Tag: taiwanese

The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodle Bowls Of All Time 2017 Edition

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The Ramen Rater's Top Ten Instant Noodle Bowls Of All Time 2017 Edition

The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodle Bowls Of All Time 2017 Edition is a list of the best bowls I’ve tried of the over 2400 reviews posted to date. Bowls are interesting insofar as they often contain extra things, since there is more room for sachets, spoons, fork, etcetera. As always, I implore instant noodle manufacturers to contact me – I would love to review your products and all it costs is sending some samples and your time! So sit back, grab a bowl, some hot water, peel back the lid, stir – and enjoy! ...see full post

#2439: Uni-President Man Han Feast Super Hot Pot Beef Flavor Instant Noodles

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#2439: Uni-President Man Han Feast Super Hot Pot Beef Flavor Instant Noodles - Taiwan - The Ramen Rater - 統一企業 滿漢大餐

Here’s one I picked up during my November 2016 trip to Taiwan. So I found this one at 7-Eleven I believe. Indeed for years I’ve been told by people from Taiwan to give this one a try. They’ve been downright exclamatory about it, but nobody ever sent me one to try. Moreover it took me actually bringing one home from Taiwan to get it and so here we are. This is part of Uni-President’s Man Han Feast range. Here’s a little about Man Han (short for Manchu Han) Feast from Wikipedia – ...see full post

#2434: Happy Cook Old Beijing Fried Bean Sauce Noodle

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#2434: Happy Cook Old Beijing Fried Bean Sauce Noodle - Taiwan - The Ramen Rater - Instant Noodle

This is one I brought back with me from Taiwan! Happy Cook is a brand that one of the factories in Taichung makes. ...see full post

#2428: TTL Sesame Oil Chicken Noodle With Rice Wine

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#2428: TTL Sesame Oil Chicken Noodle With Rice Wine - Taiwan - The Ramen Rater - boozy noodles

This is one I found at a 7-Eleven during my November 2016 trip to Taiwan. So these are manufactured by Wei Lih for TTL. TTL stands for Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor. Tobacco and liquor – what?! Indeed, this is a boozy noodle. It contains rice wine, something apparently that goes well in noodles and cooking. I’m unsure, but I think this may be the first variety I’ve reviewed with alcohol in it – could be wrong. ...see full post

#2423: Ve Wong Kung-Fu Instant Oriental Noodles Soup Artificial Onion Flavor

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Another one sent by Colin. I haven’t had any of this brand in quite some time! I should also say I’ve not had an onion flavor instant in quite a while too. Very curious about this one – let’s have a look! NOTE – I just was looking for info on this one and as it turned out, I reviewed it in 2010! It was review #99. I’ll still slap a new number on this one though. What’s funny is if you look at the packaging on it from back then, it says ‘New.’ It still says new! I’m sorry, but this isNOT new. ...see full post

#2421: Uni-President Baseball Snack Noodle

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#2421: Uni-President Baseball Snack Noodle - Taiwan - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

Here’s one I picked up at 7-Eleven in Taipei, Taiwan in November of 2016. So snack noodles are popular in Taiwan – very popular! They eat them kind of like westerners eat potato chips (I should note that chips are also popular in Taiwan as well). ...see full post

#2414: Little Cook Thailand Green Curry Instant Noodle

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#2414: Little Cook Thailand Green Curry Instant Noodle - Taiwan - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

I found this one on my trip to Taiwan in November 2016. It was at the Jason’s Market at the bottom of the Taipei 101. That was a cool day – here’s a little about the Taipei 101 from Wikipedia – ...see full post

#2407: Just Way Noodles Chuan Wei Spicy Hot Guan-miao Noodles

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#2407: Just Way Noodles Chuan Wei Spicy Hot Guan-miao Noodles - Taiwan - The Ramen Rater - instant noodle

This variety comes by way of Colin, a reader from Massachusetts – thank you! It was originally said by Oscar Wilde: ‘Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.’ I have often found this to be true fr the most part. Indeed, why would someone want to imitate exactly what you do unless they want to attain something that you did prior? Well, sometimes it just seems like it takes a bit of a spiral from flattery to pure copying. ...see full post

#2385: Uni-President Man Han Feast Chilli Beef Flavor Instant Noodles

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#2385: Uni-President Man Han Feast Chilli Beef Flavor Instant Noodles - Taiwan - Ther Ramen Rater - 札幌一番 滿漢大餐 麻辣鍋牛肉麵

