Category: * Stars 3.1 – 4.0

#2754: Acecook Rich Miso Ramen

#2754: Acecook Rich Miso Ramen - Japan zenpop zenpopjp zenpop.jp www.zenpop.jp

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

#2753: Maruchan Tempura Udon

#2753: Maruchan Tempura Udon Japan Crate Umnai Crate https://bit.ly/UmaiCrate

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

#2752: Ve Wong Instant Noodles Braised Beef Flavor

Here’s one I dragged back to the United States from Taiwan. I know I’ve seen close to the same thing here in the USA, but I wanted to see if the non-export version could be better. I have a feeling it will be. Here’s a little info about braising from Wikipedia – ...see full post

#2751: Acecook Pork Wantan Men

#2751: Acecook Pork Wantan Men

This variety comes by way of Japan Ramen Box. Japan Ramen Box is a new subscription box outfit with neat varieties to check out! Go visit their website and have a look!  This is wantan men – let’s see what Wikipedia has to say about this variety – ...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

#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

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

#2737: Wei Lih Chicken Flavor

#2737: Wei Lih Chicken Flavor - Taiwan the ramen rater

I found this one at RT Mart in Taipei., Taiwan. Okay so RT Mart. It’s big – I mean big. The aisle with instant noodles was probably the largest I’ve seen to date not only lengthwise, but height as well. ...see full post

#2736: Kaset Instant Vermicelli Spicy Seafood Salad Flavour

#2736: Kaset Instant Vermicelli Spicy Seafood Salad Flavour - bean thread thailand the ramen rater

Found this one at the Jason’s Market grocery store in the bottom of the Taipei 101. I thought it looked interesting; first, it’s from Thailand. Second, it’s bean thread. I haven’t reviewed anything with beat thread in a very, very long time! ...see full post

#2735: Myojo Chicken Abalone Flavour

#2735: Myojo Chicken Abalone Flavour

Alrighty so here’s another one of the Myojo varieties I have from Singapore. These are new formulations of longstanding popular varieties. Indeed, they invoke the term ‘yummy’ on this packaging and I will admit that although I rarely use it, it’s an important term. Let’s see if it’s fitting to include it in this one. ...see full post

#2734: Lipton Soup Secrets Extra Noodle Soup Mix With Real Chicken Broth

#2540: Lipton Soup Secrets Extra Noodle Soup Mix With Real Chicken Broth - The Ramen Rater - cup-a-soup

So what we have here is something from the United States I haven’t really delved into much. I reviewed their Cup-A-Soup on review #2544. I thought this was a Cup-A-Soup, however, it’s a Soup Secrets variety. It’s getting cold outside – better eat your soup! Wait I shouldn’t have told you that because it’s a secret… The soup secret. Don’t tell anyone… Let’s have a look. ...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

#2727: Acecook Ohmori Ika Yakisoba

#2727: Acecook Ohmori Ika Yakisoba

Found this one up in Canada – we’ve been going up there a lot lately and it’s been a nice change of pace. About 2 hours from here to the border and we’ve figured out how to time it for the quickest border crossing by avoiding peak times. LKast time going in it was one car in front of us, leaving was 2 cars in front of it – total wait time was around ten minutes! ...see full post

#2724: Vedan Double Bang Thick Pork Broth Noodle

Here’s one I brought back from Taiwan in November 2017. There are four different ones with different illustrations of different expressions – they’re pretty interesting. Now,m there’s scant few characters on this bowl I can read, so I’d like to thank everyone on Facebook for the help in translation! Much appreciated! So double bang – why double bang? Well, there’s two noodle blocks. Bang! Noodles! Bang! Noodles! Makes sense to me. Really excited as this isn’t the first one I brought back from Taiwan I’ve reviewed, but this is the first Taiwanese variety I’ve brought back from Taiwan I’m reviewing – let’s have a look! ...see full post

#2723: No Brand Delicious Ramen

#2723: No Brand Delicious Ramen - South Korea

Here’s one I found at a Carrefour on my trip to Taiwan in November of 2017. Okay, so it says No Brand. I think that’s pretty evident – and it also says Delicious Ramen. That too is nondescript. I searched for the bar code and found nothing from the pack code and very little from the 5 pack code – basically that it is what it is. An eBay seller had it marked as ‘Korean Noodle Ramyun Rameon’ although that’s a little less than what it says in English on the pack already. My thought is that this might just be a store brand but who knows. Ah ha – I just looked it up by the phone number on the package – 080-023-8593 – and it comes up with a lot of Paldo stuff. Perhaps this is by Paldo. Anyways, I’m guessing it’s time to crack this open and look within. ...see full post

