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It’s time for some of the old ‘Fun&Yum’ (Paldo’s motto) with a bowl of Teum-sae ramen. It used to be just Teumsae I swear but now it’s hyphenated. These newly packaged varieties feature this woman on the package and it appears she has trouble getting her jacket over her angular shoulders or something. Well, let’s give it a try!
Here’s another one I found at 99 Ranch Market recently. Again, Vietnamese flavor, new Chinese authentic style, and packaged for sale in the United States. It’s almost as if it’s got some kind of flavorful identity crisis! But it sounds interesting so let’s get to it.
Kimchi is awesome stuff and I picked some up today as I’ve got quite a few Korean varieties I’ll be reviewing this week. Last week was crazy – last day of school for the kids, did 21 reviews, our dog Pepper got adopted by a nice couple from west Seattle… It’s cool but a lot. You’ll see this a long time from last week. It’s June 25th today and you’re probably seeiing this is October I’m guessing. Anyways, kimchi ramyun is good stuff – let’s check it out.
Time for some more fare from Trader Joe’s. I’m really curious about this but honestly don’t know on this one. Why? Well, the other day I did a review of a variety which looks identical and was just horrible. I really hope that this does indeed taste like red curry – that would be great. However, I’v got my doubts. Let’s find out.
Rapokki is a combination of ramyun (Korean instant noodle) and tteokbokki (rice cake tubes). This one has a black bean sauce. I have a feeling this will be wonderous. Let’s find out. Oh, and this is made in South Korea, however packaged for US sale.
Here’s one made in China for the US market. It’s got a cat on it – people like those. It’s also got an AI background. I did this review awhile back and continued to use AI for backdrops on the finished images. How’s it going to taste? Let’s find out.
Everyone I know seems to enjoy stepping foot into Trader Joe’s. Personally, I’m loathe to enter it. The silly bells, the caffeinated out overly engaging checkout people, the haphazard design of the aisles, the customers hanging out in groups here and there, oblivious to others and impeding travel through the place… Yeah, I don’t like going in there usually. However, I went in there recently with my wife and it was somewhat enjoyable as I found some noodles there. Now, Trader Joe’s makes nothing – nothing at all. They get companies to do private label products for them. This is one of those – made in Taiwan. These are Taiwanese dry noodle, a time-honored cuisine. Well, let’s just call ’em squiggly fun time noodles! Egad. Well, whoever manufactured them, I hope they’re getting paid good. Hopefully these are good, too. Let’s find out.
Well, here’s this. The last time I tried something from these folks I came up with only one thing to say; that’s not Asia. I’ve an open mind, but guessing I’m in for disappointment. But I’ve got an open mind, dammit! I think chicken should pair rather well with this and I do have chicken. Well, it’s made in Thailand for the Us market. That being send, let’s That’s.
Found this one while looking for something completely different recently at HMart. I could tell they had the new noodle type (flat/broad) and thought that could be interesting, so here we are with today’s review. I should mention I have a special guest on today’s Instant Noodle Recipe Time at the bottom, so check it out. Anyways, let’s cook it up and give it a try!
So here’s one I’ve really enjoyed for a long time. Indeed, it has also been in exitence for quite awhile as well. It’s the original variety that was introduced to the South Korean market back in 1963. Initially, it was mistaken as a textile which is kind of funny, but that didn’t last long at all. This is the packaging for export, but it’s the same as what you’ll find in South Korea.
Our local store sells these for $4 each. I thought this was a little high and then I went to a different store and they were $2 which seemed a bit more reasonable. These are the popular bowls Nongshim has been producing and selling for years – I have seen them be made! It’s a very impressive process, with lots of little interesting things. One is a machine that checks each and every bowl to see if say a screw from the machinery fell into a bowl – they don’t. It’s pretty neat stuff. Most people are really into the whole deal with making noodles, but I find it fascinating. Let’s cook one of these up.