Well, it has been a long time coming but here it is. This is the one I’ve been looking for. For three years. Why so hard to get? It’s really popular in Taiwan – why couldn’t I get it? Simple. Beef. There’s a big pouch of beef in here – not artificial beef, but real beef. I got this in Taiwan and brought it back with me. It’s kind of stupid; if someone sent this to me in the mail, it’d get stopped by the USDA inspectors that check the mail. I go there and pack it in my stuff, it comes through fine. What’s nice too is that it is in perfect condition; like I went to the store here and bought it and brought it home. Let’s crack this thing open and take a gander at this huge pack of noodles. ...see full post

#2375: Uni-President Man Han Feast Braised Pork Flavor Instant Noodles

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#2375: Uni-President Man Han Feast Braised Pork Flavor Instant Noodles

Here’s one I got at 7-Eleven in Taipei, Taiwan in November of last year. I’ve been wanting to review these bowls for a very long time, but never have been able to get any through – nobody’s ever tried though. So what is this ‘Man-Han Feast’ anyways? Here’s some info from Wikipedia – ...see full post

#2352: Uni-President Minced Pork Flavor Instant Noodles

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#2352: Uni-President Minced Pork Flavor Instant Noodles - Taiwan - The Ramen Rater - 統一肉燥麵

Here’s one I got at 7-Eleven in Taiwan. I’ve seen these for so long with the stripes and they’re very popular in Taiwan. Here’s a little about Uni-President, the company that makes these – from Wikipedia – ...see full post

#2330: Ve Wong Little Prince(ss) Brand Snack Noodles Artificial Mexican Pizza Flavor

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#2330: Ve Wong Little Prince(ss) Brand Snack Noodles Artificial Mexican Pizza Flavor - Taiwan - The Ramen Rater - noodle snack

As I’ve said in the past, I’m usually about 50 or so reviews ahead of myself. Well, today is the actual day our daughter Miriam will be born and by the time this comes out she’ll be close to two months old. Wow! It’s early in the morning – although it’s just a few hours away. Really excited! This one seemed interesting enough for a day of birth – Mexican pizza from Taiwan? I think a fiesta is in order; although I wish these were called Little Princess – but hey look at the title I think that works at least a little! Let’s check it out! ...see full post

#2318: Happy Cook Sichuan Spicy Flavor

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#2318: Happy Cook Sichuan Spicy Flavor - Taiwan - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

This is one I brought back with me from Taiwan! Happy Cook is a brand that one of the factories in Taichung makes. ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: Re-Review: Mom’s Dry Noodle Vegan Chilli With Sesame Sauce

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Mom’s Dry Noodle Vegan Chilli With Sesame Sauce - Taiwan - The Ramen Rater

A lot of people these days are giving up meat and switching to the Vegan lifestyle. So, what’s the difference between Vegetarian and Vegan? It seems like there are many different ‘flavors’ of Vegetarianism. For example, I have a friend who claims to be vegetarian, however he eats bacon, eggs and Jack In The Box fast food tacos. Here’s what wikipedia has to say about Veganism: ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2313: Xiao Ban Mian Sesame Oil With Garlic Flavor Thin Noodle

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Xiao Ban Mian Sesame Oil With Garlic Flavor Thin Noodle - Taiwan - The Ramen Rater - Instant noodles

This looks very interesting. Check out how thin these noodles are! Sesame and garlic are great flavors to marry together as well. So we’ve seen sesame sauce – the tan colored peanutty kind of stuff and today it’s sesame oil – a much lighter fare. Let’s have a look! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: Re-Review: Mom’s Dry Noodle Sour & Spicy Flavor

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Meet The Manufacturer: Re-Review: Mom's Dry Noodle Sour & Spicy Flavor - Taiwan - The Ramen Rater

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! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2312: Xiao Ban Mian Traditional Shallot & Onion Oil Noodle

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Xiao Ban Mian Traditional Shallot & Onion Oil Noodle - Taiwan - The Ramen Rater

During my trip to Taiwan in November of 2016, I had the opportunity to try the three varieties of the new Xiao Ban Mian line. I remember this one in particular; it was really quite good and I only got a bite or two of it – my sister actually scarfed this one down quickly! Now, back in the controlled environment of my noodle lab (sounds more amazing than it is, really), I’m really excited to give this a try. Let’s check it out! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: Re-Review: Mom’s Dry Noodle Sichuan Spicy Flavor

