This one’s another HMart score. Yeah I know – again, not ramen or instant noodles, but was certainly found on that aisle. Sounds good to me – let’s check it out!
Category: * Stars 4.1 – 5.0
#4913: Indomie Mi Instan Rasa Cakalang – Indonesia
This one came by way of Pher Engi – thanks again! You might see this and say ‘I can’t get this in the United States.’ Well, if you’re from here that is. What you might not know is that this variety used to be available here – it was called Skipjack Tuna flavor. I would guess the last time I saw it was around 22 years ago at an Asian grocery that now doesn’t even exist anymore called Evergreen Asian Grocery. They had a ton of boxes in an area that were open and full of packs of Indomie. So many varieties have left the US market – it’s pretty sad to be honest. Anyways, this is a tuna flavored one – it is with soup, and there’s a mi goreng as well. Let’s give it a try!
#4910: Ginding Cuanki Express – Indonesia
Big thanks to Pher Engi for sending this one! Okay you’re probably wondering what cuanki is and I can say that I want to visit Indonesia and give it and try it. Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about it –
#4908: Nongshim Noodle Salad With Sesame Vinaigrette – United States
Hooray for cold noodles! Nongshim has flirted with a few cold noodle varieties – they had a buckwheat zaru soba a few years ago. I think their Doong Ji is really good as well. This one’s new and I am guessing somewhat akin to a hiyashi chuka soba. Let’s give it a whirl.
#4906: MAMA Oriental Style Instant Noodles Mi Goreng Flavor – United States
Yes, made in Thailand but most definitely packaging for export to the United States. I reviewed this waaaaaaay back – September 2010. I’m guessing a few changes have occurred in the last 13+ years. Let’s give it a try as I see people trying this from time to time.
#4905: Maruchan Wonton Ramen Noodle Soup Hot & Spicy Chicken – United States
Was surprised to find this where I did but there it was so I got this and the non-spicy version. Maruchan had a bit of a fanfare about this – that it was bringing back something people were clamoring for. I completely expected their often asked about tomato flavored Ramen Noodle Soup, but this ain’t that which I think really disappointed a lot of folks. Regardless, this sounds interesting so let’s give it a try.
#4903: Ramen Bae Dried Ramen Toppings – Classic Seafood & Vegetables Mix – United States
Here’s the second variety they sent. This one has bits of seafood as well as a vegetable mix – let’s give it a try with a seafood instant.
#4902: Ramen Bae Dried Ramen Toppings – Veggie Mix – United States
Was asked by a reader if I’d tried this product before and I hadn’t, so I reached out to the company and they sent some samples – thanks! A lot of the questions I getg regularly are about what to add to instant noodles to spruce them up. Dried vegetables come up from time to time, so this sounds like a good bet. Let’s find out!
#4894: Nissin Cup Noodles Seafood Flavour – Singapore
Here’s one that Nissin Singapore sent a little while ago – thanks again! These cups are pretty jam packed with bits and seasonings. Let’s check it out!
#4892: Acecook Super Cup 35SHU no Spice de Shiageru Negi-Shio Yakisoba – Japan
Here’s one that came in a Zenpop.jp box. Here’s what they had to say about it – ‘Do you like spices? This cup is for you. Acecook went big for their 35th anniversary of Super Cup (スーパーカップ), and they used just as many spices for this delicious serving of yakisoba. It’s perfect for those last few days of summer, with refreshing flavors of lemongrass, rounded noodles that are a perfect match for the sauce and all those unique aromas. 🍋 The seasoning has a solid salt base, together with a mix of chicken, pork, and garlic. They opted for something simple so that the 35 spices could really do their job and magnify all the flavors. All of them have been blended in an original furikake (ふりかけ) that’ll leave you a lovely aftertaste in your mouth. The dish is topped with fragrant sesame, a sprinkle of green onions, and red pickled ginger.’
#4886: Yoko Street Tan Tan Ramen With Ground Chicken – United States
Here’s the third of the Yoko Street fresh varieties they shipped – figured I’d better cook them up quick as they’re fresh. This one sounds particularly nice! Let’s get started.
#4884: Yoko Street Pork Ramen (Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen ) – United States
Yoko Street reached out to me recently and asked if I’d be interested in sampling their ramen products. They ship fresh and so that sounded interesting. I’ve seen quite a few of these kind of everythig you need setups in past years but it’s been a little while – so of course I was interested. Well, let’s put it together and give some tonkotsu shoyu a try!
