Maruchan Instant Lunch is one of those products you see everywhere in the United States at grocery stores. Maruchan makes these cups as well as packs of ramen. They’re popular in Mexico as well – people refer to soup a lot of the time as ‘maruchan’ as it has become so popular and intrinsic to daily life. A month or so ago, I saw a post on Instagram. This guy was saying how he could eat these Instant Lunch cups (this flavor in particular) for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week. I thought to myself, ‘have I reviewed this one?’ Well as it turns out I had – but it was way back in June of 2011. I’m always on the hunt for instant noodles that cannot be found within the United States – the more exotic the better. This guy’s enthusiasm about this little cup that can be found virtually everywhere here in the USA piqued my curiosity; is it worth another try? So when out grocery shopping, I decided to get one. After two weeks of enjoying varieties from Southeast Asia, I think this should be interesting. Let’s check it out!
Category: United States
Meet The Manufacturer: #1345: Lotus Foods Forbidden Rice Ramen
Today’s the last day of this awesome Meet The Manufacturer, and I wanted to save the one I found most curious for the end. I’ve NEVER seen anything like this before. These noodles are dark – almost black! They’re made from Lotus Foods’ Forbidden Rice – something I’ve enjoyed for a long time. Forbidden Rice was originally served to Chinese emperors – who resided in the Forbidden City.
Meet The Manufacturer: #1344: Lotus Foods Millet & Brown Rice Ramen
Here’s the second of three varieties of this new ‘Rice Ramen.’ This one is a bit different than the last as it boasts a red miso and uses millet and brown aspects for its noodle. What’s really great about these new products is that they’re Vegan friendly and gluten free – lots of people have asked me about gluten and vegetarian instants and I’m thinking these might be a nice one for those folks to try. Let’s check this one out!
Meet The Manufacturer: #1343: Lotus Foods Jade Pearl Rice Ramen
The first of these three new Lotus Foods Rice Ramen varieties I’ll be reviewing is the Jade Pearl Rice Ramen. I thought I’d look on their site to see what they had to say about the main ingredient, the Jade Pearl rice. Here’s what they had to say about it:
Meet The Manufacturer: Product Samples From Lotus Foods
A box came today!
A box of product samples – wow these looks interesting…
These are all different kinds of rice that Lotus Foods sells – I’ve had the Forbidden Rice before, but didn’t know they made this many!
Meet The Manufacturer: Interview With Lotus Foods
Meet The Manufacturer: #1337: Sakura Noodle Chikara Brand Udon Beef Flavor
Well, today is the last day of the Meet The Manufacturer for Sakura Noodle Inc. It’s been interesting – I don’t think I’ve had udon so many days in a row – I was surprised how much I enjoyed it! One thing that was nice was that there’s only one gram of fat in these, which is a far cry from the amounts I usually have. Anyways, let’s have a look at this one – beef!
Meet The Manufacturer: #1336: Shirakiku Fresh Chow Mein Noodles With Seasoning
I’m sure you’re gonna say it – this looks familiar. Well, it’s part of a really neat coincidence that happened recently. I reviewed this one by Takamori Kosan of Japan the other day. Well, it was actually made by Sakura Noodle in Los angeles, California for the US market under their name! This one here is also made by Sakura Noodle but under the Shirakiku name. Are they different? Yep! If you look at the ingredients and nutrition facts on eacvh, there are some subtle differences. What’s interesting is that I contacted Takamori Kosan about doing a Meet The Manufacturer with them and they seem quite receptive, so keep an eye out for it coming soon! A day or so later, I was contacted by Sakura Noodle. I looked at their website and noticed this chow mein and asked if perhaps Takamori Kosan had contacted them, but they hadn’t – neat coincidence!
Meet The Manufacturer: #1335: Sakura Noodle Chikara Brand Udon Hot & Spicy Flavor
Today is a good day for spicy noodles. I just did my big walk of the day – something I’ve not been able to do for a week or so – it’s been raining alot here just north of Seattle. A lot. In fact, there was a weather alert for landslides due to so much rain… Sheesh. Walk was good and now I’ve got the pre-season baseball audio going – Giants vs Royals today. I’m a Giants fan – my wife converted me from being a Mariners fan when we got together as she used to play softball and got quite a few trophies. The first year I started following the Giants was 2010, and lo and behold, they won the world Series! Then again in 2012. I think as long as we win the even years, we’re good to go. Anyways, spicy udon sounds really good today and I think I know just what to add to it – Fresno chilli peppers! They’re playing the game today in Scottsdale, AZ, and a lot of their minor league players get a chance to get a chance to be in the roster. Many of them are from the Fresno, CA AAA team. Let’s check these noodles out!