Recently, my wife and I inherited an air fryer. We’re pretty late to the ‘revolution’ of a tabletop convection oven on steroids that can make crispy french fries and chicken nuggets like nothing else. But of course, you probably guessed instant noodles wouldn’t be far behind. This is my first attempt, but most certainly not my last. I didn’t do any research – I decided to just wing it after making a few things over the past two days. Let’s see what happened!
Found this one recently at Boo Han Market in Edmonds, Washington. I rarely buy a multipack, but I found this one so compelling that I figured why not. Bulgogi is a delectable dish which usually isn’t represented well when not in it’s original form, and marrying it to something as western as an alfredo pasta seemed really fascinating – if it works. Let’s see if they can manage to balance the authenticity of both dishes well.
Very curious about this one. So here’s a little background on birria –
Birria (Spanish: [ˈbirja] (
listen)) is a Mexican dish from the state of Jalisco. It is a traditional soup or stew made from a combination of chili pepper-based goat meat adobo, garlic, cumin, bay leaves, and thyme, and cooked at a low heat. Birria is slow-stewed in a pot (olla), and differs from barbacoa, which is cooked underground. Beef, lamb, sheep, chicken, or vegan meat substitutes are alternatives for goat. It may be seasoned and garnished with onion, cilantro, and lime. It is commonly accompanied with handmade corn tortillas.[1] Birria is one of the most famous dishes from Central Mexico including Jalisco and Michoacan. Each municipality and state is said to have its own version of this dish. The most famous are goat birria from Apatzingan, Michoacan and from Guadalajara, Jalisco San Pedro Tlaquepaque, are also well known for the quality of their birria.[2]
Here’s the second Cielo variety – Menudo. When I kid, I think on the ABC channel they had a lot of stuff about a show called Menudo – or a band – and I think Ricky Martin was in it? Well, that’s different from the soup. Menudo was honestly the first real introduction to latino culture I really got – I grew up in a town that was pretty white. It isn’t that way anymore which is nice though – lots of different people. Here’s what the soup consists of – ‘In Mexican cuisine, Menudo, also known as pancita ([little] gut or [little] stomach) or mole de panza (“stomach sauce”), is a traditional Mexican soup, made with cow’s stomach (tripe) in broth with a red chili pepper base. Hominy, lime, onions, and oregano are used to season the broth.’ I can probably pull off some lime and onions. I tried hominy once before I realized it is cooked in bacon fat and I never have bacon, nor bacon fat on hand. Let’s give this a try!
Did this review on Halloween of 2022! Seemed fitting enough. I wish I could remember where I picked this up; oh wait – I got it at HMart the day I went and saw the 40th anniversary screening of Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan. That was so great – haven’t seen that movie on the big screen and that made it really amazing. Before that my buddy Matt and I went to Seattle’s University district to grab some food . It was an interesting day – soon as we got down there his car started blowing smoke from under the hood. overheating. So we went walking around and found Aladdin Falafel – got a shwarma on flatbread thing and it was great – could eat that every day. After an hour or so we drove his car up to the theater in Lynnwood by the Alderwood Mall; taking backroads. All went well although it was kind of white knuckled. But it worked out. But yeah we went to the HMart which is next to the theater and he got a beer and pounded half of it then we went in and watched the movie. Good times. I used to listen to the soundtrack for Star Trek II before bed when I was a kid – I had it on cassette. Yeah, I was a weird kid.
You might not be familiar with pozole – I have tried a pozole ramen in the past but unfortunately I still haven’t sampled the actual dish. Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about it – ‘Pozole (Spanish pronunciation: [po’sole]; from Nahuatl languages: pozolli, meaning cacahuazintle, a variety of corn or maize) is a traditional soup or stew from Mexican cuisine. It is made from hominy with meat (typically chicken , but possibly pork), and can be seasoned and garnished with shredded lettuce or cabbage, chilli peppers, onion, garlic, radishes, avocado, salsa or limes. Known in Mesoamerica since the pre-Columbian era, today the stew is common across Mexico and neighboring countries, and is served both as a day-to-day meal and as a festive dish.’
