Maruchan Ramen Bowl Spicy Miso

Maruchan Ramen Bowl Spicy Miso is one I came to after the Chicken Bowl. I wanted to see if the miso flavor was real or just a label. Turns out it’s real which for a budget microwave bowl is not something you always get.

Produced in the United States by Maruchan, Inc.

What’s in the Package

Inside the bowl, you’ll find a round block of fried wheat noodles and two numbered seasoning packets. The purple sachet labeled “1” contains a dehydrated vegetable mix, including corn, carrots, and green onions. The larger maroon sachet labeled “2” is the flavor packet, which contains the concentrated spicy miso soup base.

How to Cook Maruchan Ramen Bowl Spicy Miso

1. Remove the lid completely and take out the two packets.
2. Open packets 1 and 2 and pour them into the bowl.
3. Fill the bowl to the inside line with room temperature water.
4. Microwave uncovered on high (1000W) for 3 minutes. Leave it in the microwave for 1 minute to cool.
5. Stir until evenly mixed.

With boiling water instead: open the lid halfway and take out the two packets. Pour packets 1 and 2 into the bowl, fill it to the inside line with boiling water, close the lid and let it stand for 3 minutes. Stir until evenly mixed.

How Does It Taste

The miso comes through clearly. It’s not a deep complex miso but it’s recognizable and it works. The broth is salty. Its MSG presence is heavy and typical of the Maruchan lineup, but it doesn’t hit the point of being unpleasant the way some budget bowls do.

The spice is minimal. James put it at a 1 out of 5 and that’s accurate. There’s a suggestion of heat but nothing that builds. Don’t come to this one expecting the spice the name implies.

The noodles are a bowl-style wavy cut, thinner than the standard Maruchan packet noodle. They hold up well in the broth without going soft which matters more in a microwave format where timing is harder to control.

How Does It Compare

Within the Maruchan Ramen Bowl lineup the Spicy Miso is the most interesting flavor of the three we’ve reviewed. The Chicken Bowl is the most straightforward and the most approachable. The Hot and Spicy Chicken has a sweet citrus character that divides people. The Spicy Miso has the most distinct flavor identity and the most potential as a base for toppings. The miso gives you something to work with that the other two don’t.

How to Level Up Maruchan Ramen Bowl Spicy Miso

Grilled chicken and furikake are the two additions that make the most sense here. The furikake adds a seaweed note that complements the miso base naturally, and the chicken turns it into a meal. Canned corn sweetens up a broth that’s running salty. And since this is a microwave bowl, crack an egg on top before the last minute of cooking and let it set in the broth.

Final Verdict

This instant ramen is a solid budget bowl with a real miso flavor and noodles that hold up. The spice is not really there but the miso base is and that gives it more to work with than most cups at this price.