Over 5,000 Instant Ramen Noodle Reviews Since 2002
We were at HMart and saw these – couldn’t resist. Who could resist a nice plate of tteokbokki in between watching people get slaughtered while playing children’s games? I’m hopeful on this one; I really like tteokbokki. I should also mention – this is my 2,500th episode of Instant Noodle recipe Time – it’s down at the bottom. I forgot about that, so episode 2,501 will have a little more about that. Let’s give it a try.
A big Thank you to Aimee from the Ramen Junkies Facebook group! I’ve never had a Nissin Top Ramen corrections-style variety before and so this is the first and I’m STOKED. There’s really no correlating variety outside of prisons and jail like this flavor. Fascinating. Watch and check it out – and thanks again!
Every once in a while, I get a box from a guy named James from Lakeside, California and it’s always full of really neat stuff. He struck again and sent a box of all over the place – huge thanks to you, sir! Let’s look at everything – I’ll discuss them and have some images of varieties I’ve already reviewed since it arrived.
I was really surprised about this. I received an email from a fellow who had asked me some questions in the past and he told me he had an instant noodle supplement – vitamins, minerals – that kind of supplement. I was instantly fascinated and gave him my address. I have tried one – the immune support. I can report that it does not affect the flavor of instant noodle broth in any way that I could detect. Watch the video and if you like get some at www.ramen-aid.com.
I was recently contacted by Good Seoul – makers of some really great rice cake topokki and rapokki! Topokki (tteokbokki) is rice flour cylinders that have a soft and chewy texture. Alone, they’re really not tasty, but paired with sauce they’re quite addictive. Rapokki is when you have these and introduce wheat noodles as well, making for a dual-textured experience. You can find their facebook here. I’ve done a few reviews so there’s some images in the video – check it out!
Thanks again to Noodle Jourmey for sending this along! I’ve seen this around quite a bit and I’ve tried the tray version, but here’s the pack. I’ve curious and ready to give it a go, so let’s do it.
Big thanks to Noodle Journey for this one! My God – what a past few weeks. We’ve gone through some seasonal colds, holidays, ice, snow, snow days… I have been stuck at home, so I’ve been reviewing – a LOT! Just want to go outside and walk around but it’s been hell getting to be able to. Yesterday was a snow day and it melted a lot – this morning it got into the mid 20s – so all that melt has turned into ice. Bah. It’s not permanent – it’s not like, forever, though…
A-Sha Dry Noodle of Taiwan’s Prince Karsu range has a lot of Hello Kitty going on – snacks as well. This one’s made in Vietnam. Let’s cook it up and give it a try – I don’t believe it contains any Hello Kitty in the cup’s ingredients.
Here’s anothe from the Nissin Germany advent calendar! Let’s cook!
Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Unsure if it contains meat check for yourself. To prepare, fill to line with boiling water and cover for 3 minutes. Finally, stir and enjoy!
When I get to review a Baixiang variety, I get a little excited. I’ve always liked these – and this one’s unique – mutton! Wish I had some for garnish… But that’s okay it should be good stuff. I actually emailed Baixiang last night in hopes of a collab, so that could be happening. For now, let’s give this a try!
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! Inside, they have 8-10 different varieties from Japan! If you’d like to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount! Let’s see what they had to say about this one – “Next up is a bowl with a festive red color! This is a more mature spin on a classic shoyu ramen that comes from chef Masahiro Kasahara. The broth is infused with Japanese dashi (soup stock) and beef for tons of umami and chili pepper for tasty spice—a perfect combo!”
Thanks again to Noodle Journey for sending these! This Toowoomba version I reviewed recently from this range really reminded me of their Tangle versions here in the US as far as the noodle is concerned. Let’s give this a try!
Big thanks to Noodle Journey for sending this along! I did a bunch of Ramen Talk reviews previously, but this one’s very new to me. These are really quite good in general and we shall see how this one goes. Tomato meatball seems very much like spaghetti soup… Hmmm…
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! These boxes are discontinued, however you can find their stuff at MiauMall – here is what they said about this one – “Next up is a great cup of ramen that’ll start your year off right! This cup features a delicious oxtail soup-style shio (salt) broth packed with the umami of Sendai beef, a tasty onion flavor and delicious pepper accent. Add tasty springy noodles and you have a yummy ramen cup!”
