The Definitive Source For Instant Noodle Reviews Since 2002
Review #1200! Wow – only 800 to go to #2000! By the way if you’ve got a second, can you vote for The Ramen Rater in the Best of Western Washington contest? Trying to get first place in the food blog category! Here’s the link. So here’s an interesting one I picked up in Canada. Took a bit of figuring to tell what it was for sure – let’s check it out!
Here’s another one I got at T&T Supermarket up in Canada. I find it interesting; I got three pork varieties there – stewed pork, steamed pork and simmered pork! I asked my wife which one I should have as I couldn’t decide. She told me to simmer down and so here we are. Let’s check it out!
Here’s another from the trip to Canada my wife took me on for my birthday – thank you, Kit! Pork. Ribs. Let’s do this.
Here’s another I got at T&T Supermarket up in Canada recently. This one’s frozen! Chanpon is a special thing; seafood and pork are sauteed and special ramen noodles and a little broth is added. Sounds awesome – let’s check it out.
This one was sent by Mr. Yamato of Yakantei in Japan! Thank you! First off – if someone has a better translation of what this particular instant noodle is called, please let me know? The original text is 長尾製麺 ラーメン仮面・タソガレトンコツ. This is quite unique in that the outer packaging is paper. Yes – paper! Let’s have a look at this artsy ramen!
I’ve had other macaroni quick serve products before by a different brand. I always thought these were interesting. Usually the only thing you’d find in the United States coupled with macaroni would be cheese, but elsewhere, the options are much different. Let’s check it out.
Another one I got while in Canada for my birthday. I’m sure many folks will immediately ask ‘where did you get this’ and ‘where can I get it,’ and I’ll just say I’ve only seen this in Canada. See, they get stuff in the Vancouver area from not only the Nongshim plant here in the states but the one in Shanghai, China. Got a couple more coming down the pipe of reviews soon that hail from China. Let’s check this out!
Today is the last review of the Samyang Foods Meet The Manufacturer spotlight. Rest assured, there will definitely be more of their products reviewed in the future – I only do a maximum of 15 reviews in a row for a company during a Meet The Manufacturer and they sent more than 15, so lots of neat stuff coming! I want to thank Samyang Foods for their samples and everything else – really nice people!
Here’s a variety of Oh! Ricey I’ve not seen before – we found it on our trip to Canada. Pork spareribs sound good!
Here’s a little pack of Wai Wai noodles!
Here’s the sticker put on by the distributor.
Here’s another of the Sun Noodle line – pork flavor ramen! Let’s check it out!
I’ve been having fun re-reviewing these MAMA packs lately – it’s been a while that’s for sure. Here’s another one – pork flavor. It probably won’t be like a Tom Yum kind of thing, so I’m curious how it’s going to taste.
Here’s another new one from Joe & Gill of the UK! Wow! This is something brand new to me – instant noodles from Poland?! Yup they sure are. But what the heck is ‘Żurek?’ Well, Wikipedia has this to say:
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!
I am in charge of throwing the turkey in the oven this year at noon. I figured breakfast shouldn’t have anything turkey like involved and pardon the turkey at least ramen-wise for a day. Then Black Friday will be a day that the turkeys will cower – planning on using turkey in some ramen meals for the next week or so – should be awesome! But for now, here’s something I decided to make for breakfast. By the way, here’s what I did for 2011’s Thanksgiving.
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.
Here’s one I got the other day at 99 Ranch Market. Was hoping they had a few more varieties, but they had two – two closer to the #1000th review! I’m not going to stop, just can’t wait to hit it! I think this one would win the prize for interesting use of upper and lower case characters.
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.
Lunch (click to enlarge)!!!So I decided to have some of the Nongshim Jinjja Jinjja that they sent me a while back for lunch. I’ve reviewed it before – here’s the link. I added a slice of cheese, Crystal hot sauce, some Urashima Sesame & Salt furikake, an egg that I boiled with the noodles, some new odeng and onions. Oh – and of course kimchi! This is the first instant noodle that I devoured with the help of chopsticks! Yep – The Ramen Rater is going to be a chopstick eater! Funny; I wasn’t able to use them very well before but I tried them with kimbap, then some yakisoba I had at a restaurant and finally today and I’m stoked! Woot woot!
