Over 5,000 Instant Ramen Noodle Reviews Since 2002
I’ve tried Sichuan Guangyou noodles once before. Today, it’s a spicy and hot variety with a lot of 9’s. Found this one at Asian Food Center on Aurora in Seattle, WA a few months ago. It’s one of a whole slew of Chongqing noodle varieties that kind of leaped into the Chinese export market and headed to the west. Here’s some info about Chongqing from Wikipedia –
Here’s another one sent by Javier over at Box From Japan. Box From Japan is a subscription service where you can get 4 unique bowls of instant ramen – direct from Japan – they also have subscription packages for Japanese snacks and candy as well as some other things – definitely worth a look – thanks again for sending this along!
If you look at the header on the site, you’ll see the Noodle Shop is gone. It used to be there but it’s not anymore. Why? Well, Amazon decided to get rid of their aStore thing, so I guess that’s that for the little store thing. However, that freed up a spot so I decided to put my YouTube Channel up there instead! I have been doing a lot of videos lately – especially ones having to do with hot and spicy things. Anyways, yesterday I posted a video of me attempting to eat a bowl of this really spicy Japanese variety – but there’s a catch. I have the flu. I don’t know if it was violent as it seemed or I am just weakened by the flu. Anyways, I definitely failed the attempt (don’t fret – I’ll be doing it again soon) and thought hey – let’s do something else spicy.
Here’s yet another opone of the GGE noodle snack varieties – Mexican Spicy. There are so many of these varieties its kind of mind boggling./ Actually, when you go to Taiwan and go down the noodle aisle, these aren’t there. Indeed, there’s an aisle with chips on one side and noodle snacks on the other. Why do we have so few of them here? I can’t think of any USA branded noodle snacks really at all. It’s like they came out with a few varieties of ways to offer up instant noodles here in the US and then they just stuck with those and kind of quit innovating. I mean, what about a beef stew instant noodle bowl with beef? A A spicy cheese? A pizzas flavor? Closest we get is a cheap cheese cup. I think the instant noodle world in the USA should really go and just kick some major butt and try some new things. I mean hey – no risk, no reward, right? Anyways, let’s check out this snack noodle!
Today we’ve got yet another one from the massive amount of varieties left over from the Nissin Hong Kong Meet The Manufacturer. Seems like I just keep pulling them out of the hamper again and again! It’s a good thing though – the more the merrier and these days, it is getting harder to find varieties locally to review. So gotta make sure to give everything a try. Tonkotsu is a classic Japanese ramen variety. Most of all, tonkotsu is famous for it’s milky pork bone broth. Next, a little more info from Wikipedia:
This one was sent to me by Chef Ron from Mama Pat’s Foods – hey thanks! This is from Ghana in Africa! Nice to be able to try varieties from Africa; I’ve had so few! Let’s give this beef one a try.
Seems like a little while since I did a pack instant ramen from Japan. This is one I found during my trip to Taiwan last November at the Carrefour in Taipei by the Miramar Entertainment Park. I tell you – they had quite an impressive instant noodle aisle – like 4 aisles really. So this one is a shoyu instant ramen. Here’s a little from Wikipedia about shoyu ramen –
Thought it would be logical to try these Tokyo Ramen noodles with the Miso Ramen Broth – I mean, it makes sense. These noodles and broth are Vegan, however, I’m going to lay it on thick with some toppings that will not be so Vegan. Let’s give it a go!
I thought it a no-brainer to pick Hakata Ramen to try with the miso. The other I’ll try with it will be the Tokyo Ramen. Anyways: Hakata Ramen. What is it, Wikipedia?
Here’s another one I found recently at Uwajimaya in Bellevue, Washington. Can’t pass up curry udon – I mean some on – sounds good – here’s a little about udon from Wikipedia –
This was sent to me by Ippin, a purveyor of wonderful Japanese items! Thank you again! – So these look to be vegetarian as well as HALAL. Let’s give them a looksie.
Seems like a little while since I did a pack instant ramen from Japan. This is one I found during my trip to Taiwan last November at the Carrefour in Taipei by the Miramar Entertainment Park. I tell you – they had quite an impressive instant noodle aisle – like 4 aisles really. So this one is a miso instant ramen. Here’s a little from Wikipedia about ramen –
I spend a lot of time looking around to see what’s new and what’s going on in the instant noodle industry. I kind of have to; if I don’t, I can’t find out what’s popular elsewhere in the world. I read a little about this extra spicy variety from India called Maggi Hot Heads – they’ve got a few flavors. People were commenting how this was the spiciest of all of them and I thought hey why not seek it out. My wife Kit was kind and got me some off of Amazon! Thank you! This is a rarity (I mean she’s always nice) – we never get instant noodles online for reviewing. This one seemed to be one that needed some attention though. Let’s check out this Hot Heads variety and see how hot it is!
Thanks go to Amelia from Samyang Foods in South Korea for sending these along! The Buldak Bokkeummyun line from them is a fiery range which starts with their hot chicken flavor of Fire Noodle Challenge fame. Here’s what they have to say about this one –
Here’s one sent by Kamran R. of Australia – thanks again! He’s part of Ramen Regret Rater – they review ultra spicy instant noodles and see if they end up with horrible gastrointestinal difficulties. Yes, really!
Here’s another leftover from the KOKA Meet The Manufacturer series I did a little while back. Chicken flavor sounds pretty safe – I mean, who doesn’t like chicken except vegetarians? Let’s give this chicken flavor variety a try!
