Tag: thailand

Diverse Samples From MAMA!

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At one point during my trip to Thailand earlier this month, there was a big seminar for all the European distributors of MAMA noodles. They had a table with all sorts of varieties I’d never seen, made in places I’d never reviewed varieties from. I asked if there was any chance I could get some of these samples, and they were happy to oblige – only problem was that my luggage was just stuffed! So they kindly offered to ship them to me and they arrived yesterday evening! I’m going to be doing a travelogue of my trip soon, and I think I’ll be reviewing some of these during that special series! Let’s have a look. ...see full post

Travels: Back From Thailand

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So our trip to Thailand was absolutely amazing – met some really great people, checked out two noodle factories, tried some great food, saw wonderful sights! All this said, it’s good to be back home. I’m recovering from jet lag and will be posting a day-by-day travelogue in a week or so as a new Meet The Manufacturer will be starting very shortly. Until then, let me just say that Thailand was so different from expectations; I thought since it was so close to Penang and Langkawi (about a 2 hour flight) that it would be much the same, but boy was I wrong! It’s completely different! Can’t wait to share it with everyone! ...see full post

Travels: Off To Thailand!

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Tonight, I begin a long journey to Thailand to visit Thai President Foods and President Rice Products. They’re best known for their MAMA line of instant noodle products! My wife Kit will be posting reviews I’ve already done ahead of time until my return. If you want to see what I’m up to on my trip, check out my instagram – follow theramenrater – or look at it here. I will be accompanied by my sister Sue as my wife is too far along in pregnancy to do the trip. When I get back, I’ll do a detailed travelogue as I did with last year’s Malaysia trip to visit MyKuali. ...see full post

#1668: MAMA Cup Rice Vermicelli Clear Soup

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I’ve often wondered about this one. I’ve seen chand clear soup as well and not exactly able to find anything online about it. I did see what to add to it, but if anyone has any info of the origin of clear soup, please let me know. This is made in Thailand by President Rice Products, one of the factories I’ll be visiting on my upcoming Thailand trip!Let’s have a look at this one. ...see full post

#1656: MAMA JokCup Instant Porridge Soup Seafood Flavour

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I’ve been whiling my time looking up and down aisles of instant noodles for a very long time. When I find out about a new Asian market nearby, I am exceedingly enthused about perusing their noodle varieties. But sometimes I’ll find something a little different. This is a rice porridge. It’s not a wheat noodle, rice noodle or thread. I like to review these every once in a while because I’m sure many of you have seen them and not known exactly what they’re all about. Let’s have a look at this MAMA JokCup and see what’s inside! ...see full post

#1651: Ruski Chicken Flavour Instant Noodles

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You might have noticed that I haven’t reviewed a lot of chicken flavor varieties recently. The main reason for this is that Io haven’t had any chicken to go with my noodles – I usually cook some in the over and slice it up nicely and then I’ve got it for a couple reviews. Well, I’ve been lazy – a bag thing. So let’s check out this chicken instant from Ruski – laziness ends here! ...see full post

The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2015 Edition

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The Ramen Rater's top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2015 Edition

The top ten instant noodles list is an annual post I do which is always quite a treat for me.  I started reviewing back in 2002, but I really got going with it in June of 2010 – I’ve done nearly 1,600 reviews since then. It still boggles my mind that after trying so many, the industry continues to innovate and bring flavors forth that truly amaze me. With that, here are my absolute favorites – The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2015 Edition. ...see full post

#1639: Pama Bihun Creamy Tom Yam Flavour

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Bihun (or beehoon) is basically rice vermicelli. Pama is a brand by President Rice Products of Thailnd and looks to be for sale in Malaysia. Make sense? Okay now on to the flavor: tom yam. Tom yam (or tom yum) is a very standard Thai variety – spicy, lemon/citrus, spicy, and usually shrimp. I was told that the creamy isn’t from dairy but from the boiling of shrimp! Let’s check it out! ...see full post

