Detailed instant noodle reviews and ratings – watch, read, and discover your next favorite.
By viewer request, this episode dives into the gluten-free aisle with Lotus Foods’ Forbidden Rice Ramen White Miso Soup. I don’t have any gluten sensitivity myself, but I picked up one of every rice-based variety Lotus Foods makes so I can include everyone in this noodle journey, starting with this one. It was available at Wegman’s for $1.89 at the time of this review, which is fairly reasonable for a 2.8 oz. package, especially considering it’s vegan and gluten-free.
In this bonus episode, I highlight a personal favorite: Bravado Spice Co.’s Aka Miso Ghost Reaper hot sauce. This one’s become my go-to when I want to inject serious heat into a bowl of noodles without losing the underlying flavor of the dish.
Today we're diving into Samyang’s original orange-packaged ramen, simply called "Samyang Ramen," a product that’s been around since 1963 and is often regarded as the blueprint for red chili Korean instant soups. Given how much I enjoyed their Buldak Carbonara, I’m curious to see how this more traditional offering stacks up. This is the company’s flagship noodle product, and it seems like every major Korean instant noodle brand has their own take on this style, including Nongshim Shin, which I referenced heavily in this episode as a benchmark.
Time to take our first step into Japanese territory with the much-hyped Nissin Raoh Artificial Tonkotsu Ramen, the self-proclaimed “king of ramen.” While most people know Nissin for their bargain-basement Cup Noodle and Top Ramen, the Raoh line is their premium noodle line here in the US. At $2.69 a pack from Wegman’s at the time I bought this (and about the same online), this one positions itself above your average grocery store find.
As promised back in Episode 4, I finally get my hands on Momofuku Tingly Chili Wavy Noodles. At the time of review, all three Momofuku noodle flavors had recently come back in stock after a long absence. This Tingly Chili variety is a different noodle recipe than the other Momofuku varieties, with a visibly wavier, flatter cut. And as I learned this time around, it comes with a serious pedigree: the noodles are co-developed with A-Sha (yes, the same A-Sha behind their own popular Taiwanese-style noodles), though it's unclear exactly who contributes what.
There are actually two versions of Paldo’s Gomtang on the market: a standard variety in more gold-colored packaging and a “Premium” version. This review focuses on the premium one, which is supposedly a step up in richness and depth. Gomtang itself is a traditional Korean soup made by simmering beef bones, brisket, and other cuts for hours to create a rich, milky broth. It’s not spicy, but it’s comforting, the kind of soup you reach for when you're sick or need something mellow and warm. It leans heavily on garlic and beef flavor, and it’s usually served with rice, noodles, or both.
Samyang Buldak Carbonara Ramen is one of the most talked-about instant noodles on the Internet, constantly recommended in Reddit threads, YouTube challenges, and noodle circles of all kinds. I picked mine up as part of a Korean ramen combo box from Cokoyam (RIP), but you can also find it on Yamibuy and Amazon.
I originally planned to dig into one of the Korean or Japanese packs gathering dust in my pantry, but a bag of Momofuku Spicy Soy Noodles caught my eye at Target. Given the name attached to it (David Chang) and the fact that Momofuku started as a noodle bar, I have some reasonably high hopes going in.
Since I already cracked open this Mike's Mighty Good Chicken Ramen Cup for comparison during my review of Mike’s Fried Garlic Chicken, I figured I might as well eat it too. This one’s just labeled “Chicken Ramen Soup Flavor,” so while there’s some ingredient overlap, it’s a different recipe with no fried garlic this time.
By popular demand, it’s time to take a look at an American instant ramen: Mike’s Mighty Good Fried Garlic Chicken Ramen. I've actually tried this one before. This one has its defenders and its critics, and after trying it again for this review, I still find myself torn.