Category: * Stars 3.1 – 4.0

#5022: Nissin Donbei Curry Udon – Japan

#5022: Nissin Donbei Curry 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 – “If you’re already fired up from the watch party action, this will be sure to set your heart ablaze. This limited-edition Donbei udon features a delicious Japanese dashi stock mixed with curry, cumin and garlic to create a delicious, fragrant curry udon experience!” ...see full post

#5008: Nissin Tongarashi Ramen Sweet & Spicy Tomato Cream & Cheese – Japan

#5008: Nissin Tongarashi Ramen Sweet & Spicy Tomato Cream & Cheese - 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 another amazing pink design with a cup full of tasty noodles with a slightly spicy kick. This cup combines spicy tomato with a thick cream soup that has a delicious cheese flavor. This perfect combo is sure to get you hooked!” ...see full post

Halloween 2024: #5006: Cheetos Mac’N Cheese Box Of Bones Limited Edition – United States

#5140: Cheetos Mac'N Cheese Box Of Bones Limited Edition - United States

Well, Halloween is here and so I like to do something or other to celebrate it here. No, this is not ramen or an instant, but it is a kind of noodle thing. These are macaroni in the shapes required to make a little skeleton. Kind of cool. I think. As it turns out,  I saw it at the same place I got my pack for review #5000. Let us begin. ...see full post

#4999: Nissin Cup Noodles Beef Dashi Yukgaejang Big Cup Ramen – Japan

#4999: Nissin Cup Noodles Beef Dashi Yukgaejang Big Cup 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 – “The colors of cherry blossom festivals change as the sun sets, and this design captures those colors! Inspired by yukgaejang soup, often eaten with or after Japanese & Korean barbecue, this spicy beef ramen features gochujang, miso, beef and veggies for a great experience!” ...see full post

#4993: Nissin Cup Noodles Chicken Flavor Ramen Noodle Soup – United States

#4993: Nissin Cup Noodles Chicken Flavor Ramen Noodle Soup - United States

You might be thinking ‘almost 5000 varieties this guy’s tried but never this one?’ Yup – never this one. At least not in a paper cup. This is a big change – a timely one as I think there’s a chanbce that unless this change occurres, this wouldn’t be allowed for sale in Washington state. I think. Anyways, yeah – this should be fun to try! Let’s give it a go! ...see full post

#4984: Nissin Maneki Station Tempura Soba – Japan

#4984: Nissin Maneki Station Tempura 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 – “Now let’s head to beautiful Himeji and check out the Himeji station platform where there’s a popular soba shop called Maneki. This soba combines traditional Japanese dashi with Chinese-style soba for a unique experience. Add tasty tempura on top and you’ve got a classic.” ...see full post

#4981: Sapporo Ichiban Chicken Dashi Shoyu Ramen – Japan

#4981: Sapporo Ichiban Chicken Dashi 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 – “Our first stop is Asahikawa, Hokkaido, where we’ll enjoy this tasty bowl of shoyu (soy sauce) ramen with a delicious, savory free-range chicken broth. This ramen also features chicken meat, egg and green onion on top for an amazing bowl that is both light and flavorful—an excellent start!” ...see full post

#4973: Xiaoai Hot & Sour Sweet Potato Noodle – China

#4973: Xiaoai Hot & Sout Sweet Potato Noodle - China

I was planning on doing three reviews today, but I got my green screen tee shirt and wanted to do another one and give it a try, so you’ll see the result at the bottom in the Instant Noodle Recipe Time episode. Anyways, this one was a pain to trranslate and unsure if I even got it right. Let’s give it a try – at least the instructions aren’t difficult. ...see full post

#4967: JML Big Soup! Big Taste! Artificial Beef Flavor In Golden Soup – China

#4967: JML Big Soup! Big Taste! Artificial Beef Flavor Is Golden Soup - China

Well, it’s Wednesday…. A rainy Wednesday. Really like the universe to comply… Need to get out and walk but my poor little Mimi has a stomach bug which is keeping her home for the third day. So, here I am reviewing again. I’m so far ahead – don’t know when you’re seeing this one (September?) but it’s March 27th as I write this. Really need a break from reviewing as well as getting out of the house. Hopefully I’ll get to next week… Maybe this weeks? Getting my hopes up… Let’s try this one. ...see full post

#4965: New Touch Nagoya Taiwan Mazesoba – Japan

#4965: New Touch Nagoya Taiwan Mazesoba - 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 – “Back to the shinkansen to head to Nagoya! This Nagoya soup-less soba dish combines the kick of its slightly creamy and deliciously spicy sauce with the taste of yummy green onion and garlic. There’s also a hint of added umami with a light fish powder.” ...see full post

#4964: Dujosoo Konjac Liangpi Noodles With Sesame Sauce – China

#4964: Dujosoo Konjac Liangpi Noodles With Sesame Sauce - China

Another one found at S*Mart in Bellevue, Washington. I still get a kick every time I think of S*Mart. If you’ve seen the film Army of Darkness, you’ll know why. Anyways, this is a cold noodle and from what I’m seeing on the outset, you don’t cook the noodle – you simply rinse it with cold water. Let’s give it a try. ...see full post

#4963: Omachi Instant Noodles Beef Flavor – Vietnam

#4963: Omachi Instant Noodles Beef Flavor - Vietnam

It’s Saturday and we hit up some places. I just realized I should’ve grabbed some beefballs. Beefballs? Yeah – they have them at a local Asian grocery. They’re definitely with other Vietnamese items in the cooler. I’m going to use Chinese sausage for this onbe – I’ve been using it lately in beef varieties instead of beef. I dunno – using Chinese sausage is fun I think as it’s so tasty. Anyways, let’s cook this one up. ...see full post

