Thanks to James from Lakeside, California for sending this along. Been years since a Shirakiku variety crossed paths with my desk. What’s more, I don’t know that I’ve seen imagery on a tonkotsu featuring a fork before. Let’s give it a whirl.
Category: * Stars 3.1 – 4.0
#5120 Nissin Demae Iccho Tonkotsu Flavour Instant Ramen Noodles – Hong Kong
We went out on Saturday – the kids were so good last week at school so we had to give them an outing to the mall. Nice to get out. Well, Sunday we all had sore throats and the kids were coughing. Today is Monday and my wife Kit and I sound like we gargled with scouring pads and our throats are sore as can be. Ugh. It never fails; the kids go back to school, everybody gets sick. I’m up early – first one up and typing away at this point. No ten miles of walking for me today. I think at least one kid will be home today too. Guess we will see. Anyways, it should be an interesting episode of Instant Noodle Recipe Time at the bottom of this post today – I’m guessing I’m going to sound like Barry White. But tonkotsu really sounds good – so I’ll do it up. Let’s give it a try. Oh – I found it along with two others in the range at a store at the mall called Miniso – okay, on with it.
#5119: Vina Caty Noodles Spicy Seafood Flavor – Vietnam
Big thank you to James from Lakeside, California for sending! The last one of these I tried was a vegetable mushroom and it was really quite nice – now we have a seafood mushroom. I’m curious if there will also be a sweetness in this one. Well, let’s find out.
#5117: JML Udon Noodles With Tonkotsu – China
Here’s one sent by James from Lakeside, California – thank you! Wasn’t sure if I’d had this one however the other I’ve had from this range was udon with seafood flavor. Let’s toss in some chashu and give it a go!
#5115: Nongshim White Jjamppong Seafood Flavor – United States
Big thanks to James from Lakeside for this one! Jjamppong is a favorite of mine and this sounds like a Nagasaki jjamppong. Let’s cook it up!
#5114: Maruchan QTTA Green Smoky Mayo Ramen – Japan
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! Inside, they have 8-10 different varieties from Japan! If you’d like to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount! Let’s see what they had to say about this one – “This Tsukimi season, we’re trying something new! This tasty ramen from Maruchan combines the umami of chicken with tasty green chili for plenty of flavor and smokiness. Add in a bit of mayo flavor and you end up with a super creamy soup that we love!”
#5110: Myojo Hyobanya Tonkotsu Ramen – Japan
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! Inside, they have 8-10 different varieties from Japan! If you’d like to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount! Let’s see what they had to say about this one – “Next up is ramen with a broth as golden as the harvest moon. This ramen pack features a tasty pork and fish dashi mixed into a tonkotsu broth for tons of savory goodness. This broth also features a lower salt content but uses salt from the Goto-nada Sea near Nagasaki.”
#5108: Norita Tempura Udon Shrimp Soy Sauce Noodle Soup – United States
Found this at a local Dollar Tree store here in Kenmore, Washington. This one is fascinating and odd – it says it cooks quickly, however when you see the steeping time you might be a little surprised. Let’s check it out.
#5107: Chewy Cup Instant Vermicelli Shiso & Seafood Flavour – Hong Kong
Here’s one that came by way of Exotic Noods – thanks! Check out their subscription boxes – this is something you might find in one of them. I know seafood, but here’s info on shiso. I’m intrigued – let’s give it a go.
#5105: Maruchan Chilled Bukkake Sanuki-Style Udon – Japan
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! Inside, they have 8-10 different varieties from Japan! If you’d like to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount! Let’s see what they had to say about this one – “It’s summer, and we want to make sure that our birthday bash is nice and
cool. Sanuki (an area of Kagawa Prefecture) is famous for its udon, so we had to get this tasty bowl just for you! With a savory sauce base of kelp, ginger and dried fish, this will be sure to please!”
#5099: Myojo Chukazanmai Eirin Tomato Hot & Sour Ramen – Japan
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! Inside, they have 8-10 different varieties from Japan! If you’d like to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount! Let’s see what they had to say about this one – “Let’s kick off the celebration with a delicious spin on ramen! This tasty cup features ramen noodles in an amazing tomato hot & sour egg drop soup, a signature of Tokyo’s Eirin, a popular Chinese restaurant. This cup is an experience full of flavor down to the last drop!”
