THE RAMEN RATER

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

February 13, 2014July 31, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch No comments

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

#1310: Thai Kitchen Rice Noodle Cart Thai Peanut

February 12, 2014July 31, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch No comments

My wife got me this one for Christmas! Thanks, Kit! The last one of these I tried was pretty good – curious how this one will be – let’s check it out. ...see full post

#1309: YumYum Oriental Style Instant Noodles Seafood Flavour

February 11, 2014July 31, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch No comments

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

#1308: Nongshim Soon Veggie Noodle Soup

February 10, 2014July 31, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch 7 comments

Here’s a new one from Nongshim for the vegetable crown. At first, I thought it would be a tofu based variety; the reason was that I’ve gone to a local Korean restaurant and ordered ‘Soon Tofu’ a few times, which is a spicy soup with tofu in it. Well, ‘soon’ translates to ‘soft.’ Well, tofu is a vegetarian friendly construct, so I thought I’d give it a try today with this new one. A few people have been asking about this one, so with that, let’s check it out. ...see full post

#1307: Nissin Cup Noodle Cheese Curry

February 9, 2014July 31, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch No comments

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

#1306: KOKA Oriental Style Instant Noodles Tom Yam Flavour

February 8, 2014July 31, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch No comments

Here’s one that was sent by Martin A. of Devon, England. Thanks again! I’ve really been into fish balls lately. They’re tasty, lots of varieties, and pretty low cal. Anyways, they tend to go better in spicy varieties of instant noodles and I think they are wonderful in tom yum/yam. Let’s check this one out! ...see full post

#1305: A-Sha Instant Noodle Original Flavor

February 7, 2014July 31, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch No comments

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

New Product Samples From Indomie

February 6, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch No comments

Got a package today – from Indonesia! New product samples from Indomie! This should be awesome! ...see full post

#1304: Nissin Demae Ramen Shoyu Tonkotsu Artificial Pork Flavor

February 6, 2014July 31, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch No comments

Pork! Purple! Sounds good! Let’s hit it!

Here’s the back of the package (click image to enlarge). Contains fish products. To prepare, cook noodles in 500ml water for 3 minutes. Put sachet contents into a bowl. Pour out water from noodles into the bowl and stir, then add noodles. Enjoy! ...see full post

#1303: Western Family Instant Noodles In A Cup Chicken Flavour

February 5, 2014July 31, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch No comments

Here’s another one my wife for me on my trip to Canada on my birthday last year! Gonna let the kiddo try this one out – he likes chicken flavor anything. Let’s check it out! ...see full post

#1302: MAMA Instant Noodles Yentafo Tom Yum Mohfai Flavour

February 4, 2014July 31, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch 3 comments

Here’s one with a flavor I’ve never heard of – well, except for the tom yum part. Here’s what Wikipedia had to say about the yentafo: ...see full post

#1301: Knorr Quick Serve Macaroni Shrimp Broth

February 3, 2014July 31, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch No comments

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

#1300: Samyang Foods Red Nagasaki Jjampong

February 2, 2014July 31, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch 6 comments

Wow – number 1300! Would’ve ever thought I would’ve done this many reviews; seems like I did the 500th review not very long ago. Let’s check this one out – a spicy South Korean jjampong! ...see full post

#1299: Mr. Noodles Noodles In A Cup Spicy Chicken Simulated Flavour

February 1, 2014July 31, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch 1 comment

Here’s one my wife got for me on my birthday trip to Canada! Thanks, baby! Spicy chicken. Let’s check it out. ...see full post

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

January 31, 2014July 31, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch No comments

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

The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Chinese Instant Noodles Of All Time 2014

January 30, 2014February 6, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch No comments

China: the birthplace of the noodle. Billions of serving of instant noodles are consumed there every year – more than any other country in the world! I thought today being Chinese New Year (more widely known as Lunar New Year), it would be an opportune time to release a list of my favorite instant noodles that are made in China. These are the most memorable and finest varieties I have enjoyed from China of the 1,290+ I’ve reviewed over the years. ...see full post

#1297: GaGa Mie Gepeng Kuah Rasa Ayam Lada Hitam

January 30, 2014July 31, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch No comments

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

January 29, 2014July 31, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch No comments

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

January 29, 2014July 31, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch No comments

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

The Ramen Rater Top Ten In Courrier Japon Magazine

Uncategorized

January 28, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch No comments

I got an email a few weeks back from a fellow named Hikaru T. from Courrier Japon magazin. He was interested in doing an article about my Top Ten list and asked if that’d be alright. I usually ask for a couple copies of the finished product and some cool instant noodle from the country where the magazine is. Well, he said okay and so here is the box that arrived today! ...see full post

Some Great Varieties From Malaysia!

