Category: Other

#2749: Maruchan Bariuma Goboten Udon

#2749: Maruchan Bariuma Goboten Udon

I looked around a bit and read that these big things in here are burdock tempura. Should be interesting – if you don’t know about burdock, here’s some info  from Wikipedia – ...see full post

#2747: Nissin Cup Noodles Kyushu White Flavour (Open Sesame)

#2747: Nissin Cup Noodles Kyushu White Flavour (Open Sesame)

Okay so I’ve reviewed this one in the past, however they’ve changed the recipe. Nissin Singapore sent me samples for review (thank you!) and so I’ve been going through many of these new version cups. ...see full post

#2746: Ve Wong Fried Noodles With Mexican Chili Flavor

#2746: Ve Wong Fried Noodles With Mexican Chili Flavor

This was one I couldn’t leave Taiwan without. I saw this at RT Mart during my trip and passed it up since it was a 4 or 5 pack. But when I saw it again at Carrefour, I realized I’d better snag this one. ...see full post

#2745: Nissin U.F.O. Big Wasabi-Mayo Yakisoba

#2745: Nissin U.F.O. Big Wasabi-Mayo Yakisoba

Another one I picked up at Osaka in the Yaohan Centre up in Richmond, BC. This should prove to be a boatload of yakisoba! So, what’s yakisoba? Here’s what wikipedia has to say on the matter – ...see full post

#2743: Nongshim Korean Clay Pot Ramyun

#2743: Nongshim Korean Clay Pot Ramyun

Here’s one I got up in Canada a few months back. Yeah – lately we go up to Canada almost once a month. It’s fun up there – I’m thinking though we’re going to have to venture outside of just going to Richmond and hitting Vancouver one of these days. ...see full post

#2742: Sapporo Ichiban Akita Kiritanpo Ramen

#2742: Sapporo Ichiban Akita Kiritanpo Ramen

Here’s another one from Zenpop.JP. Zenpop offers a lot of diverse Japanese boxes – lots of assorted things like ramen and also stationary among other things. Here’s what they have to say about this variety – ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2740: Meimen Hot & Sour Noodles Soup

vegan Meet The Manufacturer: #2740: Meimen Hot & Sour Noodles Soup vegan taiwan

Today, we say goodbye to Meimen and their trifecta of instant noodle varieties as we take a look at their hot & sour variety. As I mentioned previously, all three are Vegan-friendly varieties. Let’s dig into this, the final noodle from Meimen for Meet The Manufacturer. ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2739: Meimen Noodles With Soy Bean Paste

Vegan Meet The Manufacturer: #2739: Meimen Noodles With Soy Bean Paste Taiwan Vegan

Here’s another one – the second of three varieties from Meimen of Taiwan for this Meet The Manufacturer series. As mentioned previously, all of these are Vegan-friendly. I should also mention – I really like the artwork on these! Let’s take a look at this soy bean paste variety. ...see full post

#2733: Jinbo Selection SOul Spicy Noodles

#2733: Jinbo Selection SOul Spicy Noodles

Was emailed in October 2017 by a representative of this company about trying their samples. I thought hey – of course, I’ll try them. I don’t know if I’ve ever turned down samples – the only time I do usually is when there’s a variety that’s just noodles – no flavoring. Although I’ve done reviews of just noodles and just broths that can be mixed and matched though. ...see full post

#2732: Nissin Demae Ramen Korean Spicy Flavour Instant Noodle

#2732: Nissin Demae Ramen Korean Spicy Flavour Instant Noodle

Here’s one that came my way from Nissin Hong Kong – thank you! This looks interesting – a Korean variety from Hong Kong. It seems like Korean varieties are popular throughout southeast Asia – saw quite a few in November 2017 in Taiwan. Anyways, let’s have a look inside and give this Korean spicy one a try! ...see full post

#2731: Nissin Donbei Wasabi Tempura Udon

#2731: Nissin Donbei Wasabi Tempura Udon 日清のどん兵衛 だし天茶うどん

Found this one at Uwajimaya a few months back. We decided to go down to a dim sum restaurant nearby called Ocean Star. It used to be Sun Ya – a place I went to growing up and I hadn’t been back since they changed hands a couple years back. ...see full post

