Category: * Stars 4.1 – 5.0

#4746: Current Instant Noodles Chatpata Masala – India

#4746: Current Instant Noodles Chatpata Masala - India

An interesting name for an instant noodle range. It could be construed in different ways; pertaining to it being in the now, or having to do with weather. It also says ‘yummy & mummy’ on there – never heard this phrase before – mummy? In the UK, a ‘yummy mummy’ means an attractive mother. Couldn’t find exactly what this meant in India except possibly a slang pertaining to children that are picky eaters and that mothers could give them this and they’d eat it? Fascinating. Let’s cook – I’m doing the fried directions on this one. ...see full post

#4742: Ramen Talk Golden Beef Ramen – China

#4742: Ramen Talk Golden Beef Ramen - China

Golder beef sour? These are an interesting set of terms and I’m very curious. Everything these folks have sent thus far as been excellent. Let’s proceed! ...see full post

#4740: Three Bowls Of Rice Noodles Instant Rice Noodles Vegan Tomato Mushroom Soup – China

#4740: Three Bowls Of Rice Noodles Instant Rice Noodles Vegan Tomato Mushroom Soup - China

Oh yes – another one from S*Mart in Bellevue, Washington – shop smart shop S*Mart! They had a ton of these varieties but I thought I’d go with tomato to start with. Let’s begin. ...see full post

#4739: Samyang Vegetasty Noodle Soup – United States

#4739: Samyang Vegetasty Noodle Soup - United States

You ready for a historic roadshow in a cup? This variety has gone by a few names and packaging wordings, but I’d say this is my favorite.. For example, here is review #695 – savory vegetable flavor. But wait – here’s good old review #1030 – this one is ’60 ingredients’ flavor!  Back in 2011, I reviews the 60 Ingredients cup – review #553! Well, now this one’s called Vegetasty. They’ve dropped the whole looks how many ingredients and given it a very interesting name. I think this one is a troublemaker. The reason I say this is because they want to market it – and indeed it’s been pretty good – but as far as export, it’s a tough one to come up with a good name for perhaps. Vegetasty is kind of catchy, but for a Western audience, it might be a little tricky to pull off. It does bear the Vegan logo on there which is a good thing. Vegetasty sounds very monolithic; like it’s from a sprawling corporate empire. I would say completely revamp. Show farm imagery – crops being cared for or rolling fields in the sun as a background, then in the foreground a basket being held containing lots of different vegetables. Maybe a rustic theme. Then a better name – something like  Nature’s Delight or Back To Nature Vegetable Noodle Soup – granted those aren’t taken already. Either way, vegetable and in particular Vegan varieties are very popular. I;ve been asked many times by companies my thoughts on how to name something for Western markets – a real honor I have to say. Anyways, yeah – let’s cook it – maybe I’m ruminate on the episode on Instant Noodle Recipe Time that appears at the bottom of this post – the finest show in the universe – and you all want to like and subscribe to. Yeah. ...see full post

#4738: Maruchan Seimen Goma Abura Kaoru Toridare Hiyashi – Japan

#4748: Maruchan Seimen Goma Abura Kaoru Toridare Hiyashi - Japan

Here’s one that came in a Zenpop.jp box -here’s what they had to say about it – ‘This is a delicious cup of chilled Mazesoba.🍜 The noodles have a chewy texture, combined with a flavorful chicken sauce infused with sesame oil and green onions🍗✨ It’s a refreshing and savory dish, perfect for summer.🏖️🍉 冷やし中華 (Hiyashi Chuka) is a popular Japanese summer dish.🌞 It features chilled noodles topped with ingredients like cucumber, ham, and eggs, drizzled with a tangy soy-based sauce. This Toridare Hiyashi takes inspiration from this dish, offering a unique twist with its chicken sauce and sesame oil😊🍽️ Enjoy this delightful, cool meal to beat the heat!👊🌞 ‘ ...see full post

#4804: Nissin Cup Noodles Korean Army Stew Flavour – Singapore

#4804: Nissin Cup Noodles Korean Army Stew Flavour - Singapore

Hey check this out! It was sent by Nissin SG (thanks again!) as part of their Cup Noodles 52nd Anniversary promo. ...see full post

#4799: The Han Kitchen Gomtang Premium Beef Ramyun – United States

#4799: The Han Kitchen Gomtang Premium Beef Ramyun - United States

Gomtangmyeon is probably not what you immediately expect when you’re thinking about Korean ramyun noodles. That’s because it’s kind of a creamy beef noodle soup instead of a spicy one. Gomtang is nice and savory – let’s cook some up! ...see full post

