I’m happy to say that I got an email from Javier over at Box From Japan telling me that they’re back! They offer s subscription service – instant ramen bowls direct from Japan! You get 4 bowls every month! It’s pretty neat – should go check it out!
Category: Other
Meet The Manufacturer: #2410: Mama Pat’s Lamb Stew Flavor Instant Ramen Noodles
Today, it’s lamb stew! So I really never have had lamb stew, nor really cooked lamb very often. I thought though I ought to at least make an attempt, and so today I’m going to sous vide up some lamb to go along with the noodles. But as for stew, let’s see what wikipedia has to say:
#2407: Just Way Noodles Chuan Wei Spicy Hot Guan-miao Noodles
This variety comes by way of Colin, a reader from Massachusetts – thank you! It was originally said by Oscar Wilde: ‘Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.’ I have often found this to be true fr the most part. Indeed, why would someone want to imitate exactly what you do unless they want to attain something that you did prior? Well, sometimes it just seems like it takes a bit of a spiral from flattery to pure copying.
#2403: Goku-Uma Yakisoba Japanese Style Noodle
We recently took a trip to Asian Food Grocery in 130th & Aurora and found this one. My wife likes yakisoba a lot and so I like to make it for her. This one has a little interesting thing though. On the sticker, it mentioned ‘This product contains chemicals known to the state of California to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm.’ Wait, what? So I took a look at the ingredients list and found something I’d not seen before – an ingredient called Rebaudioside A. I looked that up and wikipedia had this to say:
#2401: Sichuan Baijia Chongqing Noodles Burning Dry Noodles
I tried the pack version a little while back and really liked it. I’m curious about the bowl – I’m guessing it’ll be exactly the same, but in a bowl. Indeed, it’s got the bonus of portability. So what are Chongqing noodles? Here’s a little about Chongqing from wikipedia:
#2399: Indomie My Noodlez Mi Goreng Rasa Pizza Cheese
This one came by way of Kamran R, from Australia – thanks again! He went with hie family on vacation to Bali. I read about these a while back and definitely have been wanting to try them. I mean c’mon – pizza cheese flavor mi goreng? Here’s a translation about the My Noodlez line of products –
#2398: Liang Cheng Mei Shaanxi Cold Noodle: Mustard Spicy
Found this one at Asian Food Center on 130th and Aurora. So it’s a really neat store and they have a lot of interesting stuff there. My wife Kit sees this one and we are instantly in love with the artwork. Looks interesting! So this is a cold noodle variety. Very interesting looking… So what’s Shaanxi? Let’s ask wikipedia about Shaanxi cuising:
#2393: Ripe’N’Dry Hokkaido Miso Ramen
Here’s one I got at Jason’s Market at the bottom of the Taipei 101 in Taiwan. Indeed this Ripe’n’Dry miso is one I’d been searching for for a very long time! I reviewed the Shio version about 45 reviews back and wasn’t extremely impressed. It wasn’t bad, but wasn’t ‘holy cow this is awesome.’ I will say that I really love this packaging though – very nicely done! However, the name evokes thoughts of, well… Flatulence. Smelly dry farts immediately come to my mind. I thought I’d look and see what wikipedia has to say about flatulence:
#2388: Hua Feng Three Fresh Delicacies Flavor Noodle
Here’s one that was sent to me by Mengzhe Z. all the way from China! Thank you! He contacted me a while back asking me if I’d ever reviewed these Hua Feng noodles and I hadn’t. He says they’re his favorite. So, what are the three fresh delicacies? Well, we’re going with chicken, shrimp and egg from the package, however it might not be egg but onion or perhaps shallot. Maybe mushroom. Let’s check out this variety from Hua Feng, all the way from China!
#2387: Nissin Demae Iccho Sesame Oil Flavour Instant Noodle
This one is a left over from the Nissin Foods Hong Kong Meet The Manufacturer – thanks again for sending so many! So lately I’ve noticed quite a few of the Demae Iccho varieties in local stores around where I live. I’ve also found them in the past in Canada including this one. What’s the difference? Well, it all comes down to meat.
#2386: Maggi 2 Minute Noodles Curry
Well hello there! Indeed, I rarely have the chance to get instant noodles from Fiji. This is only the second time ever that I’ve had any. Actually, I think the last time was about five years ago when a reader sent a couple varieties. I don’t know a lot about Fiji, so thought I’d consult wikipedia and share some info here:
#2382: Nongshim Seaweed Instant Noodle Cup
Here’s a cup I found at Carrefour in Taipei, Taiwan during my trip in November of 2016. I’ve never seen this one before and from what it looks like, it’s made for the Chinese/Taiwanese market. At least the packaging in Chinese gives that away. Also, I can see that it’s referencing www.nongshim.com – not a .cn or .tw, so these should be made in South Korea. It also has a little banner proclaiming ‘number one’ but unsure what that’s referring to. Anyways, let’s see what we have here and give these seaweed noodles a try!