I tried this 11 years ago. That’s a long time as far as my reviewing has gone. Back then it was review #761 – I still have the same bowl and I think I’ll use it again! Funny, I thought I got this from my mother in law and that I mentioned it in my review, but maybe it wasn’t this one. Hmm. Well, I gave it a 3.5 back then. Curious if I’ll like it now. It’s gluten free which I’ll mention to my wife. Let’s give it a try!
Back in 2013, I gained the ire of many Taiwanese netizens when varieties from over there didn’t make the top ten, and some made the bottom ten. In a ‘noodle diplomacy’ initiative, I asked companies who thought they had some special stuff to send it. A-Sha was the first to answer the call, introducing me to the Taiwanese dry noodle. Ten years later, here we are with their Meteor Noodle – a threesome of flavors with a unique noodle.
This one came by way of James from Lakeside, California – thanks! This is made in Thailand for a company in Kentucky. They really want you to know how wonderful this one is with its ‘best flavor ever!’ I guess I’ll have to see if that’s the case. Let’s find out!
From time to time, James sends me a box of noodles and he usually shoots an email – if he did this time I didn’t see it. This is a neat box of things I’ve not tried! Thank you very much!
Here’s something I found at a Party City store while we were getting stuff for our daughter Mimi’s birthday. Says it’s made in The Netherlands which I think is interesting – I don’t know why, but I do. This looks pretty weird so let’s just get started.
A lot of you have asked me if there’s lower sodium ramen. A lot of you have asked about a healthier ramen. Vite Ramen does both of these things and more – tons of vitamins as well as protein and fiber – like Soylent is to a complete nutrition beverage but in ramen form and quite honestly tastes a lot better. Check ’em out!
The other day, I was working with instant noodles, specifically, taking photos of noodle blocks and sachets, and packaging. Well, watch the video and I’ll continue…
This should be pretty easy to be found by just about everyone in the United States. Good ol’ Bowl Noodles. They’ve gone through numerous changes over the years insofar as packaging, and this is the latest I’ve seen. It’s got a plastic wrap around it with the labeling. Thanks guys – makes it more difficult for me to scan when things are shrink-wrapped!
This one ame by was of Daniel over at Exotic Noods – thanks again! This one’s a jjajangmyeon style noodle, so it’s got a thick and hearty black bean sauce with it. I’ve seen varieties made for GS Mart (a Korean chain) by Paldo, and everything about this package screams Paldo manufacture. If you look on the back by the barcode, you can see it’s made specifically for Us distribution. Anyways, let’s give it a try!
I think this is the last of the varieties that Maruchan sent for the Meet The Manufacturer series. Haven’t had this since it’s initial launch many years ago. These look very much like Maruchan Seimen, a range which is very popular in Japan. So, what’s the different? No pork. Let’s give it a go!
Been lagging on doing top ten list editing – my apologies. The weather’s been really good for walking, and in May I did over 500 miles. I included a special post at the bottom about it. I also included something of a change from how I’ve been doing things as well involving AI. Anyways, this is the annual The Ramen Rater’s Global Top Ten Instant Noodle Bowls – these are my favorite varieties out of review up to #4440 which are in the bowl style. Hope you enjoy! Top Ten Cups and Bottom Ten lists should be coming soon!
A week. Last week I mean. Feeling crummy. Started Sunday and went on until Thursday. Then Friday happened and it was like I was pretty much at 100% again, which was really nice. Went out for a nice walk, then went out shopping. I definitely wanted to see what was up at Asian Family Market – the next day would be Lunar New Year. Got a few things, this being one of them. Looks interesting; let’s check it out!