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Meet The Manufacturer: Re-Review: Mom's Dry Noodles Sichuan Spicy Flavor - Taiwan - The Ramen Rater - Instant NoodlesSo I remember the first time I tried this one a couple years ago. Indeed, it is spicy! Sichuan pepper is a little different kind of spicy in contrast to a jalapeno or wasabi – here’s a little info about the Sichuan pepper from wikipedia: ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2311: Xiao Ban Mian Sesame Sauce Matcha Noodle

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Meet The Manufacturer: #2311: Xiao Ban Mian Sesame Sauce Matcha Noodle - The Ramen Rater - Taiwan - instant noodles

Xian Bian Mian is a new line from Howsler Foods. They all use straight noodles and are a bit different from the Mom’s Dry Noodle line. These tall narrow packs have three servings in each. So matcha has become really popular – but what is it? Let’s ask wikipedia: ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: Re-Review: Mom’s Dry Noodle Onion Oil & Shrimp Flavor

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Mom’s Dry Noodle Onion Oil & Shrimp Flavor - Taiwan - Taiwan - The Ramen Rater

Here’s one I’ve liked for a while . In fact, it’s on the Taiwanese op Ten list! I really like shrimp as well as onion! I thought since I’ve had the opportunity to try a nice amount of Taiwanese food now, I’d share this info about their food from wikipedia: ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: Re-Review: Mom’s Dry Noodle Pepper & Sesame Sauce

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Meet The Manufacturer: Re-Review: Mom's Dry Noodle Pepper & Sesame Sauce - The Ramen Rater - Taiwan

So today we kick off Meet The Manufacturer with a unique variety – pepper and sesame sauce. First, this is black pepper, not hot chill. Second, sesame sauce is completely different from sesame oil. Sesame sauce has a more peanut butter kind of texture and flavor whereas sesame oil has that strong sesame scent and saltiness. Let’s dig into this one and get things started! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: Product Samples From Howsler Foods (2 of 2)

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Since Meet The Manufacturer can be up to 15 reviews, I told Kyle over at Howsler foods that I’d be able to re-review varieties he’d sent before. He was pretty happy about this and so here’s a box of them. So, let’s pop it open! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: Interview With Howsler Foods

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Meet The Manufacturer: Interview With Howsler Foods

Interview With Howsler Foods * Product Samples From Howsler Foods (1 of 2) * Product Samples From Howsler Foods (2 of 2) * Mom’s Dry Noodle Pepper & Sesame Sauce Flavor * Mom’s Dry Noodle Onion Oil & Shrimp Flavor * Xiao Ban Mian Sesame Sauce Matcha Noodle * Mom’s Dry Noodle Sichuan Spicy Flavor * Xiao Ban Mian Traditional Shallot & Onion Oil Noodle * Mom’s Dry Noodle Sour & Spicy Flavor * Xiao Ban Mian Sesame Oil With Garlic Flavor Thin Noodle * Mom’s Dry Noodle Vegan Chilli With Sesame Sauce ...see full post

#2273: Uni-President A Q Bucket Noodle Koream Kimchi Flavor

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Here’s another one I found in Taipei – this one was the last instant noodle I bought there. ...see full post

#2264: Unif Tung-I Instant Vegetarian Beehoon Rice Vermicelli

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I think I should explain the symbol in the upper right hand corner before anything else. While the symbol may bring up thoughts of World War II, this actually has nothing to do with oppression; this is a Buddhist symbol denoting that it is safe for those who practice strict vegetarianism. Here’s a little from wikipedia about it: ...see full post

#2249: Love Cook Sun Dried Noodle – Fruity Soy Bean Paste

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A few months back I did a Meet The Manufacturer with Love Cook. Well, they’ve come out witha new flavor and sent me some to try! Let’s check it out! ...see full post

#2218: Tseng Rice Noodle Spicy Braised Pork Flavor Flavor

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Okay now this – this sounds good. I absolutely love a few things in this world. Curries, Korean BBQ, dim sum… Something new has been anything braised and Taiwanese. We’ve got a little restaurant nearby called Looking For Chai and their braised pork and braised beef is so good – tender and so full of flavor. Just a nice slab of it on a bed of rice and that’s all you need – well, that and a little milk tea. Let’s check out this spicy braised noodle! ...see full post

#2216: A-Sha Chow Mein Spicy Flavor

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Here’s the third of the A-Sha microwavable tray varieties – let’s give it a looksie! ...see full post

#2191: Choumama XO Scallops Sauce Dry Noodles

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I was contacted by someone from a Taiwanese company called Choumama asking if I’d try their noodles. A few weeks later, these arrived. The packages certainly look fancy – very interested to see how they come out. Let’s give ’em a look! ...see full post

Tseng Noodles – Coming To America!