#5098: Acecook Mariuma Wonton Chuka Soba – Japan
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! Inside, they have 8-10 different varieties from Japan! If you’d like to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount! Let’s see what they had to say about this one – “We love ramen and we love wontons! So, we brought you a tasty soy sauce ramen option with tasty wontons right in the soup! This ramen features a broth of shoyu with pork, chicken and a bit of bonito flakes for a deep flavor perfect for any wonton ramen lover!”
#5097: Sichuan Baijia Ancient Jinli Street Chengdu Style Hot & Sour – China
Found this one at 99 Ranch Market recently. Man, I just have to say what a week. Got COVID (granted this is August so hopefully I don’t have COVID when I’m posting this) and it’s just been hell. Lots of headache, dizziness. When I got COVID in January of 2021, I ended up with a blood clot in my lung. The second time (first was after going to Taiwan). So my doc put me on a blood thinner , effectively for the rest of my life. Well, headache and dizziness can be indicative of a blood clot. Well, not this time – usually that has to do with the fact that you’re not getting enough oxygen. Usually your heart rate will go up as well. So, it’s just the sick beating the heck out of me. It got bad enough to go to urgent care yesterday and they were like yeah you have COVID – no reason to think it’s a blood clot in your lungs or anything. So that’s good, however I still feel like crap. It’s Tuesday. I took picture of this and the last two varieties on Tuesday – of last week. It’s literally taken me that much time to get these post frameworks done before I’m even close to cooking. I might cook tomorrow, I dunno. But I think I’m coming out of the funk. I sure hope so… Anyways, let’s see about this one.
#5094: Samyang Buldak Tom Yum Artificial Spicy Chicken Flavor Ramen – United States
A big thanks to Daniel over at www.exoticnoods.com for sending this one! I’ve been wanting to try it and mukbang it up for a while now (mukbang vid at bottom of the page), and here it is. I love tom yum. I’m curious though as the Buldak base has the heat, but it also imparts some sweetness as well. Interesting. I guess the correct route is to give it a try.
#5092: Chewy Brand Instant Noodles Premium Original Flavour – Hong Kong
Big thanks to Daniel over at www.exoticnoods.com – check out his subscription boxes – multinational rad stuff with things like this inside! Really stoked to try this – and very curious what premium original flavour entails. Let’s check it out!
#5089: Maruchan Instant Rice Bowl Mexican Rice – United States
Here’s something you’ll find on the instant noodle aisle, however it is obviously not a noodle. This could be good stuff – very curious. Let’s nuke it and give it a try.
#5087: Nan Jie Cun Peking Spicy Instant Noodle – China
Big thanks to Daniel at www.exoticnoods.com for sending this! This looks rather plain but I’m going to tell you right now I am seriously excited about it. Nan Jie Cun is also known as Nan Jie village. So what? So this –
#5086: Funyuns Maruchan Hot & Spicy Chicken Ramen Onion Flavored Rings – United States
Funyuns and Maruchan got together and made a food baby. This is fascinating and very different. It came to be at the same time as the new Maruchan Chili Cheese Yakisoba which I used these for garnish with.I have seen snack and chip collabs with instant noodles before and they either work or they don’t. Prior to sampling these, I saw an article saying they were so absolutely wonder; really gushing over them. Well, I’ll try them out and give you my honest opinion. Let’s do it.
#5080: Nissin Donbei Ryukyu Soba – Japan
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! Inside, they have 8-10 different varieties from Japan! If you’d like to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount! Let’s see what they had to say about this one – “Okinawa is famous for beautiful beaches and good food. And one of Okinawa’s most famous foods is Okinawa soba (or Ryukyu soba)! This ramen bowl features a delicious soup made with katsuo (bonito), kelp and pork, creating a light yet flavorful broth for the noodles”
#5077: Acecook Local Shop One Cup Kyoto Sohyu Ramen – Japan
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! Inside, they have 8-10 different varieties from Japan! If you’d like to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount! Let’s see what they had to say about this one – “Next, we’re headed to Kyoto, a city full of tradition and amazing festivals… and tasty ramen! This ramen features a delicious shoyu and pork base full of flavor. The secret to this cup’s rich, deep flavor is the use of pork fat for added umami and collagen (great for skin)!”
