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Many you probably no and many of you probably don’t – Tapatio, the popular hot sauce – now has their own range of spicy instant noodle products called Tapatio Ramen Noodle Soup! Want a chance to be the envy of your friends at lunch with some of these bowls? Read on to find out how – it’s really easy to enter to win!
I’ll be first to say that I enjoy almonds, usually the smokehouse ones. You know the ones I’m talking about. I’m pretty partial to chocolate ones too although I don’t usually have them. I’ve had ones with crunchy candy coating too. I also tasted almond milk the other day – tasty but just seemed so weird – but I liked it.
I remember when I was at the Taiwan International Food Expo 2017 and seeing the Wu-Mu booth. Two gentlemen were sitting and talking and I came over and introduced myself. They gave me a sample of this product and I haven’t had the chance to review it yet – which works perfect as it’s now being reviewed in a Meet The Manufacturer series./ Here’s what they have to say about this variety:
It’s time for another top ten list and this time it’s The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodle Bowls Of All Time 2018 Edition! The first list debuted in 2013 – I can’t believe this is the sixth list! As always – if you are a company who would like me to review your products, please contact me via the contact link – I want to talk to you! These are my favorite instant noodle bowl selections from my over 2800 reviews to date. Let’s get started!
Today we have a Zenpop.JP variety – so what’s Zenpop? They’re a subscription service for all things Japanese! Definitely, check them out. By the way, use coupon code RAMENRATER to get $2 off! Here’s what they had to say about this one -‘Dashi is essential for most Japanese dishes including udon. This healthy udon is low in sodium and moreover, it contains GABA which helps lower the blood pressure, reduce the stress, and make you relaxed. Of course, it’s super tasty too.’ Alright – let’s crack it open!
Today we finish this MNeet The Manufacturer with the newest variety to be born of this range, the white chicken broth tonkotsu. It’s been quite a week of reviewing here! I did two on Monday, four on Tuesday, 2 on Wednesday, four on Thursday and one on Friday. I’ve found that running through a series with a lot of varieties goes better when I do them in a shorter period of time as I don’t get any kind of burn out on doing the same brand, although I don’t think I could have this time. This was a very nice stroll through memory lane as I’ve reviewed all of these before. So today, we bid a fond farewell to Sanyo Foods and their wonderful Sapporo Ichiban range! Let’s give this one a try!
Here’s the one that everybody’s got – chicken. Very few instant noodle companies don’t have a chicken noodle soup on the market. I can think of a few, but they’re kind of far and few between. Chicken is kind of a universally accessible flavor and meat (well, except for Vegans). I think this probably will be a pretty good one. I gave it 4.0 out of 5.0 in May of 2015 when I re-reviewed it back then. I kind of remember people asking me to give them another look and so I did. Anyways, Let’s get to it!
Last time it was fried garlic chicken and this time it’s just chicken. Let’s give it a try!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Usually, the first instant product a noodle company will put out will be chicken flavor. In fact, the first instant noodle product that was ever produced was chicken flavor. Chicken is just about universally palatable, and most don’t have a religious rule against it. A chicken instant noodle is the beginning and so that’s where we will start today. Fried garlic chicken sounds really good, and on the package, it promises an ‘insanely rich broth.’ Alright – the proof is in the noodle – let’s give it a try!
Okay so a week or so ago I got a big package from Prima Taste over in Singapore (thanks again!) – full of tasty stuff! Well, last Sunday I ended up getting the worst stomach flu I think I’ve ever had and it was really crummy. Really did a number on med and put me in bed a few days. This was not from what they sent – let’s make that clear – the stomach flu ios going around. Well, once the clouds started to lift, I was hungry. Didn’t want to do anything spicy and something tasty. My wife made me this Prima Juzz’s Mee with some hard boiled egg and cut up breaded chicken (yeah they’re chicken nuggets – we have kids and hey it’s protein so don’t give me any guff) and some instant rice thrown in there too.
This was one variety I didn’t want to leave Taiwan without. I was lucky – we walked around the food expo in Taiwan last November and didn’t see it. Then We went through the beer, wine and spirits section and boom – there it is! A huge booth for TTL (Taiwan Tobacco & Liquor) and a guy asks is he could answer any questions. ‘Where are the noodles?’ Well, I showed him my event badge and he knew who I was which was very cool. Nice guy who went by the name of Ben – if you see this Ben, contact me – would love to do an interview about this product line!
I found this one at RT Mart in Taipei., Taiwan. Okay so RT Mart. It’s big – I mean big. The aisle with instant noodles was probably the largest I’ve seen to date not only lengthwise, but height as well.
Alrighty so here’s another one of the Myojo varieties I have from Singapore. These are new formulations of longstanding popular varieties. Indeed, they invoke the term ‘yummy’ on this packaging and I will admit that although I rarely use it, it’s an important term. Let’s see if it’s fitting to include it in this one.
Yep – another KOKA! I think there might be one more left but maybe not – we shall see! I made a chicken breast in the oven yesterday and figured I’d better do a chicken review! So let’s get to it!