Found this at HMart – it was this or a jjajangmyeon and I went straight to this one. I don’t know anything about the gentleman on the front – his name is Paik Jong Won. Here’s a little about him from Wikipedia –
Big thanks to James from Lakeside, California for sending this one! He also included a tin of something called krill meat he recommended for seafood varieties, so gonna give that a try. Let’s cook!
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! These boxes are discontinued, however you can find their stuff at MiauMall – here is what they said about this one – “We’re closing out our selection with a more traditional December choice, perfect for ringing in the New Year! This tasty mini-bowl combines tsuyu (a shoyu-based sauce) with delectable dashi for a tasty broth with yummy soba noodles and tasty tempura on top!”
This little square tray caught my attention at a local grocery store recently. I though it looked interesting, so we shall see. I must say the microwaved noodle usually is quite good in Nongshim stuff.
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! These boxes are discontinued, however you can find their stuff at MiauMall – here is what they said about this one – “With all of these rich flavors, you’ll need something with a touch of freshness to it! That’s where this tasty bowl of yakisoba comes in with super refreshing yuzu from Japan’s own Kochi prefecture combined with a tasty salt-based sauce, perfect for a tasty, light bite!”
Another one from the big Nissin Germany Advent Calendar! Let’s quack up some duck!
Detail of the packaging (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, boil noodle in 500ml water for 3 minutes. Add in sachet contents. Finally, stir and enjoy!
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! These boxes are discontinued, however you can find their stuff at MiauMall – here is what they said about this one – “We’re dreaming of a white Christmas with this tasty cup of ramen! This cup is a fun twist on the Sichuan-style Tan Tan ramen with soy milk that adds amazing creaminess. But don’t worry! You’ll still get that classic Tan Tan kick from Sichuan-style spices and chili oil!”
This one came by way of Noodle Journey – thanks! Yes, this is made in South Korea, but everything on here points to being an export variety for the Indonesian market. Very curious… Let’s give it a go, and don’t forget to check out the mukbang below!
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! These boxes are discontinued, however you can find their stuff at MiauMall – here is what they said about this one – “Next, let’s head to Hakata! This bowl features their famous tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen and is packed with savory goodness. The broth has tons of umami from pork, veggies and shoyu (soy sauce), and the springy noodles and mustard greens finish this bowl to perfection.”
Time for the new cups list! I’ve been doing these for quite some time and while some have been on the list a long time, there’s some new ones here you should check out. This list is current as of review #5155. Got something I’ve not reviewed? Please contact me! With that, let’s check out The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodle Cups Of All Time 2026 Edition.
This one sounds good – the Tapatio folks sent it along with two more varieties I’ll be reviewing in upcoming days. Let’s try it!
When I found out about these, I was skeptical. I’ve been preaching two varieties – pizza and taco flavored. But dill pickle doesn’t make sense to me; dill pickles aren’t served warm unless on a hamburger as far as I know. On the bright side, they were at Walmart at $1.18. On the sad side, if they did do media kits of these, they didn’t send me one and I’m truly bummed about that. I’m trying these out on July 3rd and will release this post on the 5th, skipping the 4th as I’m guessing you’ve got better things to do than hear my thoughts about instant noodles on the 4th of July if you’re in the states. I did release a post yesterday though.
This comes by way of Noodle Journey – thanks! The other day I reviewed one with the same kind of flavor profile from another company. Let’s try this one!
Well, as I type this is January 30th, 2025. Just had almost a full week of kids being sick and at the tail end while the kids are now back to school, we’ve got a cold. Feels like I got punched in the nose, my eyes are drippy, and I feel beat. Chicken instant noodles sound like a nice restorative, although I’ve got to go to the store and get scallions this morning. I feel the whole ‘I don’t want to do anything’ voice in my head but I learned a while back that if you listen to that voice, it’ll get its way. So onward! This one was sent by James from Lakeside, California – thanks again! I did get another from this interesting Ottogi range a while back. I want to say this is one that ends up in Mexico often – unsure. Anyways, on with it.
