Note – This list has been superseded by The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodle Bowls 2022 List – See it HERE
Well, it’s been another year of reviews and these are my favorite bowl varieties out of reviews #1 to #3790. All sorts of bowls from all over the world have been tried. It’s been a crazy year and it seems (at least in this neck of the woods) things are starting to mellow which is truly wonderful. It’s been a crazy month too – today is Memorial Day, May 31st, 2021. I’ve walked over 1 million steps this month, and on Friday did my personal record – 33 miles in a day. Yes, my feet hurt. Anyways, if you have varieties you want to see reviewed whether they be bowls, cups, packs or otherwise, please contact me. With that, let’s check out this Top Ten Instant Noodle Bowls Of All Time 2021 Edition.
The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodle Bowls Of All Time 2021 Edition
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A special show of The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodle Bowls Of All Time 2021 Edition.
The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodle Bowls Of All Time 2021 Edition
#10 – Ve Wong Dah Wei Wong Artificial Premium Garlic Pork Flavor – Taiwan
To me, one of the most important things in scoring an instant noodle is whether or not it tastes like it is claimed to in the title of the product. This one comes with a good noodle, and a broth that’s just wonderful. It has the taste of stewed pork and garlic. It’s milky and just works so well. What’s more, this one was pretty inexpensive. Try it if you see it! Original review
#9 – Qi Shi Liu Ren Back To Henan – China
This one was not at all what I expected when I picked it up at a store called Foodyworld up in Canada. The noodle is broad – like biang biang or belt noodle. The broth has a milky way about it – and it’s supposed to be lamb flavored! I guess that what the animal character on the lid is supposed to be. Whatever is going on here, I think Henan must have a seriously great food culture – these were quite good and if I see another from these folks, I’ll go back to them to try again. Original review
#8 – TTL Sesame Oil Chicken With Rice Wine Noodle – Taiwan
TTL stands for Taiwan Tobacco & Liquor and indeed there’s a sachet of rice wine in here! Add to that a big retort pouch full of decent sized chunks of chicken, good noodles and garnish, This is definitely a bowl to seek out and try. Original review
#7 – Samyang Foods Samyang Ramen Hot – South Korea
A newcomer to the list, however a flavor I’ve known for a while. Samyang Ramen and Samyang Ramen Hot are just plain delicious; a thick and chewy noodle is coupled with a great spicy ham broth which is just sensational. It hit #3 this year on my Top Ten South Korean list. Original review
#6 –Sau Tao Laksa Flavour Trolley Noodles – Hong Kong
A fresh noodle is paired with Sau Tao’s absolutely wonderful laksa broth to create a very tasty bowl. Notes of coconut are prevalent and the noodle has a very nice chew to it. Original review
#5 – Sau Tao Tom Yum Flavour Trolley Noodle – Hong Kong
I was just going to lump this and the previous variety together in one spot, but they truly deserve their own spots. This one takes the cake. Again, the noodle is shelf-stable fresh with a nice gauge and chew. The broth is just a wonderful luxuriant tom yum with a little heat, very savory, and everything you’d expect in a tasty tom yum. Just wonderful. Original review
#4 – Little Cook Braised Beef Noodles With Tendon & Meat – Taiwan
Okay so first off, this is a heavy bowl. There’s a huge retort pouch in here full of beef and beef tendon. The noodles are wide and have a great chew and the broth has a nice flavor. But the start of the show is that braised beef and tendon – it’s perfect and there’s just so much of it. Very impressive! Original review
#3 – Nongshim K*Army Stew Style Noodle Soup – United States
This is just awesome. Budae Jjigae is a fusion of American and Korean cuisine. Take a tangy broth with kimchi notes and wrangle it with beans, macaroni, SPAM and other Army ration staples and you’ve got budae jjigae. I love this stuff and everyone I’ve introduced it to does as well. Original review
#2 – Nongshim Tonkotsu Ramen Premium Noodle Soup – United States
Extremely happy about this one – this is super good. This variety is microwaved. The noodles came out just perfect – even a nice chew on them. The broth is a milky and luxuriant tonkotsu – deep and tasty. The nice part is it comes with a spicy sachet, so you can make it spicy or non spicy tonkotsu, depending on your taste/mood. One of the best tonkotsu varieties I’ve had. Original review
#1 – Little Cook Thailand Green Curry Instant Noodle – Taiwan
Wow – I’m so freaking impressed with this one. First, there are two bowls. Peel back the lid of the first bowl and add boiling water. After a short time, you poke holes in the lid and drain the liquid into the second. A sachet of soup base is added and you have a soup with lots of corn and herbs. Next, a huge sachet with chicken and vegetables boasts a great spicy green curry flavor which mixes with the noodle. A really amazing product which is unique and delicious. Original review
Announcements
Instant Noodle Recipe Time Reaches Episode 1000
A few years back, I decided to try doing a show where I would record myself preparing and sampling the noodles I review. It’s been a lot of fun and a great way to share ideas about what I do every days. Today, episode 1000 is here and it’s a very unique episode. In the image above, you might have noticed that’s not noodles. But actually, it is! Bread made with instant noodles and seasoning as an ingredient! Longtime friend author Matthew Bellah has experimented with making a noodle-centric offering as of late and the results have been quite fascinating! Instant Noodle Recipe Time comes out daily at 2pm Pacific time. Check it out!
The Ramen Rater Group On Facebook
Want to hang out with like minded instant noodle fans? There’s over 61,000 of them now in Ramen Junkies / Instant Noodles – The Ramen Rater, a group on Facebook. You can see what people are creating, looking for, and discovering! Join us!
The Ramen Rater Shop
People have been asking where to get a lot of varieties and so I’ve partnered with Exotic Noods to bring you The Ramen Rater Shop. Here you’ll find an expending variety of instant noodles at a pretty decent price. You’ll be able to try a wide array of varieties and not have to buy a ton of each variety. I really wanted to have a way you could just buy a single pack of two at a time. The same way I do when I visit an Asian grocery.
The All New The Ramen Rater App For Android
The Ramen Rater App for Android has been given a whole new look and functionality. You can scan bar codes to see reviews I’ve done while at the store, peruse the top ten lists, and do simple searches. It’s really great – even a dark mode! Best of all it’s free and currently ad-free.
