The Definitive Source For Instant Noodle Reviews Since 2002
I know what you’re thinking – “hey – I thought this was a Sakurai Foods Meet The Manufacturer!” Well, it still is. Sakurai Foods also makes products for export and this is one of them. These noodles are for sale in Germany! Never tried noodles from Germany before, regardless of where they are made! This is a real treat. Let’s check out this exotic variety!
Here is the first of eight varieties of instant noodles made by Sakurai Foods of Japan. This one looks really good from the picture on the package! Let’s check it out.
Today, I’d like to proudly begin the latest of the series of Meet The Manufacturer special spotlights! This time, it’s a company from Japan called Sakurai Foods. The following interview was conducted over email.
Merry Christmas Eve! Thought today I would go a little festive with my review. What does Jalapeno Cheddar instant yakisoba have to do with Christmas? Well, I don’t know but it just seemed like the right thing to do. You’ll see – trust me you’ll see. This is one I was looking for for a long time and my lovely wife Kit found it at the Grocery Outlet! Rad!
I’ve been going through the reviews I’ve done over the years with a fine-toothed comb lately and thought this one was most definitely due to a re-review. I know a lot of people enjoy this one, so let’s give it an in-depth look!
Found these at Walmart yesterday – or wait that was today… We decided to go shopping at 1am – figured we’d beat the crowds… Well, we did beat the crowds but they were restocking – pretty amazing all the pallets they load there at night! Wow… Anyways, creamy chicken sounded good. Here’s the original review and I’ll do a really in-depth re-review soon!
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.
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!
Instantaneous Lunch? Nope – three minutes. But if you’re too impatient for that, I suppose one could eat it raw. I prefer the cooked version myself!
We went to Walmart on Black Friday! Well, let me explain – it was at 6pm or so, so the amount of crazy people was lower. It seems though that the Walmart we always go to has a surplus of crazy people usually. I imagine the early morning Black Friday folks would’ve been a scary lot. One thing I noticed was that they hadn’t bought all of the noodles, so I thought I’d get a couple to re-review. Here’s one of them last time I tried it, it was revirew #207. Hoping some new things to review come soon – only have one in the hamper that’s needing review… Re-reviews are fun though since they’re not been visited in so long.
After this one, I think I have only four new ones to review! Egad! Hoping the mailman brings some new things to review soon! So here’s a cup of noodles for breakfast…
Here’s the last of the ones my sister brought me back from Hawaii! Minced pork bean vermicelli… Sounds kind of interesting! A very dark day here – wet, cold and windy.
I have fallen ill with some kind of head cold it seems and I thought something spicy would be good. My lovely wife Kit was kind enough make me some noodles for breakfast – she’s so good to me! Thought I’d have these – they’re available in the US now, but this is a Re-Review of the pack that is sold in Korea. The version sold in the US will be being reviewed soon! Here’s the link to the original review I did during Paldo’s Meet The Manufacturer.
Of the re-reviews I’ve done recently, I would say this is one of the most recent. Here’s the link for it’s first review, #858. Cakalang is also known as Skipjack tuna.
Here’s another one from the already reviewed box. Thought it’d be a good one for today as it’s quite cold outside. You can check out the original review here.
You’re probably wonder ‘gee, he sure reviews that Jinjja Jinjja quite a lot – what gives?’ Well, they sent me a lot of it and since I really like it, I want to enjoy it before it expires. Well, actually it expired in September, but I’m just about out of it. Here’s the last full review of it.
This is one that ended up at second place on the Top Ten Spiciest Instant Noodles Of All Time – that means its really hot! There are these tiny little peppers (chilli paddi) that are real scorchers and they’re small enough that when you happen to find one, you get quite a jolt! I reviewed this a while back this year – #732 and during the Meet The Manufacturer: Indomie special. This is one of the packs sent directly from Indofood in Indonesia – I am told they will be sending some new samples very soon! Can’t wait to try them!
Here’s one my sister brought me back from Hawaii! Thanks! This one is sort of confusing. There’s a sticker on the front that says Shirakiku. Underneath the sticker says it’s Chikara, and on the back it says it is Sakura. Well, I’m going to figure it’s Shirakiku and that’s that. Udon is an extra wide noodle. Let hit it!
I reviewed this one a little while back – was review #787. Use this link to see everything about it. By the way, emart has informed me that they have a new product that just launched – should be here soon! Can’t wait to review it!
