Meet The Manufacturer: Hakubaku Mochi Barley – Japan

Well, the last one didn’t get a review and this one doesn’t get a number, but I really wanted to let you guys check it out. I’ve been enjoying this stuff for the last few weeks and it’s good! Lots of great health benefits. I usually drop a 1/4 cup of it into a pot of soup and let it cook up for 15~20 minutes. Let’s check i tout! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #3149: Hakubaku Baby Udon – Japan

Meet The Manufacturer: #3149: Hakubaku Baby Udon - Japan

This isn’t my usual thing – noodles without seasoning. But it seemed interesting to me – udon meant for very small children. I figure hey – maybe little kids might be hitting up my website for suitable varieties? Why not! Let’s check it out. ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #3148: Hakubaku Tonkotsu Pork Flavor Ramen – United States

#3204: Hakubaku Tonkotsu Pork Flavor Ramen - United States

Here’s the second variety from Hakubaku to cross my desk recently. This is a shelf stable fresh noodle variety – let’s give it a try! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: Product Samples From Hakubaku USA (2 of 2)

Meet The Manufacturer: Product Samples From Hakubaku USA (2 of 2)

This is the second box of samples from Hakubaku USA. I want to say that I have really fallen in love with one of these products – the Mochi Barley. No, it’s not ramen. But it’s become a big part of my diet lately and it’s really good! Breaking away from the standard way I just focus on ramen, I’ll do a special review of it as well as I’ve been eating it almost daily for a couple of weeks now. ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: Product Samples From Hakubaku USA (1 of 2)

Product Samples From Hakubaku USA (1 of 2)

First things first – let check out the first of two boxes of samples that Hakubaku USA sent over. This one has the ramen, the next will have other goodies! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: Interview With Hakubaku USA – United States

#3147: Samyang Foods Hek Buldak Bokkeummyun Mini – South Korea

#3240: Samyang Foods Hek Buldak Bokkeummyun Mini - South Korea

This is a new one – a smaller Buldak Bokkeummyun! However it packs a big punch. This one’s clocking in at 12,000SHU, the highest heat level to date in the range. This is to celebrate the 7th anniversary of Buldak Bokkeummyun – happy birthday! What’s cool too is that the character Hochi’s birthday is the same as my wife’s! I thought hey – I should put this out on her birthday! Let’s give it a try. ...see full post

A Recipe For Spectacular Pork Flavor Maruchan Ramen

A Recipe For Spectacular Pork Flavor Maruchan Ramen

Are you ready? Here’s a recipe from Lane of Antlers, Oklahoma – thanks! Watch me cook it up on a special episode of Instant Noodle Recipe Time EXTRA! ...see full post

#3146: Nissin Yakisoba Instant Pancit Spicy Chicken Flavor – Philippines

#3146: Nissin Yakisoba Instant Pancit Spicy Chicken Flavor - Philippines

Woot woot! It is so rare these days I can get my hands on a variety from the Philippines that I’ve not reviewed yet and so I’m really stoked on this one. What’s interesting is that there are two Nissin companies in the Philippines. Nissin Monde and Nissin Universal Robina. Nissin Monde is actually a company that first started out selling biscuits. Nissin Universal-Robina is an arm of the well known Japanese empire of instant noodles. Nissin Monde is responsible for the Lucky Me! brand. Kind of interesting and odd. Anyways, let’s check this yakisoba out! ...see full post

#3145: Maison De Coree x Samyang Foods Ramen Gout Poulet Feu – France

#3145: Maison De Coree x Samyang Foods Ramen Gout Poulet Feu - France

I was looking on Facebook and a friend from Samyang Foods posted something about developing a range specifically for France. Having never reviewed anything for the French marketplace, I thought this would be really great to try. Well, they arrived recently and so today we start with this interesting variety. What is it? Well, most likely it’s the standard buldak bokkeummyun fire noodle in different clothes. But we’ll find out. Let’s have a look! ...see full post

12,000 SHU Buldak Mini Limited Edition Fire Noodles!

12,000 SHU Buldak Mini Limited Edition Fire Noodles!

So a happy birthday is in order for Samyang’s Buldak Bokeummyun range. They started 7 years ago with the first variety. What’s more, the birthday of their mascot Hochi is on April 13th – same as my wife’s! Pretty rad. So Let’s unbox this one and we’ll have a look at it up close and personal on Saturday! ...see full post

Ramen Trunk Premium Japanese Noodles – April 2019

Ramen Trunk Premium Japanese Noodles - April 2019

Wanna see something different? This is a super premium and high end ramen subscription box from Japan. It’s full of neat stuff and I’ll let you just take a look because it’s pretty rad! Get a Ramen Trunk at http://bit.ly/ramentrunk Use coupon code RAMENRATER20OFF for 20% off a subscription or single gift box! ...see full post

#3144: MAMA Oriental Kitchen Stir Fried Salted Egg – Thailand

#3144: MAMA Oriental Kitchen Stir Fried Salted Egg - Thailand

I was contacted by a contact over at Thai President Foods about a new variety – and here it is! Salted egg. This may be an unfamiliar flavor to westerners, so here’s a little about it from Wikipedia – ...see full post

