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Well, a couple reviews ago I started with how my back was screwed up from doing a lot of work on the weekends setting things up. Well, it still is sore, and today I planned on walking a lot but there were three D’s that kind of ruined that plan… Damn cold, damn windy, damn rainy. So, damn. I walked to the local store and got a couple things including this one to review. I don’t think I’ve reviewed it in a great while, so here it is and here I go.
Here’s the second one I got yesterday. I walked over to Lake Forest Park – about three miles from here I’m guessing. The store I got it at is called Albertsons. It’s weird; I’ve noticed different stores have different moods. This particular store is weird. I waited for a cashier at the check out for a couple minutes who finally appeared and told me they were busyt talking to another employee about their father’s salmon recipe. ‘Great’ I thought; ‘I have been waiting here…’ Then she starts talking about lawn implements and asks me how to fix her lawnmower. I just want to buy this instant noodle and leave. What also is strange at this store is that you get halfway towards the back, cellphone reception disappears. But yeah; the store is strange – it’s like when the new guy in towan walks into a saloon in a western and the music stop and everyone looks at him. Anyways, I’ve reviewed the pack version and it was quite good. Hoping this one is as good if not better. Let’s find out.
This last weekend I redid my desk and mounted my computer underneath it. It went really well, but jacked up my back. Yesterday, I decided to take it easy (well, I didn’t) and walked to another town and got a couple varieties to review. This was one of them. Hopefully it’s enjoyable. We shall see…
Here’s the last one I found on our recent run over to HMart. Well, all the other iterations of Bulramen haven’t been my favorites, that’s for sure. Hoping this one does a little better but not expecting it to. But I’ll give it a chance.
Here’s one that came in a Zenpop box – here’s what they had to say about it – ‘What is this?? Did my Japan box turn into an Italy box? Look again, it’s QTTA Carbonara(men)! Wordplay aside, this is really ramen noodles in the famous Italian sauce. Japan is an island nation with many people not finding many opportunities to travel abroad, which leads to foreign flavors being very interesting. How close is this ramen carbonara to the real thing? You be the judge!’
Here’s one that you might find on an instant noodle aisle. It was sent by James from Lakeside, California. It looks like I’m just about out of varieties to review at this point here in February 2024… Hmm… That kind of works out alright as tomorrow is Friday and I’ve done 3 varieties a day every day this week and a couple days last week, trudging towards the big 5000. Chocolate rice porridge is most certainly not ramen, but it’s worth a look. So let’s look.
This one was found at HMart. So let’s delve into jjolmyeon – here’s Wikipedia’s info –
Here’s one that came in a Zenpop.jp box – use coupon code THERAMENRATER for a groovy discount!
Big thank you to Pher Engi for sending this one along! Ah it’s Wednesday and time to cook. Mi is noodles and gelas is like ‘glass’ as in a glass of water. It’s also like cup, so these are cup or mug noodles. Kari ayam is chicken curry!. To the stove!
Okay so I found this at HMart and I believe (could be wrong) it’s from the same people that make Bulramen. It’s certainly made in South Korea, but for sale in the United States and packaged for that reason. Anyways, let’s try some beef flavor noodle.
Well, here we go again – and I like that. This is a fascinating newcomer to the range of unique Cup Noodles for customers in the United States. Pumpkin Spicy, Breakfast, Everything Bagel, and now some s’mores. I really enjoy these new varieties to try – they’ve been popping off with new and unique varieties in Japan for years – neat to see new stuff here in the USA! I’m really curious how this one will be. Let’s give it a go.
I kept seeing these on Amazon and so I decided to reach out to the company for samples, which they kindly sent – thanks! Noodle Revolution is really a fascinating product. These are noodles made almost entirely from egg white. I’ll show you what I did with them in this unboxing. You can purchase them here. The ramen style thicker, vermicelli thinner. I thought upon stirring, the vermicelli would just turn to mush and break up, but that certainly wasn’t the case. Not at all rubbery, with a good mouthfeel and softness. I was really impressed by this – check em out!
Over the years, I’ve tried a lot of different additions to instant noodles and chili oils, pastes, and crisps have become a bit of a thing more people are becoming interested in, as have I. This one is a Malaysian type – hae bee hiam. Really great stuff and I’ll go into it here. You can pick up some from Homiah! Big thanks to Homiah for sending some along in anticipation of my upcoming new list!
