Costco Customers Love This Japanese Instant Meal For Its Flavor And Convenience

Everybody loves a good Costco find. Cooking equipment, clothing –- the wholesale club has it all. You can even get some pretty good Asian food at Costco, including a Japanese instant meal customers seem to be going crazy for. An expert from Tasting Table recently rounded up the 11 best Asian foods you can find at Costco, and one of the finds was the Nongshim Tonkotsu Ramen Bowl.

Like with many pre-made ramen products, all you need to do to prepare the Nongshim Tonkotsu Ramen Bowl is add water and microwave it. Each cup comes with a serving of instant noodles, a seasoning packet, and a sachet of spicy sauce. The difference is that the Nongshim pork broth is packed with flavor. It's rich, garlicky, and layered, and the sauce adds a pleasant kick that rounds everything out nicely. Plus, you get six servings for less than $15, depending on the location of your nearest Costco. Tasting Table actually named Nongshim as one of the best instant ramen brands for all of these reasons and more — and it seems like we aren't the only fans out there.

The Nongshim Tonkotsu Ramen has received some great reviews online. A Reddit user said they were "running back to Costco to get another box" after trying them, while another commented, "These are so good I keep four boxes on hand." On another Reddit thread, someone wrote, "I've been pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this noodle. I was expecting a five or so out of 10 and would give it at least a seven or eight (when prepared with the packet only)."

People do seem to have mixed opinions on the spice packet. Some find it has an odd aftertaste, but others really enjoy the flavor. Overall, customers seem to agree that while it doesn't quite have the same flavor as a homemade tonkotsu ramen, the Nongshim bowl is pretty solid and there are a lot of ways to amp it up.

Some add soft-boiled eggs or chopped vegetables. Another tip is to sear some chashu pork or chicken to bulk up the bowl. You can round everything out with some other ramen toppings like bean sprouts, nori, and spring onion. A little lime juice and sriracha can also work well. Or take this advice posted on Reddit: "A tip for this and all other ramen type dishes...add some of the cilantro chicken wontons when heating the soup. It bulks up the dish to be a meal, adds protein, and seems to improve flavor."