Category: * Stars 3.1 – 4.0

#1328: A-Sha Hello Kitty La Wei (Spicy Flavor)

This one was sent by the folks at A-Sha – thank you very much! I’m always on the lookout for Hello Kitty instant noodles. Why? Well, my wife really likes Hello Kitty. They wanted me to be sure to let people klnow that these cannot be found for sale in the United States – sorry folks – gotta pack your bags and fly to Taiwan! This one’s spicy – which seems a little funny to me. I would think anything Hello Kitty would be very light in flavor and tame for the kids. I think the kids over in Taiwan can handle their spicy stuff! That’s rad! Let’s check it out! ...see full post

#1326: Mamee Mi Segera SLLRRRP! Perencah Kari Xtra Pedas

Here’s another one sent to me by Annie T. over at MyKuali – thanks again! As I’ve said before, I love curry. There are so many different curries out there – sweet, spicy, slightly bland. Pastes, powders, sauces… It’s pretty enjoyable! I’ve been really enjoying reviewing curries from this region – Malaysia and Singapore – wonderful places that make some awesome curry instants! This one purports to be ‘xtra pedas’ which translates to extra hot. Let’s see if this stuff is really spicy or not. ...see full post

#1325: Koka Noodles Spicy Shrimp Tom Yam Flavour

Here’s another one sent by Charles, a serviceman in Afghanistan – thanks! I’ve seen these cups for a long time online but never have I tried one. It seems KOKA sells their noodles in three places – Singapore, the US and the UK. They have different kinds available in each market too which is logical. Most large noodle manufacturers do this actually; look at the flavors sold here in the US versus the ones by the same company sold in Japan. It’s kind of the ‘when in Rome’ logic and it works for them. Let’s have a look inside this cup by KOKA. ...see full post

#1324: Ruski Instant Noodles Stewed Beef Flavour

I’ve been trying to figure out what I’d add to this one, and how this Thai variety might taste. It’s require digging through the freezer for some good stuff to go with it – beef, of course, but what else? I guess you’ll just have to see down below. Let’s give this one a try. ...see full post

#1322: Hi-Myon Instant Noodle Udon Hot & Spicy

Here’s one a got quite a while back. It’s a cold day out and I picked up some squid yesterday to try out for the first time. I’ve eaten squid before, but never prepared it myself. ...see full post

#1321: Takamori Fresh Chow Mein Noodles With Seasoning

A co-worker named Joan at my wife’s work recently went to Hawaii and went out of her way to find something I hadn’t tried yet! She looked through the Big List and lo and behold, I hadn’t tried this chow mein! Thank you very much! These are fresh noodles, usually found in the cold section. They’re also a broth free variety. You might be more familiar with them as yakisoba, a noodle dish that can be found at little teriyaki joints all over. Let’s give this a try! ...see full post

#1320: MAMA Instant Noodles Cup Seafood Flavour

My nose is running, my throat is sore and I feel pretty crummy. Sneezing, sore eyes and sore everything – I’ve got a cold and a bad one at that. Not a fun day, that’s for sure – it’s raining and windy outside as well which makes taking our dogs out a real chore, especially when they’re pugs. Pugs don’t like to get wet; they (at least the pugs we have) aren’t very rugged creatures; they like to sleep and be constantly comfortable. ...see full post

#1318: Nissin King Spa王 (Spa Oh) Tarako Spaghetti

I’ll admit when I first saw the packaging, I thought this stuff was called Spaz! I kind of wish it was as that would be exceedingly humorous, but I digress… This is Tarako Spaghetti; so what is tarako? Wikipedia tells us: ...see full post

#1313: Healtimie Green Barley Noodle Vegetable Soup

Another from a friend in Indonesia – thank you! I’ve reviewed quite a few instant noodles lately that have been less ‘vanilla’ in color. I had some purple ones, another green one from Taiwan and a Japanese variety a week or two ago that had ‘jet black’ broth! This one’s hook is that it has green barley in it. I did a bit of looking around and found some information on green barley/barley grass here. From what it says, it’s good for you, but how does it do in the case of being added to Healtimie noodles? Let’s have a look. ...see full post

#1312: Maruchan ‘I Want To Eat Ramen’ Miso Flavor

I can honestly say that I want to eat ramen. Every day. Well, if not ramen, ramyun, udon, mi goreng, mee and every other kind of instant noodle out there! It’s fun! Sometimes it’s hard to decide which one to review though, and so my wife was kind enough to pick one out of the bin and toss it to me this morning – and this is it. Let’s have a look! Most people here in the US think of Maruchan as making their instant packs and ‘Instant Lunch’ cups, but they make a varied line of products over in Japan with more traditional flavors from the region. But to start things off before any reviewing, today is Valentine’s Day – happy Valentine’s Day to all! My wife Kit and I spent a special day yesterday in Seattle yesterday… ...see full post

