Addicted to Food Porn: Going Cronuts for Ramen Burgers

I’ve never noticed food trends to preoccupy New Yorkers as much as the Cronut phenomenon. People who I know to be intelligent are springing from their mattresses at 5:30 a.m. to stand on a line for said sweet treat. Sure, the Cronut is tantalizing and innovative, but it’s a lot about the buzz. It’s fascinating how we’re all sheep when it comes to “Well if he or she has it, I WANT IT!” I was thinking of making a souffle out of a Swedish male model’s hair, Skittles and Jack Daniels, getting a bunch of influential food bloggers to endorse it, and seeing if people line up outside my door salivating and holding out their debit cards.

Then I saw the Gothamist post about this:

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The Ramen Burger. I felt like I’d been ‘glamoured’ by a True Blood vampire. From Japan. Now I feel like I’m following the masses, white, fluffy and in need of a good sheer. Hundreds of people stood single file at the Smorgusburg in Brooklyn for a chance to taste the incarnation of infamous ramen blogger Keizo Shimamoto.

Long before Shimamoto diverted New Yorkers’ attention from the donut/croissant mix, he quit his job, moved to Japan and worked in several ramen shops. There, he discovered the ramen burger… only the Japanese were making it with pork. He tweaked the recipe with a beef patty and is currently using broth from Sun Noodle in New Jersey. The state’s apparently officially apologizing to us, swapping out delectable broth in place of Snooki. The craze caught on so quickly that Shimamoto wrote on his blog, “I can’t believe how fast news can travel. In just two days, the Ramen Burger™ went from dream to Internet superstar before I even sold a single one.” Goes to show that if you have a truly relatable, innovative concept and use social platforms to get your genius out, there’s a good chance you’ll take off.

Creative food ideas have become a zeitgeist fave. I took to Pinterest to discover food that’s too good to eat:

High-Heeled Cupcakes with Cookie Soles. I’d have to speed walk to burn these off. 

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Oreo ‘Taco’ Cookies: I’m a taco fanatic, so I’d give these sugar impostors a go. 

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The Sneaker Burger: I’d IV drip this thing if I was in a coma. Totally worth it.

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This is a Sandwich; A Sandwich Monster: 

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Spaghetti and Meatballs on a Stick… I mean! 

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Scuba Bagel Man: Cause who doesn’t know how to create cream cheese legs and lox-esque flippers? 

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Sushi Art: 

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What food makes you go wild?

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