Over 5,000 Instant Ramen Noodle Reviews Since 2002
Thanks to my sister Sue for bringing me these back from a recent trip to Victoria, BC! I’ve never been a big fan of Canadian instant noodles, but I always hold out hope for a brand to have a variety that’s really good. Let’s see what this store brand hasd inside.
Here’s another one we found at BigLots in Lynnwood, WA. So Pad Thai is as most folks probably already know, a Thai dish. This bowl is made in China and definitely for the US market. Let’s give it a whirl!
I’ve reviewed two of these previously and haven’t been a big fan, giving one a 1.75 out of 5.0 stars and the other a 0.0 out of 5.0. I’m hoping this one will ‘break the mold’ as it were; I really like their canned soups! Let’s see if this cup has a little mmm mmm good in it!
Here’s one that’s spent a little time in my noodle hamper. I’ve been wondering what flavor it might be, although it really doesn’t say. It’s manufactured in Thailand, but definitely for the US market. Let’s check out this microwavable instant ramen.
Here’s one I got from Justin M. from Winfield, BC up north of here in Canada! Thanks! Let’s see here: the instant noodle cup was invented in Japan. This one is sold in Canada under the name Azami and sold by Loblaw’s, a supermarket chain. It’s manufactured in China. The flavor is of kimchi, which is South Korean. Wow. I’ve got hopes that this will be a good one! Let’s check these Azami noodles.
I thought today I would try this interesting variety. A lot of people are very health conscious these days and are looking for something that is also ‘Earth friendly.’ Well, here’s an option. This is a new brand I’ve never heard of before. There’s really no information about them online and their packaging has no information about where it’s made, nor a website to check out their company. Hmmm… Well, let’s have a look at this one – I’m really curious!
Just finishing up packing for our move. By the time this one’s posted though, it’ll all be done (I’ve been doing a couple reviews every day. One thing that’ll be vexing about the move is the fact that the Internet won’t be up until a few days after we’re there. Gonna be tough to get posts out but rest assured, I will! Today I’m reviewing this Mitoku variety from Japan. It looks to be packaged for sale here in the USA – you can really tell by the bar code being 12 as opposed to 13 digits, as well as the distributor. I don’t know much of anything about this one, so I guess we’ll see how brown rice noodles compare shortly. Let’s check out these Mitoku noodles!
So we’re moving. Seems like we just moved here a little while ago, but we’re moving again. I’m pretty glad too – new scenery is always nice and it’s closer to my wife’s work. I’ve been doing a lot of packing and throwing things away. During this I found this one that was under a couple of things. It was sent a while back by a reader – she was trying to find out how to get her hands on these as she really enjoyed them when in Japan. I figured it out and as a thank you, she sent me a pack! Translating this one has proven quite a task – I’m still not sure I’ve got it right in any way, shape or form. If I’m way off, let me know! Let’s look inside – I think it should be interesting.
Sweet – another noodle snack! I think we’re pretty close to an annual noodle snack top ten list soon – just trying to figure out a good time to release it… Halloween perhaps? Superbowl time? If you have an idea, shoot me a comment below! Anyways, here’s another one of Ottogi’s Ppushu Ppushu line. This is the first one I’ve seen that’s chicken flavored that I can remember from them. Let”s have a look!
I’ll admit, I have a problem. I have a TON of noodles waiting to be reviewed. Today, I went and put them all on the floor as sorted them by expiration date. No small task, that’s for sure! It took a little while, but everything’s all sorted out and ready to go in the most efficient way I can figure. Today I’m going to review this Chewy variety from Hong Kong. I got it up in Canada a while back – let’s have a look.
Here’s one that Joe B. and Sarah B. sent me from Nottingham, UK – thanks! Tesco’s a big grocery store chain in England. One thing I’ve found that is a little difficult are European nutrition facts on instant noodles. It’s odd; they like to do a per 100g showing, then a per serving. The number often seem ridiculously off; a lot of the time it’s a calorie vs joule issue (yep – they use a different measure of energy over there too). Let”s see how this chicken and mushroom flavor cup goes!
Here’s a Canadian variety. I’m familiar with Campbell’s – they make really nice canned soups I would add to copious amounts of saltine crackers when I was a kid. I mean copious! Let’s see how this little cup fares.
I thought today I would try this interesting variety. A lot of people are very health conscious these days and are looking for something that is also ‘Earth friendly.’ Well, here’s an option. This is a new brand I’ve never heard of before. There’s really no information about them online and their packaging has no information about where it’s made, nor a website to check out their company. Hmmm… Well, let’s have a look at this one – I’m really curious!
Here’s one my wife got for me on my birthday trip to Canada! Thanks, baby! Spicy chicken. Let’s check it out.
Here’s another one from my birthday trip to Canada. I think this may the first instance of chicken kimchi noodles I’ve heard of. Let’s give it a try.