#1311: Pop Bihun Spesial Rasa Soto Ayam

Here’s another one from a friend in Indonesia – thanks! I got some really cool new varieties from Indofood last week, but I’d better get a few older varieties out of the way before those! Shouldn’t be long! Let’s check out this rice vermicelli soup variety from their Pop Bihun line. ...see full post

#1309: YumYum Oriental Style Instant Noodles Seafood Flavour

Here’s another one from Charles in Afghanistan – thanks again! So this one’s made in Thailand and sold a lot in Holland. Let’s check it out! ...see full post

#1307: Nissin Cup Noodle Cheese Curry

This one was sent to me by Abbie C. of Hong Kong – thank you again! Curry – and cheese? Been very curious about this one, that’s for sure. I like curry a lot – one of the flavors that’s always strong and varies so much from culture to culture. Let’s see how it pairs with cheese and noodles in this cup. ...see full post

#1305: A-Sha Instant Noodle Original Flavor

Here’s the last of the A-Sha line of instant noodles they sent. These are a leaner line; not with the different gauges that the other products they make have. Not to say they don’t taste good, though! Let’s see how original this one is! ...see full post

#1301: Knorr Quick Serve Macaroni Shrimp Broth

Here’s another one my lovely wife got for me on our trip to Canada for my birthday last year – thanks! Interesting – tube shaped ramen? A couple of brands make these – kind of a neat twist on it. Let’s check it out! ...see full post

#1298: Good Tto Leu Foods Lightning Beef Bone Tteokguk (Rice Cake Soup)

Thanks go to James K. of KoreAm for translation help as well as educating me on this one! Ramen? Nope. Ramyun? Nope. Udon? Nope. This is tteokguk! Tteok is South Korean rice cake. They’re flat and chewy! It’s often served on Lunar New Year and other special holidays. Let’s give it a try – Happy Lunar New Year! ...see full post

#1297: GaGa Mie Gepeng Kuah Rasa Ayam Lada Hitam

A friend sent this a while back from Jakarta – thank you! This is one that says kuah on it. What’s kuah? Well as far as I can gather, kuah is gravy. So instead of a broth, this one should be a bit thicker. Guess we’ll see! Black pepper chicken )rasa ayam hitam) – let’s check it out! ...see full post

#1296: Wu-Mu Ramen With Pickled Mustard Flavor

Pickled mustard? Hmm… I’ve had varieties with mustard stem – wonder if it’ll be like that? Let’s find out! ...see full post

#1295: Wu-Mu Steam Mushroom Flavor Ramen

Thought this might be a good day to take care of a mushroom flavored variety. FYI – these have 4 portions in a pack. Let’s check it out! ...see full post

#1291: A-One Mì Ly Instant Noodles Mì Tôm Shrimp Flavor

My son and I walked to the store the other day for some flowers and kamaboko. Of course, I can’t resist the noodle aisle and found 6 different styles of these little plastic noodle cups! Thought I’d try this one today. Let’s check it out! ...see full post

#1278: Ottogi Ppushu Ppushu Noodle Snack Bulgogi Flavor

I did an appearance on a show called Cam Fu & Friends which was recorded at Microsoft on January 7th, 2014. Cam the host and I met because of instant noodles a while back. He did instant noodle reviews on The Noodle Freak for a while and then went on hiatus from it, telling folks to come check out my site, a real honor. So we actually met in person the first time the other day. He really was hoping I’d do a review on the show, and so I had to come up with something to review. Well, this one fit the bill; easily prepared during the taping! Further below, you can watch the video! Let’s check this one out. ...see full post

#1289: JinMaiLiang Braised Beef Noodles

Here’s one I picked up a while back in Canada. JinMaiLiang makes all sorts of beefy ones – let’s check this one out. ...see full post

#1288: Sau Tao QQ Scallop Seafood Flavoured Vermicelli

I thought why not have something a little different today. This cup’s been around the bottom of the hamper for a while… So, what does QQ mean? Pretty much really thin noodle. Let’s check it out! ...see full post

#1286: Batchelors Super Noodles Roast Beef & Onion Flavour

Here’s one from the UK! Thanks to Joe B. and Sarah B. of Notthingham for sending these my way! Well, let’s check ’em out! ...see full post

#1285: Lucky Me! Supreme Chow Mien Seafood Flavor Instant Stir-Fried Noodles

Don’t see new Filipino varieties often these days, so was very pleased to come across this one. Wondering about the spelling? Well, it’s spelled many ways – mein, mien, mian… Basically, mien means noodles. Anyways, let’s check this one out! ...see full post

