Today we have a Zenpop.JP variety – so what’s Zenpop? They’re a subscription service for all things Japanese! Definitely, check them out. By the way, use coupon code RAMENRATER to get $2 off! Here’s what they had to say about this one – ‘Have you ever tried Mexican Tacos flavored ramen? The toasty flavor of corn expresses the tortillas, and the mildly spicy and sour soup and the ingredients like minced beef and onion make it a bright and vibrant Mexican-Japanese style lunch.’
Okay – this is really different – let’s give it a whirl!
Maruchan QTTA Mexican Tacos Ramen – Japan
Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Contains beef. To prepare, add boiling water to fill line and cover 3 minutes. Finally, stir and enjoy!
Finished (click to enlarge). Added egg, cilantro, fried onion, jalapenos and Cholula Chili Garlic hot sauce. Noodles were a little step up from your standard cup style which was nice. Broth and garnish that was included kind of was a salsa and beef bits affair – wasn’t really feeling the whole taco thing here. Interesting though. 2.5 out of 5.0 stars. JAN bar code 4901990360500.
Today we have a Zenpop.JP variety – so what’s Zenpop? They’re a subscription service for all things Japanese! Definitely, check them out. By the way, use coupon code RAMENRATER to get $2 off! Here’s what they had to say about this one – ‘Pork-and-chicken-based savory flavor is spiced up with black peppers and garlic. Who could resist the tempting smell?! ZSavory yakisoba that will have you coming back for more.’
Alright – let’s crack it open and have a look inside.
Maruchan Yakisoba Meijin Shio – Japan
Detail of the outer wraps (click to enlarge). Contains pork and chicken. To prepare, add in vegetables sachet and fill to line with boiling water. Close and let steep for 3 minutes. Use drain spout to drain. Add in remaining sachets. Finally, stir and enjoy!
Finished (click to enlarge). Added Kewpie mayonnaise, nanami togarahi, Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, fried onion, soft egg, bbq pork, and spring onion. Noodles were on the spongy side. Definitely detected the pepper and garlic – mostly the garlic. The shio element just seemed like salty. 2.5 out of 5.0 stars. JAN bar code 4901990322843.
I’m pretty sure this has been in existence for decades and decades. One thing I truly enjoy is fresh yakisoba and making it for friends and family. I’m having a visitor today who has been hit with some rough times and thought I’d hook him up with some of this stuff. Think I might do a cooking video along with it. done a ton of live cooking vids lately so maybe it’s a good idea – we’ll see… Let’s hit it!
Maruchan Curry Nama Yakisoba Stir Fry Noodles With Seasoning Sauce Base – Japan
Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, heat a little oil in a pan. Cook vegetables and meats you want. Set aside. Add 1/4 cup water and a tablespoon of oil and cook one of the noodle pouch’s contents – break it up by stirring for a while – 2~3 minutes. Add in one of the sachet’s contents and vegetables/meat back in. Finally, stir and enjoy!
Three servings of noodles.
Three seasoning sachets.
Finished (click to enlarge). Added Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, soft boiled egg, tofu puff, spring onion, Kewpie mayo and nanami togarashi. The noodles were just great – fresh yakisoba is always a real treat and the noodles are very important. They have a good mouthfeel and nice quantity. The curry flavor is subtle but very tasty and works extremely well here. 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 074410459567.
Today we have a Zenpop.JP variety – so what’s Zenpop? They’re a subscription service for all things Japanese! Definitely, check them out. By the way, use coupon code RAMENRATER to get $2 off! Here’s what they had to say about this one –
“Tan Tan Ramen can be a great winter dish because it;’s hot. The red soup is flavored with white miso, pork extract, sesame oil and other spices. As you can tell with just a sip, this is another bowl where sesame contributes a lot to the deliciousness.”
Sounds great! Let’s hit it!
Maruchan Gotsumori Tantan Ramen – Japan
Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Contains pork and chicken. To prepare, add boiling water to the fill line as well as sachet contents except the liquid one. Let sit covered for 3 minutes. Add in liquid base sachet. Finally, stir and enjoy!
