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Kimchi is awesome stuff and I picked some up today as I’ve got quite a few Korean varieties I’ll be reviewing this week. Last week was crazy – last day of school for the kids, did 21 reviews, our dog Pepper got adopted by a nice couple from west Seattle… It’s cool but a lot. You’ll see this a long time from last week. It’s June 25th today and you’re probably seeiing this is October I’m guessing. Anyways, kimchi ramyun is good stuff – let’s check it out.
Here’s one that came in a Zenpop.jp box – use coupon code THERAMENRATER for a groovy discount!
Here’s one that came in a Zenpop.jp box – use coupon code THERAMENRATER for a groovy discount!
Time for some more fare from Trader Joe’s. I’m really curious about this but honestly don’t know on this one. Why? Well, the other day I did a review of a variety which looks identical and was just horrible. I really hope that this does indeed taste like red curry – that would be great. However, I’v got my doubts. Let’s find out.
Rapokki is a combination of ramyun (Korean instant noodle) and tteokbokki (rice cake tubes). This one has a black bean sauce. I have a feeling this will be wonderous. Let’s find out. Oh, and this is made in South Korea, however packaged for US sale.
Had something thr other day by this brand for the first time and here’s another one. Found it at 99 Ranch Market. Let’s give it a try.
Here’s one that came in a Zenpop.jp box – use coupon code THERAMENRATER for a groovy discount!
Everyone I know seems to enjoy stepping foot into Trader Joe’s. Personally, I’m loathe to enter it. The silly bells, the caffeinated out overly engaging checkout people, the haphazard design of the aisles, the customers hanging out in groups here and there, oblivious to others and impeding travel through the place… Yeah, I don’t like going in there usually. However, I went in there recently with my wife and it was somewhat enjoyable as I found some noodles there. Now, Trader Joe’s makes nothing – nothing at all. They get companies to do private label products for them. This is one of those – made in Taiwan. These are Taiwanese dry noodle, a time-honored cuisine. Well, let’s just call ’em squiggly fun time noodles! Egad. Well, whoever manufactured them, I hope they’re getting paid good. Hopefully these are good, too. Let’s find out.
Well, here’s this. The last time I tried something from these folks I came up with only one thing to say; that’s not Asia. I’ve an open mind, but guessing I’m in for disappointment. But I’ve got an open mind, dammit! I think chicken should pair rather well with this and I do have chicken. Well, it’s made in Thailand for the Us market. That being send, let’s That’s.
Here’s the first of two new varieties from MAMA of Thailand that they were kind enough to send – thank you very much! Truffle! I’m really curious about this one. Truffles I’ve always thought a musty, old book kind of flavor – and I like the scent of old books and that transmitted as flavor is truly fascinating to me. I’m curious how strong this will be. Only one way to find out!
Found this one while looking for something completely different recently at HMart. I could tell they had the new noodle type (flat/broad) and thought that could be interesting, so here we are with today’s review. I should mention I have a special guest on today’s Instant Noodle Recipe Time at the bottom, so check it out. Anyways, let’s cook it up and give it a try!
Got these a little while back – thanks to the folks at Best Wok! I’ve been saving this one as the last one which wasn’t the hot and spicy was so good. Let’s give this one a try! Oh, and yes – these noodles are made completely from CORN!!
This one seems a little different. So, it says 3 flavors in 1 noodle.
Detail of the packaging (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, boil noodle for 5~6 minutes, then 30 seconds with lid on. Drain. Add in sachet contents. Finally, stir and enjoy!
Here’s one that came in a Zenpop.jp box – use coupon code THERAMENRATER for a groovy discount!
This one was found at HMart in Lynnwood, Washington. Never have seen this brand before. I’m guessing this is going to be budae jjigae, aka ‘troop stew,’ a combo of a classic Korean spicy ramyun along with bits you would find in Army rations like hot dog, salami, macaroni – stuff that will last a long time in the field. Let’s give it a try!
This came via ZenPlus – a special marketplace where you can get some of the best of Japan easily.
Well this sounds interesting. A-Sha pairing it’s Meteor Noodle, which is like a regular noodle with an extra ‘fin’ on top, and a hot and sour flavor. Let’s give it a try on this rainy day.
This one seems a little different. So, it says 3 flavors in 1 noodle.
Detail of the packaging (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, boil noodle for 5~6 minutes, then 30 seconds with lid on. Drain. Add in sachet contents. Finally, stir and enjoy!
Here’s one that came in a Zenpop.jp box – use coupon code THERAMENRATER for a groovy discount!
Okay so you know mi goreng, right? Well, this is mi goreng with a noodle made from corn. Yep – corn. What’s great about it is that it’s low cal and gluten free. Unlike rice vermicelli, its not dry, and unlike bean thread, it’s not extremely sloppy. This is the perfect balance. Let’s give it a go.
Here’s one that came in a Zenpop.jp box – use coupon code THERAMENRATER for a groovy discount!
Here’s one that came by way of The Fat Hipster – check him out on YouTube! Thanks, man! This looks to be quite a departure from the normal Buldak fare – basil and cream seems pretty usual, but udon – hmm. It sounds pretty decent – let’s give it a try! Oh, and yes – there will be a mukbang at the bottom.
The last one by this brand I tried was spectacular – a wide and chewy dry noodle with a savory sauce. This one brings a thinner noodle. I’m really curious – let’s give it a try!
