I don’t I’ve mentioned lately how absolutely wonderful my wife is. I should just do a standalone post every week saying that and extolling the reasons why, but here’s one thing she did that was absolutely wonderful. We had a car accident in mid January (as I write this it’s early March) and we’ve had a loaner as it gets fixed. Yeah – early March. Since mid January, I haven’t been in a car. We’ve got two kids, two car seats, and one just won’t get in there right and so someone has to stay at home and since I don’t drive, that’s me. Well, the local grocery store I walk to had some sad mung bean sprouts and it’s Sunday – a week without mung bean sprouts is a sad ordeal for me. She drove to the 99 Rach Market out of town, got my veggies and then proceeded to send me individual photos of different instant noodles in hopes of finding some I’ve not reviewed. I’m super low on varieties I’ve not tried which is serious no bueno. She did find a few though and this is one of them. So I say thank you to my kind and wonderful wife. Let’s have a look at this rice noodle variety!
Tag: beef
#3808: iMee Instant Noodles Oriental Beef Flavor – Thailand
These come by way of Yukhong at Golden Bay Supply – thanks! Hey sent me some neat Thai products to try recently to try out and so here we are. I’m guessing this will be a beef and basil kind of thing but I don’t know. I’m intrigued! Let’s give it a try.
#3794: Ramen Express By Chef Woo Beef Flavor Ramen – United States
This is the last of the pillow pack style Ramen Express varieties and I’m guessing this one is going to be really good like the other two. Let’s find out!
#3765: Newgate Express Instant Noodles Beef Flavour – Ireland
Thanks to Cian (pronounced kee-yan – like Ian with a K) from Ireland! Thanks so much! These are very interesting in that the sachet kind of gives away the original manufacturer. The motif on the sachet is the same as those found at Real Canadian Superstore up in BC – and these come from a grocery store chain in Ireland, so either they’re related or just using the same private label company. The ones in Canada were labeled Rooster brand. They were good, so I’m hoping these will be as well. Let’s find out!
#3733: Pamana Instant La Paz Batchoy – United States
The first thing I noticed about this one was toward the top where it mentioned it has real beef and real pork. I so seldom come across varieties from the Philippines that this was a real score. I think I found it up in Canada but I’m not sure. Let’s see what Wikipedia has to say about La Paz Batchoy real quick –
#3682: Baixiang Artificial Beef With Sauerkraut Flavor Instant Noodle – China
I constantly hear all this anti-Chinese sentiment coming from different places. Well, today I’m engaging in some noodle diplomacy. Pickled cabbage is tasty stuff. There are so many neat flavors that come from China that really need to be experienced by everyone I think. I mean one thing we all have in common – we all eat. This is definitely a bridge to understanding and happiness. Okay – let’s see if my belly is happy after sampling this one.
Meet The Manufacturer: Interview With ABC President
#3587: Baixiang Artificial Spicy Beef Flavor Instant Noodle – China
I first tried Baixiang noodles a few years ago when I found the little elephant’s brand up in Richmond, BC on one of our early visits before it became a regular thing to do.
#3534: Nongshim Soo Air-Dried Noodles Beef Flavor With Seaweed – South Korea
This one is the first I’m reviewing from a ship that Nongshim America was kind enough to send – thank you! I should mention that James from Lakeside California sent one of these – thanks everyone! So from the little word-cloud above the name Soo, I’m guessing perhaps that the word Soo means excellent? I looked it up and it can (as a family name) mean water or shore/riverbank. I’m going to guess water will be the logical one here since these are air-dried noodles and not fried. That has a nice little logic to it, at least in my head. Let’s give them a try.
#3495: Nhu Vietnamese Pho Instant Rice Noodles Beef Flavor – Vietnam
Good morning! I’m getting this post ready at 2am. I actually shot the pictures around 1am. Did 18 miles of walking yesterday and so when my buddy Matt decided to play with his Google Nest device and call me at 11:50pm and wake me up and alerted me to a bad leg cramp about o catch fire I ended up staying up. I’ll sleep tonight… Anyways, yeah – been a while since some pho – fingers crossed. Let’s give it a go!
#3483: Mr. Min Original Korean Ramen Beef Flavor – France
Okay so yes – these are mad ein South Korea. They’re made for the French market though. I recently reviewed the spicy flavor variety and made this one in the past and shared with daughter Miriam and really liked it as well. Let’s crack it open and give it a go!
#3426: One Culture Foods Taiwanese Beef Noodle – United States
Okay so this one should be interesting. The last one I had from this company was alright. Taiwanese beef noodle is kind of a big deal over in Taiwan. Curious how this one will be. Let’s find out.
#3414: טָעִים (Taim) Thai Noodles Beef Flavored – Israel
Today, tomorrow, and the next day, I’m going to be reviewing three varieties brought to me from Israel by my brother Moshe. I didn’t know I had a brother until I took an Ancestry DNA kit my wife got for me (I was kind of hoping I might be 1% Asian descent, but that was most certainly not the case). Well, I got to see him for the second time in person yesterday, and this visit, our mother came and visited with him as well – something we never had expected. He was adopted in 1955 and my sister and I didn’t know anything about it – so this is a big deal for us!
