The Definitive Source For Instant Noodle Reviews Since 2002
Red Chef sent me a ton of instant noodles all the way from Malaysia last week! Thank you very much! With my recent bread obsession and all, this is really great for making new and exotic flavors. Three of these varieties have been on my annual Top Ten mega list! Let’s check it out and see what’s inside!
It’s time to unbox a Zenpop.jp box – you get seven varieties of instant noodles to try! I would say that almost every time I’ve gotten one of these, I’ve never tried any of them before which is really awesome. Use coupon code THERAMENRATER for a groovy discount! Let’s check it out!
I did say my last loaf of bread would be the last for a while, but then I saw that Nissin Foods was doing a contest (#USEYOURNOODLECONTEST) having to do with innovation for their 50th Anniversary of the introduction of Cup Noodles. I really like making bread from instant noodles; some of you might think I’m a little off my rocker, but it’s fun, completely different from what I’ve been doing, and it’s really neat to put a bunch of things together and have something come out nicely. Whether I win the contest or not (it would be nice to win), I’m happy with what I did here. Let’s check it out =- I used one noodle block and the seasoning from 10 Cup Noodles Chicken flavor! Let’s go!
Yeah, after the last attempt at making bread out of South Korean instant noodles, I needed to explore further. Today, I’m going to infuse a loaf with a block of instant noodles, a can of corn, and chicken, and a wallop of sesame seeds! One thing to note – in the video I mention the dates this one will release on YouTube – I made a mistake. It’ll release on September 20th, and it will also release on December 24th – I thought it would on September 23rd. So, that was a mistake. Let’s take a trip down Corn Lane!
Check it out! It’s Exotic Noods! A box every month of absolutely awesome noodles from around the world! Use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount!
Thanks to a nice shipment from the folks at Red Chef in Malaysia (you’ll see the unboxing soon), some Spicy Sakura Prawn Soup Noodle came and that was what I was waiting for! I thought a prawn mee from Malaysia in a loaf of bread could be interesting – especially if I dump a ton of shrimp in with it! Did it work? Of course it did! Check out the video and the recipe is down below.
I left it to the folks over at the Ramen Junkie Facebook group to pick which #ramenbread would be next for me. I really wanted to do something that incorporated a South Korean variety – last time I tried that though, it was a big fail as I tried to make flour with the noodles. I’ve learned that is definitely NOT the way to go, but using cooked noodles and bread flour in a good mix makes for a nice moist cake and crisp crust. Well, here it is! Best loaf yet and infused with chashu, cheese, and egg. Let’s see what happens when I try to put a ton of stuff in a little loaf of bread with a big block of ramen in it!
Today, I decided to make something spicy. Really spicy! I had a six pack of these Mamee Shinsegae Ghost Pepper Chicken cups sitting here – I’ve done the mukbang and the review – so why not… BREAD?! They have dark noodles and sauce sachets – this one was sure to burn – and it does. Let’s check it out!
Yesterday, I tried making bread with Mom’s Dry Noodle brand instant noodles from Taiwan. I figured I’d continue the theme with MAMA – maternal instant noodle time over here I suppose. But anyways, this one is a completely different kind of deal. Let’s give it a go and see what kind of results we end up with.
Well a good day to you! Two days ago, I attempted a bread made solely from ground instant noodles that came out horribly. This on the other hand came out very well. I can’t really give you a recipe to speak of since so much of it was improvised in the moment, but here’s a rough idea of what I did.
I did a podcast a few weeks ago and met a fellow ramen aficionado who was launching a premium ramen box out of Japan. Well, the first one has arrived! Then, the second! These are really amazing packs of super premium instant ramen – stuff I’ve never tried as well. You can pick them up at www.instantramen.jp and don’t forget to use coupon code THERAMENRATER at checkout! Take a look!
I had a thought – ramen into bread. I was able to do this successfully by creating a bread with cooked noodles as an ingredient in place of some bread flour. But what of a bread where instant noodles are the flour? I mean, it is flour, isn’t it? Today, We’ll look at my initial attempt and see what was learned from it and how it went.
You’ve probably seen me review Umai Crates from Japan Crate. On the back of the informational pamphlets, there’s an ad for Sugoi Mart. Sugoi Mart is an online store that sells individual items from Japan – among them, instant ramen. I asked my contact at Umai Crate if it was possible to get a sample box I could feature and introduce my readers to Sugoi Mart and get one variety in particular – the one that will be review #4000. They were good with the idea and here we are – it arrived yesterday! Let’s take a look at all in the box!
Got an email a week or two ago from the creator of a neat new healthy instant noodle product called Noodie. They wanted to send me some, and of course I’m always up to trying something new. I didn’t expect to find something so unique though and I’m really stoked to give them a try – the packaging and the product are just as fascinating as can be – let’s check it out!
It’s time to unbox a Zenpop.jp box – you get seven varieties of instant noodles to try! I would say that almost every time I’ve gotten one of these, I’ve never tried any of them before which is really awesome. Use coupon code THERAMENRATER for a groovy discount! Let’s check it out!
