Tag Archives: annie chun’s

The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten American Instant Noodles Of All Time 2017 Edition

After a few years, I thought I ought to update this list. I thought I even ought to change the name a little. Honestly, not a huge amount of instant noodles from the United States cross my desk these days and of those that do, not many are 5 stars. Nonetheless, there are some changes in the past few years that I thought were noteworthy and so here you go! These are the best instant noodles from the United States out of the 2,500+ varieties of instant noodles I’ve reviewed thus far.

The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten American Instant Noodles Of All Time 2017 Edition

The video presentation of The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten American Instant Noodles Of All Time 2017 Edition.

#10: Nissin Chow Mein Spicy Teriyaki Beef Flavor Chow Mein Noodles

Been a while since I had this but it’s still a favorite. The teriyaki actually does have a nice teriyaki taste to it – along with a little spicy hit that really makes this one more unique. Original review

#9: Nongshim Chapagetti Roasted Chajang Bowl Noodle

So Chajang is a black bean sauce – and it goes very well with noodles. There’s no broth here, but there is a hearty bowl that will have you coming back for more. Original review

#8: Maruchan Creamy Chicken Flavor Ramen Noodle Soup

If I’m under the weather, this one has been a go to for me for decades. I mean first, it’s chicken soup with noodles and second, it’s creamy. It’s just really comforting and works very well. Original review

#7: Annie Chun’s Ramen House Thai Coconut Ramen

The noodles have a nice fresh feel. What’s nice about these like many new varieties is that they do not require refrigeration. With a nice Thai coconut flavor, I get curry and lemongrass and coconut notes in there. Original review

#6: Nongshim Shin Black Spicy Pot-Au-Feu Flavor

Made in Rancho Cucamonga, California, this is the extra special version of their flagship Shin Ramyun product. Extra broth sachet and great vegetables. Original review

#5: Nongshim Kimchi Flavor Noodle Soup

First off, this is a Vegan product. What’s awesome is that it’s just got this bright and tangy broth going on that really impresses me. Lots of pickled cabbage in there and great noodles to boot. Original review

#4: Maruchan Instant Lunch Chipotle Chicken Flavor Ramen Noodle Soup

Yep – the first Instant Lunch on this list ever. Why? Well, the sheer amount of chipotle peppers in this one is astounding. It tastes really great too – a nice surprise! Original review

#3: Sapporo Ichiban Japanese Style Noodles Chow Mein

I’ve loved this one for years and it’s actually been on the annual top ten once or twice at the beginning. A broth free noodle with a very tasty seasoning. Garnish includes seaweed. Original review

#2: Sapporo Ichiban Tonkotsu Ramen Artificially Flavored Tonkotsu White Chicken Broth

A creamy broth with very hearty noodles. This is one of the first new things from this company in a long time – was worth the wait. Original review

#1: Maruchan Bowl Taste Of Asia Beef Flavor Sukiyaki Ramen

One of three Taste Of Asia products Martuchan came out with in the last couple years. It has a lot of noodles – definitely, bring your appetite. The broth is beefy and sweet as well and is very good. My favorite American instant noodle. Original review

Honorable Mention: Mama Pat’s Chicken Fajita Flavor Instant Ramen Noodles

This last year, I’ve gotten to try hundreds of new instant noodles. Well, this one has a difference that is unique among thousands. First, it’s a chicken instant noodle which isn’t strange – however, this one is made for the United States and has a vegetable sachet as well. For the economy category, this is pretty awesome and unseen here. Second, it’s the first instant noodle I’ve ever seen with a sachet that has drink mix in it in an American instant noodle – let aloned one anywhere in the world. Lemonade, fruit punch – and it’s not bad! Definitely, find this! Original review

The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time Made In The USA 2014 Edition

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The instant noodle originated in 1958 in Japan, but since that time, they’ve expanded in popularity all over the world, including of course, the United States. Seeing this, instant noodle companies thought it wise to start building plants here in the 1970s. Since then, many brands operate factories here in the US, mostly in southern California. This is a list of my favorite varieties produced here, encompassing my 1,461 reviews to date. With that, here’s your top ten, America!