#2729: Samyang Foods Kimchi Song Song Ramen

#2729: Samyang Foods Kimchi Song Song Ramen ramyun ramyeon spicy buldak stir

Today we have Song Song Kimchi Ramen. These fermented cabbage varieties out of South Korea are among my favorites. I really like the tangy as well as bright, spicy flavors. Kimchi is interesting; it’s cabbage as well as many other ingredients that is allowed to ferment for an amount of time. ...see full post

#2725: New Touch Yokohama Sanma Men

#2725: New Touch Yokohama Sanma Men - Japan - zenpop.jp

Here’s another instant ramen bowl from Zenpop. Zenpop offers boxes of ramen among other things from Japan – pretty good stuff and definitely worth checking out! Here’s what they have to say about this variety – ...see full post

#2719: Yamamoto Umakaro Negi Ramen

#2719: Yamamoto Umakaro Negi Ramen - japan crate umai crate

Today, we have one that was part of Japan Crate’s Umai Crate. So Japan Crate is a subscription service which has all sorts of different options for you. pretty neat stuff from Japan! There’s a coupon code for you too – just use THERAMENRATER to get a special discount at check out. ...see full post

#2717: Maruchan Umaitsuyu Kitsune Udon

#2717: Maruchan Umaitsuyu Kitsune Udon - Japan - zenpop zenpop.jp www.zenpop.jp

Today we have a Zenpop.JP variety – so what’s Zenpop? They’re a subscription service for all things Japanese! Definitely, check them out. By the way, use coupon code RAMENRATER to get $2 off! Here’s what they had to say about this one – ...see full post

#2715: Myojo Hyobanya Shio Yakisoba

#2215: Myojo Hyobanya Shio Yakisoba - Japan - zenpop zenpop.jp www.zenpop.jp

Today we have a Zenpop.JP variety – so what’s Zenpop? They’re a subscription service for all things Japanese! Definitely, check them out. By the way, use coupon code RAMENRATER to get $2 off! Here’s what they had to say about this variety: ...see full post

#2713: Kenko Foods Michio Kawamura Kimchi Miso Ramen

#2713: Kenko Foods Michio Kawamura Kimchi Miso Ramen umai crate

Today, we have one that was part of Japan Crate’s Umai Crate. So Japan Crate is a subscription service which has all sorts of different options for you. pretty neat stuff from Japan! There’s a coupon code for you too – just use THERAMENRATER to get a special discount at check out. ...see full post

#2712: Maggi 2-Minute Noodles Masala Spicy (Export)

#2712: Maggi 2-Minute Noodle Masala Spicy (Export) - India

Today, it’s probably the most popular variety in India – Maggi Masala. If you ask anyone in India about instant noodles, they’ve heard of this one. I actually got this one up in Canada at Walmart (yep – they have Walmart in Canada). Here’s a little from Wikipedia about this one – ...see full post

#2709: KOKA Signature Black Pepper Fried Noodles

#2709: KOKA Signature Black Pepper Fried Noodles - Singapore - Tat Hui - The Ramen Rater

Well, I thought I was out of KOKA varieties to review and only had a couple duplicates but nope – nada – still got more! See, there are KOKA Signature and KOKA Delight which both look about the same and often have the same flavors. What’s the difference? Well, KOKA Delight is baked noodles – not fried. So I’ve still got a few varieties left. This one is a black pepper flavor noodle – without broth. Black pepper is an interesting thing – very historic as well. Let’s see if I can find something from Wikipedia – ...see full post

#2708: Qinsheng Dumpling Pastry Hot & Sour Flavor

#2708: Qinsheng Dumpling Pastry Hot & Sour Flavor - snackoo

These came by way of Snackoo – a company that supplies you with great snack boxes, containing all sorts of fascinating things as well as ramen noodles. Why not check them out? ...see full post

#2707: My Friend Big Tanuki Udon

#2707: My Friend Big Tanuki Udon - Japan - Umai Crate - Japan Crate - instant ramen - The Ramen Rater

Today, we have one that was part of Japan Crate’s Umai Crate. So Japan Crate is a subscription service which has all sorts of different options for you. pretty neat stuff from Japan! There’s a coupon code for you too – just use THERAMENRATER to get a special discount at check out. ...see full post