#4882: Mie Sedaap Instant Mi Goreng Ayam Bakar Limau – Indonesia
Here’s another neat one thanks to Pher Engi – thanks again! Ayam Bakar Limau means charcoal grilled chicken with lime. Pretty simple – and recently I’ve enjoyed a citrus chicken mi goreng from another brand which was quite good. Let’s see how this one goes.
The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodle Bowls Of All Time 2024 Edition
This is a list I come out with every year – what’s different this year is now there’s a new rule: only one product per company. Seems fair to me – and also a way for more things to be seen. I don’t think it’s a bad idea and honestly, I think insofar as this list goes, it won’t be very hard to pull off. Anyways, here we go with The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodle Bowls Of All Time 2024 Edition!
#4880: Indomie Rasa Empal Gentong – Indonesia
Here’s another neat Indonesian variety sent by Pher Engi – thanks again! So, what flavor is it? Let’s ask Wikipedia –
#4875: Nissin Cup Noodles Spicy Seafood Flavour – Singapore
Here’s a Singaporean variety – thanks to the folks in SG! As I write this, it’s 16 degrees farenheit – wind chill puts it at 7 degrees! What a brisk walk it will be this morning! On the episode of Instant Noodle recipe time at the bottom, I’ll probably talk about my frozen bones! Let’s cook this up!
#4874: ABC Selera Pedas Hot Chicken Lime Flavour – Indonesia
Here’s one tyhat Pher Engi sent – thanks! So lime chicken mi goreng – sounds interesting! Let’s give it a try.
#4870: KampongKu Curry Laksa Soup Noodles – Malaysia
Curry laksa? Oh yeah – sign me up! I’ve been a big fan of curry laksa for some time now and very curious how this one will be. Let’s cook it up!
#4867: Seventeen EatsOn Sweet & Spicy Topokki – South Korea
Looks like we have a Korean boy band with a ton of dudes. Yep. There’s a lot of these tie-ins in Korean varieties. There used to be one that was called DJ Doc which was a tteokbokki and ramyeon variant that was really great – that was the first one I’d seen. Anyways, can’t complain about tteokbokki, that’s for sure. Let’s give it a try!
#4865: KampongKu Penang Prawn Soup Noodles – Malaysia
Just found out about this one recently and I’m hot on giving it and another variety they make a try! I’ve been a huge fan and booster of Malaysian varieties – let’s see how strong a prawn punch this comer will have!
#4864: Maruchan Ore no Shio – Japan
Here’s one that came in a Zenpop.jp box – use coupon code THERAMENRATER for a groovy discount!
#4860: Miliket-Colusa Mi Bo Cay Han Quoc Hot Beef Flavour Instant Noodles – Vietnam
Here’s one that came by way of James from Lakeside, California – thanks again! He saw me mention that I don’t get a lot of Vietnamese varieties and sent a couple and this is one of them. This is a spicy beef flavor variety – curious… Let’s give it a try!
#4859: Paldo Gompaghetti Korean Beef Flavored Noodles – United States
This one came by way of James from Lakeside, California – thank you again, sir! So, this is a combination of gomtang, a creamy beef soup, and instead of being a soup, this is a dry version, so there’s your paghetti part of the name. It sounds good, and apparently milk can used instead of water which I intend to try. Let hit it up – I’m expecting good things.
#4851: Maruchan Tounyu Goma Miso Udon – Japan
Here’s one that came in a Zenpop.jp box – use coupon code THERAMENRATER for a groovy discount!
#4850: Meet Mee Tom Yum Pan Mee – Malaysia
Well, I’ve got one more from this company after this one. They’ve been fun to try! Let’s give their tom yum a try.
#4848: Pocas Bowl Noodle Soup Vegetable Flavor – United States
Here’s one that came from James of Lakeside, California – thanks! This is one I’d never seen before. It looks to be a spicy vegetable – and looks interesting as well. Let’s give it a try!
#4847: A1 Abalone Noodle – Malaysia
This is an interesting one – made in Malaysia for export. It’s got abalone in there – I’ve tried this one in the past but this is for export. Anyways, let’s check it out!
#4844: Meet Mee Chili Pan Mee (Dry) (Fish Cake) – Malaysia
Here’s another one in the Meet Mee range – I do enjoy fish cake and what I’ve tried from this company has been quite good. Let’s get cooking!
