Over 5,000 Instant Ramen Noodle Reviews Since 2002
Got another box from Javier over at BoxFromJapan.com today! You can subscribe and get a neat box like this every month! Not only that, he also has Japanese snack boxes – lots of neat candies that I don’t think you can find here. For sure, these bowls of ramen aren’t available here in the states. Let’s look inside!
Prima Taste saw my call for donations/samples and asked if they could help – and I said absolutely!
I got a knock at the door – I was expecting a couple boxes today, but they’re either held up in costoms or still travelling. then I got handed this by the postman! This is a box from reader Jen of Australia! I posted an urgent call to readers of my need for varieties to review (the hampers have been getting very low). Well, she answered that call and sent a nice box of new stuff to check out! Let’s look inside!
The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Thai Instant Noodles Of All Time 2016 Edition really has been a long time coming. After trying over 150 different Thai instant noodles throughout the years, I thought it was about time for a Top Ten Thailand list. If there is one thing that is ubiquitous when Thailand is mentioned, it’s tom yum – whose flavors figure strongly in this list. So print out a copy and run to your local Asian grocery and get some tasty Thai noodles! Hopefully there will be a 2017 edition of Top Ten Thai Instant Noodles as well – if you are an instant noodle manufacturer in Thailand, please contact me about doing a spotlight of your products! Also, I’ve decided that I will be sharing the add-ons I use in each variety here – note that all tasting/reviewing is done PRIOR to anything being added out of fairness. Hope you enjoy the first ever The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Thai Instant Noodles Of All Time 2016 Edition.
Got a package yesterday! I was recently in California and saw my cousin Mike O. I asked him if the next time he visited Brazil if he could possibly look for some noodles I’ve wanted to review. As it turned out, his wife Adriana O. was currently down there and he’d let her know. Well, turns out she found some and he sent them to me once she returned!
A couple of weeks ago, I posted an urgent call for instant noodle varieties. I’ve gotten a great response and this is one of them. A guy in Arlington, MA named Colin contacted me and offered some varieties! Let’s see what he sent!
Today I heard a beep and then a knock at our door. The beep usually is the postman about to knock and then ask for my signature. Today, I received a package from Wesley of Japan! This is something he shipped back on December 18th, 2015 (it’s February 11th, 2016 today) and we weren’t sure it would ever make it here. But it did! Let’s have a look!
So every time I do a Top Ten list, I try to let the companies that make that list know. I usually post directly on their Facebook page a congratulatory message. Well, CarJEN’s J.J. Snek Mi Perisa BBQ made the new Top Ten Instant Noodle Snacks list, and I saw something neat on their page!
Dear Readers,
I took a look in my noodle hamper to find a horrifying scene: I’m low. Really low. On instant noodles I haven’t reviewed. Without new varieties to review, this site will grind to a screeching halt.
Instant noodle… snacks? Yeah! Snacks of all kinds have come from instant noodles – candy, crunchy bits, you name it. They’re popular all over Asia and also the United States; have you ever taken a pack of instant noodles, crushed them and added in the seasoning and shaken the bag up and eaten them like potato chips or popcorn? Well, this is popular elsewhere as well! Let’s check out my favorite instant noodle snacks from over 1,900 reviews. Enjoy!
South Korea has the highest per person consumption of instant noodles in the world. It’s not a surprise that their instant noodle are quite good – usually the noodles (known as ramyun) are thicker and accompanied by a spicy broth. These are my very favorite varieties of South Korean instant noodles – hope you enjoy!
Every January 19th for the past 5 years, I’ve done a special post in homage of Momofuku Ando. Who was he? Just the guy who invented instant noodles in 1958. If it weren’t for him, my world would be a whole lot different – and many other people’s as well. Actually, I should thank Mr. Ando’s wife as well – the story is that he was attempting to make an easily prepared, shelf stable instant noodle, but couldn’t figure out how. He tried many different techniques, but it was when he saw his wife making tempura in the kitchen one night that it dawned on him – fry the cooked noodles. This leaves holes in the noodles and extrudes the water. Not only that, the oil keeps the noodles shelf stable for a long time. His vision of a way to create and easy way to feed the masses has been a huge success and considered one of the great innovations of the 20th century. I think he deserves a day in his honor, and that day is today, January 19th.
