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Mase’s set at Lovers & Friends Festival this past Saturday (May 14) should have been a special moment for both him and the Las Vegas attendees. Sadly, the sound system had other plans as he had technical difficulties throughout his performance, culminating in the sound being completely cut off for around ten minutes after he tried to perform the 1997 classic record “Mo Money Mo Problems” also featuring The Notorious B.I.G and Diddy. Mase seems to believe it was no accident, blaming the latter for coordinating the blunder.

The New York rapper told the crowd “I see what’s going on. I’m used to being hated on. I’m used to what’s going on. Somebody, somewhere paid a few dollars to stop my show. But that can’t stop somebody like me. I don’t get ran away too easy. I just wasn’t ready for that, so I’m gonna take my time.” He continued with “Thank you Puff, you know he paid for that right? I got you n****. I heard you loud and clear.”

Mase has been very public with his disdain for Diddy over the years, citing discrepancies with the amount of money he’s been paid for publishing and going as far as to say the Bad Boy founder has been capitalizing on the death of Biggie for selfish monetary gain. Diddy hasn’t commented on the matter yet as he was busy with the 2022 Billboard Music Awards.

As Stranger Things 4 gets ready to turn Netflix Upside Down later this month (that pun was unavoidable, sorry), the cast assembled in Brooklyn on Saturday night for the world premiere. The big news here is that they talked about this season’s new big bad, Vecna. Maybe “biggest bad” is the better phrase. After battling it out with the Demogorgon and the Mind Flayer over the past three seasons, the Hawkins crew will now go face-to-face with the top-level ruler of the Upside Down as the show barrels towards its final season.

According to Stranger Things executive producer and director, Shawn Levy, “Vecna makes a Demogorgon look cuddly,” and he represents a threat unlike anything the show has grappled with before:

“Vecna is a psychological horror that I don’t think we’ve really seen,” [David] Harbour told Variety. “The Upside Down has been this wild west world where there are creatures running around, there’s violence, but we’ve never seen something as calculatedly psychologically evil as this. That’s exciting because he is a true big bad that we’ve needed in the series.”

The show also reconnected to its ’80s horror root by making Vecna a mostly practical effect as opposed to the show’s heavy, but necessary reliance on CGI for its previous creatures. Although, that made for some trippy moments on set, according to series newcomer Joseph Quinn.

“It was weird to see him on camera and he’s so terrifying, and then you see him off-camera with an iced latte,” Quinn said. “It’s quite a funny image.”

Interestingly, the actor playing Vecna has not been revealed, which has sparked numerous fan theories about his true identity. (It’s Alf. We’re calling it now.) It will be interesting to see exactly which of Vecna’s secrets will be revealed during the new season, but Stranger Things fans won’t have to wait long to find out. The first batch of episodes drops on May 27 with the back half arriving on July 1. It’s gonna be a creepy summer.

(Via Variety)

Last week, ’90s alternative rock enthusiasts rejoiced when The Smashing Pumpkins and Jane’s Addiction announced the co-headlining Spirits On Fire Tour for later this year. The Pumpkins are currently in the midst of their own brief Rock Invasions Tour and were peddling welcome nostalgia when they performed the classic “Today” live on The Late Late Show With James Corden this past Thursday. This morning, the band flew to New York City in between their Tucson and Oklahoma City shows for an appearance on The Howard Stern Show and were joined by none other than Jane’s Addiction singer (and Lollapalooza festival founder) Perry Farrell.

Farrell grabbed the mic to perform what is perhaps the most recognizable song in the Jane’s Addiction catalog, “Jane Says,” and he was backed by entire Smashing Pumpkins lineup. Billy Corgan played acoustic guitar, and original Pumpkins members in James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlain were on the electric guitar and drums, respectively. A very tastefully played steel drum by Jane’s Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins fully rekindled the flame of the 1988 classic.

“This is kind of exciting because this band behind you is kind of a conglomeration of The Smashing Pumpkins and Jane’s Addiction,” Stern noted when introducing them. Corgan and Farrell joked with Stern, offering names like “Jane’s Pumpkins” and “Jane’s A Pumpkin Now” for this short-lived supergroup. “Jane’s A Pumpkin Now wasn’t sexy enough,” Farrell said with a laugh.

The pair even sat down to chat with Stern and told a hilarious story about when Farrell wrestled with Smashing Pumpkins tour manager Doug Goodman, who came onto the camera to explain his side of the story.