I thought I was out of KOKA varieties to review, but definitely not yet. They sent every single SKU they produce for their Meet The Manufacturer. Thanks again – that was really awesome! I have a limit of 15 reviews for a Meet The Manufacturer series, so the extras go into the regular rotation.
Here’s another one sent by Zenpop. Zenpop is a subscription box service where you can get many varieties of Japanese products sent to your door monthly. Here’s what they had to say about this variety –
Found these while up in Canada. So my wife found a show a while back called 90 Day Fiancee where two people either meet online or when one is on vacation in a foreign country and think they want to be married. It then follows their process of getting a visa to spend 90 days in the United States and then whether they indeed are married or not. There’s a new show called Before The 90 Days before a proposal has been made. So on this show, we were watching and they follow a man who goes to the Philippines and meets a girl he’s been talking to online. Well, she picks him up at the airport and the next day brings him to her family’s home and they put on a big spread and cook up Lechon. Lechon is a roast pig, turned over a fire pit for hours and hours that’s been stuffed with chicken and vegetables like spring onion. Long story short, her family is far from wealthy and they came together to make this big feast and he turns his nose up at it.
Once you get outside the United States, cilantro is known as coriander. This is actually the second coriander variety I’ll be trying from Japan. Didn’t expect that to be a popular flavor for Japan, but hey, why not. I really like coriander. This one comes from Zenpop.jp. They have monthly ramen boxes that are a really great deal – definitely, check them out! Okay – let’s crack this one open.
It is truly amazing I still have quite a few KOKA varieties to review! Can’t complain, that is for sure – having my hampers stocked well is a good thing and lets me be at ease about not running out of varieties to try. Today its chicken and I got up at 4 am and cooked some chicken in the oven to go into this one. Let’s have a look.
Curry has and always shall be one of my favorite flavors in this universe. Today it’s kari ayam – chicken curry. Let’s have a look and a taste!
Well this sounds like a good one! It sounds to be like a chicken shio variety. Shio is one of the classic ramen varieties from Japan. Let’s see a little more about shio from Wikipedia –
Hot and spicy Korean fried chicken. Hmm – where have I heard that before? Well, I definitely like the real thing that I’ve had in the past – K-fried chicken is really the bomb – especially the spicy – and if you get a chance to try it you’ll be pretty happy about it I think.
Here’s the second and final product of this Meet The Manufacturer review series of Blount Fine Foods products. So this is one you’ll find in the refrigerated section at the supermarket and looks very fancy. Indeed as I said in the last review, I really like the little cut out on the front as seen above with the steam coming off the bowl.
I’ve reviewed many fresh varieties in the past and this is a new variety from a brand I’ve never reviewed any products from before! What’s more, it’s a company in the United States. I must say that the packaging is rather striking; it’s thick cardboard and the little cut out of the bowl and steam coming out above it is really neat.
I’ve reviewed the pack version of this one and now it’s time for the bowl. A few months ago I did a series of seriously spicy reviews for my guide to this series. Let’s see if my palate still can handle the heat!
It’s been quite a year of reviewing as far as Taiwan is concerned. I brought back a trove of varieties I’d never had the chance to try before. Really opened my eyes many varieties that people had recommended I try over the years. This is the top ten – the best Taiwanese varieties I’ve tried from the over 2,500+ reviews I’ve posted to date. As always, if I’ve not tried your noodles, please contact me! I’m interested! Let’s check it out!
When I read about this new product line in my news feeds, I was very curious. For years, I’ve though that the amount of vegetables included with instant noodle varieties in general was way too slim. Of course, vegetables cost money to put in there and so that’s something to consider.
Well folks, the United States has started to see the light. There’s nothing I love to see more than a tie-in/crossover product and this is something I’ve seen zillions of times overseas but really never before here.
Thanks go to Amelia from Samyang Foods in South Korea for sending these along! The Buldak Bokkeummyun line from them is a fiery range which starts with their hot chicken flavor of Fire Noodle Challenge fame. Here’s what they have to say about this one –
Here’s another leftover from the KOKA Meet The Manufacturer series I did a little while back. Chicken flavor sounds pretty safe – I mean, who doesn’t like chicken except vegetarians? Let’s give this chicken flavor variety a try!
Here’s one left over from the KOKA Meet The Manufacturer. These soups are interesting; instead of noodles with soup it’s more like soup with noodles! Let’s have a look at this creamy soup!
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!
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 –
Here’s another new variety of the Soba line – yakitori chicken. Here’s a little something about yakitori from Wikipedia –
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.
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.
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.
The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodle Bowls Of All Time 2017 Edition is a list of the best bowls I’ve tried of the over 2400 reviews posted to date. Bowls are interesting insofar as they often contain extra things, since there is more room for sachets, spoons, fork, etcetera. As always, I implore instant noodle manufacturers to contact me – I would love to review your products and all it costs is sending some samples and your time! So sit back, grab a bowl, some hot water, peel back the lid, stir – and enjoy!
I don’t think I’ve had a satay flavor variety in a long time so this should be interesting. Indeed, we should see what Wikipedia has to say about satay –
I looked upon all the samples sent by Tat Hui for this Meet The Manufacturer. Indeed, it occurred to me to go right for the curry, the laksa… But I thought to begin with, I would go right for the standard.
