I'm very surprised to see that there is not a ramen thread created yet! How do you cook your ramen? What brand do you like? Any special spices? Good techniques? Ways to make it taste better?

This thread is of course, open to discussion about instant ramen and the more "fancy" kinds!
Has anyone gone to a ramen shop in japan? What are they like?

I'll go first!

I generally just make my ramen (Maruchan, I really hate Top Ramen) dry. I like the "hot" taste it has too it. My favorite flavors are probably the standard chicken, creamy chicken, and beef.
I used to add a few things to my ramen, like tabasco sauce, curry powder, or soy sauce, however now I generally just use the package of flavoring that comes with it. When eating ramen with soy sauce you don't even need to add the included flavoring, as the taste is pretty strong.

My ramen stories are not very interesting. Anyone have anything else to share?