Here’s one I found up in Canada at China World I believe. The sheer amount of varieties up there is pretty intense – especially ones from this company. Curious how it will be. Let’s find out!
Sichuan Baijia Sichuan Hot & Sour Vermicelli – China
Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, add 600ml boiling water and sachet contents . Cover for 5~6 minutes. Finally, stir and enjoy!
Finished (click to enlarge). Added sping onion. The sweet potato thread hydrated well. A couple of crosscuts with a pair of scissors made them more manageable. They have a kind of gumminess and clinginess that makes them a big clump of food – nothing wrong with that; it’s just their way. The broth has a sour taste from black vinegar and a chilli pepper spiciness – I expected Sichuan peppercorn in here but really didn’t come across is. Included pickled sprouts were decent in the end and gave a nice crunch. Beans were well hydrated as well. 3.75 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 6926410372633.
Time for another one of these self heating/self cooking hot pots from China. I’ve found so far that the draw of these for me seems to be more of novelty than an thorough enjoyment of the innards of these. But hey – all it’s been up til now is mala – now we’ve got sour turnip duck vermicelli! Let’s check it out!
Yumei Instant Sour Turnip Duck Vermicelli Hot Pot – China
First, let’s look at the English instructions (click to enlarge). Here we go:
CONSUME DIRECTION:
1. Open the box, remove the upper layer, tear off the sauce bag and chives bag, and pour them into the upper layer. 2. Tear off the vermicelli bag and vegetable bag, and put them into the upper layer, and stir and mix them together. 3. Add water into the upper layer, but not over the edge of the layer (hot water recommend for the better favor). 4. Open the self-heating package bag, and put the self-heating package into lower layer, add cold water until the self-heating package soaked totally. 5. Put the upper layer on the top, and cover the lid, wait 8 minutes or more and enjoy the hotpot. CAUTION: THE HOT STEAMING AND PREVENT FROM BURNING HURT.
Okay – a couple interesting things here. I do want to avoid the burning hurt when at all possible. Another is that this has a self-heating package that works via a chemical reaction in the lower level of the packaging. Wow – so this stuff literally cooks itself. Fascinating!
This is the fascinating item – the heating bag. When cold water is introduced, it starts a chemical reaction which brings the heat – apparently enough to cook this product. I’m really very curious about this – never have I seen such a thing in an instant noodle before. What gets me though is that it recommends using cold water in the lower tray with this and hot water in the upper tray with the food. If you need hot water to make this, why not just cook it with the hot water you’ve already prepared? But hey, this will be fun.
Finished (click to enlarge). The vermicelli was decent and came out perfectly. Vegetablesd were of good quality and quite a few different things going on. This is the third self heating hot pot I’ve tried thus far and the broth has the best flavor yet – mainly because it isn’t just spicy oily but tasty spicy oily. 3.75 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 6952395703384.
Well, it’s that time again! Every year, I come out with an update to my Bottom Ten list. I’ve got a lot of top ten lists of course, but only one that’s comprised of my least favorite varieties. Many of these will be enjoyed by people – and that’s fine. Just most definitely not by me. Let’s take a look!
The Ramen Rater’s Bottom Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2018 Edition
Video Presentation
A video presentation of the list in its entirety.