#4796: You Us GS Retail Premium Gonghwachun – United States

#4796: You Us GS Retail Premium Gonghwachun - United States

Here’s one made in South Korea for the US market. GS25 is a convenience store chain in South Korea – and I believe all their instant noodles they have as a house brand are made by Paldo. Let’s give this one a try. ...see full post

#4794: Maruchan Wantanmen – Japan

#4794: Maruchan Wantanmen - Japan

Here’s one that came in a Zenpop.jp box. This one came from their ‘triple box’ which didn’t come with any literature. Basically, it’s a bowl of ramen with wantan in there. Usually pretty good – let’s check it out! ...see full post

#4792: Igarashi Seimen Okinawa Style Wafu Dashi Ramen – Japan

#4604: Igarashi Seimen Okinawa Style Wafu Dashi Ramen - Japan

Here’s one I found in an Umai Crate from Japan Crate! They have boxes full of neat Japanese varieties! Check out www.japancrate.com and use the coupon code THERAMENRATER to score a sweet discount and get some neat noodles! ...see full post

#4791: Samyang Nagasaki Jjambbong – United States

#4791: Samyang Nagasaki Jjambbong - United States

This is one I tried when it debuted way back. There were a couple of versions as well. This one is made in South Korea and packaged for sale in the US market. Jjambbong is like a spicy seafood stew. This on the other hand is the same but with a more milky broth. This is a really great one when I’ve had it in the past – let’s visit it again! ...see full post

#4788: A1 Bihun Kari Laksa Curry Laksa Vermicelli – Malaysia

#4788: A1 Bihun Kari Laksa Curry Laksa Vermicelli - Malaysia

Back in October of 2021, I penned a review of the wheat noodle version of this one. It was brought to me locally by a fellow named Andres who found it in Canada and he met me at the local grocery store. I ended up not only reviewing it, but doing a ‘How I Review’ style video which details the nuts and bolts of how I do a review, from photography to image editing, cooking, making the Instant Noodle Recipe Time show, and more. It was published in January of 2022 and you can see it here. ...see full post

#4787: Miliket Mix Instant Noodles With Seafood Flavour – United States

#4787: Miliket Mix Instant Noodles With Seafood Flavour - United States

Got this one at HMart recently. This one’s made in Vietnam but packaged for the US market. I’ve not tried a lot of Vietnamese varieties that blow me away, but I have high hopes for this dry noodle variant. Let give it a go! ...see full post

#4786: Nissin Cup Noodles Paneer Butter Masala – India

#4786: Nissin Cup Noodles Paneer Butter Masala - India

I was doing a lot of curies for dinner recently and butter masala was a neat thing I enjoyed for a little while. ...see full post

#4785: Vite Ramen Radiant Crab Rieu Instant Noodle Soup – United States

#4785: Vite Ramen Radiant Crab Rieu Instant Noodle Soup - United States

Here’s the last of the Vite Ramen varieties, and this one sounds like a departure from the other. Bun Rieu is a Vietnamese soup – this is made in California and boasts crab flavor. We shall see how it goes! ...see full post

#4784: Wei Lih Jah Jan Mien – Instant Noodle With Jah Jan Flavour – Taiwan

#4784: Wei Lih Jah Jan Mien - Instant Noodle With Jah Jan Flavour - Taiwan

Sure looks like a basic packaging design, doesn’t it? My friends, what lies within this package is history. This is the pack version of a beloved classic in Taiwan. This isn’t a noodle soup, a soup, or a dry noodle. This is a noodle AND a soup! Read the direction below and you’ll understand. ...see full post

#4783: Yamadai Tonkotsu Ramen Japanese Style Noodles – United States

#4783: Yamadai Tonkotsu Ramen Japanese Style Noodles – United States

Found another one of these! This time, not at S*Mart but at the Lynnwood, WA HMart – along with quite a few other things. Usually don’t find a lot there but it was a good haul the other day. I also found a pair of ‘chopsticks for kids that my daughter went crazy for and since she accompanied me in the store, I figured why not. Tonkotsu is one she likes as well, so maybe she’ll get this. Let’s give it a try. ...see full post

#4782: Aram Wonderpokki Spicy Rapokki – South Korea

#4782: Aram Wonderpokki Spicy Rapokki - South Korea

Found this neat one at Boo Han Market on Highway 99 in Edmonds, WA. Rapokki is a combination of noodle and rice cake – a great combo of textures and usually really quite good. Hopefully it works out well – seen a few microwavable varieties not go so well – hopefully this is one that gets a good score as rapokki is a favorite. ...see full post