Finished (click to enlarge). The noodles are slightly thinner than your average instant, with a slightly stronger tension. The broth is a thick and tasty one, with a sesame and spicy thing going on. It’s not so spicy that it overwhelms, and it’s very stick to your ribsy stuff. All in all a very enjoyable flavorland. 4.5 out of 5.0 stars. JAN bar code 4901990325844.
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!
This variety features some premium things – truffle oil being the chief among them, but the noodles look pretty nice as well. Here’s a little about them from Wikipedia –
Soba (そば or 蕎麦) (/ˈsoʊbə/, Japanese pronunciation: [soba]) is the Japanese name for buckwheat. It usually refers to thin noodles made from buckwheat flour, or a combination of buckwheat and wheat flours (Nagano soba). They contrast to thick wheat noodles, called udon. Soba noodles are served either chilled with a dipping sauce, or in hot broth as a noodle soup.
In Japan, soba noodles are served in a variety of settings[1] throughout Japan, but are also served by expensive specialty restaurants. Markets sell dried noodles[2] and men-tsuyu, or instant noodle broth, to make home preparation easy. There are a wide variety of dishes, both hot for winter and cold for summer, using these noodles.
Soba is a good nutritional addition to a diet reliant on white rice and wheat flour. Thiamine, missing from white rice, is present in soba; eating thiamine (vitamin B1) can help prevent the disease beriberi. Soba contains all eight essential amino acids, including lysine, which is lacking in wheat flour. The tradition of eating soba arose in the Edo period.
Here’s a little about shoyu broth as well –
Shōyu (醤油, “soy sauce”) ramen is the oldest of the four, it has a clear brown broth, based on a chicken and vegetable (or sometimes fish or beef) stock with plenty of soy sauce added resulting in a soup that is tangy, salty, and savory yet still fairly light on the palate. Shōyu ramen usually has curly noodles rather than straight ones, but this is not always the case. It is often adorned with marinated bamboo shoots or menma, green onions, kamaboko(fish cakes), nori (seaweed), boiled eggs, bean sprouts or black pepper; occasionally the soup will also contain chili oil or Chinese spices, and some shops serve sliced beef instead of the usual chāshū.
Awesome – let’s take a look!
7&i Premium/ Maruchan Japanese Soba Noodles Tsuta Soy Sauce Ramen With Black Truffle Oil – Japan
Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Contains pork. Unsure but pretty sure it contains fish. To prepare, add garnish sachet and boiling water to fill line. Let steep for 5 minutes. Add in liquid sachets. Finally, stir and enjoy!
Finished (click to enlarge). Noodles are very good – just about as good as instant noodles can get – love them. The broth has a rich pork and soy taste to it and the truffle oil just makes it smile and blossom. This is tasty stuff, folks. The included garnish was great – nice pork, spring onion and menma (I think) round out the bowl. 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. JAN bar code 4901990339100.
Today we have a Zenpop.JP variety – so what’s Zenpop? They’re a subscription service for all things Japanese! Definitely, check them out. By the way, use coupon code RAMENRATER to get $2 off! Here’s what they had to say about this variety:
Buckwheat noodles with shoyu soup flavored with bonito and kombu (kelp) broth, and it’s also low-sodium. Age-tama (fried wheat flour) and tiny shrimp make the soup even more savory. Add the bag of flavor magic after the noodles cook for 3 min.
Here’s a little about tempura soba from Wikipedia –
Tempura soba 天麩羅蕎麦: Topped with tempura, a large shrimp frequently is used, but vegetables are also popular. Some of soba venders use kakiage for this dish and this often is called Tensoba.
Alrighty then! Let’s check out this tempura soba and see how it goes.
Maruchan Umaitsuyu Tempura Soba – Japan
Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Contains shrimp and crustacean. To prepare, add boiling water to fill line and cover for 3 minutes. Add in liquid sachet contents. Finally, stir and enjoy!
A liquid base sachet affixed to the top of the cup on the lid.
Has a slightly sweet scent.
