#4821: Omsom Saucy Noodles Garlic Black Pepper – United States

#4821: Omsom Saucy Noodles Garlic Black Pepper - United States

This one’s a little different from the last two I tried. The last two at the top mentioned Vietnamese rather than Chinese on the packaging. So far, no good for this company insofar as my reviews. The last two scored very low – rather non-nom –  and I’m hoping there’s going to be one that I like as these were pretty expensive. With an open mind, let’s give it another go. ...see full post

#4820: Marutai Hakata Nagahama Ramen – Japan

#4820: Marutai Hakata Nagahama Ramen - Japan

Here’s one that came in a Zenpop.jp box – use coupon code THERAMENRATER for a groovy discount! This was in a triple box they sent – basically three boxes all at once. It didn’t come with any documentation, so I don’t know much about it. It only takes two minutes to steep which is pretty short. Let’s give it a try! ...see full post

#4819: Pamana Ginataang Mais – United States

#4819: Pamana Ginataang Mais - United States

Finishing up a week of reviewing today (it’s Friday for me) in early October, 2023. It’s pretty nutty – I’m now over 200 reviews ahead, and I’ve got a feeling this is coming out in late March of 2024, maybe April. While this isn’t ramen, it’s another thing you might find on the noodle aisle. It’s a Filipino porridge made in the United States. Let’s give it a try! ...see full post

#4818: Dongwon Cheese Topokki – South Korea

#4818: Dongwon Cheese Topokki - South Korea

Ah, tteokbokki. I really wish I knew about this stuff when I was a kid. Wondrous tubes of rice flour – like big Beefaroni, slathered in a nice sauce. Better yet, with cheese. If you’ve not tried it, you’re really in for a treat once you do, trust me on this. No, not ramen, but definitely something you’ll find on the instant noodle aisle at a Korean market. ...see full post

The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2024 Edition

The Ramen Rater's Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2024 Edition

Every year I pick my favorites out of all the reviews I’ve done. In the past, I’ve had lists that have multiple companies with multiple entries. I decided this year that I would change that. Starting with this list, only one entry per company will be on the list. I’ll mention other noteworthy varieties in the text of each one which I think will give more opportunities for folks to try new things. This new way of doing things will be reflected in this list, the upcoming Bottom Ten, Top Ten Bowls, and Top Ten Cups lists. ...see full post

#4815: Migelas Protevit Rasa Soto Ayam – Indonesia

#4815: Migelas Protevit Rasa Soto Ayam - Indonesia

Big thank you to Pher Engi for sending this all the way from Australia! This one is interesting, and my years of reviewing instant noodles has been instrumental in giving you a little info on this one. First, the name. Mi means noodle – and gelas means glass, as in a glass of milk, etc. This is quite literally a noodle you put in a glass or mug with some water to steep. Soto ayam? Chicken soto – usually a lime and chicken affair. Let’s give it a try! ...see full post

#4814: Twisted Noodles Ramen Soup Chicken Flavor Ramen – United States

#4814: Twisted Noodles Ramen Soup Chicken Flavor Ramen - United States

Big thanks to James from Lakeside for sending this one over! I think I’ve heard of this brand – kind of curious one here. Who’s making this? It’s made in the US it says – and lists a distributor. Private label? The cup itself is on a design that I’m not familiar with for any co-packer, so kind of weird. Noodle itself looks unfamiliar as well. Hmm. Well,, let’s delve into this chicken cup. ...see full post

#4812: Yumei Spicy Braised Instant Vermicelli With Pickled Cowpea – United States

#4812: Yumei Spicy Braised Instant Vermicelli With Pickled Cowpea - United States

Here’s one my lovely wife Kit looked at and said ‘what about this one?’ I’ve found there’s a universal truth in the universe: when she sees one and questions me about it and if I’ve not had it, it’s one I should review. This one’s made in China, let packaged for sale in the United States. So, let’s do so! ...see full post

#4811: Nissin Chicken Ramen Domburi Showa no Yoshoku Boom Creamy Gratin – Japan

#4811: Nissin Chicken Ramen Domburi Showa no Yoshoku Boom Creamy Gratin - Japan

Here’s one that came in a Zenpop.jp box. Here’s what they had to say about it – ‘If you’re familiar with the classic Chicken Ramen (チキンラーメン), the very first of all instant ramen produced by Nissin, then you’re in for quite a surprise. We know that Nissin likes to innovate, but we didn’t expect them to come out with this! Here’s their Japanese take on western cuisine, a Showa era (昭和) inspired Chicken Ramen. The Showa period (1926–1989) was one of economic growth and prosperity, during which Japan started important a lot of foreign cuisine, adapting it to their own taste. This Chicken Ramen was turned into a creamy gratin, with the flavor of charred cheese and the sweetness of roasted onions, for a creamy experience. 😋’ ...see full post

#4807: Maggi Oats Masala Noodles – India

#4760: Maggi Oats Masala Noodles - India

I was down to three varieties to review, then two boxes of noodles showed up, then after doing Chuck E. Cheese’s for Miles’ 8th birthday, turned out a few feet from there was an Indian grocery in Bellevue, WA called Apna Bazar. Found this and five other varieties I’d not reviewed – so that’s pretty good! This is a Maggi Masala with oats in the noodle. Let’s cook them up! ...see full post

The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Indonesian Instant Noodles Of All Time 2024 Edition