So for a while, I’ve wanted to play with a bread machine. Well, we got one. We could have bought one brand new and had it in a day or two off of Amazon, but my friend Matt is very proud of the machine he got from a Goodwill Thrift store, and I decided that was the kind I wanted as well. We went to three one day, and then a fourth the second day. In this particular scenarion, fourth time was the charm and we found a Toastmaster 1.5lb loaf bread machine for $12.99 in Redmond, Washington – home of Microsoft and a particularly fancy Goodwill store.
Bread and instant noodles doesn’t sound like an apt combination, but here we are. Here is the recipe we tried and our results. I will say I’m happy with the results – a dense and moist loaf with a nice crust – and very good flavor. It’s exactly as advertised, folks – it’s a loaf of bread made with Indomie – and it tastes like Indomie.
I should mention that the recipe is adapted from the one that came with the bread machine for white bread. We used it as a guideline and made a couple of tweaks. If you’ve got a bread machine, give it a try!
We did a full video on what we did here, but the full recipe is below as well as detailed imagery of the result.
Ingredients 1 noodle block from Indomie Mi Goreng (cooked and drained) 4 sets of seasoning packets from 4 packs of Indomie - both the dual sachet of dry and triple sachet of wet Lots of shredded coriander (cilantro) 1 cup warm water 2 tbsp sugar 1 1/2 tsp salt 2 1/4 cups all-purpose sifted flour 2 1/4 tsp Active Dry Yeast
Mr. Lee’s Noodles started out in the UK. Priding themselves as a healthier option, they use freeze dried ingredients to give a better taste and freshness which is really quite a nice departure from the norm. Their varieties of noodle products are rice noodles, so they made the connection to offer congee varieties as well – let’s check them out!
Summer is alas going away soon. However, it’s a great time to chillax and try some new things and subscription boxes are a neat way to do so. These subscription boxes come straight to your door and have some neat stuff inside! Check out www.japancrate.com and use the coupon code THERAMENRATER to score a sweet discount and get some neat noodles! Here’s the latest unboxing of the September 2021 Umai Crate!
I got contacted a couple weeks ago about receiving some samples from Hong Kong. An interesting new beef noodle made in Taiwan for the Hong Kong market. Well, they arrived today and very excited to give them a try. Let’s check out what’s inside the package!
Check it out! It’s Exotic Noods! A box every month of absolutely awesome noodles from around the world! Use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount!
Summer is here! It’s a great time to chillax and try some new things and subscription boxes are a neat way to do so. These subscription boxes come straight to your door and have some neat stuff inside! Check out www.japancrate.com and use the coupon code THERAMENRATER to score a sweet discount and get some neat noodles! Here’s the latest unboxing of the August 2021 Umai Crate!
I first heard about Vite Ramen a few years ago. They started a Kickstarter campaign to make what sounded difficult – a healthy ramen. Well, they made it happen and today here they’ve sent me samples of their version 1.2 of their product as well as porotypes for the next generation! Let’s check them out!
I met the folks at Myojo USA a while back and got the chance to try their wonderful products. I saw there was some new packaging for a couple varieties I’d not tried on Instagram and so reached out. They sent samples of those as well as a few other varieties I’ve not tried before – let’s check them out and thank you very much!
I regularly receive samples of new noodles from the folks over at Mom’s Dry Noodle in Taiwan. I got to try these a while back as part of a shipment of noodles. I thought I’d give them a try and I was just floored. These things are good! The cracker is light almost like pastry, with baked on cheese, a little tasty onion flavor, and a bit of Sichuan pepper which is a gentle nudge – unless you eat a few and then builds to a little shove! These things are awesome – check ’em out and get some!
My buddy The Fat Hipster is a fellow YouTube Creator and you should check out his channel. He does taste tests and reviews of a lot of different thing – spicy noodles, chips, drinks – it’s pretty wide open and if it’s new, he’s on it. He saw that I was low on varieties to review and kindly decided to help out by sending some varieties – let’s check them out and a big thanks to you , sir!
Recently, I was lucky to try the new Aces Huy Fong Sriracha Ramen Noodle Soup range with their initial 3 varieties. But now, two more have rolled out! Let’s take a look at the new flavors from the range!
I was recently in touch with a company called Nishiyama Seimen of Sapporo, Japan. They make a wide variety of fresh ramen and since I don’t get a lot of samples from Japan directly from companies, I thought I’d see if they wanted to do a Meet The Manufacturer review series – and they did! Check out what they sent and learn a little about the company!
For almost 20 years, The Ramen Rater (www.theramenrater.com) has been reviewing instant noodles from around the globe. Unfortunately, that has come to an abrupt standstill. I’ve run out of instant noodles to review. Local stores have nothing new for me. So today, I’m asking if some of you would be kind enough to send me some varieties you may have locally that I’ve not reviewed. I will add your name to reviews (I can leave it anonymous, should you choose).
