Maruchan Instant Lunch is one of those products you see everywhere in the United States at grocery stores. Maruchan makes these cups as well as packs of ramen. They’re popular in Mexico as well – people refer to soup a lot of the time as ‘maruchan’ as it has become so popular and intrinsic to daily life. A month or so ago, I saw a post on Instagram. This guy was saying how he could eat these Instant Lunch cups (this flavor in particular) for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week. I thought to myself, ‘have I reviewed this one?’ Well as it turns out I had – but it was way back in June of 2011. I’m always on the hunt for instant noodles that cannot be found within the United States – the more exotic the better. This guy’s enthusiasm about this little cup that can be found virtually everywhere here in the USA piqued my curiosity; is it worth another try? So when out grocery shopping, I decided to get one. After two weeks of enjoying varieties from Southeast Asia, I think this should be interesting. Let’s check it out!
Tag: united states
Meet The Manufacturer: #1345: Lotus Foods Forbidden Rice Ramen
Today’s the last day of this awesome Meet The Manufacturer, and I wanted to save the one I found most curious for the end. I’ve NEVER seen anything like this before. These noodles are dark – almost black! They’re made from Lotus Foods’ Forbidden Rice – something I’ve enjoyed for a long time. Forbidden Rice was originally served to Chinese emperors – who resided in the Forbidden City.
Meet The Manufacturer: #1344: Lotus Foods Millet & Brown Rice Ramen
Here’s the second of three varieties of this new ‘Rice Ramen.’ This one is a bit different than the last as it boasts a red miso and uses millet and brown aspects for its noodle. What’s really great about these new products is that they’re Vegan friendly and gluten free – lots of people have asked me about gluten and vegetarian instants and I’m thinking these might be a nice one for those folks to try. Let’s check this one out!
Meet The Manufacturer: Product Samples From Lotus Foods
A box came today!
A box of product samples – wow these looks interesting…
These are all different kinds of rice that Lotus Foods sells – I’ve had the Forbidden Rice before, but didn’t know they made this many!
Meet The Manufacturer: Interview With Lotus Foods
Meet The Manufacturer: #1336: Shirakiku Fresh Chow Mein Noodles With Seasoning
I’m sure you’re gonna say it – this looks familiar. Well, it’s part of a really neat coincidence that happened recently. I reviewed this one by Takamori Kosan of Japan the other day. Well, it was actually made by Sakura Noodle in Los angeles, California for the US market under their name! This one here is also made by Sakura Noodle but under the Shirakiku name. Are they different? Yep! If you look at the ingredients and nutrition facts on eacvh, there are some subtle differences. What’s interesting is that I contacted Takamori Kosan about doing a Meet The Manufacturer with them and they seem quite receptive, so keep an eye out for it coming soon! A day or so later, I was contacted by Sakura Noodle. I looked at their website and noticed this chow mein and asked if perhaps Takamori Kosan had contacted them, but they hadn’t – neat coincidence!
Meet The Manufacturer: #1335: Sakura Noodle Chikara Brand Udon Hot & Spicy Flavor
Today is a good day for spicy noodles. I just did my big walk of the day – something I’ve not been able to do for a week or so – it’s been raining alot here just north of Seattle. A lot. In fact, there was a weather alert for landslides due to so much rain… Sheesh. Walk was good and now I’ve got the pre-season baseball audio going – Giants vs Royals today. I’m a Giants fan – my wife converted me from being a Mariners fan when we got together as she used to play softball and got quite a few trophies. The first year I started following the Giants was 2010, and lo and behold, they won the world Series! Then again in 2012. I think as long as we win the even years, we’re good to go. Anyways, spicy udon sounds really good today and I think I know just what to add to it – Fresno chilli peppers! They’re playing the game today in Scottsdale, AZ, and a lot of their minor league players get a chance to get a chance to be in the roster. Many of them are from the Fresno, CA AAA team. Let’s check these noodles out!
#1284: Thai Kitchen Rice Noodle Cart Sweet Citrus Ginger
Here’s one my wife got for me for Christmas! Thanks, Kitten! There are a myriad of these noodle trays in the US market that I’ve not reviewed and this is one of them. Let’s have a look!
#1253: Nissin Chow Mein Teriyaki Chicken Flavor Chow Mein Noodles
Here’s one I’ve had lurking in the bin for a while – I figured it was time to haul it out and give it a try. Let’s check it out!
#1246: Annie Chun’s Ramen House Chicken Vegetable Flavored Ramen
Here’s one of the new varieties from Annie Chun’s that they sent! It’s 22 degrees outside – very cold! This looks appropriate for such a cold day – let’s check it out!
#1242: Thai Pavilion Garlic Chili Instant Rice Noodles & Sauce
Here’s one my wife got for me at a drug store a while back. It’s made in Thailand but for sale in the USA. Let’s check it out!
#1225: Nissin Pan Asian Kitchen Sweet & Sour Chicken Flavor Ramen Noodles
Man I’m beat and my feet hurt. Maybe Birkenstock sailboat deck sandals aren’t the best choice for walking 2 miles. This sounds good though – I really like sweet and sour! This one’s made in the United States, too! Let’s give this one a peek.