I found out about Box From Japan on Reddit last year and sent the guy who runs the service an email. Javier sent me a sample box and I reviewed the included varieties and they were really great! He was nice enough to send me yet another one – every box has had some seriously great selections unavailable in the United States inside! Let’s take a look!
Looking forward to sharing new reviews with everyone in 2016!
Two days ago, I got a big box full of really nice gifts and product samples from Prima Taste of Singapore. Well, yet another box showed up today. I had an idea of the product samples that might be in the first, but not sure on this one – let’s open it!
A big box came today! I was expecting one from Prima Taste of Singapore – they have a couple new varieties I’ve been curious to try – let’s see what’s inside!
I rarely mention anything to do with the operation of The Ramen Rater blog, but I figured today would be a good time to do so and could help a lot of folks. I noticed that none of the videos on the blog were working after I upgraded to the newest WordPress 4.4. I used to do this:
Here’s a video of me reviewing an instant noodle for an upcoming review. I did it for a TV show in Japan, but they didn’t want to use it so I made them another one. This is the beginning to end of a review – I do this pretty much the same way every time, although it’s a little different when it comes to cups and bowls – I either take pictures of the sides if they’re not able to be removed or scan them, as well as the lid. Hope you find this interesting and enjoy it!
A tube! What’s inside?
An autographed poster from the folks at MyKuali HK! This will go into the Wall of Fame soon as it’s laminated! Thanks!
I found out about Box From Japan on Reddit recently and sent the guy who runs the service an email. Javier sent me a sample box and I reviewed the included varieties and they were really great! He was nice enough to send me yet another one – last box had some seriously great stuff inside! Let’s look inside this one!
I’ve been a huge fan of curry over the years. I’ve made all sorts of sauces and soups and this is one of my favorites – works great with leftover turkey and some easily found ingredients – check it out and if you try it, let me know what you think!
My wife got me a gift off of Amazon. She didn’t say what it was. I immediately mentioned I’d emailed a publisher of a book asking for a review copy. Then I got the look.
Got an unexpected box from Michael C. over at Eastland foods today!
An Indofood reusable shopping bag!
A lot of people have come to my site from the United States, knowing only a couple varieties, those usually being chicken or beef, pack or cup. If that’s you, this is kind of a beginner’s guide to exploring the different brands and varieties that are pretty easily sourced here in the States. You can find many of these in your local grocery store, although some might require a trip to the Asian grocery, or to Amazon. But all of them can be found here, unlike many I review that only are sold in their local countries. Many of these have even been on my top ten lists, past and present – so get ready to have some of my favorite and most memorable varieties that you can easily find here in the United States!
In the last few years, I’ve seen a large amount of articles with titles like ‘Best Ramen Hacks,’ ‘Pimp Your Ramen’ and so on. These titles fall under the category of clickbait – using hipster terminology and such to entice one to click on them. Usually, they’re all things people know about already; vegetables, oils and such. This is a list of my favorite add-ons and garnishes. While some may be familiar to you, others may not be. It’s also geared to help you navigate the Asian Grocery, a place many find to be alien to them but I have found to be one of the most vibrant and wonderful places I visit very regularly. Finally, I also included some tips of storage and how long these products last for those on a tight budget. In no particular order, here’s this new list!
I’ve been finding out about a lot of great new instant noodle box subscription services lately and here’s the latest find: The Ramen Box. Let’s have a peek inside.
Got a very unexpected knock on the door this morning and the FedEx guy was there!
I wonder what they could be?