Meet The Manufacturer: Re-Review: Sakura Noodle Chikara Brand Udon Shrimp Flavor
I got some really good sized shrimp the other day at the store thinking they’d go really well with this. I like shrimp – they’re tasty! The ones I’ve been getting are frozen and have a thin layer of ice all around them so they don’t stick together. Pretty brilliant – quite enjoyable. Anyways, today it’s shrimp. Let’s shrimp it up!
Meet The Manufacturer: #1334: Sakura Noodle Chikara Brand Udon Mushroom Flavor
As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not a huge fan of mushrooms. I’ve liked them a little more and more over time, but they’re really not something I seek out and enjoy thoroughly. On the other hand, my wife absolutely loves mushroom.s and savors them. She also really likes udon, so I thought I’d make these for her. Let’s open this bag up and see what’s inside.
Meet The Manufacturer: #1333: Sakura Noodle Chikara Brand Udon Oriental Flavor
I asked my wife to pick today’s variety and she picked this one. I was thinking – what is Oriental flavor? Well, the French version tells us. I tried Google’s auto translate and it thought it was Spanish for ‘nice.’ In French, bonito means bonito. So, what does bonito mean? Simple.
Meet The Manufacturer: #1332: Sakura Noodle Chikara Brand Udon Chicken Flavor
Here’s the first of the Sakura Noodle Inc. Meet The Manufacturer! I thought I’d start off with chicken. I haven’t been using a lot of chicken lately and it sounded like a nice little departure from the norm lately. Usually I save the chicken varieties for my son to eat when he’s here – chicken noodles are his favorite. Let’s give this one a try!
Meet The Manufacturer: Product Samples From Sakura Noodle Inc
Walked to the apartment office today to pick up a package.
Wow – no wonder it was so heavy! That little box was chock full of udon and yakisoba! Can’t wait to dig in!
#1310: Thai Kitchen Rice Noodle Cart Thai Peanut
My wife got me this one for Christmas! Thanks, Kit! The last one of these I tried was pretty good – curious how this one will be – let’s check it out.
Product Samples From Nongshim USA!
Yesterday I saw the FedEx truck coming around the corner through the patio door window. They stopped. What’s nice is that the guy just parks and comes up to the window these days. Let’s see what inside!
#1284: Thai Kitchen Rice Noodle Cart Sweet Citrus Ginger
Here’s one my wife got for me for Christmas! Thanks, Kitten! There are a myriad of these noodle trays in the US market that I’ve not reviewed and this is one of them. Let’s have a look!
A Gift From Nongshim America!
The FedEx truck pulled up and the guy ran over and gave me this envelope – what’s inside?
#1253: Nissin Chow Mein Teriyaki Chicken Flavor Chow Mein Noodles
Here’s one I’ve had lurking in the bin for a while – I figured it was time to haul it out and give it a try. Let’s check it out!
#1246: Annie Chun’s Ramen House Chicken Vegetable Flavored Ramen
Here’s one of the new varieties from Annie Chun’s that they sent! It’s 22 degrees outside – very cold! This looks appropriate for such a cold day – let’s check it out!
#1242: Thai Pavilion Garlic Chili Instant Rice Noodles & Sauce
Here’s one my wife got for me at a drug store a while back. It’s made in Thailand but for sale in the USA. Let’s check it out!
#1225: Nissin Pan Asian Kitchen Sweet & Sour Chicken Flavor Ramen Noodles
Man I’m beat and my feet hurt. Maybe Birkenstock sailboat deck sandals aren’t the best choice for walking 2 miles. This sounds good though – I really like sweet and sour! This one’s made in the United States, too! Let’s give this one a peek.
Recipe: Murder League All Stars’ “Crazy Hunan Ramen Nuggets”
So my friend Adam B. over at Ladies’ Choice Productions clued me into an article in Hip Rock Magazine called “Reigning Ramens: Stellar artists introducing a new ramen noodle recipe.” Looks like this is a monthly column where they do a bio about a hip hop/metal band and get them to submit a recipe.