#1625: MAMA Instant Rice Noodles Soup Spicy Shrimp Flavour

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I often get asked ‘can you make a top ten gluten free list?’ My answer unfortunately is always no. Since I’m not someone who’s a doctor and not having to modify my diet for gluten intake, I would be afraid of telling people ‘oh yeah – eat this!’ and then they get sick, file a lawsuit against me, and I end up so poor I can’t evern afford instant noodles! But there’s a however coming up! I have been thinking I may start an annual top ten rice noodles list. Why? Well, my top tens probably will never include rice noodles or rice vermicelli; instant noodles are more of the wheat flour kind of thing. Rice noodles however do appear to be mostly gluten free as this variety is, so a top ten list of rice varieties might be a great place to start if you’re looking for something that you can have if gluten isn’t on your personal menu. Let’s have a look at these gluten free spicy shrimp noodles by MAMA! ...see full post

Re-Review: MAMA Instant Noodles Cup Shrimp Tom Yum

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Tomorrow morning is the big moving day for us – can’t believe it’s here already! I thought I’d have something I know I like today – tom yum. This one’s made by Thai President Foods, a company who’s invited me and my sister to visit Thailand in May! I must say that it’s really quite a surprise to open your email and be asked if you want to go to Thailand to visit instant noodle factories! Of course I said yes! It’s going to be tough though – my wife Kit is pregnant and so it’d be a little much for her to take the trip – I’m going to miss her immensely. Won’t be for too long though! So we’re going to visit their wheat noodles factory in Bankok and then the President Rice Products factory in Ratchaburi. Of course I will take lots of pictyures and share when we return. It’s still a couple months off though, but can’t wait! So today in anticipation of the trip, I thought I’d have some MAMA tom yum. Last time I had this was over four years ago! Let’s have a look! ...see full post

#1598: MAMA Cup Rice Vermicelli Shrimp Creamy Tom Yum

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Here’s a new one I found a couple days back locally! I’m really excited – going to go visit Thai President Foods’ and President Rice Products’ in May! I’ll have more info on the trip soon! This product is made from rice vermicelli. It sounds very interesting – the wheat noodle version made the top ten list in the past – let’s check this rice vermicelli version out! ...see full post

#1577: MAMA Pork Flavour Whole Wheat Noodle

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Here’s an interesting one made in Thailand by Thai President Foods. Why’s it interesting? Well, aside from being a whole wheat noodle, it’s definitely for the Scandinavian market. I think it’s interesting how many companies have popular products both in their home countries and abroad, but especially in Scandinavia. Let’s have a look at this product from MAMA! ...see full post

Friday Video: Flashback Friday

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I woke up today with this song in my head. It’s kind of weird – I got a bunch of hand-me-down audio cassettes from my sister Sue when I was a kid. All sorts of disco and soul stuff – I listened to them over and over and over – lots of Bee Gees and Spinners and O’Jays. It’s kind of like I went through the 70’s pop thing even though I was 5 when 1980 came around. Thought I’d post this one today – my sister and I will be visiting Thailand in May and I’ll have more info about that soon. Some things I can say now is that it’ll have instant noodles, rice, and factory touring involved! Happy Friday to all! ...see full post

#1568: MAMA Instant Noodles Cup Beef Flavour

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Recently, I did a Meet The Manufacturer with Thai President Foods, makers of MAMA brand instant noodles. They’re located in Thailand and have a quite enjoyable range of products. Well, I’m happy to announce that I’ve been invited to visit their factory and visit ThaiFex, a big fhood expo in May! I’ll have more on that soon. Very exciting! I’ll have more info about the trip soon, but for now, let’s check out this cup from Thailand! ...see full post

#1560: Kin-Dee Instant Rice Noodle Spicy Seafood

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Here’s one I got up in Canada. Been kind of a spicy week and so spicy seafood fits the bill. In my last post, I mentioned having a sore tooth. Let me say that it got bad – really bad! The only relief I could find was to keep something cold next to it – my wife went out and got a bag of ice and I kept a little piece of ice in my cheek last night. I ended up pulling the tooth myself after taking a pain pill – take that, dentist bills! Anyways, your humble instant noodle reviewer is doing much better today! On with the show! ...see full post

