Author: Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch

Tseng Noodles – Coming To America!

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This is a box I’ve been really excited about – and I think a lot of you will be excited as well. People have been asking me about Tseng/Zeng noodles and where to get them since they were #9 on my annual The Ramen Rater’s top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2016 Edition. They just made #1 on my Taiwan Top Ten list2 days ago. Well, I have it on good authority that they will be available in the United States at 99 Ranch Market in California around Christmas time – that’s all I know for now but if I hear more, I’ll let you all know! ...see full post

New Cup Noodles From Nissin Foods USA (2 of 2)

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Nissin Foods USA recently changed their instant Cup Noodles recipe for the first time in decades. Why? To lower sodium, MSG and artificial flavorings. Here are the samples they kindly send – they got new clothes as well! ...see full post

New Cup Noodles From Nissin Foods USA (1 of 2)

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Nissin Foods USA recently changed their instant Cup Noodles recipe for the first time in decades. Why? To lower sodium, MSG and artificial flavorings. Here are the samples they kindly send – they got new clothes as well! ...see full post

Noodles & Snacks From Love Cook Of Taiwan

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Thank you Steve C. for sending these along! Curious to see what’s inside!

Two bags of noodle (click to enlarge). Steve wasn’t sure how they translate – anyone want to give it a shot? ...see full post

New Samples From South Korea’s Paldo Food

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First, I want to send a special thank you to Yongmin Park for sending me product samples! See, every year I do the Top Ten South Korean Instant Noodles list and each year it’s starting to seem like I get fewer and fewer products to try from South Korea. People have been getting grumpy about the list too – see, it’s only for products made IN South Korea, not elsewhere. Let’s have a look inside and see what awaits! ...see full post

The September Box From Japan!

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It’s so awesome! Every month, I get a box of instant noodles from Javier over at www.BoxFromJapan.com. There’s always 4 bowls and cups (he also has boxes of unique Japanese candies as well!), 4 pairs of chopsticks and a  note about the box. To date, I’ve NEVER RECEIVED ONE I’VE REVIEWED BEFORE. This is truly amazing to me! Shall we look inside the September box? ...see full post

#2186: Master Kong Assorted Seafood Noodles

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Here’s another one that was sent to me by a reader named Colin from the east coast – thanks again! Still amazes me how many varieties of instant noodles are available in the United States I’ve not sampled yet. Let’s dig in to some seafoodiness today! ...see full post

#2185: Nissin Raoh Hot & Sour Ramen

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Here’s one that’s been lingering in the hamper a little – sent by a reader named Colin who sent a ton of varieties a few months ago – thanks again! So this is hot and sour – kind of surprised that his even exists as all the Raoh varieties I’ve tried in the past were traditional – shoi, miso, shoyu , tonkotsu et al. Let’s give this one a try! ...see full post

The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Taiwanese Instant Noodles Of All Time 2016 Edition

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 This is the fourth year of The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Taiwanese Instant Noodles Of All Time lists. The list definitely has had a lot of movement every year – a good sign as those who produce instant noodles in Taiwan are innovating and producing new styles and flavors all the time! Here are my pick of the tastiest and most memorable Taiwanese varieties from my over 2,000 reviews to date. ...see full post

Re-Review: Tseng Noodles Scallion With Sichuan Pepper Flavor

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I thought that after making The Ramen Rater’s top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2016 Edition and winning The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Taiwanese Instant Noodles Of all Time 2016 Edition, it would be nice to revisit this tasty noodle! What do you think? Let’s dig in! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2184: President Rice Coriander Instant Rice Noodles

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As we wind down this Meet The Manufacturer, I’ve been saving one that I found very interesting to be towards the end. I use coriander in the ‘finished’ photo of many instant noodle varieties – but never have I seen an instant noodles whose primary flavor is coriander. I’m very curious about this one – let’s check it out! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2183: MAMA Instant Rice Noodles Moo Nam Tok Flavour

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I thought the first thing to do would be to look this up on Wikipedia. I found an entry for nam tok and here’s some of what it said: ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2182: MAMA Instant Rice Vermicelli Clear Soup

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I’ve always been curious about the clear soups; where are they enjoyed and who enjoys them and with what? Well, let’s find out what it’s like! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2181: MAMA Instant Rice Noodles Chicken Flavour

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Here’s the third of the more European varieties in this series. Chicken! Let’s check it out! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2180: MAMA Pho Ga Rice Noodles With Artificial Chicken Flavour

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Here’s the seond of the pho bowls – chicken! Let’s give it a try!

Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, add everything to the bowl and add boiling water to the fil lline. cover for 4 minutes. Stir and enjoy! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2179: MAMA Oriental Kitchen Instant Rice Vermicelli In Gravy

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This sounds interesting! I don’t think I’ve heard of rice vermicelli in gravy before. It looks like it will be beef gravy from the picture. Guess we’ll see! Let’s have a looksie… ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: Re-Review: MAMA Instant Rice Vermicelli Bihun Goreng Perisa Asli

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Today, we bid a fond farewell to the President Rice instant series with this Bihun Goreng. This product is probably self-explanatory to many, but I’ll give a little more to those who are unfamiliar. Mee goreng is a noodle that is boiled, drained and then seasoned and garnished. Bihun goreng is basically the same, however done with rice vermicelli. Let’s give it a try – and my thanks to President Rice Products for making this Meet The Manufacturer happen! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2178: MAMA Instant Tom Yam Rice Noodles

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A few days back I reviewed the flat noodle version of this one. What will this one be like? Let’s find out! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: Re-Review: MAMA Pho Bo Rice Noodles With Artificial Beef Flavour

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It’s been a while since I’ve done any re-reviews and there will be a couple in this Meet The Manufacturer. This is from a long time ago – last time I had this bowl was in review #304 which I posted February 20th, 2011. Yep – very old review and should be interesting to see how I like it now as opposed to back then. I know it’ll look nicer than back then – I used to drop two fried eggs in with EVERYTHING and a lot of the time it looked like a hideous trainwreck. Let’s revisit this one! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2177: MAMA Instant Rice Noodles Vegetable Flavour

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Here’s another from the line that looks to be for export to northern Europe. Vegetables! Let’s give it a try! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2176: MAMA Instant Rice Vermicelli Yentafo Tom Yam Mohfai

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The wheat noodle version of MAMA’s Yentafo Tom Yam Mohfai has been on the annual The Ramen Rater Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time list as well as the cups list for the cup version before. Very curious how the rice vermicelli will be! Looking forward to it – let’s give it a try! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2175: MAMA Instant Flat Noodles Clear Soup

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It’s been fun trying these rice noodles – I don’t often have a bunch of them in a row and I was curious how it would be after a couple days but I’ve really enjoyed it thus far. Usually Meet The Manufacturers can honestly be a little trying – the same brand for a couple weeks. But I’m definitely enjoying this one! On with the show! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2174: MAMA Cup Rice Noodles Tom Saab Flavour

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Most of you have probably heard of tom yum soup, but tom saab you might not have heard of. Tom Saab is a spicy pork soup from northern Thailand. Let’s give this a try! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer #2173: MAMA Instant Rice Noodles Stew Beef Flavour

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By looking at the front of this package, it looks to me like it’s definitely for the European marketplace – northern Euope in particular. Time to take some beef out and make some noodles! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2172: MAMA Instant Rice Noodles Phnom Penh Style

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It’s kind of neat – this is the first Meet The Manufacturer I’ve done with only rice noodle varieties! Today, it’s Phnom Penh style. Phnom Penh is the biggest city in Cambodia and this variety purports to take the flavors of the place and bring them to the rice noodle. Let’s give it a try! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2171: MAMA Instant Flat Noodles Tom Yum Flavour

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I have all the noodles that MAMA sent in a big bag and going to blindly pick them out every day! Today, I pulled out this rice noodle – wide! Plus, tom yam flavor – definitely a good foot to start out with. Tom yam has a spicy and citrussy flavor to it – crisp and refreshing and tasty! Let’s have a look! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: President Rice Product Samples

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A big box arrived today! Let’s open it up!

Wow (click to enlarge) – this box is full. Nothing more could fit in it – it’s like a mathematician figured out exactly where everything must fit like a puzzle! Whoever packed this should get an award! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: Interview With President Rice Products

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Interview With President Rice Products * Product Samples From President Rice Products * MAMA Instant Flat Noodles Tom Yum Flavour * MAMA Instant Rice Noodles Phnom Penh Style * MAMA Instant Rice Noodles Stew Beef Flavour * MAMA Cup Rice Noodles Tom Saab Flavour * MAMA Instant Flat Noodles Clear Soup * MAMA Instant Rice Vermicelli Yentafo Tom Yam Mohfai * MAMA Instant Rice Noodles Vegetable Flavour * MAMA Pho Bo Rice Noodles With Artificial Beef Flavour * MAMA Instant Tom Yam Rice Noodles * MAMA Instant Rice Vermicelli Bihun Goreng Perisa Asli * MAMA Oriental Kitchen Instant Rice Vermicelli In Gravy * MAMA Pho Ga Rice Noodles With Artificial Chicken Flavour * MAMA Instant Rice Noodles Chicken Flavour * MAMA Instant Rice Vermicelli Clear Soup * MAMA Instant Rice Noodles Moo Nam Tok Flavour * President Rice Coriander Instant Rice Noodles ...see full post