#4777: Yidu Noodles Artificial Pork Flavor – China

#4777: Yidu Noodles Artificial Pork Flavor - China

“What’s this? What’s this?’ A famous line from the juggernaut critically acclaimed film Max Max: Beyond Thunderdome, uttered inspiringly by Tina Turner. Well, Auntie Entity, I’ll tell you. There are shelf stable fresh noodle from China. Found them at 99 Ranch Market and figured this would be a good one to start with as there are a few different varieties. I have a good feeling about them – let’s cook. ...see full post

#4774: Nissin U.F.O. Koikoi Seafood BBQ Fu Yakisoba – Japan

#4774: Nissin U.F.O. Koikoi Seafood BBQ Fu Yakisoba - Japan

Here’s one that came in a Zenpop.jp box. Here’s what they had to say about it – ‘Nissin’s popular UFO series gets its name from the shape of the bowl. The UFO line are all Yakisoba, or fried noodles. These are eaten without soup, but with amazing topping, spices and sauce. This month’s ZenPop UFO is a summer limited edition BBQ cup, only accessible in Japan and will be sold out once summer is over.’ ...see full post

#4769: Vite Ramen Garlic Pork Tonkotsu v3.0 – United States

#4769: Vite Ramen Garlic Pork Tonkotsu v3.0 - United States

Protein and vitamins and fiber and low sodium and pretty low calories for the size of the serving. Let’s begin. ...see full post

#4762: Samyang Buldak Hot Chicken Rendang Curry – South Korea

#4762: Samyang Buldak Hot Chicken Rendang Curry - South Korea

Well, look at this! Thanks to The Fat Hipster for sending this over! It’s kind of funny – this is the first of three varieties sent and I’ve been kind of slow to get to them as they’re not instant noodles, they’re curry sauces. However, lately I’ve been making curries constantly lately. I’ve learned the way of black cardamom too. But here we have one by a company also known for their spicy instant noodle. I actually made butter chicken last night too. Let’s see how this one goes. ...see full post

#4761: Vite Ramen Roasted Soy Sauce Chicken v3.0 – United States

Hey check out the new packaging on the Vite Ramen! This is version 3.0 – I tried the cup version which was pretty cool previously, and here is the new pack 3.0. They sent a slew of new stuff – let’s check it out! ...see full post

#4756: Ramen Talk Taiwan Style Braised Beef Noodle Soup – China

#4756: Ramen Talk Taiwan Style Braised Beef Noodle Soup - China

Oh no – the last one… I really liked these – I sincerely hope the make even more varieties. Some of the best stuff I’ve had from China. Well, let’s give braised beef a try! ...see full post

#4755: Indomie Mi Goreng Rasa Cakalang – Indonesia

#4755: Indomie Mi Goreng Rasa Cakalang - Indonesia

A big thank you to Pher Engi for sending these along! I’m getting really low on varieties to review at this point – I’ve been doing four reviews a day lately and have been trying to do so all the way up to my kids going back to school. Twenty days to go until they’re back! They’ve had a lot of fun this summer, but they miss their friends from school of course. So – what is cakalang? It’s skipjack tuna. Many years ago, you could easily find an Indomie variety here (among others you can’t anymore) which mentioned skipjack tuna flavor. Let’s give this one a try. ...see full post

#4751: Yamadai Miso Ramen Japanese Style Noodles – United States

#4751: Yamadai Miso Ramen Japanese Style Noodles - United States

I tried the shoyu variety recently and it was pretty good. Both are definitely packaged for sale in the United States. Let’s try the miso today! ...see full post

#4750: NoodleMix Konjac Instant Cup – Taiwan

#4750: NoodleMix Konjac Instant Cup - Taiwan

Here’s the last of the varieties sent by NoodleMix – and it’s been a really interesting range I’ve enjoyed. This one was a little difficult to figure out how to cook (well, since Idon’t read Chinese text) but they were quick to assist. Let’s give it a go! ...see full post

#4748: NoodleMix 3 Flavors In 1 Noodle – Dry Noodle – Taiwan

#4630: NoodleMix 3 Flavors In 1 Noodle - Taiwan

This one seems a little different. So, it says 3 flavors in 1 noodle. There are three types of noodles and 1 flavor – I think that was the deal. It looks like I didn’t get the feedback for this review when I did it awhile back. ...see full post

#4736: Ramen Talk Japanese Volcano Bolognese Ramen – China

#4736: Ramen Talk Taiwan Style Braised Beef Noodle Soup - China

I tried four varieties of these a little while back and was thoroughly impressed. Now I’ve got three more to try that sound really good! Let’s give em’ a try! ...see full post

#4733: Nissin The Ramen Masters Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen – Germany

#4733: Nissin The Ramen Masters Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen - Germany

