GTFO With that gatekeeper shit

Both? Both is good.

yeah exactly, instant noodles hit the spot sometimes but I could also go for fancy ramen. Both can coexist :3

Am I crazy for not really caring for either?

no

But also yes

A thing can be two things.

I can't stand the real stuff. I hate miso.

I love both

I like "real ramen".

Whatever you've made, thats fake stuff. You got the pot of noodles? Wrong. You got the packet? Wrong. You got the fresh stuff made yourself with all the trimmings? Wrong.

Not all "real" ramen has miso. There are so many different styles of traditional ramen, with different regions in Japan doing things differently. My favorite is a nice tonkotsu ramen, which is made with a broth of only boiled pork bones. Topped with scallions, crispy garlic flakes, kikurage, fried pork belly, chili/sesame oil, and a soft boiled egg. It's super tasty.

I also eat instant ramen of course, both are tasty.

500 days of summer spring rolls

That sounds acceptable. I'll look around!

Plot twist: Ramen is the nickname of their mutual friend

Sometimes you want a steak and sometimes you want a hot dog.

Well at the end of the day it is just noodle soup that has a few different spices than European food.
If you don't enjoy it, maybe you just don't like the garlic+msg combo?

I used to have a "starving student" cookbook which was just different things you could add to instant ramen.

I was talking to my roommate about a ramen restaurant, and he scoffed and said "Ramen restaurant? Who the fuck had that bright idea?!"

It turns out he thought that all ramen was instant. Like you walk into the restaurant, sit down, and they serve you some noodles in a cup.

Sometimes you feel like a nut. Sometimes you don't.

Shouldn't it be switched?

It should, unless OP is implying that the instant ones are better lol

to be fair unmanned instant noodle restaurants do exist in some parts of east and southeast asia

I don't get it.

Some of the best ramen I've had came out of a cup. When I was at sea, it was a little bit of comfort after a cold night feeling very much alone and overwhelmed.

At the same time I've had great ramen at sit down places with friends and family.

Yeah, right after I finished writing that, I thought "Am I crazy, because that actually sounds like a good idea."

What you're describing is an automat.

I heard one time that the best authentic noodles you'll get come from vending machines, and a sit down ramen restaurant is more of a touristy thing. Not sure how true it is, but I guess the restaurant is the one who stocks the machines.

I like ramen ok, I just don't crave it like a lot of other foods

they do use automats, but they're pretty little places, with a bunch of variety for the noodles, and also optional toppings like eggs, veggies, and meat you can add on top. open 24/7 and restocked/cleaned only once every few hours instead of being manned the entire time.