I really wanted to demo this stuff with something like, oh I dunno – Buldak Kimchi – which would’ve been fun. Unfortunately, they have so curtailed their individual pack options at HMart that there were literally only two Korean varieties. Yep. I ended up getting a pack of Meoguri at the local grocery store – pretty sad. I went with Neoguri though because it’s quite nice stuff, and I believe I saw a video of this kimchi mix being used with Neoguri – seems an apt pairing. Well, let’s give it a shot!
Tag: the ramen rater
Nakama Noodles Unboxing – December 2024 + Coupon Code
Today, I’m unboxing MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles box. I’d say this is a great gift for someone who loves ramen – it won’t get to them for the holidays, however you can let them know they’ll be getting some really awesome Japanese ramen in the new year! You can get their monthly selection of 8-10 varieties – and this box they sent was full of varieties I’ve never reviewed before, plus they include PACKS!!! I’ll be doing unboxings for them and have a coupon code you can use – THERAMENRATER (of course)! Watch the video below – you’ll see why I’m excited.
#5051: Sapporo Ichiban Premier Rich Kagoshima Black Pork Dashi Miso Ramen – Japan
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! Inside, they have 8-10 different varieties from Japan! If you’d like to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount! Let’s see what they had to say about this one – “Miso ramen is famous in Hokkaido, but this pack changes things up by taking it to coastal prefecture of Kagoshima. This tasty pack combines rich miso with a Kagoshima pork dashi (Japanese soup stock) to create an extra savory bowl of ramen!”
#5050: Miliket Bowl Noodle Soup Beef Flavor Instant Noodles – Vietnam
Here’s another neat one by way of James from Lakeside, CA. This is another one where I dunno who they think they’re foolin’ but it sure looks like a different brand. Regardless, it’s time to cook, so lets.
Happy 8th Birthday Miriam! Repost: #2330: Ve Wong Little Prince(ss) Brand Snack Noodles Artificial Mexican Pizza Flavor
So I did this review the morning that my daughter Miriam was born eight years ago today. Happy Birthday, Miriam! I’ve been reposting it every year with a little update. So, here it is!
#5049: Surasang ’88 Seoul Topokki Rice Cake With Hot Sauce – South Korea
Another one sent by James of Lakeside, CA – thanks again! Nope – no noodles here, but definitely something you’ll find on shelves next to instant ramyun bowls, that’s for sure. tteokbokki are tubes of rice cake which are soft and chewy – and in this one they’re in a spicy, sweet sauce. Let’s check it out and give it a try!
#5048: Acecook Siu Kay 7 Level Spicy Noodles Beef – Vietnam
Another one from James of Lakeside, CA – thanks! The last one of these Siu Kay variants was seafood – and incredibly good. I’m curious about this one – let’s cook it and maybe a mukbang at the bottom.
Prima Taste Changes Packaging & Size
As you may know at this point. I’m a huge fan of Prima Taste’s Laksa and Curry LaMian for ages now. Awesome noodle and broth – really worth trying. It’s been on my global top ten – it’s that good. Well, the package is changing as well as the size of serving. Let’s do and unboxing – soon there will be in depth reviews!
#5047: Acecook The Back Local Shop Sapporo Black Shoyu Ramen – Japan
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! Inside, they have 8-10 different varieties from Japan! If you’d like to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount! Let’s see what they had to say about this one – “Next up, we’re heading up to Sapporo (which doesn’t directly touch the ocean but it’s SO close). This cup ramen is a powerful combo of flavors, combining shoyu (soy sauce) with mayu (scorched black garlic oil) from Kumamoto to create a black shoyu soup!”
Choi Sends New Sriracha Ramen Cups!