#5076: Mom’s Dry Noodle Laksa Vermicelli With Fishball – Taiwan
Well this sounds right up my alley! A rice vermicelli laksa that actually comes with fishball! I’m all over this let’s give it a try!
#5075: Myojo Charumera Soupless Champon – Japan
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! Inside, they have 8-10 different varieties from Japan! If you’d like to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount! Let’s see what they had to say about this one – “Let’s hop on over to Nagasaki—well known for their Spirit Boats in summer and for their famous champon! This champon is soupless but features a delicious sauce that combines the rich taste of tonkotsu with the deep umami of seafood like Japan’s famous scallop!”
#5074: Snapdragon Vietnamese Pho Beef Flavored Noodle Soup – United States
A bowl of beef pho from Snapdragon. Really not looking forward to this; far and few between are Snapdragon varieties that I’ve really liked. I suppose I will atempt to ‘slurp happy’ as they recommend on the packaging. Well, let’s make an attempt.
#5069: Maruchan Seimen Yakisoba – Japan
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! Inside, they have 8-10 different varieties from Japan! If you’d like to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount! Let’s see what they had to say about this one – “Last up is this tasty yakisoba from the famous Maruchan! Yakisoba is a festival classic, so you can’t have a festival box with out it. This pack features tasty noodles and a flavorful yakisoba sauce with a tasty sea lettuce and red ginger topping for a full festival experience!”
#5068: MAMA Instant Rice Vermicelli Duck Flavour – Thailand
Big thanks to James from Lakeside, CA for this one. Man, I wish I had a duck to cook up and put in here, or at least some scratch to go buy some duck, which would be infinitely easier. But alas, I don’t. When I visited MAMA in 2015 over in Thailand, I had duck a few times. Duck is great; I mean great. Anyways, let’s cook thisup and give it a try!
#5062: Maruchan Ramen Noodle Soup Chili Flavor (Prison Ramen) – United States
Okay – so no, you can’t really get this outside of a rison. Why? It’s just the deal. The clear packs don’t allow contraband. Who makes these? Maruchan. Who distributes them? Folks who want nothing to do with you so don’t bother them. I got some from a person who works for a prison as an employee. No. He’s anonymous. Anyways, there’s a lot of interest in these varieties. So, I’ll review it. They’re pretty good and different.
#5061: Sapporo Ichiban Shio Ramen – Japan
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! Inside, they have 8-10 different varieties from Japan! If you’d like to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount! Let’s see what they had to say about this one – Let’s slow it down and take a break from the festival fun with some tasty shio ramen! This bowl combines the umami of chicken and pork with a tasty salt base that is light yet full of flavor. With accents of pepper”
#5057: Maruchan Ramen Noodle Soup Cajun Shrimp Flavor – United States
Here’s another one you can only find… In prison. Yup – clear packaging is a giveaway. You can’t get these elsewhere – you will never see them in a grocery store. They are distributed by a company called Keefe Group – don’t call Keefe Group. They don’t want to talk to you – trust me I found out by calling them. This and three other varieties were sent by an anonymous donor – thanks again! Let’s give this a try.
#5053: Maruchan Ramen Noodle Soup Cajun Chicken Flavor – United States
First, I’d like to send big thanks to a person who works at a prison who doesn’t want to be identified. This is something some of you might know, but many will not. This is prison ramen. Notice the package has a lot of clear space? That’s to make it hard to conceal contraband people might like to bring in. Maybe not bring in per se, maybe things that were brough in and wanted to be hidden? I know a lot of you will ask where you can get this. Prison. Jail. Grocery store? No. Will the distributor sell it to me? No. They’re very clear on that – I’ve contacted them in the past and it’s definitely not going to happen. Yeah. So if you want some of these noodles, you’ll have to do something to end up in a corrections facility, or luck out and be contacted by someone that works at one and offers you some. I will say if you are really wanting this stuff check on eBay as you might be able to find it there from time to time. Anyways, let’s cook it up.
