I thought it a no-brainer to pick Hakata Ramen to try with the miso. The other I’ll try with it will be the Tokyo Ramen. Anyways: Hakata Ramen. What is it, Wikipedia?
Binders Full Of Women? Nope – Noodles
Since my 200th review or so, I’ve been keeping the packaging from the instant noodles I review. Why? Well, there are a few reasons. First, it’s kind of a physical representation of the varieties I’ve sampled. Also (and more importantly), the bar codes are on them all. These can be added as tags to the posts and be added. I started adding bar codes in the tags around review 800 or so. The Ramen Rater apps all have bar code scanning capability and so adding these in makes the app more functional for the site. Unfortunately, there’s still a lot of tedious work to do in that area. Anyways, Someone asked about how I store my noodle packaging and was curious to see some binders, so here you go!
#2525: Sokensha Curry Udon
Here’s another one I found recently at Uwajimaya in Bellevue, Washington. Can’t pass up curry udon – I mean some on – sounds good – here’s a little about udon from Wikipedia –
The Ultimate Instant Noodles Collection
Okay so some of you may be wondering – and some have asked as well: what do you noodle holding pens look like? Well, they’re next to my desk – actually next to and under.
#2524: Nissin Straits Reborn Laksa
So here we have one that’s on the 2017 Top Ten list – under two names. It was originally Straits Kitchen and they re-branded it as Straits Reborn. Literally no different in recipe – just the name. However I thought it would be good for me to do a review just so you could see. Here’s some info about laksa from Wikipedia –
Product Samples From Tseng Noodle
I asked for one four pack of their noodles. They sent a whole box! Let’s look inside.
Product Samples From Tseng Noodle – Taiwan
#2523: Nongshim Budae Jjigae Noodle Soup
Here’s one I found at the local HMart a couple months ago. I’ve had a budae jjigae instant once before – I know there’s at least one more variety out there… Very curious how this one is. Let’s see what Wikipedia has to say about budae jjigae –
An Enormous Gift From Nissin Mexico
So Nissin Mexico’s Gourmet Caldo De Camaron was #1 on this year’s The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodle Cups Of All Time 2017 Edition – and well deservedly so. Big shrimp, lots of veggies and a broth to die for as well as some great noodles in these cups. Well, they were enthused and wanted to thank me, so they sent me a couple of cups.
#2522: Takamori Hearty Japanese Style Curry Udon
I gota ride to 99 Ranch yesterday from my sister – thanks! So I was looking for mung bean sprouts, however I found this one when we went through the store. I did a Meet The Manufacturer with Takamori Kosan a few years back and really been hoping I’d get another chance to try some more of their products. Well, this is one of them! Here’s a little about udon from Wikipedia –
#2521: Nissin Cup Noodles Potato Chips Black Pepper Crab Flavour
Okay before you start swinging your fists around and marching in the street screaming ‘these aren’t instant noodles,’ Well, for the instant noodles version of this, go to the last review. These are potato chips infused the the same seasoning! Sounds good to me – here’s a little about black pepper crab from Wikipedia –
#2520: Nissin Cup Noodles Black Pepper Crab Flavour (More Angry Crab)
So this is one they’ve had before however now it has more angry crab! I love angry crab! Actually, black pepper crab is good stuff and I don’t know anyone who would argue with more crab in there. Let’s check it out!
#2519: Guava Story Anchovy Flavor Guava Rice Noodles
Here’s something the guys over at ExoticNoods.com sent over – thanks! Okay – guava noodles? I really enjoy guava juice, but never seen a guava noodle before. Better to tear into this pack and see what’s what.
The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Singaporean Instant Noodles Of All Time 2017 Edition
So for the past few years I’ve been thinking about putting out a top ten list for Singapore. It took me a while though; I wanted to have a TON of Singaporean varieties that I’d tried before doing so. Well, I’ve tried a TON of them now and I felt it would be nice to put out a new list. I’m posting this on Singapore’s National Day – thought it would be fitting. If you’re not familiar with the half lion half fish image in the picture above, that’s a Merlion. It’s the national symbol of Singapore. Here’s a little more about it here. Well, it’s time. These are my favorite varieties that come from Singapore from the over 2,500 reviews I’ve done to date. All these Singaporean varieties are most definitely shiok – so grab your favorite beer (mine’s Tiger) and check it out!
#2518: Samurai Ramen Umami
This was sent to me by Ippin, a purveyor of wonderful Japanese items! Thank you again! – So these look to be vegetarian as well as HALAL. Let’s give them a looksie.