This stuff has been enjoyable in the past and if it’s what I think it is, it should be even better. The Choi restaurant ramen is excellent – curious to see how it goes – but for now let’s take a look at it !@
James From Lakeside, CA Strikes Again
Usually when I’m least expecting it or if I’m low on noodles to review, a box shows up from James of Lakeside, California. It’s pretty crazy. This one has some really great stuff in there – some of which I’ve now tried and really enjoyed reviewing, so thanks! You’ll all get to see the reviews soon. Until then, check out some noodles!
#5046: Miliket Bowl Noodle Soup Shrimp Tomyum Flavor – Vietnam
Big thanks to James from Lakeside, CA – awesome! What a day. July 1st. Well, it’s the first day I’ve dragged the kids out for a long walk. They did really quite well – just a smidge over 6 miles. The weather was crappy though – warm, yes – but very cloudy and humid; like walking through a world that feels like walking into a bathroom after someone took a shower. I was going tyo get these posts ready to do my reviews this morning, but I slept in a little bit, and when I got home with the kids and planned on doing it then, I got to call my internet service provider since my bill went up $40 a month, then when they screwed my downgrade up, I had to call back. Sheesh. But lunch is over and I’ve got some caffeine at my side. Let’s get ‘er done.
#5045: MAMA Oriental Style Instant Noodles Shrimp Flavor (Tom Yum) – Thailand
This is a special one. I’m doing a collab with a bar in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood called Time Warp, and this is the variety I’ve picked for July 2024 for their menu. This is the pack version and they’ve got the cup version – for some reason, nobody’s got any cups around here of this one which is a bummer, but it’s very similar. So, let’s cook it up!
#5044: Acecook Siu Kay Wok 7 Level Spicy Noodles Seafood – Vietnam
Another one sent by James from Lakeside, CA – thanks! This is really fascinating. Is it going to be incredibly spicy? It sounds good… Well, no way to know until I cook it and give it a try.
Barnacle Foods Sends Unique Kelp Chili Crisp From Alaska!
A few redditors mentioned a few chili crisps they thought should be on my Chili Crisp Roundup post and so I reached out and Barnacle Foods’ Kelp Chili Crisp was one of them. You can get it here. As of publishing this, I haven’t tried it yet, but soon it will be on that roundup post, as well as tried with different ramen! This one sounded particularly interesting as many acquaintances over the years from my hometown of Anacortes would head up to Alaksa to do commercial fishing. I also played with kelp when I was a kid on the shore – yeah we didn’t have a whole lot to do.Maybe your ramen junkie friend would like this for the holidays? Check out the vid and a big thanks to Barnacle Foods for sending it along!
#5043: Dujosoo Soba Noodles With Spring Onion Oil Sauce – China
Here’s one sent by James from Lakeside, CA – thanks! This one’s kind of funny – I’ve reviewed products by Dujosoo before, but this is like My Little Pony meets Pokemon meets onions! Let’s see what happens!
#5042: Acecook Gyorantei Yokosuka Navy Curry Ramen – Japan
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! Inside, they have 8-10 different varieties from Japan! If you’d like to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount! Let’s see what they had to say about this one – “Yokosuka, in Kanagawa Prefecture, is known for its naval base and as a curry town. This limited-time curry ramen comes from the very popular shop Gyorantei. It has a deep, flavorful curry soup with plenty of spice that’ll transport you straight to this seaside town.”
#5041: Vifon Hoang Gia Banh Da Cua – Vietnam
This comes by way of James from Lakeside, CA – thank you again! So these look interesting – they employ brown rice noodles. Let’s give it a whirl!
#5040: Ramen Bae Dried Ramen Toppings – Beef Mix – United States
I saw a couple new varieties from Ramen Bae coming out and asked for samples – and here’s a couple of them. Today, I’ll toss in some beef mix and the enoki mushroom mix. Today’s an interesting day – it’s national sunglasses day, bingo day, work from home day, and the big debate. It’s about ten a.m. here and I’m really looking forward to making a pizza, having a couple of drinks, and watching 90 minutes of insanity. This will probably come out well after the election is over, so who knows. My prediction is that Biden does really quite well. Whichever side you’re on, hopefully the world isn’t completely broken when you see this. Let’s make some noodles!