#1283: Nongshim Oolongmen Kimchi Cup Noodle Soup Mix

Seems like it’s been a while since I’ve reviewed something from Nongshim. Well, let’s check out this one – and it’s kimchi flavor! ...see full post

#1279: Ko-Lee Instant Noodles Mixed Vegetable

Here’s one that’s been hiding in the noodle bin for a while! Thanks to Martin A. of Devon, UK for seonding!  Let’s check it out! ...see full post

#1274: Wu-Mu Shiitake Flavor Spinach Ramen

I’ve just got to face it; I’ve got noodles coming out of my ears here! There’s a big bag of these Wu-Mu noodles next to my bed that I’ve been almost tripping over as of late. They don’t fit anywhere else and each one is a 4 pack! I thought today my son and I would try a couple varieties. I figured I’d give this one a shot. I’m definitely not a huge fan of mushrooms, but the spinach noodles sounded nice. Let’s have a look! ...see full post

#1273: Sainsbury’s Basics Instant Noodles Chicken Curry Flavour

Here’s another one from Joe B. of Nottingham, England – thanks! Sainsbury’s is a chain of supermarkets in the UK that were founded in 1869. They make two lines on instant noodles – the basics and a more premium version. Let’s check it out! ...see full post

#1272: Samyang Foods Baked Noodle Spicy Grilled Beef Ramyun

Happy New Year to everyone! Thought after I did my 2.3 mile walk I’d come home and try some South Korean ramyun! This is one of Samyang Foods’ new baked noodle line. 2013 was the 50th anniversary of ramyun coming to South Korea. Let’s see what this new one is like! ...see full post

#1268: Wu-Mu Dried Noodle With Jah Jan Sauce

Now for something completely different. Jah jan noodles! What’s jah jan? It’s a black bean (or soybean) sauce rich with flavor – popular in China, Taiwan and South Korea. This one’s from Taiwan. Let’s check it out! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #1267: Mi ABC Mi Cup Rasa Soto Ayam Chicken Soto Flavour

Today, we come to the end of this Meet The Manufacturer. Fifteen reviews! Let’s have a look at this one. ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #1266: Mi ABC Selera Pedas Mi Goreng Cup Rasa Gulai Ayam Pedas Hot Gulai Chicken

My son Andy got me a bowl and a plate for Christmas! Yesterday I used the plate – today the bowl! Hot and spicy chicken sounds really good – let’s see what kind of heat this one’s packing! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #1265: Mi ABC Mi Cup Rasa Ayam Bawang Chicken Onion Flavour

Only a couple left for this Meet The Manufacturer! Of the remaining varieties, I thought Andy might like this one the best. Let’s check it out! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #1262: Mi ABC Mi Cup Rasa Kari Ayam Chicken Curry Flavour

The last ten reviews have been varieties that are now available in the US. The next five will be ones sent to me by ABC President that are only available in Indonesia. Let’s check this one out! ...see full post

Re-Review: Meet The Manufacturer: Mi ABC Mi Instan Rebus Rasa Ayam Bawang Onion Chicken Flavour

Close to 100 reviews ago, I tried this for the first time. Four years ago today, my wife and I had our first conversation! It’s a big anniversary for us – check out the video at the end for more on that. Let’s revisit this one by ABC President! ...see full post

#1259: Meet The Manufacturer: Eat & Go Chicken Onion Mi Instan Cup

It should be pretty obvious: I like onions. I use them in pretty much every meal I make. Chicken and eggs are quite enjoyable too. Let’s check this one out. ...see full post

#1257: Meet The Manufacturer: Mi ABC Mi Goreng Mi Instan Cup Mi Goreng Spesial Special Fried Noodle

Mi goreng means fried noodles. To those not familiar with mi goreng, you’ve absolutely must try it! There’s no broth involved and very strong and delicious flavors. I would wager that if I looked through all my reviews, I’d be hard pressed to find a mi goreng that I didn’t like. Well, there was one, but it was a Chinese take on it and the spices were really off. What’s really nice is the ability to pair it with so many different things. Let’s delve into this one; I have a good feeling about it! ...see full post

#1255: Thai Choice Instant Noodles Shrimp Flavour

Here’s one that Charles, a serviceman deployed in Afghanistan sent me recently – thank you very much! Never seen this brand before. Looks really interesting! Let’s check it out! ...see full post

#1253: Nissin Chow Mein Teriyaki Chicken Flavor Chow Mein Noodles

Here’s one I’ve had lurking in the bin for a while – I figured it was time to haul it out and give it a try. Let’s check it out! ...see full post