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Yeah – really! So I had no idea until it came out, but I’m in GQ Taiwan. Definitely didn’t expect that! If you want to read the article, it’s here (note – you’ll need to use Google Translate if you can’t read Chinese). Posts will resume Friday. I’ll do a couple Throwback Thursdays on Instagram though – oh yeah – follow me on Instagram! I post there every day as well.
Here’s one I got at the Carrefour store in Taipei at the bottom of the Miramar Entertainment Park mall. It was on sale and definitely something I didn’t expect to see. There was a bunch of articles that came out about this variety a while back – it was popular many years ago and discontinued and then brought back to the delight of consumers. Noodles with a picture of a giraffe in a bow tie on the front? Yeah; this sounds neat. Let’s check out this revisited classic from Japan!
Well folks, the United States has started to see the light. There’s nothing I love to see more than a tie-in/crossover product and this is something I’ve seen zillions of times overseas but really never before here.
It’s that time of year again! Actually, this is the first time the list is coming out in July although at the tail end of July. I usually have the lists come out on the Monday closest to the date it came out the prior year. So this list is a compilation of absolutely hottest and spiciest varieties I’ve had out of the 2,500+ varieties I’ve tried thus far. Something you think belongs on this spiciest of lists? Let me know – I’ll give it a try. Let’s get started!
Here’s a new one from Mom’s Dry Noodle. This one is Dan Dan Noodle flavor – here’s a little about that from Wikipedia –
Here’s a bowl version clad in the trapping of olde. Samyang Ramen was the very first instant ramyun to come out in South Korea – in 1963. Here’s a little about it from Wikipedia –
Today, we have the Singaporean version of MyKuali’s Tom Yum Goong. For those of you who haven’t had tom yum, here’s a little from Wikipedia –
I spend a lot of time looking around to see what’s new and what’s going on in the instant noodle industry. I kind of have to; if I don’t, I can’t find out what’s popular elsewhere in the world. I read a little about this extra spicy variety from India called Maggi Hot Heads – they’ve got a few flavors. People were commenting how this was the spiciest of all of them and I thought hey why not seek it out. My wife Kit was kind and got me some off of Amazon! Thank you! This is a rarity (I mean she’s always nice) – we never get instant noodles online for reviewing. This one seemed to be one that needed some attention though. Let’s check out this Hot Heads variety and see how hot it is!
Thanks go to Amelia from Samyang Foods in South Korea for sending these along! The Buldak Bokkeummyun line from them is a fiery range which starts with their hot chicken flavor of Fire Noodle Challenge fame. Here’s what they have to say about this one –
Okay so you may have seen that there are new Pringles Top Ramen Chicken Flavor Potato Chips on the market. This is a pretty surprising thing for the US – less so elsewhere. Apparently, the only place you can buy them in stores is at a place called Dollar General. There aren’t any in Washington State, so I had to look elsewhere. I found an eBay Seller who has them and at a very reasonable price. Some people are selling six cans of Pringles for $99! That’s $16.50 per can! Egad; what has this world come to… Anyways, yeah I don’t think they currently have any in stock but I asked and they said that they were going to restock again ASAP!
Here’s one sent by Kamran R. of Australia – thanks again! He’s part of Ramen Regret Rater – they review ultra spicy instant noodles and see if they end up with horrible gastrointestinal difficulties. Yes, really!
Instant noodle cups – so portable, so ubiquitous. They’re everywhere! People seem to really like them for lunch. I’ve found that people also like to take them when backpacking or camping – all you need is hot water and once done, you can flatten them so it’s easy to pack out your trash. These convenient meals have come a long way since their inception – many flavors and countries of origin. This list is a compilation of my favorite instant noodle cups from the over 2,500 instant noodle reviews I’ve done to date.
So both the kids were interesting this box that came yesterday. Miri is just about to start crawling but Miles is running around like a beast these days! Let’s see what’s inside!
Here’s another leftover from the KOKA Meet The Manufacturer series I did a little while back. Chicken flavor sounds pretty safe – I mean, who doesn’t like chicken except vegetarians? Let’s give this chicken flavor variety a try!
Here’s one sent by Javier over at www.BoxFromJapan.com. You can get a nice package of 4 varieties shipped to your door every month via their subscription service – they also do Japanese candy boxes as well. Today it’s shoyu from Acecook. So if you don’t know about shoyu, here’s a little something from Wikipedia –
For awhile now, I’ve been trying to get my hands on some of this that actually is from South Korea. Thanks to Anders and his girlfriend Ji-Min, here we are! Here’s some info from Wikipedia –
Got this box in the mail a couple days ago from Taiwan! Wonder what’s inside. Let’s find out!
Here’s one sent by Colin from Massachusetts – thanks! So this sour-hot sounds interesting. Usually with Chinese varieties, the sour often comes from black vinegar and the spicy from peppers. Let’s see what this one’s like!
