I thought it was a good time to do a post with a product from Hong Kong. As it turns out, Apple Daily has closed it’s doors. What’s Apple Daily? It was a pro-Democracy newpaper that I worked with a couple of times regarding my top ten lists and ramen in general. Really nice people and it’s sad to see that they’ve been put down by the mainland Chinese government. Makes me sad. So, I’m going to d something with some noodles from Hong Kong today.
Tag: ラーメン
#3848: Maruchan Kuroi Buta Curry – Japan
This one came out of a Zenpop subscription box. Zenpop has great boxes featuring different themes every month with 7 different instant ramen varieties from Japan. Use the coupon code RAMENRATER for a discount!
The Easiest Chashu Recipe Ever
Chashu pork is one of the best things about ramen. Round, melt in your mouth, umami medallions. This recipe comes by way of P. Treadway and was used at a restaurant he used to work at. I’ve seen a million recipes that haver some person using expensive equipment like $200 pots, blowtorches, andf tons of ingredients. This one’s super easy and here’s a list ogf things you’ll need…
#3847: Chef Woo Thai Lemongrass Ramen – United States
I’ve been spacing these out a little bit. They’re really fascinating to me. I discovered the Ramen Express By Chef Woo a while back at a local grocery store – these products are very different – and quite good! Good for Vegan folks, plus 20g of protein in a cup which is pretty neat. Definitely worth a try. Let’s see how this one pans out!
#3846: Nissin Cup Noodles Spiced Curry Japanese Curry Soup – Germany
Okay just to straighten it out here – this is made in Hungary for sale in Germany and features a Japanese spiced curry broth. Sounds like a good one honestly. Let’s find out!
#3845: Nongshim Shin Black With Beef Bone Broth – United States
I hear it already – ‘but it’s from Korea!’ Look. Just humor me. Look. Lower left. Made in USA. Unless you visited South Korea and brought some back from Canada (they’re probably from their Chinese factory if so), then you’ve been eating Korean style instant noodles made in Rancho Cucamonga, California. Their factory is a really neat place – first one I ever had the fortune to visit and it was really neat.
#3844: Indomie Instant Noodles Special Chicken Flavour – Indonesia
This one arrived in an Exotic Noods subscription box – check ’em out and use coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount!
#3842: Panda Signature Ramen Noodle Soup Soy Sauce Flavor – United States
First off, today I’m doing two reviews – 3842 and 3843. I ran a GoFundMe in February 2021 to help with an emergency situation and for some upgrades around here. Well, one of the upgrades is being used for the first time today! I got a print/scan/copy etc printer. This thing has an 11×17 scanner on it. The old scanner had condesation under the glass and that was affecting quality. This one’s extra nice since I can scan a wide label or package in a single pass without having to do two scans and patch them together! Thank you to all who donated and support the site and what I do!
#3841: Ramen Express By Chef Woo Hotter & Spicier Ramen – United States
I remember the first time I found out about this company. Finding a new domestic brand is a particular thrill for me. A new Malaysian, Thai or Chinese brand is expected, but here in the US, there aren’t as many new ones that often. Let’s check out this pillow pack version of their spicy variety!
Vida Food Group – Menudo & Pozole Instant Ramen
I saw someone get some of these on my group Ramen Junkies and so I went and contacted the company – and here they are! Pozole and Menudo – I think these varieties are going to cause a bit of a stir! Let’s crack the box open and check ’em out!
Exotic Noods Subscription Box – June 2021
Check it out! It’s Exotic Noods! A box every month of absolutely awesome noodles from around the world! Use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount!
#3840: MyKuali Penang Red Tom Yum Goong Noodle (New Formulation) – Malaysia
A very standard (and very wonderful) unique quality of Malaysian cuisine is the fact that tweaks and new recipes are an axiom. I found this out while in Penang, where changing styles of recipes goes on constantly and keeps flavors fresh and fascinating. This culture is present in their instant noodle brands as well – and it’s welcome! MyKuali’s Penang Red Tom Yum Noodle has been on previous Top Ten Lists and is absolutely excellent stuff. Very curious how this new formulation will be – let’s give it a try!
#3839: Nissin Hot & Spicy Fire Wok Scorchin’ Sesame Shrimp Flavor – United States
This is the second hottest offering of this new Fire Wok line. I’m very curious about this one – Nissin sent this one unannounced along with the other two. Let’s try the next to hottest of the three.
#3838: Fujiwara Kani Nochikara Miso Ramen – Japan
I rarely find anything to get at Uwajimaya these days – not because they don’t have a decent variety, but because I’ve tried them all. This was a nice one to find though – kind of pricy at that though. Curious… Let’s check it out!
