Here’s one of the few I have left that were sent by James B. of the Netherlands – thanks again! I’m real curious whether this will have a strong tandoori chicken flavor or just a nice spicy mixture. I guess there’s only one way to find out! Let’s crack open the pack and have a look!
Author: Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch
#1940: Nissin Cup Noodle Pasta Style Bolognese
Here’s another one sent by Casey P. from Hong Kong – thanks again! So bolognese… Wikipedia?
#1939: MAMA Instant Noodles Shrimp Creamy Tom Yum Flavour
Another one from the big batch I got after our Thailand trip from the MAMA noodles people. Thanks again! So this has been one of my favorites in the past – the regular Shrimp Creamy Tom Yum has been on my annual top ten list in the past – but this is the Myanmar version. I’ve noticed in some varieties a little but of a smoky taste – wonder what we’ll find here? One way to find out – let’s check out this shrimp creamy tom yum!
#1938: Nissin Donbei Kamodashi Soba
Here’s another one that was sent to me by Javier over at Box From Japan – thanks! Box From Japan is a subscription service – you can get a box sent to you every month with some great noodles within! It says in the leaflet sent with the box that this has a duck flavor and a sweetness to it. Let’s check it out!
#1937: MAMA Chicken Soup Flavour Cup Noodles
Here’s another one that the folks at MAMA in Thailand sent me. This one’s from Myanmar – chicken flavor! Let’s check out this chicken!
A Long Time Travelled Package From Japan
Today I heard a beep and then a knock at our door. The beep usually is the postman about to knock and then ask for my signature. Today, I received a package from Wesley of Japan! This is something he shipped back on December 18th, 2015 (it’s February 11th, 2016 today) and we weren’t sure it would ever make it here. But it did! Let’s have a look!
CarJEN Sends Bags & Treats!
So every time I do a Top Ten list, I try to let the companies that make that list know. I usually post directly on their Facebook page a congratulatory message. Well, CarJEN’s J.J. Snek Mi Perisa BBQ made the new Top Ten Instant Noodle Snacks list, and I saw something neat on their page!
#1936: Fortune Rice Noodle Coconut Curry
Found this one at the new Win?Co Foods store in Edmonds, Washington. I thought ‘ooh – rice noodles and curry’ and so I got it. Let’s check it out!
Meet The Manufacturer: #1935: Love Cook Guanmiao Dried Noodles With Oleum Sesami
Today, we bid a fond farewell to the Love Cook Meet The Manufacturer. Been nice to try some new varieties from Taiwan lately! Oleum sesami is the scientific term for sesame oil. Very curious about this one! Let’s take a look!
Meet The Manufacturer: #1934: Love Cook Guanmiao Dried Noodles With Spicy Sauce
Ah now here we go – spicy! Spicy sounds good today – it’s been cold, rainy and windy lately – not a very nice combo. Every morning Miles wakes up and I wheel his bassinet over to the window to spend a few minutes looking outside – usually it’s a cloudy day. But that’s weather in Washington state for you – winter’s like that. Spicy sounds good – let’s check it out!
Meet The Manufacturer: #1933: Love Cook Guanmiao Dried Noodles With Authentic Sauce
So you might be wondering what ‘authentic sauce’ might be. I think this will be more like a soy based variety – with a few added spices. I think this is also referred to as Taiwanese sauce. The second review is ready to go!
Meet The Manufacturer: #1932: Love Cook Guanmiao Dried Noodles With Shallot Flavor
To start things off, I thought something sesame sounded good. Today alsol marks the start of regularly using my new camera/copy stand setup. I’m hoping this will allow for much higher quality photos! I suppose we’ll see! Anyways, let’s check out this noodle from Taiwan!
Meet The Manufacturer: Product Samples From Love Cook 2
A couple weeks later, I received another box…
A new bowl! Hooray! Really nice – thank you so much!
Meet The Manufacturer: Product Samples From Love Cook 1
A box came in the mail from Love Cook! Let’s look within…
Wow what’s in here? Pictures of suggested garnishes (always helpful), a CD with them as well. Also, a card.
Meet The Manufacturer: Interview With Love Cook
Interview With Love Cook * Product Samples From Love Cook 1 * Product Samples From Love Cook 2 * Love Cook Guanmiao Dried Noodles With Shallot Flavor * Love Cook Guanmiao Dried Noodles With Authentic Sauce * Love Cook Guanmiao Dried Noodles With Spicy Sauce * Love Cook Guanmiao Dried Noodles With Oleum Sesami
#1931: Bonasia Instant Noodles Chicken Flavour
Here’s another one that was sent to me from Thailand by the Thai President Foods folks. This is made in Hungary. Let’s have a look!