Watch Perry Farrell and The Smashing Pumpkins perform “Jane Says” above” and hear Farrell, Corgan and Goodman argue about what really happened in that famed wrestling match below.

You can’t beat a good rum, especially as the weather starts to heat up. White rums are a wonderful addition to fruity and funky cocktails with umbrellas. A solid dark rum over some rocks is the perfect beachside pour when you just want to watch the waves crash and bask in the sunset. So with May underway, let us help you decide which rums to reach for.

Below, I’m calling out the nine rums that not only won double gold at this year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition but were sent to the finals where they might be named a “best in class” bottle for 2022. I was actually on a few of these panels and judged some of these rums this year, so I’ll be filling in tasting notes on the ones I’ve already tasted (with one filled in from the distillery because I haven’t tasted it yet).

Let’s cut this preamble short and find you a new rum to try in your next pina colada or daiquiri!

Also Read: The Top Five UPROXX Rum Posts From The Past Six Months:

• The Best Dark Rums Under $50, Ranked
• The Most Undervalued Bottles Of Rum, According To Bartenders
• The Best White Rums, Blind Tasted And Ranked
• Bartenders Name The Absolute Best Rums To Mix With In Winter
• Spring Is The Perfect Time To Make A Caipirinha — Here’s Our Recipe

Best White Rum Finalist — Cotton & Reed White Rum

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $25

The Rum:

This is a complex rum from a small distillery in Washinton, DC. The juice is fermented with both raw cane syrup and blackstrap molasses from certified sustainable sources. That’s combined with rhum agricole and Chenin Blanc yeast strains for fermentation. The wash is then double distilled in a bespoke column/pot still before proofing and charcoal filtration.

Tasting Notes:

Bananas burst forth on the nose with a touch of pineapple and mango salad tossed with lime juice and a distant echo of soft vanilla. The palate stays pretty close to the nose while adding in dry sweetgrass and fermented sugar cane juice with a little more of that vanilla sneaking in on the backend.

Bottom Line:

This is a very good mixing rum. Try it on your next rummy cocktail; that’s what it’s made for. You could drink it on the rocks with plenty of fizzy soda water and lime too.

Best Dark/Gold Rum Finalist — Rum Co. Of Fiji BATI Dark Rum

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $30

The Rum:

This Fijian sipper is a sugar cane dark rum made with hand-cut cane from the islands. The spirit spends at least two years (up to five) resting in heavily charred oak before the juice is filtered through coconut shell charcoal and proofed all the way down to 75 proof.

Tasting Notes:

This opens with dried fruits — prunes, raisins, dates — rolled in wet brown sugar and then packed into an old and musty charred oak barrel. The palate really leans into the bitterness of the char while countering that with dark, almost burnt molasses next to that medley of dark and dried fruit. A minor note of vanilla husk and maybe a little clove come in late, creating a burnt minced meat pie vibe by the end.

Bottom Line:

This is bold for sure. I prefer it over some rocks to calm down that wood char. It’s also a pretty decent cocktail base for a rum old fashioned.

Best Dark/Gold Rum Finalist — Ron Colón Salvadoreño Dark Aged Rum

ABV: 55%

Average Price: $41

The Rum:

Ron Colón is renowned for innovative blends. This expression is a mix of six-year-old Salvadorian rums (made with sugar cane juice and aged in ex-bourbon barrels) with unaged and aged Jamaican rums. The blended juice goes into the bottle at pretty much cask strength and as-is.

Tasting Notes:

That bourbon really shines on the nose with rich notes of vanilla beans, caramel candies, winter spices, and old wood staves next to a hint of banana peels. The palate carries on in the same direction as notes of black pepper and rich and dark molasses lead back to the vanilla and a hint of raisin and prune by the end.

Bottom Line:

This is a super soft sipper that needs a rock to really bloom in the glass. Once it calms down and opens up, you’re in for a nice treat.

Best Overproof Rum Finalist — Rum-Bar White Overproof Rum

ABV: 63%

Average Price: $29

The Rum:

This Scottish rum is a blend of three unaged rums produced on copper pot stills. The juice/blend leans into Jamaican traditions of over-proofed mixing rum.

