Here’s the second of the three varieties that Yoko Street sent me – thanks! This sounds quite interesting – curry! I’m a curry junkie, so I have high hopes. Let’s cook it up!
Category: United States
#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!
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!
#4876: Saymyeon Kimchi Noodle Soup – United States
Here’s one I think came by way of James from Lakeside, California – thanks! This is the second of two from this brand. Sounds good – let’s give it a go.
#4872: Pocas Bowl Noodle Soup Spicy Beef Flavor – United States
Here’s one that came by way of James from Lakeside, California – thanks again! This is the second of two varieties he sent. Let’s give it a go!
#4871: Snapdragon Spicy AF Ramen Super Spicy Noodle Soup – United States
Okay so yes, these are made in Vietnam but made for the US market. Interesting name for starters – kind of surprising. That aside, I’m kind of curious about thsi one. I’m guessing it isn’t going to be AF’ing spicy as the nomenclature connotes. I am noticing in the ingredients this stuff employs capsicum oleoresin which is extractive of peppers. Let’s find out – an eating video at the bottom.
#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.
Myojo Sends New Udon & Fresh Ramen Samples
I’ve been a fan of Myojo USA’s varieties for awhile now and when I saw some new varieties on Instagram, I asked to try and they were kind enough to send them along. I’ve tried them all and attached photos of the finished bowls to the video – full reviews will be coming soon! Big thanks to Myojo USA for sending them over!
#4852: Saymyeon Janchi Noodle Soup – United States
Big thanks to James from Lakeside, California for sending this along! Never heard of this brand before, nor this variety. Let’s give it a try!
The Ramen Rater’s Bottom Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2024 Edition
You know, this list while very exclusive isn’t one that brings me great joy. I really like instant noodles and the people who produce them, but some varieties just give me real disgust. I just can’t stand them, don’t recommend them, and wish they were different so I would like them. These are the ones I really, really dislike. This list is current as of review #4830. Be sure to check out announcements below – lots of neat stuff going on! With that, allow me to introduce you to The Ramen Rater’s Bottom Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2024 Edition.
#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!
Kari Kari Chili Crisp Unboxing & Review
I was minding my own business, doing a little research… Then I found this Kari Kari chili crisp. Turned out they’re based in Seattle, which is next door. I asked to give it a try and they sent some! Now, your question may be at the outset: how does it compare to Lao Gan Ma? I can say I’d rather have this any day. Check out the video below. You can get it here. Also – check out Time Warp – a bar with arcade and pinball games and instant noodles on Capitol Hill in Seattle!!
#4835: Assi Spicy Seafood Noodle Bowl – United States
This sounds interesting. I know there are Assi grocery stores around the US here and there… This sounds from the name like either a jjambbong or a kind of ganjjambbong – let’s find out what we have here.
#4823: Omsom Saucy Noodles Coconut Lemongrass Curry – United States
Well, this is the last of the products from this brand that I have. I think this is all of them. This sounds good in name. What I expect is a kind of sauce with a light sweetness, maybe a seafood element, a a little heat and lemongrass bite. I’m hopeful we don’t have yet another one that has a strong Italian vinaigrette element to it, but it won’t surprise me. My mind is open – and hopeful.
#4821: Omsom Saucy Noodles Garlic Black Pepper – United States
This one’s a little different from the last two I tried. The last two at the top mentioned Vietnamese rather than Chinese on the packaging. So far, no good for this company insofar as my reviews. The last two scored very low – rather non-nom – and I’m hoping there’s going to be one that I like as these were pretty expensive. With an open mind, let’s give it another go.
#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!
#4817: O’Food Korean Style! Rice Noodle Seafood Flavored – United States
This is the second of two varieties I found semi-recently. The other was a spicy one, this one seafood. Bah – it’s early morning – let’s get this day going!
#4816: Omsom Saucy Noodles Soy Garlic – United States
Time to try another one of these. There’s four varieties. The last one I tried was rather disappointing, so I have high hopes for this one. Will it be good? Let’s find out.
#4814: Twisted Noodles Ramen Soup Chicken Flavor Ramen – United States
Big thanks to James from Lakeside for sending this one over! I think I’ve heard of this brand – kind of curious one here. Who’s making this? It’s made in the US it says – and lists a distributor. Private label? The cup itself is on a design that I’m not familiar with for any co-packer, so kind of weird. Noodle itself looks unfamiliar as well. Hmm. Well,, let’s delve into this chicken cup.
