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 – ‘The rich and deep flavor of the soup is created with beef, onion, garlic, miso and other spices and seasonings which all keep a perfect balance together. topped with four kinds of ingredients including diced potatoes which are the hidden stars of this dish,’
Cool – curry! Let’s do this.
Sapporo Ichiban Japanese Curry Ramen – Japan
Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Contains beeff, chicken and pork. To prepare, To prepare, add in sachet contents and boiling water to line. Cover for 3 minutes. Finally, stir and enjoy!
Finished (click to enlarge). Added soft egg, spring onion, habanero togarashi, Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, and sesame seeds. Noodle were pretty good – not spongy. The broth was a nice one two punch of curry and sweetness which I liked quite a bit. The only down thing was the potatoes which were slow to hydrate. 4.0 out of 5,0 stars. JAN bar code 4901734024545.
First off a big thanks to Chris G. for picking these up and sending them after his whirlwind trip around Europe! This one’s from Portugal which is pretty neat. What flavor is it? Caril translates to curry. Let’s give it a try!
Cigala Banzai Noodle Sabor Caril – Portugal
Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, add boiling water to line and cover 3 minutes. Finally, stir and enjoy!
Finished (click to enlarge). Added soft egg, Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, cilantro, black pepper. Noodles hydrated a little less than optimally in the 3 minutes allotted. Broth was suppose to be curry flavored, but was not very convincing. 2.0 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 5601260591601.
Check this out! Top Ten listers Mom’s Dry Noodles have collaborated iwth a Thai company to make a couple neat curry varieties! They’ve not done anything non-Taiwanese styled before, so this should be interesting – check out the unboxing video!
Here’s one from Japan Ramen Box – a subscription service out of Japan. Here’s what they have to say about this variety – ‘The curry udon version of Maruchan’s popular noodle series!
Enjoy the natural texture and raw flavors of noodles that have gone through the “raw noodle manufacturing method” to ensure they’re as tasty and delicious and possible! The curry is flavorful and has an added sweetness from onion and pork seasonings, and the smooth, rich noodles only help to bring it all together!’
It’s curry time! Let’s give it a try.
Maruchan Seimen Curry Udon – Japan
Detail of the package (click to enlarge). Contains pork. To prepare, boil noodle block in 550ml water for 3 minutes. Add in sachet contents and stir for 2 minutes. Finally, stir and enjoy!
The udon block.
A large dry sachet.
A lot of curry scented powder.
Finished (click to enlarge). Added Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, Sanyo, spring onion, and chicken baked with Neo-Essence Pepper Salt & NuTek Salt for Life. Udon came out nicely – broad with a nice chew. The broth was thick and stew-like an was so tasty. 4.0 out of 5.0 stars. JAN bar code 4901990511414.
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 – ‘QTTA (kuu-ta) gives your stomach a satisying feeling because it means ‘I ate enough.’ The curry soup with wavy noodles coming in the golden packaging is nice and spicy. Contains meat, potato, onion and green onion, too, which will make you shout ‘QTTA!’ when you finish the meal.’
Sounds like a plan – let’s attack!
Maruchan QTTA Curry Ramen – Japan
Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Contains pork. To prepare, add boiling water to fill line and cover 3 minutes. Finally, stir and enjoy!
Finished (click to enlarge). Added soft egg with habanero togarashi, baked chicken (garlic pwder, pepper, NuTek Salt For Life), Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, spring onion, pepper flakes, crispy onionm and sesame seeds. Noodles came out superbly – nice gauge and mouthfeel. They picked up the broth which was a hearty and lightly spicy affair. Pieces of potato in there seemed a little weird at first but worked. Onion and mince pork was really good. A full and well rounded cup. 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. JAN bar code 4901990360098.
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!
The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2019 Edition
Video Presentation
A special presentation of The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2019 Edition.
