Over 5,000 Instant Ramen Noodle Reviews Since 2002
Here’s my next to last of these varieties and I have to say I’ve enjoyed them so far. Nice chewy noodles, good Taiwanese style flavors. These are made for Momofuku, a restaurant founded by David Chang. A-Sha Dry Noodle is making these, so if you like their products, you’ll like these. Let’s cook it up!
Here’s one I found in an Umai Crate from Japan Crate! They have boxes full of neat Japanese varieties! Check out www.japancrate.com and use the coupon code THERAMENRATER to score a sweet discount and get some neat noodles!
Here’s the second of the two King David varieties – the first was really good – I must admit I’m surprised how good it was. Let’s see how the beef stands up.
Here’s one sent by King David of China. They’re a big private label outfit; so say your name is Bob and you want to sell Bob’s Noodles. You call up King David and say hi, I’m Bob and they’ll make you instant noodles per your specifications and label them likewise. Pretty neat! Let’s give this non-fried lowfat variety a try!
Here’s one that came from an Umai Crate – they’re subscription boxes full of all sorts of Japanese ramen and DIY stuff! Check ’em out at Japan Crate and use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount!
I went to 99 Ranch Market looking for mung bean sprouts and found seven different varieties of these big cups! I love these things. I like to call them flower pots. Very curious about these – last time I found some was up in Canada. I miss Canada… But these have a ton of sachets – so if you’re a fan of lots of sachets, take a look at these style cups. Let’s check it out!
Recently, I finished a Meet The Manufacturer series with Sau Tao. They shipped a whole pallet of samples of a myriad of different styles and varieties. A PALLET! Well, the upshot is that I still have so many different styles and varieties to review! Here is one of them.
Awhile back, Lemonilo started producing a Mie Goreng variety which is honestly one of the best out there. Lemonilo puts everything in a healthy light. When they sent me the samples of their Mie Goreng, they included a shirt and a workout towel. I keep the towel on the stroller actually – handy when doing a dozen miles at a fast clip. This variety’s packaging clearly denoted it’s for the US market, however it’s made in Indonesia. This pack did’n’t come from them though – it was sent by a reader named James in Lakeside, California. Let’s give it a try!
Here we have the latest in the long line of Buldak varieties from Samyang Foods. This is Buldak Light – so let me explain. This one has only 375 calories. The noodles are not fried, so all that oil used in frying isn’t present. But not only is it lighter on calories, it’s lighter on heat. It’s 40% less spicy than original Buldak Bokkeummyun clocking in at 2,600SHU compared to the original’s 4,400SHU.
I’m truly stoked on this one – another one found again at that Smart N Save up in Richmond, BC Canada. This is one I decided not to get last time I was in Taiwan that I saw at Carrefour because, well, it was such a big package and I had limited space. What’s great is that they’ve got quite a few varieties up there so I’ll be trying more – and they’re cheap!
Here’s another one I got up at the new T&T Supermarket up in Richmond BC that’s at Lansdowne Centre. Or is it Lansdowne Mall? Either way, it’s a big T&T inside what used to be a Target store. Oh – and sad parents can rejoice – TOYS R US IS STILL IN CANADA. Also, if you go to the Walmart in Richmond, you will often see Teslas, Ferraris and the odd Buigatti. It’s like a mirror universe. Let’s check this one out!
Miandom’s Tasty Asia range currently has three options: a green curry shrimp pack and cup and a black pepper crab cup. Today I’ll be reviewing the pack version. You get 4 packs in this large bag. Green curry is good stuff! Let’s see how it does!
Alright so when I found this up at China World in Richmond, BC, I was curious. ‘What’s this torpid all about, anyway?’ Well, Thanks to my friend Kyle, that’s been cleared up. It’s a really bad translation. This really should be Sichuan Spicy Flavor. As far as torpid goes, here’s the definition –
Interview With Mr. Noodle * Product Samples From Mr. Noodle * Mr. Noodle Sichuan Flavor Spicy Hot Noodles * Mr. Noodle Spicy Sesame Paste Noodles * Mr. Noodle Barbecue Sauce Curry Taste Noodle * Mr. Noodle Pesto Sesame Taste Noodles * Mr. Noodle Onions Mushroom Spice Taste Noodle * Mr. Noodle Black Vinegar With Spicy Taste
This one comes by way of Japan Ramen Box. Japan Ramen Box is a new subscription box outfit with neat varieties to check out! Go visit their website and have a look!