#1930: Koh Thai Island Of Flavours Lemongrass Instant Noodles Soup
Another one from James B. over in The Netherlands – thanks! I thought this one looked really interesting; it’s made in Singapore specifically for Koh Thai brand in The Netherlands. Let’s crack this one open!
#1929: MAMA Instant Noodles Minced Pork Flavour
The next to last Cambodian variety I got from the Thai President Foods folks back in May of ’15. Minced pork! Let’s crack it open!
Re-Review: Paldo Kokomen Spicy Chicken Flavor
You know, I just saw this one at the local HMart a week or so ago and thought it would be nice to have it again. Kind of weird to be doing a re-review when I’m getting close to the 2,000th review, but hey, like I said it sounds good. This has been a popular one for a while now since it slammed onto the scene. I think it was a comedian named Lee Kyung who made this spicy chicken variety a big hit. Anyways, let’s crack it open and dig on in.
#1928: Bamee Oriental Style Instant Noodles Chicken Flavour
At the local grocery store, they have this deal. It’s called ‘Cheep Chicken Monday,’ and you get 8 legs and wings for $4.99 on Mondays. It’s a pretty good deal – as long as the deli has a big mound of it, you know it’s fresh and hasn’t been sitting. It’s good stuff – thought I’d use some with this variety. Let’s check it out!
Urgent Need For New Varieties To Review
Dear Readers,
I took a look in my noodle hamper to find a horrifying scene: I’m low. Really low. On instant noodles I haven’t reviewed. Without new varieties to review, this site will grind to a screeching halt.
#1927: Marutai Kogashi Negiiri Tonkotsu Kagoshima Ramen
Here’s another one that was sent to me by Javier over at Box From Japan – thanks! Box From Japan is a subscription service – you can get a box sent to you every month with some great noodles within! From the description, this almost sounds like it might be a vegetable tonkotsu, but I don’t know. Says lots of cabbage – interesting! Let’s hit it up!
The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodle Snacks Of All Time 2016 Edition
Instant noodle… snacks? Yeah! Snacks of all kinds have come from instant noodles – candy, crunchy bits, you name it. They’re popular all over Asia and also the United States; have you ever taken a pack of instant noodles, crushed them and added in the seasoning and shaken the bag up and eaten them like potato chips or popcorn? Well, this is popular elsewhere as well! Let’s check out my favorite instant noodle snacks from over 1,900 reviews. Enjoy!
#1926: Nissin Bowl Noodles Hot & Spicy Chicken Flavor Less Sodium Ramen Noodle Soup
Here’s a new one from Nissin – a lower sodium version of their Hot & Spicy chicken bowl! Not many lower sodium varieties cross my desk usually – this one is 30% lower than the regular Hot & spicy chicken bowl. Let’s check it out!
#1925: Prima Juzz’s Mee Creamy Chicken Flavour
This is the third and final variety of the Juzz’s Mee I got from Prima a while back. So far, the other two were extremely good and I’ve been looking forward to this one. I’ve always been fond of creamy chicken instant noodles – a couple companies here in the Us have made creamy chicken variants that have been some of the best chicken varieties I’ve tried. I’m very curious about a Singaporean take on creamy chicken – so let’s have a look!
#1924: Sichuan Baijia Broad Noodle Artificial Beef Flavor
So the last one of these broad noodles I tried I made incorrectly (yeah, it happens once in a blue moon) and I’ll re-review it soon. See, the first one was a broth free variant and I just assumed that the rest would be. Well, it looks like the one I tired first was the exception to the rule. Anyways, let’s have a look at this beef flavored variety from Sichuan Baijia.
#1923: Conimex Oriental Noodles Teriyaki
Another one sent by James B. from the Netherlands. Thanks! So these Conimex variants have been interesting. The last one I had was a green curry whose only similarity to green curry was, well, a green hue. Let’s see what kind of teriyaki we have here!
#1922: Mie Sedaap Instant Cup Mi Kuah Rasa Baso Spesial
The last of the Mi Sedaap varieties I got quite a while ago at Asian Food Center down on Aurora and 130th. Let’s crack this one open – so few Indonesian varieties cross my desk these days!
#1921: Nissin Cup Noodles Ramen Noodle Soup Chicken Flavor [New Package]
Hey check it out – Nissin Cup Noodles got a big facelift.
Here’s how they used to look – cardboard outer packaging is now gone. Less packaging and different materials have been used to make them more environmentally friendly. Also, they’re now microwavable! Yes, I’m sure many of you microwaved them before, but you weren’t supposed to. The new cups also have a little extra room so you can add veggies and meats or whatever you want to oomph up your noodles! Let’s check this new cup out!