#1555: Ko-Lee Instant Noodles Taste Sensation Mixed Vegetable Flavour

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Vegetarian instant noodles are ones I often get asked about. I often have been asked to do a top ten list on vegetarian and vegan varieties, gluten-free and others. The issue is that I’m neither a vegetarian nor am I someone requiring a gluten-free diet, and so I would definitely not want to come up with a list and say ‘these are great for vegetarian/vegan/gluten free folks’ and have someone eat what they don’t want or what they shouldn’t. One thing I can say is that foreign varieties coming into the United States that are chicken or beef flavored generally are free of said animal products, as the CBP/USDA/FDA are rather strict about their import. But there are always exceptions, of course. Many companies will also use things like bonito which is a fish in all their varieties. Anyways, when I say in my review ‘looks to be meat free but check for yourself,’ I’m saying that my poor-eyesighted, legally blind eyes have pored over the ingredients list, but I could be wrong and have missed something. Anyways, here are some mixed veg flavor instant noodles today by Ko-Lee. They’re made in Thailand and generally for the UK market. Let’s check ’em out! ...see full post

#1544: Thai Pavilion Pad Thai Instant Rice Noodles & Sauce

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I believe my wife got me this one for Christmas last year – thanks sweetie! What’s so nice about instant noodles is that they have such a long shelf life, and so they can sit in my noodle hamper for a while before I have to get to them. Anyways, here’s one that sounds good today – Thai Pavilion Pad Thai. This one is made in Thailand but made for the US market. Let’s check it out! ...see full post

#1537: Wai Wai Quick Zabb Chili Paste Tom Yum Flavor Instant Noodles

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Here’s one sent to me by Marvin R. – thanks again! This was one of a series I’ve been looking for for a long time. I kept seeing them online, but only looked to be available in Thailand. These are now available here in the USA and the last one I had (tom yum shrimp) was pretty good. Let’s check it out! ...see full post

#1520: Yum Yum Oriental Style Instant Noodles Wasabi Flavour

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Another one sent by a kind reader from Sweden – thank you! I’ve had Yum Yum noodles in the past, but I’ve never seen any instant noodle that was wasabi flavor. I did have a Zaru Soba once that had dipping sauce that had a strong wasabi flavor, but none where wasabi was the only flavor! Yum Yum is a popular brand in northern Europe – I heard recently that people refer to many brands of instant noodles there simply as ‘Yum Yum.’ Wasabi eh? Let’s check it out! ...see full post

#1513: MAMA Instant Noodles Tom Yum Pork Flavour

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Last night was my son’s teacher conference. I remember when I was a kid – I always dreaded these, knowing I’d probably get a lecture or something. Well, I am proud to say my son is doing absolutely wonderful in school this year. He’s had some problems in the past, but they look to have really gone by the wayside and I couldn’t be prouder of him. We love you, Andy – keep up the good work! You rock! ...see full post

#1492: Wai Wai Quick Zabb Tom Yum Shrimp Flavour Instant Noodles

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Usually if I’m really trying to get my hands on some noodles to review, I’m going to find a way. There have been a couple though which have eluded me for a while. This is one of them – Wai Wai’s Quick Zabb. There are four of these varieties, all with a different main color and different character. They’re kind of like Powerpuff Girls, but a little meaner looking. I’m stoked – got all four at a store only 5 minutes away yesterday! Sometimes walking down that noodle aisle you’ve been down a million times before with no luck pays off. Let’s check it out! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #1478: Ruski Tom Yam Flavour Instant Noodles

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I was a little surprised today to realize that this is the last of the Thai President Foods Meet The Manufacturer! I’ve gotten used to having something ‘tom yum’ almost every day for a couple weeks now. It’s gonna be interesting to going back to the rotation of varieties from my hampers of noodles! Well, let’s check out this one and bid a fond farewell to this Meet The Manufacturer. I still have more varieties they make that I’ve not reviewed yet, so you’ll see them coming along. ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #1476: Thai Chef Shrimp Instant Nudelsuppe