#4812: Yumei Spicy Braised Instant Vermicelli With Pickled Cowpea – United States
Here’s one my lovely wife Kit looked at and said ‘what about this one?’ I’ve found there’s a universal truth in the universe: when she sees one and questions me about it and if I’ve not had it, it’s one I should review. This one’s made in China, let packaged for sale in the United States. So, let’s do so!
#4806: Nissin Cup Noodles Everything Bagel With Cream Cheese Ramen Noodles In Sauce – United States
Well, here we go again. This is the third in a series of interesting and very different varieties by Nissin Foods USA. First, the Cup Noodles Pumpkin Spice – which people really had strong feelings about. Second was Cup Noodles Breakfast which was kind of like a McGriddle morphed into a Cup Noodles. Finally, (shouldn’t say finally and hope this isn’t the end of the road for these interesting flavors) is Everything Bagel with Cream Cheese Ramen Noodles In Sauce. This is an interesting flavor to me. A big thank you to my wife Kit for getting two of these for me, and also to Nissin Foods USA for sending me an interesting influencer box – very cool! Alright – let’s give this a try – I should note I put this in a bagel with cream cheese – see videos at the bottom of this post.
Nissin Sends Cup Noodles Everything Bagel!
In the last couple of years, there have been some interesting changes of varieties coming from Nissin Foods USA – neat ones! The biggest are these limited edition varieties – first we got Pumpkin Spice, then Breakfast – now it’s Everything Bagel. I still have high hopes for a pizza in a cup but we will have to wait and see. I think it’s a logical next step. Maybe a cheeseburger one. What’s also cool are the media kits they send out. This one’s especially cool – it makes noise! Yup – watch the video and check it out!
#4739: Samyang Vegetasty Noodle Soup – United States
You ready for a historic roadshow in a cup? This variety has gone by a few names and packaging wordings, but I’d say this is my favorite.. For example, here is review #695 – savory vegetable flavor. But wait – here’s good old review #1030 – this one is ’60 ingredients’ flavor! Back in 2011, I reviews the 60 Ingredients cup – review #553! Well, now this one’s called Vegetasty. They’ve dropped the whole looks how many ingredients and given it a very interesting name. I think this one is a troublemaker. The reason I say this is because they want to market it – and indeed it’s been pretty good – but as far as export, it’s a tough one to come up with a good name for perhaps. Vegetasty is kind of catchy, but for a Western audience, it might be a little tricky to pull off. It does bear the Vegan logo on there which is a good thing. Vegetasty sounds very monolithic; like it’s from a sprawling corporate empire. I would say completely revamp. Show farm imagery – crops being cared for or rolling fields in the sun as a background, then in the foreground a basket being held containing lots of different vegetables. Maybe a rustic theme. Then a better name – something like Nature’s Delight or Back To Nature Vegetable Noodle Soup – granted those aren’t taken already. Either way, vegetable and in particular Vegan varieties are very popular. I;ve been asked many times by companies my thoughts on how to name something for Western markets – a real honor I have to say. Anyways, yeah – let’s cook it – maybe I’m ruminate on the episode on Instant Noodle Recipe Time that appears at the bottom of this post – the finest show in the universe – and you all want to like and subscribe to. Yeah.
ExoticNoods.com – Great International Ramen To Your Door!
Big thank you to ExoticNoods.com for sending over a box! This company has subscription boxes that aren’t country specific, but have neat varieties from asll over the world! Check ’em out! Here’s what was in a box they sent last week!
#4802: Miliket MiliOne Mi Bo Huong Vi – United States
Here’s a Vietnamese beef pho, found at HMart recently. This one is a little interesting as instead of a rice noodle it’s a wheat noodle. Also, note that it’s not called pho, but it is a noodle soup. Mi means noodle and bo means beef. Pho? That means soup. Anyways, let’s see what happens.
Revisiting Nissin Cup Noodles Breakfast – The Definitive Guide
A couple years ago, Nissin Foods USA came out with something called Cup Noodles Pumpkin Spice. Honestly, I really enjoyed it and made many different recipes out of it, stretching it to the limit. This time, it’s a breakfast variety. I couldn’t find it, but luckily Stumpy from North Little Rock, AR, James from Lakeside, CA and Nissin Foods sent me cups which I truly appreciate. Here, I will go into meticulous detail about the product, and create five different things with it. With that, here’s The Ramen Rater’s Definitive Guide To Nissin Cup Noodles Breakfast.
#4801: Omsom Saucy Noodles Chili Sesame – United States
Been wanting to try these for a while. We found them at Whole Foods market in Lynnwood, Washington. I’ve tried emailing the company a couple of times, but never received a response. Ah well. These are curious – they really look like Taiwanese dry noodles. Let’s check out this one with more to follow soon.
