Now for the third year, I’m coming out with the latest Top Ten Instant Rice Noodles list. Rice noodles have some benefits as opposed to their fried wheat counterparts. First, they’re virtually fat-free. Also, they’re not fried. Rice noodles are gluten-free by nature, although the ingredients in the sachets that come with these varieties might not be. People ask me for a gluten-free list often, but that would be rather difficult as I’d have to pore over every ingredient list on every review to do this. Well, let’s have a look at these great rice noodle varieties – the best instant rice noodles varieties of the almost 2,500 reviews to date!
The Noodle World Sampler From Zenpop Japan
Was contacted a few weeks ago by Zenpop, a company thjat specializes in neat boxes of products from Japan! They informed me they wanted me to check out their ramen box and I was alright with that of course! They also have other kinds of boxes available – check them out here! Let’s crack this one open and see what’s inside – this month it’s the ‘Noodle World Pack!’
The July Box From Japan
Every month, Box From Japan offers instant ramen subscriptions as well as candy and other special subscriptions! This is the July box. Thus far, I’ve never gotten a repeat, nor one I’d reviewed previously! Let’s have a look.
Bokkeum Neoguri & Mr. Bibim Samples From Nongshim South Korea
A fellow reviewer from Happy Souper posted about these new Nonshim varieties and gave me the contact info for Nongshim Korea – I lost touch with my contact a while back. These were kindly sent by Danny – thank you very much! Let’s have a look!
Meet The Manufacturer: #2498: Nissin Demae Ramen Spicy Beef Flavour
Here is where we part ways with Nissin Germany – this is the fifteenth review of Meet The Manufacturer. It’s been a lot of fun trying these European takes on instant noodles! Let’s give this final variety – spicy beef – a try.
Meet The Manufacturer: #2497: Nissin Cup Noodles Spicy
Spicy! I like spicy things; it’s pretty obvious I think. This Cup Noodles purports to be spicy and I’m hoping it is! Let’s check it out!
Meet The Manufacturer: #2496: Nissin Soba Gebratene Nudeln Thai
Here’s the last of the Soba varieties I’ve got here. I’m very curious about Thai; is it tom yum? Is it full of basil? This Soba is short for yakisoba – a little on yakisoba from Wikipedia –
Meet The Manufacturer: #2495: Nissin Cup Noodles Huhn (Chicken)
Well, there’s always going to be a chicken variety. Here it is! I really don’t know how else to introduce it or what else to say! Here’s a little something about the history of Cup Noodles from Wikipedia –
Meet The Manufacturer: #2494: Nissin Demae Ramen Korean Kimchi Flavour
I think it only makes sense for cabbage to have some kind of standing in Germany. I mean, sauerkraut is pickled cabbage after all. Never tried kimchi before? Here’s a little information from Wikipedia –
Meet The Manufacturer: #2493: Nissin Cup Noodles Curry
Ahhh curry! I love curry from everywhere in the world. Indeed, I’ve not met a curry I’ve disliked to be honest. I do like some more than others of course. A German curry… Fascinating! Let’s check it out!
Meet The Manufacturer: #2492: Nissin Smack Chili
Many, many years ago, there was a company that made an instant noodle called Smack here in the United States. This is completely unrelated – although great to know the name still is around and in a new form! This one’s supposed to be spicy – let’s find out!
Meet The Manufacturer: #2491: Nissin Soba Nudeln Mit Yakisoba Sauce Yakitori Chicken
Here’s another new variety of the Soba line – yakitori chicken. Here’s a little something about yakitori from Wikipedia –
Meet The Manufacturer: #2490: Nissin Demae Ramen Garlic Chicken Flavour
I’ve started noticing a theme to these Demae Ramen varieties form Germany. For the Thai Tom Yum one, there was Thai lettering in the background. This looks to be Vietnamese, so I’m guessing it’s styled after pho or something like that. I definitely like chicken and garlic is a favorite of mine. Let’s give this one a look – garlic chicken sounds very good today!