The Ramen Rater's Top Ten Indonesian Instant Noodles Of All Time 2024 Edition

Well, I figured late is better than never. I compiled this list around September of last year and never got around to editing it up. Well, the kids are on spring break so I figured a great time to hunker down and get some work done. This list is a compilation of my favorite varieties of Indonesian instant noodles I’ve tried up to review 4,650. A lot of reviews have come out since I wrote this list, so you can be sure some of those will appear on the next list. I should note I’ve also compiled a list of all of the Indomie varieties I’ve tried here. You can see everything I’ve tried from Indonesia here. Also, I’m making a big change to Top Tens. That announcement can be seen below. With that, let’s look at The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Indonesian Instant Noodles Of All Time 2024 Edition. ...see full post

Changes To The Ramen Rater’s Top Tens

Changes To The Ramen Rater's Top Tens

A special note about Top Ten lists going forward

After long consideration and thought over the years, I’ve made a decision about the Top Ten lists. Are they going away? No, absolutely not. Top Ten lists going forward are going to have only one entry per company. I’ve had many Top Ten lists (this one is a good example) that have multiple wins by the same company. This list today is the end of that. You’d think ten spots would be enough to cover a lot of stuff, but I find it more and more restrictive, hence this new policy. Don’t worry – other varieties by the company will most likely be mentioned in the video. I think this change does two things. First, it provides more visibility for market diversity. Two, it provides more options for people to find products. This will start with the next Global Top Ten list which should be debuting on Monday, April 22nd, 2024. I should note that this will not apply to the Spiciest and Bottom Ten lists, as those are a bit different. Global, Cups, Bowls, and Trays as well as country-specific lists will be affected going forward. There are some instances this may not work. The USA list might be a little difficult as I don’t know that there are ten different companies to select from. This is going to be a big change, so we shall see how it goes. Global, cups and bowls definitely will adhere to this new policy. ...see full post

#4806: Nissin Cup Noodles Everything Bagel With Cream Cheese Ramen Noodles In Sauce – United States

#4806: Nissin Cup Noodles Everything Bagel With Cream Cheese Ramen Noodles In Sauce - United States

Well, here we go again. This is the third in a series of interesting and very different varieties by Nissin Foods USA. First, the Cup Noodles Pumpkin Spice – which people really had strong feelings about. Second was Cup Noodles Breakfast which was kind of like a McGriddle morphed into a Cup Noodles. Finally, (shouldn’t say finally and hope this isn’t the end of the road for these interesting flavors) is Everything Bagel with Cream Cheese Ramen Noodles In Sauce. This is an interesting flavor to me. A big thank you to my wife Kit for getting two of these for me, and also to Nissin Foods USA for sending me an interesting influencer box – very cool! Alright – let’s give this a try – I should note I put this in a bagel with cream cheese – see videos at the bottom of this post. ...see full post

Nissin Sends Cup Noodles Everything Bagel!

In the last couple of years, there have been some interesting changes of varieties coming from Nissin Foods USA – neat ones! The biggest are these limited edition varieties – first we got Pumpkin Spice, then Breakfast – now it’s Everything Bagel. I still have high hopes for a pizza in a cup but we will have to wait and see. I think it’s a logical next step. Maybe a cheeseburger one. What’s also cool are the media kits they send out. This one’s especially cool – it makes noise! Yup – watch the video and check it out! ...see full post

A List Of All The Indomie Varieties I’ve Tried

Often I come out with a list and I get a comment saying ‘you should try Indomie.’ Well, I decided after years of telling folks that I have tried Indomie, I’d share a list of all of the Indomie varieties I’ve tried. So, this is that list. I’ve got 77 here. They’re ordered by review score (the last number) and the first number is the review number. So, you can hit the search button and type in that review number and it’ll bring it up. I’m pretty sure there’s a few more that have yet to be published, however this list contains 77 different varieties as on April 9th, 2024. ...see full post

#4805: Red Chef Penang White Curry Mee – Malaysia

#4805: Red Chef Penang White Curry Mee - Malaysia

An emperor gets some new clothes! This has been a brand whose products have graced my top tens for a while now – and they’ve changed their packaging. It looks as though their recipe has changed as well. Malaysia is a place where flavors are changed and improved upon often, and I’m curious how this one will be. Well, let’s give it a try! ...see full post

#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

#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

Nakama Noodles Unboxing – April 2024 + Coupon Code

Nakama Noodles Unboxing - April 2024 + Coupon Code

Today, I’m unboxing MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles box. You can get their monthly selection of 8-10 varieties – and this box they sent was full of varieties I’ve never reviewed before, plus they include PACKS!!!  I’ll be doing unboxings for them and have a coupon code you can use – THERAMENRATER (of course)! Watch the video below – you’ll see why I’m excited. ...see full post

Revisiting Nissin Cup Noodles Breakfast – The Definitive Guide

Revisiting Nissin Cup Noodle Breakfast - The Definitive Guide

A couple years ago, Nissin Foods USA came out with something called Cup Noodles Pumpkin Spice. Honestly, I really enjoyed it and made many different recipes out of it, stretching it to the limit. This time, it’s a breakfast variety. I couldn’t find it, but luckily Stumpy from North Little Rock, AR, James from Lakeside, CA and Nissin Foods sent me cups which I truly appreciate. Here, I will go into meticulous detail about the product, and create five different things with it. With that, here’s The Ramen Rater’s Definitive Guide To Nissin Cup Noodles Breakfast. ...see full post

#4801: Omsom Saucy Noodles Chili Sesame – United States

#4801: Omsom Saucy Noodles Chili Sesame - United States

Been wanting to try these for a while. We found them at Whole Foods market in Lynnwood, Washington. I’ve tried emailing the company a couple of times, but never received a response. Ah well. These are curious – they really look like Taiwanese dry noodles. Let’s check out this one with more to follow soon. ...see full post