#2706: GGE Ramen Snack Tempura Flavor

#2706: GGE Ramen Snack Tempura Flavor

Went to the new Daiso over in Lynnwood, Washington this weekend. I used to get lots of neat bowls from there but unfortunately, those days are over. This was one of the larger Daiso places I’ve seen but unfortunately, they had the crummiest selection of bowls. Makes me bummed out as they had super awesome ones in the past. ...see full post

#2705: Ichiran Ramen Curly Noodles including Original Red Dry Sauce【Only in Fukuoka】

#2805: Ichiran Ramen Curly Noodles including Original Red Dry Sauce【Only in Fukuoka】

So a couple months ago I read an article mentioning this high end fancy instant ramen. Having never seen nor heard of it, I thought I’d better investigate. I mean, how can I be The Ramen Rater if I’m not going to hop on board for something like this? I got some eBay gift cards for Christmas and thought I’d seek this one out. ...see full post

#2704: Maggi Cuppa Chilly Chow

#2704: Maggi Cuppa Chilly Chow

Found this one down in Pleasanton, California during our road trip to visit family in August. Boy – that was a journey! We took Miles (almost 2 years old) and Miri (8 months old). I can say that car seats would be comfy I think but if I were that age I sure wouldn’t want to sit in one for that long – I think the way down was 18 hours and we broke the drive back into two chunks – I think altogether that was about 24 hours with all the stops. ...see full post

#2703: Kenko Foods Genmai (Brown Rice) Ramen

#2703: Kenko Foods Genmai (Brown Rice) Ramen - Umai Crate - Japan Crate

Today, we have one that was part of Japan Crate’s Umai Crate. So Japan Crate is a subscription service which has all sorts of different options for you. pretty neat stuff from Japan! There’s a coupon code for you too – just use THERAMENRATER to get a special discount at check out. ...see full post

#2702: Chuanbei Sichuan Yibin Style Spicy Noodles

#2702: Chuanbei Sichuan Yibin Style Spicy Noodles 川北凉粉,小新拌面,宜宾燃面味,中华老字号

Firstly, thanks to Bobby Y. with help on this variety’s translation! So I found this one up in Canada at a big Asian supermarket a month or so ago. It was at the height of pre-mid-Autumn festival, and mooncakes were in full force. I mean, this place had the biggest display of mooncake I’ve ever seen – even had special display mooncakes that were at least 2 feet across and! ...see full post

#2700: Vedan Jhen Mian Tang Spicy Hot Noodle

#2700: Vedan Jhen Mian Tang Spicy Hot Noodle - Taiwan - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

NOTE: At the bottom, there is a kind of documentary about how I review instant noodles – from picking the variety to photography, editing, research, cooking and reviewing. Hope you enjoy it!

So here’s one I found while coming back from our big family drive to California this summer. I found it in the Beaverton Uwajimaya actually. I got about 10 varieties or so there during our pit stop on the way home. ...see full post

#2695: GGE Ramen Snack BBQ Cube

#2695: GGE Ramen Snack BBQ Cube

It’s snack time! So today we have a ramen snack from Taiwan. There a whole slew of different flavors and varieties – and shapes for that matter of these products. The first thing I do notice about these is that they’re called cubes, however, they look more like short cylinders to me. This being the case, it begs the question ‘doesn’t a crunchy cylinder sound good?’ I think they went with the right name, to be honest; BBQ Cubes sounds better than BBQ Cylinders. Let’s have a look. ...see full post

#2693: Qicaiyuan Liangpi (Shaanxi Cold Noodle)

#2693: Qicaiyuan Liangpi Shaanxi Cold Noodle - snackoo

Been forever since I tried Shanxi cold noodle. I think perhaps I cooked them wrong. Regardless, I know how to cook them correctly thanks to the nice folks at Snackoo! Snackoo is a subscription box service startup in San Francisco. They’ve got a lot of neat products – many I’ve never seen before – check ’em out! ...see full post

#2690: Village Vanguard No Men

#2690: Village Vanguard No Men brain zombie Japanese japan ramen

These came by way of Snackoo – a company that supplies you with great snack boxes, containing all sorts of fascinating things as well as ramen noodles. Why not check them out? ...see full post

#2689: Maruchan Instant Lunch Udon Style Soy Sauce Flavor Ramen Noodle Soup

#2689: Maruchan Instant Lunch Udon Style Soy Sauce Flavor Ramen Noodle Soup

Well, this is something completely different. Definitely a departure from their usual line . Maruchan’s Instant Lunch range is very popular in the United States. The flavors are generally in the domestic flavor profiles ranging from your standard chicken to California Vegetable to Cheddar Cheese. ...see full post

