The Definitive Source For Instant Noodle Reviews Since 2002
A long time ago, I shared the incredibly old version of The Ramen Rater – back in 2004 or so. Well, now I’ve opened up this version – from 2013! There’s a couple things telling you to go to the new website as it looks today, however I thought some people would find this interesting. Check it out if you like!
Thanks to James from Lakeside, California for sending this along. Been years since a Shirakiku variety crossed paths with my desk. What’s more, I don’t know that I’ve seen imagery on a tonkotsu featuring a fork before. Let’s give it a whirl.
We went out on Saturday – the kids were so good last week at school so we had to give them an outing to the mall. Nice to get out. Well, Sunday we all had sore throats and the kids were coughing. Today is Monday and my wife Kit and I sound like we gargled with scouring pads and our throats are sore as can be. Ugh. It never fails; the kids go back to school, everybody gets sick. I’m up early – first one up and typing away at this point. No ten miles of walking for me today. I think at least one kid will be home today too. Guess we will see. Anyways, it should be an interesting episode of Instant Noodle Recipe Time at the bottom of this post today – I’m guessing I’m going to sound like Barry White. But tonkotsu really sounds good – so I’ll do it up. Let’s give it a try. Oh – I found it along with two others in the range at a store at the mall called Miniso – okay, on with it.
Big thank you to James from Lakeside, California for sending! The last one of these I tried was a vegetable mushroom and it was really quite nice – now we have a seafood mushroom. I’m curious if there will also be a sweetness in this one. Well, let’s find out.
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! Inside, they have 8-10 different varieties from Japan! If you’d like to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount! Let’s see what they had to say about this one – “We at Nakama Noodles can’t have a celebration without a spicy treat! This is one of our favorite packs with its savory, spicy soup that combines shoyu with a Japanese clam dashi and plenty of smoky chili. Add an egg to make it an excellent Tsukimi ramen choice!”
Here’s one sent by James from Lakeside, California – thank you! Wasn’t sure if I’d had this one however the other I’ve had from this range was udon with seafood flavor. Let’s toss in some chashu and give it a go!
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! Inside, they have 8-10 different varieties from Japan! If you’d like to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount! Let’s see what they had to say about this one – “Time for a tasty bowl of yakisoba that’s as big and round as the moon! This bowl is one of Japan’s best-sellers in the instant noodle game with its thick, tasty sauce that packs a flavor punch in every bite! The seaweed and red ginger topping adds even more flair to every bite!”
Big thanks to James from Lakeside for this one! Jjamppong is a favorite of mine and this sounds like a Nagasaki jjamppong. Let’s cook it up!
If you follow my annual global top ten list, you’ll know that Prima Taste’s Wholegrain Laksa LaMian has been at the top of the list of my faves for many years. But that’s not the only product they produce. Here are four others that you might not have seen, some of which unavailable in the United States. Let’s check ’em out!
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! Inside, they have 8-10 different varieties from Japan! If you’d like to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount! Let’s see what they had to say about this one – “This Tsukimi season, we’re trying something new! This tasty ramen from Maruchan combines the umami of chicken with tasty green chili for plenty of flavor and smokiness. Add in a bit of mayo flavor and you end up with a super creamy soup that we love!”
Big thank you to James from Lakeside, California for sending! This sounds interesting; dragonfruit as an ingredient in the noodle. Curious as to what aspect that would impart to the noodle? Let’s try it out.
A huge shout out and thanks to Pher Engi, one of the moderators for the Ramen Junkies facebook group I admin. If you’re a fan of instant noodles, this box is full of some hard to find stuff – I’m really stoked – check it out!
Lemonilo is a company from Indonesia that focuses on healthier varieties. These are non-fried, and have natural ingredients. Check ’em out and you can get them here – I made my daughter the chicken chow mein last night for dinner and she devoured it.
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! Inside, they have 8-10 different varieties from Japan! If you’d like to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount! Let’s see what they had to say about this one – “Did you know that miso is sometimes called “liquid gold”? Perfect for enjoying a luxury, Tsukimi! This tasty ramen features noodles made with Hokkaido local wheat and a delicious Hokkaido miso that’s packed with umami flavor and aromatics like ginger for a deep flavor!”
