Category: * Stars 4.1 – 5.0

#1570: Maruchan Big Cup Ramen Corn, Salt & Butter Flavor

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Once in a while, I get something a little different – something that contains something I’ve not seen before. This is one of those times. So it was kind of difficult to translate this one – it’s basically salt Butter and Corn flavor, although the translation I ended up with didn’t mention the corn. I decided to go ahead and add corn in the title anyways. Also, I saw lots of translations mention the word circle, although I’m not sure if that was just Google translate being weird.Anyways, this is a big bowl of noodles and I’m very curious to try them. Without any further adieu, let’s open this thing up and look inside! ...see full post

#1561: Uncle Sun White Curry Noodle

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Most of the instant noodles from Malaysia have been just that – sent to me FROM Malaysia by manufacturers. What’s kind of cool is that now I’m seeing more of them start showing up in the United States. I found this Uncle Sun White Curry a few miles north of here in Everett at a newer Asian grocery simply called Asian Grocery (great name). It’s actually a great place – they have two varieties of this one – the one you see here and one that looks identical but says it’s extra hot! They also had Milo, a popular drink from Malaysia – kind of like chocolate milk, but like dark chocolate milk. Anyways – sweet – more white curry! Let’s check it out! ...see full post

Re-Review: Indomie Mi Goreng Fried Noodles

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On my last trip to the Asian grocery store, I had a though. I thought maybe I ought to toss in some of the varieties I’ve not reviewed in a while that I’ve recommended quite a bit to people since they’re relatively easy to source and quite good. This one’s a perfect example. My first favorite instant growing up was the Japanese Nissin Chickin Ramen. After trying a few varieties, I found Indomie Mi Goreng line and was all about it. When we’d go to Seattle we’d come back with a couple bags full of them, and I don’t think my parents minded too much since it was around 25 cents a pack. I tried many different varieties in the Indomie Mi Goreng line – there are quite a few.  I used to go for the Satay flavor mostly, but then found the Barbecue Chicken one to my liking. Then there’s the Rendang which is a really great one, gracing the top ten list a couple times I think. This one today is the original version. If you’ve not tried this stuff, you’ve got to; it’s a real treat and easily modified to taste. There’s five sachets ioncluded- quite a few in an instant noodle pack and I’ll explain them all here. Anyways, let’s bring on the Indomie Mi Goreng! ...see full post

#1549: Sapporo Ichiban Chow Mein Japanese Style Noodles Yakisoba

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Here’s another one my wife got me during my annual birthday trip to Canada this year – thank, Kit! So this is the Canadian version of Sapporo Ichiban Chow Mein. There are a couple differences between this and the version for sale in the United States packaging wise, but does it taste different? I’m guessing it’s going to be about the same but it could be different. Let’s find out as I tear into the Canadian version of Sapporo Ichiban Chow Mein! ...see full post

#1547: Vedan Volcano Spicy Pork Noodle

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Here’s an interesting one which I got some great help in translating from Bobby Y. – thank you as always! I kind of ran into a hitch when I was trying to translate this: 台湾泡面 味丹双响炮 碗装方便面 火山岩烧豚骨汤面110G 6个包邮 and then got this from Google: Taiwan Vedan Pom instant noodles bowl of instant noodles volcanic burning dolphin soup surface 110G 6 个 shipping. Volcanic burning dolphin soup does sound interesting though! Another thing he was able to verify was that there’s a little sachet that is to be enjoyed as a snack while you wait for the noodles to steep and aren’t actually an ingredient – we’ll go more into that in the directions. Anyways, let’s check this one from Taiwan out! ...see full post

#1545: Nanyang Chef Penang Asam Pedas Hot & Sour Instant Noodle

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A while back, I reviewed Nanyang Chef’s Penang White Curry Noodle With Nanyang Chili Paste. Today, it’s a new product from them – Asan Pedas. At first, I thought this would be Asam Laksa, but then I dug a little in Wikipedia and found that Asam Pedas is a stew accompanied by fish. The Asam word refers to tamarind, which lends to the sour nature of Asam Laksa as well as Asam Pedas. Let’s check out this new comer from Nanyang Chef! ...see full post

#1540: Unif-100 Instant Noodles Artificial Shallot Beef Flavor

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I keep looking at this one in my noodle hamper and then curse at myself for not getting shallots… I mean, they’re cheap and taste really good – why didn’t I get shallots? Well, I kept forgetting to. But fear not shallot lovers! I now have shallots. Beef and shallot lovers, your day has arrived. Let’s delve into the insides of this Unif-100 Artificial Shallot Beef flavor pack from Unif of China! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: Re-Review: Lucky Me! Instant Pancit Canton (Chow Mein) Extra Hot Chili Flavor

