The Ramen King and I: How the Inventor of Instant Noodles Fixed My Love Life - Softcover

A "wacky, oddly endearing memoir."
-"The Washington Post"
""Ramen King" serves up enlightenment in a bowl"
-"San Francisco Chronicle"
"Endearing and compelling [...] therapeutic and enlightening [...] oddly entertaining"
-"San Francisco Chronicle Book Review"
"Hilarious and often poignant [...] unexpectedly charming."
-"San Francisco" magazine
"Alternately tongue-in-cheek and sincere, "The Ramen King" and I proves that, to paraphrase a Japanese proverb, "If man has no ramen in him, he is incapable of understanding truth and beauty."
-"FlavorPill"
"A hilarious but instructive casserole. ... Readers with hankerings for the zany and life-affirming (not to mention Japanese) will salivate over this book. Serve with Julie Powell's "Julie and Julia.""
-"Library Journal"
"Mixing humor and raw honesty, Raskin's introspective journey is inspiring and entertaining."
-"Booklist"
"Raskin's laugh-out-loud memoir yields surprising insights [...] An engaging portrait of a journey of self-discovery, leading to the liberating knowledge that joy and freedom often come from accepting limitations."
-"Kirkus"
"Andy Raskin has crafted something much more than a clever and entertaining story. While bringing to life several curiously vivid Japanese subcultures, he sets out on a quest for something deep within himself, and finds it. Great comedies offer us honest-to-goodness meaning, and "The Ramen King and I," with emotional depth beneath its quirky humor, certainly ranks among them."
-Arthur Golden
"I ate this book in one sitting. Okay three sittings. What I mean is I loved it. It won me over from the start, and when it wasn't making me hungry it made me think. Apparently I, too, battle against the Fundamental Misunderstanding of Humanity."
--Po Bronson
"To say "The Ramen King and I" is a memoir about sex and fidelity and instant noodles only hints at the humor and humani

A "wacky, oddly endearing memoir."
-"The Washington Post"
""Ramen King" serves up enlightenment in a bowl"
-"San Francisco Chronicle"
"Endearing and compelling [...] therapeutic and enlightening [...] oddly entertaining"
-"San Francisco Chronicle Book Review"
"Hilarious and often poignant [...] unexpectedly charming."
-"San Francisco" magazine
"Alternately tongue-in-cheek and sincere, "The Ramen King" and I proves that, to paraphrase a Japanese proverb, "If man has no ramen in him, he is incapable of understanding truth and beauty."
-"FlavorPill"
"A hilarious but instructive casserole. ... Readers with hankerings for the zany and life-affirming (not to mention Japanese) will salivate over this book. Serve with Julie Powell's "Julie and Julia.""
-"Library Journal"
"Mixing humor and raw honesty, Raskin's introspective journey is inspiring and entertaining."
-"Booklist"
"Raskin's laugh-out-loud memoir yields surprising insights [...] An engaging portrait of a journey of self-discovery, leading to the liberating knowledge that joy and freedom often come from accepting limitations."
-"Kirkus"
"Andy Raskin has crafted something much more than a clever and entertaining story. While bringing to life several curiously vivid Japanese subcultures, he sets out on a quest for something deep within himself, and finds it. Great comedies offer us honest-to-goodness meaning, and "The Ramen King and I," with emotional depth beneath its quirky humor, certainly ranks among them."
-Arthur Golden
"I ate this book in one sitting. Okay three sittings. What I mean is I loved it. It won me over from the start, and when it wasn't making me hungry it made me think. Apparently I, too, battle against the Fundamental Misunderstanding of Humanity."
--Po Bronson
"To say "The Ramen King and I" is a memoir about sex and fidelity and instant noodles only hints at the humor and humanity of this wonderful, beautifully crafted book. I couldn't stop laughing, even though it was also sad, in that being-human-is-sometimes-a-sad-proposition kind of way. Andy Raskin has an insider's perspective on male desire and Japanese culture, and a keen eye for the delicate, heartbreaking absurdities of both."
-Ruth Ozeki, author of "My Year of Meat"
"More raw than sushi...Raskin's journey is bizarre, enlightening, and delicious."
-Pamela Drickerman, author of "Lust in Translation"

A "wacky, oddly endearing memoir."
-The Washington Post
"Ramen King serves up enlightenment in a bowl"
-San Francisco Chronicle
"Endearing and compelling [...] therapeutic and enlightening [...] oddly entertaining"
-San Francisco Chronicle Book Review
"Hilarious and often poignant [...] unexpectedly charming."
-San Francisco magazine
"Alternately tongue-in-cheek and sincere, The Ramen King and I proves that, to paraphrase a Japanese proverb, "If man has no ramen in him, he is incapable of understanding truth and beauty."
-FlavorPill
"A hilarious but instructive casserole. ... Readers with hankerings for the zany and life-affirming (not to mention Japanese) will salivate over this book. Serve with Julie Powell's Julie and Julia."
-Library Journal
"Mixing humor and raw honesty, Raskin's introspective journey is inspiring and entertaining."
-Booklist
"Raskin's laugh-out-loud memoir yields surprising insights [...] An engaging portrait of a journey of self-discovery, leading to the liberating knowledge that joy and freedom often come from accepting limitations."
-Kirkus
"Andy Raskin has crafted something much more than a clever and entertaining story. While bringing to life several curiously vivid Japanese subcultures, he sets out on a quest for something deep within himself, and finds it. Great comedies offer us honest-to-goodness meaning, and The Ramen King and I, with emotional depth beneath its quirky humor, certainly ranks among them."
-Arthur Golden
"I ate this book in one sitting. Okay three sittings. What I mean is I loved it. It won me over from the start, and when it wasn't making me hungry it made me think. Apparently I, too, battle against the Fundamental Misunderstanding of Humanity."
--Po Bronson
"To say The Ramen King and I is a memoir about sex and fidelity and instant noodles only hints at the humor and humanity of this wonderful, beautifully crafted book. I couldn't stop laughing, even though it was also sad, in that being-human-is-sometimes-a-sad-proposition kind of way. Andy Raskin has an insider's perspective on male desire and Japanese culture, and a keen eye for the delicate, heartbreaking absurdities of both."
-Ruth Ozeki, author of My Year of Meat
"More raw than sushi...Raskin's journey is bizarre, enlightening, and delicious."
-Pamela Drickerman, author of Lust in Translation

"Mankind is Noodlekind"

For three days in January 2007,the most e-mailed article in The New York Times was "appreciations: Mr. noodle," an editorial noting the passing, at age ninety-six, of Momofuku Ando, the inventor of instant ramen. Ando's existence came as a shock to many, but not to Andy Raskin, who had spent three years trying to meet the noodle pioneer.

The Ramen King and I is Raskin's funny and, at times, painfully honest memoir about confronting the truth of his dating life-with Ando as his spiritual guide. Can instant ramen lead one to a committed relationship? And is sushi the secret to self-acceptance?

A true tale of hunger in its many forms, The Ramen King and I is about becoming slaves to our desires and learning to break free.