Unif Tung-I Ramen Noodles - Artificial Beef Flavor

Despite the very similar names, this pack of noodles is not to be confused with Unif Tung-I Instant Artificial Spicy Beef Noodles. I suppose that most people remember the colors and decorations of the packaging and are unlikely to be confused. I didn't realize how similar the names are until I typed them up. I would never get these two confused since their packaging is so different.


Even though these noodles are not indicated as being spicy, they do have a mild spiciness. In fact, the broth is nearly identical to the Tung-I Instant Artificial Spicy Beef Flavor Noodles. I think they use the same seasoning oil, but you get a smaller packet in this version. The noodles themselves are very delicious in this pack. They are quite thin and soft, yet packed with nutty deliciousness.


I was very happy to find that these noodles do not contain any imitation beef. The textured vegetable protein that ramen manufacturers use to simulate beef never tastes good. This pack makes a decent bowl of noodles and I give it the edge over its TVP-filled cousin.

Unif Tung-I Ramen Noodles - Artificial Beef Flavor - 7.5/10

Unif Tung-I - Instant Artificial Spicy Beef Flavor Noodles

The packaging for these noodles has changed subtly since 2006. It appears that Unif is now producing and distributing these noodles for Tung-I. On the back of the package, I was surprised to see that this pack originated from Vietnam rather than Taiwan. The theme and graphics for the wrapper haven't changed much, so these are still very recognizable based on the crazy cow and red and white striped borders.


The flavor of these noodles is very nice. The broth is intense with beef flavor and has a high oil content. It is quite peppery as well. The texture of the noodles is not as deeply fried as before, but the noodles are thin and pretty flavorful.

I was disappointed that these noodles no longer contain bits of carrot like they used to. That was one of my favorite parts previously. This pack also now contains chunks of textured vegetable protein, which I always detest in my noodles. The flavor of these noodles is still very nice, but the overall quality has unfortunately slipped a little bit. I am still happy to eat these once in a while, but probably not as often as I used to.

Unif Tung-I - Instant Artificial Spicy Beef Flavor Noodles - 7.0/10

Super Noodles To Go - Grilled Steak Flavour

Batchelors have recently introduced the Super Noodles To Go line to compete with the Pot Noodle franchise in the cup noodles department. I usually try to avoid this type of instant noodle for a couple reasons. First, the noodles tend to be very inferior; I don't know why this has to be the case, but these cup noodles are always filled with puny tasteless noodles. The second reason I usually avoid these noodles is that they are a complete waste of packaging and usually include non-recyclable styrofoam. With that said, I couldn't pass up this cup of Grilled Steak Flavour, as this is a flavor that Super Noodles doesn't make in the brick form.

True to form, the noodles inside are the crappy thin strings that are found in cup noodles across the world. How hard would it be to put some decent noodles in there? I don't know why they don't just put their regular noodles in, since Super Noodles make some pretty good noodles in brick form. Perhaps they need the noodles to be thin so that they cook very easily, even when the water isn't quite boiling.

Block form Super Noodles aren't meant to be eaten with broth, but this cup of noodles was designed to include broth. I was pleasantly surprised that the broth was beefy and savory. The dried sweet peas and corn were a nice touch as well, although hardly surprising for this type of product. To be honest, this was one of the better cup style instant noodles that I've had. However, they just don't hold a candle to a good brick style instant noodle package.

Super Noodles To Go - Grilled Steak Flavour - 4.5/10

Maruchan Ramen - Beef Flavor

You can't beat the price of cheap American ramen. This particular pack cost me 12 cents at Ralph's. At first, I thought that Maruchan had put a picture of a raw egg yolk on the front of their package. Upon closer inspection, however, it actually looks like some kind of pickled radish.


Most Americans are familiar with the Maruchan brand. It tends to show up in vending machines due to the convenience of their Instant Lunch line and low cost. When I ate these noodles, I was disappointed by the poor quality in the noodles themselves. They tasted mealy and lacked the springiness and crunchiness that is usually present in instant noodles. They were limp and heavy and had very little flavor.


The broth in these noodles was decent. It tasted like a beef and onion broth. However, I couldn't get around the fact that the noodles themselves were so low quality. I recommend to pay a little bit more and get better quality instant noodles. These noodles are completely different than the ones found in the Instant Lunch cups and I actually prefer the Instant Lunch noodles to these.

