For three days in January 2007, the most-emailed article in The New York Times was ôAppreciations: Mr. Noodle,ö an editorial noting the passing, at age 96, of billionaire Momofuku Ando, the inventor of instant ramen. The very existence of the noodle inventor came as a shock to many, but not to Andy Raskin, who had spent nearly three years trying to meet Ando. Why?

To fix the problems that plagued his love life.

The Ramen King and I is RaskinÆs memoir about how despairùand a series of bizarre adventures at Japanese restaurantsùled him to confront the truth of his romantic past, and how Ando became his unlikely spiritual guide. Through letters ostensibly penned to the culinary sage, Raskin reveals a relationship history plagued by infidelity, jealousy, and betrayal. After devouring AndoÆs essays (with titles such as ôPeace Follows from a Full Stomachö and ôMankind is Noodlekindö), he sets out to meet the food pioneerùand to discover the secret to a committed relationship.