Forget about those packets of instant noodles you ate in college — these craveworthy bowls of ramen are the real deal. You’ll now find this slippery noodle dish all across the country, not just in dorms and Japanese enclaves. Chefs are putting their spin on it, creating their own mash-up versions with everything from coconut curry broth to toppings like matzo balls or cheese.

Named for “a hot bird and a cold bottle,” a double entendre used to describe a night on the town before World War I, Bird & The Bottle is the sixth restaurant from James Beard Outstanding Restaurateur semifinalists Mark and Terri Stark. The casual restaurant brings intriguing interpretations of street food to life. A runaway hit on the brunch menu is the craveworthy bacon-and-egg ramen made with kimchi broth, topped with a poached egg, bacon and pickled shiitake mushrooms.

Mokbar chef-owner and Food Network Kitchen alum Esther Choi grew up cooking traditional Korean food with her grandmother. One of her most-popular bowls of ramen is inspired by the popular Korean dish army stew, or budae jjigae, which is made from kimchi, ham, sausage, Spam, baked beans and other canned products. The original stew was made in Korea from U.S. Army base rations in the postwar period, when food was scarce. Choi's version is made from 8-to-10-hour tonkotsu broth, a special spicy gochujang paste mix and fresh ramen noodles, topped with stewed bacon, kimchi, Spam, sausage, tofu, pork belly, mozzarella cheese and watercress.

Serving “happiness in a bowl,” Marumen offers Korean-influenced ramen. Its most-popular bowl is spicy miso ramen made with a pork paitan broth and a blend of soybean miso paste, red pepper paste and chili oil. The broth takes 14 hours to cook, developing depth and complexity. It’s garnished with stir-fried bean sprouts, scallions, half a marinated egg, a slice of chashu-style pork belly and a sheet of nori (roasted seaweed). The specialty bowls include spicy mazemen, a brothless style of ramen, and “army” ramen with sausage, Spam, pork shoulder, kimchi, cabbage, bean sprouts, scallions and onions.