#3143: Sau Tao Tom Yum Kung Flavour Rice Vermicelli – Hong Kong

#3143: Sau Tao Tom Yum Kung Flavour Rice Vermicelli - Hong Kong

Found this up in Canada at Osaka Supermarket at Yaohan Centre in Richmond, BC. I must admit that the first time I tried one of Sau Tao’s Tom Yum Kung varieties I was kind of surprised. Tom Yum from Hong Kong? That’s a way for Thailand! But one of my favorites lately has been their straight noodle variety. This one’s a rice vermicelli – sounds interesting. Let’s check it out! ...see full post

Vite Ramen: Health Conscious Instant Noodles

I’ve been working hard on weight-loss and exercise for the last 6 months. Part of that is making sure I’m getting all the right nutrients and vitamins. Well, Tim and Tom Zheng over at Vite Ramen have something really cool – a pack of instant noodles that are very different from what you’re probably used to seeing. These have vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber – even low sodium! Let’s take a look! ...see full post

BEST MARUCHAN RAMEN BURRITOS RECIPE – EVER.

Oh yeah – I’m going there. Maruchan Ramen is pretty versatile as are most instant ramen varieties – and now you can live the dream with is recipe for Maruchan Ramen Burritos! ...see full post

#3142: Quero Galinha Caipira Refogada – Brazil

#3047: Quero Galinha Caipira Refogada - Brazil

Here’s one that was sent by a Brazilian reader named Daniel – thank you again! I couldn’t figure out a whole lot about this one – I do know that galinha is young hen. Usually tends to be on the oilier side. So let’s give it a try! ...see full post

#3141: Maruchan Thai Red Curry Udon – Japan

#3141: Maruchan Thai Red Curry Udon - Japan

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 -“Japanese people love the fusion of udon and J-style curry, but here we can try it with Thai Red Curry. With tasty flavors of lemongrass, coconut milk and other ethnic spices of Asia, this curry is translated into a Japanese version. How do you like it?!”
Well, I’ll let you know! Let’s find out. ...see full post

The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2019 Edition

Top Ten Best Instant Noodles Of All Time 2019

This is my list of my all time favorites (compiled up to review #3132). These are the best and most memorable varieties – some you’ll be able to find easily, some you won’t. In the images you see, you’ll see garnished bowls of noodles. Note – reviewing is done BEFORE products have anything externally added by myself, and I follow directions on the package – for better or for worse. I should also note that going forward, the official last day for companies to submit varieties to be considered for the annual top ten will be January 31st. That’s enough – let’s have a look at The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2019 Edition! ...see full post

#3140: Samyang Foods Buldak Ramen Topokki – South Korea

#3233: Samyang Foods Buldak Ramen Topokki - South Korea

Alright. So you know about the Buldak Bokkeummyun Topokki variety – well, this one comes with actual topokki as well. It’s a big bag, too! Let’s tear into this and see what we have here! ...see full post

#3139: A-Sha Guanmiao Noodle Spicy Fennel – Taiwan

#3139: A-Sha Guanmiao Noodle Spicy Fennel - Taiwan

This is the second of two A-Sha varieties I got a little while back. I’ve been cranking out three reviews a day lately and chugging through a lot of new stuff. Now that a lot of the varieties are churned through, I can focus on some things in the hamper. See, my hampers are very full. When I get new stuff, they go into the area next to the kitchen. Instead of tripping over boxes, I try to run through them quickly! So here we have a wide noodle from Taiwan. Let’s get started. ...see full post

A Special Message… For You!

The Chocolate Break Commercial

This is a message from us, to you. A message about where you are and what we are about. A message of hope for the children, a message of dreams for the brighter future. A simply weird message, and one you might be terrified by and also enamored with at the same time. ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #3138: Suimin Origins Premium Noodle Bowl Thai Green Curry Flavour – Australia

Meet The Manufacturer: #3138: Suimin Origins Premium Noodle Bowl Thai Green Curry Flavour - Australia

Our final stop on the Suimin Origins range is their Thai Green Curry variety. Here’s a little about this flavor from Wikipedia – ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #3137: Suimin Origins Premium Noodle Bowl Beef Massaman Flavour – Australia

Meet The Manufacturer: #3137: Suimin Origins Premium Noodle Bowl Beef Massaman Flavour - Australia

The second in the trifecta of Suimin Origins varieties I’ll be trying is Beef Massaman. If you’re unfamiliar with the flavor, here’s a little snippet from Wikipedia – ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: Interview With Suimin – Australia

Meet The Manufacturer: #3136: Suimin Origins Premium Noodle Bowl Seafood Laksa Flavour – Australia

Meet The Manufacturer: #3136: Suimin Origins Premium Noodle Bowl Seafood Laksa Flavour - Australia

To start things off, I thought I’d go with this seafood laksa. I like laksa – curious what it will be like. Here’s a little about laksa from Wikipedia – ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: Product Samples From Suimin – Australia