#2374: World O’Noodle Mi Goreng Garlic Flavour Fried Noodles
Here’s one I got in the Jason’s Market on the first floor of the Taipei 101 in Taiwan last November. I believe this World O’Noodles line is from a big grocery store chain in Southeast Asia – not 100% sure on that, but pretty sure. Garlic Mi Goreng? Oh yeah – sign me up! I’m hoping that this will be a delightful and delicious instant from Indonesia. Let’s have a look at this World O’Noodle variety.
#2373: Nissin Top Ramen Atta Noodles Masala
After a long time, I finally go to visit a little store I used to frequent a lot. I went to visit Indian Sweets And Snacks yesterday in north Seattle/Shoreline. First off, you’ll note that these are indeed Nissin Top Ramen. Second, you’ll note that they don’t look like any you’ve seen before. Indeed, these are from India – where masala, curry and other flavors are very popular. Who is the character on the front? Top Boy! We usually don’t see a lot of this kind of thing in the United States. In conclusion, Ultimately, I call on all noodle companies to have a cartoon character! I think it’s kind of fun. Let’s check this Top Ramen Masala out.
#2372: Liu Quan Instant Spicy Rice Noodle
Today we have a variety I found locally. Specifically,I got them at Asian Food Center on 130th & Aurora in Seattle. In any event, this store is actually kind of new and pretty awesome. What’s more, we got to see a shoplifter try to escape a security guard and slink out of her coat and backpack to make a getaway! Exciting, yes – but stupid. I don’t understand why people go and do this. Understandably, many people are poor, but this kind of action will result in more problems. In fact, stealing drives up prices for everyone. Hence, let’s crack open this Liu Quan bowl and see it’s innards!
#2371: Daikoku Tanuki Soba Cup
This is second of two cups I found at Uwajimaya. Similar graphics on them, the other is Kitsune Udon, this one is Tanuki Soba. So, what is a tanuki anyways? Here, we have some info from Wikipedia:
#2359: Daikoku Kitsune Udon
Animal noodles! Animal noodles? Yup – animal noodles. That’s at least what I used to call these – there are two of them very popular in Japan – kitsune uson and tanuki soba. Kitsune refers to a fox and has fried tofu with it. Tanuki soba usually has either a round disc of tempura or little bits of it. Here’s a little more info from Wikipedia –
#2358: Sichuan Baijia Pickled Cabbage Flavor Instant Vermicelli
A large bowl from a brand I’ve been loathe to try in the past. They used to have some varieties in the Bottom Ten List, and still do – but many I’ve not tried previously I’ve tried and been really impressed with. Indeed, palates change. Let’s give this one a look.
#2357: Kamfen Noodle King Artificial Wonton Soup Flavoured
Got this bowl quite a while back – I’ve got lots of new varieties and still trying to clear out the ones that are close to expiration! So let’s ask Wikipedia about wonton noodles –
#2351: 1 To 3 Noodles Chatpat Masala
Here’s one that comes by way of a kind reader named Colin from the US east coast – thanks again! He’s dispatches a TON of instant noodles which I can’t find anywhere! This one looks interesting – these are from India! Here’s a little from Wikipedia about masala –
#2348: Ripe’N’Dry Hokkaido Salt Ramen
Here’s one I got at Jason’s Market at the bottom of the Taipei 101 in Taiwan. I’d been very curious about this line as I’ve seen them before; hard to miss with the angry bear on the front! I’m very curious about how ripe and dry correlate with instant ramen. Lately when I use the term ripe, it’s referring to needing to change a diaper as in ‘ooof Miles – you’re ripe!’ Dry as far as flavor I usually think of when it comes to wine. I’m hoping this doesn’t smell like loaded diapers or taste like wine – I’m guessing it won’t. Let’s give it a go!
#2346: Knorr Chatt Patta Instant Noodles
Here’s another one from Colin – thanks! I did a little research and really came up with very little. I did find there is a kind of spicy, savory snack mix with the same name, but this is a soup noodle and now a snack noodle so I’m a little confused. This one’s being reviewed actually on New Year’s Eve! Let’s check it out.
Meet The Manufacturer: Re-Review: Nissin RapiFideo Sabor A Chile Y Limon
The name of this one – RapiFideo – is a combination of two words. ‘Rapido,’ meaning ‘Quick’ and ‘Fideo’ which means ‘Noodle.’ I reviewed these a while back – let’s revisit them for this Meet The Manufacturer!
#2330: Ve Wong Little Prince(ss) Brand Snack Noodles Artificial Mexican Pizza Flavor
As I’ve said in the past, I’m usually about 50 or so reviews ahead of myself. Well, today is the actual day our daughter Miriam will be born and by the time this comes out she’ll be close to two months old. Wow! It’s early in the morning – although it’s just a few hours away. Really excited! This one seemed interesting enough for a day of birth – Mexican pizza from Taiwan? I think a fiesta is in order; although I wish these were called Little Princess – but hey look at the title I think that works at least a little! Let’s check it out!
