Category: Vegetable

#2568: Nongshim Mr. Bibim Stir Fried Kimchi Flavour

#2568: Nongshim Mr. Bibim Stir Fried Kimchi Flavour - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - ramyun

So I have a new contact named Danny at Nongshim Korea – one of the guys from Happy Souper helped me get a hold of him via email – thanks! Danny was kind enough to send along these new Mr. Bibim varieties. They’re dry noodles with a liquid base and kimchi included. Here’s a little about kimchi from wikipedia – ...see full post

#2565: KOKA Mushroom Flavour Instant Noodles

#2565: KOKA Mushroom Flavour Instant Noodles - Singapore - The Ramen Rater

I’ll be the first to admit – I’m not particularly keen on mushrooms. I mean sure – they’re alright                                              sometimes in with other things, but I’m just not a big fan of fungus. I always try to give them a good chance as with any kind of food -= and the same with instant noodles that are mushroom flavored. Let’s see how this one is. ...see full post

#2541: Nissin Cup Noodles Very Veggie Spicy Chicken Flavor Ramen Noodle Soup

VV3: Nissin Cup Noodles Very Veggie Spicy Chicken Flavor Ramen Noodle Soup

Rounding out the Cup Noodles Very Veggie range is Spicy Chicken. All I can say is that if it’s anything like the other two this will be a no-brainer. I still am beside myself on these; these are just about the best thing I’ve seen come from the United States in a long, long time. So Very Veggie has 1/2 cup – which is one full serving – of vegetables. Let’s check it out. ...see full post

#2535: Nissin Cup Noodles Very Veggie Chicken Flavor Ramen Noodle Soup

VV!: Nissin Cup Noodles Very Veggie Chicken Flavor Ramen Noodle Soup

When I read about this new product line in my news feeds, I was very curious. For years, I’ve though that the amount of vegetables included with instant noodle varieties in general was way too slim. Of course, vegetables cost money to put in there and so that’s something to consider. ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2455: KOKA Creamy Soup With Crushed Noodles Sweet Corn Flavor

Meet The Manufacturer: #2455: KOKA Creamy Soup With Crushed Noodles Sweet Corn Flavor - Singapore - The Ramen Rater - corn in a cup

I often remember my experience with corn in Southeast Asia in the past, however it wasn’t involving a creamy soup. First off, you don’t see corn very often – definitely nowhere near as much as you see it here in the United States. What I did see what in the Penang International Airport, they had a little snack stand. I think they had ice cream, beefburgers (they call them that because ham is not taken by so many people over there and just calling it a beefburger makes sure there’s no confusion), and corn in a cup. Here, we have corn on the cob. However over there I saw this corn in a cup – I asked our host what this was all about. Basically, it’s not popcorn, but yellow corn in a cup with butter and seasonings. ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2449: KOKA Delight Tomato Flavor Instant Non-Fried Noodles

Meet The Manufacturer: #2449: KOKA Delight Tomato Flavor Instant Non-Fried Noodles - Singapore - The Ramen Rater - Tat Hui

Today we have one I have had the export version of in the past. This however, is the local Singapore version. One thing to note for the Vegetarian crowd is that these have that little box with the green circle inside. There’s two kinds – the green circle or the red circle. Green means suitable for Vegetarians and red means not suitable. Also, they’re steamed and not fried, and to top it off, there’s no added MSG, something people are always interested in. Well, let’s get started with this tomato variety from KOKA! ...see full post

#2429: New Touch T’s Restaurant Sura Tanmen

#2429: New Touch T's Restaurant Sura Tanmen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - instant ramen

Went to Uwajimaya, a local Japanese grocery store chain in the northwest the other day. So I found that you can get chashu pork there – it’s really nice for Japanese instants since I can slap one on top! Indeed what I do is get a few packs of it from the deli and then bag them individually  and throw them in the freezer – it’s pricy stuff, but done this way it really stretches it a long way. So $15 or pork will yield me about 18-20 slices and since it’s frozen, it’ll last nicely until I’ve done that many Japanese reviews. ...see full post

#2426: Dr. McDougall’s Vegan Pad Thai Noodle Soup

#2426: Dr. McDougall's Vegan Pad Thai Noodle Soup - United States - The Ramen Rater

Well it’s been quite a while since I’ve reviewed anything by Dr. McDougall’s. Why? Well, the first one I tried was a disappointment. I saw this one recently and thought maybe I should give them another chance. I am not expecting this will be one I like very much though; the two lines in large print immediately contradict eachother: ‘Pad Thai’ and ‘Noodle Soup.’ This just sounds wrong. But hey – maybe this is really good stuff. Let’s give it a look. ...see full post