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.
This is the last of the packs that were so kindly sent by Bo H. who works at a University in China. Thanks again! All of these were just amazing – and now… Hmm – not sure what this is! One thing says pork ribs flavor, something else says steak. I guess we’ll see how it comes out!
Hey awesome – picked this up at H Mart on Friday. I’ve had the pack but not the bowl! Time to try it!
Found this the other day at KS Mart in Lynnwood (that’s where I git my kimchi!). This is from China – never had a Chinese made mee-goreng before! Usually I like the Dragonfly stuff though. Let’s give this a go!
Good news and bad news. Bad news: no reviews for about a week (we’re going on vacation). The good news: I will leave you with the first ever bacon monstrosity!
Here’s a big cup my sister brought me back from Canada this year. Sounds good on a nice sunny day.
Here’s another one that Bo H. sent me from China! Thanks again! So what are Dan Dan noodles? here’s what Wikipedia says:
Here’s another one that was sent in by Michelle L. of New York, New York – thanks again! TVP? What’s TVP? Well, I’ve had it quite a few times before. TVP stands for ‘textured vegetable protein’ and is basically fake meat. Usually you couldn’t get pork in a packet coming from Thailand into the states – fake pork on the other hand is doable.
Here’s another one of the big bowls that Michelle L. of New York sent. Stew Pork eh? Let’s give this one a try.
Since my last review of this product, I found out that I made it wrong! Yup… I suppose if I could read Korean I would’ve made it right. It turns out that the red packet goes in first with the noodles and cooks, and the peanut and veggies go in last after everything’s cooked! I’m hungry – gonna do it exactly as I’m supposed to this time! Here’s the old review.
Here’s something really new and very different from a lot of the instant noodles I’ve reviewed before. Jinjja Jinjja translates to “Really Really” (Spicy Spicy) – and I suppose in this review we’re going to find out how really really spicy Jinjja is! I should say that I sampled this one at Nongshim America while I was down there, so I have tried it before – but not a while bowl of it. I found out that the flavor comes from boiling pork bones for a long time, black beans and peanuts! It also turns out that the wheat flour used to make these has some red pepper powder added to them – heat in the noodle as well as from the dry seasonings! Let’s give this a try!
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!
Got this on our recent trip to California at a 99 Ranch down there. I rememebr enjoying the beef one I got the time before in California during our honeymoon, so figured it’d be a good idea to give this one a try!
This one came from Greg B. of Marathon, Florida – thanks, Greg! What the heck is Moo Nam Tok supposed to taste like? From Wikipedia:
This week there were two submissions! Awesome!@ Keep em coming! I’ve decided to let my wife decide which is best for the contest – so here we go! Just a reminder, if you want to send in a noodle pic or two, send them to info@ramenrater.com and please put ‘Show Your Noodles’ in the subject line!
After tasting those last two earlier, I was ready to have something that looked really good – and here it is! Tom Yam noodles, made in Thailand and from Japan!
Here’s one that has been in the noodle bin since the trip to California my wife and son and I took in July! Time to eat. Mushroom pork just didn’t sound too good, but you know me, I have to try it.
Haven’t had any Lucky Me! in quite some time. This is a smaller version of the Lucky Me! La Paz Batchoy I’ve had before. Let give this one a renewed and smaller look!
Here we have one of the three packages I got yesterday as part of a gracious donation from a fellow named Chad B. of Highland, Il. Thanks again! Stickers coming soon! I haven’t tried Master Kong products before so I did a little reseasrch on Wikipedia:
Another ‘bottom of the hamper’ pick. Not a huge fan of the bean thread – you surely know that if you’re a follower of this blog. Really hoping to become one though – maybe pork will change my view.