Ah! The elusive 35% less sodium pack! A lot of you have asked about lower sodium instant noodles – here’s one. Each pack has two servings at 510mg sodium each instead of 790mg of sodium (look at the back of the package below for details). Found it recently at Walmart actually. Its funny how many Asian grocery stores I know of and hit up for new noodles to review from time to time, but I still find new items at the biggest grocery store around. I’m hoping to be doing a Meet The Manufacturer with Maruchan sometime soon too! That’s going to be great! Anyways, let’s see how this one is…
Since I don’t have a huge amount of noodles that haven’t been reviewed yet (around 8 at the moment and I could go through those in four or five says possibly), I’ve decided I should hit the overstock box and see what’s in there. My wife Kit got me a five pack of these for my birthday back in March and so I figure I should eat ’em up! Here’s the original review – look there for the original pics I did of the packaging, packets, etcetera.
Here’s one my sister brought me back from Hawaii! Thanks! I used to see plenty of these around but never went and got any. Now, I can’t find them around here.
Here’s something I picked up at the Bellevue Uwajimaya. So this is Sapporo miso flavor. What’s that? Here’s what Wikipedia says:
Here’s what I had for lunch today (click to enlarge) – not a new review or anything, but thought it was interesting how many international flavors came together on this one. First, FMF Chow Noodles Masala Flavor from Fiji. Added kimchi, a Korean dish, some Urashima Sesame & Salt furikake from Japan, Dua Belibis chili sauce from Indonesia, some ham, stirfry veggies and sweet onion, and a 2 egg omelet with 2 slices of processed cheese and some Tabasco Jalapeno hot sauce – which I presume is all from the United States but might not be. Was pretty good – quite an interesting combo!
Here’s another one of Maruchan’s Instant Lunches – who would think that I wouldn’t have reviewed it until now… Weird! But here’s the shrimp instant cup!
Here’s the last of Nissin’s Cucharealo – the Habanero Shrimp. Been waiting for the right time to try this out and today is the day!
Yet another one I am very surprised I haven’t reviewed in the past. Curious to see how this one fares.
Here’s a new one we got at Uwajimaya. This looks really good! Nothing says tasty like a little bit of Japanese mayonnaise! Let’s check it out!
Here’s another one we picked up over at KS Mart in Lynnwood, WA the other day on our regular kimchi supply run. How fitting – kimchi noodle! Let’s hit it!
I’d thought I’d had everyone’s bowl noodles by now but lo and behold, a shrimp flavor by Paldo. So let’s give it a try!
Here’s one of the last couple packs that my friend from Jakarta, Indonesia sent. ABC is well known for their sweet soy sauce. This looks really interesting though – spicy and tomato! Let’s try it.
More mushroom noodles. They certainly looks nice from the pictures on the package – hao hao about we give ’em a try? Ugh…
So today I have two mushroom flavored instant noodles I’ll be doing. First off will be this Unif/Tung-I mushroom pack. What’s interesting about this one is that Unif Tung-I is usually from Taiwan, but this one’s from Vietnam. Anyways, let’s try this one and see how it is.
If you’re new to The Ramen Rater’s Show Your Noodles, you can email me a picture of some noodles you’ve made, include your name and location and I’ll post it on the Show Your Noodles roundup! Fancy or functional, it doesn’t matter. I mean, you could do literally anything you want with some instant noodles – use your imagination! Want to be part of the next Show Your Noodles? Just email me at hans@theramenrater.com. Let me know you first name, last initial, and city/state or country! My wife does the judging – here we go!
This is the last of the samples I got from Yamachan Ramen! Must admit I’m sad to see them go! Very tasty fare and it’s been a lot of fun! This one’s shoyu. Let’s give it a try.
Here’s something different. Sara Udon means plate noodles – what you have is a crispy noodle that is thin. You put them on the plate and crush gently, then add the sauce and during the meal, the noodles go from crisp to soft. It’s a texture sensation! Well, let’s check it out!
I’ve had a few cold noodle varieties from South Korean manufacturers, but never any Japanese cold noodles. Let’s have a look at this one!
Tonkotsu-Shoyu… This one looks really interesting!
Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge).
So Lifehacker came out with an article about The Ramen Rater a couple weeks ago and I noticed something about Yamachan Ramen in the comments on it. I contacted them and they were very interested in doing a Meet The Manufacturer. Very shortly, I received this box in the mail…
Welcome one and all to another Meet The Manufacturer! This time it’s San Jose, CA based Yamachan Ramen!They make fresh ramen products – here’s the interview I did with them.