Tasting Notes:

Although this feels hot on the nose, there are notes of Jamaican funk, or HOGO, black bananas, old mango skins, and green grass with this slight echo of rock candy. The palate is largely those notes layered under a lot of alcohol warmth until the finish, which has a touch of that funk and banana.

Bottom Line:

This is for making tropical cocktails. Use it for that.

Best Extra-Aged Rum Finalist — Zacapa XO Solera Gran Reserva Especial Rum

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $100

The Rum:

This expression is a blend of Guatemalan rums that spent six to 25 years resting in the Solera warehouse in former sherry casks at high elevations. The rum is then finished in French cognac casks to add that little extra refinement to the final taste.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a familiar draw of vanilla and spice that’s accentuated by worn leather, salted butter, rich pipe tobacco, and a foundation of soft cedar. Those notes hold strong as a sticky and buttery toffee arrives with plenty of dried fruits, more spice, chewy vanilla tobacco, and a hint of cacao. The finish is long, svelte, mildly sweet, and full of that cedar until the very end.

Bottom Line:

If you’re looking for a killer sipper, this is it. It lives up to the hype and price. Moreover, this is a great bridge rum between the world of bourbon and dark rum.

Best Extra-Aged Rum Finalist — BACARDÍ 16 Year Gran Reserva Especial Rum

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $115

The Rum:

This is a rare edition of Bacardi. The blend is made from hand-selected barrels from the Puerto Rican warehouses only (Bacardi makes their rum all over the world). The barrels of new white American oak are a minimum of 16 years old when selected, blended with local water, and bottled in a large, one-liter bottle for the duty-free travel market.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a hint of that Bacardi sweetness on the nose but you have to dig around for it. Mostly, you’re getting rich vanilla pods, wintry spices with mulled wine vibe, buttery toffee encrusted with almonds, and a good dose of old and charred wood with a bit of cobweb. The palate leans into the “bourbon-ness” of everything with the vanilla and spices taking centerstage as meaty mincemeat pies with a buttery crust and a brown sugar dusting mingle with a silky butterscotch and vanilla pudding on the velvet finish.

Bottom Line:

This is, again, a great sipper. Though, this doesn’t need a rock to cool it down. A drop or two of water in a neat pour will help it bloom. Pick one up the next time you’re at duty-free, you won’t be disappointed.

Best Flavored Rum Finalist — Kōloa Kaua’i Coffee Rum

ABV: 34%

Average Price: $34

The Rum:

This Hawaiian sugar cane rum is blended and proofed down and filtered with water from the springs of Mount Waiʻaleʻale. The rum is then mixed with coffee from Kauaʻi Coffee Company to amp up the “cacao” aspects of the flavor profile.

Tasting Notes:

The nose meanders through mocha lattes and dark chocolate sauces with a bitter edge but is mostly sweet on the nose. That sweetness drives the palate toward more mocha frappuccinos with hints of vanilla cream, rock candy sticks, some Nutella, a hint of peach, and echos of winter spices. The end leans into the coffee with an espresso bite as the dark chocolate gets creamy and lightly spiced on the end.

Bottom Line:

This would be great in either a white Russian or espresso martini. I can’t really see any other application. Well, maybe poured over some vanilla ice cream for dessert.

Best Flavored Rum Finalist — Distillerie Mariana Morbleu Rum

ABV: 40.3%

Average Price: $28

The Rum:

This Quebecois rum is all about the spices. The rum is juiced up with cardamom, star anise, rosemary, cinnamon, and vanilla before getting batched, proofed, and bottled.

Tasting Notes (from the distiller):

“On the palate, it reveals fresh, grassy notes reminiscent of mint, supported by a silky and smooth texture. The finish is dominated by molasses, vanilla, and cinnamon.”

Bottom Line:

This is from a tiny distillery up in Quebec and may never make it down to the States. So if you’re up there, maybe give it a shot. I don’t know, I’m not a spiced rum fan.

Best Rhum Agricole Finalist — Clément Rhum Blanc Agricole

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $25

The Rum:

Clement’s Rhum Blanc Agricole is one of the most unique expressions of the style. The sugar cane juice is fermented and distilled only once. The hot juice then rests in stainless steel vats for nine months. Finally, the mellowed spirit is cut with volcanic spring water to bring the ABV down to 40 percent.

