"Flights of Ramen" at corporate meetings: Stop sipping wine and start slurping noodles

Sampling versions of a three-minute instant dinner pack instead of $40 wines sounds completely insane, but that is exactly what is exploding as a trend at corporate meetings in New York City.

Ramen, the dinner of choice for thousands of 20-somethings struggling to pay rent in Manhattan, is the hot new trend in corporate team building at destination meetings.  It has become so sophisticated that meeting attendees can enjoy "Flights of Ramen" like they would wine or beer.

Examples of flight menus can include: Tokyo-style, with a base of chicken broth and soy sauce and topped with bamboo shoots and fish cakes; Kyushu-style, made from slow-cooked pork shank and pigs’ feet;  Sapporo-style, which features miso, vegetables and ground pork; and more modern versions such as Mazemen and Tsukemen.

With "Flights of Ramen", slurping is encouraged as it is not considered rude in Japan. According to some of the top Ramen Labs, groups who experience and enjoy the noodle-making process are helping to kick-start a ramen revolution.