Kat Thompson is the audience editor of Eater’s Southern California/Southwest region. For cookbook author Kristina Cho, noodles — especially the Chinese versions she grew up with — are like poetry.

As a chef, I have a few tricks for upgrading instant noodles to make them more satisfying and tasty. Try adding a simple protein, like sausages, shredded rotisserie chicken, or shrimp, to your dish.