Tasting Notes:

Blossoming fruit trees — apple, plum, and lemon — greets you on the nose with a very floral vibe. There’s a soft minerality at play which makes the texture very inviting while hints of fresh mint, wet sweetgrass, and a whisper of black pepper make appearances on the palate. The sweetness comes in late as a vanilla sheet cake gives way to a slight alcohol burn on the end.

Bottom Line:

This is, again, for mixing. If you’re mixing up some tropical cocktails, this is a must-have on your home bar cart.

Moneybagg Yo and Kodak Black maintain a consistent presence in music, and their latest reminder of such comes in the new “Rocky Road” song and video. The visual, directed by Young Chang, shows the two rappers standing atop beaten up homes spitting about all they’ve seen in their lives. There are cutscenes of fights, gambling, and a child’s hair being done to fully capture what often occurs in the neighborhoods they frequent. Despite their success, they cannot forget their come up and what they still experience to this day.

“Rocky Road” comes on the heels of Kodak Black’s February release of Back For Everything. Moneybagg Yo is still riding the wave of his 2021 album A Gangsta’s Pain, which debuted No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart with successful singles “Wockesha” and “Hard For The Next” featuring Future.

This isn’t the first collaboration between Moneybagg Yo and Kodak Black, as they both appeared on Yung Bleu’s “Angels Never Cry” as well as “Lower Level” from Moneybagg’s 2018 album Reset. Kodak recently appeared on Kendrick Lamar’s album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers with both a feature and some sparse interludes, a major look for the young artist whose career has been nothing short of controversial.

Check out the “Rocky Road” video above.

Kodak Black is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

When Fall Guys first came out in the middle of 2020 it was a revelation for a ton of people sitting at home without much else to do. The gameshow-like premise was very simplistic but extremely addictive, and the wonky controls created enough chaos for some really fun moments with friends.

While Fall Guys might not be as big as it was when it first released, there are still plenty of people playing it. It receives pretty frequent updates, has had multiple seasons, and even supports crossplay across both PC and PlayStation 5. Soon, Fall Guys players will be able to also play against Xbox and Switch owners because it was announced on Monday that it would finally be coming to those platforms. Not only that, but it’s also going to become a free-to-play game!

By going free-to-play, and finally reaching the Switch and Xbox, Fall Guys has an interesting opportunity for a second rise. It’s still the same game it always was, but those of us that haven’t played it in 2020 are going to jump in to find tons of new content to play with and gear to unlock. Speaking of gear, if you were one of the people who bought Fall Guys then you will receive a legacy pack with special cosmetics for your own jellybean man.

For longtime Fall Guys owners, there has never been a better time to jump back in and for newcomers, this is the perfect opportunity to play one of the wackiest games of 2020.

Dan Trachtenberg’s upcoming Predator prequel is a few months out, but the internet has been blessed with a short (but still terrifying) teaser trailer for the film.

Prey will take place 300 years ago as the Predator seemingly arrives on earth and stalks Naru and her camp with his beautiful face. The two will have to battle it out, but it’s clear that one of them definitely survives to star in several more movies, right? Here is the official synopsis:

Set in the Comanche Nation 300 years ago, Prey is the story of a young woman, Naru, a fierce and highly skilled warrior. She has been raised in the shadow of some of the most legendary hunters who roam the Great Plains, so when danger threatens her camp, she sets out to protect her people. The prey she stalks, and ultimately confronts, turns out to be a highly evolved alien predator with a technically advanced arsenal, resulting in a vicious and terrifying showdown between the two adversaries.

Prey stars Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Stormee Kipp, Michelle Thrush, and Julian Black Antelope. Directed by Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane) written by Patrick Aison (Jack Ryan), and produced by John Davis. The movie hits Hulu on August 5th. Check out the teaser trailer above.

About a month ago, Jack Harlow had a career highlight when “First Class” became his second No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In the weeks since, it appeared it would be one-week-and-done for “First Class,” as Harry Styles’ “As It Was” knocked it off the top. After an additional week at No. 1 for Styles, Future, Drake, and Tems were No. 1 last week with “Wait For U.” Now, though, after weeks away from the top, “First Class” is back, as it’s once again No. 1 on the new Hot 100 chart dated May 21.

It was a major week for Bad Bunny, too, who has four songs in this week’s top 10 thanks to his new album, Un Verano Sin Ti, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. “Moscow Mule,” “Tití Me Preguntó,” and “Después De La Playa” occupy spots 4, 5, and 6, respectively, while Bad Bunny and Chencho Corleone’s “Me Porta Bonito” is No. 10.