Very curious about this one. So here’s a little background on birria –
Birria (Spanish: [ˈbirja] (
listen)) is a Mexican dish from the state of Jalisco. It is a traditional soup or stew made from a combination of chili pepper-based goat meat adobo, garlic, cumin, bay leaves, and thyme, and cooked at a low heat. Birria is slow-stewed in a pot (olla), and differs from barbacoa, which is cooked underground. Beef, lamb, sheep, chicken, or vegan meat substitutes are alternatives for goat. It may be seasoned and garnished with onion, cilantro, and lime. It is commonly accompanied with handmade corn tortillas.[1] Birria is one of the most famous dishes from Central Mexico including Jalisco and Michoacan. Each municipality and state is said to have its own version of this dish. The most famous are goat birria from Apatzingan, Michoacan and from Guadalajara, Jalisco San Pedro Tlaquepaque, are also well known for the quality of their birria.[2]
Here’s one I found at JD’s Market in Lynnwood, Washington. I hit the store up about once a year and generally find something or other I’ve not tried before. Let’s check it out!
Here’s one that came in a Zenpop.jp box – use coupon code THERAMENRATER for a groovy discount!
Did this review on Halloween of 2022! Seemed fitting enough. I wish I could remember where I picked this up; oh wait – I got it at HMart the day I went and saw the 40th anniversary screening of Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan. That was so great – haven’t seen that movie on the big screen and that made it really amazing. Before that my buddy Matt and I went to Seattle’s University district to grab some food . It was an interesting day – soon as we got down there his car started blowing smoke from under the hood. overheating. So we went walking around and found Aladdin Falafel – got a shwarma on flatbread thing and it was great – could eat that every day. After an hour or so we drove his car up to the theater in Lynnwood by the Alderwood Mall; taking backroads. All went well although it was kind of white knuckled. But it worked out. But yeah we went to the HMart which is next to the theater and he got a beer and pounded half of it then we went in and watched the movie. Good times. I used to listen to the soundtrack for Star Trek II before bed when I was a kid – I had it on cassette. Yeah, I was a weird kid.
This time, we have the third of this series – a hot and sour plain konjac noodle. The other two were really quite good – very curious about this one. Let’s find out!
You might not be familiar with pozole – I have tried a pozole ramen in the past but unfortunately I still haven’t sampled the actual dish. Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about it – ‘Pozole (Spanish pronunciation: [po’sole]; from Nahuatl languages: pozolli, meaning cacahuazintle, a variety of corn or maize) is a traditional soup or stew from Mexican cuisine. It is made from hominy with meat (typically chicken , but possibly pork), and can be seasoned and garnished with shredded lettuce or cabbage, chilli peppers, onion, garlic, radishes, avocado, salsa or limes. Known in Mesoamerica since the pre-Columbian era, today the stew is common across Mexico and neighboring countries, and is served both as a day-to-day meal and as a festive dish.’
Here’s another variety I’d not seen which came by way of The Fat Hipster, a guy who has tried some fascinating things on his YouTube channel, and is also part of Section42, a group of moderators for the Ramen Junkies group on Facebook. Check both out – and thanks, bro!
Here’s one that came in a Zenpop.jp box – use coupon code THERAMENRATER for a groovy discount!
To begin, thanks to Pher Engi for sending this along with so many untried Indonesian varieties! Seblak Hot Jeletot. I searched and almost immediately found a site familiar to me – minime insights. This guy does market analysis on food trends and new things – he’s mentioned me in the past and I’ve check out his site quite a bit to find out about different products. In his post, he answers a lot of my questions, and leaves me with a little dilemma. First, this is a trending flavor. Second, jeletot turns out to be a Sundanese word (great now I have to figure out that Sundanese is) which means so hot your eyes pop out!
Another one sent by Pher Engi – thanks again! This is the second of three varieties she sent in the Jiwa Pagi range by Kobe of Indonesia. The noodles are infused with carrot and green bean which is interesting. The last one had a nice flavor to it – let’s check this one out!
Here’s something I found at a Party City store while we were getting stuff for our daughter Mimi’s birthday. Says it’s made in The Netherlands which I think is interesting – I don’t know why, but I do. This looks pretty weird so let’s just get started.
Of all the Red Chef varieties, this one I understand the least. I like to revisit it again once in a while as it’s something I just don’t quite understand. That’s most certainly not the product’s fault . So that being said, I walk towards it again in hopes a new sampling will bring me closer to understanding it. Let’s give it a try!
Here’s an interesting one from Japan found in a Zenpop box – check out zenpop.jp and use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount!
First and foremost, thanks to Pher Engi for sending this over! Soto segeer means ‘fresh soto.’ I did a little research and found that Jiwa Pagi means ‘morning soul.’ These noodles contain carrot and green beans – also no MSG here. These are healthy variety. Sounds interesting – this also the same company (Kobe) that makes the BonCabe instant noodles and seasonings. Oh, you might not know what soto is to begin with – Wikipedia, if you please…
Here’s an interesting one from Japan found in a Zenpop box – check out zenpop.jp and use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount!
You may have heard of budae jjigae, which features assorted meats. This is a kimchi jjigae, which has kimchi at the forefront. Of the extra spicy varieties of this range, this is the only soupy variety, also the only one not having chicken at the forefront. Well, I do have some chicken, so it will make an appearance in here. Let’s cook it up!
A couple days ago, I was speaking to my son Andy about cooking and brought up bread machines and the joys of making bread; how crafting a loaf of bread using basic ingredients is a lot of fun. Well, I hadn’t done so in quite a while, so I figured I’d go ahead and do it, and what better ramen bread to make but something Taiwanese?