#2517: Ikeda Shoku Nabeyaki Tempura Udon
Here’s one sent by the guys over at ExoticNoods.com. Thanks! They have a monthly subscription box you can get! So this is nabeyaki udon – let’s see what Wikipedia has to say –
#2516: Fujiwara Hokkaido Hakodate Miso Ramen
Seems like a little while since I did a pack instant ramen from Japan. This is one I found during my trip to Taiwan last November at the Carrefour in Taipei by the Miramar Entertainment Park. I tell you – they had quite an impressive instant noodle aisle – like 4 aisles really. So this one is a miso instant ramen. Here’s a little from Wikipedia about ramen –
#2515: Uni-President Man Han Feast Spicy Beef Flavor Instant Noodles
Here’s one I got at 7-Eleven in Taipei, Taiwan in November of last year. I’ve been wanting to review these bowls for a very long time, but never have been able to get any through – nobody’s ever tried though. So what is this ‘Man-Han Feast’ anyways? Here’s some info from Wikipedia –
The Ramen Rater In… GQ? Really?
The Ramen Rater In… GQ? – Taiwan
Yeah – really! So I had no idea until it came out, but I’m in GQ Taiwan. Definitely didn’t expect that! If you want to read the article, it’s here (note – you’ll need to use Google Translate if you can’t read Chinese). Posts will resume Friday. I’ll do a couple Throwback Thursdays on Instagram though – oh yeah – follow me on Instagram! I post there every day as well.
#2514: Ogasawara Kirin Giraffe Shoyu Ramen
Here’s one I got at the Carrefour store in Taipei at the bottom of the Miramar Entertainment Park mall. It was on sale and definitely something I didn’t expect to see. There was a bunch of articles that came out about this variety a while back – it was popular many years ago and discontinued and then brought back to the delight of consumers. Noodles with a picture of a giraffe in a bow tie on the front? Yeah; this sounds neat. Let’s check out this revisited classic from Japan!
#2513: Pringles Nissin Top Ramen Chicken Flavor Potato Crisps
Well folks, the United States has started to see the light. There’s nothing I love to see more than a tie-in/crossover product and this is something I’ve seen zillions of times overseas but really never before here.
The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Spiciest Instant Noodles Of All Time 2017 Edition
NOTE – THERE IS A NEW TOP TEN SPICY LIST FOR 2018 – HERE IT IS
It’s that time of year again! Actually, this is the first time the list is coming out in July although at the tail end of July. I usually have the lists come out on the Monday closest to the date it came out the prior year. So this list is a compilation of absolutely hottest and spiciest varieties I’ve had out of the 2,500+ varieties I’ve tried thus far. Something you think belongs on this spiciest of lists? Let me know – I’ll give it a try. Let’s get started!
#2512: Mom’s Dry Noodle Dan Dan Noodle
Here’s a new one from Mom’s Dry Noodle. This one is Dan Dan Noodle flavor – here’s a little about that from Wikipedia –
#2511: Samyang Foods Samyang Ramen Classic Edition
Here’s a bowl version clad in the trapping of olde. Samyang Ramen was the very first instant ramyun to come out in South Korea – in 1963. Here’s a little about it from Wikipedia –
#2510: MyKuali Penang Red Tom Yum Goong Noodle
Today, we have the Singaporean version of MyKuali’s Tom Yum Goong. For those of you who haven’t had tom yum, here’s a little from Wikipedia –
#2509: Maggi Hot Heads Green Chilli Noodles
I spend a lot of time looking around to see what’s new and what’s going on in the instant noodle industry. I kind of have to; if I don’t, I can’t find out what’s popular elsewhere in the world. I read a little about this extra spicy variety from India called Maggi Hot Heads – they’ve got a few flavors. People were commenting how this was the spiciest of all of them and I thought hey why not seek it out. My wife Kit was kind and got me some off of Amazon! Thank you! This is a rarity (I mean she’s always nice) – we never get instant noodles online for reviewing. This one seemed to be one that needed some attention though. Let’s check out this Hot Heads variety and see how hot it is!
#2508: Samyang Foods Mala Buldak Bokkeummyun
SPECIAL STATEMENT AS OF 12/19/2017: It has come to my attention that many places/people are under the impression that this variety is considered to be ‘Samyang Foods 4x Spicy Buldak Bokkeummyun.’ This is definitely NOT the case. Original Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkeummyun is 4,404SHU, 2x Spicy is 8,706SHU. I have been informed by Samyang Foods that Samyang Foods Mala Buldak Bokkeummyun is 2,700SHU – which is far less spicy than the original Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkeummyun. Sellers claiming this product as Samyang Foods 4x Spicy Buldak Bokkeummyun – this is misleading and untrue. I’ve mentioned in the past that I would love to try a Samyang Foods 4x Spicy Buldak Bokkeummyun, however NO SUCH PRODUCT EXISTS at the time of this update. Please refer to The Ramen Rater’s Definitive Guide To Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkeummyun for more information.
