I’ve noticed over the years that some people are all about bowls vs packs. Why? I’m not exactly sure. I would reckon that steeped noodle consistency might be more their thing, although many are microwavable these days. To be honest, my take is that I don’t really care what it’s in, I just want to review it. These are my favorite ten bowls, picked from reviews I’ve done up to number 5,150. There’s a few neat changes to the list this year, so I invite you to check out The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodle Bowls Of All Time 2025 Edition and hopefully you find a few you want to try!
The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodle Bowls Of All Time 2025 Edition
Video Presentation
A special video run-down of The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodle Bowls Of All Time 2025 Edition.
The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodle Bowls Of All Time 2025 Edition
#10: Aram Wonderpokki Spicy Rapokki – South Korea
I gotta say I love the name of this one. Rapokki is what you get when you combine ramyun and tteokbokki, which are rice flour tubes. They’re soft and chewy, and the sauce they bathe in is tangy, sweet, and spicy. This ends up in a trifecta of flavor and texture that makes me exceedingly happy. Original review
#9: Choi Chicken Ramen Noodle Soup – United States
Here’s a nice surprise. These are made in South Korea and really a great find – chicken instant noodles. The noolde is very good – nice gauge and light tooth. The seller here is the chicken flavored broth which is super savory and full. Was thrilled and I think if you are looking for a nice chicken instant, this is the ticket. Original review
#8: Maruchan x TRY Toybox Shoyu Ramen – Japan
The noodle is just perfection – great tooth and gauge; indicative of ultra premiumness. The broth is a savory shoyu. Is the chashu good? Yeah – it’s pretty darn good – well seasoned too. Lots of menma throughout. Original review
#7: Soupply Filet & Brisket Pho Bowl With Real Meat & Collagen – United States
This is exemplary. I didn’t use room temp water so the noodles didn’t hydrate all the way (later I made on correctly and they came out fine). Rice noodles are soft with a nice gauge. The broth tastes like pho you might find at a shop down the road – and the beef adds in so much. I think cooking it with the meat in with it goes a long way to flavor the broth. The hoisin and Sriracha are authentic touches. This is superb and by far and away the best instant pho I’ve ever had. Chicken version is excellent as well. Original review | Get it here
#6: Nongshim Tonkotsu Ramen Premium Noodle Soup – United States
Extremely happy about this one – this is super good. This variety is microwaved. The noodles came out just perfect – even a nice chew on them. The broth is a milky and luxuriant tonkotsu – deep and tasty. The nice part is it comes with a spicy sachet, so you can make it spicy or non spicy tonkotsu, depending on your taste/mood. One of the best tonkotsu varieties I’ve had. Original review | Get it here
#5: Haichijia Instant Broad Noodles With Sesame Paste – China
This is something completely different – a flat, very broad noodle from China is drained and then a very flavorful sesame paste sauce is stirred in. This is really sumptuous, filling,. and all around wonderful. Original review
#4: Sapporo Ichiban Meiten no Aji Tenkaippin Kyoto Noukou Toripaitan – Japan
Noodle was very premium – nice tooth. The broth is as luxuriant and thick as can be and imparts a very nice chicken flavor – thick and rich broth. Included meaty bits and veg really added. Superb. Original review
#3: Taiban Yihao Taihebanmian – China
It’s quite a name I know, but it’s also quite a good one. The noodles are soft and broad – about as wide as egg noodles. The broth is savory and the inclusion of nice vegetables including pepper really bumps it up a notch. This was great – hope you can find it. Original review
#2: Little Cook Thailand Green Curry Instant Noodle – Taiwan
Wow – I’m so freaking impressed with this one. First, there are two bowls. Peel back the lid of the first bowl and add boiling water. After a short time, you poke holes in the lid and drain the liquid into the second. A sachet of soup base is added and you have a soup with lots of corn and herbs. Next, a huge sachet with chicken and vegetables boasts a great spicy green curry flavor which mixes with the noodle. A really amazing product which is unique and delicious. Original review
#1: Nissin x 328 Katong Laksa Laksa Flavour – Singapore
Here we have the first new #1 for this list since 2017. Yeah. The noodle is sturdy with a nice chewiness. The broth is just sensational – oily, thick, savory, laksa. What tops it off is the little shrimp balls in there. This is truly a wonderful laksa, and I’ve not had nothing like this before. Catch it if you can! Original review
Special Announcements
5000 Reviews!
After over 20 years and 5000 reviews, here’s #5000 – and a documentary as well as a documentary on how I review – check it out!
Definitive Guides
This year, I’ve decided to do a special series called Definitive Guides. Recipes, trivia, history, and more on some of the most loved and fascinating varieties of instant noodles around the world! So far, I’ve got one on Nongshim’s Shin Ramyun, and Indomie’s Mi Goreng and Nissin Foods’ Cup Noodles Pumpkin Spice! Very recently, I released a Definitive Guide To Maruchan Ramen Noodle Soup. Future guides will include MAMA Tom Yum, and more. My plan is do feature one or two products from each country.
Ramen Junkies
Ramen Junkies is a Facebook group devoted to the love of instant noodles. People share their recipes, thoughts, ideas and humor Join the conversation today – over 70,000 members strong!
The Ramen Rater Humbly Asks For Your Help
The Ramen Rater can really use your help! Your charitable donations help source materials for reviews, garnish, and equipment used for this lifelong endeavor. You might think reviewing instant noodles wouldn’t cost much, but it certainly does. Not only that, we have a family of four and all our costs just seem to keep rising. There are a few ways you can help!