Approaching the Canadian border!
A weirdly shaped building; probably full of video cameras pointed at people crossing the border.
The Definitive Source For Instant Noodle Reviews Since 2002
Approaching the Canadian border!
A weirdly shaped building; probably full of video cameras pointed at people crossing the border.
Here it is. The one thousandth review. I’m pretty surprised; really didn’t expect to get this far! But I have and don’t see and end in sight – reviewing instant noodles is a lot of fun for me and looks like all of the people who check out the site like it too!
My wife was under the weather last month and I thought I’d make her something special. She liked some Saimin I made recently and she really likes udon. Another of her favorites is cheese. Well, I decided to bring all of that together and make cheesy udon with SPAM in it. Here for you is the method to the madness.
Wow – here we are; this is the precipice of a very large psychological number! First things first – thanks to Joe & Gil of the UK for sending such a nice mix of interesting noodles! Okay so this is a Pot Noodle – they’re always interesting as the British seem to come up with some really interesting flavors to lend to instant noodles and this is definitely one of them. Doner Kebab. So, what is a Doner Kebab? Well, click here for the seriously huge amount of info from Wikipedia,. Basically what they’re saying is that you have a meat that’s roasted on a vertical spit and then sliced thin and garnished with tomato, lettuce, onion and other things. At least that’s what I’m getting from it. The packaging mentions this is lamb flavor, but beef is also common (and what I’ll use as a garnish).
Hey look at that! The new Shin Ramyun Black cup! Been wanting to review it since I first saw it. I reviewed the other Shin Ramyun Black cup (which was onion flavored) a while back and really enjoyed it immensely. This one’s being promoted by PSY! Yep – Mr. Gangnam Style himself. Let’s check it out…
Here’s one that was kindly sent by Mika over at Sakurai Foods in Japan – thank you! In Japan where ramen is a way of life, there are varieties which are seasonal and this is one of them. This is a winter varietal miso stew. I imagine the winter versions are more ‘stick to your ribsy’ and the summer ones (like one I saw on the Sakurai Foods site) are cold noodles. Awesome! Well, let’s get started.
Right now, I’m at number 996 and going to pause. I will start reviewing again on Sunday, March 10th 2013. Why? Well, I figured I’d give myself a birthday present. #997 on Sunday, #998 on Monday and #999 will be on Tuesday. #1,000 will be reviewed and videotaped on Wednesday and posted on Thursday, which is my birthday!
Here’s one of the new Maruchan Bowls that they recently sent samples of. The only Maruchan bowls I’ve had before were only made in Japan – like the Midori No Tanuki and the Akai Kitsune Udon, both of which are in the Top Ten Instant Noodle Bowls list. Today I’m having the chicken variety.
Wow how cool – samples from Maruchan! first ever!
I saw something about the new Maruchan Bowls on their website and asked my contact about them. Well, they sent me this neat box!
The FedEx guy apologized for the box getting a beating…
Its contents however were resilient!
A box from California…
Wow how awesome! If you’re keen on South Korean noodles, you’ll probably recognize that this is the pack version of Paldo’s Dosirac tray. Paldo sells a lot of these in Russia.
Here’s a package that was sent to me by someone who goes by Sister Laoban from Holland!
Here’s another one from Joe & Gil of the UK! Thanks again! So here we have a pack of noodles that are made in Malaysia for sale in the UK. Beef! Let’s check it out.
Here we go with the 26th edition of The Ramen Rater Noodle News! I scour the Internet for articles about ramen and instant noodles and bring them to you! Here are some recent stories you might find interesting!
I’ve been wanting to re-review this one for a while, and so here we are. Potato noodles! Chewy! Let’s check it out.
Hey look – Tom Yum Shrimp! I really like Tom Yum – spicy, lemon, and shrimp! Let’s check this one out.
I got a couple sent to me from Holland by a reader names Sister Laoban – thanks! I’ve tried Good Noodles before when someone sent me some from over there once before. This one looks interesting – satay.
Here’s the other of the two Prima Taste La Mian varieties they sent. Laksa is a dish that’s extremely popular around the world that comes from Singapore. Wikipedia defines it: “Laksa is a popular spicy noodle soup from the Peranakan culture, which is a merger of Chinese and Malay elements found in Malaysia and Singapore, and Indonesia.”
I know, thewse aren’t noodles but I thought it’d be nice to show some of the other things that Prima Taste sent. This one’s for making rendang – a spicy curried beef.
Curry. For me, it’s up there with bacon, pizza, fried chicken and dim sum. Curry has this flavor that has always enthralled me and can be prepared in so many different ways. Here we have Prima Taste’s take on curry with their Curry La Mian.
Here’s the box that the samples came in…
Six of each…
…of two varieties: Laksa LaMian and Curry LaMian! Really looking forward to trying these!
This is a Meet The Manufacturer that’s been a long time in the making – and well worth it! Prima Taste is a company out of Singapore that makes all sorts of meal kits and now ‘LaMian,’ which is a line of instant noodle products. Here’s the interview I conducted with them via email.
Found this one while strolling through our new Walmart Neighborhood Market just north of here. It’s kind of like you take a Walmart, make it a Super Walmart and then ditch the Walmart part so it’s just groceries. Found this is the Asian foods section and not with the Top Ramen and Cup Noodle. Kind of weird.
This was sent to me by Kristina W. of Arizona – thank you! This one was a toughie to decipher so here’s what I found. GS25 is a chain of convenience stores in South Korea. From what I read on the packaging, this is a product made for them by Paldo. There’s a restaurant in Incheon called Gonghwachun – I think that’s what is being referred to here. Gonghwachun is a famous Chinese restaurant and well known for its Jjajangmyeon. Finally, Jjamppong (also jjambong, champong) is a spicy seafood soup. If I’m wrong, please comment! Anyways, on with the review!
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Here’s another great one sent by Gil & Joe of the UK! This is a Polish variety. What’s Ogorkowa mean? Simple – cucumber soup. I looked around online and found lots of recipes, some using dill pickles and mentioning that pregnant Polish women favored this soup. Well, let’s check it out!
Here’s another one that I was sent from Australia! Singapore soft noodles – never heard of such a thing.
Here’s one that was sent by Sungmin over at Paldo America – thank you! This is a new variety that just came out in South Korea. The name ‘Jong-gah-jip’ is of a well-known kimchi producer. Let’s give this a try!
I saw a lot of posts lately about the fantastic new ‘Anti Loneliness Ramen Bowl’ lately – a product designed by Miso Soup Design. I thought people would really like to know more about it – straight from the source. I was fortunate to be able to contact the makers of this neat new product and did an interview via email. In the future, I’ll be receiving a sample and put it through its paces with a video review! For now, here’s the interview:
Here’s one from Joe & Gil of the UK!!! Haven’t had anything that was Tom Yum in a little while – let’s check it out!
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:
Miso is a classic flavor for ramen broths. Miso is a thick paste which is made from fermented soybeans and rice or barley and commonly used in Japanese soups and sauces.
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.
Here’s another of the Sun Noodle line – pork flavor ramen! Let’s check it out!
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!
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!
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.
Here’s one I found at the Bellevue, Washington Uwajimaya. Pricy stuff – $3.39 for a bowl noodle? Wow. Hope it’s good! Looks like Donbei is a style and tensoba is just a shortening of tempura soba. Let’s hit it!
Here one that came from Korea by way of Kristen W. of Arizona! Thank you so much! I’ve wanted to review this one for a long time! Let’s check this unique variety out.
Here’s another one of the great varieties sent by Joe & Gill of the UK – thanks again! Chilli Beef Pot Noodle. Looks interesting to me!