Learn from the one and only Ivan McCombs, aka Ramen King Ivan, one of the most beloved food creators on Earth, what the quickest, easiest, and most delectable path is from here to a truly spectacular dinner!

You want to eat fresh food, not canned or frozen food. You want to cook it fast—as in five to ten minutes fast. You want ingredient lists that are short and inexpensive. You want what you make to zing with bold, adventuresome flavors from all over the planet. That’s a tall order! But there’s more: You want to have crazy good fun while you cook!

To get all that, there’s only one kitchen companion you want by your side, and that person is the big-spirited, funny-to-the-bones star of TikTok and YouTube known to his millions of fans as Ramen King Ivan. Ivan does not reveal his recipes online. But now at last he has done so, in the pages of this fun, funny, and eminently useful book. The recipes include:

• Chicken Honey Ramen
• Fried Chicken and Waffles the Ivan Way
• Wagyu Beef Ramen
• Shrimp and Rice Cake Ramen
• Ramen Deviled Eggs
• Ramen Breakfast Burrito
• Thai Chile Rice Cakes
• Boba Ramen

Sure, Ivan has fun while he cooks, but he takes the quality and flavor of what he cooks one-hundred-percent seriously. You’ll know it when you cook and enjoy any of the recipes in this, his first book, dishes that will keep you well-fed and delighted, 24/7, for years to come.

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Deli Meat Ramen Sandwich

SERVES 1

This recipe started out as a science experiment! I wondered what ramen would taste like as a sandwich . . . I honestly didn’t think it would work, but here we are, and it’s pretty good—especially if you’re out of bread. The lesson learned is play with your food!

 

PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES, PLUS 5 MINUTES SOAKING TIME

COOK TIME: 15 TO 20 MINUTES

1 package (3 ounces/85 g) instant ramen noodles (any flavour)

2 tablespoons (28 g) butter

Mustard

Mayonnaise

Deli meat, such as roast beef or ham (your choice)

1 slice of cheese (your choice)

1 scallion, thinly sliced

1 Soft-Boiled Egg (see below)

 

1. Remove the noodles from the packaging and separate the block into two pieces of “bread.” Place them on a plate big enough to hold both and with a bit of a slope/lip. Save the seasoning packets for another recipe.
2. Pour enough hot water onto the plate to cover the ramen halfway. Be careful not to use too much; you want some of the noodles hard, so it holds together!
3. Let the ramen sit for 5 minutes or until it is soft to the touch.
4. Melt the butter in a skillet over low to medium heat.
5. Place one ramen piece in the skillet, soft side down, and brown, cooking about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the piece to a plate and repeat with the other piece of “bread.”
6. Layer the sandwich ingredients on one of the “bread” pieces, starting with a slather of mustard and mayo. Feel free to work outside the box with your own combination of ingredients.
7. Slice your perfect soft-boiled egg and drizzle the yolk over the sandwich.
8. Slice the egg whites onto the sandwich and top the sandwich with the remaining “bread” slice.

 

Soft-Boiled Egg

MAKES 1 EGG

PREP TIME: 1 MINUTE, PLUS 2 MINUTES TO COOL

COOK TIME: 7 MINUTES

1 large egg

One question I’m constantly asked is how to make perfect softboiled eggs. Mine are so creamy and beautiful when sliced open and arranged on the ramen. Funnily enough, I was grossed out when I first saw a soft-boiled egg oozing everywhere, but it became a signature topping for my ramen. Heaven!

1. In a large saucepan, bring 4 cups (960 ml) of water to a rumbling boil.
2. Slowly lower the egg into the water using a spoon so it doesn’t crack from hitting the bottom.
3. Boil the egg for 7 minutes (or 8 to 9 minutes for a harder yolk).
4. Transfer the egg to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process and let it sit for 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Crack and peel the egg.
6. Slice it down the middle and admire the beautiful, perfectly cooked center!

TIP: You can store these in the fridge for about 2 days after cooking them.

Recipe published with permission from The Quarto Group.