#2329: Patanjali Atta Noodles Jhatpat Banao Befikr Khao
Another sent by Colin – thanks! So this is one of a new line from India within the last year or so. Looks to be vegetarian and to have peas in there. Here’s a little about the company from Wikipedia –
#2328: Qin Zong Shaanxi Cold Noodle Hot & Sour Flavor
Another one from Colin – thanks again! Haven’t seen this brand previously. Always neat to start checking out a brand I’ve not reviewed after trying so many. But what’s Shanxi? Wikipedia, if you please:
#2325: Pran Mr. Noodles Instant Noodles Curry Flavor
Here’s another one that Colin sent – thanks! Today I was really craving something curry – it’s been a little while since I’ve had any curry to review so here goes!
#2324: Paldo Jjajangmyeon Instant Noodle
Here’s a new jjajangmyun from Paldo of South Korea sent by Yongmin Park of Paldo. Thank you very much! For those of you unfamiliar with jjajangmyeon, here’s some info from wikipedia:
#2323: Ogasawara Kirin Giraffe Shio Ramen
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!
#2320: Nissin Nupasta Bolognese Flavour Instant Noodle (Cup Type)
Yet another left over from the Nisin HK Meet The Manufacturer! Man, they sent so many! Thank you so much – really helps a lot! So these are instant takes on classic Italian pasta dishes. They’re microwavable and thus far, I’ve not had one I didn’t like. Let’s see how this one fares.
#2318: Happy Cook Sichuan Spicy Flavor
This is one I brought back with me from Taiwan! Happy Cook is a brand that one of the factories in Taichung makes.
#2315: Goku-Uma Ramen Noodles Miso Flavor
Here’s one of a line I’ve been kind of on the fence about lately. I tried their tonkotsu and was a little disappointed and hopeful that this miso will be a different story. Shall we have a look?
Meet The Manufacturer: #2313: Xiao Ban Mian Sesame Oil With Garlic Flavor Thin Noodle
This looks very interesting. Check out how thin these noodles are! Sesame and garlic are great flavors to marry together as well. So we’ve seen sesame sauce – the tan colored peanutty kind of stuff and today it’s sesame oil – a much lighter fare. Let’s have a look!
Meet The Manufacturer: Re-Review: Mom’s Dry Noodle Sour & Spicy Flavor
Here’s one I really like. It has what I like to call a ‘back and forth effect flavor.’ It’s like you get one flavor lingering then your palate gets the hint of another flavor, then back to the first. It’s really unique in this way – reminds me of one of my favorite hot sauces – not in the taste, mind you, but this kind of back and forth. Let’s check it out!
Meet The Manufacturer: #2312: Xiao Ban Mian Traditional Shallot & Onion Oil Noodle
During my trip to Taiwan in November of 2016, I had the opportunity to try the three varieties of the new Xiao Ban Mian line. I remember this one in particular; it was really quite good and I only got a bite or two of it – my sister actually scarfed this one down quickly! Now, back in the controlled environment of my noodle lab (sounds more amazing than it is, really), I’m really excited to give this a try. Let’s check it out!
Meet The Manufacturer: Re-Review: Mom’s Dry Noodle Sichuan Spicy Flavor
So I remember the first time I tried this one a couple years ago. Indeed, it is spicy! Sichuan pepper is a little different kind of spicy in contrast to a jalapeno or wasabi – here’s a little info about the Sichuan pepper from wikipedia:
Meet The Manufacturer: #2311: Xiao Ban Mian Sesame Sauce Matcha Noodle
Xian Bian Mian is a new line from Howsler Foods. They all use straight noodles and are a bit different from the Mom’s Dry Noodle line. These tall narrow packs have three servings in each. So matcha has become really popular – but what is it? Let’s ask wikipedia:
Meet The Manufacturer: Re-Review: Mom’s Dry Noodle Pepper & Sesame Sauce
So today we kick off Meet The Manufacturer with a unique variety – pepper and sesame sauce. First, this is black pepper, not hot chill. Second, sesame sauce is completely different from sesame oil. Sesame sauce has a more peanut butter kind of texture and flavor whereas sesame oil has that strong sesame scent and saltiness. Let’s dig into this one and get things started!
#2304: Maggi 2 Minute Noodles Masala Spicy
Here’s one sent by Marvin R. from Texas – thanks again! I have trouble getting new varieties from India. It’s prertty far away and usually my only source are Indian grocery stores here. Here’s a little about Maggi instant noodles from Wikipedia:
#2302: Nissin Yakisoba Instant Noodles
It’s kind of interesting. Indeed, I review two products a day but generally only post one. This ensures two things. First, I get to everything before it expires. Second, I have a buffer in case I don’t have time to do a review. Meanwhile, the buffer has grown and is quickly reaching 80 reviews! I did this review on November 13th, 2016 and today is Inauguration Day, January 20th, 2017. It’s kind of funny; I did this review about as many days before my daughter Miriam was born as days since she was born (December 17th). Another interesting thing is while unplanned, this review follows Momofuku Ando Day yesterday where I did a video about Nissin Yakisoba. Weird. Finally Happy Birthday to my sister Sue!