Here’s another Joe B. of Nottingham, UK sent – thanks! Low fat noodles eh? I’ve actually been on a diet and exercising a lot lately – down 15 pounds already – and yes, I’m eating an instant noodle every day too! Let’s see how this low fat variety is…
Here another one I got up in Canada at T&T Supermarket in Richmond, BC. Never have I seen this brand before and thought ‘hey – this in interesting!’ What’s more, it’s actually heavy! What’s inside this thing making it so heavy? It took me a bit of looking to find out about this brand and it’s products. Here’s a little something I read on Wikipedia about where the manufacturing facility is:
Here’s one I got up in Canada at T&T Supermarket – thanks! Never tried this before. Looks interesting though – let’s check it out!
So after sampling so many varieties of instant noodles over the years, of course there have been some that I didn’t like. There also were some that are so memorable for how awful they were. After people asked what my least favorites were a few times, I thought I should just make a list of them. I should point out that these are on the list because I couldn’t stand them. I’m pretty sure they are all still in production, and the only reason they would be is that people somewhere find them enjoyable. So who knows – you might have a completely different opinion on these than me, but I found them to be absolutely the worst of the worst. With that, here’s The Bottom Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time, 2013 Edition.
Another from my trip to Canada on my birthday! Vegetable! Let’s check it out.
Back of the packaging (click image to enlarge). Says it contains wheat and soy and may contain trace amounts of egg, fish/shellfish, nuts and sulphites.
Here’s one from Joe & Gil of the UK!!! Haven’t had anything that was Tom Yum in a little while – let’s check it out!
Here’s one I got a while ago at Uwajimaya in Seattle. It’s big, Japanese and tonkotsu flavor – sounds much better than the last one I had!
Here’s the last of the Fashion Food varieties I have. Oriental flavor… Hmmm…
This one was sent by Michelle L. of New York! Unfortunately, for this one I have exceedingly low expectations. Every Baijia product I’ve tried has been just plain gross in my opinion.
Black bone chicken? Baijia? Well, let’s give it a try. This is the last of the Baijia’s I have.
Baijia with rice noodles eh? Sounds different – hope it’s better than all the others I’ve tried!
This one seems a little unique. I never have seen something like a swastika on a bowl of noodles before – its somewhat foreboding to be honest! Taiwanese noodles with swastikas… Well, I figured I’d better look this up and got this nice piece of information from Wikipedia:
After the last time I reviewed anything by this brand, I got quite a few messages – agreeing with me, disagreeing with me, and even thinking I sold this stuff. Well, all I know is that I didn’t like it last time. At all really.
So while we were in California doing the Disneyland thing this summer, we went to a Ranch 99 and I got this. Never seen anything quite like it before; a fresh noodle bag, Chinese, and said it was enough for six people! I guess it’s time to give it a shot.
Baijia. Probably the single brand with the lowest consecutive ratings I’ve given. But lo and behold, I continue reviewing them – I believe that at some point there will be something awesome from them! Perhaps this pickled radish and duck flavored sweet potato noodle cup will be the holy grail? We shall see…
Well, this looks like a lot of insanity! Here we go!!!
Wait – I thought this was pork and seafood flavor, not shrimp flavor…
So here’s something new but kind of like a lot of other stuff…
Clockwise from top: powdered soup base, veggies and seasoned oil.
So let’s start with the name – Noodle Time. Apparently, this is a Canadian brand. They started in 2001 in Edmondton, Alberta and they make this stuff in a few flavors. They pride themselves on No MSG, althought the bowl if consumed entirely contains about 1,500mg of sodium.
So spell-check wasn’t working the day you made the lid for this stuff was it folks? No matter – I will be forgiving on that note as I review a bowl of noodles that claims to have onion flavor – and I really like onions so this should be awesome!
Again today I asked my lady Kit to pick a couple packs of noodles to eat. The first is this one.
Green tea noodles? Cool – something unique right? Hmmm… When I opened the package I was greeted with the odor of green tea. Yup – the noodles are infused with green tea powder and the odor is very strong.
Okay so last time I have something by this brand I really didn’t like it at all. But maybe this stuff will be better. Hear the decree of the Ramen Rater! I fear no noodle! I use full flavor sachet! I am invincible!
Okay. Last time I had duck noodles was a long long time ago and it was Myojo’s hat in the ring. Now here’s MAMA’s duck flavor.
So I’m going to make a special dinner tonight for my lady and I – we’re gonig to have Nissin Chicken Top Ramen and Nissin Demae Ramen concurrently and review and compare both. Well, I thought hey why not have a small pack of this filipino ramen noodle stuff, I mean, I’m a little hungry so why not.
So here are Wai Wai instant chicken flavor noodles. Hmm.
I really liked the packaging of the sachets. The ‘essence’ was interesting to be sure. The chili packet wasn’t used as my 5 year old had this bowl of noodles but i opened it and tried them. Spicy sun peppers – nothing shocking. Then, a blue packet with oil.