The Ramen Rater’s Bottom Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2018 Edition
A rough go. The noodles were just wrong; they might look like noodles, but they just didn’t hydrate very well and the chew was pure funky. The broth was about as bland as can be – maybe less water? Everything I review is according to what they put on the packaging and well, this just came out horribly. Original review
I’m a little confused by this one. Honestly, I believe the instructions on this bowl must be wrong and that it should be a dry noodle with a broth on the side. But it just goes to show that unless you put the correct directions on the bowl, you’re going to end up with something awry. TRhe other possibility is that the instructions are correct and that it’s still just completely horrible. Chicken flavor? I don’t think so. Noodles? Ultra spongy. No. Original review
#8 – Master Kong Artificial Abalone Crab Flavor Instant Noodle – China
Definitely a knock-off of sorts. Although I see these as Master Kong/Kang Shi Fu often, they most definitely aren’t. Moreover, the broth has an absolutely foul taste to it. I’m sure it’s safe to eat, but I would never want to cross paths with this one again. Original review
#7 – Koyo Reduced Sodium Garlic & Pepper Ramen – United States
The noodles are thick – more like ramyun. They have an alright chew; although they seem almost doughy- and not Hakata style ramen noodle doughy. The broth does taste of garlic and pepper, but it’s so very bland. It really is like you could boil some pepper and a clove of garlic and achieve the same results. Not at all to my liking. Original review
#6 – Urban Noodle Authentic Street Food Black Bean – United Kingdom
The noodles in this one were flat instead of round. They came out very nicely. The flavoring however was just strange. I expected maybe something of a Korean-Chinese fusion dish, but those are hearty and rich and not savory and sweet. In fact, this one was a little too sweet for me. The thinly sliced bamboo shoots don’t work for me either; leaving them whole would be nicer I think. What’s more, it has a kind of chemically aftertaste; like chlorine or soap. Original review
#3 – One Dish Asia Japanese Ramen Noodle – United States
This one comes with a fresh noodle pouch. They didn’t have a very fresh texture; more mushy. The bamboo shoots (which more resembled overcooked carrot and I had to consult the ingredients to figure what they were) were mushy as well. The broth had an acidic and a flavor reminiscent of the teriyaki flavor I’ve encountered in bad teriyaki instant flavors. A hot mess. Original review
#4 – Isoyama Shoji 18 Prohibited / Restricted / Only La-Men Curry Taste – Japan
First, this is a lot of food. There’s reason for the warning on this pack. 700cc water and a few minutes cooking brings you a huge bowl of noodles. While in general that’s not a complaint, the flavor is. It’s violently spicy for starters. It does have a curry flavor, which at first glance is great. Then you have to taste it. You’d think all that water would dilute the sachet that comes with it but no dice here. Too much flavor and heat are the theme here, and it’s a bitter song to swallow. Original review
#3 – Baijia Single Noble Black Bone Chicken Flavor Instant Sweet Potato Noodles – China
I was told by a guy from the company that this indeed was believed to be medicinal and helpful to women having their ‘time of the month.’ I’ve also been told by a reader that people generally don’t like black bone chicken soup even in China. Very slimy sweet potato noodles, thick, greasy broth and horrid veggies that didn’t hydrate well was just a flavor, texture, and complete food hole nightmare for me. This was just horrible stuff that I couldn’t stand. Original review
#2 – Maruchan Bariuma Goboten Udon – Japan
Do you like earthy things? Like dirt? Maybe throw a ton of salt on it – does that do the trick for you? This one has just huge amount of burdock root. Burdock is great in small amounts, but this much just turns this variety into a bowl of something that just screams salty dirt. A full frontal assault on the taste buds that leaves me wondering if when they made this if they tasted it. Original review
#1 – Dr. McDougall’s Vegan Pad Thai Noodle Soup – United States
Wow – where do it begin. Well, first off when one in the United States thinks of Pad Thai, they think of what they might find at a domestic Thai restaurant. Okay so the rice noodles came out nicely – short, flat and broad and well hydrated. Now for the broth. Thin. Nothing like pad thai. Has a little lime taste and a kind of herbed taste. The floating bits of tofu are a lot like the marshmallows you get in the hot chocolate that comes with marshmallows. This is as far from pad thai as I can even express in words. It’s like someone gave a broken description of pad thai to someone who has short term memory problems and no taste buds a week prior and told them to make it. I kind of feel personally violated and offended. A new #1 on the Bottom Ten. Original review
I picked this one up at the 99 Ranch Market in Edmonds, Washington a few weeks back. I hadn’t seen this Baijia variety before and I thought the graphic on the front of someone sleeping and dreaming about fancy cars, a home and lots of money was really quite compelling.
Let’s face it. Instant noodles aren’t a rich man’s meal, nor were they designed to be at the outset. They were designed to be a quick and easy to prepare meal for the masses. I find it interesting, however not surprising, to see the truth in the image on the package. How many packets of instant noodles have been enjoyed during long hours studying in colleges and universities? In times of meager means, even in prisons?
Today’s variety is from the Sichuan region of China, known for it’s strong flavors and history. Let’s crack this bag open and give it a try!
Sichuan Baijia Broad Noodle Sour Soup Fish Flavor – China
Detail of the import/distribution stickers (click to enlarge).
Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, add contents to a bowl and add 600ml boiling water. Cover for 6 minutes. Finally, stir and enjoy!
The noodle block.
The dry base sachet.
Seasoning and vegetables.
The liquid base sachet.
Thick and oily.
Finished (click to enlarge). Added spring onion, tofu and Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts. The broad noodle is perfect here – hot too chewy and not too thin. The broth is like a torrential downpour of strong taste – Sichuan peppercorn heat and an almost lemony hit to it with a good oiliness. The included vegetables were just right. 4.5 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 6926410332767.