Meanwhile, Lizzo’s “About Damn Time” rose from No. 19 to No. 9 this week, making it her fourth top-10 single after “Truth Hurts” (a former No. 1), “Good As Hell,” and the Cardi B collaboration “Rumors.”

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The Sandman author Neil Gaiman previously let it be known that he gives “zero f*cks” about people who troll casting announcements. That group may or may not take issue with the casting of Lucifer, who will be portrayed in live-action mode by Game Of Thrones‘ Gwendoline Christie (while still being voiced in the ongoing Audible version by Michael Sheen, so we’ve got dueling Lucifers). Netflix previously revealed this news in a slew of casting announcements before offering a first look at Tom Sturridge in motion as Morpheus/Dream, who was understandably irritated as hell and vengeful after being captured and imprisoned for decades.

Now, the streaming platform’s Geeked Week has given up a peek of Morpheus interacting with Lucifer, who is (of course) an entire realm away from Brienne of Tarth. Nice wings at around the 1:40 mark above.

Netflix describes the long-awaited series as follows: “The Sandman follows the people and places affected by Morpheus, the Dream King, as he mends the cosmic — and human — mistakes he’s made during his vast existence.” Well, Christie as Lucifer should be great fun, and she’s not the only Westeros-familiar actor in this project. Charles Dance (Tywin Lannister) will portray Roderick Burgess (who mistakenly captured Dream in the first place), and fans can expect appearances by Boyd Holbrook, Asim Chaudhry, Vivienne Acheampong, Sanjeev Bhaskar, and many dozens more.

The Sandman will arrive sometime (?) in 2022.

Instant ramen is a staple in homes all over the world. The modern iteration of the dish — created by legendary food inventor Momofuku Ando in Japan — was initially a luxury item, being way more expensive than fresh noodles back in the 1950s. Eventually, the price dropped to pennies and instant ramen (often simply called “Top Ramen” in the US, because that’s the most ubiquitous brand or Maggi Noodles in the UK for the same reason) became the cornerstone of kitchens large and small from Jakarta to Juneau. And while cracking open a bag, pouring everything into a bowl, and covering that bowl with boiling water is the easiest way to prepare the dish, there are about a million things you can do to jazz it up — whether you’re in the dorm or your own kitted-out kitchen.

When the assignment to prepare and stress test ramen hacks came across my desk, I got pretty excited. I’ve been adding American cheese, leftover meats, and onions or garlic to my instant ramen since the 1990s. But I really upped my ramen game after living in Indonesia for a year. I was lucky enough to live with someone who could really work some magic with a simple pack of IndoMie, and I carry that knowledge with me to this day (more on that later).

So, I scoured the internet and social media and found five “hacks” that felt intriguing enough to actually try. A quick note, a lot of the “hacks” out there are simply “add some leftover meat and herbs to your bowl of ramen.” And, sure, that’s fine but I needed to go deeper than just pairing last night’s leftover roast chicken breast or an egg with my noodle and season packs. So I searched for “hacks” that actually changed the texture and structure of the dish. Yes, there are add-ons as part of that, but this is about elevation and not just addition.

The instant ramen hacks are:

• Butter Ramen
• Kewpie Mayo Ramen
• Roy Choi Instant Ramen
• Dry/Fried Ramen
• Make-Your-Own-Base Ramen

Let’s get into it!

5 Instant Ramen Hacks, Ranked

5. Butter Ramen

The Recipe:

This is the easiest of the “hacks” out there. Simply add some butter to the pot when you make the ramen to amp up the texture of the soup.

• 1 pack of instant ramen w/seasoning pack
• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 cups boiling water

Method:

• Add the boiling water and ramen to the small pot. Briskly boil for about one minute.
• Add the seasoning pack and butter while boiling for another minute, or until noodles are fully cooked.
• Pour into a waiting bowl and serve.

Bottom Line:

This was pretty good. The butter did add a nice textural element but only just.

Is It Worth Doing?

Nah. I mean, it’s fine but not that much different. And if you’re going to add a fat to your ramen, why not an sesame, peanut, or chili oil? I get those won’t bring the same creamy texture as butter (that was barely there), but they’ll certainly taste better.