T&T Supermarket Comes To Bellevue, WA
I was so stoked – we used to go up to Canada often to visit the Asian grocery stores up there to hunt for noodles to review. Well, one big player in Vancouver is T&T Supermarket. What’s cool is now they’ve opened one nearby at the site of an old Walmartr. They opened Thursday. We attempted to go Saturday. Watch the video to check it out! Note – I’ll do something more in-depth soon as this is the largest Asian grocery in North America.
My Thoughts On The Massive Mukbang Varieties
Lately, South Korea has been pumping out a new breed of instant ramyeon – the MMV (Massive Mukbang Variety) as I have come to call them. These are generally trays with enormous servings, made for a single person to challenge and consume. It seems to me that the need for attention overrides the need for self preservation at this point. I’ll outline why I really don’t think these are really safe for one to eat on their own, and although I will do a mukbang of something spicy, I will never attempt one of these.
#5039: Surfmama Dan Dan Noodles – Taiwan
Well, that’s it. I’m out. No nodles left here to review. Been on a real tear of reviewing lately which is nice, but now I need to find more… Hmmm… It’s May 30th, 2024 as I write this which is kinda crazy. I’m guessing it’s closer to winter in your timeframe? Elections probably over by now… Crazy. Well, let’s cook it up. I’ll figure out where to get more noodles tomorrow.
Yun Hai Taiwanese Pantry Sends Taiwan’s Su Chili Crisp!
When I released my Chili Crisp Roundup & Buyers Guide in late November, it got a lot of attention – from how I called the stuff love sludge to varieties I’d not tried. This was one of the latter, mentioned by a fellow redditor – thank you! Anyways, These are chili crisp varieties from Taiwan you can get at Yum Hai Taiwanese Pantry – let’s have a look!
#5038: Surfmama Sour & Spicy (Vegan) – Taiwan
These have been really wonderful so far and really glad to be reviewing them! Let’s cook these up!
#5036: Surfmama Shiitake Zhajiang Noodle – Taiwan
I’m generally not a fan of mushrooms, but I’m curious about this one. I do like zhajiang though… I reviewed the Mom’s Dry Noodle pack of this a long time ago, so afterwards I’ll take a look at what I thought back then.
#5035: Kinjabang Spicy Shadow Style Thin Cut Noodles – United States
Well, the last one of these wasn’t very good. Very salty. Noodle was nice though. This one has a different style noodle and claims to be spicy. Hopefully it isn’t just a spicy rendition of their original flavor. We will see.
#5034: Tan Xiao Ai Sour & Spicy Noodle – China
Here’s one found at S*Mart a couple of months ago. It looks like the fellow on the cup is Tan Xiao Ai, maybe a drama actor, or a professional go player, but I’m guessing the former. Lots of sachets in this one – let’s get to it.
#5033: Kinjabang Kin Style Medium Cut Noodles – United States
Okay so this stuff is cursed. I started writing the post for this one and now I have to write it all over again. WTH??? Anyways, I found it at QFC Supermarket in Edmonds, Washington. It seems this is related to some group or apparel company? That’s a little weird. Anyways, let’s give it a try.
#5032: Surfmama Sichuan Spicy – Taiwan
Check this out! New Surfmama packages arrived at my door the other day (late May 2024) and now I’m reviewing them. Let’s check out the spicy mala!
#5031: O’Food Seafood Ramen – South Korea
It’s kind of funny; I think of ‘top o’ the day to you’ or bits o’ beef’ when I see this company name. Anyways, found this at QFC supermarket in Edmonds, Washington when I was looking for curry simmer sauce. Weird. It’s was only $1.49, which isn’t bad!
#5030: Myojo Authentic Japanese Udon Original Flavor – United States
It’s been a while since I tried a bunch of udon varieties and this is the last of the recent varieties sent by Myojo – thanks again! Let us begin.