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This is a box I’ve been really excited about – and I think a lot of you will be excited as well. People have been asking me about Tseng/Zeng noodles and where to get them since they were #9 on my annual The Ramen Rater’s top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2016 Edition. They just made #1 on my Taiwan Top Ten list2 days ago. Well, I have it on good authority that they will be available in the United States at 99 Ranch Market in California around Christmas time – that’s all I know for now but if I hear more, I’ll let you all know! ...see full post

The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Taiwanese Instant Noodles Of All Time 2016 Edition

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 This is the fourth year of The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Taiwanese Instant Noodles Of All Time lists. The list definitely has had a lot of movement every year – a good sign as those who produce instant noodles in Taiwan are innovating and producing new styles and flavors all the time! Here are my pick of the tastiest and most memorable Taiwanese varieties from my over 2,000 reviews to date. ...see full post

Re-Review: Tseng Noodles Scallion With Sichuan Pepper Flavor

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I thought that after making The Ramen Rater’s top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2016 Edition and winning The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Taiwanese Instant Noodles Of all Time 2016 Edition, it would be nice to revisit this tasty noodle! What do you think? Let’s dig in! ...see full post

#2168: Tseng Rice Noodle Shallot With Braised Pork Flavor

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Here’s another new one from Tseng’s – shallot braised pork. Man, this sounds good – I really have high hopes. As I’ve opined before, Taiwanese braised anything is unbelievably good. Really, it isn’t just my opinion – I would mark it down as fact. If you don’t like Taiwanese braised anything, you just don’t know what tastes good and should have your tongue examined for mold or aliens. Let’s give this one a try and see how it translates to a rice noodle. ...see full post

#2162: Tseng Rice Noodle Seafood Laksa Flavour

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So this is definitely a first – I don’t think I’ve ever heard of laksa from Taiwan! It sounds good – I mean hey, I make laksa here in the United States quite often but I’m sure my neighbors haven’t a clue what they’re smelling ‘must be some off kind of Hamburger Helper’ probably going through their minds. But laksa is a seriously tasty thing and I’m keen on seeing what Tseng has come up with for us. Let’s have a look! ...see full post

Product Samples From Tseng Noodles Of Taiwan

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Today started well, then got a little crazy then got better – I started at 5am with reviewing some noodles. Then the power went out around 7am for over two hours! A bit later, the mailman knocked on the door with a big package of Taiwanese noodles! Tseng was in The Ramen Rater’s top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2016 list this year – and they have some new products! Let check them out! ...see full post

#2156: A-Sha Chow Mein Oyster Sauce BBQ Flavor

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The next edition of The Ramen Rater’s top Ten Taiwanese Instant Noodles Of All Time will be coming out in about a month, and so I’ll be cramming in as many late ones to arrive as possible. Today, one of a trifecta by A-Sha Dry Noodles – microwavable trays! Definitely something I’ve not seem out of Taiwan before that I can think of. Anyways, let’s give it a whirl in the ol’ microwave! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2155: Jingqi Aloe Vera Guan Mian Purple Sweet Potato Noodles With Spicy Miso Sauce

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Today, we bid a fond farewell to Jingqi at the end of this Meet The Manufacturer. Lots of great flavors and the noodles! Well, let’s delve into this final variety! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2154: Jingqi Black Eyes Bean Original Noodles With Sesame Sauce

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For thje past four days, I’ve been enjoying a noodle lunch with my son Andy – today’s our last one for this Meet The Manufacturer, He’s really been enjoying them a lot! Let’s check out the sesame flavor sauce and original noodle in the thinner gauge. ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2153: Jingqi Aloe Vera Guan Mian Pumpkin Noodles With Basil Sauce

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I liked the black eyes beans noodle version of this one with the basil sauce quite a bit, however I’ve been excited to try it with this style noodle as well! Let’s check it out! ...see full post

A-She Dry Noodle Sends Some Samples!

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The Top Ten Taiwan list is coming late September and a few Taiwanese companies are sending me their latest products ! Let’s see what A-Sha Dry Noodle has to offer! ...see full post