#3837: Nissin Cup Noodles Ginger Chicken Savoury Shiitake Soup – Germany
Here’s another one of these neat cups sent by Nissin Foods Deutschland! Thanks again! Let’s check it out.
#3836: Panda Signature Ramen Noodle Soup Creamy Chicken Flavor – United States
Well, here’s another one of the Panda Signature varieties that were sent in by a reader – thanks again! As it turns out, our local Walmart Market has these now too. I’m guessing these have been phased in at all the Walmarts everywhere around the United States. Still pretty surprised by that. Many people have voiced how they dislike these, and this one in particular. Then again, some have said they like these products. I must admit, I’ve not had so many folks comment on a new variety on the market as much as with these, most likely since they’re at Walmart. I’m guessing they have the same price point the previous ones had? Well, let’s give this creamy chicken one a try!
#3835: Acecook Mochichi Shio Yakisoba – Japan
Here’s a fancy one from Japan found in a Zenpop box – check out zenpop.jp and use the coupon code RAMENRATER for a discount! The last time I tried one of these mochichi varieties I remember it mentioned ‘pinching one’s cheek’ to tell if they’re not really in a fancy ramen restaurant in Tokyo. It was pretty good, but no pinching occured. Let’s give it a try.
#3834: Ottogi Beijing Jjambbong Ramen – South Korea
Did an interview for a Korean magazine and they wanted me to include a shot of various Korean instant noodles on my desk and this was one my wife picked up for me the other day. Let’s check it out!
Shinsegae Mamee Sends New Ghost Pepper Samples – Malaysia
In the past, I’ve done many mukbangs focusing on the spicy ghost pepper varieties that Shinsegae Mamee produce. Well, they’ve come out with some new varieties that sound very interesting! Let’s check them out!
New Varieties From Thai Chef – Thailand
Got an email recent from Thai President – the company that makes the popular MAMA noodles. Well, they also make Thai Chef and sent a box full of new varieties! Let’s check it out!
#3833: Nissin Hot & Spicy Fire Wok Sizzlin’ Rich Pork Flavor – United States
I got a ‘First Taste Club’ box in the mail a couple days ago which Nissin sends out to some people in the media – and me. Well, I found this and two others inside in this Fire Wok range. This one has four of the six peppers red – they have one with five and one with all six. I’ve not done a mukbang in… Months. I’m very curious if this is top class spicy. Definitely worth a try!
#3832: Igarashi Seimen Kitakata Ramen Spicy Umakara Flavor – Japan
Today, we have one that was part of Japan Crate’s Umai Crate. So Japan Crate is a subscription service which has all sorts of different options for you. pretty neat stuff from Japan! There’s a coupon code for you too – just use THERAMENRATER to get a special discount at check out.
#3831: Panda Signature Ramen Noodle Soup Spicy Shrimp Flavor – United States
A big thank you yet again to Daniel from Montana for shooting these over! I found that there’s a HALAL stamp on the back of these mentioning Malaysia, so I can only surmise that’s where these were made. Packaging is definitely for the US market. Let’s check it out!
#3830: Itsuki Hakata Ramen – Japan
Today, we have one that was part of Japan Crate’s Umai Crate. So Japan Crate is a subscription service which has all sorts of different options for you. pretty neat stuff from Japan! There’s a coupon code for you too – just use THERAMENRATER to get a special discount at check out.
The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodle Bowls Of All Time 2021 Edition
Note – This list has been superseded by The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodle Bowls 2022 List – See it HERE
Well, it’s been another year of reviews and these are my favorite bowl varieties out of reviews #1 to #3790. All sorts of bowls from all over the world have been tried. It’s been a crazy year and it seems (at least in this neck of the woods) things are starting to mellow which is truly wonderful. It’s been a crazy month too – today is Memorial Day, May 31st, 2021. I’ve walked over 1 million steps this month, and on Friday did my personal record – 33 miles in a day. Yes, my feet hurt. Anyways, if you have varieties you want to see reviewed whether they be bowls, cups, packs or otherwise, please contact me. With that, let’s check out this Top Ten Instant Noodle Bowls Of All Time 2021 Edition.
Mom’s Dry Noodle Send Noodle Soups & Snacks – Taiwan
Mom’s Dry Noodle has been producing quality products year after year – they’ve been on my Top Ten Of All Time and Top Ten Taiwan lists forever. They sent some new ultra premium varieties and some snacks! Let’s check them out!
