I’ve seen many strange burgers in my day, but never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that one day someone might look at a burger and say, “You know what this needs? Ramen.” However, that was exactly the case the day Keizo Shimamoto decided that he would create what is now known as “The Ramen Burger.” Voted one of “The 17 Most Influential Burgers of All Time” by Time Magazine, this crazy burger is unlike anything you’ve ever tasted before. Made up of a fresh USDA Prime ground beef chuck patty, sandwiched between two craftily formed buns made from freshly cut ramen noodles. Adding to the party of flavor is a special shoyu glaze, concocted by Keizo Shimamoto himself, and finished off with a choice of market fresh vegetables. Having been obsessed with both ramen noodles and burgers since his early childhood, Keizo always wondered how he would be able to make the two work with each other but just never had the proper tools to turn it into what it is today. Now, without furthur ado, we introduce to you the famously adored, Ramen Burger!

When asked if he knew beforehand just how successful his Ramen Burger would be, Keizo replied that he knew Americans would immediately embrace the idea of a combination of Japanese and American food cultures. He knew that all great burgers are crated with beef patties, so the only thing he would have to do is find a way to combine his love for one Japanese food with the one food Americans love the most. The inspiration behind this burger was not only Keizo’s love for the noodles, but it also came from Japan. He explained that while in Japan, he noticed they would make burgers using ramen but instead of beef patties, they used pork. But after having moved to California, he decided that he would prefer to combine the two famously cultured foods: noodles from Japan, and beef from America. Keizo spent four years studying ramen in Japan, concentarting on the ingredients and figuring out a way to make his burger different from all the other “knock-offs” out there. From first glance, the noodles look like two perfectly made buns that keep the entire sandwich together. But when you bite into a Keizo ramen burger, the noodles and the burger fall apart in your mouth, followed by the taste of his secret shoyu sauce, which leaves your whole mouth craving more and more. The ultimate goal for Keizo is to really educate Americans that there is a lot more out there than just the instant ramen noodles we’ve grown to love and use so much, and to just make good food and to make people happy. With this burger, he has not only inspired other people to move out of their comfort zones and experiment with the foods they love, but he has also shown that there is an endless possibility of what kinds of burgers you can create, all you need is some imagination!