#3404: Nongshim Big Gomtang Instant Noodle Soup Mix – South Korea
I’ve honestl been hoping to find this one for a long time – and I finally did up in Richmond, BC at the HMart in Aberdeen Centre. I was getting the stuff to do the Shin Ramen Prison Burrito! Anyways, Gomtang is a horse of a different color in the realm of Korean instant noodle soups. It’s never spicy (although a spicy Gomtang sounds kind of neat). It’s a kind of creamy beef soup – stick to your ribsy and comforty. Good stuff! Let’s give Nongshim’s offering a try!
#3374: Maruchan Fire Bowl Ramen Spicy Beef Flavor – United States
Here’s another one the folks at Maruchan were kind enough to send over – thanks! This is a late comer to the ultra spicy category – at least it looks like that. I’m very curious as to how spicy it is exactly though; I’m guessing it won’t throw me down and kick me, but I could be wrong – time to find out.
#3362: Nissin Pasta U.F.O. Res Teriyaki – Mexico
I’m so curious how this is going to go. Most of the Nissin Mexico varieties tend to have a local spin as far as flavor goes. Will this one? I don’t know.
#3349: No Name Beef Flavour Oriental Noodles And Soup Mix – Canada
Hey look – another one found at the Real Canadian Superstore up in Richmond, BC! It’s been over a month since we visited our wonderful northern neighbors. I really like Canada. It’s like a totally different country! Hoping next time we go we leave early enough to go to some shopping then head over to Stanley park. That place is neat – a beautiful park in Vancouver. Anyways, yeah – I like Canada! Let’s give this beefy beff a try.
#3278: Uni-President Imperial Big Meal Beef Flavor – Taiwan
This is a big and somewhat heavy bowl from Taiwan. I’ve reviewed the version not made for export (this one usually goes to Hong Kong). What was funny about this one is that I found it up in Canada at a store in Aberdeen Centre – defintely not where this belongs. It’s full of beef and import restrictions would bar it from Canada. What a nice surprise! Let’s check out this one with Australian and New Zealand beef!
#3262: Aji-no-men Sabor Carne Sopa Instantanea Con Fideos – Peru
A huge thanks to MLats for shooting this over! Love it when readers come through with varieties I’ve never gotten the chance to try and really want to.
#3214: Lau Liu Tou Beef Flavor Spicy Soup – China
Another one from my trips to Chin World up in Richmond, BC. Remember kids, if you’re coming from the states, bring your Canadian cash because they’re not going to take your cards or exchange your greenbacks for ya! Really interested in how this one’s going to be – last one I tried wasn’t too shabby from this brand so let’s take a look!
#3191: Nongshim POP (Pot or Pan) Beef Flavor – United States
So here’s the second of the POP varieties I’ve seen. This one however is one I found at HMart up in Richmond, BC. Why’s it called Pot Or Pan? Well, you can make it as a broth version and a dry noodle version. Interesting! Let’s check it out!
#3171: Doll Bowl Noodle Satay & Beef Flavour – Hong Kong
Here’s one I found up in Canada at Aberdeen Centre in a shop that was rife with Hello Kitty plushies and exotic candies and snacks next to the food court – I want to say it was called something like Paint Box or Art Box. This one was a nice surprise as it’s been tough to find Doll Brand varieties other than their export pack versions around here. I reall would love to do a Meet The Manufacturer series with Doll, so if you’re listening, please contact me! Let’s check out this Beef & Satay variety from Hong Kong!
Top Ten Best Instant Noodles Of All Time 2019
This is my list of my all time favorites (compiled up to review #3132). These are the best and most memorable varieties – some you’ll be able to find easily, some you won’t. In the images you see, you’ll see garnished bowls of noodles. Note – reviewing is done BEFORE products have anything externally added by myself, and I follow directions on the package – for better or for worse. I should also note that going forward, the official last day for companies to submit varieties to be considered for the annual top ten will be January 31st. That’s enough – let’s have a look at The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2019 Edition!
#3109: Wu-Mu Jing Xiang Ban Mian Ramen Soup – Chili Beef Flavor – Taiwan
Today, we’ve got a nice one from Taiwan’s Wu-Mu. This is a newer variety that uses wide gauge noodles for a soup – something I find really interesting and not done nearly enough. Although these noodles are absolutely excellent in a dry noodle (without broth) setting, I think in soup they really excel too. Let’s see how these end up!
#3100: A-Sha Gourmet Braised Beef Noodle Soup – Taiwan
Here’s yet another box from Taiwan – they’re getting more popular these days for companies who want to roll out a premium variety. I like boxes; they look fancy and usually mean meats will be at play. Here’s a little about Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup from Wikipedia –
Unboxing A $15 Gourmet Wagyu Beef Noodle Box – Taiwan
So this is some epic looking stuff. A-Sha USA was kind enough to send one of the fanciest products A-Sha Taiwan makes – their Gourmet Wagyu Beef Noodle Soup. So first things first – you want to get some? Well, it’s only available during the holidays i.e. Lunar New Year – so you might have a year to wait for it. But here I can show you what it looks like and tell you some about it – including the fact that this goes for $15.