#4799: The Han Kitchen Gomtang Premium Beef Ramyun – United States
Gomtangmyeon is probably not what you immediately expect when you’re thinking about Korean ramyun noodles. That’s because it’s kind of a creamy beef noodle soup instead of a spicy one. Gomtang is nice and savory – let’s cook some up!
#4797: Pamana Beef Goto Filipino-Style Beef Congee – United States
Here’s another one sent by James from LAkeside, California – thanks again! This one says it’s gluten free so my wife will be giving this a try. Let’s hit it – oh and I know it’s not ramen.
#4796: You Us GS Retail Premium Gonghwachun – United States
Here’s one made in South Korea for the US market. GS25 is a convenience store chain in South Korea – and I believe all their instant noodles they have as a house brand are made by Paldo. Let’s give this one a try.
#4795: Pamana Ginataang Monggo Mung Bean Porridge With Coconut Milk – United States
Now this is a name I can get behind – Ginataang Monggo sounds like something from Flash Gordon! But it’s not. It’s porridge – I really like foreign languages! Anyways, yeah this one sounds interesting – let’s give it a go – by the way big thanks to James from Lakeside, California for sending this along!
#4793: Pamana Arroz Caldo Chicken Rice Porridge – United States
This came by way of James from LAkeside, California – thanks again! So this company is based in the United States and makes foods for the Filipino folks who live here. While this isn’t an instant noodle, chances are you’ll come across it on the instant noodle aisle. Let’s cook it up !
#4791: Samyang Nagasaki Jjambbong – United States
This is one I tried when it debuted way back. There were a couple of versions as well. This one is made in South Korea and packaged for sale in the US market. Jjambbong is like a spicy seafood stew. This on the other hand is the same but with a more milky broth. This is a really great one when I’ve had it in the past – let’s visit it again!
#4787: Miliket Mix Instant Noodles With Seafood Flavour – United States
Got this one at HMart recently. This one’s made in Vietnam but packaged for the US market. I’ve not tried a lot of Vietnamese varieties that blow me away, but I have high hopes for this dry noodle variant. Let give it a go!
#4785: Vite Ramen Radiant Crab Rieu Instant Noodle Soup – United States
Here’s the last of the Vite Ramen varieties, and this one sounds like a departure from the other. Bun Rieu is a Vietnamese soup – this is made in California and boasts crab flavor. We shall see how it goes!
#4783: Yamadai Tonkotsu Ramen Japanese Style Noodles – United States
Found another one of these! This time, not at S*Mart but at the Lynnwood, WA HMart – along with quite a few other things. Usually don’t find a lot there but it was a good haul the other day. I also found a pair of ‘chopsticks for kids that my daughter went crazy for and since she accompanied me in the store, I figured why not. Tonkotsu is one she likes as well, so maybe she’ll get this. Let’s give it a try.
#4776: Vite Ramen Plant-Based White Miso v3.0 – United States
Alright – so if you like plants – in particular, eating them – this is for your. Definatly one for the Vegan crowd. I know a lot of non-Vegan people who poo-poo Vegan foods. I must say though – Vegan stuff is really quite good. Gluten Free stuff is excellent as well. I eat a lot of meat and glutenous things, but I’m totally open to these other things, and often like them more. I’ve enjoyed this flavor before that they make and the v3.0 stuff is really great thus far – let’s cook some up!
#4773: Kang Shi Fu Artificial Soyed Beef Flavor – United States
Found this one the other day at 99 Ranch Market. This one is interesting as the range is very easy to find here, however there was a lot of confusion whether it was another brand – Master Kang. Master Kang translates to Kang Shi Fu, and also has a little chef guy for it’s logo. I remember getting a phone call from a lawyer about it a long time ago asking my opinion on it. It’s been such a long time though that I’m guessing that whatever legal issues were involved are probably kaput at this point, so here we are. Soyed beef – is that like corned beef? Interesting. Let’s cook this stuff up.
#4772: O’Food Spicy Korean Style Rice Noodle – United States
After a hunt for instant noodles, here’s one I found locally at Boo Han Market in Edmonds, Washington. This style of noodle is interesting – while a rice noodle, it’s got a kind of different thing going on. Let’s steep ’em up.
#4769: Vite Ramen Garlic Pork Tonkotsu v3.0 – United States
Protein and vitamins and fiber and low sodium and pretty low calories for the size of the serving. Let’s begin.