Here’s one sent by Javier over at www.BoxFromJapan.com. You can get a nice package of 4 varieties shipped to your door every month via their subscription service – they also do Japanese candy boxes as well. Today it’s shoyu from Acecook. So if you don’t know about shoyu, here’s a little something from Wikipedia –
This is one I brought back with me from Taiwan! Happy Cook is a brand that one of the factories in Taichung makes.
Here is where we part ways with Nissin Germany – this is the fifteenth review of Meet The Manufacturer. It’s been a lot of fun trying these European takes on instant noodles! Let’s give this final variety – spicy beef – a try.
Spicy! I like spicy things; it’s pretty obvious I think. This Cup Noodles purports to be spicy and I’m hoping it is! Let’s check it out!
Well, there’s always going to be a chicken variety. Here it is! I really don’t know how else to introduce it or what else to say! Here’s a little something about the history of Cup Noodles from Wikipedia –
I think it only makes sense for cabbage to have some kind of standing in Germany. I mean, sauerkraut is pickled cabbage after all. Never tried kimchi before? Here’s a little information from Wikipedia –
Ahhh curry! I love curry from everywhere in the world. Indeed, I’ve not met a curry I’ve disliked to be honest. I do like some more than others of course. A German curry… Fascinating! Let’s check it out!
I’ve started noticing a theme to these Demae Ramen varieties form Germany. For the Thai Tom Yum one, there was Thai lettering in the background. This looks to be Vietnamese, so I’m guessing it’s styled after pho or something like that. I definitely like chicken and garlic is a favorite of mine. Let’s give this one a look – garlic chicken sounds very good today!
This isn’t something I expected – a Thai Tom Yum from a German company? Yep! This makes me incredibly curious; will it taste like tom yum? Here’s a little about tom yum from Wikipedia if you’ve never tried –
There’s always a spicy. There has to be! Spicy tasting things are popular around the world. But have you ever wondered why? Here’s some info from Wikipedia on spiciness –
Recently, I did a Definitive Guide To Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkeummyun series. However, the cup was just mentioned and not one that I have tried. Indeed, there are two I’ve not reviewed of the series – the curry version and the 2x spicy bowl (although I scarf one down in the video).
Okay, okay. After being bombarded with people disagreeing with the odrer of the ranking on my The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Spiciest Instant Noodles list, I thought I’d give this one another go-round.
Time for chicken! I would have sworn I’d reviewed this one before, but apparently not. If I had, it wasn’t this new package version at least. CarJEN has changed their recipes in the past and so it’s reasonable to think that this one could be a new taste. Well, let’s have a look at this chicken variety by Malaysian company CarJEN.
Here’s one Samyang Foods sent me recently – thank you! It sounds good to me, but I know one person who would not like this. My son Andy really doesn’t like kimchi. Oh yeah – my friend Matt B. doesn’t like it either – in fact, I opened a big jar of it and tried to get him to taste it, but when he smelled it when opened. He recoiled and started yelling. I dunno why; I think its good! Here’s a little about it from Wikipedia –
Okay so first off, what’s GGE? Well, it stands for Good Good Eat. I’ve reviewed other varieties that were simnply called ‘Everybody Loves Good Good Eat.’ The little girl with the big hair is usually on the packaging (I think she’s the mascot) and usually has a somewhat happy expression, although I have seen her looking wistful or depressed at times.
Here’s one that comes by way of a reader named Colin from Massachusetts – thanks again! So I’ve reviewed a slew of these packets of udon in the past. It’s been a while though – don’t know that I’ve ever seen this hot and sour either. Udon is a lot different when it comes to noodles than your standard instant – here’s a little from Wikipedia –
Here’s one of the packs left over from the Tat Hui Meet The Manufacturer. They sent around 36 kinds and I only do a max of 15 varieties for a Meet The Manufacturer series. I looked at Wikipedia for some words on curry in Singapore, however got this about Malaysia – they’re neighbors so hope that’s alright –
This one was sent by Anders and Ji-Min from South Korea! Thanks again! So here’s Paldo’s new extreme foray into the uber spicy class of instant ramyun. I really enjoy seeing these – especially how neat the packaging looks.
This pepper duck variety was sent by Colin from Massachusetts – thanks again! It really took me a long time to warm up to duck. I think honestly the reason being was the fact that I never had the real thing until I went to Asia. Indeed, I’ve had duck in Malaysia, Thailand and Taiwan and it’s definitely been a highlight of those trips. It’s got a strong flavor which is definitely one a lot of people might not be familiar with (like myself in the past). I would say that the best term for it is rich.
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Here’s one that Colin from Massachusetts sent – thanks again! So this one looks a lot like the Hong Kong versions, however this is the Chinese version. Here’s a little about XO Sauce and what it is from Wikipedia –
This is one that Kamran R. of Ramen Regret Rater sent me from Australia – thanks! I believe this is the first variety I will review from Nissin Indonesia. Looks like it will be spicy – rasa pedas means ‘spicy flavor,’ and it has a big angry pepper in the picture on the front of the package. Indeed, Indonesia has a lot of spicy instant noodles on the market – and for the most part I’ve enjoyed them very much.
There are some varieties that I hear people raving out about a lot and I start thinking ‘I should re-review this one.’ Well, today’s the day. I even have a little story about these which is sort of funny.
Way, way, way back, I had one of these packs. I bought it at a local Asian grocery and never reviewed it. That was 15 years back and it has been haunting me ever since.
Today we have something I find interesting. I’ve heard before about the popularity of ‘Singapore Noodles’ in Britain, and that they’re not actually from Singapore. Here’s a little about that from Wikipedia –
