As it’s the weekend of the Fourth Of July, I thought what better time to repost last year’s Top Ten American varieties list. Hope everyone has a good weekend! By the way – from July to the end of the year, lists get the following year’s date on them, so this list came out in 2020. A little confusing, I know… Check the bottom of this post for some special announcements including a series of instructional videos geared to help you elevate your ramen cooking! Happy Fourth Of July to all!
A lot of things have changed in the last year. I decided it would be a great time to come out with the Top Ten American instant noodles list; it’s November 2nd. Tomorrow is the last day to vote in a crucial election – whichever candidate you support, go exercise your right to vote! The video this year is very different. With the pandemic and my kids home from school doing about 25 Zoom meetings a week, my time has been critically limited. This way however, I’ll be able to bring you more top ten lists I think. This list is comprised of my favorite American varieties out of all the reviews up to #3,636, which count 446 varieties. Let’s check out The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten American Instant Noodles Of All Time 2021 Edition!
The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2021 Edition
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A short slideshow of The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten American Instant Noodles Of All Time 2021 Edition.
The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten American Instant Noodles Of All Time 2021 Edition
#10: Maruchan Creamy Chicken Flavor Ramen Noodle Soup
The noodles for this particular variety are just out of this world perfect. They have a decent and very standard gauge and suck up just enough broth. The broth has a very easy going creamy chicken taste, creaminess thanks to non-dairy creamer. Definitely my all-time favorite of the US Maruchan pillow pack range. Original review | Get it here
#9: Nongshim Shin Black Spicy Pot-Au-Feu Flavor
This one’s a no brainer – lots of great noodles are backed up with a very complex broth which imparts a spiciness and some nice rich flavor. This is a premium version of Nongshim’s flagship Shin Ramyun product, popular the world over. Original review | Get it here
#8: Nongshim Kimchi Flavor Noodle Soup
The tangyness of kimchi and noodles come together in this one. What’s more, it’s a very tasty Vegan variety that everyone can enjoy. You can cook it with boiling water or conveniently microwave as well. Original review | Get it here
#7: Nissin Cup Noodle Seafood Ramen Noodle Soup
A popular Japanese variety now available in the United States and produced here. Lots of bits of seafood, microwavable, and now with no added msg. Tasty and enjoyable. Original review | Get it here
#6: Sapporo Ichiban Japanese Style Noodles Chow Mein
Call it chow mein or yakisoba, it’s truly delicious and has graced many of my early annual top ten lists. No broth in this one – a noodle with a nice toothsome nature and a vibrant flavor. It comes with seaweed powder as a topping – use it or toss it, it’s absolutely wonderful stuff. Original review | Get it here
#5: Nongshim Soon Veggie Noodle Soup
This one is really a cut above. I find it a smoother version of Shin Ramyun with a very bright flavor and texture. This one’s microwavable and suitable for Vegan folks as well. Original review | Get it here
#4: Maruchan Bowl Taste Of Asia Tom Yum Ramen Noodle Soup
To be honest, I’m about as surprised by this one as you might be! But make no mistake – this US domestic variety is truly amazing. The tom yum flavor is just superb along with a huge quantity of noodles. You’ll fill up and be extremely happy as you do so. Original review | Get it here
#3: Nissin Cup Noodles Very Veggie Spicy Chicken Flavor Ramen Noodle Soup
This is still one of my absolute favorite around in a cup. The sheer amount of veggies in these cups is impressive. It goes a long way to flavor the broth very well – also one of the only ones if not the only that I know of that has lima beans! These come in beef, chicken, spicy chicken and soy sauce – any from this range could be on this list. Original review | Get it here
#2: Nongshim K-Army Stew Style Noodle Soup With Chili Beans
This one’s just a really great bowl. Budae Jjigae is a Korean dish. It translates to army stew or troop stew. Melding snacks from troops stationed during the Korean War and Korean cuisine, this fusion dish features an East meets West flavor which is hard to beat. Original review | Get it here
#1: Nongshim Tonkotsu Ramen Premium Noodle Soup
This one really took me off guard. Made in the United States by a company that usually produces Korean varieties, we have a Japanese standard. Tonkotsu is a pork bone broth and noodle combo that’s very good, and this is honestly one the the best I’ve tried anywhere. It is microwavable and comes with a sachet of spicy stuff so you can have it spicy or not. Just amazing stuff – bravo! Original review | Get it here
Announcements
The Ramen Rater School Of Garnish
You want to make perfect ramen eggs, fried eggs, or even the easiest chashu pork (tastiest I might add) as well? Look no further! You can watch all three concise instructional videos here – they’re easy and sure to make your bowls even better – and I also included a quick tutorial on how to take better pics of your noodles with your cellphone! I made a playlist above, so they’ll play one after another. Check out The Ramen Rater School Of Garnish today!
Instant Noodle Recipe Time Reaches Episode 1000
A few years back, I decided to try doing a show where I would record myself preparing and sampling the noodles I review. It’s been a lot of fun and a great way to share ideas about what I do every days. Today, episode 1000 is here and it’s a very unique episode. In the image above, you might have noticed that’s not noodles. But actually, it is! Bread made with instant noodles and seasoning as an ingredient! Longtime friend author Matthew Bellah has experimented with making a noodle-centric offering as of late and the results have been quite fascinating! Instant Noodle Recipe Time comes out daily at 2pm Pacific time. Check it out!
The Ramen Rater Group On Facebook
Want to hang out with like minded instant noodle fans? There’s over 67,000 of them now in Ramen Junkies / Instant Noodles – The Ramen Rater, a group on Facebook. You can see what people are creating, looking for, and discovering! Join us!
The Ramen Rater Shop
People have been asking where to get a lot of varieties and so I’ve partnered with Exotic Noods to bring you The Ramen Rater Shop. Here you’ll find an expending variety of instant noodles at a pretty decent price. You’ll be able to try a wide array of varieties and not have to buy a ton of each variety. I really wanted to have a way you could just buy a single pack of two at a time. The same way I do when I visit an Asian grocery.
The All New The Ramen Rater App For Android
The Ramen Rater App for Android has been given a whole new look and functionality. You can scan bar codes to see reviews I’ve done while at the store, peruse the top ten lists, and do simple searches. It’s really great – even a dark mode! Best of all it’s free and currently ad-free.