#4956: JML Big Soup! Big Taste! Artificial Stewed Beef Flavor – China

#4956: JML Big Soup! Big Taste! Artificial Stewed Beef Flavor - China

Okay so here’s another really huge multipack. If you want a ton of noodles and soup, this is the ticket for your. I’ve seen these many, many times, but for my birthday, my lovely wife Kit took me to a few Asian grocery stores and told me to go crazy – and I did. I went from having two varieties to having a slew – thank you, Kit! ...see full post

#4954: Maruchan Yakisoba Korean BBQ Flavor Japanese Home Style Noodles – United States

#5102: Maruchan Yakisoba Korean BBQ Flavor Japanese Home Style Noodles - United States

Here’s one I thought I ought to revisit. I got a couple boxes of samples from the kind folks over at Maruchan recently and this was in there. I wasn’t going to review it again, but my daughter Mimi asked to try it the other day. It smelled really nice, so I figured let’s give it a go. I really love Korean BBQ – some of the best meals I’ve had have been at a now gone Korean BBQ place called Secret Garden. The banchan was great, the servers were super kind, and usually in the back at the bar people were doing karaoke. It was fascinating and nice little cultural microcosm. Anyways, let’s cook this up and give it a go.

Maruchan Yakisoba Korean BBQ Flavor Japanese Home Style Noodles – United States

#5102: Maruchan Yakisoba Korean BBQ Flavor Japanese Home Style Noodles - United States

Detail of the packaging (click to enlarge). Contains beef. To prepare, add room temp water to line and clear sachet contents. Microwave for 4 minutes at 1000W. Add powder base. Finally, stir and enjoy! ...see full post

#4953: Maruchan Yakisoba Chicken Flavor Japanese Home Style Noodles – United States

#5101: Maruchan Yakisoba Chicken Flavor Japanese Home Style Noodles - United States

Wow it sure has been awhile – repackaging and over 14 years! I thought hey – I’m planning on doing a Definitive Guide to these, why not revisit chicken. My last sampling was review #215. There’s something about these trays that drives me nuts. Now, they’re not designed with the thought that there’s a guy somewhere will be scanning the bottom of the tray. Well, this guy here does and it’s horror. They’re shrink wrap, so they dont want to lay flat and fold over, etc. They also get tons of reflective glare. Anyways, yeah. But whaddaya do. Best ya can. Let’s cook it up! ...see full post

#4947: Mi Sedaap Style Of Singapore Spicy Laksa – Indonesia

#4947: Mi Sedaap Style Of Singapore Spicy Laksa - Indonesia

Happy birthday to me! This one looked really neat and what’s crazy is I found it locally at S*Mart. I visit that place once a year usually and find a ton of great stuff I’ve never seen before. I even got some mint for garnish on this one. I wanted to get a mint plant and a basil plant yesterday at the fruit stand, but it’s still too early – they didn’t have any. I mean, it is still winter here. Regardless, let’s cook! ...see full post

#4935: Vifon Asian Style Instant Rice Noodles “Phnom Penh” Style – Vietnam

#4935: Vifon Asian Style Instant Rice Noodles "Phnom Penh" Style - Vietnam

Found this one at Evergreen Asian Market in Everett, Washington. I found quite a few Vietnamese varieties there I looked up in my archives, found a bowl version of this which was my fifth review. Those early early reviews are definitely out of order, but it was definitely one of the first 30 I tried back in 2002-2003. Well, let’s give this one a try. ...see full post

#4932: Omachi Instant Noodles With Tomato Sauce – Vietnam

#4932: Omachi Instant Noodles With Tomato Sauce - Vietnam

Here’s one I found over at Evergreen Asian Market in Everett, WA! I’ve had this many years ago and never simply found it in the ‘wild.’ My buddy Stumpy, who now resides in North Little Rock, AR found it for me while living in Everett in 2012.  Here’s that review. Twelve years ago – not The Beforetime, but quite a while ago. Let’s check it out – by the way I found plenty more from this brand today and that was really exciting – been wanting to find stuff from these folks for awhile. ...see full post

#4929: Maruchan Yakisoba Spicy Chicken Flavor – United States

#4929: Maruchan Yakisoba Spicy Chicken Flavor - United States

Well, a couple reviews ago I started with how my back was screwed up from doing a lot of work on the weekends setting things up. Well, it still is sore, and today I planned on walking a lot but there were three D’s that kind of ruined that plan… Damn cold, damn windy, damn rainy. So, damn. I walked to the local store and got a couple things including this one to review. I don’t think I’ve reviewed it in a great while, so here it is and here I go. ...see full post

#4925: Maruchan QTTA Carbonara Ramen – Japan

#4925: Maruchan QTTA Carbonara Ramen - Japan

Here’s one that came in a Zenpop box – here’s what they had to say about it – ‘What is this?? Did my Japan box turn into an Italy box? Look again, it’s QTTA Carbonara(men)! Wordplay aside, this is really ramen noodles in the famous Italian sauce. Japan is an island nation with many people not finding many opportunities to travel abroad, which leads to foreign flavors being very interesting. How close is this ramen carbonara to the real thing? You be the judge!’ ...see full post

#4924: Pamana Champorado Chocolate Rice Porridge – United States

#4924: Pamana Champorado Chocolate Rice Porridge - United States

Here’s one that you might find on an instant noodle aisle. It was sent by James from Lakeside, California. It looks like I’m just about out of varieties to review at this point here in February 2024… Hmm… That kind of works out alright as tomorrow is Friday and I’ve done 3 varieties a day every day this week and a couple days last week, trudging towards the big 5000. Chocolate rice porridge is most certainly not ramen, but it’s worth a look. So let’s look. ...see full post