Been a couple weeks it seems since I got any packages in the mail – but today I got a nice box from MyKuali! Let’s see what’s inside!
Author: Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch
#1752: Kuriki Mayo Ramen
Okay so you might be wondering – mayo ramen – that couldn’t possibly mean… Yes. Where did I get it though?
#1751: Mom’s Dry Noodle Spicy & Sour Flavor
Here’s a new one that just was released! These varieties by Mom’s Dry Noodle have been pretty impressive. This one’s spicy and sour – sounds quite interesting. I’ve tried such flavors from Malaysia before – kind of a description of Laksa, but being from Taiwan I think this is going to be a lot different. Like curry, spicy and sour flavors are different whever you go. Let’s check out this new one from Mom’s Dry Noodle!
Ramen Mania! Rare Ramen To Your Door From Japan
Okay so I asked for help on The Ramen Rater facebook page . I needed someone to do a voiceover for the Bottom Ten List video – in Japanese. Responding to the call was Shinichi. I thought he was in Osaka, Japan.
#1750: Mie Sedaap Instant Cup Mi Kuah Rasa Soto
It’s been really nice having some Indonesian varieties to review again! Seemed like it almost went a whole year without any until recently! This one might confuse Westerners that see it on the shelf so I’ll help you out. Let’s break down Mi Kuah Rasa Soto. It directly translates to noodle soup, soto flavor. Now, soto is a popular Indonesian soup and seems to usually have a lime aspect to it which is very nice. This cup has a lot of stuff going on inside – let’s walk through it.
#1749: Yum Yum Jumbo Instant Noodles Tom Yum Kung Creamy Flavour
Here’s another one I found at the 7-11 in Bangkok during my trip in May. I’m going to guess this may be a little spicy, judging by the eye with the teardrop. Hey – no crying in baseball – or instant noodles! Time to take this one on! Let’s check it out!
Friday Video: A Shoutout To The /reddit/r/Throwers
I saw some traffic coming from a post in a reddit group called Throwers by a guy named moby123 who’s a follower of my reviews and I really had no clue about what ‘throwers’ were. Then I saw it had something to do with yo-yos. Then I saw some clips about the competition they were talking about – the World Yo Yo Contest in Tokyo, Japan. Wow – I’m blown away – this is badass! Here’s a clip of one of the preliminaries. There’s a lot of these videos – I’ve watched at least an hour or so already and I’m just transfixed by the precision, speed and timing of these athletes. Have a good Friday and pick up your yo yos people – you got a lot of practice to come close to this kind of stuff (unless you do this already and if so, I salute you!).
A Thank You To Some Great Local Businesses
I wanted to let people know about some pretty neat places around where I live. I live in a small town called Kenmore which is at the north end of Lake Washington. We moved here in March and really have enjoyed it a lot so far – my wife has commented that she’s felt at home here quicker than any of the other places we’ve lived which is really nice! Anyways, I wanted to give a quick shout out and thank you to some businesses around here that you should check out if you’re in the area!
#1748: Azami Chili Chicken Flavour Noodle Soup
Here’s another one that was sent to me by Justin M. from Winfield, BC up north of here in Canada! Chili chicken sounds like it’d be pretty good; a familiar flavor and a little bit of spiciness? Sure – let’s have a look at this cup.
#1747: Vit’s Curry Instant Noodles
Got this one at the Econsave in Butterworth, Penang, Malaysia last year. Curry noodles! Let’s check ’em out!
#1746: Marutai Ramen Shoyu Taste
Here’s another one from Box From Japan! Thanks, Javier! I also want to thank Shinichi S. for helping with the translation! Shoyu translates to English as ‘soy sauce.’ Shoyu ramen is one of the classics from Japan – been around forever. Let’s see what makes this particular bowl variety tick!
#1745: Unox Good Noodles Kerrie
Here’s one that was sent to me by James B. from The Netherlands – thanks! I’ve had a couple of this brand’s varieties before; they were sent to me by some folks at a Dutch tech magazine after I did an interview for them. That was waaaay back, so it’s pretty cool to be able to review new one! Let’s check ’em out!
#1744: A-Sha Veggie Noodle Baby Grass Noodle With Toona Sauce
I pride myself on trying a new instant noodle every day, but it’s really special when I get to try a new one with a flavor I’ve never tried before. Behold noodle enthusiasts: Baby Grass. I’ve been wanting to try this since I’d heard of it. Here’s what A-Sha’s website has to say about it: “Our Baby Grass Noodles with Toona Sauce bring out a fresh, earthy flavor. An extra source of fiber and a light healthy taste” The noodles have the Baby Grass flavor, but what is Toona Sauce? I think this snippet from Wikipedia has something to do with it – “T. sinensis (Chinese Toon) is used in Chinese traditional medicine and eaten as a vegetable in China (leaves and shoots).” Anyways, let’s have a look at this truly unique variety from Taiwan’s A-Sha!