Every year I do my Top Ten, I like to try and have a new picture. Well, it’s been a couple years for Mom’s Dry Noodle, so I asked if they could send some – check it out!
After one very turbulent year, The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time is back. My mother died, we had an auto accident, the kids missed in-person schooling, and of course the pandemic. It’s been a really rough go but we’re back. Vaccines are rolling out everywhere and hopefully we can all get back together someday son. One thing I’ve found inspiration and enjoyment from during these times is a book I’d been hoping to find was sent to me by a noodle company exec called Momofuku Ando Speaks. It’s a book of quotes (kind of like the Ferengi Rules Of Acquisition if you’re a Star Trek fan) by the inventor of the instant noodle. I’ve been reading one on my show Instant Noodle Recipe Time every day – a lot of fun and a very interesting perspective. Little things like that have been really important as of late. Today, I’m proud to announce the show hits its 1000th episode!
I’ve done a bowls and cups list over the last few years annually, but I’ve never done a trays list. Most trays end up being yakisoba – so you could consider this a yakisoba list as well. Some tasty stuff in here! This list is current as of review #3,02. Let’s check out the first The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodle Trays Of All Time 2021 Edition.
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Despite all the tumultuous and unnerving events of our current age,, I am happy to announce that I’ve got a new list for our year, 2020. In the past fe hundred reviews I’ve done this past year there have been some real standouts and of course many have remained. These are my absolute favorites of reviews 1 through 3487. It’s hard – I feel like I should be doing a top 20, or even a top 50 at this point, but the sheer amount of time that would take with being a stay at home father of two while trying to get in a few hours of exercise every day just isn’t in the cards. I’m hoping in the coming months to come out with the regular top tens and maybe some new ones, but it’s a tough juggle these days.
This list usually comes out in January but there was an accident. Basically, I deleted the video I recorded back then! I redid the video earlier this month and so here we are. This list is current as of review number 3058. These are based solely on my personal taste and opinion. Some folks don’t like that and I was recently lectured that a company didn’t want to send samples because they were afraid I might not like their product and that I couldn’t be persuaded to give on company a better review over another. This made me proud I’m doing my job right. Let’s check the top ten Japanese list!
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!
Well, it’s that time again. Since the last The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time list came out , I’ve reviewed 383 different varieties. I want to thank the companies and individuals who have sent me varieties I could not easily get. Incidentally, all of these are reviewed the same way – I follow instructions to the letter and taste each variety before I add any external garnish.. I figure that a naked bowl of noodles every day would be quite boring, plus it has given many ideas on what to add to them. As always, if you are an instant noodle company or a reader who wants me to try one that I’ve not, please contact me. With that, let’s have a look at the top ten for 2018 – the finest and most memorable instant noodles I’ve tried.
Instant noodle cups – so portable, so ubiquitous. They’re everywhere! People seem to really like them for lunch. I’ve found that people also like to take them when backpacking or camping – all you need is hot water and once done, you can flatten them so it’s easy to pack out your trash. These convenient meals have come a long way since their inception – many flavors and countries of origin. This list is a compilation of my favorite instant noodle cups from the over 2,500 instant noodle reviews I’ve done to date.
Well folks it’s that time again. This one’s a big deal – the list that people from around the world have been waiting for every year. Since the last list came out, I’ve reviewed over 400 varieties of instant noodles – a new record in one year for me. So many good ones this year! These are my absolute favorites of the over 2,400 reviews of instant noodles I’ve posted to date. There are some big announcements at the end of the video, so make sure to check them out! As always, I invite instant noodle makers to contact me so I can try your noodles! Now without further ado, The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2017 Edition!
It’s been quite a year for The Ramen Rater. I’ve reviewed 357 new instant noodle varieties. I got to visit an instant noodle company in Thailand. I just hit my 2000th review. Since the beginning of this ‘noodle journey,’ I’ve wanted to try flavors from around the world and have been able to do just that. This new list is a compilation of the best of the best; the most memorable and most wonderful of the 2,004 varieties I’ve sampled thus far. If you are an instant noodle company and I haven’t reviewed your products, please contact me – I would love to review them. I decided to include what I added to them this year – however note the products are scored before anything is added. With that, let’s have a look at The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodles Of all Time 2016 Edition.
The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Thai Instant Noodles Of All Time 2016 Edition really has been a long time coming. After trying over 150 different Thai instant noodles throughout the years, I thought it was about time for a Top Ten Thailand list. If there is one thing that is ubiquitous when Thailand is mentioned, it’s tom yum – whose flavors figure strongly in this list. So print out a copy and run to your local Asian grocery and get some tasty Thai noodles! Hopefully there will be a 2017 edition of Top Ten Thai Instant Noodles as well – if you are an instant noodle manufacturer in Thailand, please contact me about doing a spotlight of your products! Also, I’ve decided that I will be sharing the add-ons I use in each variety here – note that all tasting/reviewing is done PRIOR to anything being added out of fairness. Hope you enjoy the first ever The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Thai Instant Noodles Of All Time 2016 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.