#3829: Panda Signature Ramen Noodle Soup Hot & Spicy Beef Flavor – United States
Thanks again to Daniel in Montana for sending this over! So Since I did the unboxing video, people have been commenting and it turns out these are showing up in Walmarts all over the country. Didn’t expect that – I figured Montana was a test market. I can say that I have made contact with Albany Farms and if all goes well, we’ll be doing a Meet The Manufacturer soon! Let’s check this cup out.
Two New Varieties From Little Couples Dry Noodle
Little Couples Dry Noodle of Taiwan recently contacted me to let me know they had a new variety – well, they sent two of them! Very excited to try them. Let’s have a look at what they’ve been cooking up over at Little Couples!
#3828: Kenko Foods Sesame Flavor Ramen – Japan
3828
Today, we have one that was part of Japan Crate’s Umai Crate. So Japan Crate is a subscription service which has all sorts of different options for you. pretty neat stuff from Japan! There’s a coupon code for you too – just use THERAMENRATER to get a special discount at check out.
Exotic Noods Subscription Box – May 2021
Check it out! It’s Exotic Noods! A box every month of absolutely awesome noodles from around the world! Use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount!
Zenpop.jp Instant Ramen Subscription Box Unboxing + Coupon Code – June 2021
It’s time to unbox a Zenpop.jp box – you get seven varieties of instant noodles to try! I would say that almost every time I’ve gotten one of these, I’ve never tried any of them before which is really awesome. Use coupon code THERAMENRATER for a groovy discount! Let’s check it out!
#3827: Lee Kum Kee Hong Kong Style Chow Mein – United States
They did a big reset at the local Safeway. They redid their produce section which was kinda nice. The also really updated their Asian foods section. Lots of instant noodles there! Then, there’s this. These are $4.99 each. The only reason I got one is because we love this brand’s Korean BBQ sauce. I’m guessing there’s a good chance this will be pretty good. Let’s chek it out and see if it warrants this price tag.
#3826: WhatIf? Foods Moringa Noodles With Sesame Garlic Seasoning – Singapore
This is the second of two varieties that were sent to me from Singapore. Not sure about what moringa is, but it sounds healthy. These folks are very into making healthy products – let’s check these out!
#3823: Nissin Cup Noodles Stir Fry Hot Garlic Chicken Flavor – United States
Recently, Nissin USA sent an unannounced box, which has a take out bag with a stapled receipt and new varieties of their popular Cup Noodles Stir Fry range. Hot garlic sounds really good – and I have some chicken! Let’s hit it! By the way – 2021 is the 50th anniversary of Cup Noodles!
How To Take Nice Pictures Of Ramen & Instant Noodles
Over the years, I’ve figured out ways to take nice pictures of instant noodles. However, it wasn’t always that way. I’m no pro photographer, but I’ve taken a ton of pictures. Broth and soup is a really big pain in the butt to shoot. Here are tips and tricks I’ve learned through trial and error that really help.
#3822: Sichuan Baijia Red Oil Noodle – China
Found this one at 99 Ranch Market in Edmonds, WA. They just keep bringing in these ‘flower pots’ and I couldn’t be happier. It never ends. I like that. This one’s ‘red oil,’ so I’m guessing it’s spicy. Neat artwork on this one – let’s check it out!
#3821: Panda Signature Ramen Noodle Soup Chicken Flavor – United States
This is one of the varieties sent by a reader named Daniel from Montana – thank you! He mentioned that at the local Walmart, these had replaced all of the MAruchan product. I’ve got a couple theories about this stuff. First, maybe it’s actually a rebranding of Maruchan product; that logo mentioning the 0g Trans Fat looks pretty much like the same logo does on Maruchan’s packs. Not only that, there are a lot of flavors that sound identical to Maruchan varieties. The yellow banner kind of reminds me of the one on the MExican Sopa Maruchan varieties. I dunno – I could be way off on this.
#3820: Nissin Cup Noodles Soy Sauce Shrimps Pepper Shoyu Soup – Germany
Yup – Germany! These came by way of the folks at Nissin Germany – thank you! They recently sent a ton of different Cup Noodles varieties they have! Very excited to try them all. Let’s check this one out!
#3819: Single High Spicy Bean Vermicelli With Oden – China
Well, this looks interesting – found it at 99 Ranch Market. Bean vermicelli isn’t too hard a stretch to understand; it’s a noodle made from mung beans. But what is oden? Wikipedia says –
A Wonderful Gift… But What Is It?!
Recently, I was contacted by someone who wishes to remain anonymous about something I mentioned in passing that I’d always wanted. They asked if they could buy one for me and I accepted – thank you so much! But wait – what is it? Watch and find out!