Today, I’m unboxing MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles box. I’d say this is a great gift for someone who loves ramen – it won’t get to them for the holidays, however you can let them know they’ll be getting some really awesome Japanese ramen in the new year! You can get their monthly selection of 8-10 varieties – and this box they sent was full of varieties I’ve never reviewed before, plus they include PACKS!!! I’ll be doing unboxings for them and have a coupon code you can use – THERAMENRATER (of course)! Watch the video below – you’ll see why I’m excited.
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! Inside, they have 8-10 different varieties from Japan! If you’d like to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount! Let’s see what they had to say about this one – “With the colors of Tsukimi and a more traditional Japanese taste, this cup is perfect for moon viewing! This cup combines a classic shio (salt) base with dashi (Japanese soup stock) and hints of chicken and pork for broth that’s packed with umami flavor!”
Every once in a while, I get an email from a publisher about a new book about ramen. Well, this time it was from Quarto about their new Kawaii Cafe Ramen – they also sent three more books as well! Let’s take a look at them all!
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! Inside, they have 8-10 different varieties from Japan! If you’d like to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount! Let’s see what they had to say about this one – “Next up is ramen with a broth as golden as the harvest moon. This ramen pack features a tasty pork and fish dashi mixed into a tonkotsu broth for tons of savory goodness. This broth also features a lower salt content but uses salt from the Goto-nada Sea near Nagasaki.”
Found this at a Dollar Tree store here in Kenmore, Washington. I remember trying out the chicken variety and I don’t think I found it very appealing. We shall see how it goes.
Found this at a local Dollar Tree store here in Kenmore, Washington. This one is fascinating and odd – it says it cooks quickly, however when you see the steeping time you might be a little surprised. Let’s check it out.
Here’s one that came by way of Exotic Noods – thanks! Check out their subscription boxes – this is something you might find in one of them. I know seafood, but here’s info on shiso. I’m intrigued – let’s give it a go.
My last review was a Japanese cold noodle, and now we have a Korean style cold noodle from the United States. The sweet spicy gochujang sounds kind of like bibimmyeon. Let’s give it a try – it’s summer right now as I type this, by the way.
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! Inside, they have 8-10 different varieties from Japan! If you’d like to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount! Let’s see what they had to say about this one – “It’s summer, and we want to make sure that our birthday bash is nice and
cool. Sanuki (an area of Kagawa Prefecture) is famous for its udon, so we had to get this tasty bowl just for you! With a savory sauce base of kelp, ginger and dried fish, this will be sure to please!”
I’ve really liked the other two from this range and rather bummed that this is the last one… I’m curious how it’ll be – buckwheat eh? Let’s give it a try!
I don’t know what I did… Maybe it was the amount of walking I’ve been doing… I do tend to walk as fast as I can… I have a suspiciom it was stretching to grab a bowl off the high shelf that was accompanied by a little feeling and sounded like biting a piece of raw chicken gristle. Whatever it was, I’m really sore. Not fun. Anyways, enough griping – found this one at Evergreen Asian Market in Everett, Washington. What’s more, is the pack green or pink? I thought it was green the whole time. Colors can be really hard for me to see. Better consult an expert. Well, my daughter says it’s pink. Alright – it’s pink. Let’s cook it up.
The huge box of samples from Nissin Singapore as I’m finding out are all collaborations and that’s pretty interesting. This one is with 328 Katomg Laksa, a hawker stall founded in 1998 after a chef spent 6 months tuning and refining her laksa recipe. I love laksa, so I’m really excited to try this one.
We arrive at the last of the three fresh varieties from Yoko Street. Miso! Let’s give it a try.
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! Inside, they have 8-10 different varieties from Japan! If you’d like to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount! Let’s see what they had to say about this one – “Let’s round out this celebration with another tasty ramen selection with a kick! This tan tan ramen features tasty, chewy, thick noodles in a delicious fragrant soup. With the perfect spice of chili oil, hints of sesame and a tasty nuttiness, this is a great pack to close the party!”
