Category: * Stars 3.1 – 4.0

Meet The Manufacturer: #2490: Nissin Demae Ramen Garlic Chicken Flavour

Meet The Manufacturer: #2490: Nissin Demae Ramen Garlic Chicken Flavour - Germany - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

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! ...see full post

#2479: Mi E-Zee Instant Noodles Perisa Ayam Chicken Flavour

#2479: Mi E-Zee Instant Noodles Perisa Ayam Chicken Flavour - Malaysia - The Ramen Rater - CarJEN

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. ...see full post

#2476: Samyang Foods Kimchi Stew Ramyun

#2476: Samyang Foods Kimchi Stew Ramyun - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - 삼양 김치찌개면용기

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 – ...see full post

#2472: Wei Lih GGE Noodle Snack Wheat Crackers Seaweed Flavor

#2472: Wei Lih GGE Wheat Crackers Seaweed Flavor - Taiwan - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

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. ...see full post

#2470: Myojo Udon Japanese Style Noodles With Soup Base Hot & Sour Flavor

#2470: Myojo Udon Japanese Style Noodles With Soup Base Hot & Sour Flavor - United States - The Ramen Rater - nama

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 – ...see full post

#2466: Sau Tao Instant Noodle King Pepper Duck Soup Flavour

#2466: Sau Tao Instant Noodle King Pepper Duck Soup Flavour - Hong Kong - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

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. ...see full post

#2463: Nissin Mi Instan Gekikara Ramen Rasa Pedas

#2463: Nissin Mi Instan Gekikara Ramen Rasa Pedas - Indonesia - The Ramen Rater - instant ramen

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. ...see full post

#2442: Nissin Cup Noodles Sopa Nissin Hot Sauce Con Camaron

#2442: Nissin Cup Noodles Sopa Nissin Hot Sauce Con Camaron - Mexico - The Ramen Rater - shrimp instant noodles

Here’s one left over from the Meet The Manufacturer I did with Nissin Mexico a little while ago. These are very cool – they have little packets of hot sauce in them! Indeed, I think these should be available in the United States as well. I think they’d do really well! Indeed, who wouldn’t like the Cup Noodles here to come with a little packet of hot sauce? I know I would. ...see full post

#2435: Mum Ngon Lau Tom Chua Cay

#2435: Mum Ngon Lau Tom Chua Cay - Vietnam - The Ramen Rater - instant noodle vietnamese

Here’s another one I found during a November 2016 trip to Taiwan. I found this one at Carrefour in Taipei at the Miramar Entertainment Center. So one thing I found while there was that almost everything (unless you go to a Family Mart of a 7-Eleven) comes in a multi pack. I really didn’t want to get any of those – they take up extra space in luggage and a lot of the time they were really big multi packs. This one’s from Vietnam and looks to be a shrimp variant. ...see full post

#2433: Nissin Cup Noodles Indonesia Mie Goreng

#2433: Nissin Cup Noodles Indonesia Mie Goreng - Indonesia - The Ramen Rater - Instant Noodles

This was sent to me by Ippin, a purveyor of wonderful Japanese items! Thank you again!

Here’s something a little different. So Nissin has a series of Cup Noodles with flavors from around Southeast Asia. Laksa from Singapore, Tom Yum from Thailand and here we have Mie Goreng from Indonesia. I’m very curious how this on will be. Indeed, it looks interesting enough and a decently sized cup. If you don’t know about Mie Goreng, you should! Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about the dish: ...see full post

#2432: Fashion Food Yummy Spicy Rice Soup With Seafood

#2432: Fashion Food Yummy Spicy Rice Soup With Seafood - Thailand - The Ramen Rater - rice soup

Okay first off, this isn’t a noodle review and I know, I know… But this one looks exactly like the other ones they sell that are noodles. FF (Fashion Foods) has these little bowls with lids everywhere, and usually they’re either a wheat instant noodle or instant vermicelli. I looked at it, didn’t recognize it, and popped it in my basket thinking I’ve just found a rice noodle version of their stuff I hadn’t tried previously. Well, this is a broth with rice. I only realized this until I had done the picture of the side panels. ...see full post

#2429: New Touch T’s Restaurant Sura Tanmen

#2429: New Touch T's Restaurant Sura Tanmen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - instant ramen

Went to Uwajimaya, a local Japanese grocery store chain in the northwest the other day. So I found that you can get chashu pork there – it’s really nice for Japanese instants since I can slap one on top! Indeed what I do is get a few packs of it from the deli and then bag them individually  and throw them in the freezer – it’s pricy stuff, but done this way it really stretches it a long way. So $15 or pork will yield me about 18-20 slices and since it’s frozen, it’ll last nicely until I’ve done that many Japanese reviews. ...see full post

