Here’s one that came in a Zenpop.jp box – use coupon code THERAMENRATER for a groovy discount!
Tag: black
#3734: Maruchan Black Pork Curry Udon – Japan
Here’s one that came from a Zenpop.jp subscription box. Use the coupon code RAMENRATER at checkout for a discount!
The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten American Instant Noodles Of All Time 2021 Edition
A lot of things have changed in the last year. I decided it would be a great time to come out with the Top Ten American instant noodles list; it’s November 2nd. Tomorrow is the last day to vote in a crucial election – whichever candidate you support, go exercise your right to vote! The video this year is very different. With the pandemic and my kids home from school doing about 25 Zoom meetings a week, my time has been critically limited. This way however, I’ll be able to bring you more top ten lists I think. This list is comprised of my favorite American varieties out of all the reviews up to #3,636, which count 446 varieties. Let’s check out The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten American Instant Noodles Of All Time 2021 Edition!
#3531: Maruchan Karakuro Black Style 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!
#2533: Nongshim Shin Ramyun Black (SK Version)
So for a long time, I’ve wanted to review the South Korean version of Shin Ramyun Black, and I know lots of people have wanted me to. Here in the United States, we have Nongshim America (NSA) in Rancho Cucamonga. Anywhere you find Shin Ramyun Black in the United States, it originates in California. However, Nonshim Korea (NSK) is its origin. You can thank Anders and his girlfriend Ji-Min from South Korea for sending this along! Thanks again! Here’s a little something about the Shin from Wikipedia –
Spicy Korean Noodles From Anders & Ji-Min!
I got an email a few weeks back asking if I’d tried the new 2x Spicy Buldak Bokkeummyun. I hadn’t and really wanted to. The email was sent by Anders and his girlfriend Ji-Min who live in South Korea and were kind enough to send some varieties along! Let’s see what’s inside!
#2289: Myojo Shin-Toyama Black Ramen
Here’s another one sent to me by Javier from Box From Japan. Box From Japan has subscriptions for all sorts of neat Japanese things. I regret to say that I was informed that they won’t be taking subscriptions for their ramen boxes for now – hopefully that will start again soon. He mentioned that you can purchase instant noodles from them here. Here’s what he had to say about this particular variety:
#2243: Nissin Cup Noodles Black Pepper Crab Flavour
Here’s the last of the varieties that Prima Taste sent a while back – thanks! You might be wondering – why would they send a product they don’t make? Well, I asked for anyone who could help to send me noodles – I was down to three or four varieties in my hamper – a bad situation! Well, lots of people sent noodles – even Prima Taste! So let’s check out this one from Hong Kong with a Singaporean taste!
Re-Review: The Rapid Ramen Cooker
After almost two years since I first found out about this neat invention, I thought it time to give it another look. The Rapid Ramen Cooker was invented by a fellow named Chris Johnson. It’s a tool that allows you to cook instant noodles in the microwave in four minutes. What’s great is that it also lets you use only half of the seasoning sachet, cutting sodium by half for those with sodium intake concerns. What’s also nice is that you use it, and then can eat out of it, toss it in the dishwasher, and you’re done. I love this thing – so does my son, who doesn’t like a lot of broth (you only use 1 cup of water as opposed to the usual 2 cups with domestic instant noodles). As far as ramen kitchen accoutrements go, this gets 5.0 out of 5.0 stars easily. Hope you enjoy the video and if you”re interested, here’s my original review of The Rapid Ramen Cooker which includes an interview with Chris and a test with quite a few instants. Also, here’s a video of as Chris Johnson’s appearance on the ABC show ‘Shark Tank’ where he gets a deal with Mark Cuban for The Rapid Ramen Cooker! By the way – tomorrow I’ll use The Rapid Ramen in an instant noodle review, not only to cook the noodles but as the bowl they will be eaten out of. Stay tuned!
#1281: Tokachimen Koubou Jet Black Sesame Oil Pork Tonkotsu
This one came by way of Courtnay N. of British Columbia, Canada – thanks! Got help translating from Scott A. – thank you! This looks like an interesting one – let’s check it out!