Another one from the recent KOKA Meet The Manufacturer. A curry from Singapore – can’t say I’ve met one of those I didn’t like. Let’s have a look.
I’m reviewing this on March 14th and it’s actually my birthday today! I just got done doing a really big project on spicy noodles and though maybe it would be nice to do a review of something curry. I was looking through the samples and saw this one and realized I do have laksa leaves in my fridge so I’d better review it. So, what’s Laksa Singapura? Wikipedia has this to say –
So here’s something new I found at HMart. This is going to be battle for me, however you might wonder why. Well, much of the package is shiny gold colored. Unfortunately, shiny gold and silver packages are evil. I mean, not really, but really at the same time. Indeed they look nice, but they add a bit of an issue to my process. Indeed, scanning gold or silver foil packs presents a real problem. No matter what, there are wrinkles in the packaging, and ones I usually can use Photoshop to get rid of. However, these wrinkles when in a shiny foil wreak havoc with the scanner and the images come out extremely light and dark in spots. Anyway, just a little behind the scenes on what I do when putting out a post.
Today, I’m reviewing something from Hong Kong. These are in 5 packs – and the individual packs haven’t got bar codes. Indeed, I have wondered why I couldn’t find individual servings of this one, but that definitely makes sense now; hard to sell a variety without a bar code. Why don’t they put bar codes on them? I don’t know, but they definitely want you to buy a pack. For those who aren’t in the know about XO sauce, here’s a little something from wikipedia:
Here’s another one sent by a reader named Colin from the east coast – thanks again! I’m giving this one not a re-review but a full new review. I tried it in the past – it was review #125. Why a new review and not a re-review? Well, I don’t see anything on the old one mentioning non-fried noodles and think that maybe this has changed. The packaging has changed, but unsure if that’s denoting a difference. The brand Shirakiku is one of Nishimoto. Basically, kind of think of Trader Joe’s – they source foreign/domestic brands and re-brand them for sale in the USA under their name. That’s the case usually with Shirakiku. Let’s have a look!
Crabby crab from South Korea! This one was sent to me by colin from the east coast – thanks! Not a lot of ramyun I’ve seen out there with crab as a main flavor. In fact, I think this might be the first ramyun I’ve seen in this vein. You might say ‘hey – you’ve reviewed noodle that have crab flavor before’ but this is ramyun. ramyun is strictly a South Korean thing – it’s really has to do with the noodle gauge and the chewiness. Originally it was beef broth and spicy, but different things have come into the mix during the years – like crab! Let’s give it a try!
On more than one occasion, I’ve been talking to someone from Hong Kong about instant noodles. It seems like every time, Fuku comes up. This is a really popular brand there and often mentioned as a favorite. Today I’m going to try their non-fried variety. Curious how the noodles differ from the standard instant. Let’s see!
Another one from Colin – thanks again! So Pulmuone is considered a ‘healthful’ brand in South Korea. As you can see, these are non-fried noodles. Let’s look within and see what else we find.
I don’t know why, but I’ve never gotten this one to review before! It’s been on the shelves staring at me for so long, but I never seem to get it. Well, no more! Time to review this variety today!
I had a different version of this variety make The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Taiwanese Instant Noodles Of All Time last year – I don’t know if it’s just a different way of packaging or what, but I’ve got high hopes on this one! Let’s check it out! It’s curry time!
Interview With Wugudaochang * Product Samples From Wugudaochang * Wugudaochang Sea Tangle And Spareribs Flavor Noodles * Wugudaochang Sour Bamboo Shoot & Beef In Hot Pot Flavor Noodles * Wugudaochang Sichuan Pepper & Chicken Flavor Noodles * Wugudaochang Chef’s Grains Pea Noodle * Wugudaochang Chef’s Grains Buckwheat Noodle * Wugudaochang Chef’s Grains Millet Noodle * Wugudaochang Sea Tangle & Spareribs Flavor Noodles * Wugudaochang Tomato Beef Brisket Flavor Purple Sweet Potato Noodles * Wugudaochang Sour Bamboo Shoot & Beef In Hot Pot Flavor Noodles
This one’s interesting – a Thai take on a Japanese classic! Tonkotsu! Here’s what wikipedia says about tonkotsu:
This is the first review here in our new apartment. It’s been
frustrating; the only Internet I have currently is via tethering
my cell phone to the desktop, and I’m hoping I don’t go over the
data allowance. So I’ve got Still have 6 days until they install
– which is a long time… Kit picked this one out for me a couple
of weeks ago. There are a couple other ones in this line, but she
picked this one because it showed shrimp and knows I like shrimp.