The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten South Korean Instant Noodles Of All Time 2016 Edition
South Korea has the highest per person consumption of instant noodles in the world. It’s not a surprise that their instant noodle are quite good – usually the noodles (known as ramyun) are thicker and accompanied by a spicy broth. These are my very favorite varieties of South Korean instant noodles – hope you enjoy!
#1920: Itsuki Ramen Tonkotudou Kumamoto Noodles
Here’s yet another one sent to me by Casey P. from Hong Kong! Thanks again! This one screams fancy – big and gold packaging. Shiny! Let’s see what we have here.
#1919: Maruchan Shiroi Chikara Mochi Udon
Here’s another one that was sent to me by Javier over at Box From Japan – thanks! Box From Japan is a subscription service – you can get a box sent to you every month with some great noodles within! This is an interesting one – looks like they’re mentioning a big Dragonball Z contest or something on it. 2.000.000 somethings are referred to… Hmmm… Not only that, this one’s got mochi in it! Mochi is a doughy kind of substance which can surround jellies or ice cream (my favorite). It also apparently goes well in udon! Let’s check it out!
#1918: iMee Instant Noodles Chicken Flavour
Here’s another one that was sent to me by James B. from The Netherlands – thanks! So this one is made in Thailand for the Dutch market. Nothing says compassion like chicken. I think. Well, chicken is kind of that universal flavor that is okay for everyone but Vegans (at least if it has chicken in it). Let’s check it out!
#1917: IbuRamen Mi Goreng Bento Noodles In A Box Hot, Sweet & Sour Flavor
The last time I had one of these, I found something fascinating inside. The sachets all say Mexi Ramen on them, a brand I have reviewed once in the past (actually it was my 500th review). The package said it was MexiRamen. This one is clearly mentioning mi goreng, a Southeast Asian delicacy, and Bento, a Japanese style meal. Let’s crack this box open and have a look inside.
#1916: Nissin Soba Fried Noodles Teriyaki
Here’s another one James B. sent me from The Netherlands – thanks again! I’ve reviewed these varieties in cup form, but not the packs and I’m really pleased to be able to. These come from Nissin Germary! Let’s have a look!
#1915: Itsuki Yuzu Sesame Sauce Udon
Here’s another one graciously sent by Casey P. of Hong Kong – thank you again! So this is udon – udon is a thick noodle with a nice chewy texture. It looks that this one is served cold! Andy’s going to try this one today and I’m really curious how he likes it. Let’s look and see what’s in this bowl!
#1914: Prima Juzz’s Mee Curry Flavour
This is the second of three Juzz’s Mee varieties I have here to review. I’d never heard of them until Prima sent them my way! They’re the same company as Prima Tastem which makes a wonder Curry La Mian and Laksa Lamian that have both been on my top ten list for a few years now. I just found out last night that Juzz’s Mee is wordplay on ‘just me’ or ‘just for me.’ I got to find out as I had dinner last night with a couple nice folks who invited my wife and I to dine with them in Seattle! Check out this post I did about it on foofoomayo. Let’s have a look inside!
#1913: Thai Smile Mushroom Rice Noodle Soup Bowl
The last of the stuff I found at BigLots! a while back. BigLots! is a kind of clearance/liquidation chain. What I like is that I usually find something or other in there that I’ve never heard of or reviewed before which is nice. Let’s have a look at this rice noodle bowl.
#1912: MAMA Instant Noodles Chicken Sichek Flavour
I still haven’t found anywhere with any kind of straight definition of sichek, but it seems to me that it’s just a kind of dry noodle dish, kind of like mi goreng. The tom yum variety I had a few days back was quite good, and so today with Andy over here and his penchant for enjoying all things chicken, I thought I’d make this one for him. Let’s check it out!
The Ramen Rater’s 5th Annual Momofuku Ando Day: #1911: Nissin Emergency Chikin Ramen
Every January 19th for the past 5 years, I’ve done a special post in homage of Momofuku Ando. Who was he? Just the guy who invented instant noodles in 1958. If it weren’t for him, my world would be a whole lot different – and many other people’s as well. Actually, I should thank Mr. Ando’s wife as well – the story is that he was attempting to make an easily prepared, shelf stable instant noodle, but couldn’t figure out how. He tried many different techniques, but it was when he saw his wife making tempura in the kitchen one night that it dawned on him – fry the cooked noodles. This leaves holes in the noodles and extrudes the water. Not only that, the oil keeps the noodles shelf stable for a long time. His vision of a way to create and easy way to feed the masses has been a huge success and considered one of the great innovations of the 20th century. I think he deserves a day in his honor, and that day is today, January 19th.