Category: Other

#2393: Ripe’N’Dry Hokkaido Miso Ramen

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#2393: Ripe'N'Dry Hokkaido Miso Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - instant 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: ...see full post

#2388: Hua Feng Three Fresh Delicacies Flavor Noodle

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#2388: Hua Feng Three Fresh Delicacies Flavor Noodle - China - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

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! ...see full post

#2387: Nissin Demae Iccho Sesame Oil Flavour Instant Noodle

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#2387: Nissin Demae Iccho Sesame Oil Flavour Instant Noodle - Hong Kong - The Ramen Rater - 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. ...see full post

#2386: Maggi 2 Minute Noodles Curry

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#2386: Maggi 2 Minute Noodles Curry Flavour - Fiji - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

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: ...see full post

#2382: Nongshim Seaweed Instant Noodle Cup

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#2382: Nongshim Seaweed Instant Noodle Cup - South Korea - The Ramen Rater

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! ...see full post

#2374: World O’Noodle Mi Goreng Garlic Flavour Fried Noodles

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#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. ...see full post

#2373: Nissin Top Ramen Atta Noodles Masala

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#2673: 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. ...see full post

#2372: Liu Quan Instant Spicy Rice Noodle

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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! ...see full post

#2371: Daikoku Tanuki Soba Cup

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#2371: Daikoku Tanuki Soba Cup - Japan - The Ramen Rater

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: ...see full post

#2359: Daikoku Kitsune Udon

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#2359: Daikoku Kitsune Udon - Japan - The Ramen Rater - うどん

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 – ...see full post

#2358: Sichuan Baijia Pickled Cabbage Flavor Instant Vermicelli

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#2358: Sichuan Baijia Pickled Cabbage Flavor Instant Vermicelli - China - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

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. ...see full post

#2357: Kamfen Noodle King Artificial Wonton Soup Flavoured

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#2357: Kamfen Noodle King Artificial Wonton Soup Flavoured - Hong Kong - The Ramen Rater - wanton mee - instant noodles

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 – ...see full post

#2351: 1 To 3 Noodles Chatpat Masala

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#2351: 1 To 3 Noodles Chatpat Masala - India - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

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 – ...see full post

#2348: Ripe’N’Dry Hokkaido Salt Ramen

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#2348: Ripe'N'Dry Hokkaido Salt Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

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! ...see full post

#2346: Knorr Chatt Patta Instant Noodles

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#2346: Knorr Chatt Patta Instant Noodles - Pakistan - The Ramen Rater

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. ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: Re-Review: Nissin RapiFideo Sabor A Chile Y Limon

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Meet The Manufacturer: Re-Review: Nissin RapiFideo Sabor A Chile Y Limon - Mexico - The Ramen Rater - fideos instantanea

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! ...see full post

#2330: Ve Wong Little Prince(ss) Brand Snack Noodles Artificial Mexican Pizza Flavor

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#2330: Ve Wong Little Prince(ss) Brand Snack Noodles Artificial Mexican Pizza Flavor - Taiwan - The Ramen Rater - noodle snack

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! ...see full post

#2329: Patanjali Atta Noodles Jhatpat Banao Befikr Khao

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#2329: Patanjali Atta Noodles Jhatpat Banao Befikr Khao - India - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

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 – ...see full post

#2328: Qin Zong Shaanxi Cold Noodle Hot & Sour Flavor

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#2328: Qin Zong Shaanxi Cold Noodle Hot & Sour Flavor - China - The Ramen Rater - cold noodles

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: ...see full post

#2325: Pran Mr. Noodles Instant Noodles Curry Flavor

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#2325: Pran Mr Noodles Instant noodles Curry Flavor - Bangladesh - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

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! ...see full post

#2324: Paldo Jjajangmyeon Instant Noodle

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#2324: Paldo Jjajangmyeon - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

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: ...see full post

#2323: Ogasawara Kirin Giraffe Shio Ramen

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#2323: Ogasawara Kirin Giraffe Shio Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

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! ...see full post

#2320: Nissin Nupasta Bolognese Flavour Instant Noodle (Cup Type)

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#2320: Nissin Nupasta Bolognese Flavour Instant Noodle (Cup Type) - Hong Kong - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

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. ...see full post

#2318: Happy Cook Sichuan Spicy Flavor

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#2318: Happy Cook Sichuan Spicy Flavor - Taiwan - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

This is one I brought back with me from Taiwan! Happy Cook is a brand that one of the factories in Taichung makes. ...see full post