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Today, we say farewell to the Monde Nissin Meet The Manufacturer! It’s been really neat to try all of these different varieties one right after the other – this is the 15th review! I do up to 15 in a row during an MTM. I thought today would definitely be fitting for something hot and spicy. Why you ask? ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #1532: Lucky Me! Special Instant Noodles Jjamppong Flavor

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Well everyone, today is Thanksgiving! I thought I’d like to thank everyone who visit The Ramen Rater every day – your attention and interest inspires me to continue on in my journey to find the best instant noodles in the world and let you know about them! I wanted to also thank you for buying things using the Amazon links I provide. These aren’t products directly from me, but from people/companies selling them on Amazon, and I get a little something every time one of you uses a link and either buys the item shown or browses and finds something else they’d like. This really helps us out, especially around the holidays. If you’re planning on doing holiday shopping on Amazon, consider something from the Noodle Shop or simply go to the Noodle Shop and click on the Amazon logo. You’ll be helping keep The Ramen Rater running ! Thanks, and Happy Thanksgiving! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: Re-Review: Lucky Me! Instant Pancit Canton (Chow Mein) Original Flavor

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Pancit Canton is a Filipino favorite whose roots began in China. It is also very much like Mi Goreng, an Indonesian dish. Basically, noodles and cooked, drained, and then combined with a dry powder and oil and sauce combination to create a tasty broth-free dish. These Lucky Me! Pancit Canton come in a variety of flavors, this being their original flavor. I’ll be reviewing more of these during Meet The Manufacturer as well, since it’s such a prominent product of theirs. Let’s check out Lucky Me! original Pancit Canton. ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #1527: Lucky Me! Special Baked Mac Style Instant Macaroni

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Macaroni is used in a lot of Filipino cuisine. One I’ve tried in instant form is Sopas, a soup with macaroni in it. The weather here is really quite cold (at least for Washington). It’s gotten down to as low as 26 degrees Fahrenheit the last few nights. This looks like a nice warm stick-to-your-ribsy kind of thing. Let’s check it out! ...see full post

#1523: Paldo Jjamppong Seafood Noodle King Bowl

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Here’s a new Jjamppong King Bowl from Paldo. The king bowl is yet another instant noodle form factor. There are cups, king cups, bowls and king bowls. I think the main different between cups and bowls are really the portability factor. I think a king cup and a king bowl hold the same amount of liquid though; I’ll have to compare them some day. But I digress. This is Jjamppong – here’s a little from Wikipedia about Jjamppong who are unclear about what it is: ...see full post

#1521: Maruchan Gotsumori Sauce Yakisoba

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Okay, I’m familiar with yakisoba, but what’s Gotsumori sauce all about? After some scouring of the Internet, I didn’t find a whole lot. I found on the manufacturer’s site that the sauce is spicy and also has a sachet of Kewpie karashimayonnaise (kind of a mayo-mustard thing). Anyways, yeah I’m definitely coming up short on this one! Let’s have a look. ...see full post

#1518: Mamee Chef Gold Recipe Bihun Kari Seribu Rasa

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A week or so ago, I reviewed Mamee Chef Gold Recipe Mi Kari Seribu Rasa. This however is Mamee Chef Gold Recipe Bihun Kari Seribu Rasa. What’s the difference? Well, ‘mi’ means noodles – as in instant wheat flour noodles. Bihun is the Malaysian term for rice vermicelli. Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about bihun: ...see full post

#1514: Maggi Royale Penang Seafood Curry

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One thing I didn’t expect to see during our stay in Malaysia – in the lobby of the hotel we stayed at, there was a Halloween display! A pretty good sized one, too! It seems that Halloween is somewhat popular over there! Well, last night was Halloween and we got a huge bowl of candy (yes, I tossed in some instant noodles for the trick or treaters as well). Well, nobody came. Not one kid. So, we have a ton of candy. Those kids really missed out – we’re generous when it comes to candy! ...see full post

#1508: Mamee Chef Gold Recipe Mi Kari Seribu Rasa

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Today we have a new one from Mamee Chef. Mamee Chef’s products made not only the Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2014 list, but also topped the Top Ten Instant Noodle Cups Of All Time 2014 list. Really exceptional stuff! They have come out with two varieties in this flavor: one with their ‘mi tarik’ noodles (noodles made in a way to emulate hand-pulled noodles) and a version that comes with bihun (pronounced bee-hoon, it’s a very thin rice noodle). Today I’m reviewing the wheat noodle variety. ...see full post