GET AN ASSORTMENT OF THE SPICEST INSTANT NOODLES IN THE RAMEN RATER’S SPICY PACK FROM GOURMET RAMEN CLUB – CHECK IT OUT HERE!
Thanks go to Amelia from Samyang Foods in South Korea for sending these along! The Buldak Bokkeummyun line from them is a fiery range which starts with their hot chicken flavor of Fire Noodle Challenge fame. Here’s what they have to say about this one –
Pringles Top Ramen Chips & Where To Get ‘Em
Pringles Top Ramen Chicken Flavor Potato Crisps
Okay so you may have seen that there are new Pringles Top Ramen Chicken Flavor Potato Chips on the market. This is a pretty surprising thing for the US – less so elsewhere. Apparently, the only place you can buy them in stores is at a place called Dollar General. There aren’t any in Washington State, so I had to look elsewhere. I found an eBay Seller who has them and at a very reasonable price. Some people are selling six cans of Pringles for $99! That’s $16.50 per can! Egad; what has this world come to… Anyways, yeah I don’t think they currently have any in stock but I asked and they said that they were going to restock again ASAP!
#2507: Indomie Mi Instant My Noodlez Mi Goreng Rasa Rumput Laut
Here’s one sent by Kamran R. of Australia – thanks again! He’s part of Ramen Regret Rater – they review ultra spicy instant noodles and see if they end up with horrible gastrointestinal difficulties. Yes, really!
The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodle Cups Of All Time 2017 Edition
Instant noodle cups – so portable, so ubiquitous. They’re everywhere! People seem to really like them for lunch. I’ve found that people also like to take them when backpacking or camping – all you need is hot water and once done, you can flatten them so it’s easy to pack out your trash. These convenient meals have come a long way since their inception – many flavors and countries of origin. This list is a compilation of my favorite instant noodle cups from the over 2,500 instant noodle reviews I’ve done to date.
Samyang Foods Samples Including New Mala Buldak Bokkeummyun
So both the kids were interesting this box that came yesterday. Miri is just about to start crawling but Miles is running around like a beast these days! Let’s see what’s inside!
#2506: KOKA Delight Chicken Flavor Instant Non-Fried Noodles
Here’s another leftover from the KOKA Meet The Manufacturer series I did a little while back. Chicken flavor sounds pretty safe – I mean, who doesn’t like chicken except vegetarians? Let’s give this chicken flavor variety a try!
#2505: Acecook Super Cup Torigara Shoyu
Here’s one sent by Javier over at www.BoxFromJapan.com. You can get a nice package of 4 varieties shipped to your door every month via their subscription service – they also do Japanese candy boxes as well. Today it’s shoyu from Acecook. So if you don’t know about shoyu, here’s a little something from Wikipedia –
#2504: Nongshim Shin Ramyun (South Korean)
For awhile now, I’ve been trying to get my hands on some of this that actually is from South Korea. Thanks to Anders and his girlfriend Ji-Min, here we are! Here’s some info from Wikipedia –
New Product Samples From Mom’s Dry Noodle
Got this box in the mail a couple days ago from Taiwan! Wonder what’s inside. Let’s find out!
#2503: Sichuan Guangyou Sweet Potato Instant Noodle Sour-Hot Flavor
Here’s one sent by Colin from Massachusetts – thanks! So this sour-hot sounds interesting. Usually with Chinese varieties, the sour often comes from black vinegar and the spicy from peppers. Let’s see what this one’s like!
#2502: Indomie Instant Noodles Onion Chicken Flavor
Here’s one sent by Chef Ron from Mama Pat’s Foods – thank you! So I’ve reviewed a LOT of Indomie in the past, yet it’s hard to come by new varieties to try. Luckily, here’s the first of hopefully more from Indomie’s product line from Nigeria! As far as continents go, Africa has been just the toughest for me to get varieties from. Here’s a little about Indomie from Wikipedia –
A Spicy Package From India
My wife Kit was kind enough to get me a pack of noodles I’d heard about being ultra spicy! Let’s look inside!
#2501: Happy Cook Toona Paste Noodle
This is one I brought back with me from Taiwan! Happy Cook is a brand that one of the factories in Taichung makes.
#2500: The Ramen Rater Select Supreme Creamy Tom Yum Noodle
TO EVERYONE ASKING ABOUT THIS ONE – THIS PRODUCT WON’T BE COMING OUT. SORRY TO DISAPPOINT. SOMEDAY I’LL COME OUT WITH MY OWN INSTANT NOODLE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
#2499: KOKA Creamy Soup With Crushed Noodles Chicken Flavor
Here’s one left over from the KOKA Meet The Manufacturer. These soups are interesting; instead of noodles with soup it’s more like soup with noodles! Let’s have a look at this creamy soup!