Ramen help

[af1212]

My 12 yo is going to a party at a ramen restaurant. She eats a variety of foods and is fine to try new things but she is nervous about ordering for herself at a place that is unfamiliar. She has eaten ramen from a plastic package before (like maruchan) ha but that’s the extent of her ramen experience. This is the bulk of my ramen experience as well so I’m of no help.

Here is the menu. What would be some good things for her to have ready to order?



ETA - took out location

[winecat]

The host isn’t having a set menu or limiting their choices?

[icedcoffee]

I'd tell her to just order the chicken ramen as it will be the most basic. What an interesting choice for a 12 year old party. I bet lots of kids will be lost.

[waverly]

I would probably order the chicken Ramen since it’s in a chicken soup base that would be pretty familiar to her.

If she is not into Ramen, it looks like one can order corn on a stick and chicken on a stick so she could do the variety of appetizers to make a meal.

[rootbeerfloat]

Miso ramen or shoyu ramen will be similar to the packaged ramen she's had.

I'd also recommend gyoza or fried ebi (shrimp) if she has the option to order/try appetizers.

ETA: My 12 year-old would choose that place just for the beverage options lol.

[msmerymac]

The chicken ramen comes with a fish cake, so unless that's something she knows she'll like, she might want to order miso ramen (pork base, so as long as she's good with that). She could also do vegetable if she like mushrooms and doesn't want to mess around with meat options.

Bao buns might be a good choice?



I also think she can hold back and see what others are ordering, assuming it will be other 12 year olds. Often kids that age will ask the host what's good or talk among themselves before ordering, and someone who is familiar with the food or restaurant will lead the charge. 

[af1212]

Mar 29, 2022 14:39:06 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

I'd tell her to just order the chicken ramen as it will be the most basic. What an interesting choice for a 12 year old party. I bet lots of kids will be lost.

Well it’s just the bday kid, her family, my DD and one other friend.

So I assume the host family is familiar with and like ramen and have been here before.

[af1212]

Mar 29, 2022 14:35:19 GMT -5 winecat said:

The host isn’t having a set menu or limiting their choices?

I have no idea if limiting their choices when there but it’s not a set menu I don’t think.

[AdaraMarie]

In that small of a group she could just ask her friend what they recommend.

[icedcoffee]

Mar 29, 2022 15:03:57 GMT -5 af1212 said:

Mar 29, 2022 14:39:06 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

I'd tell her to just order the chicken ramen as it will be the most basic. What an interesting choice for a 12 year old party. I bet lots of kids will be lost.

Well it’s just the bday kid, her family, my DD and one other friend.

So I assume the host family is familiar with and like ramen and have been here before.

Oh gotcha.  That makes much more sense.  I'd just tell her to say "I've never been here before.  What do you normally get?"

[af1212]

Mar 29, 2022 15:25:58 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

Mar 29, 2022 15:03:57 GMT -5 af1212 said:

Well it’s just the bday kid, her family, my DD and one other friend.

So I assume the host family is familiar with and like ramen and have been here before.

Oh gotcha.  That makes much more sense.  I'd just tell her to say "I've never been here before.  What do you normally get?"

She just wants to be prepared to have something to say if put on the spot.

[af1212]

Mar 29, 2022 15:24:07 GMT -5 AdaraMarie said:

In that small of a group she could just ask her friend what they recommend.

She won’t see her again until they’re at the restaurant - she just wants to have a fallback plan - just 12 yo nerves so I told her I would help her go through the menu in advance.

[winecat]

Mar 29, 2022 15:05:02 GMT -5 af1212 said:

Mar 29, 2022 14:35:19 GMT -5 winecat said:

The host isn’t having a set menu or limiting their choices?

I have no idea if limiting their choices when there but it’s not a set menu I don’t think.

I just saw your other post about it being a small party.  I was thinking it was going to be a big group of 12 year olds so that's why I asked about a set/limited menu because it would likely be a shit show otherwise.  They should be able to customize toppings/inclusions so if she wants to order the chicken ramen but doesn't want the fishcake, they could leave it out or put it on the side so she can taste it first.  Scratch ramen is the bomb!  

[winecat]

I bet she'd like the gyoza (potstickers.) Has she ever had bubble tea? Does she like things like gummy bears? If she does, she might like it and they have a bunch of flavors. It looks like she can add boba to any flavor.

[af1212]

Mar 29, 2022 16:07:20 GMT -5 winecat said:

I bet she'd like the gyoza (potstickers.) Has she ever had bubble tea? Does she like things like gummy bears? If she does, she might like it and they have a bunch of flavors. It looks like she can add boba to any flavor.

She regularly goes to a bubble tea place with her friends and although she does not care for it she orders it and drinks it anyway because she likes the social aspect 🤣

[arielroux]

I’ve actually eaten here before, lol. It’s really good. The ramen is so delicious and I agree with previous posters that the chicken ramen would be a pretty straightforward dish. She could also order one of the meat or shrimp skewers for something more familiar as well.

[erbear]

My kid would love that, lol. Agree that bao buns are tasty, meat in a stick is probably good, and a miso based ramen is a solid choice.

[wise_rita]

I don't know how y'all grew up eating your 10 cent packet of ramen, but I drained out 98% of the liquid. At restaurants (and even my H with the 10 cent packets) they retain the liquid as soup.

Maybe I'm a freak, but if that's how you do it at your house prepare her for it being an actual soup.

[treschic]

Am I reading correctly that she is a foreign exchange student? If so, they may eat family style and sample a variety of things. The menu gives me that impression based on my experience in China. Hopefully so, because she’ll get to taste a lot of yummy things! If not, chicken ramen sounds like a good plan and make sure she knows it will have more broth than we’re used to! Also, I found the noodles are really really long so maybe talk through how to eat them so it’s not too messy. Also, remind her that her friend can sympathize with being new to things, and it’s nothing to be embarrassed about!

I read “host family” and thought foreign exchange but now I think you just mean the family hosting dinner lol 🤦🏻‍♀️