Finished (click to enlarge). Added nanami togarashi and Salad Cosmo organic mung bean sprouts. The noodles are thin and a little on the soft side. The broth is salty and full of bonito taste for sure. Included garnish of kamaboko, spring onion and tempura was pretty good. I liked how the broth had a good level of thickness to it. 3.75 out of 5.0 stars. JAN bar code 4901990336338.
Here’s another neat one from Zenpop.JP. Thank you! So Zenpop has all sorts of monthly boxes including ramen boxes. Nine instant ramen in one box for a good price – check ’em out! Here’s what they had to say about this one –
Kitsune means ‘fox’ in Japanese and Kitsune soba is topped with fried tofu, which according to folklore, fox spirits are fond of. Since this product is made to sell in the Kanto area, where Tokyo in included, the soup has a stronger flavor of shoyu compared to the Kansai one.
sounds good to me – let’s crack it open
Maruchan Kitsune Soba – Japan
Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Contains pork and fish. To prepare, add everything to the bowl and boiling water to line. Cover for 3 minutes. Finally, stir and enjoy!
Finished (click to enlarge). Added Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts and shichimi togarashi. Noodles had a kind of chew that seemed like they would do so much better dry than in soup. The broth was so salty and strong that it was just kind of gross to me. The saving grace of the kitsune was the only thing keeping this from the stripey hole. 0.25 out of 5.0 stars. JAN bar code 4901990529211.
Here’s another interesting one from Zenpop.JP – thanks! So Zenpop is doing monthly boxes of all sorts of things Japan-related including instant ramen of course. This is one that looks to be of the same range as Maruchan’s midori no tanuki and kitsune udon – here’s what the folks at Zenpop have to say about this one –
‘Chilly season has come in Japan, which means we want warm bowl of tonjiru! Tonjiru literally means ‘pork soup’ and contains pork slices and vegetables in hot miso soup. When the dish is combined with udon, the result is a fantastically delicious winter meal.’
Sounds good to me – and yeah it’s cold out here as well. Let’s take a gander.
Maruchan Tonjiru Udon – Japan
Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). contains pork. To prepare, add in solid ingredients sachet and boiling water to fill line. Cover for 5 minutes. Add in liquid base. Finally, stir and enjoy!
Finished (click to enlarge). Added Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, spring onion and hard boiled egg. The udon was as expected – soft and tender with extra thick gauge. The broth was very thick – stew-like in fact. It had a kind of tangy pork miso taste to it which was very satisfying. The included garnish was very good – a little bits of tofu and bits of pork in there. 4.75 out of 5.0 stars. JAN bar code 4901990529167.
I looked around a bit and read that these big things in here are burdock tempura. Should be interesting – if you don’t know about burdock, here’s some info from Wikipedia –
The taproot of young burdock plants can be harvested and eaten as a root vegetable. While generally out of favour in modern European cuisine, it remains popular in Asia. Arctium lappa is known as “niúbàng” (牛蒡) in Chinese, which was borrowed into Japanese as gobō, and is still eaten in both countries. In Korea burdock root is called “u-eong” (우엉) and sold as “tong u-eong” (통우엉), or “whole burdock”. Plants are cultivated for their slender roots, which can grow about one metre long and two centimetres across. Burdock root is very crisp and has a sweet, mild, and pungent flavour with a little muddy harshness that can be reduced by soaking julienned or shredded roots in water for five to ten minutes.
Immature flower stalks may also be harvested in late spring, before flowers appear; their taste resembles that of artichoke, to which the burdock is related. The stalks are thoroughly peeled, and either eaten raw, or boiled in salt water.[7] Leaves are also eaten in spring in Japan when a plant is young and leaves are soft. Some A. lappa cultivars are specialized for this purpose. A popular Japanese dish is kinpira gobō (金平牛蒡), julienned or shredded burdock root and carrot, braised with soy sauce, sugar, mirin and/or sake, and sesame oil. Another is burdock makizushi (sushi filled with pickled burdock root; the burdock root is often artificially coloured orange to resemble a carrot).
Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Contains fish. To prepare, add sachet contents 350ml boiling water and cover for 5 minutes.Finally, stir and enjoy!