#2722: Nissin / Seven & i Premium Santouka From Hawaii Soy Sauce Ramen

snackoo #2722: Nissin / Seven & i Premium Santouka From Hawaii Soy Sauce Ramen 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

#2718: Banzai Instant Noodles “Tom Yam Kung” Shrimp Flavour

#2718: Banzai Instant Noodles "Tom Yam Kung" Shrimp Flavour Vietnam snackoo snackoo.com www.snackoo.com

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

#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

#2716: Jinmailang Yakisoba Sweet & Sour Pork Ribs Flavor

#2216: Jinmailang Yakisoba Sweet & Sour Pork Ribs Flavor - China - 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

#2714: KOKA Signature Chicken Flavor Instant Noodles

#2714: KOKA Signature Chicken Flavor Instant Noodles - Singapore the ramen rater

Yep – another KOKA! I think there might be one more left but maybe not – we shall see! I made a chicken breast in the oven yesterday and figured I’d better do a chicken review! So let’s get to it! ...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

#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

#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

#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

#2701: KOKA The Original Chicken Flavor Oriental Instant Noodles

#2701: KOKA The Original Chicken Flavor Oriental Instant Noodles - Singapore - The Ramen Rater

I thought I was out of KOKA varieties to review, but definitely not yet. They sent every single SKU they produce for their Meet The Manufacturer. Thanks again – that was really awesome! I have a limit of 15 reviews for a Meet The Manufacturer series, so the extras go into the regular rotation. ...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

#2698: Nissin Cup Noodles Chilli Crab Flavour (More Crabtastic)

#2698: Nissin Cup Noodles Chilli Crab Flavour (More Crabtastic)

Today it’s a new reformulation Cup Noodles from Singapore. Nissin Singapore looks to have done newly formulated versions of pretty much all their Cup Noodles over there and they sound really good. I mean, more crabtastic chilli crab – can’t shrug that off.  For those of you who haven’t tried Chilli Crab – here’s a little from Wikipedia – ...see full post

#2697: Maruchan Bowl Taste Of Asia Hot & Spicy Kimchi Ramen Ramen Noodle Soup

#2697: Maruchan Taste Of Asia Hot & Spicy Kimchi Ramen Ramen Noodle Soup

So this is one that the company sent to me – thanks! So this is one of the new Taste Of Asia series, a range that has some really great varieties. I really liked the Sukiyaki Beef from their first three kinds and then they came out with this one and also a Tom Yum which I would say is my favorite so far. ...see full post

#2694: Nissin Cup Noodles Batchoy Flavor

#2694: Nissin Cup Noodles Batchoy Flavor

Found these while up in Canada. So my wife found a show a while back called 90 Day Fiancee where two people either meet online or when one is on vacation in a foreign country and think they want to be married. It then follows their process of getting a visa to spend 90 days in the United States and then whether they indeed are married or not. There’s a new show called Before The 90 Days before a proposal has been made. So on this show, we were watching and they follow a man who goes to the Philippines and meets a girl he’s been talking to online. Well, she picks him up at the airport and the next day brings him to her family’s home and they put on a big spread and cook up Lechon. Lechon is a roast pig, turned over a fire pit for hours and hours that’s been stuffed with chicken and vegetables like spring onion.  Long story short, her family is far from wealthy and they came together to make this big feast and he turns his nose up at it. ...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

#2683: Nissin Cup Noodles Champignons (Mushroom)

#2683: Nissin Cup Noodles Champignons (Mushroom) - Japan - The Ramen Rater

So here’s one I got up in Canada in July. So Nissin Japan does regional varieties – there are tons of Nissin branches all over the world – Nissin Germany is one of them. This is one for the Japanese market and looks a lot like the German Cup Noodles varieties. ...see full post

#2682: JML Instant Noodle Artificial Spicy Hot Beef Flavour

Re-Review: JML Instant Noodle Artificial Spicy Hot Beef Flavour

I’ve been doing a lot of spicy noodle videos on YouTube recently. There’s a particular one that I tried and just couldn’t handle. The main reason for this is that first off, it’s ultra spicy. The second was that I attempted it when I was sick with the flu. I mean hey – it was from Japan and I thought I should be able to handle it; never run into any spicy noodle from Japan that I found too spicy to eat. ...see full post

#2681: TableMark Homerun-Ken Vegetable Tanmen

#2681: TableMark Homerun-Ken Vegetable Tanmen - Japan - zenpop.jp

Here’s another neat one from Zenpop.JP. Thank you! So Zenpop has all sorts of monthly boxes including ramen boxes. Nine instant ramen in one box for a good price – check ’em out! Here’s what they had to say about this one – ...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