The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2019 Edition
#10: Indomie Real Meat Mi Instan Goreng Rendang – Indonesia
The first Indomie variety on the list in years and it’s really amazing. Basically take their Mi Goreng Rendang and include a sachet of real rendang in a retort pouch. This comes after recently hearing that Indomie Rendang is hard to find here in the United States, something I was surprised to hear since it’s such a popular product and such a good one. Original review
#9: Sau Tao Tom Yum Kung Flavour Ramen – Hong Kong
I’ve become enamored and thrilled with the straight ramen noodle varieties in recent years – especially ones from Hong Kong which have been on the last two The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time lists. This is Sau Tao’s first appearance on the list. A Thai flavor is delivered masterfully – broth has a great richness and crispness of tom yum kung – spicy and lemongrass and shrimp notes play together very well. Original review
#8: Mom’s Dry Noodle Dan Dan Noodle – Taiwan
It’s second year on The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time, Mom’s Dry Noodles’ Dan Dan Noodle is just wonderful stuff. A broth-free offering with gourmet Taiwanese dry noodles, and myriad sauces that harmonize, salty, spicy, sweet and other flavors masterfully. Flavorful and deep. Original review
#7: Red Chef Green Tom Yum Soup Noodles – Malaysia
Another one returning to The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time list, Red Chef’s Green Tom Yum Soup Noodles feature a fried noodle with a great mouthfeel and quantity. They work well with the broth which is like a mashup of tom yum and green curry. The spiciness and flavors are just great – it might seem like a strange gimmicky kind of thing but definitely not. I love the new and this is a new flavor for the instant noodle world. Original review
#6: Prima Taste Singapore Curry Wholegrain La Mian – Singapore
Since a very young age when my mother would cook curried chicken livers over rice, I’ve absolutely loved curry. This one is just mind blowing and has been on the top ten for years and years. The noodles are thick and chewy – and have a rustic kind of feel to them. Marry that to the broth which comes from a large sachet of curry paste and one full of coconut milk powder, you end up with a rich, luxuriant experience you’ll love. I should note they also have a version with non-wholegrain noodles which is also very impressive. Original review
#5: CarJEN Nyonya Curry Laksa – Malaysia
Back again with their rich curry noodle, CarJEN brings something very special to the table in their Nyonya Curry Laksa. You dip the paste seen on the spoon into the broth to flavor it and it has little bits of shrimp in there that really are a nice addition. Sweetness, spiciness, richness from coconut milk powder, and a nice plump noodle makes this so tasty and memorable. Original Review
This is the highest position a Taiwanese variety has achieved in The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time before – congratulations, Taiwan! For a long time, I’ve really enjoyed this style of noodle from Taiwan. It’s wide, with a center line which is thicker, and the sides are thinner – which gives them a very unique and wonderful mouthfeel. I’ve also always thought that these would just sing is in a broth (usually they are presented with a combination of sauces but no broth). The soup is rich with a strong beef flavor and hint of Sichuan peppercorn that do not overwhelm. The nice part is the inclusion of real beef in here. It should be noted that there is a special version of this that comes out during Lunar New Year which includes Wagyu beef – very expensive at a whopping $15USD per serving!, but very tasty as well. Original review
#3: Liangchengmei Biang Biang Men – China
My wife Kit saw this while we were up in Canada and it piqued my curiosity so thought hey let’s give it a try. Noodles are very broad – over an inch. The flavoring is just superb – to use a word I normally don’t, this is yummy. What’s interesting too is that they included meat – at least I thought it was meat – it’s made from soy protein! Unique, delicious, and the highest a Chinese variety has achieved on The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time to date. Congratulations! Original review
#2: Red Chef Spicy Sakura Prawn Soup Noodles – Malaysia
Let the prawn-slaught begin! Returning to the #2 spot this year, we have a Red Chef variety that just gives and gives when it comes to sweet and savory prawn flavor. This umami bomb has a nice chewy noodle that is complimented by just the sweetest, strongest prawn broth with an excellent thickness and just the right amount of spiciness. What’s more they include a sachet of crispy onions to put on top that round things out so well. If you want to have a prawn freak out, this is an indispensable tool. Original review
#1: Prima Taste Singapore Wholegrain Laksa La Mian — Singapore
For the fourth year in a row, Prima Taste wins with it’s excellent Wholegrain Laksa. If abandoned on an island with only a life supply of instant noodles, I’d want them to be these, period. Hearty artisan noodles which are thick and of good quantity are combined with a broth which has a strong flavor and richness from coconut milk powder. A flavorful and striking noodle dish. Original review
What’s New
Instant Noodle Recipe Time
In the last year, I’ve decided to start doing videos for each on of my reviews and as of April 3rd, I’ve done 295 episodes. You can watch me cook and garnish everything as I sit at my stove. People have commented ‘why do you sit?’ Well, it’s a lot easier to record the show that way. Why do you wear sunglasses all the time? I’m legally blind and light sensitive. I answer a lot of questions about what I do from reader questions as well as talk about what I’m up to and give opinions and chatter about anything that crosses my mind. The show comes out every single day at 2pm Seattle time. Check out the show here.