Meet The Manufacturer: #2489: Nissin Cup Noodles Ente (Duck)
For years, I’d avoid duck flavor instant noodles. I always thought that they tasted kind of funny – until I actually ate duck. Duck is to me like curry – something really great and above everything else. Indeed, I consider duck to be a kind of exalted food. I’ve had it in Thailand, Malaysia and Taiwan – but never European style. Very curious if there will be a difference… Let’s find out!
Meet The Manufacturer: #2488: Nissin Demae Ramen Thai Tom Yum
This isn’t something I expected – a Thai Tom Yum from a German company? Yep! This makes me incredibly curious; will it taste like tom yum? Here’s a little about tom yum from Wikipedia if you’ve never tried –
Meet The Manufacturer: #2487: Nissin Soba Nudeln Mit Yakisoba Sauce Sukiyaki Beef
I’m really stoked – Nissin Germany sent a few new Soba varieties! I like these – not only are they really good, they have neat plastic cups with draining lids. But Sukiyaki Beef – let’s see what Wikipedia has to say about sukiyaki –
Meet The Manufacturer: #2486: Nissin Demae Ramen Spicy
There’s always a spicy. There has to be! Spicy tasting things are popular around the world. But have you ever wondered why? Here’s some info from Wikipedia on spiciness –
Meet The Manufacturer: #2485: Nissin Cup Noodles Shrimps
Here’s one of the Cup Noodles varieties by Nissin Germany – shrimps! My friend Raffael of Happy Souper said that German Nissin products reflect German tastes. Here’s a little about the Nissin Cup Noodle and it’s history from Wikipedia –
Meet The Manufacturer: #2484: Nissin Demae Ramen Tokyo Soy Sauce
The first variety for this Meet The Manufacturer is Tokyo Soy Sauce. Soy sauce ramen is known in Japan as ‘shoyu.’ Here is some information about shoyu ramen and the other four main varieties of Japan from Wikipedia –
Meet The Manufacturer: Product Samples From Nissin Germany
This box just didn’t want to seem to show up – but it did, thankfully! Let’s see what’s inside!
Meet The Manufacturer: Interview With Nissin Foods GmbH
Interview With Nissin Foods GmbH * Product Samples From Nissin Foods GmbH * Nissin Demae Ramen Tokyo Soy Sauce * Nissin Cup Noodles Shrimps * Nissin Demae Ramen Spicy * Nissin Soba Nudeln Mit Yakisoba Sauce Sukiyaki Beef * Nissin Demae Ramen Thai Tom Yum * Nissin Cup Noodles Ente (Duck) * Nissin Demae Ramen Garlic Chicken Flavour * Nissin Soba Nudeln Mit Yakisoba Sauce Yakitori Chicken * Nissin Cup Noodles Curry * Nissin Demae Ramen Korean Kimchi Flavour * Nissin Cup Noodles Huhn (Chicken) * Nissin Soba Gebratene Nudeln Thai* Nissin Cup Noodles Spicy * Nissin Demae Ramen Spicy Beef Flavour
#2483: Paldo Bul Jjamppong Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup
I’m pretty sure I found this one at HMart a few months back but to be honest I can’t remember. This one is a fancy variety of jjamppong. Here’s a little something from Wikipedia –
#2482: TTL Chicken Noodles With Chinese Shaoxing Wine
This is one I was sent by Daniel of Exotic Noods, a subscription service specializing in instant noodles. I should note that this was something special he put in after a recent trip to Taiwan – thanks again! So these are manufactured by Wei Lih for TTL. TTL stands for Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor. Tobacco and liquor – what?! Indeed, this is a boozy noodle. It contains rice wine, something apparently that goes well in noodles and cooking. Ireviewed the bowl version of this a few weeks back.
#2481: Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkeummyun Cup
Recently, I did a Definitive Guide To Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkeummyun series. However, the cup was just mentioned and not one that I have tried. Indeed, there are two I’ve not reviewed of the series – the curry version and the 2x spicy bowl (although I scarf one down in the video).
