The Ramen King and I · How the Inventor of Instant Noodles Fixed My Love Life

"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.