#2423: Ve Wong Kung-Fu Instant Oriental Noodles Soup Artificial Onion Flavor

Another one sent by Colin. I haven’t had any of this brand in quite some time! I should also say I’ve not had an onion flavor instant in quite a while too. Very curious about this one – let’s have a look! NOTE – I just was looking for info on this one and as it turned out, I reviewed it in 2010! It was review #99. I’ll still slap a new number on this one though. What’s funny is if you look at the packaging on it from back then, it says ‘New.’ It still says new! I’m sorry, but this isNOT new. ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: Re-Review: Mom’s Dry Noodle Vegan Chilli With Sesame Sauce

Mom’s Dry Noodle Vegan Chilli With Sesame Sauce - Taiwan - The Ramen Rater

A lot of people these days are giving up meat and switching to the Vegan lifestyle. So, what’s the difference between Vegetarian and Vegan? It seems like there are many different ‘flavors’ of Vegetarianism. For example, I have a friend who claims to be vegetarian, however he eats bacon, eggs and Jack In The Box fast food tacos. Here’s what wikipedia has to say about Veganism: ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2312: Xiao Ban Mian Traditional Shallot & Onion Oil Noodle

Xiao Ban Mian Traditional Shallot & Onion Oil Noodle - Taiwan - The Ramen Rater

During my trip to Taiwan in November of 2016, I had the opportunity to try the three varieties of the new Xiao Ban Mian line. I remember this one in particular; it was really quite good and I only got a bite or two of it – my sister actually scarfed this one down quickly! Now, back in the controlled environment of my noodle lab (sounds more amazing than it is, really), I’m really excited to give this a try. Let’s check it out! ...see full post

#2272: Nissin Demae Iccho Spicy Kimchi Pot Flavour Instant Noodle

Here’s one big bowl of noodles! I like these – they kind of remind me of what we have here in the US – Nissin makes a line called the ‘Souper Bowl’ and it’s big too. OF course, there aren’t any Black Garlic Tonkotsu or Kimchi Pot flavored ones here. I always wish there were, but tthe fact that every country has it’s own flavors is what I really love about reviewing, and since the USA is a country, we’ve got our own. Anyways, Spicy! Kimchi! A friend of mine sent me a jar of kimchi in the mail and I go t it yesterday! Perfect timing! Let’s check this one out! ...see full post

#2264: Unif Tung-I Instant Vegetarian Beehoon Rice Vermicelli

I think I should explain the symbol in the upper right hand corner before anything else. While the symbol may bring up thoughts of World War II, this actually has nothing to do with oppression; this is a Buddhist symbol denoting that it is safe for those who practice strict vegetarianism. Here’s a little from wikipedia about it: ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2200: Mr. Lee’s Noodles Shaolin Monk Vegetables

I think I was talking about Kung Fu Theater and David Carradine’s career the other day. He played Grasshoppe – a pupil of the Shaolin on that show. Still bugs he; why didn’t they get, oh – I don’t know… A more fitting person to play a Chinese martial arts student? Maybe someone.. Chinese? Anyways, it’s veggie time – let’s get it on! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2198: Mr. Lee’s Noodles Dragon Fire Mushroom

Today it’s mushrooms! Looks like spicy mushrooms too! Let’s check it out!

Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, add boiling water to ridge line (just under the lip). Stir then cover for 3 minutes. Stir and enjoy! ...see full post

#2170: Maruchan Ramen Noodle Soup Mushroom Flavor

Here’s another one sent by a reader named Colin – thanks again! Today, I thought I’d cook up something for my wife Kit. Her actual name is Christine, but I’ve called her Kit for years. She’s always been a big fan of mushrooms – in fact, it’s because of her that I’ve started to like them. Oddly, here’s a Maruchan instant noodle I’ve not reviewed yet. I didn’t even know it still existed til Colin sent it over. Let’s have a look at this one. ...see full post

#2169: Happy Family Vegetable Flavour Instant Noodles

This is one that the folks from Prima Taste sent me when I did a call for instant noodles to review when I was running low a while back – thanks again! I always love to find  new varieties to review – and what surprises many is that I like trying different store brands. Many will say ‘oh – these aren’t special, they’re common!’ Well, they’re often not common where I live – and if I’ve not tried them, they’re definitely diamonds in the rough! Let’s have a look at this one! ...see full post

#2065: Four Seas Kung Tak Lam Vegetarian Noodle (Mushroom)

I had a bit of trouble figuring out what this variety was called – until I scanned the back of the package and noticed it on the top left corner. This is one that I received from Apple Daily of Hong Kong for a special news feature. Kung Tak Lam is a popular vegetarian restaurant in Hong Kong. Let’s crack it open and give it a try! ...see full post