#1196: Nissin Bowl Noodles Chicken Flavor
Here’s another one from Scott A. over at Nissin Foods USA – thanks! This is a straight chicken flavor bowl – a new product. My son Andy really likes chicken noodles – I’ll steal a taste of it and let him demolish it! Let’s check it out.
#1178: Nongshim Shin Black Spicy Pot-au-feu Flavor Premium Noodle Soup
You might be thinking, ‘hey – didn’t he already review this?’ Nope – I reviewed the Shin Ramyun Black cup from South Korea. This is the one that is manufactured here in the United States in Rancho Cucamonga, California.So what is this ‘Pot-au-feu’ flavor? I consulted Wikipedia and found this:
#1165: Nissin Chow Mein With Shrimp Chow Mein Noodles
Really? I haven’t reviewed this? Nope! Wow – who’dathunkit? Well then, without further ado, let’s check out these chow mein noodles – with shrimp!
#1155: Komforte Chockolates Savory Ramen
A friend of mine told me about these chocolate bars with ramen noodles in them a while back and finally I made it to the store that has them locally. I know this isn’t my normal thing to review, but hey, thar be noodles in this sucka! Let’s have an up close and personal look at this unique bar.
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!
#1130: Nissin Big Cup Noodles Habanero Lime Shrimp Flavor Ramen Noodle Soup
The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Spiciest Instant Noodles Of All time 2013 Edition
This year, we’ve got some new fiery additions to this list of spicy and burning hot varieties. If you can find them, you’ll be feeling quite the burn! If you think you’ve found anything hotter or noteworthy of being on this list, please comment below or send me an email. Without further adieu, here’s the 2013 picks for the spiciest instant noodles I’ve found after 1,128 reviews!
#1125: Myojo Japanese Style Noodles Shio Flavor
Here’s another I got up at T&T Supermarket in Canada! Shio is one of four main categories of ramen in Japan (Tonkotsu, Shoyu and Miso being the others). Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about Shio:
The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodle Cups Of All Time 2013 Edition
Cups were the second instant noodle innovation that really took the world by storm. Nissin founder Momofuku Ando of Japan decided that a cup would be a really handy way to have instant noodles on the go. His creation came to the market in 1971. Forty-two years later, the instant noodle landscape is filled with many different cup designs and contents – some all inclusive only needing hot water,m and some requiring a little more with packets – and some even with forks! Of all the varieties I’ve tried to date, here are my favorite ten.
#1115: Nissin Pan Asian Kitchen Sukiyaki Beef Flavor Savory Soy Sauce Ramen Noodles
Here’s another one sent by Scott over at Nissin USA – thanks! Some may be wondering what sukiyaki is – here’s what Wikipedia had to say:
The Ramen Rater Top Ten Noodle Bowls Of All Time 2013 Edition
After more than a year of pondering and reviewing since the last list, here’s the new top ten instant noodle bowls. This encompasses all instant noodle bowls reviewed up to today, June 15th, 2013. With no further adieu, the top ten instant noodle bowls of all time, 2013 edition.
#1046: Myojo Stir Fry Noodles Japanese Style Noodles With Sauce
Found this one at Uwajimaya in Bellevue and thought it was worth a try. I do like Worcestershire sauce!
#1039: Maruchan Bowl Hot & Spicy Shrimp Flavor Ramen Noodles With Vegetables
Here’s the last of the three product samples sent by the nice folks at Maruchan – thanks again! Spicy shrimp sounds good – let’s check it out.
The Ramen Rater Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2013 Edition
#966: Meet The Manufacturer: Annie Chun’s Ramen House Spring Vegetable Ramen
Here’s another one from Annie Chun’s . This is one from their Ramen House line. Let’s check it out!
#962: Nongshim Bowl Noodle Soup Spicy Seafood Flavor (New Version)
I reviewed the original version (non-microwavable) quite a while back and really liked it – it even made the Top Ten Instant Noodle Bowls list. Today I’m going to check out the new version.
#947: Maruchan Yakisoba Jalapeno Cheddar Flavor
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!
Re-Review: Maruchan Creamy Chicken Flavor Ramen Noodle Soup
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!
#938: Maruchan Yakisoba Four Cheese Flavor
An absolute surprise yesterday! Found this and two other Maruchan Yakisoba varieties I’ve been hunting for for quite a long time! Let’s give it a try!
Re-Review: Nissin Top Ramen Cucharealo Home-Style Tomato Chicken Flavor Ramen Noodle Soup
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.
#930: Maruchan 35% Less Sodium Instant Lunch Beef Flavor Ramen Noodles With Vegetables
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…
Re-Review: Paldo Namja Ramyun (Men’s Ramyun)
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.
Re-Review: Indomie Mi Instan Rasa Mi Cakalang
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.
Re-Review: Nissin Spoon it Rich & Hearty Beef Stew Flavor Ramen Noodle Soup
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.
Re-Review: Nongshim Jinjja Jinjja (Really Really) Ramyun
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.
#920: Shirakiku Udon Hot & Spicy Oriental Style Noodle
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!
Re- Review: emart Ramen e Ramen White Broth Noodle Soup
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!
The International Lunch
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!