Here’s a cup that came by way of the folks at Nissin Foods in Germany! This is a special collab cup with a German ramen shop. Sounds good! Let’s cook it up. ...see full post

#4731: Vedan Jhen Mian Tang Garlic Pesto Noodle – United States

#4731: Vedan Jhen Mian Tang Garlic Pesto Noodle - United States

This is great – I saw this at S*Mart and couldn’t resist. I generally resist purchasing multipacks as I usually just need one, maybe two package to do a review. I was thinking though perhaps my daughter might like this one so there will be extras. Definitely made in Taiwan, packaged for US sale. One thing too – you might think this is pronounced Vey-dan – it is not. The ve is pronounced ‘way’. So now you know – let’s cook! ...see full post

#4730: Pink Rocket Original Rapokki – United States

#4730: Pink Rocket Original Rapokki - United States

Well, here we are. The standard stuff. This was found at GMart in Lynnwood, Washington. So, what is it? It’s a combination of ramyun and tteokbokki – which are tubes of rice flour that are chewy and truly wondrous. Anyways, these really have been hit and miss on preparation – either dry or exploding in the microwave. Let’s give it another try. ...see full post

#4727: Maggi 2-Minute Noodles Masala – United States

#4727: Maggi 2-Minute Noodles Masala - United States

Yet another packaging design – it should also be noted that this one doesn’t say spicy masala and just masala. I found this at Indian Sweets & Spices in Shoreline, Washington yesterday. Yesterday was a day of finding particular things. I’ve been doing a lot of curry lately and I got some nice basmati, some noodles, some black cardamom and mango pickle there. I also went and got a half pork belly at Double DD Meats, a great butcher shop and holy grail for hot sauces and all things spicy. I must note that while this is made in India, it’s certainly an export version specifically for sale in the United States.  Anyways, time to cook. ...see full post

#4723: Indomie Mi Goreng Aceh – Indonesia

#4722: Indomie Mi Goreng Aceh - Indonesia

Definitely haven’t tried this one in the past, but I’ll review it today thanks to Pher Engi from Australia – thank you very much! Aceh is a region of Indoesia – that being said, here’s a little blurb about this one I found online – ...see full post

#4722: Nongshim Premium TanTanMen Ramen With Chili Oil – United States

#4721: Nongshim Premium TanTanMen Ramen With Chili Oil - United States

Here’s one I’ve wanted to get my hands on for quite a while. I like tantanmen – usually thick and spicy stuff – a denser, sloppier ramen. Let’s give it a go! ...see full post

#4721: Mom’s Dry Noodle / Surfmama Mapo Century Egg With Meat Sauce – Taiwan

#4720: Mom's Dry Noodle Mapo Century Egg With Meat Sauce - Taiwan

Fancy new packaging going on here. Mapo century egg with meat paste sounds really quite exquisite – this sounds great – I’m on it! ...see full post

#4719: Indomie Mi Goreng Rasa Rendang – Indonesia

#4719: Indomie Mi Goreng Rasa Rendang - Indonesia

Big thanks to Pher Engi for sending this all the way from Australia! This is a variety that used to be available in the United States, however this and a couple other have disappeared from our shelves here over the years – and it bums me out. Bring them back, please! Not sure what rendang is? Wikipedia says – ...see full post

#4717: Yamadai Shoyu Ramen Japanese Style Noodles – United States

#4717: Yamadai Shoyu Ramen Japanese Style Noodles - United States

Looks like Yamadai/New Touch is getting into the export market game with this and another one I found at S*Mart. Shop smart. Shop S Mart. You may have noticed I keep saying that – it’s where the main character in the film Army Of Darkness works before he’s launched into a bizarre comedic hellscape. Anyways if you’ve not seen that movie you should. Let’s make some shoyu ramen. ...see full post

#4716: Nongshim Premium Udon Style Noodles With Shrimp Tempura – United States

#4716: Nongshim Premium Udon Style Noodles With Shrimp Tempura - United States

Well, dang. I really would have loved to been able to review this sooner but tough to get samples from companies in the United States for some reason. Ah well. I found this at S*Mart – yup – shop smart, shop S Mart. Not sure if they just did a repackaging of the old version or not, but I’m guessing it’s a bit more than that. Let’s give it a try! ...see full post

#4713: Pulmuone Crab Ramen – United States

#4713: Pulmuone Crab Ramen - United States

This one came from James of Lakeside, California – thanks, man! Pulmuone leans towards the healthier end of the stick when it comes to food manufacturing. I believe I read a while back about how there is in fact a large farm Pulmuone runs that is also a school on heritage farming for students in South Korea – pretty cool. Let’s make some crab ramen! ...see full post