#2315: Goku-Uma Ramen Noodles Miso Flavor

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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? ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2313: Xiao Ban Mian Sesame Oil With Garlic Flavor Thin Noodle

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Xiao Ban Mian Sesame Oil With Garlic Flavor Thin Noodle - Taiwan - The Ramen Rater - Instant noodles

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! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: Re-Review: Mom’s Dry Noodle Sour & Spicy Flavor

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Meet The Manufacturer: Re-Review: Mom's Dry Noodle Sour & Spicy Flavor - Taiwan - The Ramen Rater

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! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2312: Xiao Ban Mian Traditional Shallot & Onion Oil Noodle

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Xiao Ban Mian Traditional Shallot & Onion Oil Noodle - Taiwan - The Ramen Rater

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! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: Re-Review: Mom’s Dry Noodle Sichuan Spicy Flavor

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Meet The Manufacturer: Re-Review: Mom's Dry Noodles Sichuan Spicy Flavor - Taiwan - The Ramen Rater - Instant NoodlesSo 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: ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2311: Xiao Ban Mian Sesame Sauce Matcha Noodle

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Meet The Manufacturer: #2311: Xiao Ban Mian Sesame Sauce Matcha Noodle - The Ramen Rater - Taiwan - instant noodles

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: ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: Re-Review: Mom’s Dry Noodle Pepper & Sesame Sauce

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Meet The Manufacturer: Re-Review: Mom's Dry Noodle Pepper & Sesame Sauce - The Ramen Rater - Taiwan

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! ...see full post

#2304: Maggi 2 Minute Noodles Masala Spicy

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#2304: Maggi 2 Minute Noodles Masala Spicy - India - The Ramen Rater

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: ...see full post

#2302: Nissin Yakisoba Instant Noodles

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#2302: Nissin Yakisoba - Japan - The Ramen Rater

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! ...see full post

#2299: Cintan Mi Segera Mmm… Original

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#2299: Cintan Mi Segera Mmm… Original

Another one from Colin – thanks! In 2014, I visited Malaysia and found quite a few varieties of Cintan products at a grocery store called Econsave in Butterworth. I didn’t expect to get one from somebody who lives here and sourced here. However, I’m very curious what this original flavor is like. Moreover, what is original flavor? Perhaps their vegetable flavor? I guess we’ll see. Now, let’s check it out! ...see full post

#2291: Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkummyun Cheese Flavor (Orange Bowl)

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Okay so most of your should be familiar with the popular ‘fiore noodle’ challenge. That’s where you take a bowl of Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkummyun (spicy fried chicken flavor) instrant noodles and scarf ‘e,m down in one sitting really quick. If you don’t know about this, just go to YouTube and type in fire noodle challenge – you’ll get a ton of videos. Nobody’s ever challenged me to do this; kind of bummed. Anyways, this is a new variety – I think there will be three of these spin offs, but right now we have cheese. Let’s see is the cheese chills this fiery noodle out or if it still has the burn of burns. ...see full post

#2280: Sichuan Baijia Chongqing Noodles Hot & Sour Flavor

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I tried the Burning Dry Noodle variety of this line a few days ago and was quite pleased with it. That one was a brothless variant while this one will have soup. It sounds interesting – a spicy and sour taste to behold… Well, I suppose I’d better give it a try! ...see full post

#2278 – Nissin Raoh Japanese Instant Ramen Dandan Noodles

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Here’s another one from Colin from the east coast – thanks again! So to start with, a little about the originin of these noodles. You se here they’re referred to tantanmen, however they’re also dandanmein – Wikipedia, if you please: ...see full post

#2277: Goku-Uma Ramen Noodles Soy Sauce Flavor

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Some days I really need to wake up before I get started. Case in point, today I deleted the above image after I had taken pictures of what was inside of the bowl! If you didn’t, know, you cal ‘undelete’ files – lots of utilities out there that do it. So there it is. Let’s crack it open figuratively and check it out! ...see full post

#2273: Uni-President A Q Bucket Noodle Koream Kimchi Flavor

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Here’s another one I found in Taipei – this one was the last instant noodle I bought there. ...see full post

#2271: Sichuan Baijia Chongqing Noodles Burning Dry Noodles

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Leave to my wife Kit to notice things I don’t. This is art of a series of three varieties that they got in at 99 Ranch Market in Edmonds, Washington that I’d not seen before – but she did! I asked her which of the three to review first and here’s what she picked. Burning! Here’s a little snippet from Wikipedia – ...see full post