Maruchan Ramen - Beef Flavor - 2.5/10

Nong Shim - Mu-Pama Tang Myun

To be honest, I'm not sure what Mupama means. I think it is some sort of beef and radish broth, but I have never had it at a Korean restaurant or noodle stand. I am generally quite satisfied with Nong Shim's products, so I figured I would give this a shot despite not really knowing what to expect.

The flavor of the broth in the Mu-Pama Tang Myun was quite good. There flavor was primarily beef and scallion which always makes for a nice soup base. There was also a few pieces of dehydrated cabbage, which is unusual but enjoyable. The noodles were thick and chewy with plenty of weight and substance.

Overall, I enjoyed these noodles despite not knowing what dish they were meant to evoke. The broth is a bit spicy, which was a nice surprise. But it's nowhere near the spiciness level of some of the instant noodles that I have been profiling recently. I would recommend trying this one out if you happen to see it, but I know that it is quite rare to find in the US.

Nong Shim - Mu-Pama Tang Myun - 8.0/10

Nissin Demae - Beef Flavor

I already reviewed this pack of ramen almost 2 years ago, but I figured it was time to revisit this popular ramen made by Nissin Demae. It doesn't look like the packaging has changed at all in the past two years, which doesn't surprise me since this is exactly how I remember these packets from my childhood. Nissin Demae has achieved a lot of success in the United States, mostly due to excellent distribution, conservative flavors, and marketing.


When I tasted the broth, it was a little more complex than I had remembered. The flavor is predominantly beef, but there are also some spices to liven up the broth. It actually reminded me a bit of Pho due to its complicated identity. I don't know if Nissin Demae has altered its recipe, but I thought the broth was quite good.


The noodles are exactly as I expected from eating packets of Nissin Demae noodles in the past. I consider them to be typical instant noodles, fairly flavorless with a slight nuttiness and springy crunch. But the main overall flavor comes from the broth and the broth is quite good here. Interestingly, the color of the broth looks much lighter in this picture than in my picture from two years ago, so perhaps the folks at Nissin Demae have altered their recipe and improved the flavor of the broth.

Nissin Demae - Beef Flavor - 7.0/10

Sapporo Ichiban - Beef Flavor

I was extremely surprised to discover that this is the first review of Sapporo Ichiban on this website. I grew up eating these all the time, but for some reason I've been focusing on more exotic varietals recently. This is one of the most common imported brands of ramen in the US; I think I have even seen it at the local grocery store (Ralph's), although it is still much cheaper to buy at the local Asian supermarket (99 Ranch Market). Sapporo Ichiban is imported from Japan and is a major competitor to the Nissin line of instant noodles.


There is only one flavor packet in the Sapporo Ichiban package, so it is quick and convenient to make (as if instant noodles weren't already quick and convenient enough!). The noodles themselves turn out whiter than the packaging indicates, although that's no big deal. Fresh ramen is generally yellowish, so I guess that's why they made the picture more yellow. These noodles are thick and chewy and have a delicious nutty flavor. Sapporo Ichiban instant noodles are on the larger side (100g), so you do get a lot of noodles.


The broth is nice and intensely beefy. There are also a few scallions which give the broth a little more flavor, although it is still tastes quite simple. Despite the straightforward flavor of the broth, it is still has a nice hearty taste, which is quite typical of the Sapporo Ichiban brands. The noodles themselves are able to absorb quite a bit of the broth's flavor, which is nice. I enjoy this pack of noodles because it is relatively plain, yet contains flavorful noodles and no offending qualities.

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Sapporo Ichiban - Beef Flavor - 8.0/10

Ve Wong - Peppered Beef Flavor

This flavor was my favorite pack of noodles growing up so I was very excited to revisit it and see if my opinion had changed. These noodles come from Taiwan. This is notable because Taiwan is famous for their massively popular style of Beef Noodle Soup.


Taiwanese instant noodles are almost always recognizable from the fact that they are slightly thinner than their Korean and Japanese counterparts. To avoid creating a thin tasteless product (like the American Cup Noodle and Maruchan noodles), the Taiwanese instant noodle manufacturers tend to fry their noodles longer to give more of a nutty flavor. The result is a delicious flavorful noodle that still tastes light and is able to absorb much of the broth flavor.


