Here’s one that came by was of James from Lakeside, California – thank you! I haven’t reviewed anything by Kiki in quite a while – really great stuff from these folks as I remember and looking forward to this! Let’s give it a try!
Tag: california
The Definitive Guide To Maruchan Ramen Noodle Soup
Definitive Guide Series – Maruchan Ramen Noodle Soup * Samyang Buldak * Nongshim Shin Ramyun * Indomie Mi Goreng
#3958: Souper Chow Mein With Soup Stock – United States
Here’s one that was in a box from Exotic Noods. They have monthly subscription boxes that are rad – full of varieties from around the world! If you want to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount!
#3812: Snapdragon Vietnamese Vegetable Pho – United States
These came by way of James from Lakeside California and looks like Snapdragon has dressed up their packaging yet again. I will admit I’ve never been exceedingly enthralled with their range, save a couple of varieties. Not only that, I’m rarely enthused about any pho instants I’ve tried. But I’m in the mood so these at least have that going for them. Let’s give them a try!
Ramen Hero Japanese Ramen Delivery Service Unboxing
I was contacted earlier this week again by a company out of California called Ramen Hero. You can visit their site, pick some ramen, and tomorrow, it’s at your door ice cold and ready to be cooked up! What’s great is shipping is free right now! This is restaurant style stuff and I’ve been very impressed by it in the past. Let’s see what they sent!
Re-Review: Sapporo Ichiban Japanese Style Noodles & Beef Flavored Soup
There are some varieties that I hear people raving out about a lot and I start thinking ‘I should re-review this one.’ Well, today’s the day. I even have a little story about these which is sort of funny.
#1966: Wei Lih GGE Noodle Snack Wheat Crackers Soy Sauce Ramen
Here’s another one I got down in Pleasanton, California a month or so ago. GGE is an abbreviation for Good Good Eat, as in ‘everybody loves good good eat.’ Kind of strange but we are talking about Taiwanese snack noodles here (see Leisure Meatballs). Anyways, let’s rip this bag open and check this snack out.
#1944: Wei Lih GGE Noodle Snack Wheat Crackers Hot Spicy
Here’s one I got at the 99 Ranch down in Pleasanton, California a couple of weeks ago. So the GGE stands for Good Good Eat, as in ‘everybody loves good good eat.’ Yeah, I know – kind of weird. But hey – this is a Taiwanese snack noodle and they can be pretty interesting (see Leisure Meatballs). Anyways, let’s crack this bag open and look inside.
#1846: Nissin Chow Mein Premium Savory Sauce And Restaurant Quality Noodles Roast Chicken Flavor
Here’s a new one that you should be able to find pretty easily in the store if you’re in the United States. Nissin has been coming out with a few new varieties lately and this is one of them – let’s have a peek under the hood of this tray!
#1622: Nongshim Quick2 Hot & Spicy Noodle Soup With Habanero & Lime
Quick2 is a new one from Nongshim America. The 2 has to do with the cooking time of two minutes. I find this one interesting; kind of a departure from their more premium lines and if you notice the color and lines, it more resembles a pack version of a Nongshim Bowl Noodle in graphic design. Let’s have a look at Nongshim Quick2 and see what’s inside!
#1563: Nongshim Shin Ramyun Noodle Soup (New Edition)
Before you go crazy and say ‘what you’ve never reviewed Shin Ramyun before,’ just listen for a second. So this is the new packaging they rolled out recently. I thought it was worth as whole new review as they’be had the old packaging on this one for eons and eons.
#1503: Nongshim Bowl Noodle Soup Shrimp Habanero Lime Flavor
It’s been so long since I’ve reviewed a new Bowl Noodle! I remeber a few years ago I was hunting high and low for certain varieties, many long gone. I remember the beef anfd ginger flavor was pretty good! Then they switched over to these microwaveable versions instead of the foam bowls – and I like them better! Curious how this one will be.
#1463: Maruchan Instant Lunch California Vegetable Ramen Noodles With Vegetables
I want to send a special thank you to Craig Y. over at Maruchan for facilitating the process of getting Instant Lunch California Vegetable into my hands! Much appreciated! I hunted high and low for these and couldn’t find them! There are lots of products sold around the United States – and some do better in some areas than others. A good example would be the King Cake. Most people where I live don’t know what a King Cake is, however folks in Louisiana definitely do – it’s a special cake enjoyed around Mardi Gras. Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about King Cakes:
#1444: Maruchan Instant Lunch Jalapeno Cheddar Flavor Ramen Noodles
Woo-hoo! I’ve been looking for a couple varieties by Maruchan for a while and this is one of them. I want to thank Craig Y. and all the nice folks at Maruchan for getting this one in my hands! I’m sure someone out there is going to say ‘Hard to find? It’s at every store around me!’ One thing though is that not every product is marketed or distributed to every area. One example of this kind of thing is a soda called Cheerwine. It’s quite popular and easily found in the southern United States, but it’s relatively unknown on the west coast. Anyways, Jalapeno Cheddar noodles sounds pretty neat! Let’s have a look at this one.
