Ramen noodles = gourmet food?

I can hear myself now: “"So I went to New York over the weekend, and had a bowl of Ramen noodles. Oh, and I stood in line for three hours for it, too! It was great!"”

I’'m glad to know that at least once a week, I’'m eating a popular national dish - prepared in my own kitchen! Ramen noodles don’t represent poverty, my friend! No, no - in Japan, people wait in line for hours for this stuff. And now, they’'re doing it in New York too, according to the New York Times.

“"How much? You know, I can make this stuff at home for 25 cents!"”

Okay, enough “"wise-ass American"” from me. Actually, I would like to try one of these restaurants. It would be nice to know what a bowl of “"real"” Ramen soup, prepared with ingredients other than fried noodles and a foil packet of MSG powder, tastes like. What do “"fresh"” Ramen noodles taste like? What do they feel like in your mouth? With all the other ingredients - real broth, a boiled egg, a fish cake, some ginger, and seaweed - I’'m reminded of a gigantic bowl of soup I had once in Toronto'’s Chinatown. For breakfast.

Now, if I can just find a place that serves Spaghetti-O’s and Beefaroni...