I must say – I really miss all of the amazing varieties I used to review from Taiwan. They’d show up quite often and were of such high quality. I’m hoping that maybe in this year, more will arrive to try! If you are producing dry noodle varieties in Taiwan, I really would love to hear from you. That being said, let’s take a look at this new version of The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2026 Edition!
The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Taiwanese Instant Noodles Of All Time 2026 Edition
#10: Hi-Lai Foods Lai Noodle
The noodle comes out just perfectly with a very hearty chew and quality. The flavor is wonderful – notes of Sichuan peppercorn intermingle with soy and this charming Vegan mince that has a sweetness that lingers around the palate and then ducks in and out. Everything I love about Taiwanese dry noodle with a unique addition. Original review
#9: Mom’s Dry Noodle Wasabi Almond Sauce Noodle With Tapioca
This one is truly unique – it could be considered something of a dessert of a salad kind of noodle. The broad noodle is just perfect with wavy edges. The sauce goes between being spicy from wasabi and sweet from an almond paste kind of flavor. The sweet and spicy is augmented with a really nice flavor and texture of boba – large tapioca which are of excellent quality. Truly something completely different and quite delightful. Original review
#8: Little Couples Chicken Rice Flavor Dry Noodle
Another broad noodle variety – this time paired with sauces that impart an excellent chicken rice flavor. This is absolutely excellent stuff and they’ve also come out with a Fish Head Casserole variety which is equally delicious and unique. Original review
#7: Little Cook Thailand Green Curry Chicken
This bowl, in fact, is two bowls. One you steep the noodles in. The second? Drain the broth from the first by poking holes in the lid and pour into it. The noodle is accompanied by a spicy green curry and chunks of vegetable and real chicken. The broth slurping soup worked well too. Original review
#6: NoodleMix Chinese Sesame Oil Lion’s Mane Mushroom Pumpkin Konjac Noodle
This one falls into a category all it’s own. Konjac noodle has the strong tendency to be rubbery and if you don’t get the right gauge, just too rubbery. This one is just right. The broth is indeed a salty sesame affair. What struck me as genius was the inclusion of Lion’s Mane mushrooms; I’d never had them before. The texture of these is so much like chicken I really had to research to find if it wasn’t chicken. If you’re looking for something meatless, this will blow your mind if you’re looking for a meaty texture and a nice noodle. Original review
#5: John’s Braised Scallion Oil Noodles
These noodles are really nice – light on the chew and a great mouthfeel. The flavor is a one two punch of scallion flavor, a bit of spicy, and umami for days. It’s got some flavors in there that just add up to a rich and flavorful experience like no other. Beautiful stuff and a nice surprise. Original review
#4: A-Sha LaoTao Beef & Tendon Noodle
I found the red box version of this range to be my favorite – until I tried this one! This fantastic variety is retaining it’s high place for yet another year. Just lavish and succulent – beef that melts in your mouth and upgraded with tendon meat, the noodle and broth and meat harmonize in a symphony that peaks with a flavorful crescendo. The other two in the range in the red box and the seasonal Wagyu are also absolutely top notch and worth a try. Original review
#3: Mom’s Dry Noodle Surfmama Goose Oil Zhajiang Noodle
Another Mom’s Dry Noodle sure to tantalize the tastebuds. This one has a wide noodle which has a sensational chewiness. The wonder here is the sauce which is like the filling for steamed pork buns. It’s sweet, savory, and works just perfectly. Just wonderful. Original review
#2: Moon Moon Food Baby Can U Love Dry Noodle With Black Truffle Oil – Taiwan
So happy when a Taiwanese variety to reach out! This one comes from a restaurant that decided to hit the noodle world. A thick and chewy noodle is paired with a sauce which imparts black truffle oil flavor and other flavorings to bring out a sweet and rich experience. I’m really into this one – can we get more? Original review
#1: A-Sha Meteor Noodles Spicy Dan Dan
Another favorite with new packaging. The noodle has a unique texture imparted from the use of a third flair from the side. At first it might seem gimmicky, but it really imparts a nice mouthfeel. The flavor goes from spicy to savory to sweet. It’s a really great combination of flavors that in the end goes to show the mastery of simplicity a lot of Taiwanese cuisine brings to the world. Original review | Get it here
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Top Ten Redux 2.0
A while back, I got some advice. ‘Why not call your list by the number of the following yea if it was the second half of the year?’ It made sense to me; the list would be current for more of the following year than the current. Well, this theory ended up being very frought with confusion. That being said, I decided to take a year off on some lists that I published last year that say 2026 and will revisit them in 2027.
5000 Reviews!
Reaching a span of over 20 years and 5000 reviews, I decided to go all out and do a documentary about how I got my start doing what I do as well as a one on how I do it– check it out!
The Ramen Rater Is All Over The Place!
If you really like seeing what I’m posting, you can follow on quite a few platforms. The Ramen Rater posts to Facebook, X, Bluesky, Reddit, Tumblr, Threads, Instagram, and Substack daily! You can also just watch the thousands of videos I’ve created on YouTube!
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! With that said, 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.
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