Tag: instant noodles

The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten South Korean Instant Noodles Of All Time 2014 Edition

It’s no secret that I eat a lot of instant noodles. Last year alone, I did 320 new reviews! I’m often asked, “when you aren’t reviewing, what instant noodles do you like to eat?” South Korean ramyun is the answer. In 1963, instant noodles were first introduced to South Korea as ‘ramyun.’ People were a little confused at first; they thought it was a textile! They also weren’t super keen on it being chicken flavored; South Koreans prefer rich beef flavors as opposed to lighter poultry tastes. With a little tweaking, the spicy rich beef noodles synonymous with ramyun were born.  The thick noodles, rich broth and spiciness keep me coming back for more. This list contains my favorites from the 1272 reviews I’ve done thus far. They are all made in South Korea, and many will be hard to find in the United States, if not impossible. With that, here’s my list. ...see full post

The Ramen Rater Appears In TV Ad For O’Live South Korean Show

So I did a live taping a few weeks ago for a brand new show on South Korea’s O’Live TV network. As far as the guys on the show, I think one is a K-pop star and the other was on South Korea’s Master Chef. Could be very wrong about that though! If anyone knows, clue me in in a comment. The first episode of the show is all about spicy South Korean ramyun. Here it is! ...see full post

#1226: Master Kong Artificial Braised Beef Flavor Instant Noodle

Here’s one that’s been kind of confusing in the past, and it still is. A guy who said he worked for Master Kong said these aren’t actually Master Kong. When I check the UPC code, it comes up with Kailo Brand Abalone Chicken flavor in a similar sized big cup. Whatever it is, let’s check it out! ...see full post

The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Indonesian Instant Noodles Of All Time 2013 Edition

When I was very young, I first discovered a satay variety of Indonesian mi goreng and loved it. I would go on special trips to Seattle just to get tons of it! The many seasoning sachets, oils, and the exotic flavors – it was great! I have been very fortunate to be able to try many, many more varieties of Indonesia instant noodles. I think what makes them distinctly different from others in the world are the use of sweetness and spiciness. These flavors balance so well in mi goreng. Then there’s flavors like lime, hot chillies and the crunch of fried onion. Reviewing such exotic varieties are what makes being The Ramen Rater so enjoyable! With that, I proudly present The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Indonesian Instant Noodles Of All Time 2013 edition!!!!! ...see full post

The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Additions To Instant Noodles 2013

I eat instant noodles. Every day. As of writing this list, I’ve reviewed 1,219 different varieties of instant noodles. Many people ask me if I get sick of instant noodles. Part of the reason I always say no is that I add things to my noodles to make them a more complete meal after I’ve reviewed them. I have seen quite a few lists online purporting to ‘hack’ or ‘pimp’ your ramen. Well, I’m not going to say that you will be able program it or hire it out, but it should be a bit more enjoyable and well-rounded. With that, here are my top ten favorite things to add to instant noodles for 2013. ...see full post

#1213: Nan Jie Cun Hot-Dry Instant Noodles Chilli Flavour

Here another one I got up in Canada at T&T Supermarket in Richmond, BC. Never have I seen this brand before and thought ‘hey – this in interesting!’ What’s more, it’s actually heavy! What’s inside this thing making it so heavy? It took me a bit of looking to find out about this brand and it’s products. Here’s a little something I read on Wikipedia about where the manufacturing facility is: ...see full post

#1142: Meet The Manufacturer: Asian Thai Foods Miteri Instant Noodles Chicken Flavor

This one is called Miteri and it comes from Nepal. The makers of this product mentioned that coriander is a good garnish for all of their varieties.. I went to the store looking for the stuff and found coriander powder so tried that on the review before last. Then I had a thought to look on Google for coriander as the powder just didn’t seem right. Well guess what? Coriander is known here in the US as cilantro. Needless to say, I went and got some and will use it today! As it turns out, miteri means friend in Nepalese.. Let’s check it out! ...see full post

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! ...see full post

#1135: Indomie Instant Noodle Beef & Lime Flavour

Found this the other day and hadn’t ever seen it before. Then I looked closer and saw it was Rasa Soto Mie. Now, I’ve reviewed the export version of Soto Mie before, but there’s a difference: this one’s beef and the other was chicken. Interesting! Always nice to see a new Indonesian variety available in the states! Let’s check this one out. ...see full post

The Ramen Rater’s Bottom Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time

So after sampling so many varieties of instant noodles over the years, of course there have been some that I didn’t like. There also were some that are so memorable for how awful they were. After people asked what my least favorites were a few times, I thought I should just make a list of them. I should point out that these are on the list because I couldn’t stand them. I’m pretty sure they are all still in production, and the only reason they would be is that people somewhere find them enjoyable. So who knows – you might have a completely different opinion on these than me, but I found them to be absolutely the worst of the worst. With that, here’s The Bottom Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time, 2013 Edition. ...see full post

#1044: Nongshim Shin Ramyun Noodle Spicy Mushroom Flavour

Another from my trip to Canada for my birthday. Wow – what a past two days here! The Top Ten 2013 list came out to a clamor of Taiwanese disapproval – Taiwan didn’t make the list. But, hopefully out of it all I’ll get contacted by one of the companies in Taiwan, but so far nothing. On to other things though – that being this interesting bowl by Nongshim. This one’s made in Shanghai, China. Let’s check it out. ...see full post