• FOOD & BEVERAGE
Immi Updated Ramen Review: The Noodles Get Better
Reviewed by Nathaniel Lang
Last Updated January 2022
If you’re a ramen lover, but have been trying to live a healthier lifestyle, then immi Eats may just be what you’ve been missing.
We’ve actually tested immi ramen before. Recently, they’ve raised millions that they’ve put into research & development, hiring, and marketing. It has resulted in a new formula for their ramen and a slightly lower price (yes!). Naturally, we had to give it a try. But if you’re interested in our previous review you can check that out right here.
So What’s New?
IMMI
Black Garlic "Chicken" Ramen
$39
Classic, savory, and comforting. The perfect cozy companion for an evening at home. Overflowing with notes of garlic, scallions, and umami.
SHOP NOWFeatured Product: Black Garlic Chicken Ramen (6 Pack)
Price: $39.00
immi is bringing an updated plant-based ramen formula to the masses designed to specifically capture the taste, texture, and slurpability of the traditional noodle.
We’ve tested their Black Garlic Chicken Ramen this time. This baby touts 22g of plant-based protein per serving and 15% of your daily Calcium requirement. It also doesn’t shy away from your daily Fiber or Potassium requirements, making this an awesome quick go-to meal option. And since everything is plant-based, these work fantastically well for both vegetarians and vegans.
Ratings Breakdown
QUALITY
★★★★★
This brand is entirely plant-based and offers 3 fantastic flavor profiles. My experience was excellent – a testiment to their upgraded formula. But I wish there was more transperency in how they source their ingredients.
VALUE
★★★★
I can’t deny immi ramen noodles taste fantastic, are plant-based, higher in protein, and lower in sodium than most other brands. But at this price, you might find yourself looking at other options.
CUSTOMER
EXPERIENCE
★★★★★
I loved the taste, I think they really nailed the texture and mouthful of a regular noodle. If you want plant-based ramen and money is object, this is a must-try option.
BRAND
★★★★★
The brand’s mission to bring more nutritious ramen to the world is great. If they had a gluten-free option and engaged in meaningful philanthropy, they would be the perfect company.
Who Is immi?
Kevin Lee and Kevin Chanthasiriphan grew up working alongside their families in Taiwan and Thailand markets selling and cooking authentic Asian food for consumers. Both men had a deep love for food and crossed paths one day working as product managers for a startup while growing closer over their shared food interests.
It wasn’t long after that they noticed they also shared the same idea: That their love of instant ramen, while delicious, had never been made with health benefits in mind. In fact, the reverse had been true all their lives.
Determined to offset poor nutrition, unhealthy habits, and damaging ingredients for them and their families, Immi was born: A plant-based, healthy noodle substitute to fill you up and benefit your body. Creating three distinct soup flavors and dedicating their livelihood to developing a better protein noodle, Immi proceeded to provide a better, healthier alternative in a market that had never considered it.
With the goal of a better diet in mind, Immi is dedicated to perfecting its ramen process to then move on to other Asian snacks and delicacies creating a healthier palette for their consumers.
Pros
- Vegan-friendly
- Nutrient Dense
- Packed with flavor
- Keto-friendly
- History of updating and improving products
Cons
- No gluten-free options
- One of the more expensive vegam ramen options
- Lack of transparency with ingrendient sourcing
immi Taste & Performance
In our family, we have a regular weekly ramen night. So, I was excited to try the ramen by immi since theirs are all plant-based. And, as a vegetarian, I’ve had a difficult time in the past finding good plant-based options for myself.
After browsing their site for a while, I noticed that they have some really beautiful photos of ramen. So this got me excited and hopeful. I decided to try the immi Black Garlic and “Chicken” ramen, since it seemed like the closest option to what we normally eat.
When the package arrived, it contained a typical square ramen noodle brick of about 4” x4” and 1” thick, plus a seasoning packet.
On our regular family ramen night, I cooked the Ramen according to the directions and added the seasoning packet to the water. The cooking time for the noodles was about 4 to 5 minutes and then I added the seasoning packet to the water.
It was really nice to do this during our regular ramen night because I was able to add all of the extra fixin‘s to my immi ramen.
I compared this to my Ramen recipe of a garlic onion and miso paste broth and the taste was really similar. I first tasted the ramen by itself (without any of the extras) and I really liked the noodles. They were much more squishy and spongy than I am used to, but there was something about it that I really liked. The broth was amazingly flavorful for a small packet of dry flavoring.
Next I added all of the extra onions, soft egg, and veggies to the ramen and it was surprisingly better than my homemade recipe. I’m either going to have to up my game or just buy immi from now on.
After eating this ramen, I didn’t feel heavy or bloated or have any ill side effects. It was just as good or better than any other ramen on the market that I’ve tried. But, keep in mind that you shouldn’t expect your ramen to look like the pictures on their website unless you do some extra work on accompaniments. I did really appreciate that they have recipes on their website to make the ramen a little more luxurious.
Is immi Good Quality?
Plant-based ramen options are few and far between on the marketplace today. It’s fantastic that immi has come into the market to create not only a plant-based ramen, but one that’s also higher in protein and lower in sodium. They have been able to achieve the higher protein content in their products by adding pumpkin seed protein. Both of these natural plant-based proteins are also loaded with fiber and flavor.
In fact, they both also help to boost the natural content of:
- Potassium
- Calcium
- Vitamin K
- Magnesium
- Vitamin B1
- Iron
- Copper
- Phosphorus
- Manganese
- Choline
All of these added benefits only increase the nutrient denseness of their ramen products. Which is absolutely fantastic since this sort of product has been widely known to be fairly nutrient deficient up to this point.
However, as fantastic as this is, the brand doesn’t mention in any way, shape or form where they source any of their raw ingredients. They also don’t disclose where they manufacture their products. Nor do they give the consumer any indication as to the:
- Quality control processes (if any)
- Fair trade practices
- Ethical working conditions
- Sustainability of their products and/or packaging
The fact that they don’t give us any of this information is a pretty big issue for me with a product at this high price point. If a company is charging a premium price for a supposedly high quality product, then I expect them to back that up with facts. And since we have none here, this leaves me wondering as to the real quality of their products.
FAQs
If you have been trying to eat healthier and love ramen, then your choices have been limited. Until now, that is. With a lot of companies trying to cater to a healthier consumer, but still keep their comfort foods, it’s been a difficult line to tow. Before you decide to dive into the immi ramen, here are some of the most common questions asked by consumers.
immi Summary
Ultimately, immi is doing their best to revolutionize the healthier ramen space by making everything plant-based. It doesn’t hurt that their ramen is higher in protein than any other ramen on the market. While their sodium is certainly lower than most traditional ramen options, it is still pretty darn high compared to some other ramen products currently offered.
While I love the idea of what they are doing, I wish I had just a bit more transparency in their sourcing of ingredients. When it comes to premium and nutritious food, I really want to be much better informed regarding the quality of the raw products and manufacturing. But I cannot deny the flavor is pretty darn good.