#1178: Nongshim Shin Black Spicy Pot-au-feu Flavor Premium Noodle Soup
You might be thinking, ‘hey – didn’t he already review this?’ Nope – I reviewed the Shin Ramyun Black cup from South Korea. This is the one that is manufactured here in the United States in Rancho Cucamonga, California.So what is this ‘Pot-au-feu’ flavor? I consulted Wikipedia and found this:
A Nice Gift From Nongshim America
Got a nice and hefty box in the mail!
Nongshim America sent three of my favorites (they all made the Top Ten USA list) as a thank you for recognizing their products worthy of being in the list! Thanks! Think I’ll attempt a Shin Black Ramyun Burger for Labor Day!
Shin Black Cup Samples From Nongshim America!
The FedEx guy apologized for the box getting a beating…
Its contents however were resilient!
#934: Nongshim Jinjja Jinjja Flamin’ Hot & Nutty Noodle Soup
I got a couple of these family packs sent as samples from Nongshim America the other day…
Re-Review: FMF Chow Tomato Flavour Instant Noodle
Thanks again to Joseph H. of Sacramento, California for sending these! Reviewed these as #895. Sounded good today so here we go!
#899: FMF Chow Tomato Flavour Instant Noodle
Here’s the other one that Joseph H. of Sacramento, Ca sent – thanks again! I really like what it says there on the front – I think it should have a question mark after hungry. It sounds like Talk Like A Pirate Day with YAAR!!!
Video Re-Review: Nongshim Shin Ramyun Black & The Golden Pot
Decided to do up a video of the nice Golden Pot that was sent to me by Mr. Shin, President of Nongshim Holdings – very kind thank you! Thought it fitting to try it out with some Shin Ramyun Black. Check out the video!
#820: Sunlee Tom Yum Shrimp Flavour Instant Rice Stick
Today is probably the hottest day we’re going to have in Western Washington this summer. Right now it’s 88 degrees! I thought a nice bowl of spicy noodles would go well with it. I mean, isn’t it hot in Thailand too?
Re-Review: Meet The Manufacturer: Nongshim Shin Ramyun Black Premiun Noodle Soup
Here we go with the last of the Shin Ramyun varieties I’ll be doing for Nongshim Meet The Manufacturer week. Shin Ramyun Black!
#751: Meet The Manufacturer: Nongshim Shin Ramyun Black Premium Onion Flavor (Cup)
Check it out – the new Shin Black cup! Onion flavor! I’ve had one of these chilling on my shelf for a while now – been wanting to review it and now that it’s out on the market, I can! Let’s check it out!
Donation Of Samples From Nongshim America & Nongshim Korea!
I got two shipments today – one from Nongshim America, which I visited last week (there’ll be a lot of stuff all about the visit, the plant tour and the people very soon!). Here’s the first one from Nongshim America!
Back From Nongshim USA!
Well, we’re back from outr trip to Nongshim USA! It was absolutely amazing! The people were so nice, seeing how noodles were made amazing, and the new flavors I tasted were great! I’ll be posting a bit about the trip very soon! For now, I’d like to thank Ray Adams for introducing my wife and I to the world of Nongshim USA! His boss Ray Kim made us feel very welcome and it was so much fun talking with them and everyone else there about noodles and the Nongshim culture. We are so lucky to have been afforded this opportunity and really appreciated it! Can’t wait to do Meet The Manufacturer: Nongshim week! Until then, I’ll be posting a bit of info about the tour and what happened while I was there. Keep your eyes peeled!
The Ramen Rater Really Meets The Manufacturer On Nongshim USA Trip!
Tomorrow, my wife and I are headed to the airport to fly down to the Nongshim USA plant in Rancho Cucamonga, California! There, we’re going to do a plant tour, a noodle tasting, and a videotaped interview for the next Meet The Manufacturer, which (you guessed it) will feature Nongshim. We’ll return on Saturday with stories and pictures – I might do a post while we’re down there from my phone possibly. I want to say thank you to the wonderful folks at Nongshim USA for this opportunity to learn more about their company and instant noodles! We’re really looking forward to this! Next stop, southern California.