The Chocolate Break
What began as something to try once has become a project my wife Kit and I do regularly. The Chocolate Break is where we try chocolate from around the world – and give our opinions on them. I’m proud to announce that www.thechocolatebreak.com is up and has rundowns of every single episode! Check it out and let us know what you think!
Big Changes For Me
Some of you have been noticing I’ve been losing weight – thank you! In fact I’ve been working hard on that. Reviews I do are usually involving me eating maybe 5% of a bowl of noodles, if that. Everything else goes down the drain.
I keep my regime to around 1200~1500 calories a day. I’ve also been doing a lot of walking with my daughter Miriam. With her stroller decked out with lots of lights and a really loud speaker (I usually play a lot of Primus, Herbie Hancock and Tobacco), we walk all over town. My feet hurt, too! If you put together our walking from April 1st and April 2nd, it comes to 21.12 miles (33.989km)! No, that is NOT a typo. My doctor told me I had high cholesterol back in October and I decided to make some changes. I’ll find out how I’ve done later this month and let you guys know how I’ve done so far.
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 –
Massaman or matsaman is not a native Thai word. It is generally thought to refer to the Muslims, with earlier writers from the mid-19th century calling the dish “Mussulman curry”; Mussulman being an archaic form of the word Muslim.[2][3]
The curry is extolled in a poem from the end of the 18th century, attributed to Prince Itsarasunthon of Siam, the later King Rama II (1767-1824). It is dedicated to a lady who is believed to be Princess Bunrot, the later Queen Sri Suriyendra, wife of King Rama II. The second stanza of the poem reads:[6][7]
มัสมั่นแกงแก้วตา หอมยี่หร่ารสร้อนแรง – Massaman, a curry made by my beloved, is fragrant of cumin and strong spices.
ชายใดได้กลืนแกง แรงอยากให้ใฝ่ฝันหา – Any man who has swallowed the curry is bound to long for her.
The first-ever recorded recipe for Massaman curry was “Chicken Massaman curry with bitter orange juice” spelled Matsaman (หมัดสมั่น) and written by Lady Plean Passakornrawong in 1889[8].
If you follow my blog, you know I love curry. Let’s give this a try!
Suimin Origins Premium Noodle Bowl Beef Massaman Flavour – Australia
Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Contains fish. To prepare, add paste and coconut sachets along with 500ml boiling water. cover for 2 minutes. Stir. Add in potato sachet contents and stir. Cover for 2~3 more minutes. Stir. Finally, sprinkle with shallots and peanuts and enjoy!
Detail of the lid (click to enlarge).
An included fork!
The noodle block.
The first of five sachets.
Coconut powder.
A wet sachet.
A thick paste.
A dry sachet.
Potatoes!
A dry sachet.
Peanut bits.
A final dry sachet.
Shallots.
Finished (click to enlarge). Added Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, spring onion, and thin sliced beef. Noodles are very hearty with a nice chew. I filled to the fill line with broth this time and it was rich and full of flavor – I’d guess the fill line is around 500ml. Just screaming with rich beef flavor with a nice spiciness. Top it off with crushed peanut and fried shallot and it’s very, very good. 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 9310155009676.
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!