#1504: Master Kong Stewed Beef Flavor Cooking Noodle

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Here’s another one sent by a kind reader in Sweden – thanks again! Also want to thank Bobby Y. of Canada for his great help with translating! He’s always been a great help and I truly appreciate it! With all the recent Chinese readers, I thought I’d review a Chinese instant noodle today. These Master Kong varieties are usually quite good. This one’s really big – calls for 700ml water! That’s definitely on the higher end of broth. The noodle block is also quite large with a different gauge than other I’ve tried – looks to be thicker. It also mentions that it’s a ‘cooking’ noodle as opposed to an instant. Cooking noodles require time spent on the stove while instants can either be cooked on the stove or simply put in a bowl and boiling water added, covered and let sit for 3 minutes or so to be done. Let’s have a look at this one from Master Kong – really hoping Master Kong contacts me soon – wouyld love to do a Meet The Manufacturer with them! ...see full post

#1500: MyKuali Penang Red Tom Yum Goong Noodle

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Wow – 1,500 reviews! 1,500 different varieties of instant noodles! What’s even more crazy is that I don’t even feel like I’ve scratched the surface of the world of instant noodles; there are always new varieties coming out, and I think there’s never going to be a day when I’ve tried every variety. Which is a good thing because I really enjoy reviewing these things! Today’s review is a special one. I usually try to pick one that’s a little more interesting than others – and this one is very unique. Usually, companies either send me samples, readers donate varieties I’ve not tried, or I just go to a store and buy them. This is one of the first ones I’ve received directly from a company – literally handed to me. Not only that, I brought it all the way back here from Penang, Malaysia! That’s a long way! I think it was more than 16,000 miles round trip! I’d like to thank everyone who has supported and enjoyed The Ramen Rater throughout the years – without your support and readership, well, it’d be pretty quiet around here! Anyways, let’s check out this new Tom Yum variety from MyKuali! On with number 1,500!!! ...see full post

#1496: Master Kong Mianba Pork Ribs Flavor Instant Noodles

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Here’s another one sent by a kind reader in Sweden! Thank you! Master Kong is really popular in China and what surprises me is that there are no places that I’ve seen that you can get their products here in the United States. Luckily, people send them to me from time to time, but it seems to me that I really need to figure out a way to contact them and do a Meet The Manufacturer with them. The Chinese consume billions of packages of instant noodles a year and I’ve never done a Chinese Meet The Manufacturer yet! It’s about time. Well, let’s check out these pork ribs Master Kong instant noodles! ...see full post

#1493: Maruchan Magomi-an Kitsune Udon (Eastern Japanese Flavor)

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Thanks to Yuji Hashimoto over at Takamori Kosan of Japan for helping me to translate this one! Today’s review is one that I think I found up in Canada. It looks to be similar to Maruchan’s regular Kitsune Udon bowl – the red one.Kitsune means ‘fox’ in Japanese. Here’s a little something about the ‘kitsune myth’ from wikipedia – ...see full post

#1488: Mom’s Dry Noodle Sichuan Spicy Flavor

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After trying the other Mom’s Dry Noodle variety a few days ago, I decided I really wanted to give their Sichuan Spicy one a try too. As I researched videos to add to their Onion Oil & Shrimp variety, I kept seeing this one mentioned. I also have been curious because they also sent a couple little jars of the paste – the spicy paste! Thought maybe I’d saute my garnish in it today. Well, let’s get this one started! ...see full post

#1486: Mom’s Dry Noodle Onion Oil & Shrimp Flavor

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I was contacted by a fellow named Kyle from Taiwan a few weeks ago and asked if I’d like to sample his company’s noodles. Mom’s Dry Noodle? Sure, why not!  It’s pretty exciting – out trip to Malaysia in coming very soon – like in ten days we’re leaving! There’s a layover in Taipei and I’m really excited to be able to actually be in Taiwan, albeit in the transit area and only for two hours, but it’s going to be amazing! These are what they call ‘dry noodles’ over in Taiwan; they’re served without a broth. I’ve been very curious about what these would be like, and I thought I’d also test out a new kitchen gadget I got  with the garnish. ...see full post

#1485: Nongshim Spicy Tonkotsu Noodle Soup

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Here’s a new one and it’s made here in the United States. Yep – there’s a Nongshim plant here in the US! I was able to visit them a couple years ago and it’s really neat – if you get a chance, you should check out their plant tours! Tonkotsu is a very standard variety of Japanese ramen, however this one’s got a spicy twist to it. Usually tonkotsu broth is made with pork bones that are boiled for a long time and this one does in fact contain pork. Let’s have a look! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: Re-Review: MAMA Instant Noodles Yentafo Tom Yum Mohfai Flavour