Finished (click to enlarge). Added spring onion. Okay so the udon is the standard udon you’ll find in bowls like this – not chewy and broad with a bit of thickness. Very soft tooth to them. The broth was exceedingly salty, almost to the point of inedibility. What drove the edibility car off the road and into a fiery tragedy for the mouth was the burdock. This just was so poorly executed and just did not work whatsoever. It was like eating thick potato skin that had been under a heatlamp in a gas station hot case. I mean really – even though there was a little tempura going on, a little kamaboko too, they were overshadowed by the Asian jojos of horror. Don’t get me wrong – I like burdock – a scant amount in my kimbap is alright, but this was just nasty. Disgusted and very surprised. 0.0 out of 5.0 stars. JAN bar code 4901990521949,901990521949,
Recently, I added a chat feature to The Ramen Rater, allowing readers to comment and ask me questions directly. It’s been very eye-opening; great to hear about why people are here and what they’re interested in seeing. One thing I have been asked repeatedly is ‘when will there be an update to the Japan list?’ Well, I heard you. The last list came out in 2014. I’ve been reviewing a LOT of Japanese varieties lately, and it looks like there will be an influx of Japanese varieties for the foreseeable future crossing my desk. This most likely will be an annual list from now on. With that being said I should also mention that with the huge amount of varieties that are released annually in Japan, many are discontinued. While this is the ‘of all time list,’ spanning all my reviews, I try to make sure that what is on it is available. This is very hard with Japanese varieties. Finally, I should mention also that if you’re an instant noodle manufacturer from Japan or elsewhere for that matter and you’d like me to review your products, I encourage you to use the contact form and drop me a line. That being said, let’s take a look at this new list, encompassing my favorite and most memorable reviews from the over 2,500 reviews I’ve done to date.
The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Japanese Instant Noodles Of All Time 2018 Edition
Video Presentation
This video includes images and commentary on The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Japanese Instant Noodles Of All Time 2018 Edition.
The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Japanese Instant Noodles Of All Time 2018 Edition
#10: Nissin Men Shokunin Kaoruyasai Shio
The noodles are very, very good – a really nice thinnish gauge with a strong backbone and just the nicest little bit of crumble to them – almost dainty. the broth is thick and rich shio with a lot of pork and chicken flavor throughout. The included cabbage, sesame seeds and other veggies are just perfect. Original review
#9: Nissin Cup Noodle Light+ Bagna Cauda
The Cup Noodle Light+ series has really impressed me; amazing how much flavor you get out of a low-cal cup. The noodles have a really nice quality to them – not mushy or anything; they’re just really good. The broth is saucy and hearty with a cheese and light fish taste which is augmented with vegetables galore. This is on the top ten cups list and now on the top ten japanese list. Original review
#8: Nissin Raoh Hot & Sour Ramen
Nissin’s Raoh is a range of premium varieties. 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. Original review
#7: Sapporo Ichiban Otafuku Okonomi Sauce Yakisoba
I’ve always really loved yakisoba and this is the best I’ve found in an instant form yet. Otofuku is a brand of yakisoba sauce that can be found almost anywhere, and it’s inclusion in this one is just perfection. What’s more, the noodles are garnished with green laver (flaked seaweed) and a little mayonnaise packet! Original review
#6: New Touch Sugomen Niigata Seabura Shoyu Ramen
The noodles hydrated very well and have one seriously good chew to them. The broth is equally amazing – a purely elegant shoyu broth with a good oiliness and great flavor. The vegetable bits hydrated very well and were of excellent quality. To top it off, it comes with a happy little slice of pork, which comes out just right. Original review
#5: Maruchan Gotsumori Sauce Yakisoba
This big tray of yakisoba was a very nice surprise. First, there’s a lot of noodles here – easily enough for two. Second, the flavor has a little hint of spiciness. Thirdly, the cabbage hydrated very nicely with a tantalizing crunch. Finally, the inclusion of Kewpie mayonnaise sealed the deal for me. Original review
#4: Marutai Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen
The noodles came out just right – nice firmness and chew with that groovy flouriness Hakata ramen noodle have. The broth is luxuriant – nice and thick with a rich pork flavor and garlic taste. Just top notch tonkotsu. Original review
#3: Seven & I Gold Sumire Ramen
The noodles are thick and chewy – very premium. The broth has a very rich miso flavor that had a little thickness and a nice oiliness. The vegetables and bits hydrated perfectly – nice bits of ground meat and menma float happily about and are of good quality. Original review
#2: Tokushima Seifun Yakibuta Ramen
The broth has a nice saltiness and soy flavor with just a little touch of sweetness. The pork flavor finds it’s way into the broth as well which is spectacular. The pork has a nice sweetness and ‘fall off the bone’ texture to it which is pure delicacy. The army of decent sized slices of narutomaki were amazing, and the spring onion and bamboo shoots were perfect. A bowl of amazing taste and quality. Original review
Talk about amazing. Now, on most of these bowls, you’ll notice I’ve added my own garnishes. I don’t count them in my reviewing – everything is reviewed prior to any additions I make. This is one where I’ve added nothing and just look at it! This one had very good noodles to start off. The broth was a very thick prawn infused decadent flavor spectacle. Then there’s the little crunchy topping and the other garnish they provide and this is just amazing stuff. Wow. Floored. The top of ther Top Ten Japanese varieties Original review
Here’s one sent by Javier over at Box From Japan. At Box From Japan, you can receive boxes of instant ramen from Japan as well as different subscription boxes like Japanese candy! Sounds interesting, doesn’t it? What’s more, in the two years I’ve been reviewing these, I’ve not ever received one that I’d reviewed before! So what is this Yokosuna all about? Well, I could be wrong, but it looks like Yokozuna is an echelon attained by Japanese sumo wrestlers. The Yokozuna are the best of the best. Let’s check it out!
Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Contains meat. To prepare, add all but liquid sachet to bowl and add boiling water to fill line. Cover and steep for 5 minutes. Add in liquid base sachet. Finally, stir and enjoy!
A free-dried ingredient block. These hydrate quite fast and usually contain vegetables.
Finished (click to enlarge). The noodles came out superbly with a good tooth and perfect gauge. The broth has a soy and oily thing going on which I really enjoyed. It is rich and full-bodied. The inclusion of meat from the freeze-dried block was very well done – especially since the quality made it very welcome. The vegetables went well and round out the bowl nicely. 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. JAN bar code 4901990327930.
Here’s one from Javier over at www.BoxFromJapan.com – thank you! So Box From Japan is a subscription service – every month, you can get a different four bowls of instant ramen from Japan – pretty awesome! This one’s dandanmen – let’s see what Wikipedia has to say about this variety –
Sesame paste and/or peanut butter is sometimes added, and occasionally replaces the spicy sauce, usually in the Taiwanese and American Chinese style of the dish.[1] In this case, dandanmian is considered as a variation of ma jiang mian (麻醬麵), sesame sauce noodles. In American Chinese cuisine, dandanmian is often sweeter, less spicy, and less soupy than its Sichuan counterpart.
The name refers to a type of carrying pole (dan dan) that was used by walking street vendors who sold the dish to passers-by. The pole was carried over the shoulder, with two baskets containing noodles and sauce attached at either end. As the noodles were affordable due to their low cost, the local people gradually came to call them dandan noodles, referencing the street vendors. Literally, the name translates as “noodles carried on a pole”, but may be better translated as “peddler’s noodles”.
There are a variety of English spellings. The first word may be either dandan, dundun or tantan, and the last word may also be spelled mein.
Alright – let’s check it out!
Maruchan Seimen Red Spicy Dandan Men – Japan
Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Probably contains meat and fish. To prepare, add 410ml boiling water and vegetable sachet and cover for 5 minutes. Add in powder and liquid sachets. Finally, stir and enjoy!
Finished (click to enlarge). Added Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, sliced chashu pork and spring onion. Noodles are awesome – chewy and very premium. Broth is very strong; salty and rich with a deep flavor. Indeed, I always get a taste of peanut in dandanmen. The included vegetables and mincemeat are quite good. 4.75 out of 5.0 stars. JAN bar code 4901990337496.
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