#4843: Nissin Cup Noodles Laksa Flavour – Singapore
Here’s another one of the Nissin Singapore Cup Noodles sent recently by the company – thanks! I really like laksa – let’s give it a shot!
#4841: Myojo Charumera Domburi Kumamoto Ma-yu Tonkotsu – Japan
Here’s one that came in a Zenpop.jp box – use coupon code THERAMENRATER for a groovy discount!
#4839: Meet Mee Kam Heong Pan Mee – Malaysia
I can’t figure in any universe that this won’t be something I dislike. I mean come on curry crab paste? That’s gotta be good! Let’s find out.
#4831: Nissin Cup Noodles Mushroom Chicken Flavour – Singapore
I’ve tried many of the Nissin Singapore range of Cup Noodles varieties, but not this one. Seems like this is a variety that would do well here in the states – definitely one popular in the UK… Let’s give it a try!
#4824: Nissin Cup Noodles Fish Head Curry Flavour – Singapore
Here’s a variety which has been released for Nissin Cup Noodles’ 52nd anniversary – one that was a limited edition, but now a full part of the Nissin SG lineup. When I had it a while back, it was great – let’s give it another try – new and improved style!
#4822: Ginding Batagor Kuah Express – Indonesia
Here’s another one from Pher Engi – thank you! This is one she sent a picture of and asked if I wanted to try it to which I said yes. I also got this when searching Batagor kuah on Google from a generated AI response – ‘Batagor kuah is a soup made from batagor, an Indonesian dish that’s a shortened form of “bakso tahu goreng” (fried meatball and tofu). The soup can be made by boiling chicken broth. Batagor is traditionally made from minced tenggiri (Spanish mackerel), although other types of seafood such as tuna, mackerel, and prawn may also be used. The fish paste is stuffed into wonton skins or filled into tofu, and then deep fried in palm oil. Batagor is a popular street food in the city of Bandung in West Java. It began appearing in various Indonesian cities throughout the country in the 1980s, and is believed to have been invented in 1968 in Bandung. According to legend, batagor was created as a way to salvage unsold bakso meatballs. ‘
#4819: Pamana Ginataang Mais – United States
Finishing up a week of reviewing today (it’s Friday for me) in early October, 2023. It’s pretty nutty – I’m now over 200 reviews ahead, and I’ve got a feeling this is coming out in late March of 2024, maybe April. While this isn’t ramen, it’s another thing you might find on the noodle aisle. It’s a Filipino porridge made in the United States. Let’s give it a try!
The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2024 Edition
Every year I pick my favorites out of all the reviews I’ve done. In the past, I’ve had lists that have multiple companies with multiple entries. I decided this year that I would change that. Starting with this list, only one entry per company will be on the list. I’ll mention other noteworthy varieties in the text of each one which I think will give more opportunities for folks to try new things. This new way of doing things will be reflected in this list, the upcoming Bottom Ten, Top Ten Bowls, and Top Ten Cups lists.
#4810: Mie Sedaap Mi Kuah Instan Rasa White Curry – Indonesia
A huge thank you to Pher Engi of Australia for sending me this – I’ve been wanting to try it for easily 5 years – probably more. An Indonesian take of white curry just sounds so interesting – let’s give it a try!
#4809: Shoo Loong Kan Instant Sour Spicy Noodle – China
Another flower pot cup of noodles. Let’s see how this one treats us.
Shoo Loong Kan Instant Sour Spicy Noodle – China
A distributor / import sticker (click to enlarge).
#4807: Maggi Oats Masala Noodles – India
I was down to three varieties to review, then two boxes of noodles showed up, then after doing Chuck E. Cheese’s for Miles’ 8th birthday, turned out a few feet from there was an Indian grocery in Bellevue, WA called Apna Bazar. Found this and five other varieties I’d not reviewed – so that’s pretty good! This is a Maggi Masala with oats in the noodle. Let’s cook them up!
#4805: Red Chef Penang White Curry Mee – Malaysia
An emperor gets some new clothes! This has been a brand whose products have graced my top tens for a while now – and they’ve changed their packaging. It looks as though their recipe has changed as well. Malaysia is a place where flavors are changed and improved upon often, and I’m curious how this one will be. Well, let’s give it a try!