The broth in these noodles is absolutely fantastic. The beef and pepper flavors are definitely there, but there are still a lot more indescribable hints of flavor that really make the broth seem like something ordered from a restaurant. One of the flavor packets tends to clump into little black bursts of peppery flavor. Sounds a little strange, but these burst clumps are amazingly good. There is also a lot of dehydrated cabbage in this pack that plumps up nicely and adds a nice sweet contrast to the broth. I can't say enough nice things about these noodles and highly recommend them.

Ve Wong - Peppered Beef Flavor - 10.0/10

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Unif-100 - Tart Beef Flavor Noodles

"Tart Beef Flavor" sounds a little bit disgusting but I was willing to try it nonetheless. I'm guessing this is supposed to approximate a Chinese dish made with some sort of tart vegetable. I have had decent success with Unif-100 noodles in the past, so I was more than willing to give this one a shot despite the strange flavor.

The first thing that surprised me was the spiciness of these noodles. In fact, the first sip that I took of the broth nearly sent me into a coughing fit! These noodles pack an intense spicy punch! The next thing that surprised me was the large amount of cabbage, scallions and red peppers. It's amazing how large the dehydrated cabbage can plump up in the broth and I really wonder why more ramen manufacturers don't add some in.

The flavor of the broth was complex and unique yet satisfying. The tartness reminded me a little bit of hot and sour soup. It is done in such a way where it doesn't become overly cloying or obnoxious on the tongue. Rather, it balances with the spiciness so that the overall flavor is very unique and addictive.

I rather liked these noodles but can't really see myself buying them again. It's just difficult to develop a craving for such a nuanced flavor when there are simpler things to lust after like beef flavor and hot and spicy. Anyhow, I certainly don't regret getting these and would recommend them to someone looking for a change of pace.

Unif-100 - Tart Beef Flavor Noodles - 6.5/10

Kamfen Noodle King - Beef Soup Flavored

This pack of ramen comes from China and is a little differently packaged than the standard pack of instant noodles. This is actually a pack for 2 people and contains 130g total. Within the pack, there are two separate bricks of noodles and two separate sets of flavoring spice/oil packets. I'm not sure why Kamfen decided to package two sets of noodles together, I suppose it is to try and shave some cost off the packaging. Still, it seems rather silly because instant noodles are commonly accepted as a single serving in a package.

Despite the fact that each noodle brick was only 65g, it still felt like a lot of noodles and one of the two bricks was definitely enough for me. The soup flavoring was unexpectedly mild and complex and reminded me quite a bit of the ramen that I have had in Japanese restaurants. The beef flavor was quite faint and the taste was quite complex and made up of star anise, ginger, garlic, and other spices.

The noodles themselves are notable because they are quite different than the usual instant ramen. They are quite thin and didn't become soggy even after being cooked. I generally prefer my noodles a little soft and thicker but these remained chewy, which was an interesting change. Since they are so thin, they don't have much flavor, but the soup base was pretty good if you like mild tasting soups.

I was honestly surprised to see that these noodles came from China. The packaging, noodle texture, and soup flavoring all reminded me of the higher quality Japanese noodles like Myojo Chukazanimai. That is quite a compliment, because those high end Japanese ramen are the favorite of many ramen lovers.

My personal preference are for noodles that are more bold in their flavoring, like the fiery red Korean noodles or the savory sweet and spicy Indonesian noodles. But I know a lot of people will like these noodles, especially if they enjoy fresh ramen from restaurants.

Kamfen Noodle King - Beef Soup Flavored - 7.5/10

Samyang Foods Cup Noodle - Hot Beef Flavor

I don't usually buy the instant noodles that come in disposable packaging; I think it is just a waste from an environmental standpoint. But once in awhile I'll buy one if it looks interesting enough. In this case, my curiosity was piqued by the fact that these are made by Samyang foods, one of my favorite Korean noodle brands.


Unlike most American noodle cups, these contain a flavor sachet under the lid that you need to open up and put on the noodles. I'm guessing that this is so they can package it with a different flavor sachet and instantly change flavors.