#1753: Thai Smile Garlic Rice Noodle Soup Bowl
I’m happy to report that this is the first post I’m doing using my new computer setup. Took a while to get everything all happy but now it’s quite happy as am I. Anyways, we found these in Lynnwood, WA at a store called BigLots. I’ve found varieties there in the past – kind of like a liquidation place. This one seems to definitely be for the western market although made in Thailand. Let’s check it out.
#1743: MAMA Rangers Snack Noodles Shrimp Tom Yum Flavour
Here’s yet another one sent to me by the MAMA folks in Thailand. This is a snack noodle made in Myanmar! The MAMA Rangers look to be having a little party on the front of the package! Let’s see if they’ll bring the party to our tastebuds!
SG50: Happy Birthday, Singapore!
My wife and I entered a special photo contest today here in town and there were six categories of pictures we could enter. One of them was ‘Happiness Is’ and since I was planning on doing something to celebrate SG50, I thought I’d have some Prima Taste Singapore Laksa La Mian today in honor of SG50 – the 50th anniversary of Singapore! I added fish ball from Singapore, Crab Claw fish cake from Singapore, white onion, mint, tau pok and mung bean sprouts. Singapore Laksa is something that truly makes me happy! Hope everyone in Singapore has a great day!
#1742: Aroi Curry Me! Penang White Curry Stir-Fry Noodle
I got this during my annual trip up to Canada for my birthday! A while back, I reviewed the soup version of this one. I’ve seen numerous soup varieties of Penang White Curry , but this time it’s a Stir-Fry version. Sounds interesting and different – let’s give it a look!
#1741: Myojo Udon Japanese Style Pre-Cooked Noodles With Soup Chicken Flavor
My wife and I were at the grocery store the other day and she saw this series by Myojo. ‘Have you tried these yet?’ she asked. It’s funny – she finds lots of varieties for me that I never even notice – it’s pretty awesome! Since she’s a fan of udon, I thought I would make her some today. Let’s check ’em out!
Re-Review: Quickchow Instant Bihon Guisado Instant Rice Noodles Saute
So my sister got me a neat plate a couple weeks ago at Shipwreck Day. Shipwreck Day is like a big citywide garage sale up in Anacortes, Washington – my hometown. The plate was part of a set and the lady didn’t want to break up the set, but my sister came back a little later and the lady gave in and let her buy one after she mentioned what I would use it for. The lady was originally from the Philippines and was a travel agent. I decided maybe I ought to do a review of something from the Philippines in honor of her relenting, and that’s what today’s review is about. Bihon is like bihun – it’s rice noodles. I reviewed this one originally almost 5 years ago – and really didn’t like it. Wondering if my palate might be a little more interested, I thought it’d be nice to try again, and so here we are – let’s check it out.
#1740: Master Kong Braised Beef Noodle
Here’s what I believe to be the very last I received from a nice readerfrom Sweden – thank you very much! Braised beef is always a nice flavor. Usually a little hint of heat and a nice slow cooked taste. Curious about this one! Let’s check it out!
#1739: Nissin Raoh Tanrei Koku Shio Ramen
Here’s one I got in the package sent by Javier over at Box From Japan – thanks! So shio is a classic style of ramen – here’s what Wikipedia has to say about it:
The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Spiciest Instant Noodles Of All Time 2015 Edition
As many might know, I started The Ramen Rater (click to see the old site) in 2002 and did about 60 reviews. Then, I turned my attention to spicy hot sauces with The Sauce Rater. In 2010, I resumed my instant noodle reviewing. I’ve long been a fan of the spicy side of things – strong heat and good flavor are a couple of my favorite things. Let’s have a look at the absolutely hottest varieties I’ve found in my over 1,700 reviews of instant noodles from around the world in this year’s The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Spiciest Instant Noodles Of All Time 2015 Edition.
#1738: Little Cook Instant Noodles Shrimp Tom Yum Flavour
Something I found at the local HMart a few weeks ago. I went out with my wife this week for tom yum at a local restaurant – good stuff! Some rice on the side to mix in – really tasty! Tom yum has a strong lemongrass and spicy flavor to it which is really great – let’s check this one by Little Cook out!
#1737: Mie Sedaap Instant Cup Mi Goreng
It’s been really hard to find new varieties from Indonesia lately and I was really stoked to find a total of four of them the other day! I always try to keep things mixed up – reviewing a different product from a different country every day if possible. It can be tough sometimes but lately I’ve been ending up with quite a range of varieties which is great. Anyways, let’s check out this one from Indonesia!
#1736: Mamee Monster Snek Mi Perisa Pedas
The last time I got samples from Mamee Doubledecker, they sent quite a few things along. They sent two of these ten packs of Mamee Monster as well! This is a new flavor – Pedas. Pefas means spicy! Let’s have a look at this one – and look – there’s a prize inside!