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Thai Chef is a line by Thai President Foods that’s sold in Germany and the surrounding area. Everything on the pack is in German. Seems that people all over the world are big fans of instant noodles! It still surprises me to find varieties in areas I wouldn’t have expected them. Beer and sausages are what I come to think of when I think of German food choices, but I’m finding out more and more that people around the world are looking east to try new things. Let’s have a look at these noodles! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #1475: Bamee Cup Oriental Style Instant Noodles Chicken Flavour

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Here’s another of the Bamee line, one that appears to be for the Northern European market. Bamee looks to mostly be comprised of classic flavors – beef chicken and duck. Chicken seems to be one meat that people in just about every country eats as well as makes in an artificially flavored form such as this. I think a nice relaxing cup of chicken noodles sounds nice. Let’s have a look! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #1474: MAMA Instant Noodle Shrimp (Tom Yum) Flavour Jumbo Pack

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This is one of the easiest to find varieties of MAMA noodles here in the USA. The ubiquitous ‘silver pack.’ What’s different about this one is it’s the 90g Jumbo Pack as opposed to the smaller 60g size.  If you’ve been following my  recent Thai President Foods reviews, you’ll note that there are lots of Tom Yum variations. Here’s a list with some different ones to note: ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: Re-Review: MAMA Instant Noodles Yentafo Tom Yum Mohfai Flavour

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Here’s a good one – it’s on The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2014 Edition! Seriously good. One thing that will confuse many is the name – it certainly did confuse me. Yentafo? Mohfai? Tom Yum – that I knew, but the others…  Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about yentafo: ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #1473: MAMA Instant Cup Noodles Shrimp Tom Yum Flavour (Extreme)

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When I think tom yum, I think spicy, seafood and citrus flavors. When I think extreme thrown into the mix, I’m guessing that it’s going to be ultra spicy. One thing that Thai varieties tend to have in common is that when they say they’re spicy, they really mean it! Let’;s have a look at this new variety for this year by Thai President Foods’ MAMA brand and see what it’s got. ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #1472: Ruski Chicken Masala Flavour Instant Fried Noodles

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Mi Goreng! It sounds exotic, but it boils down to fried noodles. This is a rather unique one – I don’t think I’ve heard of a masala chicken dry noodle like this before, but it sounds pretty good! It’s been a while since I’ve had any mi goreng, and my son is here today and wants some so I thought why not. Let’s check it out! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #1471: MAMA Instant Noodles Shrimp Creamy Tom Yum Flavour Jumbo Pack

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MAMA Shrimp Creamy Tom Yum. This stuff is magnificent. So much so that it was on The Ramen Rater’s top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2013 Edition list. What’s nice is that it’s pretty easily sourced. What’s even nicer, this is the Jumbo Pack! I was told once that the reason this is called ‘shrimp creamy’ instead of ‘creamy shrimp’ is that when you boil shrimp heads, there is a creamy looking effect and that’s what they’re going after here – not something pertaining to a dairy product. Let’s see how this one comes out – it’s is just a bigger version, then it should be even more wondrous fun! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #1470: MAMA Instant Cup Noodles Spicy Cheese Flavour

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Soon as I saw this one in the box, I was instantly curious. Spicy cheese flavor from Thailand? I didn’t know they liked cheese in Thailand! Ah, well everyone likes cheese I suppose. Spicy cheese is even better in my book – spicy and tasty’s where it’s at. Well, let’s see what we have here inside this fascinating new cup from MAMA! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #1469: Bamee Oriental Style Instant Noodles Beef Flavour

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Before this Meet The Manufacturer, I really hadn’t known that Thai President Foods made so many different lines of instant noodles. I thought they made MAMA and that was about it – I was definitely wrong about that! Here’s another line for export to Europe, Bamee. This one has quite a few languages on it, more than the Thai Chef I reviewed a couple days ago which looked to be more for the German market. Anyways, beef! Beef sounds like a good one for today – it’s cloudy outside and a bit cooler. I’m wishing we could skip fall and go straight to winter – I really like snow and fireplaces and all of that comfy stuff. Summer is great, but it’s been a pretty hot one here. Beef soups are some of my favorites during winter, which is what made me go on that tangent there. Anyways, it’s still summer but time for Bamee beef noodle soup! Let’s go! ...see full post