Original video description:
Want to know what to avoid next time you go shopping for noodles? Check out the channel’s very first bottom 5 list. These are the 5 worst products I’ve reviewed since the channel started, current as of February 2024.
Noodle Journey: Top 10 Instant Noodles (2024)
Notes since filming:
I never deal in absolutes, which is why I won’t commit to saying any one noodle product is my number one of all time. I enjoy all of these for different reasons, and what awesome product I crave one day may not be what awesome product I crave another day. That’s why I filmed this list this way, and I will continue to do so with any future top lists.
Original video description:
Time for the channel’s first top 10 list! I’ve reviewed a lot of great products since the channel began. This list, in no particular order, highlights my 10 current favorites among the major noodle varieties, along with some honorable mentions for those of you with dietary preferences.
Noodle Journey Supplement Review: Ramen Bae Spicy Garlic Mix
Ramen Bae Spicy Garlic Mix launched on February 1, 2024, after months of teasing, and I grabbed a pack the second it became available on their site. I’ve recommended Ramen Bae countless times on Reddit whenever people ask how to spruce up their noodles, and I’ve reviewed both their Classic Seafood & Vegetables Mix and their Veggie Mix in past reviews. Both were solid products worth your attention if you like the ingredients.
Read more: Noodle Journey Supplement Review: Ramen Bae Spicy Garlic MixNoodle Journey Episode 144: Ramen Talk Tomato Meatball Noodles
Ramen Talk Tomato Meatball Noodles is a brand-new variety that hasn’t even made it to Ramen Talk’s own website yet. Ramen Talk is one of my favorite noodle companies, and I’ve covered them extensively before in Episodes 77 through 83. Six of those seven noodles were terrific, with a couple that I’d consider top-10 material. Ramen Talk doesn’t like being called “instant” noodles, since their products come with real meat and toppings packaged inside. You can usually order directly from their U.S. and U.K. sites, but this one popped up first at my local Asian convenience store. I paid $5.49, which is in line with their other premium releases.
Read more: Noodle Journey Episode 144: Ramen Talk Tomato Meatball NoodlesNoodle Journey Episode 143: Samyang Buldak Tom Yum Ramen
Samyang Buldak Tom Yum is hot off the presses, launching in the U.S. in January 2024. I may even be the first to do a full review of it on YouTube, since I couldn’t find any others when I filmed. While Buldak varieties pop up constantly in other countries, like Basil Cream Udon in Korea or Yakisoba in Australia, this Tom Yum flavor is, at least for now, exclusive to the U.S. market. I picked mine up from RamenMall for $1.99 a pack, though stock has been fluctuating quickly. At the time of this review, it hasn’t hit stores near me yet, but it should roll out to Asian groceries and other online sellers soon.
Read more: Noodle Journey Episode 143: Samyang Buldak Tom Yum RamenNoodle Journey Unboxing: Ramen Mall
Notes since filming:
I didn’t really get into it in this video, but I was always hesitant to order from Ramen Mall because their site always looked so amateurish that I was suspicious it was a scam. When Buldak Tom Yum came out and I couldn’t find it anywhere else, I decided it was worth the risk.
Their site went down for an “upgrade” in September of 2024 and while it’s still technically online, you can’t see any products or order anything. A shame, because they had some other varieties I was planning on ordering that I couldn’t find anywhere else.
Original video description:
Here’s a new unboxing video from January 2024 containing some super unique goodies from Ramen Mall! Delivery took only 3 days and they carry a lot of stuff that I have never seen anywhere else. Check them out at ramenmall.com!
Noodle Journey Episode 142: The Han Kitchen Budae Ramyun
The Han Kitchen Budae Ramyun is the last of the three Han Kitchen products I currently have. Han Kitchen is an Australian company with noodles manufactured in South Korea for global export. You should be able to find this one online as well as in H Mart and other Asian grocery stores. This flavor is their take on budae jjigae, or Korean army stew, a dish born in the 1950s by combining American military base rations like Spam, hot dogs, baked beans, and American cheese with Korean ingredients like kimchi, rice cakes, and gochugaru. It’s a concept I really enjoy, though I know it can be polarizing.
Read more: Noodle Journey Episode 142: The Han Kitchen Budae RamyunNoodle Journey Episode 141: The Han Kitchen Pocha Ramyun
The Han Kitchen Pocha Ramyun is the second of three products from The Han Kitchen I’m reviewing. Han Kitchen is an Australian brand owned by ByAsia, with its noodles manufactured in South Korea and now starting to show up more often in the U.S. I found a four-pack at Yamibuy for $5.99, and they’re also available in H Mart and other Asian markets. This is my first time seeing “pocha” used on a noodle product, and after some digging I learned it’s short for “pojangmacha,” which means a tent or stall that sells street food in South Korea. The name doesn’t describe the flavor directly – no tents were ground into powder to make this broth – but according to Han Kitchen, this is their take on a spicy red ramyun soup in the same vein as Nongshim Shin or Ottogi Jin.
Read more: Noodle Journey Episode 141: The Han Kitchen Pocha RamyunNoodle Journey Episode 140: The Han Kitchen Gomtang Ramyun
The Han Kitchen Gomtang Ramyun is a milky beef bone soup with thick, chewy Korean noodles. I’m starting a trilogy of reviews from this relative newcomer to American markets because I want these on the books as they start popping up in more places. It’s been a long time since the Paldo Premium Gomtang review back in Episode 6, so this is a good chance to see how another take on gomtang measures up.
Read more: Noodle Journey Episode 140: The Han Kitchen Gomtang RamyunNoodle Journey Episode 139: Daebak Ghost Pepper Spicy Chicken Flavor Noodles
Daebak Ghost Pepper Spicy Chicken Flavor is one of those infamous social media challenge noodles, and it kicks off my 2024 reviews. The cup even includes hashtag instructions for filming yourself eating it, underscoring how much of a gimmick this product is. My goal here isn’t to chase clout but to find out if this is actually worth eating outside of the challenge setting.
Read more: Noodle Journey Episode 139: Daebak Ghost Pepper Spicy Chicken Flavor Noodles