#10: Nongshim Sir Long Tang Creamy Beef Noodle Soup

Sir Long Tang is a creamy beef noodle soup. Creamy beef soups are very common in South Korean cuisine – such varieties as Seollongtang and Gomtang feature broth that is made from boiling beef bones for hours and hours. Sir Long Tang has a very nice and rich beef flavor with a great creaminess and excellent noodles. Original review

#9: Maruchan Bowl Hot & Spicy Shrimp Flavor Ramen Noodles With Vegetables

Maruchan has been known for a long time for their Instant Lunch line of noodles cups, but here we have something new for them – bowls! This one stood out for me – it had a ‘south of the border’ heat to it and was full of noodles of great quality. Spicy, but not so spicy most couldn’t handle it. Original review

#8: Nissin Top Ramen Cucharealo Home-Style Picante Chicken Flavor

This is a serious fusion: the noodles are short and thin. I remember noodles kind of like these in other products when I was a kid, but always felt like I was getting way more soup than noodles. This one quells that need for more noodles – there’s plenty of them. The picante chicken flavor is excellent with notes of chili powder and cumin. Original review

#7: Nissin Chow Mein Spicy Teriyaki Beef Flavor Chow Mein Noodles

I would have never thought that mixing teriyaki and spicy heat together would work, but it does. The combination is excellent – especially since the sauce coats everything so well. The vegetables hydrate nicely and it’s an all around great meal. Original review

#6: Nongshim Chapagetti Roasted Chajang Noodle

Thick, slightly chewy noodles in a rich black bean sauce – excellent stuff. What’s also excellent is that you can make it in the microwave. It uses just a little water and the finished product has sucked it all up, leaving you with nice, saucy noodles. Original review

#5: Maruchan Creamy Chicken Flavor Ramen Noodle Soup

I absolutely adore this stuff. Take your standard instant noodle and add a nice creamy chicken flavor. The broth has a really nice ‘stick to your ribs’ way about it. Whenever I’m under the weather, this is my go-to comfort noodle. Original review

#4: Nongshim Shin Black Spicy Pot-au-feu Flavor Premium Noodle Soup

First, Nongshim made Shin Ramyun which is still incredibly popular. Then they upgraded and came out with Shin Ramyun Black. Finally, Shin Black has made it into a cup – and it’s really good! Rich beef flavor and real beef along with thick ramyun noodles. Premium stuff! Original review

#3: Annie Chun’s Ramen House Thai Coconut Ramen

The noodles have a nice fresh feel. What’s nice about these like many new varieties is that they do not require refrigeration. The broth is extremely good. I would say this is the best that I’ve tried from Annie Chun’s – it has a nice Thai coconut flavor; I get curry and lemongrass and coconut in there. It’s really great stuff. Original review

#2: Nongshim Shin Ramyun Black Premium Noodle Soup

After twenty years of Shin Ramyun, Nongshim decided to upgrade it. Enter Shin Ramyun Black. It has a richer broth, great noodles, and an amazing packet with nice veggies and beef – yes, beef. This one has little pieces of freeze dried beef that spring to life – and have an enjoyable chew and flavor! Original review

#1: Sapporo Ichiban Japanese Style Noodles Chow Mein

This one requires a different approach to cooking, but it really pays off in the end. The noodles are cooked in very little water, which they slurp up rather quickly. Then you stir in the flavor packet and you’ve got some exceedingly wonderful chow. The flavor is reminiscent of yakisoba sauce; kind of a Worcestershire sauce thing going on. Then the fun part – a little packet of ‘green laver’ (powdered seaweed) is supplied for you to sprinkle on top. With it or without it, this one’s worth your time to try. Original review

#1407: Annie Chun’s Ramen House Thai Coconut Ramen

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Here”s something new from Annie Chun’s! It was sent a little while back and ended up at the bottom of my noodle hamper… I’ve been going through everything lately as we’re moving and found it! It sounds really good – very curious… Let”s see how it comes out!

Here’s the back of the package (click image to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, boil noodles in 1 1/2 cups water for 1 minute. Drain and set aside in a bowl. Boil another cup of water and add contents of soup base sachet. Add broth to noodles and enjoy!

A pouch of fresh ramen noodles.

The soup base sachet.

Has a curry and coconut scent.

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added fish ball and green onion. The noodles have a nice fresh feel. What’s nice about these like many new varieties is that they do not require refrigeration. The broth is extremely good. I would say this is the best that I’ve tried from Annie Chun’s – it has a nice Thai coconut flavor; I get curry and lemongrass and coconut in there. It’s really great stuff. 5.0 out of 5.0 stars!UPC bar code 765667140406.

An Annie chun”s TV advertisement.