So you might be wondering ‘hey – where’s the interview?’ Well, you can totally blame that on me as I got the samples, did the reviews and forgot to send the questions. Ugh. I’m working on getting this added soon so keep your eye out! In the meantime, enjoy the review series and watch me unbox what you’ll be seeing! ...see full post

New Red Chef Sakura Prawn With 2 KINDS OF NOODLES From Penang Malaysia

I’ve been a fan of Red Chef’s stuff for quite a while now – their regular Spicy Sakura Prawn Soup Noodle hit the Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2018 Edition at #2 and that’s pretty amazing. Today we’ve got a new version – this one has two different kinds of noodle in it – wheat AND rice vermicelli! Let’s crack it open! ...see full post

#3135: Nissin Chikin Ramen Mini Donburi – Japan

#3135: Nissin Chikin Ramen Mini Donburi - Japan

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 -“Chikin Ramen is the very first instant noodles in the world. It was invented by Momofuku Ando in 1958, and it is said that instant noodle is one of the greatest invention in 20th century. We definitely think so! This year is the 60th anniversary of Chikin Ramen, so enjoy the classic instant noodle to celebrate it!” ...see full post

#3134: Marutai Kumamoto Tonkotsu Ramen – Japan

#3134: Marutai Kumamoto Tonkotsu Ramen - Japan

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

#3133: Myojo Mellow Miso Ramen – Japan

#3133: Myojo Mellow Miso Ramen - Japan

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 -“Mellow and rich miso ramen with noodles which are easy to eat. Great smell of roasted vegetables and special flavor oil will fill your mouth!” ...see full post

#3132: Liangchengmei Food Biang Biang Mian – China

#3132: Liangchengmei Food Biang Biang Mian - China

Here’s another Lianchengmei product that my wife found while we were perusing the aisles at Foodyworld up in Richmond, BC. She found one a while back – 30″ Hot Bird, a fire noodle clone. What’s Biang Biang? Here’s what Wikipedia had to say – ...see full post

#3131: TTL Spicy Pork With Rice Wine – Taiwan

#3131: TTL Spicy Pork With Rice Wine - Taiwan

I recently did a Meet The Manufacturer series where I tried every single one of TTL’s varieties. TTL is Taiwan Tobacco & Liquor. While these packs don’t include a cigar, they do include a sachet of rice wine – and a big retort pouch filled with meat and sauce! Rad! Looking forward to trying this new variety – let’s check it out! ...see full post

#3130: Master Kong Golden Stock Shrimp Noodles – China

#3130: Master Kong Golden Stock Shrimp Noodles - China

This one is from a box from Exotic Noods. Exotic Noods has subscription boxes you can get every month! Use coupon code BOOM for an added discount! ...see full post

Unboxing Time Spanish and Portuguese Instant Noodles From A Reader

Here’s something really cool thanks to one of you great and kind readers! This came from Chris of Pennsylvania. He recently took a trip to Europe and got me some noodles – totally didn’t have to do that, so it is much appreciated – thank you! Let’s crack open this box and have a look inside! ...see full post

Unboxing Zenpop April 2019 Udon vs Ramen Instant Noodle Subscription Box

Another month and another nice box of noodles sent by the folks over at Zenpop.jp! Use the coupon code RAMEN rater for a discount! Check out the video – a new surprise at the beginning! ...see full post

#3129: Acecook Super Cup Pringles Sour Cream & Onion Yakisoba – Japan

#3129: Acecook Super Cup Pringles Sour Cream & Onion Yakisoba - Japan

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 – ‘To celebrate 50 years in business for the iconic chip brand, and 30 years for Japan’s instant noodle brand Super Cup, they collaborate as Sour Cream & Onion Pringles Yakisoba! A mouthful of soft noodles with the crunch of onion crates a fantastic textural sensation that works to enhance all the punchy flavors.’ ...see full post

#3128: Kinchan Noodle – Japan

#3128: Kinchan Noodle - Japan

This one was sent by the company along with their squid yakisoba which I reviewed last week. I was first introduced to this brand by a reader named Wes from northeast Canada who sent samples. These are made by Tokushima Seifun in Japan. Let’s check ’em out! ...see full post

#3127: Yamamoto Tanukioyazi Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen – Japan

#3127: Yamamoto Tanukioyazi Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen - Japan

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

#3126: Fukumen Noukou Asahikawa Shoyu – Japan

#3126: Fukumen Noukou Asahikawa Shoyu - Japan

Here’s one from Japan Ramen Box – a subscription service out of Japan. Here’s what they have to say about this variety – ‘If you’re partial to enjoying the raw flavor of noodles, you’ll enjoy these noodles that have been dried over 3 days to achieve the same taste and texture as raw noodles! These addictive noodles will make you thankful that they were so carefully and painstakingly prepared! Coupled with a thick boiled pork and chicken broth, you can be sure your meal will be filling and satisfying! Asahikawa has been working to recreate this ramen shop taste since 1955 – and they succeeded!’ ...see full post