Here’s one sent by Javier over at Box From Japan. Box From Japan is a monthly subscription service where you can get boxes of neat Japanese instant ramen or boxes of candy and they have other special ones as well! Definitely, give them a look!
So this variety is sour and spicy – and the sour comes from black vinegar. Black vinegar adds a kind of tangy tartness which I find a really neat condiment and works really well in noodle varieties I’ve tried. Let’s check out this bowl Chukazanmai!
Myojo Chukazanmai Premium Sour & Spicy Noodle Soup – Japan
Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, pull lid back and add powder and solid block. Fill with 400ml boiling water and cover for 5 minutes. Add in liquid sachet. Finally, stir and enjoy!
Freeze dried ingredients that really spring to life when added to boiling water. Usually vegetables and meats.
A liquid base sachet.
Black vinegar.
Finished (click to enlarge). Added Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, Chinese sausage, and spring onion. The noodles have a strong chew and good backbone – a good reason to call this one premium. The broth has a nice balance of sweetness, sour tanginess from black vinegar, and an underlying afterthought kind of spiciness from Sichuan pepper. Very interesting and quite good. The inclusion of the freeze-dried block that expands with a nice variety of vegetables rounds out the bowl. 4.25 out of 5.0 stars. JAN bar code 4902881421386.
Here’s another left over from the Tat Hui/KOKA Meet The Manufacturer series. Indeed, I’ve been really enjoying their Creamy Soup line. Actually, it’s not just an enjoyment, but a fascination – is it a soup with noodles or a noodles with soup? It’s kind of more the former rather than the latter as it comes with a pack of crushed noodles.
I don’t think I’ve seen instant noodles presented this way before. Not only that, the soup is usually quite creamy and thick. I’m very curious how this hot and sour will be; I have a feeling it will be quite different from what one would find in Chinese restaurants in the United Sates – which is great! Let’s see what Wikipedia has to say about hot and sour soup –
Hot and sour soup is a variety of soups from several Asian culinary traditions. In all cases, the soup contains ingredients to make it both spicy and sour.
In the United States, Soup preparation may use chicken or pork broth, or may be meat-free. Common key ingredients in the American Chinese version include bamboo shoots, toasted sesame oil, wood ear, cloud ear fungus, day lily buds, vinegar, egg, corn starch, and white pepper.[1]Other ingredients include button mushrooms and small slices of tofu skin. It is comparatively thicker than the Chinese cuisine versions due to the addition of cornstarch. This soup is usually considered a healthy option at most Chinese establishments and, other than being high in sodium, is a very healthy soup overall.[2]
In China, “Hot and sour soup” is a Chinese soup claimed variously by the regional cuisines of Beijing and Sichuan as a regional dish. The Chinese hot and sour soup is usually meat-based, and often contains ingredients such as day lily buds, wood ear fungus, bamboo shoots, and tofu, in a broth that is sometimes flavored with pork blood.[3] It is typically made hot (spicy) by red peppers or white pepper, and sour by vinegar.
Authentic is the road I like to travel. Let’s check out this creamy soup from KOKA!
KOKA Creamy Soup Hot & Sour Fish Flavor – Singapore
Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Contains fish and crustacea. To prepare, add in soup sachet and then noodle sachet. Add 300ml boiling water and stir. Let steep covered for 5 minutes. Finally, stir and enjoy!
Finished (click to enlarge). Added 3 Dodo fish balls. This one was really interesting. First, it had a kind of acidic and sweet and spicy thing going on that worked extremely well. The broth was indeed thick – kind of like what I have tried in American Chinese restaurants, but just seemed a bit cleaner. The crushed noodle hydrated very well and works perfectly. The included veggies and garnish are fresh and just right. Another great creamy soup – 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 8888056833290.
Here’s one sent by Colin from Massachusetts – thanks! So this sour-hot sounds interesting. Usually with Chinese varieties, the sour often comes from black vinegar and the spicy from peppers. Let’s see what this one’s like!
Sichuan Guangyou Sweet Potato Instant Noodle Sour-Hot Flavor – China
Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, add in all sachets and boiling water to fill line. Let steep 3 minutes. Finally, stir and enjoy!