#1441: Nissin Souper Meal Chili Picante Chicken With Lime Flavor Ramen Noodle Soup
Wow check this big sucker out! Nissin’s Souper Meals are exactly that – super sized! This was sent over by the nice folks over at Nissin Foods USA the other day – thanks! Let’s peel the lid off of this one and have a peek inside…
Brand New Products From Nongshim America!
Here’s something I’ve been waiting for – three new products from Nongshim America! Let’s see what’s inside!
#1427: Miso Ramen At Osaka Ramen In Dublin, California
Last week, we went on our big summer vacation! We drove from Lynnwood, WA all the way to Livermore, CA – over 800 miles. Did it in 14 hours – only 3 quick stops, too! We did a bunch of neat stuff – went to the Alameda County Fair, caught a Giants game in San Francisco, and went out for ramen – and not the instant kind. Nope – this is the moment I think many of you have been wanting to see more of. It’s not going to be a common thing around here anytime soon, but I thought I’d share my experience.
Meet The Manufacturer: #1337: Sakura Noodle Chikara Brand Udon Beef Flavor
Well, today is the last day of the Meet The Manufacturer for Sakura Noodle Inc. It’s been interesting – I don’t think I’ve had udon so many days in a row – I was surprised how much I enjoyed it! One thing that was nice was that there’s only one gram of fat in these, which is a far cry from the amounts I usually have. Anyways, let’s have a look at this one – beef!
Meet The Manufacturer: #1336: Shirakiku Fresh Chow Mein Noodles With Seasoning
I’m sure you’re gonna say it – this looks familiar. Well, it’s part of a really neat coincidence that happened recently. I reviewed this one by Takamori Kosan of Japan the other day. Well, it was actually made by Sakura Noodle in Los angeles, California for the US market under their name! This one here is also made by Sakura Noodle but under the Shirakiku name. Are they different? Yep! If you look at the ingredients and nutrition facts on eacvh, there are some subtle differences. What’s interesting is that I contacted Takamori Kosan about doing a Meet The Manufacturer with them and they seem quite receptive, so keep an eye out for it coming soon! A day or so later, I was contacted by Sakura Noodle. I looked at their website and noticed this chow mein and asked if perhaps Takamori Kosan had contacted them, but they hadn’t – neat coincidence!
Meet The Manufacturer: #1335: Sakura Noodle Chikara Brand Udon Hot & Spicy Flavor
Today is a good day for spicy noodles. I just did my big walk of the day – something I’ve not been able to do for a week or so – it’s been raining alot here just north of Seattle. A lot. In fact, there was a weather alert for landslides due to so much rain… Sheesh. Walk was good and now I’ve got the pre-season baseball audio going – Giants vs Royals today. I’m a Giants fan – my wife converted me from being a Mariners fan when we got together as she used to play softball and got quite a few trophies. The first year I started following the Giants was 2010, and lo and behold, they won the world Series! Then again in 2012. I think as long as we win the even years, we’re good to go. Anyways, spicy udon sounds really good today and I think I know just what to add to it – Fresno chilli peppers! They’re playing the game today in Scottsdale, AZ, and a lot of their minor league players get a chance to get a chance to be in the roster. Many of them are from the Fresno, CA AAA team. Let’s check these noodles out!
Meet The Manufacturer: #1334: Sakura Noodle Chikara Brand Udon Mushroom Flavor
As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not a huge fan of mushrooms. I’ve liked them a little more and more over time, but they’re really not something I seek out and enjoy thoroughly. On the other hand, my wife absolutely loves mushroom.s and savors them. She also really likes udon, so I thought I’d make these for her. Let’s open this bag up and see what’s inside.
Meet The Manufacturer: #1333: Sakura Noodle Chikara Brand Udon Oriental Flavor
I asked my wife to pick today’s variety and she picked this one. I was thinking – what is Oriental flavor? Well, the French version tells us. I tried Google’s auto translate and it thought it was Spanish for ‘nice.’ In French, bonito means bonito. So, what does bonito mean? Simple.
#1225: Nissin Pan Asian Kitchen Sweet & Sour Chicken Flavor Ramen Noodles
Man I’m beat and my feet hurt. Maybe Birkenstock sailboat deck sandals aren’t the best choice for walking 2 miles. This sounds good though – I really like sweet and sour! This one’s made in the United States, too! Let’s give this one a peek.