#2685: Nissin Cup Noodles Veggi Manchow

#2685: Nissin Cup Noodles Veggi Manchow - India - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

This is one we found at an Indian grocery in Pleasanton, California this Summer. I really like the fact that India has so many different instant noodle varieties and that I’ve not tried so many of them – like every one that I find is a little precious gem. Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about Manchow – ...see full post

#2678: Maggi Hot Heads Barbeque Pepper Noodles

#2678: Maggi Hot Heads Barbeque Pepper Noodles - India - The Ramen Raster - instant noodles

Here’s another from the spicy Hot Heads series from Maggi India. From the picture, it certainly looks tasty – although the picture doesn’t show a barbeque pepper but an onion or shallot. Regardless, I would have to say the onion is my favorite vegetable. I could eat onions on anything – Well, maybe not pie. Unless it’s a meat pie. I’m talking a dessert kind of pie – yeah, I wouldn’t prefer onions on that. But who knows. Alright, enough of this – let us have a look! ...see full post

#2677: Nissin Hokkaido Miso Japanese Ramen

#2677: Nissin Hokkaido Miso Japanese Ramen

Sp here’s one I haven’t tried before from a nice premium series by Nissin Singapore. They have a Kyushu Black and a Tokyo Shoyu as well. A couple days ago I tried a different one – Nissin Hong Kong’s Bar Noodle Hokkaido Miso Tonkotsu. A little further west we have this one! So here’s a little refresher on miso ramen from Wikipedia – ...see full post

#2771: Nissin U.F.O. Fried Ramen Japanese Sauce Flavour

#2771: Nissin U.F.O. Fried Ramen Japanese Sauce Flavour

Here’s a pretty well known variety from Japan but actually made in Indonesia for Singapore and Malaysia. This one was sent to me by Nissin Singapore (thank you!) and has some big differences when you compare to it’s Japanese cousin – spicy mayonnaise to start with. Let’s unwrap this yakisoba and have a look inside U.F.O.! ...see full post

#2675: Myojo Hyobanya Kakitama Udon

#2675: Myojo Hyobanya Kakitama Udon - The Ramen Rater - Japan

This one took a lot of digging on Google and trying various translations and I think I have the name right. I think this may have something to do with egg drop soup? I really am unsure; the ones I see that sound like this one is only cooked 3 minutes and mention the calories on them. I’m completely lost. So I pushed out an ask on The Ramen Rater facebook page so we will see what that brings. In the meantime, let’s continue! ...see full post

#2671: Acecook Mochi-Mochi Yakisoba

#2671: Acecook Mochi-Mochi Yakisoba - Japan - Zenpop - The Ramen Rater

Here’s another interesting one from Zenpop.JP – thanks! So Zenpop is doing monthly boxes of all sorts of things Japan-related including instant ramen of course.  This one looks particularly interesting in that it’s an instant yakisoba made with noodles made from… Mochi? Here’s a little about mochi from Wikipedia – ...see full post

#2670: Nongshim Kimchi Ramyun Noodle

#2670: Nongshim Kimchi Ramyun Noodle - China - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

I picked this one up on a recent trip to Canada. Ok, so you might be wondering about this one. It’s made in Shanghai, China. Nongshim has factories all over the place and I’ve found that the different factories have slight variances in flavors. In the USA, this product would probably be coming from their Nongshim America factory in California. Hop the border though and most of the products up there come from China. It’s funny because they also have ones from the United States there as well. Anyways, Kimchi time! Let’s check it out. ...see full post

#2668: Samyang Foods Wasa-Mayo Ramen

#2668: Samyang Foods Wasa-Mayo Ramen

I’ve had this for a little while – just sitting and waiting for me to give it a try. With the prodding of my readers, today is the day. People seem to be really interested in this one! Here’s what Samyang Foods had to say about it – ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2661: Maitri Vegetarian Mie Goreng

Meet The Manufacturer: #2661: Maitri Vegetarian Fried Noodles

Maitri is Olagafood’s vegetarian product line. So far, I’ve been pretty impressed; the flavors are quite good and it’s been a lot of fun reviewing them. This one is a vegetarian mie goreng – here’s a little about mie goreng from Wikipedia – ...see full post