Unboxing Time Spanish and Portuguese Instant Noodles From A Reader
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 – ‘You got another curry this month. But the noodles are soba in this bowl. Wait, soba with curry soup…? Just try it and you’ll love it! In order to make it match with Japanese soba, the curry also comes in Japanese style. Can you tell what kind of dashi is used?’
Alright – it’s curry time – let’s hit it!
Maruchan Curry Nanban Soba – Japan
Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Contains pork. To prepare, add in sachets and add boiling water to fill line. Let stand 3 minutes. Finally, stir and enjoy!
Finished (click to enlarge). Added scallions and Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts. The noodles definitely were off-putting to me. They have a almost clay-like chew to them that I just don’t like. The broth had a salty curry flavor to it, then the inclusions really just seemed like a kitsune udon’s provisions. Just not my thing. 2.0 out of 5.0 stars. JAN bar code 4901990335669.
Here’s another one found at the Real Canadian SuperStore up in Richmond, BC. That store was pretty neat, actually – really big too. Lots of interesting varieties we found there that I’ve seen nowhere else – including this one. Let’s have some curry!
Canton Instant Noodles Curry Flavour – Bangladesh
Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. to prepare, break noodle block into 4 parts and add to 250~300cc boiling water. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring often. Add in sachet contents. Finally, stir and enjoy!
The noodle block.
A lone soup base sachet.
A light powder.
Finished (click to enlarge). Added baked chicken, fried onion and coriander. Noodle came out fine. Broth had a kind of curry flavor to it but was definitely on the odd side. Just not totally my cup of tea. 3.0 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 841165183043.
I was in Bellevue the other day and hit Uwajimaya for a couple things. I thought hey – I’ll make yakisoba for dinner! I just got a big huge frying wok and so that should be fun. So I go to the aisle with the cold cases and find the yakisoba. The one I usually pick up was frozen hard as a rock – not cool. I looked for another and most of those were brick-hard. Then I found this one and was happy. Well, I get it home and I’m pissed. It’s curry. Now, everyone knows I love curry; it’s almost a religious thing for me. But not everyone in my place likes curry for dinner. So that was that – no yakisoba for dinner. It’s my fault for not noticing it was curry, but then again I wish the one I wanted wasn’t akin to a cinder block in its solidness. But personally, I know this should be pretty good stuff – let’s give it a try!
Myojo Japanese Yakisoba Curry Flavor – United States
Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan. Add noodle block and heat for 30 secons. Add 1/4 cup of water and loosen noodles – cook until water is evaporated. Add in sachet contents. Finally, stir and enjoy!
One of three noodle pouches – three servings in this package.
The seasoning sachet.
Certainly smells like curry.
Finished (click to enlarge). Added chashu pork, tofu puff, Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, spring onion, egg and Kewpie mayonnaise. Man… Okay so the noodles are slightly thinner than most of the yakisoba I’ve had. Just a perfect tooth and great quantity. The flavor. This is heaven where Japanese curry is concerned. Sweet, salty and CURRY! Probably the best curry thing I’ve had in a Japanese variety thus far – and it’s made in the United States. Get it. Eat it. Marry it. 5,.0 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 011152070841.
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 –
“Yokosuka, Kanagawa used to have a navy base, and ‘Japanese curry’ was first born as a military food there. The city is now called ‘Curry City’ and based on their rules, curry should be served with salad and milk. Eat this Yokosuka curry udon and get the guts to fight against a hot summer.’
Curry City?! That’s the raddest thing I’ve ever heard of. Let’s check it out!
Acecook Yokosuka Navy Curry Udon – Japan
Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Contains chicken, pork and fish. To prepare, add boiling water to fill line and cover for 3 minutes. Add in sachet contents. Finally, stir and enjoy!
Finished (click to enlarge). Added spring onion, tofu puff and soft egg. (Sorry about the picture – I took it in the kitchen and dumped it down the sink before I brought it out to the photo setup I have). Noodles indeed are chewy with a slightly wider gauge. Broth has a nice peppery curry hit to it and included garnish was decent. 4.75 out of 5.0 stars. JAN bar code 4901071239640.
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