

Nisshin is the oldest and most reputable company in Japan making cup noodles. They sell many of the most raved about cup ramen in the country. The Chili Tomato is definitely one of their stand-out product. It has some spicy chili that blends perfectly with the tomato base. You'll find in the broth small cubes of tomatoes, chicken, beans, cabbage, and corn. Right now, they have a newer version of their product (shown above) which comes with extra chili spices in a separate packet. This is a must try, it comes up everywhere as a top one.

Nisshin Rao (Nisshin)

This ramen has over 25 years of popularity behind its belt. It's another one of the best sellers of Nisshin. It has a rich soy sauce soup base, and there is even a thick slice of pork as a topping, so it makes it look like a pretty legit ramen restaurant ramen bowl when placed in a nice bowl. People love the noodles about this product. They are more hard than average and have a texture resembling house-made ones.

Menma Kyoto (Yamadai)

Yamadai, a company from Kyoto has its own chain of restaurants in Kyoto and their aim was to create a cup ramen that resembles the taste of the ramen served at their ramen joints. The Menma Kyoto cup ramen has a rich soy sauce taste made from real pork bones (this is what is called a "tonkotsu" ramen). It tastes more natural because of that (most cup ramen noodles have loads of MSGs). Add a little cayenne pepper powder and it's even better.

Curry Noodles (Nisshin)

This is Japanese-style curry added as the base ingredient for the soup's broth. The deep flavor soaks into the noodle which makes the whole cup so tasty. The curry cup noodle has been popular for almost 45 years. Nisshin has released a new twist to their famous product: the cheese curry ramen. People rave about that one too.

Sumire Sapporo Noko Miso (Nisshin, ¥278)

This cup ramen is based on the recipe by Sumire, a famous ramen restaurant in Sapporo. What you'll find nice about this one is the fragrant, and so tasty, miso broth. Apparently, the miso is grilled once to enhance its flavor. It also has some sansho, a type of citrusy and spicy Japanese condiment. Sumire's ramen restaurant is known as one of the best in Hokkaido, check out the link below for more information.

Mouko Tanmen Nakamoto (Nisshin, ¥204)

This is a cup ramen based on the recipe of a popular restaurant chain in and around Tokyo. This ramen is quite spicy but not overly so. The spiciness supports a solid umami that will get you addicted. The quality rivals the one you can have at the restaurant of the same name, so that's why it's very highly praised. If you're in Japan, you might want to check out the actual restaurant.

Wakame Ramen (Acecook, ¥194)

At last, another awesome cup ramen that isn't by Nisshin! This one is for has been around since 1983 and enjoys the support of a hardcore following. This soup is more on the refreshing light side. It has a good balance of taste between soy sauce and sesame oil, and it contains a generous amount of wakame seaweeds, which are super healthy. Sesame flavor and the texture of wakame is really a winning combination.

Where To Buy Them

If you're in Japan, just head to your nearest convenience store or supermarket and you'll find plenty.



If you are outside of Japan if they have some at your supermarket than your lucky! Otherwise, try online retailers. For instance, amazon.com sells Nisshin's Cheese Curry ramen for $25.99 for 5 cups. Unfortunately, this is almost triple the price they are sold in Japan.