Back in mid 2018, I reviewed this right after their ‘new recipe’ change for review #2910. Around that time, it seemed that US manufacturers decided to change the product names of economy pillow packs that were initially known as ‘Oriental’ flavor to Soy Sauce. The term ‘Oriental’ has come under fire in recent years, hence the change. What does Oriental mean? Basically it derives from Latin, meaning ‘of the east’ – the opposite being Occidental being ‘of the west.’ From what I’ve gathered from running the Ramen Junkie facebook group for a while as this has come up from time to time is that many things and businesses will use the term; ‘insert city name here’ Oriental Market for example, however it isn’t a term to be used for people, at least that’s what I found. I read an L.A. Times article about this very subject that I thought was very interesting – you can read it here. One particular quote from the author I found fascinating was ‘A funny thing I noticed is that my Caucasian colleagues, not my Asian colleagues, are most eager to remove Oriental from public discourse.’
The other day I did the competitor’s tray noodle – that was teriyaki beef as well. Been years and years since I’d reviewed either of them. They’re both economy tray varieties and they both dwell on the soup aisle. Let’s give this one a try.
Eventually, I’ll get through everything I want to do for the Maruchan Meet The Manufacturer series – there’s a lot of them to go through and then unite all together. I’m cobbling everything together slowly. I got this one at the Kenmore, Washington Safeway store – your standard American domestic grocery store. In these stores, there are two areas you will commonly find instant noodles. There’s the soup aisle, and the ethnic foods aisle. These are in the soup aisle. They’ve got a few varieties of trays – some Maruchan, and some by a competitor . I think I’ll have to see what other Maruchan ones they’ve got, but thought this might be a good one for the trays. Let’s check it out!
Here’s the second of two of these Wicked Foods varieties we found recently at the Lake City Fred Meyer grocery store. The last one was pretty slimy. Let’s see what this one has in store…
New clothes for the classic! Originally, it was a foam bowl with a paper lid in shrinlkwrap. Then, they reformulated for microwave and had a cardboard sleeve. Now, it’s a plastic wrap with the graphics on that. This is classic – ubiquitous with gas stations and little corner shops, many o which are run by Korean Americans. I used to live in a place that had a little grocery/deli mini mart across the way. The fellow there was Korean American and he had these in there, but with a ridiculous markup. I asked him why once. ‘Because that’s my lunch!’
Here’s one we found at the Fred Meyer store in Lake City. These are made in the UK – unsure if they’re related to the Naked Noodles line of someone else’s. Either way, it’s something I’ve not seen before, so I’m reviewing it.
In December, we went to Party City. They had a new one opened up next to us and so we were getting stuff for our daughter Miriam’s birthday. Well, they had two candy noodle things and this was one of them. A Cup O’ Crazy. That’s pretty weird. It’s got goo, edible chopsticks, and gummy noodles. I really don’t like things like this so much but I have to review it of course. Qho knoqa; it could be masterfully crafted; like a jelly noodle with a sauce that’s made from fine ingredients and chopsticks of sweet coconut powder that melt in your mouth. But I wouldn’t count on it. Let’s commense this, the 4,509th session of my personal congress of noodling.
While we’re knee deep in 2023, I reviewed this one on January 4th – and actually it’s the first review I’ve done in 2023. Big thanks to the nice folks at A-Sha for sending this over – they said it’s available at Costco. Let’s give it a shot.
It’s a couple days after Christmas and one of the last reviews of 2022. Obviously, it’s not coming out in 2022, but that’s when I did this up. I used some things I got for Christmas, including leftovers from dinner – let’s give this one a try – I reviewed it quite a while back but figure it’s due another looksie.
This is a gluten free product we found at a local store. My wife does the gluten free thing, so making this for her today. It’s currently 23 degrees outside with a wind chill as low at 15. That’s pretty cold for these parts. I’ve got to go to the store to get some stuff, so I’ll probably be talking about how cold it is. Anyways, let’s cook this one up.
Found this one at HMart recently. Looks to be a Vegan version of Jin Ramen and that sounds neat as a change of pace. I’m in the mood for something different – haven’t done a lot of Korean varieties lately. This one is of course made in South Korea but packaged for sale in the United States. Let’s give it a try!
