Detailed instant noodle reviews and ratings – watch, read, and discover your next favorite.
I'm a big fan of Mama noodles. They're cheap, they're flavorful, and there's something about those thin, chewy noodles that I really enjoy. These Mama Artificial Chicken Flavor Noodles are one of the more easy-to-come-by packs here in the US, and I'm pretty eager to see what Mama can do with such a simple flavor, especially considering the chicken flavor is entirely artificial.
It's honestly been a little while since I had Korean rice cakes, and even longer since I reviewed one, and so when I spotted Dongwon Spicy and Sweet Topokki at my local Wamart (of all places), I figured I'd give them a try. There's also a Cheese version of this that I'll be reviewing soon, if not in the next post. Sometimes written as tteokbokki, topokki are the tube-shaped rice cakes you'll see in the images below, and they can be served in a variety of different sauces, although I think this "spicy and sweet" sauce is the most typical presentation. Why am I reviewing rice cakes on a noodle website? Because this is a very noodle-adjacent product, found right next to the instant noodles in any Asian grocery store (or in this case, the noodle aisle at Walmart).
Maruchan Mennosuke Tategata Kamodashi Soba is a neat flavor that I got out of the final ZenPop box last year. Buckwheat soba noodles with a duck and bonito broth! That's not something you really see in the USA at all. Will it be gamey like duck? Smoky and fishy like bonito? Read on to see
And now we come to Chef Woo Baja Chili Flavor Ramen, which is the last of these protein-added plant-based Chef Woo cups I have in my possession (aside from some Ramen Express by Chef Woo products, which I'll review another time). While I can't say I'm a huge fan of their noodles, they've certainly been passable, and I very much enjoyed the broth in the Spicy Tequila Lime flavor I just reviewed. This Baja Chili Flavor also looks promising, so hopefully this little review marathon closes out on a high note.
I'm moving to the next item in my Chef Woo marathon queue, which is Chef Woo Spicy Tequila Lime Flavor Ramen. This one's pretty interesting to me, considering I can't recall ever seeing a tequila & lime flavored instant noodle before. Is this essentially going to be a margarita-flavored ramen? Because I'm not sure how to feel about that...
Here's the review for Chef Woo Braised Beef Flavor Ramen, hot off the heels of their Roasted Chicken flavor review I just conducted. This is basically the same schtick: a plant-based cup of noodles with added protein, medium amount of sodium, no MSG - all of the "healthy" stuff newer American ramen companies like to
After getting into a brief analysis about this brand's potential financial issues in the October 2025 news post, I thought it was appropriate to do a little marathon of the handful of Chef Woo products I currently have in my stash, starting with Chef Woo Roasted Chicken Flavor Ramen. (And just in case you didn't know, Chef Woo is a brand name, not a real person.) Like the Gordon Ramsay flavors I reviewed back on the YouTube channel, this is a plant-based ramen product with added protein, this time with a simple roasted artificially chicken flavored broth. This cup is marketed as a "healthy" vegan alternative to your typical chicken ramen cups, but is it any good? Let's find out.
This Yamadai Sugomen Green Onion Miso Ramen is the last review in the series of products picked up for me in Guam, and I saved it until the end because it's the largest and, frankly, most exciting one to me that my coworker brought back. This is a gigantic noodle bowl from Yamadai, one of the most revered noodle manufacturers in Japan. A couple reviews ago, I actually tried Yamadai for the first time, although it was a Korean-style kimchi ramen rather than a more traditional Japanese flavor profile like this one. If this one is half as good as that kimchi flavor was, I'll be ecstatic.
I've found that a lot of Japanese products that promise spice don't always deliver on the spice, even though they taste good. Hopefully this Nissin Cup Noodle Spicy variety brings the heat and the flavor in equal amounts. This is the second-to-last item brought back for me from Guam at Don Don Donki, so we're getting very close to the end of that assortment of noodles. Nissin's official product description touts this cup as being loaded with the largest amount of roasted chili peppers ever in a Cup Noodle product, plus the sourness of kimchi, flavor of garlic, and richness of miso. Sounds like a fantastic combination!
This Yamadai New Touch Original Kimchi Ramen is the fifth product from my Guam review pile, and is certainly one of the more interesting ones. This is, I think, a first for me: a Japanese manufacturer making a Korean kimchi stew instant noodle. And not just any Japanese manufacturer... Yamadai is one of the premier Japanese instant noodle brands, with a few dozen premium bowl products spread out across its various product lines. Read on for more info and the review!