#1735: Master Kong Tomato Sauce Instant Noodle
There’s a new Asian Food Center on 130th & Aurora – went there hunting for some of the fruit I goty to try in Thailand and found mangosteen – and quite a few instant noodle varieties, this being one of them. It’s pretty far and few between that I find Master Kong varieties – always kind of a treat! I want to thank Bobby Y. from Canada for help in translation on this one! Let’s have a look at this one from China!
#1734: Koka Instant Non-Fried Noodles Laksa Singapura Flavour
I don’t know why, but I’ve never gotten this one to review before! It’s been on the shelves staring at me for so long, but I never seem to get it. Well, no more! Time to review this variety today!
#1733: Bonasia Instant Noodles Beef Flavour
Here’s another one that was sent to me from Thailand by the Thai President Foods folks. This is made in the EU for the German market! I thought maybe I’d make my son some beef flavored instant noodles today – let’s have a look!
#1732: Super Seafood Flavour Noodles
Here’s yet another I got last year at the Econsave in Butterowrth, Penang, Malaysia! I’d seen this Super brand before and had always wondered if I’d ever get some. Took travelling thousands of miles, but I got some! Let’s have a look at this Malaysian cup.
#1731: MAMA Instant Noodles Shrimp Creamy Tom Yum Flavour
Some of you are going to say ‘hey this is a re-review!’ But actually, it isn’t. This is the MAMA Shrimp Creamy Tom Yum for the Cambodian market! Yup – Cambodia. A lot of new countries lately which is awesome! I got these sent to me when I saw them during my visit to Thailand at the Thai President Foods European Agent Meeting in May! Let’s have a look at this one for the Cambodian market.
Donations From A Reader In The Netherlands
I recently had the fortune to meet a guy on facebook named James B. who wanted to send me some instant noodles from The Netherlands! A very kind offer which I took him up on!
Unique Veggie Noodles From A-Sha
A box showed up a couple days ago from Hann-wei over at A-Sha! Let’s see what’s inside!
New Products Coming From Mom’s Dry Noodle
Got some really fresh new samples from Kyle over at Mom’s Dry Noodle a couple days ago! Let’s check ’em out!
#1730: Wu-Mu BBQ Pork Flavor Chow Mein
Here’s yet another I got up in Canada during my birthday trip this last year. This one sounded especially good – chow mein! BBQ pork! How can you go wrong? Well, my hope is that one can’t go wrong! Let’s find out.
#1729: Vedan Zan Vegetarian Instant Noodle Series Shiitake Mushroom Flavor
Here’s one we found up in Canada during my birthday trip earlier this year. This one’s a little tricky to figure out; the distributor/import sticker mentioned shiitake, but another site I saw mentioned carrot, and indeed there’s a carrot on the package. Anyways, this one looked kind of interesting so let’s have a look.
#1728: Yamadai Tenobe Somen
Here’s another one that was sent to me by the folks at Exotic Noods – thanks! This looks to be a somen served hot,m which would make it along the lines of nyumen which is served in Winter.I must admit, when I see low sodium and low calorie I usually don’t shudder with delight; I’ve had some pretty bad ones that have these tags. But, you never know! Let’s have a look at this one!
#1727: Wei Lih Jah Jan Men
Well lookie what we have here. This is the ubiquitous Taiwanese Wei Lih Men bowl. In fact, it’s two bowls. Let me demonstrate.
#1726: Vina Acecook Oh! Ricey Pho Ga
Been a while since I’ve done a pho review. I would definitely say I’m a fan of pho, but definitely the beef varieties. Where I live, there’s no end to the pho restaurants – I’m guessing there’s probably at least 20 within 5 miles of here. Anyways, let’s check this one out.
The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodle Cups Of All Time 2015 Edition
What do corn dogs, sandwiches, burritos and instant noodle cups have in common? They’re all portable. People can’t seem to stay in one spot for very long; they want to carry their meals with them as they move about. Since the inception of the instant noodle cup in the early 70’s when Momofuku Ando saw people using coffee cups and hot water to steep their instant noodles and brought this concept to market, the noodle cup has become a ubiquitous icon in the daily lives of billions. Today, I present the best of the instant noodle cups I’ve tried in my over 1,700 instant noodle reviews. With that, please enjoy The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodle Cups Of All Time 2015 Edition.
#1725: A-Sha Veggie Noodle Black Sesame Noodle
This year, Taiwan made The Ramen Rater’s top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2015 edition for the first time with A-Sha’s Veggie Noodle Tomato variety. This one is part of the same line, which also includes carrot and ‘baby grass’ flavors which I’m also hoping to try soon! Let’s have a look at this interesting variety.