4. Kewpie Mayo Ramen

The Recipe:

This seems to be one of the more popular “hacks” all over social media at the moment. It’s more than just adding some kewpie mayo though (again, adding fat seems like a no-brainer). This is adding minced garlic and egg with that mayo and creating a slurry of sorts to really transform your seasoning packet into something totally different.

• 1 pack of instant ramen w/seasoning pack
• 1 tbsp. kewpie mayo
• 1 medium egg
• 1 tsp. finely minced garlic
• 2 cups boiling water

Method:

This might be the hardest visual to get past. You go from the above to this below as the first step. It … does not look appetizing. Anyway…

• Add the ramen and boiling water to a small pot and boil for about one minute.
• In the meantime, add the mayo, seasoning pack, egg, and garlic to a waiting bowl. Use chopsticks or a fork to blend the mix together until well emulsified.
• After the noodles have cooked for about two minutes, pour about one-half cup of the ramen noodle water into the slurry in the bowl. Use the chopsticks or fork to quickly combine/cook the slurry into a base sauce. You have to work fast so as not to scramble the egg — you’re basically tempering the egg with this process.
• Lastly, pour the rest of the ramen and water into the bowl and mix until the noodles are fully coated and a creamy soup base forms.
• Garnish and serve immediately.

Bottom Line:

This was way better than it looked at that first stage. It’s creamy and an umami bomb. It’s pretty rich and overall an elevated instant ramen experience.

Is It Worth Doing?

This got to be a little much around the second half of the bowl. It was still good but of the five bowls we tried (between four people for lunch), this was the only bowl that was not emptied. Still, if you’re looking for elevated instant ramen that’ll really fill you up, this is the play.

3. Roy Choi Instant Ramen

The Recipe:

When I read that Roy Choi did this back in his 2013 Tasting Table interview, I felt like I’d found a long-lost brother. As mentioned above, I’ve been doing something akin to this since the 1990s. Choi’s version is more advanced since he’s, you know, a trained chef and I was a teenager, but this is amped-up instant ramen for the ages.

• 1 pack of instant ramen w/seasoning pack
• 2 slices of American cheese
• 1 green onion (whites and greens separated)
• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 medium egg
• Sesame seed for garnish
• 2 1/2 cups boiling water

Method:

• Add the 2 1/2 cups of boiling water and ramen to a small pot. Boil for two minutes.
• Add the flavoring pack, whites of the green onion, and butter and stir together while cooking for another minute or two.
• Drop in the egg and turn off the heat, use chopsticks or small tongs to fold the ramen noodles over the egg to “cover” it. Let sit for at least two minutes so that the egg poaches.
• Gently pour the ramen into a waiting bowl. Layer the cheese over the noodles and garnish with sesame seeds and the greens of a green onion.
• Let rest for a minute or so to let the cheese get melty and serve.

Bottom Line:

Cheesy ramen? Yes and thank you! But it’s the egg that’s the star of the show with this one. It gets this barely-set jammy nature that works wonders as a little protein surprise when you’re pulling your ramen up to your mouth. Basically, this is what the butter “hack” above wishes it was.

Also, I realized too late I was out of sesame seeds, hence you don’t see them. But… I like sesame seeds, so… I’m sure it would have added a little something.

Is It Worth Doing?

Absolutely. You’re taking a little more time by poaching the egg slowly in the ramen noodles, but it’s 100 percent worth it. That said, this still feels more added to than elevated. There is a creamy texture thanks to the butter and cheese but it’s not too wildly different. Still, come on, this is great.

2. Dry/Fried Ramen

The Recipe:

This is touted as “Kylie Jenner’s Instant Ramen Viral Tiktok Hack” all over the internet. I think 275 million people in Indonesia would beg to differ. Granted, I wasn’t introduced to this style of instant ramen until I lived there, but this is a touchstone of home and street cooking in Indo. So, I’m going to give you the recipe I learned in Jakarta which, frankly, makes Jenner’s “hack” about a million times better.