Malaysia

January 28, 2014January 28, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch No comments

A box arrived today! It was sent by Chelsea of Malaysia who studies abroad in Massachusetts! She offered to bring back some instant noodles for me to review! Thank you very much! Let’s open it up! ...see full post

#1294: Thai Choice Instant Noodles Chicken Flavour

January 28, 2014July 31, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch No comments

Here’s another one sent by Charles – a serviceman stationed in Afghanistan – thanks! Let’s check it out! ...see full post

#1293: Myojo Prawn Noodles

January 27, 2014July 31, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch 4 comments

Here’s another one sent by Annie T. of MyKuali! Thanks! This one sounds interesting, and I have something neat to go with it considering my recent fascination with fish balls – prawn flavored fish balls! These noodles are from Singapore, as are the fish balls! Let’s check it out! ...see full post

#1292: Nissin Cup Noodles Sabor A Carne Sopa Con Fideos

January 26, 2014July 31, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch No comments

Hey look! This is the last of the Nissin varieties made for Colombia. They’re made here in California by Nissin Foods USA, but only for sale in Colombia. This is identical to the beef flavor Cup Noodles we have available here. I reviewed that one way back – #334 in March of 2011 – seems like forever ago. Let’s see what I think about this one nowadays. Let’s check it out! ...see full post

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

January 25, 2014July 31, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch No comments

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

January 24, 2014July 31, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch No comments

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

#1290: Nongshim Sain Sain Garlic Teriyaki Fresh Cooked Udon Pasta

January 23, 2014July 31, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch No comments

In March of 2012, I tried this new Garlic Teriyaki Udon by Nongshim – review #683. It was really great stuff – my wife Kit absolutely loved it (she doesn’t usually go crazy like I do for noodles, but this one was her fave). Well, a little while later, it was discontinued. Well, now it’s back and a little different. The first one had a whopping 3040mg of sodium per pack, but this new one has only 720mg for the whole thing. Let’s see how this one stacks up against the old version. ...see full post

#1289: JinMaiLiang Braised Beef Noodles

January 22, 2014July 31, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch No comments

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

Product Samples From Nongshim USA!

January 21, 2014January 21, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch 2 comments

Yesterday I saw the FedEx truck coming around the corner through the patio door window. They stopped. What’s nice is that the guy just parks and comes up to the window these days. Let’s see what inside! ...see full post

#1288: Sau Tao QQ Scallop Seafood Flavoured Vermicelli

January 21, 2014July 31, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch No comments

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

#1287: Kimura Kumamoto Tonkotsu Ramen

January 20, 2014July 31, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch 1 comment

Hey check this happy looking guy out! I’m thinking he’s happy because today’s my sister’s birthday! Happy Birthday Sue! This looks like one she’d probably like. Last year, I made her some birthday noodles – maybe I’ll see if she wants to have some again this year! The happy guy on the package’s name is Kumamon, a mascot that the government of Kumamoto, Japan invented. Let’s check these out. ...see full post

Momofuku Ando Day Photo Contest: The Winner Is…

* News / Noodle News

January 19, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch No comments

The contest had four submissions! Here are the rankings of the four as judged by my wife Kit. She didn’t see any of the pictures until a minute ago and had no idea who submitted them. ...see full post

The Ramen Rater’s 3rd Annual Momofuku Ando Day

January 19, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch No comments

Momofuku Ando (安藤百福) – (March 5, 1910 – January 5, 2007)

Today is January 19th, 2014 – and you know what that means? Momofuku Ando Day! In 1958, Momofuku Ando invented the very first instant noodles and started Nissin Foods. I do a special video every year to commemorate the occasion (see below). First, here’s what the Nissin Foods USA website has to say about the man: ...see full post

Momofuku Ando Day: Andy’s Special Review

* News / Noodle News

January 18, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch No comments

Tomorrow is Momofuku Ando Day and I thought it would be fun to let my son Andreas do a video review. Just a reminder – today (January 18th, 2014) is the last day to enter the Momofuku Ando Day Photo Contest! The winner will be announced tomorrow. My Momofuku Ando Day video will be up tomorrow! ...see full post

#1286: Batchelors Super Noodles Roast Beef & Onion Flavour

January 18, 2014July 31, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch No comments

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

January 16, 2014July 31, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch No comments

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

The Ramen Rater Noodle News #34

* News / Noodle News

January 16, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch No comments

Here we go with the 34th edition of The Ramen Rater Noodle News! I scour the Internet for articles about ramen and instant noodles and bring them to you! Here are some recent stories you might find interesting! ...see full post

#1284: Thai Kitchen Rice Noodle Cart Sweet Citrus Ginger

January 15, 2014July 31, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch No comments

Here’s one my wife got for me for Christmas! Thanks, Kitten! There are a myriad of these noodle trays in the US market that I’ve not reviewed and this is one of them. Let’s have a look! ...see full post

The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Japanese Instant Noodles Of All Time 2014 Edition

January 15, 2014January 18, 2014 Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch No comments

It’s only a few days until Momofuku Ando Day, and what better time to introduce the very first Japanese Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time list? In 1958, Momofuku Ando initially brought these convenient products to the world. At first seen as an overpriced novelty, they’ve grown in popularity; 100 billion instant noodle products were enjoyed in 2012! Here are my favorites, manufactured in the instant noodle’s birthplace of Japan. ...see full post

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