#2170: Maruchan Ramen Noodle Soup Mushroom Flavor

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Here’s another one sent by a reader named Colin – thanks again! Today, I thought I’d cook up something for my wife Kit. Her actual name is Christine, but I’ve called her Kit for years. She’s always been a big fan of mushrooms – in fact, it’s because of her that I’ve started to like them. Oddly, here’s a Maruchan instant noodle I’ve not reviewed yet. I didn’t even know it still existed til Colin sent it over. Let’s have a look at this one. ...see full post

#2169: Happy Family Vegetable Flavour Instant Noodles

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This is one that the folks from Prima Taste sent me when I did a call for instant noodles to review when I was running low a while back – thanks again! I always love to find  new varieties to review – and what surprises many is that I like trying different store brands. Many will say ‘oh – these aren’t special, they’re common!’ Well, they’re often not common where I live – and if I’ve not tried them, they’re definitely diamonds in the rough! Let’s have a look at this one! ...see full post

#2168: Tseng Rice Noodle Shallot With Braised Pork Flavor

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Here’s another new one from Tseng’s – shallot braised pork. Man, this sounds good – I really have high hopes. As I’ve opined before, Taiwanese braised anything is unbelievably good. Really, it isn’t just my opinion – I would mark it down as fact. If you don’t like Taiwanese braised anything, you just don’t know what tastes good and should have your tongue examined for mold or aliens. Let’s give this one a try and see how it translates to a rice noodle. ...see full post

#2167: Great Value Vegetable Flavour Noodles With Vegetables

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Here’s one my sister got me from up in Canada for my birthday! Thank you! Walmar instant noodles! ...see full post

#2166: JML Instant Noodle Artificial Beef Flavor & Sour Pickled Cabbage

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Purple! Nothing like purple. Purple crayons, The Color Purple, Purple Rain… Actually, I’m not really a fan of any of those; but when I see the color of purple on an instant noodle package, especially from Taiwan, Hong Kong or China, it usually denotes something pickled. Indeed, here we have sour pickled cabbage. This isn’t quite like sauerkraut but kind of like it. Anyways, let’s crack into this one – another kindly send by colin. Thanks again! ...see full post

#2165: Suimin Noodles With Hot & Spicy Flavour

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Here’s another one of the many cups that Jen from Australia sent a few months back – thank you again! Very curious about this one – how hot and spicy will it be? Let’s find out! ...see full post

#2164: Tseng Rice Noodle Chinese Mushrooms With Soybean Vegetarian Braised Pork Flavour

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This one sounds curious to me. While I do like braised pork – a lot- I’m unsure about this Chinese mushroom. But hey – I’ve been pleasantly surprised in the mushroom department before, right? Let’s give it a go! ...see full post

#2163: Nissin Piritto Karakuchi Tantan Udon

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Here’s another one sent by the kind folks at www.BoxFromJapan.com. You can subscribe to a monthly box of instant noodles from Japan – and what’s amazing is that every month they’ve sent me one, I’ve never gotten one that I’ve reviewed before! Here’s what they had to say about this variety: ...see full post

#2162: Tseng Rice Noodle Seafood Laksa Flavour

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So this is definitely a first – I don’t think I’ve ever heard of laksa from Taiwan! It sounds good – I mean hey, I make laksa here in the United States quite often but I’m sure my neighbors haven’t a clue what they’re smelling ‘must be some off kind of Hamburger Helper’ probably going through their minds. But laksa is a seriously tasty thing and I’m keen on seeing what Tseng has come up with for us. Let’s have a look! ...see full post

#2161: Nongshim Chal Bibim Myun

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After perusing Nongshim America’s website, I saw these noodles I hadn’t heard of before. A quick message to my contact at Nongshim and these magically arrived in a couple days! This is what you would call a Summer variety – the noodles are served cold with a spicy sauce. It’s made in South Korea, but definitely in packaging for the United States. Let’s give it a try! ...see full post

#2160: Menraku Japanese Yakisoba Umami Sauce

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It’s been a long time since I’ve reviewed anything by Menraku. Alwats bowls and always pretty good stuff. This one’s a yakisoba I got while on vacation in California’s Bay Area! Let’s check it out! ...see full post

Product Samples From Tseng Noodles Of Taiwan

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Today started well, then got a little crazy then got better – I started at 5am with reviewing some noodles. Then the power went out around 7am for over two hours! A bit later, the mailman knocked on the door with a big package of Taiwanese noodles! Tseng was in The Ramen Rater’s top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2016 list this year – and they have some new products! Let check them out! ...see full post