Let’s have a look!
Just finishing up packing for our move. By the time this one’s posted though, it’ll all be done (I’ve been doing a couple reviews every day. One thing that’ll be vexing about the move is the fact that the Internet won’t be up until a few days after we’re there. Gonna be tough to get posts out but rest assured, I will! Today I’m reviewing this Mitoku variety from Japan. It looks to be packaged for sale here in the USA – you can really tell by the bar code being 12 as opposed to 13 digits, as well as the distributor. I don’t know much of anything about this one, so I guess we’ll see how brown rice noodles compare shortly. Let’s check out these Mitoku noodles!
Today my wife asked me if I had any non-spicy noodles without much broth. It’s pretty rare for her to ask me to make her some noodles; she’s not the biggest fan of them, and really doesn’t like broth – she’s usually game for yakisoba or mi goreng as long as it isn’t spicy. I looked around through my stores of noodles – the ones in my son’s room, the ones under my desk, the ones that arrived the other day that are sitting in boxes in front of the fireplace. So this is the one I thought she might like. These are by a company that ranked high on my top ten Taiwanese instant noodles list that I contacted, asking if they could possibly send some varieties I couldn’t get here – and they did. Let’s see how we like them.
Here”s another one from a birthday trip to Canada. This one isn’t fried and really low fat. But will it be low on flavor? It seems that many companies are now offering options for those interested in low fat instant noodles. Let’s see how this one comes out.
Pulmuone is a South Korean company that makes products using their LOHAS philosophy. They really like the sustainable agriculture/green/etc thing over there. There’s a video at the end of this post that extolls their virtues. I thought I’d reviewed this one before but noticed that there were a couple minor changes in the nutrition facts as well as new packaging, so thought maybe I’d give it a try today. It’s called Nature Is Delicious, but it doesn’t say it on the packaging like the old version does, which is kind of weird. Well, actually it says it in Korean, and the only way I could figure it out was by comparing the UPC codes from the original review and this one. I’m kind of curious about how they got the name Pulmuone… Hmmm… Anyways, let’s see how low calorie instant ramyun tastes!
Here’s one I’ve bneen eyeballing for a little while. I’ve got a ton of these Wu-Mu multipacks. Thus far they’ve been pretty darn good. Let’s check it out!
Here another one I got up in Canada at T&T Supermarket in Richmond, BC. Never have I seen this brand before and thought ‘hey – this in interesting!’ What’s more, it’s actually heavy! What’s inside this thing making it so heavy? It took me a bit of looking to find out about this brand and it’s products. Here’s a little something I read on Wikipedia about where the manufacturing facility is:
Here’s another one I got at T&T Supermarket up in Canada. I find it interesting; I got three pork varieties there – stewed pork, steamed pork and simmered pork! I asked my wife which one I should have as I couldn’t decide. She told me to simmer down and so here we are. Let’s check it out!
Here’s another from the trip to Canada my wife took me on for my birthday – thank you, Kit! Pork. Ribs. Let’s do this.
Earlier today, I did an interview with NTDTV about the Bottom Ten list! Should be a link coming soon! Woo-hoo!!! In the meantime, here’s a Chinese rice noodle variety from Chencun. We got it during my birthday trip up to Canada! Thank you, Kit!
Here’s one of the packs that came from Australia! Thanks go to Melanie I. of Jannali, NSW for sending these and also thanks to Mark K. for getting her to do it! These are from China but sold in Australia. Looks like something different – let’s check it out.
Here’s a rather uniquely titled one that the nice folks at Ramen Place sent along! I think I would rearrange the title right now to Is Nature Delicious? I guess that what we’re trying to find out with this review. Pulmuone seems to put out products that try to appeal to the health conscious. Let give it a try!
Here’s another one – curry flavor!!! This is the four pack.
I ate the contents of this package!
