Earlier this year, people from Taiwan voiced their displeasure with not being included in the 2013 Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time. They came in droves, shouting the praises of their beloved varieties. They were equally unhinged by having two varieties listed in my Bottom Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2013 list. Two were included there. After all of this outcry and seeing the pride and passion about their noodles, I thought it was a must to do a Top Ten Taiwanese Instant Noodles Of All Time 2013 list; these people are easily as interested in noodles as much as I am! This new list encompasses all of the Taiwanese varieties that I’ve reviewed thus far. So, without further ado, I hope you will enjoy The Ramen Rater’s top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2013 edition!
#10: Wu-Mu Beef Flavor Ramen (Mi Bo)
I tried these a couple years back and found them to be superb. The noodles are springy and high quality and the beef broth is deep, rich and really flavorful with a spiciness and sweetness that is truly excellent. Original review
#9: Wu-Mu Spicy Flavor Tomato Ramen
The noodles have a good consistency and character; a nice chew. The broth is interesting; there’s a nice spiciness that’s not overbearing, a sesame oil component and a tomato flavor. The tomato flavor doesn’t taste like ketchup but like real tomatoes. Original review here
#8: Ve Wong Instant Oriental Noodle Soup Artificial Sesame Chicken Flavor
A strong sesame oil infused broth along with nice chicken flavor were one thing, but the addition of a nice bit of ginger made this really enjoyable. This was a pleasant surprise. Original review here
#7: Wei Lih Jah Jan Mien Instant Noodles With Fried Soybeans Paste
So many people commented and were outraged that this didn’t make my regular top ten list. Jah Jan Mien is very unique in that you are presented with a saucy noodle and a bowl of broth. They pair really well; you have some noodles and then are drawn to slurp some soup.Original review here
#6: A-Sha Dry Noodle Mandarin Noodle – Onion Oil Sauce
The noodles are exquisite in that they have a wonderful chew and just plain make me want more. The flavoring is top-notch in this one – a strong and sweet onion flavor with sesame and soy notes . A masterpiece of simplicity. Original review here
#5: Deshome Aloe Noodle Red Onion & Sesame Sauce
Wide, flat noodles infused with aloe. The aloe is farmed by the company as well. They’re non-fried; dried in the hot sun! They have a freshness and texture that it really amazing. The red onion and sesame flavors intermingle nicely. Original review here
#4: Amianda Noodle Tachia Dried Noodles – Rou Zhao Meat Sauce
The noodles are spectacular – elastic and perfect chewiness. The flavoring is awesome! Has a sweet and salty braised pork flavor that is just out of this world. Original review here
#3: Unif Man Han Feast Sichuan Chili Eel Flavor Instant Noodle
The noodles are flat and broad. They have a nice quality to them; not too chewy but very good for a bowl noodle. The broth is rich with a good spiciness. The added bonus with this is the eel – it’s really good! Everything is rich and hearty and it’s definitely a feast to behold and consume. Original review here
#2: Deshome Aloe Noodle With Basil Sauce
The basil flavoring goes extremely well; reminds me of marinara but different. I am continuously impressed by how Taiwanese noodles that I’ve tried recently don’t contain a huge list of ingredients but rather they take an avenue of simplicity that works so nicely. This one is excellent – bravo! Original review here
#1: A-Sha Dry Noodle QQ Thin Noodle – BBQ Sauce
These noodles are great! Very light and thin and honesty they seem to be happy. It’s a perfect balance of texture and delicateness. They definitely are wonderful to chew. The BBQ sauce? Well, this isn’t what most would think of when you say BBQ sauce – it’s not the 99 cents a bottle stuff at the local grocery store. Instead, it’s a very enjoyable and tasty flavor with nice depth. Soy sauce, garlic, a slight spiciness and other flavors are represented in a wonderful flavor that doesn’t have the usual American ‘slather’ BBQ sauce feel. This is excellent. Original review here
Well, there’s the list! I hope you all enjoy it! By the way, I’ve been nominated for a contest for best food website where I live – please vote for The Ramen Rater here! Thank you In the next year, I’ll be reviewing many more Taiwanese varieties!
Have you tried the Man Han Da Can Braised Beef noodles? Beef noodle soup in itself is almost a national treasure in Taiwan. Man Han Da Can’s version is the best instant noodle I’ve had, period (…and I’ve had several of the noodles you put on your 2012 and 2013 Top Tens!)
I really would love to try it but it’s not available here in the United States – I hope someone sends me some!
– TRR