There’s just something about Mr. Noodles that screams low rent. Maybe it’s the fact that you can buy it at gas stations, or that it can
be made in less than two minutes, or that there’s an entire day’s worth of sodium in one pack. Regardless, with a little ingenuity—and five bucks worth of ingredients—four of the city’s top chefs were able to transform this student staple into a remarkably appealing meal.
1. Ramen Tostada (pictured at top)
From Kyle Hough of Dog & Bear
Hough’s double-decker tostada was light and fresh, with a serious crunch factor. The chef pan-fried two pancake-sized disks of softened ramen noodles until they’re crispy, then he made a sandwich-like concoction filled (and topped) with ground pork, shredded lettuce, diced tomato, cheese, and jalapeno, and finished it all off with a cooling scoop of sour cream.
Additional ingredients
130g ground pork ($1.56)
½ cup iceberg lettuce (37 cents)
1/3 cup diced tomato (46 cents)
¼ red onion (12 cents)
½ jalapeno pepper (11 cents)
½ lime (17 cents)
1/3 cup Monterey jack cheese ($1.19)
2 tbsp sour cream (23 cents)
1 tbsp cilantro (14 cents)
Total $4.35
Makes one double-decker tostada for two.
2. Creamy vegetable ramen
From Nobuaki Urata of Kinton Ramen
Urata, head chef at this Baldwin Village favourite, first started making noodles in street stalls in Kobe nearly 20 years ago. He’s never used the instant variety before, but that didn’t stop him from turning a pack of Mr. Noodles into a creamy, healthy, and delectable bowl of ramen. He used soymilk and fresh veggies, like red and green peppers, chunks of napa cabbage, crunchy bean sprouts, and tiny florets of broccoli, then topped off the dish with slices of fried bacon, because everything tastes better with bacon.
Additional ingredients
1/5 head of cabbage (30 cents)
¼ green pepper (23 cents)
¼ red pepper (39 cents)
4 florets of broccoli (99 cents)
2 cups soy milk (74 cents)
15g soy paste (17 cents)
2 slices of bacon ($1.19)
75g bean sprouts (38 cents)
20g seaweed (12 cents)
20g sweet corn (22 cents)
Total: $4.73
Makes one big bowl of ramen.
3. Egg in a nest
From Daniel Janetos of Farmhouse Tavern
At the Junction’s newish Farmhouse Tavern, Janetos is becoming known for his no-fuss fare, filled with Ontario products. His playful take on a carbonara is no different, with crispy, house-cured hunks of pig’s cheek, rich duck egg yolk smoked with applewood, and salty sheep’s milk pecorino. “It’s a great drunken snack,” he says. “Everything’s local, and it’s as much flavour as you can pack into one dish for under five dollars.”
Additional ingredients
50g guanciale (pig’s cheek) (57 cents)
2 tbsp diced onion (22 cents)
1 duck egg (59 cents)
75g shaved pecorino cheese ($2)
1 pinch black pepper (2 cents)
1 pinch sel gris (1 cent)
1 clove garlic (15 cents)
2 tbsp white vinegar (2 cents)
50ml olive oil (40 cents)
Total: $3.98
Makes one plate of pasta.
4. Crustless quiche
Albert Ponzo of Le Sélect Bistro
Known for producing some of the city’s best bistro fare, Ponzo made a crustless quiche royale with Berkshire-pork breakfast sausage, meaty king oyster mushroom, and some spicy Sriracha mayo. The Mr. Noodles seasoning pack provided the requisite saltiness and, to cut through the richness of the creamy concoction, Ponzo served it with a sweet, lemony tomato-and-arugula salad.
Additional ingredients
½ cup cream (51 cents)
2 eggs (50 cents)
1 king oyster mushroom ($1.67)
31g arugula (70 cents)
1 breakfast sausage (59 cents)
5ml Sriracha sauce (5 cents)
15ml mayo (14 cents)
¼ lemon (9 cents)
30ml olive oil (20 cents)
4 cherry tomatos (40 cents)
Total: $4.85
Makes a single serving of quiche.