#3094: Nongshim Oolong Men Beef – United States
Found this one up in Canada. Nongshim products in Canada are interesting because unlike in the United States where you can find ones made here as well as from South Korea, Canada also has products that come from the Chinese Nongshim factory. That’s a lot of sources for one brand! Let’s check it out!
#3072: Canton Instant Noodles Beef Flavour – Bangladesh
Here’s one I found up in Richmond, BC Canada at The Real Canadian SuperStore. They had a ton of interesting stuff in there not only in their ethnic section, but their domestic section. Let’s take a look.
#3058: Big Bon Beef Flavor – Russia
Here’s one sent by the folks from HALAL Food Blog – they’re from Singapore and got it during a trip to Uzbekistan! Definitely a well-traveled pack of noodles! Let’s dig in!
#3048: Uni-President Braised Beef Stir Noodle Bowl – China
Here’s the last of the Uni-President varieties my wife spotted a few months ago at Foody World up in Richmond, NC! They were $1.50 apiece which seemed very good. Really like the graphic on this one – looks really neat. Let’s crack into this one and give it a go!
Meet The Manufacturer: #3036: TTL Pickled Vegetable Beef With Hua-Diao Liquor Instant Noodle – Taiwan
It is with great thanks and a week of interesting flavors that we bid adieu to the last of the varieties from TTL. This is the packaged version of the pickled vegetable beef variety. I really wasn’t sure how all these liquor-infused varieties would go, but they’ve been really quite impressive. Let’s check out this final variety.
Meet The Manufacturer: #3034: TTL Hua Diao Pickled Vegetable Beef Instant Noodle – Taiwan
Here we have another variety with the hua diao cooking wine. Curious what the pickled vegetables are – guessing mustard stem would be one of them. Time to check out another unique variety from Taiwan!
Meet The Manufacturer: Interview With TTL – Taiwan
Interview with TTL * Product Samples from TTL (1 of 2) * Product Samples from TTL (2 of 2) * TTL Hua-Diao Dongpo Braised Pork Instant Noodle * TTL Sesame Oil Chicken Flavor With Rice Wine Instant Noodle * TTL Bolognese Red Wine Sauce Instant Noodle * TTL Spring Chicken With Hua-Diao Liquor Instant Noodle * TTL Hua Diao Pickled Vegetable Beef Instant Noodle * TTL Carbonara White Wine Carbonara Instant Noodle * TTL Spring Chicken With Hua-Diao Liquor Instant Noodle * TTL Sesame Oil Chicken Flavor With Rice Wine Instant Noodle * TTL Pickled Vegetable Beef With Hua-Diao Liquor Instant Noodle
#3004: Wei Lih Hell Spicy Dry Noodle With Soup – Taiwan
One of the waning few I dragged back from Taiwan with me from my 2017 trip! This is a fascinating variety – it’s one that has a soup and a noodle. Wait, how? What?
#3003: Chencun The Flavours Of Yunnan China Acid & Peppery Beef – China
Here’s one we found at China World in Richmond, BC. The name definitely didn’t translate all that great. I think acid probably will be closer to something like tangy. I mean, acid and beef? Perhaps it could be referring to a process of cooking beef that uses something acidic? Either way I’m fascinated. Let’s see what happens when we open it and cook it!
#2999: Uni-President Pickled Cabbage Beef Stir Noodle Bowl
We found this one up at Foodyworld in Richmond, BC. They were on a great sale – 2 for $3CAD! Not bad at all! I have to say I love this packaging’s graphic. The food is all sharp and colorful and contrasts so well with the background. Very old school Chinese! Sorry about the lack of pictures of what’s inside the sachets – woke up late and so rushing to get just this one done! Let’s have a look!
#2987: Tapatio Ramen Noodle Soup Beef Flavor – United States
Hey look! Tapatio flavor instant noodles? Yeah! I know many of you have loved Tapatio on your noodles for years and they heard that as well, so here we are. Here’s a little about Tapatio from Wikipedia –
New Beef Pho From Blount – Unboxing Time
Got an email from Blount Fine Foods the other day about a new product they’ve got – Beef Pho! It was packed on ice and sent overnight – so I had to open it as quickly as possible. Let’s check it out!
#2947: Kiki Sichuan Beef Noodles Soup (台湾KIKI 牛肉面)
Alright – to start off, wow. This is huge. This box screams fancy, that’s for sure. I’ve had a few of Kiki’s dry noodle varieties, but recently this and a Mapo Tofu variety came out as well (which of course I’ll be reviewing soon). Beef Noodle Soup is exceedingly popular in Taiwan – here’s a little about it from Wikipedia –
#2927: Vedan Wei Wei Premium Dynasty Beef Tendon Instant Noodle
Here’s one of the six varieties sent by a Taiwanese university student. She asked if I could review a specific set of varieties as special research for her master’s thesis and I said absolutely. I’m not sure about this variety – insofar what Dynasty Beef is. I did some looking, but it seems that the word dynasty kind of takes precedent in search results and so that’s not very helpful. Anyways, let’s have a look at this fancy one from Taiwan.