I grew up eating ramen (real ramen, not instant noodles) without realizing it was considered by many as a poor college student’s staple (e.g. you can get a 24-pack of Maruchan ramen for less than $10, or less than 50 cents per bowl).
Today, ramen seems to be a trendy meal item as well as restaurant theme. Nationwide, check out places such as Bassanova Ramen in New York, Slurping Turtle in Chicago (and Ann Arbor) and Johnny Noodle King in Detroit.
Here in Madison, you can get your fix at places like Hong Kong Station, Umami and Sujeo. We even had a Ramen Smackdown last summer. My guess is there will be more places serving ramen–either as the main focus or as a part of the menu–in the near future because Madison always goes all-in with trends/fads (see: gastropubs, cupcakeries, frozen yogurt shops, etc.).
My opinion on why ramen is “in” is because chefs can take the simple premise of noodles in broth and take it 10 levels higher. For example, Sujeo’s Shio Ramen is made with double stock, grilled pork belly, duck fat and pork fat. In a similar vein, look what Dlux has done with burgers and Salvatore’s with pizzas (I mean, tomato pies).
Just remember, when in Rome … slurp your noodles. There’s no cutting your noodles or twirling them into a ball. In addition, eat your noodles as quickly as possible. The longer they sit in the broth, the more overcooked they become.
Next time you’re about to fix a bowl of instant noodles, try this easy recipe (it uses cheese!):
Want to learn more? Read this guide to ramen on Serious Eats.
Ketchup: In 2011, 