#5029: Sapporo Ichiban Pokemon Noodle Sendai Spicy Miso Ramen – Japan
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! Inside, they have 8-10 different varieties from Japan! If you’d like to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount! Let’s see what they had to say about this one – “Who’s that cup ramen? It’s spicy miso! That’s right—we’re starting our watch party with a special Pokémon collab cup ramen, complete with Pokémon sticker! This ramen features the fire types Charizard and Fuecoco because it’s sure to give you a spicy fire punch!”
#5028: Myojo Authentic Japanese Udon Chicken Flavor – United States
Chicken udon time! Myojo sent me two of each of these varieties I’ve been reviewing and I have been taking the udon out of the extras and my wife and been enjoying it a lot. She likes to make a cheese sauce and put slices of hot dog with it. True story! I must admit, that sounds pretty good… Anyways, let make some chicken udon!
The Ramen Rater’s Chili Crisp Roundup & Buyer’s Guide
A couple of years ago, I found out about Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp. A crunch, oil, and a little spiciness. I dubbed it ‘Love Sludge’ – it was so good that I evangelized it to all my friends. Since then, the enamor has most certainly worn off. I don’t know if they changed the recipe, but the last couple of times I’ve gotten some, it’s ended up in the bin, not completely used. Well, I thought a list of alternatives to Lao Gan Ma that are out there that not everyone’s heard of (nor I myself) would be neat. So, I started sending a few emails, asking for samples, and here’s The Ramen Rater’s Chili Crisp Roundup & Buyer’s Guide. I figure 14 varieties is more than enough to show a landscape of flavor and textures that are out in the wild – and I’m sure there are many more. With holidays coming up, if you’ve got a ramen junkie or chilehead to get something for, there’s a lot of different things here that will work that they might not have tried. These are in order of when I received/bought them. Each one has a link to where you can get them. If I end up with more, I will be happy to add them at the bottom. With that, let’s get oily!
#5027: Myojo Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen – United States
The second of two fresh ramen varieties from Myojo USA! This you’ll find in the refrigerated section. Looking forward to this – let’s give it a try!
#5026: Maruchan QTTA Thick & Light Cheese Cream – Japan
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! Inside, they have 8-10 different varieties from Japan! If you’d like to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount! Let’s see what they had to say about this one – “Next up is a tasty cup ramen that’s as smooth as JJK’s Gojo! The mad men at QTTA came out with a delicious yet light cheese cream ramen with hints of black pepper to keep things spicy (also like Gojo)!”
#5025: Myojo Sapporo Miso Ramen – United States
This one sounds good – it’s a rainy day here so something miso should work well.
Myojo Sapporo Miso Ramen – United States
#5024: Maruchan Seimen Sesame Tare Cold Ramen – Japan
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! Inside, they have 8-10 different varieties from Japan! If you’d like to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount! Let’s see what they had to say about this one – “We know it’s getting warm outside, and it’s probably getting warm inside with your watch party marathon. That’s why we got you a tasty pack of cold ramen with a delicious sesame tare sauce that’s sweet, savory and perfect for cooling off!”
#5023: Yamadai Utsunomiya Yakisoba – Japan
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! Inside, they have 8-10 different varieties from Japan! If you’d like to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount! Let’s see what they had to say about this one – “”Now, let’s take a quick break to enjoy some more yakisoba from Tokyo’s Utsunomiya area! This yakisoba features a special collab sauce with Tsukihoshi (Moon Star) for a delicious saucy experience. Add the special chewy noodles and you have some delicious yakisoba!
#5022: Nissin Donbei Curry Udon – Japan
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! Inside, they have 8-10 different varieties from Japan! If you’d like to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount! Let’s see what they had to say about this one – “If you’re already fired up from the watch party action, this will be sure to set your heart ablaze. This limited-edition Donbei udon features a delicious Japanese dashi stock mixed with curry, cumin and garlic to create a delicious, fragrant curry udon experience!”