Here’s one sent by Chef Ron from Mama Pat’s Foods – thank you! So I’ve reviewed a LOT of Indomie in the past, yet it’s hard to come by new varieties to try. Luckily, here’s the first of hopefully more from Indomie’s product line from Nigeria! As far as continents go, Africa has been just the toughest for me to get varieties from. Here’s a little about Indomie from Wikipedia –
My wife Kit was kind enough to get me a pack of noodles I’d heard about being ultra spicy! Let’s look inside!
This is one I brought back with me from Taiwan! Happy Cook is a brand that one of the factories in Taichung makes.
TO EVERYONE ASKING ABOUT THIS ONE – THIS PRODUCT WON’T BE COMING OUT. SORRY TO DISAPPOINT. SOMEDAY I’LL COME OUT WITH MY OWN INSTANT NOODLE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
Here’s one left over from the KOKA Meet The Manufacturer. These soups are interesting; instead of noodles with soup it’s more like soup with noodles! Let’s have a look at this creamy soup!
Now for the third year, I’m coming out with the latest Top Ten Instant Rice Noodles list. Rice noodles have some benefits as opposed to their fried wheat counterparts. First, they’re virtually fat-free. Also, they’re not fried. Rice noodles are gluten-free by nature, although the ingredients in the sachets that come with these varieties might not be. People ask me for a gluten-free list often, but that would be rather difficult as I’d have to pore over every ingredient list on every review to do this. Well, let’s have a look at these great rice noodle varieties – the best instant rice noodles varieties of the almost 2,500 reviews to date!
Was contacted a few weeks ago by Zenpop, a company thjat specializes in neat boxes of products from Japan! They informed me they wanted me to check out their ramen box and I was alright with that of course! They also have other kinds of boxes available – check them out here! Let’s crack this one open and see what’s inside – this month it’s the ‘Noodle World Pack!’
Every month, Box From Japan offers instant ramen subscriptions as well as candy and other special subscriptions! This is the July box. Thus far, I’ve never gotten a repeat, nor one I’d reviewed previously! Let’s have a look.
A fellow reviewer from Happy Souper posted about these new Nonshim varieties and gave me the contact info for Nongshim Korea – I lost touch with my contact a while back. These were kindly sent by Danny – thank you very much! Let’s have a look!
Here is where we part ways with Nissin Germany – this is the fifteenth review of Meet The Manufacturer. It’s been a lot of fun trying these European takes on instant noodles! Let’s give this final variety – spicy beef – a try.
Spicy! I like spicy things; it’s pretty obvious I think. This Cup Noodles purports to be spicy and I’m hoping it is! Let’s check it out!
Here’s the last of the Soba varieties I’ve got here. I’m very curious about Thai; is it tom yum? Is it full of basil? This Soba is short for yakisoba – a little on yakisoba from Wikipedia –
Well, there’s always going to be a chicken variety. Here it is! I really don’t know how else to introduce it or what else to say! Here’s a little something about the history of Cup Noodles from Wikipedia –
I think it only makes sense for cabbage to have some kind of standing in Germany. I mean, sauerkraut is pickled cabbage after all. Never tried kimchi before? Here’s a little information from Wikipedia –
Ahhh curry! I love curry from everywhere in the world. Indeed, I’ve not met a curry I’ve disliked to be honest. I do like some more than others of course. A German curry… Fascinating! Let’s check it out!
Many, many years ago, there was a company that made an instant noodle called Smack here in the United States. This is completely unrelated – although great to know the name still is around and in a new form! This one’s supposed to be spicy – let’s find out!
Here’s another new variety of the Soba line – yakitori chicken. Here’s a little something about yakitori from Wikipedia –
I’ve started noticing a theme to these Demae Ramen varieties form Germany. For the Thai Tom Yum one, there was Thai lettering in the background. This looks to be Vietnamese, so I’m guessing it’s styled after pho or something like that. I definitely like chicken and garlic is a favorite of mine. Let’s give this one a look – garlic chicken sounds very good today!
For years, I’d avoid duck flavor instant noodles. I always thought that they tasted kind of funny – until I actually ate duck. Duck is to me like curry – something really great and above everything else. Indeed, I consider duck to be a kind of exalted food. I’ve had it in Thailand, Malaysia and Taiwan – but never European style. Very curious if there will be a difference… Let’s find out!
This isn’t something I expected – a Thai Tom Yum from a German company? Yep! This makes me incredibly curious; will it taste like tom yum? Here’s a little about tom yum from Wikipedia if you’ve never tried –
I’m really stoked – Nissin Germany sent a few new Soba varieties! I like these – not only are they really good, they have neat plastic cups with draining lids. But Sukiyaki Beef – let’s see what Wikipedia has to say about sukiyaki –
There’s always a spicy. There has to be! Spicy tasting things are popular around the world. But have you ever wondered why? Here’s some info from Wikipedia on spiciness –