Big thanks to Noodle Journey for this one! So it turns out this is based on a dish served at Outback Steakhouse called Toowooba pasta. I asked my friend Paul who lives in Australia what Toowoomba was and its a place. Anyways, let’s give this a try.
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! Inside, they have 8-10 different varieties from Japan! If you’d like to get one, don’t forget to use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount! Let’s see what they had to say about this one – “We’re getting a little fancy with this selection! This pack is inspired by a French Marinière, a delicious mussel sauce. The salt broth is a perfect combo of the amazing umami of Japanese scallops, the delicious taste of butter, and perfectly chewy noodles!”
Well, a few reviews back I was bummed as I lost a sachet, making it impossible to review the miso variety… I’m watching this one like a hawk. Let’s cook!
Summer has started and I’m experiencing a drought. I’m out of varieties to review. That coupled with financial difficulties is putting The Ramen Rater is a tough spot. If you are a manufacturer or just someone with some varieties you’d like to see me review and are willing to send, please contact me! Here is a link to contribute monetarily if you can as well. I do have Patreon which is as little as a dollar a month, and that helps out more than you could imagine. There is also a link to a GoFundMe which is the most direct way to contribute. Aside from noodles, the computer used to do everything is in bad shape – if anyone has a newer model machine that would render video at a reasonably fast speed (the current machine is an OMEN with 880K and 128GBRAM) that would be incredibly helpful. Thanks to everyone who has been following, commenting, and contributing for all these years – it really means a lot and you have my eternal gratitude.
Big thanks to James from Lakeside, California for sending this one along! Well, this is the third review I’m doing today- a day full of so much ‘ugh’ that I would’ve expected it was Friday the 13th… First, I lost a sachet for a variety I was reviewing. Next, I decided to review this one while my kids are home sick – they like to chide eachother repeatedly and get ridiculous which isn’t helpful to my train of thought. Third, once this was done as I was making the kids their lunch, a jar of toothpicks fell and went everywhere. Hopefully this gets everything out of the universe’s system. Anyways, let’s cook up this massive tray of noodles!
Here’s a variety that I found in one of MiauMall’s Nakama Noodles subscription boxes! These boxes are discontinued, however you can find their stuff at MiauMall – here is what they said about this one – “Let’s start our year off on the right foot with a bit of yakisoba and philanthropy! This tasty yakisoba has a deliciously gentle yet deep miso flavor that is absolutely addicting! Plus, for each yakisoba we got for you, a donation is made to help Ishikawa recover from the earthquake earlier this year!”
Once in a while, I have a horrible review day and this is one of them. I was really looking forward to this; given how much I’ve enjoyed the previous Demae Ramen varieties from Germany, I was really stoked. Well, I lost the lone sachet of seasoning. In the video below, I spent most of the time looking through the trash to no avail. Ugh. This doesn’t get a score but it may make you laugh. Hopefully the kind folks will send another.
Big thanks to Noodle Journey for this one! This is a new variety and it’s all in Korean. What might confuse people here is that they may have thought this would be the flavor of it the whole time. This is not. The flavor of Buldak is the flavor of the sauce that goes on Korean Fried Chicken. Original Buldak doesn’t taste like chicken. I have fought with people over this misconception. ‘But there’s chicken seasoning in it!’ Yes, perhaps in some, however in another Korean variety – a beef flavor, there’s pollock (fish) and no beef. Is it fish flavor? In Pumpkin Spice cup noodle, there’s garlic. Is it garlic flavored? No. These different ingredients are part of the arsenal of food scientist ingredients used to approximate different flavors. Anyways, let’s give this a try!
Here’s another one that came in a big instant noodle advent calendar from Germany! Thanks! Let’s cook!
Hey kiddies it’s time to check one out sent by James from Lakeside, California – thanks! Prince Katsu is a branch oof A-Sha Dry Noodle and these are made in Vietnam. Let’s give it a try!
This is the last of the Nissin x Irvins I had and honestly I’m sad to se them go – figured I’d save the bowl version of my favorite for the the end! Let’s give it a go and a fond farewell from me.
Big thanks to Noodle Journey for this one – thanks again! So jjambbong is a spicy seafood noodle. I’ve been curious about this one and the others in this range… Let’s check it out.