New Instant Samples From A-Sha
Got a box in the mail from the A-Sha guys in California today – wonder what’s inside…
The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodles Made In The USA Of All Time 2013 Edition
The instant noodle originated in 1958 in Japan, but since that time, they’ve expanded in popularity all over the world, including of course, the United States. Seeing this, instant noodle companies thought it wise to start building plants here in the 1970s. Since then, many brands operate factories here in the US, mostly in southern California. This is a list of my favorite varieties produced here, encompassing my over 1,100 reviews to date. With that, here’s your top ten, America!
#1003: Nissin Chow Mein Spicy Teriyaki Beef Flavor Chow Mein Noodles
Here’s something new – a spicy teriyaki beef tray. Spicy teriyaki? I don’t know if I’ve ever heard of such a thing! Well, let’s see if it’s a good’un.
#984: Meet The Manufacturer – Sun Noodle Ramen Shoyu Flavor
Well, this is the last of the sun Noodle Meet The Manufacturer samples to review. Some really tasty stuff has been tried – I bid them a very fond farewell. We finally arrive here at Shoyu.
#983: Meet The Manufacturer – Sun Noodle Tantanmen Spicy Sesame Flavor Ramen (Mild)
Winding down the Sun Noodle Meet The Manufacturer with the next to last review. I must say there have been some really good ones in this bunch! Here’s something I’ve not tried previously – Tantanmen. Tantanmen as described by Wikipedia:
#980: Meet The Manufacturer – Sun Noodle Cold Ramen Soy Sauce Vinaigrette Sauce With Honey Apple Added
#979: Meet The Manufacturer – Sun Noodle Nama Soba Buckwheat Noodle
First off, I’d like to wish everyone a wonderful Lunar New Year! Here’s another one from Sun Noodle! This one is served either hot or cold, and I thought I would try it cold.
#978: Meet The Manufacturer – Sun Noodle Ramen Pork Flavor
Here’s another of the Sun Noodle line – pork flavor ramen! Let’s check it out!
#977: Meet The Manufacturer – Sun Noodle Yakisoba Japanese Style Stir Fry Noodles With Powdered Sauce
Here’s the first review of the Sun Noodle Meet The Manufacturer spotlight, their Yakisoba. Yakisoba is one of my favorite Japanese noodle dishes. What’s nice is that the flavoring contains one of my favorite flavors – Worcestershire sauce!
Meet The Manufacturer: Samples From Sun Noodle
A nice big box…
…of fresh noodles from Sun Noodle for Meet The Manufacturer! Ramen, yakisoba, udon, saimin… Lots of different flavors to review! Thanks go to everyone at Sun Noodle!
Meet The Manufacturer: Sun Noodle Interview
Welcome to another installment of Meet The Manufacturer! This time, it’s Sun Noodle – purveyor of fresh ramen noodles and other fine products. Here’s an interview I did with them via email.
#971: Meet The Manufacturer: Annie Chun’s Ramen House Spicy Chicken Ramen
Here’s the next to last of the Annie Chun’s varieties they were kind enough to send for Meet The Manufacturer. Spicy Chicken Ramen sounds awesome! Let’s check it out.
#946: Dr. McDougall’s Right Foods Vegan Chicken Ramen
I’ve often wondered if I would ever find this one. I’ve seen i mentioned quite a few times, and finally the other day I found it at a local grocery store. Vegan… Organic… Let’s give it a try.
#938: Maruchan Yakisoba Four Cheese Flavor
An absolute surprise yesterday! Found this and two other Maruchan Yakisoba varieties I’ve been hunting for for quite a long time! Let’s give it a try!
Re-Review: Nissin Top Ramen Cucharealo Home-Style Tomato Chicken Flavor Ramen Noodle Soup
Thought I’d try this one again – it’s pretty sad – I have nothing new to review! Looking forward to some new varieties coming soon though hopefully! A couple from the UK have informed me that they’re sending a treasure trove of interesting varieties! Can’t wait! In the meantime, here’s the elusive Cucharealo – haven’t seen it for sale anywhere yet. Good stuff! Here’s the original review here.
#936: Yamachan Tonkotsu Ramen Mild Pork Flavor Soup Base
I did a Meet The Manufacturer on Yamachan a little while back and found their products to be quite good! Here’s a new one they’ve come out with – a mild Tonkotsu! Sounds excellent! Thanks to the folks at Yamachan in San Jose, California for sending this! Now, to the review!
Samples From Nongshim America!
Hey – a package from Nongshim America – but what’s inside?
This just came out for sale in the USA and I can’t wait to try it! If it’s the same as what they make in Korea (see review), then it’s some serious 5.0/5.0 star stuff. Made for sale here in California! Awesome! Thanks to Ray A. and Hanna C. over at NSA! Might do this review later today!