#2424: Samyang Foods Cheese Type Buldak Bokkeummyun

#2424: Samyang Foods Cheese Type Buldak Bokkeummyun

Well lookie here – another one from Colin – thanks again! This one’s a cheesy version of the ever popular Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkeummyun. This is what people use to do the famous ‘fire noodle challenge’ – although this is the cheesy version. This stuff is hot – real hot. The Ramen Rater’s top Ten Spiciest Instant Noodle Of All Time list kinda hot. Let’s take a look. ...see full post

#2423: Ve Wong Kung-Fu Instant Oriental Noodles Soup Artificial Onion Flavor

Another one sent by Colin. I haven’t had any of this brand in quite some time! I should also say I’ve not had an onion flavor instant in quite a while too. Very curious about this one – let’s have a look! NOTE – I just was looking for info on this one and as it turned out, I reviewed it in 2010! It was review #99. I’ll still slap a new number on this one though. What’s funny is if you look at the packaging on it from back then, it says ‘New.’ It still says new! I’m sorry, but this isNOT new. ...see full post

#2420: Nissin Cup Noodles Spicy Seafood Flavor

#2420: Nissin Cup Noodles Spicy Seafood Flavor - China - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

Here’s one sent by Colin from Massachusetts – thanks again! You might be thinking ‘man, this guy reviews a LOT of these Hong Kong CUP Noodles!’ Well, yeah I was sent 57 different varieties form Nissin Hong Kong last year so yeah – lots of them! But this one is actually from Nissin China. The packaging is similar, but different. Here’s a snippet from Wikipedia about Nissin’s footprint: ...see full post

#2412: Shirakiku Sanukiya Udon Japanese Style Noodles Shrimp Flavor

#2412: Shirakiku Sanukiya Udon Japanese Style Noodles Shrimp Flavor - United States - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

Here’s one I recently received by way of a reader named Colin from Arlington, Massachusetts – thanks again! So you might find these in either a refrigerated or non-refrigerated area at a grocery store. Indeed, I’ve always found this to be a bit of an oddity; why would it be in both places? Well first off, it doesn’t require refrigeration. However, sometimes this style of noodle is called ‘fresh noodles’ and so when you couple that with a refrigerated section, it gives it a little more premium feel. Anyways, here’s a little about udon from Wikipedia: ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2411: Mama Pat’s Chicken Fajita Flavor Instant Ramen Noodles

Meet The Manufacturer: #2411: Mama Pat's Chicken Fajita Flavor Instant Ramen Noodles - UUnited States - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

Today, we bid a fond farewell to Mama Pat’s Foods as the Meet The Manufacturer will be ending. Chef Ron informed me though that there will be cups and new flavors coming, so we’ll just say until next time. So chicken fajitas – here’ Wikipedia on the fajita: ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2410: Mama Pat’s Lamb Stew Flavor Instant Ramen Noodles

Meet The Manufacturer: #2410: Mama Pat's Lamb Stew Flavor Instant Ramen Noodles - United States - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

Today, it’s lamb stew! So I really never have had lamb stew, nor really cooked lamb very often. I thought though I ought to at least make an attempt, and so today I’m going to sous vide up some lamb to go along with the noodles. But as for stew, let’s see what wikipedia has to say: ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2409: Mama Pat’s Seafood Gumbo Flavor Instant Ramen Noodles

Meet The Manufacturer: #2409: Mama Pat's Seafood Gumbo Flavor Instant Ramen Noodles - United States - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

One of the first things I learned about Mama Pat’s foods was when I saw a video of Chef Ron making gumbo at a store demo. He used big bags of shrimp, tons of crab and other really great ingredients. He didn’t hold back and definitely went for the gusto. I’m a fan of seafood but haven’t had a lot of seafood from the USA as of late since it’s usually found slathered in white sauces or copious amounts of butter. I definitely got spoiled in Malaysia and Thailand trying all that seafood from there – amazing stuff! Gumbo however is something different. It’s full of seafood and has a nice strong taste  – something I really like. I have high hopes for this one; it sounds good, but will it be? Let’s give this seafood gumbo a look! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2408: Mama Pat’s Chicken Taco Flavor Instant Ramen Noodles

Meet The Manufacturer: #2407: Mama Pat's Chicken Taco Flavor Instant Ramen Noodles - United States - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

To kick off this Meet The Manufacturer, I thought I’d start with a flavor that just about every instant noodle company makes. Chicken. Indeed, it’s a kind of universal flavor – one that everyone can identify with. Well, unless your vegetarian. This is a very unique instant noodle insofar as it comes with a free drink – something I’ve never seen before in my well over 2,000 reviews thus far. So let’s check out Mama Pat’s Chicken Taco! ...see full post