Got an email a couple months ago from Casey P. in Hong Kong. He’s been following the blog for years and wanted to send some thing for me to review! Thank you so much! He sent two boxes – here’s the second one.
Got an email a couple months ago from Casey P. in Hong Kong. He’s been following the blog for years and wanted to send some thing for me to review! Thank you so much! He sent two boxes – here’s the first one.
Hey everyone! I’m hoping you have been enjoying the website and my reviews! I was hoping you could do me a huge favor. There’s a yearly contest (longtime followers of the blog will remember it from previous years) called KING5’s BEST Of Western Washington. Basically, it’s a local contest where people can vote for their favorites. I’ve been in the Best Food Blog category for a couple of years now and hoping this year could be a little different – I really want to win this! The only downside is that you have to sign up and give your email address. Well, this year you can do so and tick a box during the process to ‘opt out’ of receiving any junk mail from them. It would mean a great deal to me if you could spend a minute and vote! It doesn’t matter where or what country you’re in, and if you’re a manufacturer, get everone at your factory to vote, please! You can do so by clicking here. Thank you very much!
James B. sent me a box a while back with some great stuff in it and here he strikes again with even more! Thanks, man! Let’s see what’s inside!
I found out about Box From Japan on Reddit recently and sent the guy who runs the service an email. Javier sent me a sample box and I reviewed the included varieties and they were really great! He was nice enough to send me another one – let’s see what’s inside!
I remember hearing about ‘the original’ sriracha sauce a while back. It really seemed illogical that the ‘original’ would be made in Southern California, especially since I was in a city called Sriracha in Thailand this May. I found a Bon Appetit article mentioning the true original and some comment by Eastland Foods. I emailed my contact Michael over there to see if he could help me out with a sample – and he really came through (the original sriracha came in the other box) – thanks! Let’s see what’s in these boxes!
I remember hearing about ‘the original’ sriracha sauce a while back. It really seemed illogical that the ‘original’ would be made in Southern California, especially since I was in a city called Sriracha in Thailand this May. I found a Bon Appetit article mentioning the true original and some comment by Eastland Foods. I emailed my contact Michael over there to see if he could help me out with a sample – and he really came through – thanks! Let’s see what’s in these boxes!
Today, I have a half of a documentary – unfortunately, if you want the other half you have to pay for it… But the first half is a real eye opener for people who have frequented the Seattle International District. Definitely spend 15 minutes of your day to watch this.
A nice package came in the mail today from Thailand! I saw some pictures one of the people I met in Thailand posted on facebook that showed some neat yellow-packaged varieties I’d not tried and so I asked what they were.
I got a little box in the mail from my friend Dwayne in Tennessee. He asked me a while back about instant noodle from Malaysia and every once in a while, I’ll just send someone who asks about noodles a nice box of them. Since then we’d been conversing and he mentioned he grows peppers. I was given some peppers at the very end of my trip to Malaysia by Annie at MyKuali – cili padi peppers – little hot ones! When I got back here, I thought why not crack some of them open and pull out seeds. I sent some to a coupl eof people and Dwayne was one of them. This was over a year ago and now, the seeds have grown!
A new year brings the The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Taiwanese Instant Noodles Of all Time 2015 Edition. After reviewing over 1,750 different varieties, these are my favorites hailing from Taiwan. Taiwan’s instant noodles are different from those of any other country; so curious about what direction their flavors go next. With that, let’s dig in to the new list for 2015!
When I visited Malaysia last October, I was asked by a newspaper reported when I thought a Malaysian top ten list might come out. I figured once I got to around 70 reviews I could probably put something together. As of today, I’ve reviewed 100 different varieties from Malaysia. What’s more, I am releasing this top ten list on Malaysia’s Independence Day! Hari Merdeka! Happy Birthday, Malaysia! I hope everyone enjoys this list, in my opinion the best of the best instant varieties Malaysia has to offer that I’ve tried yet.
I found out recently that there was a new Nissin Foods USA product or two that was new and asked for some samples – and they arrived today!
