Author: Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch

#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! ...see full post

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! ...see full post

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! ...see full post

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! ...see full post

Re-Review: Paldo Kokomen Spicy Chicken Flavor

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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. ...see full post

#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! ...see full post

#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! ...see full post

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! ...see full post

#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! ...see full post

#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. ...see full post

#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! ...see full post

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! ...see full post

#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! ...see full post

#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! ...see full post

#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. ...see full post

#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! ...see full post

#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! ...see full post

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. ...see full post