• 1 pack of instant ramen w/seasoning pack
• 1 medium egg
• 1 tbsp. sambal olek (or any hot sauce)
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 tbsp. green onion (white part only)
• 1 tbsp. oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 tsp. fish sauce
• 4 bok choi leaves, thinly sliced on the vertical
• 4 Thai basil leaves, thinly sliced on the vertical
• 2 cups boiling water

Method:

• Add the boiling water and instant ramen with the seasoning pack to a small pot and boil for two minutes.
• In the meantime, add the butter, about 1/4 cup of the ramen noodle water, sambal olek, minced garlic, green onion whites, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and egg to a hot non-stick frying pan (medium-sized) on high heat.
• As soon as the egg hits the pan, use chopsticks to start scrambling the egg while mixing the sauce. You should get a very small curd scramble and a sauce that’s about the consistency of an Italian Sunday gravy (Bolognese sauce).
• Dump the noodles into a colander to strain, toss a few times to get some of the water off the noodles, and dump them right into the frying pan. Use chopsticks to roll the noodles through the sauce so that they’re completely coated and let fry for a minute or two.
• Kill the heat and add the bok choi and Thai basil. Use chopsticks to roll the noodles around, allowing the greens to fold into the noodles.
• Use chopsticks to slide the ramen into a waiting bowl. Garnish with the greens from the green onion and some sesame seeds (or ground peanuts) and serve.

Bottom Line:

This took me back. It’s so good and satisfying. You get little bits of fried scrambled egg with a truly spicy and umami-bomb sauce. It’s also fast. This took exactly five minutes from start to finish (with a mise en place already set up).

Is It Worth Doing?

I’ll put it this way, this is the bowl everyone fought over and wanted seconds of. Still, you don’t quite get the depth of the next one with this crowd-pleaser. That said, I made this again for breakfast the next day with my leftover mise. It was a great way to start the day.

1. “Make-Your-Own-Base” Instant Ramen

The Recipe:

The “make-your-own-base” instant ramen seems antithetical (how can it be “instant” if I’m making soup base?). But in the end, this is the best way to truly elevate any instant ramen pack to the stratosphere and beyond. And it really only takes about six minutes instead of three. Trust me, I’ve been doing this for a very long time.

• 1 pack of instant ramen
• 1 1/2 cup stock (I used beef)
• 1 tbsp. oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. mirin
• 1 tsp. fish sauce
• 1 tsp. red Thai chili paste
• 1 tsp. green onions white
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp. white pepper
• Juice of one lime
• 4 bok choi leaves, thinly sliced on the vertical
• 4 Thai basil leaves, thinly sliced on the vertical
• Chili oil
• 2 cups boiling water

Method:

• Add the stock, oyster sauce, soy sauce, mirin, fish sauce, red chili paste, green onion, garlic, white pepper, and lime juice to a small pot and bring to a rolling simmer. Use chopsticks to stir so that the chili paste integrates into the soup base. Allow to simmer for about five minutes.
• In the meantime, pour the boiling water over the instant ramen and boil for two to three minutes.
• Strain the ramen in a colander and place them in a waiting bowl. Place the bok choi and Thai basil over the noodles.
• Pour the simmering soup base over the noodles and greens and use chopsticks to fold the noodles around once or twice in the soup base.
• Garnish with green onion tops, sesame seed, and about a teaspoon of chili oil. Serve.

Bottom Line:

This was delicious. The soup base was funky, sweet, spicy, full of umami greatness, and just a little sour. There were dimensions at play that you’ll never find in a seasoning pack; and that’s why this wins this ranking, hands down. You just can’t beat making your own, quick soup base.

Is It Worth Doing?

Yes! Granted this doubles your cooking time from around three minutes to five or six minutes (if you have everything ready), but it’s beyond worth it. There’s nothing that comes close to having the same complexity as this on this list. This is the truest and boldest “elevation” you can do to instant ramen noodles, because it becomes “real ramen made with dried noodles.”

Final Thoughts

I have a whole drawer full of instant ramen soup packs. I rarely use them since making your own quick base is such an easy play. It’s so bright and spicy and, well, delicious and you barely have to put in more effort (once you’ve sliced some veg that is). In fact, I’d wager that once you start dialing in your own quick soup base, you won’t go back to the packs either. That said, it also takes a lot of ingredients to rebuild the flavors in a good instant ramen seasoning pack (so there’s some level of upfront investment).

Still, as much as I dig making my own soup base, frying up some ramen is the comfort food I long for. It’s fast and delicious and hits a nostalgic button for me. It’s, again, pretty fast to make. Even with slicing and dicing, you’re still looking at ten minutes or less from fridge to plate. While that’s not “instant,” it’s fast enough for the quality of the meal you’re getting from a humble packet of instant ramen noodles.