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! Inside, they have 8-10 different varieties from Japan! If you’d like to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount! Let’s see what they had to say about this one – “Let’s kick off the celebration with a delicious spin on ramen! This tasty cup features ramen noodles in an amazing tomato hot & sour egg drop soup, a signature of Tokyo’s Eirin, a popular Chinese restaurant. This cup is an experience full of flavor down to the last drop!”
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! Inside, they have 8-10 different varieties from Japan! If you’d like to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount! Let’s see what they had to say about this one – “We love ramen and we love wontons! So, we brought you a tasty soy sauce ramen option with tasty wontons right in the soup! This ramen features a broth of shoyu with pork, chicken and a bit of bonito flakes for a deep flavor perfect for any wonton ramen lover!”
Found this one at 99 Ranch Market recently. Man, I just have to say what a week. Got COVID (granted this is August so hopefully I don’t have COVID when I’m posting this) and it’s just been hell. Lots of headache, dizziness. When I got COVID in January of 2021, I ended up with a blood clot in my lung. The second time (first was after going to Taiwan). So my doc put me on a blood thinner , effectively for the rest of my life. Well, headache and dizziness can be indicative of a blood clot. Well, not this time – usually that has to do with the fact that you’re not getting enough oxygen. Usually your heart rate will go up as well. So, it’s just the sick beating the heck out of me. It got bad enough to go to urgent care yesterday and they were like yeah you have COVID – no reason to think it’s a blood clot in your lungs or anything. So that’s good, however I still feel like crap. It’s Tuesday. I took picture of this and the last two varieties on Tuesday – of last week. It’s literally taken me that much time to get these post frameworks done before I’m even close to cooking. I might cook tomorrow, I dunno. But I think I’m coming out of the funk. I sure hope so… Anyways, let’s see about this one.
I tried the spicy version the other day, and while it was pretty good, I was left wishing it centered simply on salted egg. Well, this one does exactly that – shall we dance?
Big thanks to Daniel over at ExoticNoods for sending this over! Well, this will publish way later, but at the moment, I’m sick. It’s mid August. Just a crummy deal. Especially today – it’s my son Miles’s birthday today! Wanted to do a bunch of fun stuff but can’t stand for very long – hoping its a sinus infection . Started with COVID the other day and was feeling better then egad whomp. Anyways, Happy Birthday to Miles!
A big thanks to Daniel over at www.exoticnoods.com for sending this one! I’ve been wanting to try it and mukbang it up for a while now (mukbang vid at bottom of the page), and here it is. I love tom yum. I’m curious though as the Buldak base has the heat, but it also imparts some sweetness as well. Interesting. I guess the correct route is to give it a try.
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! Inside, they have 8-10 different varieties from Japan! If you’d like to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount! Let’s see what they had to say about this one – “From Mario to miso, we’ve got another tasty bowl of ramen! Men-Zukuri is popular for its tasty, non-flash fried noodles, making them nice, thick and chewy. This maze-soba is no different and features a miso-based sauce that we can’t get enough of!”
Big thanks to Daniel over at www.exoticnoods.com – check out his subscription boxes – multinational rad stuff with things like this inside! Really stoked to try this – and very curious what premium original flavour entails. Let’s check it out!
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! Inside, they have 8-10 different varieties from Japan! If you’d like to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount! Let’s see what they had to say about this one – “Look who showed up to the party—it’s Mario! This is the classic shio ramen (that we actually included in last month’s box) but with a unique twist. This pack features a “Wonder Powder” that adds a tasty tomato flavor to this soup for added umami flavor! Let’s-a go!”
Here’s one that came out of a box from ExoticNoods.com – thanks! I haven’t had a lot of products from this company, but always stoked to get something new to try. Let’s give it a go!
Here’s something you’ll find on the instant noodle aisle, however it is obviously not a noodle. This could be good stuff – very curious. Let’s nuke it and give it a try.
Well, it’s Tuesday and Kamala Harris just announced Tim Walz as her running mate. I’m guessing you know how it pans out for them at this point, but for me it is August 6th. This one sounds good – tteokbokki is a rich cake in tube form. When prepared, they’re chewy and usually paired with a spicy and sweet sauce. This one is also including noodle, so this is ‘rabokki.’ Let’s cook this huge pack.