#711: Nongshim Hearty Beef Rice Noodle Soup
I thought today I’d review this one, sent to me by the nice folks at Ramen Place – thanks! Was thinking it would go nicely with some of the stir fry veggies I’ve been enjoying lately. I also talked with Ray from Nongshim today – found out a little bit of information that you might find interesting if you didn’t know. Nongshim’s logo is a seed, and Nongshim translates to ‘Farmer’s Heart.’ I like that – and we’ll see how I like these noodles now!
Hello, Korea!
Starting yesterday evening, I noticed a huge amount of people from Korea coming to the site. Apparently, they were all coming in droves because of a news story about my Top Ten list including Nong Shim’s Shin Ramyun Black noodles! Well, here’s some links and some pictures of the articles. I’m really hoping someone can translate them soon as Google Translate has done a really crummy job where it usually does so well.
Ask The Manufacturer: Tat Hui/KOKA
I have been able to get the opportunity to do an interview with Singapore’s Tat Hui Corporation, makers of KOKA noodles! I have compiled a list of questions to ask and now would like YOU to round out the list – what would you ask them? This will be open until Monday, 2/13/2012. At the end, I will list the questions picked to send them! Make sure you include your first name and last initial and where you are from in the response! Good luck!
Special Re-Review: Nongshim Shin Ramyun Black Premium Noodle Soup / EatYourKimchi.com Recipe Mash-Up
So this guy named Dave P. posted a YouTube video on the Ramen Rater Facebook page showing some people in Korea making a bowl of Shin Ramyun a little different that I’ve made it in the past. I thought I’d try to get the ingredients and give it a try. Here’s the video:
#634: Baijia Sichuan Hot Pot Flavor Instant Sweet Potato Thread
This one was sent by Michelle L. of New York! Unfortunately, for this one I have exceedingly low expectations. Every Baijia product I’ve tried has been just plain gross in my opinion.
#608: Koka Instant Non-Fried Noodles Spicy Black Pepper Flavour
Hadn’t tried it before and at under $3.00 for the four pack, how could I resist?
Here’s the front of a single pack. I have had many of the other varieties of Koka before, but spicy black pepper just sounds so good!
Help The Ramen Rater’s Story Take Wing!
So I saw an i-Report article on CNN about ramen noodles and it mentioned they wanted people to write about their experiences with noodles from restaurant style to instant. I decided I’d write a short article and if it gets enough attention, it will be included in a big article CNN will be running at the beginning of next year! What I ask is that you click this link and check out the story yourself – share it on your facebook and twitter if you’re up for it! I feel The Ramen Rater blog isn’t just about my reviews; its about everyone who comments and participates. The more coverage it gets, the bigger the community and the more useful the site becomes. Thanks to everyone who comes to the site every day!
#584: Baijia Single Noble Black Bone Chicken Flavor Instant Sweet Potato Noodles
#578: Nongshim Shin Ramyun Black Premium Noodle Soup
UPDATED REVIEW – uses a recipe from EatYourKimchi.com! See it HERE!
First off, I want to thank Greg B. of Florida for sending this one in. Shin Ramyun Black – wow. So I should mention about the ‘ controversy in South Korea about this product. Nong Shim advertised that it had more nutritional value than it really did and was fined for misleading advertising ( Korean Herald article here ). It was extremely popular and I believe it still is. It costs much more than regular Shin Ramyun too. I’ll have to say that I’ve been waiting for just the right day to review this one! Let’s see what’s inside this interesting package of South Korean instant noodles!
#385: Ve Wong Hot Of Hots Artificial Black Peppered Beef Flavor Instant Oriental Noodle Soup (Bowl)
So here’s another one of the ‘Hot of Hots’ I found recently. I really have no idea of what to expect with this one…