#5050: Miliket Bowl Noodle Soup Beef Flavor Instant Noodles – Vietnam
Here’s another neat one by way of James from Lakeside, CA. This is another one where I dunno who they think they’re foolin’ but it sure looks like a different brand. Regardless, it’s time to cook, so lets.
#5047: Acecook The Back Local Shop Sapporo Black Shoyu Ramen – Japan
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! Inside, they have 8-10 different varieties from Japan! If you’d like to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount! Let’s see what they had to say about this one – “Next up, we’re heading up to Sapporo (which doesn’t directly touch the ocean but it’s SO close). This cup ramen is a powerful combo of flavors, combining shoyu (soy sauce) with mayu (scorched black garlic oil) from Kumamoto to create a black shoyu soup!”
#5042: Acecook Gyorantei Yokosuka Navy Curry Ramen – Japan
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! Inside, they have 8-10 different varieties from Japan! If you’d like to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount! Let’s see what they had to say about this one – “Yokosuka, in Kanagawa Prefecture, is known for its naval base and as a curry town. This limited-time curry ramen comes from the very popular shop Gyorantei. It has a deep, flavorful curry soup with plenty of spice that’ll transport you straight to this seaside town.”
#5037: Baixiang Original Seafood Flavor Noodles – China
Well, this is it. The last of the varieties we found back in March 2024 at S*Mart for my birthday. I swear – one trip to that place a year really pans out well. Let’s cook!
#5034: Tan Xiao Ai Sour & Spicy Noodle – China
Here’s one found at S*Mart a couple of months ago. It looks like the fellow on the cup is Tan Xiao Ai, maybe a drama actor, or a professional go player, but I’m guessing the former. Lots of sachets in this one – let’s get to it.
#5031: O’Food Seafood Ramen – South Korea
It’s kind of funny; I think of ‘top o’ the day to you’ or bits o’ beef’ when I see this company name. Anyways, found this at QFC supermarket in Edmonds, Washington when I was looking for curry simmer sauce. Weird. It’s was only $1.49, which isn’t bad!
#5030: Myojo Authentic Japanese Udon Original Flavor – United States
It’s been a while since I tried a bunch of udon varieties and this is the last of the recent varieties sent by Myojo – thanks again! Let us begin.
#5029: Sapporo Ichiban Pokemon Noodle Sendai Spicy Miso Ramen – Japan
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! Inside, they have 8-10 different varieties from Japan! If you’d like to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount! Let’s see what they had to say about this one – “Who’s that cup ramen? It’s spicy miso! That’s right—we’re starting our watch party with a special Pokémon collab cup ramen, complete with Pokémon sticker! This ramen features the fire types Charizard and Fuecoco because it’s sure to give you a spicy fire punch!”
#5028: Myojo Authentic Japanese Udon Chicken Flavor – United States
Chicken udon time! Myojo sent me two of each of these varieties I’ve been reviewing and I have been taking the udon out of the extras and my wife and been enjoying it a lot. She likes to make a cheese sauce and put slices of hot dog with it. True story! I must admit, that sounds pretty good… Anyways, let make some chicken udon!
#5026: Maruchan QTTA Thick & Light Cheese Cream – Japan
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! Inside, they have 8-10 different varieties from Japan! If you’d like to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount! Let’s see what they had to say about this one – “Next up is a tasty cup ramen that’s as smooth as JJK’s Gojo! The mad men at QTTA came out with a delicious yet light cheese cream ramen with hints of black pepper to keep things spicy (also like Gojo)!”
#5023: Yamadai Utsunomiya Yakisoba – Japan
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! Inside, they have 8-10 different varieties from Japan! If you’d like to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount! Let’s see what they had to say about this one – “”Now, let’s take a quick break to enjoy some more yakisoba from Tokyo’s Utsunomiya area! This yakisoba features a special collab sauce with Tsukihoshi (Moon Star) for a delicious saucy experience. Add the special chewy noodles and you have some delicious yakisoba!