#1246: Annie Chun’s Ramen House Chicken Vegetable Flavored Ramen

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Here’s one of the new varieties from Annie Chun’s that they sent! It’s 22 degrees outside – very cold! This looks appropriate for such a cold day – let’s check it out!

Here’s the back of the package (click image to enlarge). Looks to be meat-free and a lot of natural ingredients. Lower calorie/fat as well. To prepare, cook noodles in 1 1/2 cups water for 1 minute. Drain water and boil another pot of water, 1 cup this time. Add the liquid sachet. Put the cooked noodles in a bowl and then add the broth.

The fresh noodles.

Liquid soup base sachet.

Has a nice chicken vegetable scent.

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added baked chicken, broccoli, big ugly carrot, leeks, sweet onion and green onion. The noodles are reminiscent in texture of South Korean fresj udon cups – then again the noodles in those generally come in the same package. Yet these are much thinner than udon and have a slightly bouncy chew and good texture. The broth has a slightly sweet and full vegetable flavor which goes well with the noodle. The interaction between noodle and broth leaves me with a fresh and premium feel. 4.0 out of 5.0 stars.UPC bar code 765667140505.

Here’s an Annie Chun’s TV advert.

#972: Meet The Manufacturer: Annie Chun’s Soup Bowl Chinese Chicken

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This is it – the last of the nine Annie Chun’s samples that were sent for Meet The Manufacturer. It’s definitely been an interesting jaunt! Some I really liked quite a bit, some I didn’t like so much. What’s very evident here is that Annie Chun’s definitely has a wide range of flavors. The last one is Chinese Chicken.

Back of the outer cardboard (click image to enlarge).

Fresh Hokkien noodles.

Liquid soup base.

I’ve got to say, this stuff smells fantastic.

The last of the seasoning blocks I have enjoyed so much!

The seasoning block.

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added oven baked chicken, cilantro and some onion. The noodles are really nice – I steeped them with the non-microwave method. Excellent. The broth was really nice – had a good real chicken flavor; I would deem it real comfort food flavor. The seasoning block lent itself nicely with lots of good veg. Great stuff – 4.25 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 765667100301 – get it here.

Annie Chun’s TV commercial.

Annie Chun’s also make seaweed snacks that people like too!

#970: Meet The Manufacturer: Annie Chun’s Noodle Express Spicy Szechuan

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As we are starting to wind down the Annie Chun’s Meet The Manufacturer (there are only two left), we find the last Noodle Express I have – Spicy Szechuan. It mentions that the Szechuan sauce is made with gochujang, a Korean standard as far as spicy fare goes. Let’s check it out.

Here’s the back of the packaging (click image to enlarge).

The noodle box.

Fresh noodle pack.

Fresh noodle packet.

Veggie packet.

A nice selection – lots of shallot which is one of my favorites.

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added some bell peppers and onions, light ham and some Urashima Sesame & Salt furikake. The noodles are as usual very nice and have a great freshness and firmness. The flavor this time has a strange bitterness and a kind of singularity where I expected more depth of flavor. I do taste the gochujang for sure, but it seems to be missing something, what I do not know. The veggies again are very nice. 2.0 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 765667200100 – get it here.

Annie Chun’s advertisement

Here’s how people make gochujang – a LOT of gochujang!

Re-Review: Meet The Manufacturer: Annie Chun’s Ramen House Soy Ginger Ramen

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Here’s one I reviewed a long time ago. Soy ginger sounds good to me! Let’s check it out.

Back of the package (click image to enlarge).

The fresh noodle pack.

Liquid seasoning pack.

A dark liquid.

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added sweet onion, kamaboko and kizami shoga (pickled ginger). The noodles are decent as in the previous Ramen House review I did the other day. The broth is a little different. I’m not a fan of the strong soy flavor; I would have enjoyed something with a different soy sauce flavor. It seems like there’s two kinds of soy sauces – I don’t know the differences as far as brewing or correct terms for what they are, but this is the kind I’m not a huge fan of. However, a lot of people are a fan – unfortunately, it’s my tastebuds I have to answer to. 2.0 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 765667140208 – get it here.

A review on Annie Chun’s Seaweed Snacks – they sound good!

Here’s an Annie Chun’s dinner party

#968: Meet The Manufacturer: Annie Chun’s Noodle Express Teriyaki

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Here’s another of the Noodle Express line – teriyaki! Teriyaki is one of my favorite foods – nothing like a to go box for lunch. Let’s see how this one from Annie Chun’s stacks up.