Here’s one that came in a Zenpop box – here’s what they had to say about it – ‘We made sure to include a lighter option among the strong flavors in this month’s box. Thanks to the refreshing topping and how long the chicken and pork rested in the soy sauce base, you get a soup that perfectly pairs with thin noodles and hits you with a crisp soy sauce flavor. A great way to start the day as it’ll fuel you for whatever’s to come!’
Another find at HMart. Found the pack versions there as well. The packs were certainly underwhelming; both insofar as flavor and heat, however the noodle was pretty good. Let’s give this one a shot.
This one’s another HMart score. Yeah I know – again, not ramen or instant noodles, but was certainly found on that aisle. Sounds good to me – let’s check it out!
Instant noodle cups are pretty easy to find, take up a small amount of room, and – especially for camping folks – is easily dealt with when done. I’ve had people come to me with tears in their eyes exclaiming ‘Sir! It says 2025 – but it’s 2024!’ Well, it’s the second half of 2024, so this list will be active more of 2025 than 2024. Honestly, I adopted this way of doing things when a couple of people made very good points about it. Unfortunately, once I let the genie out of the bottle on this way of doing things, rolling it back was quite impossible. So, there you go.
This is the second variety I’ve found recently. The other was spicy, this one is not. If all goes well, my daughter will get to try this one for lunch – first day of ‘mid winter break’ for the kiddos today.
Here’s one that came in a now defunct subscription box. Here’s what they had to say about it – ‘The forbidden fruit, er, no, the forbidden Ramen! “Akan” is Japanese Kansai dialect for “No way!” often used with the subtext of something you shouldn’t do because it’s surprising or a little crazy. The famous Ramen shop “Tenkaippin” cleverly uses this with a wordplay on the word as it also alludes to the color red, which happens to be the color of the stock. As you can likely guess, you’re in for a spicy treat! Its base is chicken, pork and garlic, while it also comes with added spices and toppings.
This one came by way of Pher Engi – thanks again! You might see this and say ‘I can’t get this in the United States.’ Well, if you’re from here that is. What you might not know is that this variety used to be available here – it was called Skipjack Tuna flavor. I would guess the last time I saw it was around 22 years ago at an Asian grocery that now doesn’t even exist anymore called Evergreen Asian Grocery. They had a ton of boxes in an area that were open and full of packs of Indomie. So many varieties have left the US market – it’s pretty sad to be honest. Anyways, this is a tuna flavored one – it is with soup, and there’s a mi goreng as well. Let’s give it a try!
Here’s another one from my recent visit to HMart. In English, this is Instant Noodle with Seaweed-Sesame Flavor. Makes sense now, eh? This is part of a new range I saw at the store. Let’s check it out!
Here’s one that came in a now defunct Zenpop.jp box – here’s what they had to say about it – ‘Pork, a wonderful ramen base with its never-ending richness. But wait, there’s more! Scallops! Fried garlic! Black pepper! Flavor enhancing oil! Yeah, this cup just keeps on giving. The name “Barikata” implies slimmer, harder noodles, a traditional touch unique to real tonkotsu ramen. This is why this cup should only have a 60-second wait in the water before eating. Thanks to the slimmer cylindrical shape you really get the aroma swelling towards you, elevating the experience. 🍜’
Big thanks to Pher Engi for sending this one! Okay you’re probably wondering what cuanki is and I can say that I want to visit Indonesia and give it and try it. Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about it –
Had a great day yesterday – went and walked all the way to my wife’s work for the first time which was fun, going through forest, construction areas galore and under/over passes. Then we hit Costco and then HMart! Found this at HMart which was very cool. Haven’t heard of doenjang jjigae – a regular popular stew from South Korea before. Let’s give it a try!
When I initially heard about Ramen Bae and their products, I was very curious. Since then, I’ve tried their great array and I’m very impressed. Here’s three new offerings that are really quite good! Let’s check ’em out.
Hooray for cold noodles! Nongshim has flirted with a few cold noodle varieties – they had a buckwheat zaru soba a few years ago. I think their Doong Ji is really good as well. This one’s new and I am guessing somewhat akin to a hiyashi chuka soba. Let’s give it a whirl.
Today, I’m unboxing MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles box. You can get their monthly selection of 8-10 varieties – and this box they sent was full of varieties I’ve never reviewed before, plus they include PACKS!!! I’ll be doing unboxings for them and have a coupon code you can use – THERAMENRATER (of course)! Watch the video below – you’ll see why I’m excited.