Vietnamese Crab Noodles Donated By A Reader
I got an email a couple weeks ago from Kimmy N. or Connecticut asking if I’d tried Binh Tay Crab noodles. I haven’t, and she offered to send some!
#2480: Acecook Pork Wantan Men
Here’s one from Javier over at www.BoxFromJapan.com – thank you! So Box From Japan is a subscription service – every month, you can get a different four bowls of instant ramen from Japan – pretty awesome! This one’s wantan men – let’s see what Wikipedia has to say about this variety –
The Ramen Rater’s Bottom Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2017 Edition
So today it’s the fifth annual The Ramen Rater’s Bottom Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time. On my other lists, I exclude varieties that no longer are on the market. On this list, everything’s fair game for the bottom ten. As I say in the video presentation, if you like some of these, there’s nothing wrong with you – I just find these detestable personally. These are my least favorite varieties of the over 2400 varieties posted to date. Without gurther ado, the bottom ten.
New Product Samples From Nissin Hong Kong
Two boxes arrived taped together from Nissin Hong Kong! Awesome! What could be inside? Let’s have a look!
Product Samples From Yamachan (Take 2)
I got a box the other day with refrigerated samples that t had thawed. Yamachan decided to send another box – this time with overnight shipping to make sure everything stayed cold.
Samples From Saraga – Columbus, OH
So a reader sent me an image of the 2016 Toip Ten list image that was at a grocery store in Columbus, OH called Saraga. They hadn’t asked to use it and so I got on their case a bit, although asked if we could work together. As a kind gesture, they sent some Korean noodles!
New Samples From Yamachan (Take 1)
Yamachan let me know about some new varieties! They sent some on ice – let’s check ’em out!
Re-Review: Paldo Bulnak Bokkeummyun Pan Stirfried Noodle
Okay, okay. After being bombarded with people disagreeing with the odrer of the ranking on my The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Spiciest Instant Noodles list, I thought I’d give this one another go-round.
#2479: Mi E-Zee Instant Noodles Perisa Ayam Chicken Flavour
Time for chicken! I would have sworn I’d reviewed this one before, but apparently not. If I had, it wasn’t this new package version at least. CarJEN has changed their recipes in the past and so it’s reasonable to think that this one could be a new taste. Well, let’s have a look at this chicken variety by Malaysian company CarJEN.
Meet The Manufacturer: #2478: Kiki Noodles Scallion Oil & Soy Sauce Flavor Noodle
Today we have the second of the Kiki Noodles products – the scallion oil and soy sauce. Definitely a lighter and more mild taste than a Sichuan peppercorn. These noodles come from Tainan in the south of Taiwan. Here’s some background on the city from Wikipedia –
Meet The Manufacturer: #2477: Kiki Noodles Sichuan Spices Flavor Noodle
Kiki has two products – this one and a scallion oil variety. Sichuan spicy – that’s an interesting kind of peppery taste. Here’s a little about the pepper from Wikipedia –
Meet The Manufacturer: Product Samples From Kiki Noodles 3
Another box! What’s inside?
Bubble wrap!
Small wrapped items…
Hey great (click to enlarge)! Both kinds of seasonings! Thank you!
Meet The Manufacturer: Product Samples From Kiki Noodles 2
So the samples in the first box got a little banged up, so they sent some more. I see the tape of doom… Let’s see how they did!
Meet The Manufacturer: Product Samples From Kiki Noodles 1
A package! Let’s open it up!
Product Samples From Kiki Noodles – Taiwan
Two packages (click to enlarge)!
A pack of the spicy variety (click to enlarge).
Meet The Manufacturer: Interview With Kiki Noodle
#2476: Samyang Foods Kimchi Stew Ramyun
Here’s one Samyang Foods sent me recently – thank you! It sounds good to me, but I know one person who would not like this. My son Andy really doesn’t like kimchi. Oh yeah – my friend Matt B. doesn’t like it either – in fact, I opened a big jar of it and tried to get him to taste it, but when he smelled it when opened. He recoiled and started yelling. I dunno why; I think its good! Here’s a little about it from Wikipedia –