The cardboard outer packaging (click image to enlarge).

After you remove the cardboard, this is underneath.

Just like the earlier Noodle Express box, there are three items inside. First, the noodle pack.

The soup base – liquid.

The back of the packet is transparent so you can see how much is in there.

The dry vegetables packet.

Looks like a nice little melange.

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added sweet onions, thin sliced turkey breast, stir fry veggies and Urashima Sesame & Salt furikake. The noodles are nice and springy and fresh. The flavor was not my favorite, however. The teriyaki has a strong vinegar flavor to it which I imagine is used as a natural preservative. 3.0 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 765667200209 – get it here.

Annie Chun’s commercial.

Shopping for Annie Chun’s products at a grocery store.

#967: Meet The Manufacturer: Annie Chun’s Soup Bowl Korean Kimchi

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Here’s something interesting – a kimchi fresh udon bowl made in the US! Let’s give it a look!

Here’s detail from the cardboard outer (click image to enlarge).

Under the cardboard we find this little plastic box. Not at all flimsy either.

Inside, we find a few things. First, a pack or fresh udon.

Next, a packet of liquid soup base.

A thick liquid.

My favorite! I just love packets full of 1.2.8.6.D! I wonder what this number means…

Actually, I do love these! This is a seasoning block. Basically its freeze dried seasoning and veggies in a nice little square. They spring back to life and are really great from the ones I’ve had so far.

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added sweet onion, odeng (Korean fish cake) and Urashima Sesame & Salt furikake. The noodles are very good – thick fresh udon. The broth delivers the kimchi flavor very nicely; spicy and tangy. The seasoning block gives some nice kimchi too. This is an awesome kimchi udon with great authentic flavor – 4.5 out of 5.0 stars.UPC bar code 765667100400 – get it here.

Annie Chun’s TV spot.

For you gluten free folks, here’s something about a different Annie cCun’s product. Looks like these guys have done a series of these videos with the cellphone ringtone music!

#966: Meet The Manufacturer: Annie Chun’s Ramen House Spring Vegetable Ramen

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Here’s another one from Annie Chun’s . This is one from their Ramen House line. Let’s check it out!

Here’s the back of the package (click image to enlarge). Note in the instructions how it calls to drain the noodles and add a separate broth.

Here’s the fresh noodle packet.

Liquid soup base packet.

The thick liquid has a mustard scent and taste although I didn’t see mustard in the ingredients, but rather onion and mushroom were towards the top.

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added hard boiled egg with Krazy Mixed Up Salt, green onion, sweet onion, kizami shoga (pickled ginger), and Urashima Sesame & Salt furikake. The noodles are good – nice and fresh. The broth has a rich, deep flavor I really liked – especially for a vegetable based broth. I would have liked to have seen a veggie packet since it was a vegetable flavored ramen. Good stuff! 4.0 out of 5.0 stars.UPC bar code 765667140307 – get it here.

Apparently there have been contests where you can win Annie Chun’s dinner party packages – pretty neat!

There’s a wide array of other products that Annie Chun’s makes – I’ve seen these seaweed snacks mentioned a lot.

#965: Meet The Manufacturer: Annie Chun’s Noodle Express Chinese Chow Mein

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Here’s the first of nine reviews I’ll be doing of Annie Chun’s products. I’ve only had a couple of these before and those were quite a while back. This one looks interesting – and it only takes a minute in the microwave?! That’s really fast!

Here’s the back and the sides (click image to enlarge).

Underneath the cardboard outer packaging is this rigid plastic container.

Inside, we find a packet of fresh noodles.

A large liquid packet.

Neat – it has a windows on the back so you can see the liquid.

Finally, a veggies packet.

Lots of neat little bits in there.

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added green onions, thin sliced turkey breast, kizami shoga (pickled ginger) and Urashima Sesame & Salt furikake. The noodles are wonderful – they have a very fresh feel to them during the chew. The seasoning is pretty good too – has a strong soy sauce and vinegar taste along with some nice spices. The dehydrated veggies are good too – lots of onion which I like. A good bowl of noodles! 3.75 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 765667200308 – get it here.

An Annie Chun’s TV commercial

Here’s an overview of some of Annie Chun’s products.

Meet The Manufacturer: Annie Chun’s Samples

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A package came from Annie Chun’s!

What’s under the bubbles?

Awesome! They sent three different varieties of three of their noodle lines. Get ready for some reviews! Thank, Annie chun’s!