Finished (click to enlarge). Added spring onion, fried onion and Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts. The sweet potato noodle cooks up swell. There’s a lot of it, too. The broth is another thing all together. This one just sends me into fits. I liked the chitterlings version from this brand much better. This one’s just so funky to me; not only that, the provided vegetables didn’t hydrated well at all. Scowls… 0.0 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 6914790200264.
Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Contains crab. To prepare, add everything to the bowl – all sachets and stewed crab pouch – and 400ml of water. Microwave for 3 minutes at 800W. Stir and enjoy!
Finished (click to enlarge). Added Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts and coriander. The rice noodles came out of the microwave slightly underdone, but that was easy to look past as by the time I sat down to eat this, they were very good. Light chew, thin gauge. The broth was very, very good – a nice oiliness and crab taste with lots of crab in there and vegetable. Excellent! 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 851683004393.
Here’s one I really like. It has what I like to call a ‘back and forth effect flavor.’ It’s like you get one flavor lingering then your palate gets the hint of another flavor, then back to the first. It’s really unique in this way – reminds me of one of my favorite hot sauces – not in the taste, mind you, but this kind of back and forth. Let’s check it out!
Mom’s Dry Noodle Sour & Spicy Flavor – Taiwan
Here’s the back of the outer package (click to enlarge). The manufacturer has assured me that this is Vegan friendly.. To prepare, boil a pot of water. Add in noodle block and cook for 5 1/2 minutes. Drain. Finally, add in sachet contents. Stir and enjoy!
The package contains 4 servings like this.
A different style of noodle block.
The first of 3 liquid sachets.
Has a kind of soy scent.
Another liquid sachet.
Black vinegar I believe.
A final liquid sachet.
Looks like a spicy oil.
Finished (click to enlarge). Added spiralized cucumber, baby corn and garlic. I really like these noodles. They are flat and a little broader with a very serious chew to them. The flavor is very unique. It’s a kind of crisp black vinegar hit along with a spicy oil hit to it. It’s like ping pong; you notice the heat, then the vinegar, then the heat. 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 4717011150117.
I tried the Burning Dry Noodle variety of this line a few days ago and was quite pleased with it. That one was a brothless variant while this one will have soup. It sounds interesting – a spicy and sour taste to behold… Well, I suppose I’d better give it a try!
Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, add contents of package to a bowl and add 600ml boiling water. Let steep covered for 2 minutes. Stir and enjoy!
The noodle block.
A dfry base sachet.
A very light component and a kind of chunky one intermingle.
A liquid base sachet.
A spicy scented liquid.
A vegetables sachet.
A very nice quantity.
Finished (click to enlarge). Added Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts and coriander. The noodles are flat and wide and very plentiful. The broth? Wow – full of Sichuan pepper – thick and oily too! The bits of vegetable did very well. Not for the faint of heart – this one packs a serious spicy punch. 4.0 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 6926410330992.
Here’s another one sent by Jen from Australia – thanks! Although not an Australian brand, the distributor’s sticker mentioed Australian distribution and so here we are. Sounds good – been reviewing quite a few beef ones lately it seems. Let’s check it out!
Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, add noodle block and sachet contents to 500ml boiling water. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Stir and enjoy!
The noodle block.
The dry base sachet.
A fine powder with some herbs here and there.
A paste sachet.
Maybe the spicy element?
Hey – an old clay pot!
Pickled mustard greens!
Finished (click to enlarge). Added Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, coriander, chilli flake, red bell pepper, carrot and broccoli. The noodles came out nicely – and a great quantity as well. The broth was really great – a nice sour and spicy taste to it I really enjoyed. The pickled mustard stems however were an element that kind of mussed it all up though – just think that I would have liked it better without the mustard greens. 3.75 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 6921555509982.
Here’s one that’s been lingering in the hamper a little – sent by a reader named Colin who sent a ton of varieties a few months ago – thanks again! So this is hot and sour – kind of surprised that his even exists as all the Raoh varieties I’ve tried in the past were traditional – shoi, miso, shoyu , tonkotsu et al. Let’s give this one a try!
Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Unsure whether it contains meat. To prepare, add noodles to 500ml boiling water and cook for 4 minutes. Add in sachet contents. Stir and enjoy! Mentions to make it better with some scrambled eggs!
The noodle block.
The liquid sachet.
Thick and dark.
Finished (click to enlarge). Added Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, spring onion, scrambled egg and shichimi togarashi. The noodle are great – excellent chew and backbone. The broth is serious business – oily, rich in color and has a nice hot and sour taste. Unique and different! 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. JAN bar code 4902105900680.
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