I’m reviewing the second of Ramen Bae’s new April 2024 products: Ramen Bae Dried Enoki Mushroom. Enoki mushrooms are those long, delicate strands you often find in Asian soups and hot pots, adding crunch and a mild, sweet mushroom flavor. They’re fantastic to cook with, but fresh enoki usually has a short shelf life and isn’t easy to find. I’ve got one Asian market about half an hour away that sells them, and they only last around a week before going bad. Ramen Bae’s dried version solves that problem with a pack that stays shelf-stable for over a year.
Read more: Noodle Journey Supplement Review: Ramen Bae Dried Enoki MushroomCategory: Video Reviews
Noodle Journey Episode 155: Nissin Chikin Ramen
This might be the most important noodle I’ll ever review. Nissin Chikin Ramen (spelled “Chikin” intentionally, not as a typo) is the original instant noodle, first released in Japan in 1958 by Momofuku Ando. At the time, postwar Japan was facing food shortages, and the U.S. was supplying wheat flour to help feed the country. Bread wasn’t popular, so Ando set out to turn wheat into noodles that could last without refrigeration. His breakthrough came when he saw his wife frying tempura and realized that oil could be used to dehydrate noodles instantly. That discovery led to the world’s first flash-fried, shelf-stable noodle, and the birth of instant ramen itself, in the form of this Chikin Ramen.
Read more: Noodle Journey Episode 155: Nissin Chikin RamenNoodle Journey Supplement Review: Ramen Bae Kimchi Mix
Ramen Bae has released another mix, and this time it’s one I’ve been waiting for: Ramen Bae Kimchi Mix. After their earlier Spicy Garlic Mix showed promise but stumbled on its overuse of subpar dehydrated egg, the company listened to feedback and reworked future batches. Seeing that kind of responsiveness made me eager to try their newest products, especially this one, which promises classic kimchi flavor in a shelf-stable form.
Read more: Noodle Journey Supplement Review: Ramen Bae Kimchi MixNoodle Journey Episode 154: Fu Chung Village Dry Noodles Basil and Clam Flavor
Every now and then, I let myself grab something on impulse while shopping, and Fu Chung Village Dry Noodles Basil and Clam Flavor was that find. Fu Chung is a Taiwanese brand I hadn’t heard of before, and their Village Dry Noodles line immediately caught my eye based on the beautiful packaging. This Basil and Clam flavor stood out among the usual soy and sesame offerings, promising a fusion of herbs and seafood that felt unusual for a dry noodle, but with a surprising twist that I didn’t catch until I got home. With Mom’s Dry Noodle still scarce on shelves near me, I was curious whether Fu Chung might fill that gap.
Read more: Noodle Journey Episode 154: Fu Chung Village Dry Noodles Basil and Clam FlavorNoodle Journey Episode 153: Indomie Mi Goreng Hot & Spicy
I’m long overdue for this one. Indomie Mi Goreng Hot & Spicy has been sitting in my pantry for months, and considering how often I recommend the original Mi Goreng, it’s about time I circled back. I last covered the base version way back in Episode 24, promising I’d review the spicy variant “soon.” Well, better late than never. This pack looks similar to the classic, but the question is whether it’s simply hotter or if there’s more going on.
Read more: Noodle Journey Episode 153: Indomie Mi Goreng Hot & SpicyNoodle Journey Episode 152: Nissin Cup Noodles Everything Bagel with Cream Cheese
It must be April again, because Nissin has released yet another offbeat Cup Noodles flavor that sounds like a prank but isn’t. This time it’s Nissin Cup Noodles Everything Bagel with Cream Cheese, part of their growing list of limited-edition experiments like Pumpkin Spice and Breakfast Cup Noodles. Both of those turned out better than expected, so this one had me curious. I love everything bagel seasoning and cream cheese, just not necessarily together with noodles.
Read more: Noodle Journey Episode 152: Nissin Cup Noodles Everything Bagel with Cream CheeseNoodle Journey Episode 151: Nongshim Zha Wang
I’m diving back into the world of black bean sauce noodles, this time with a twist from Nongshim. Zha Wang promises an oyster-flavored sauce that builds on the classic jjajang base but introduces a new depth and texture. It stands apart from Chapagetti (the first black bean noodle I ever reviewed) by aiming for something richer and more complex. Given my mixed history with Chapagetti and how strong some other brands like Paldo and Samyang have been, I’m curious to see whether this can step up and deliver something different.
Read more: Noodle Journey Episode 151: Nongshim Zha WangNoodle Journey Special Presentation: Just Sweet Sour Noodles
Just Sweet Sour Noodles is an imported Turkish “noodle” product I found at Dollar Tree, and it’s unlike anything I’ve ever reviewed. According to the label, these are sour noodles from a company called Just Sweet. I’ve never had noodles from Turkey before, and finding these at a dollar store seemed like destiny.
Read more: Noodle Journey Special Presentation: Just Sweet Sour NoodlesNoodle Journey Episode 150: Paldo Strawberry Bibimmen
Paldo Strawberry Bibimmen marks a milestone for the channel (Episode 150) and it might be one of the most unexpected instant noodle flavors I’ve ever reviewed. I first noticed it on MyKMarket while browsing for Korean-exclusive Buldak varieties, then forgot about it until a Reddit thread reminded me. The comments there convinced me to buy it for this episode, and it’s a fittingly strange way to celebrate a round-number milestone.
Read more: Noodle Journey Episode 150: Paldo Strawberry BibimmenNoodle Journey Episode 149: Samyang Sutah Ramen
Samyang Sutah Ramen is another product from Samyang that isn’t part of their Buldak line but still aims to satisfy fans of spicy Korean noodle soups. Before trying it, I tried to find out what “Sutah” means and couldn’t locate much official information beyond an old 2011 review on The Ramen Rater’s website. In that review’s comments, a reader explained that Sutah comes from Chinese characters meaning “hit by hands,” implying a handmade noodle style, though the noodles here are machine-made like most others. It seems Samyang is using the name to emphasize noodle quality rather than literal production methodology.
Read more: Noodle Journey Episode 149: Samyang Sutah Ramen