Here’s one that came in a Zenpop.jp box – use coupon code THERAMENRATER for a groovy discount!
Yes, made in Thailand but most definitely packaging for export to the United States. I reviewed this waaaaaaay back – September 2010. I’m guessing a few changes have occurred in the last 13+ years. Let’s give it a try as I see people trying this from time to time.
Was surprised to find this where I did but there it was so I got this and the non-spicy version. Maruchan had a bit of a fanfare about this – that it was bringing back something people were clamoring for. I completely expected their often asked about tomato flavored Ramen Noodle Soup, but this ain’t that which I think really disappointed a lot of folks. Regardless, this sounds interesting so let’s give it a try.
Was able to get out to a local Asian market hoping to find some cool Lunar New Year stuff. Didn’t find that, but found a couple varieties I was into using to try out the Ramen Bae products. So, here’s one of them. I tried this way back – it was a kimchi version – back in review #564. That’s around ten years. Let’s give this one a try.
Here’s the second variety they sent. This one has bits of seafood as well as a vegetable mix – let’s give it a try with a seafood instant.
Was asked by a reader if I’d tried this product before and I hadn’t, so I reached out to the company and they sent some samples – thanks! A lot of the questions I getg regularly are about what to add to instant noodles to spruce them up. Dried vegetables come up from time to time, so this sounds like a good bet. Let’s find out!
It’s only been a couple of times I’ve been sent instant noodles that are available only if you get in trouble and go to prison. Both times have been from folks who work in correctional institutions and want to remain anonymous, so thank you anonymous donors! This video below will go over four varieties you might have never heard about unless you have been to jail/prison. They have a lot of clear space on them to dissuade folks from trying to hide stuff in them to bring in – drugs, weapons, etc. I’m really excited to receive these and not have to go to prison to try them – I’ve tried contacting Maruchan’s distributor in the past and gotten a firm ‘no’ as to getting samples. ‘You’re saying I have to go to prison to sample the product?’ ‘Yes. We won’t send you any.’ Rude! Well, again thank you to my anonymous friend who sent me these and didn’t make me adopt a life of crime to give them a taste. If you’ve had to be on ice for a period of time and tried these varieties, how did you prepare them? I’ve done prison ramen burritos aplenty, but I kind of want to do something different. Please comment below with the particular variety and what you did with them. On with the video!
Well look at this. Wow. Only 99 reviews until I’ve tried 5000 varieties. That’s crazy! Now I have to figure out what I’m doing for the 5000th review. Has to be something awesome. Well, here goes with 4901!
This one comes by way of Pher Engi – thanks again! These are very small – they’re mug-sized. That’s small! Actually, I just realized that the name makes sense – mi for noodle gelas for cup. Ayam bawang means onion chicken. Let’s cook it up!
Here’s one that came in a subscription box – here’s what they had to say about it – ‘Satisfy your noodle cravings without breaking your stomach with Myojo Shokuhin’s “Ippai Manzoku Shoyu Noodle”! This one’s all about living a balanced life. Whether you’re a student, working, and looking for a quick, satisfying meal (満足, manzoku, satisfying), these noodles have got your back. And it’s not just any noodles; it’s the “Myojo Ippai Satisfaction Soy Sauce Flavored Noodles.” They’re designed to give you just the right amount of happiness without overdoing it. It’s all about enjoying a balanced life, one tasty slurp at a time. So make sure you’ve got your chopsticks in hand, because these noodles are ready to make your mealtime an “ippai” (full) experience. Delicious and oh-so-satisfying – what more could you ask for? 🍜’
Here’s one that came in a Zenpop.jp box – use coupon code THERAMENRATER for a groovy discount!
This one came by way of James from Lakeside, California – thanks again! This is kind of interesting – a global export version. Let’s give it a try!
Well, the kids are back in school and now I have a lot of time at home. I have a few things to get done – I’ve taken the last few weeks off of reviewing – in fact, I haven’t done a review since May 28th! But I’m going to get back into it very soon – possibly tomorrow… It’s nice – I go on a big kick of reviewing for a while then slack off. Even though I’ve been skipping my reviing as of late, I’m still over 100 reviews ahead, which is nice. These nice varieties donated by James will be among the first to review, and should be posted in maybe November or December. Let’s take a look!