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Here’s a good one – it’s on The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2014 Edition! Seriously good. One thing that will confuse many is the name – it certainly did confuse me. Yentafo? Mohfai? Tom Yum – that I knew, but the others…  Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about yentafo: ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #1473: MAMA Instant Cup Noodles Shrimp Tom Yum Flavour (Extreme)

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When I think tom yum, I think spicy, seafood and citrus flavors. When I think extreme thrown into the mix, I’m guessing that it’s going to be ultra spicy. One thing that Thai varieties tend to have in common is that when they say they’re spicy, they really mean it! Let’;s have a look at this new variety for this year by Thai President Foods’ MAMA brand and see what it’s got. ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #1471: MAMA Instant Noodles Shrimp Creamy Tom Yum Flavour Jumbo Pack

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MAMA Shrimp Creamy Tom Yum. This stuff is magnificent. So much so that it was on The Ramen Rater’s top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2013 Edition list. What’s nice is that it’s pretty easily sourced. What’s even nicer, this is the Jumbo Pack! I was told once that the reason this is called ‘shrimp creamy’ instead of ‘creamy shrimp’ is that when you boil shrimp heads, there is a creamy looking effect and that’s what they’re going after here – not something pertaining to a dairy product. Let’s see how this one comes out – it’s is just a bigger version, then it should be even more wondrous fun! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #1467: Ruski Creamy Tom Yam Instant Noodles

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As I mentioned yesterday, I was nominated by my sister to do the ALS ice bucket challenge – it’s the thing everyone is doing these days to bring awareness and donations for people with this debilitating condition. You have to have a bucket of ice dumped on you! Well, I did it with a little help from my pal Jason Warden – the video is at the bottom, so be sure to check it out and also have a look at www.ALSA.org and consider donating to help find a cure! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #1466: MAMA Oriental Style Instant Noodles Green Curry Flavour Jumbo Pack

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To start things off, I’m sure you have all heard of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. What it is for those of you who haven’t, is a campaign to increase awareness of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), a motor neuron disease which causes the connections between the mind and muscles to degrade. The challenge involves a person having a ton of icewater dumped on them, and then nominating three people to do the same. Yesterday, my sister nominated me after she was nominated. Usually, you have 24 hours to accept and carry out the challenge. Today, I’m going to be getting a lot of icewater dumped on me! At the bottom of this review will be my sister’s challenge, and tomorrow’s review will feature me getting drenched! If you want to help, please consider donating to ALSA.org. ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #1453: Nissin Japanese Ramen Kyushu Black Instant Noodles With Soup Base

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Toiday, I’m reviewing another new one from Nissin Singapore – Kyushu Black. Kyushu style ramen is different in that it features broth with a cloudy nature and rich flavor. Nissin Singapore’s Kyushu Black looks from the package to feature this. The black part? Black garlic oil! Looks interesting! What to add… ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #1450: Nissin Japanese Ramen Tokyo Shoyu Instant Noodles With Soup Base

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Here’s a new line from Nissin Singapore – their premium Japanese ramen. There are two of them – this Tokyo Shoyu and one called Kyushu Black which I will be reviewing in the few days. So what is Tokyo Shoyu? Well, let’s start with some Wikipedia info on shoyu ramen: ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #1448: Nissin Premium Instant Noodles Roasted Beef Flavour

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This looks like a good one! I like how it mentions on the front in the little text: with ‘top-notch Secret Roasted Beef Paste Recipe’ – that definitely has me interested. This is part of their Premium line – let’s have a look under the hood and see what makes this instant noodle tick. ...see full post

#1446: Myojo Ippei-Chan Jumbo Night Market Style Yakisoba

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To start off, thanks to Raissa T. and Andre L. for their help on translating! Today feels like a yakisoba day. I really like yakisoba! It’s a pretty versatile dish; you can add anything to it and it’s still good! Well, strawberry jelly probably isn’t the best add-in… Then again, with that mention perhaps someone will try it and make it the new craze? The latest weird add-in craze was adding those little pudding cups or flan into a Cup Noodle. Bizarre… Well, let’s see how this comes out – looks good on the package! Especially with the amazingly cool little recommendation to… ...see full post

#1445: MyKuali Penang Hokkien Prawn Noodle

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The day is upon us – the day to review the new Hokkien Prawn Noodle – the second instant noodle from the company that made the number one on my 2014 Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time list! As with their Penang White Curry Noodle, Hokkien Prawn Noodle is a bit of a mystery for me. I had never tried White Curry before I tried their product, nor have I ever had Hokkien Prawn Noodle before. I did a little digging online and found the Penang Hawker Food Blog. I found this text there: ...see full post