A Nice Gift From Nongshim America
Got a box from Nongshim America today. They were stoked on the story that came out about my ramyun burger recipe. Thank you very much! Let’s see what’s inside!
#1196: Nissin Bowl Noodles Chicken Flavor
Here’s another one from Scott A. over at Nissin Foods USA – thanks! This is a straight chicken flavor bowl – a new product. My son Andy really likes chicken noodles – I’ll steal a taste of it and let him demolish it! Let’s check it out.
The Ramen Rater Ramyun Burger Makes The Front Page!
I got a big envelope int he mail today…
The K Herald is a supplement that goes to certain zip codes in the Los Angeles Times. It came out last Friday! Click here to check out the full article. Thanks to Michelle Y. Cho at K-Herald!
Book Review/Interview: The Noodle Narratives: The Global Rise Of An Industrial Food Into The Twenty First Century
A month or so ago I read an article mentioning a new book about instant noodles. Books regarding instant noodles generally fall into a couple categories: recipe books written and published by individuals and recipe books that are mass-produced and published by the millions.
New Instant Samples From A-Sha
Got a box in the mail from the A-Sha guys in California today – wonder what’s inside…
New Product Samples And More From Nissin Foods USA
My friend Scott A. over at Nissin Foods USA asked me to verify my mailing address the other day – I thought ‘hmmm a package?’ Yesterday, the FedEx guy came to the back deck of our apartment and brought me this! What wonders are within? Let’s see!
#1178: Nongshim Shin Black Spicy Pot-au-feu Flavor Premium Noodle Soup
You might be thinking, ‘hey – didn’t he already review this?’ Nope – I reviewed the Shin Ramyun Black cup from South Korea. This is the one that is manufactured here in the United States in Rancho Cucamonga, California.So what is this ‘Pot-au-feu’ flavor? I consulted Wikipedia and found this:
#1172: Koyo Seaweed Ramen Made With Organic Noodles
#1165: Nissin Chow Mein With Shrimp Chow Mein Noodles
Really? I haven’t reviewed this? Nope! Wow – who’dathunkit? Well then, without further ado, let’s check out these chow mein noodles – with shrimp!
Recipe: The Ramen Rater’s Shin Ramyun Black Burger
Recently, I came up with the ramyun slider. I thought since I’ve got some Shin Black on hand, why not a full-fledged ramyun burger? This recipe came out great and really wasn’t that hard to do.
T-Shirt From A-Sha!
Woot woot!
Rad! I needed a new shirt! Here’s my son Andy holding it up. Thank to Young and Hann-wei over at A-Sha!
A Nice Gift From Nongshim America
Got a nice and hefty box in the mail!
Nongshim America sent three of my favorites (they all made the Top Ten USA list) as a thank you for recognizing their products worthy of being in the list! Thanks! Think I’ll attempt a Shin Black Ramyun Burger for Labor Day!
#1155: Komforte Chockolates Savory Ramen
A friend of mine told me about these chocolate bars with ramen noodles in them a while back and finally I made it to the store that has them locally. I know this isn’t my normal thing to review, but hey, thar be noodles in this sucka! Let’s have an up close and personal look at this unique bar.
A Nice Surprise From Nongshim America!
Was looking at my posts and found this on that I hadn’t posted for some reason – check it out – it’s from 2013
When we got home from the hospital yesterday, I called the apartment office to see if there were any packages – they said there was one. A mailer from Nongshim America – what’s inside?
The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodles Made In The USA Of All Time 2013 Edition
The instant noodle originated in 1958 in Japan, but since that time, they’ve expanded in popularity all over the world, including of course, the United States. Seeing this, instant noodle companies thought it wise to start building plants here in the 1970s. Since then, many brands operate factories here in the US, mostly in southern California. This is a list of my favorite varieties produced here, encompassing my over 1,100 reviews to date. With that, here’s your top ten, America!
#1130: Nissin Big Cup Noodles Habanero Lime Shrimp Flavor Ramen Noodle Soup
The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Spiciest Instant Noodles Of All time 2013 Edition
This year, we’ve got some new fiery additions to this list of spicy and burning hot varieties. If you can find them, you’ll be feeling quite the burn! If you think you’ve found anything hotter or noteworthy of being on this list, please comment below or send me an email. Without further adieu, here’s the 2013 picks for the spiciest instant noodles I’ve found after 1,128 reviews!