The noodles inside bear little resemblance to those found in the "brick" style instant noodles made by Samyang Foods. These are much thinner and less flavorful, much like the noodles found in Nissin Cup Noodle or Maruchan Instant Lunch. Quite a disappointment because I was hoping that they could replicate their tasty noodles in this cup form.


The flavor definitely reminded me of Samyang's other offerings. Unlike those, this had a bunch of chunks of Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP). I don't really like TVP because it just tastes unnatural. But I guess they decided to include it just to be more "beefy". While the flavor of the broth was pretty good, the noodles themselves and the inclusion of TVP ruined this experience for me. From now on, I'm going to stick to Samyang in "brick" form.

Samyang Foods Cup Noodle - Hot Beef Flavor - 4.0/10

Tung-I Instant Spicy Beef Flavor Noodle

This particular brand of ramen was a staple in our household growing up. I think the packaging has changed a few times over the years, but the important stuff inside has stayed the same. They are a good example of Taiwanese noodles, which tend to have thinner, more deeply fried noodles.

The picture of the cow on the cover of the packaging is quite disturbing. He looks like he's got mad cow disease or something! But there is not actually any meat inside, so I wasn't actually that disturbed.


I really like the flavor of these noodles. They are savory and spicy and go well with the noodles. There are plenty of carrots and scallions to add a change of pace. The broth is not nearly as spicy as the Korean alternatives, but is still fiery enough to give your lips a tingle. Overall, this pack is definitely recommended.

Tung-I Instant Spicy Beef Flavor Noodle - 8.5/10

Unif-100 - Shallot Beef Flavor Noodles

Even though I've been previously burned by President Unif-100 noodles, I managed to forgive them for that travesty. After all, it's very difficult to pull off a Shrimp flavor that doesn't taste like aquarium water. Shallot beef flavor, on the other hand, should be a much easier flavor to design. Just add some salt and beef flavoring and you're set.

No real surprises with this ramen. It's a little bit spicy to cover the fact that there isn't much flavor there besides salt. The flavor packets consist of a powder packet, a packet of scallions and cabbage, and a flavored oil packet.


Overall, this was a decent soup but I prefer the competitors such as Ve Wong's Peppered Beef Flavor which is rather similar to this one but tastes a little better. My biggest beef (pun intended) is that the Unif-100 noodles just aren't very tasty. This will be a flaw that will affect them across all their product lines.

Unif-100 - Shallot Beef Flavor Noodles - 6.5/10

Sogoki Myun - Beef Flavor

The packaging of this reminded me very much of the Kimchi Ramen I had a few weeks ago, which was also made by Samyang Foods. I guess you could say they are part of the same family of large Korean instant noodles with relatively basic flavors.

These noodles turned out to be much spicier than I had anticipated. It's not quite up to the heat level of Shin Ramyun, but it definitely has more kick than you might expect from the packaging, which gives no hint that it might be spicy inside. I guess these Korean packages don't need to indicate spiciness, since pretty much all Korean instant noodles are spicy. The exception is the Chajung Myun varieties.


Couldn't really taste any beef flavor because the heat from the broth overwhelmed the taste. Overall, these were decent simple noodles that didn't do very much to distinguish themselves in my mind positively or negatively.

Sogoki Myun - Beef Flavor - 7.0/10

IndoMie - Mi Goreng Rasa Baso Sapi

I had previously lamented the fact that IndoMie's offerings are only 85g and are rather inadequate, especially with the increased effort of having to open up to 5 flavor packets. So I was happy to find the "Jumbo" version of one of IndoMie's Mi Goreng Rasa Baso Sapi, which comes in at 120g. The translation of the name is "Beef Fried Noodles".

IndoMie's noodles generally have cooking instructions slightly different than typical instant noodles. You are supposed to cook the noodles and dump all the seasoning packets onto a plate. Then, you drain the noodles and transfer them to the plate and mix everything together. It seems like a cool idea to have 5 flavoring packets (seasoning powder, seasoning oil, sweet soy sauce, chili powder, and fried onion), but it turns into a giant pain when it is actually time to open them all, especially since they are attached to each other.

Overall, the taste was quite similar to the IndoMie Mi Goreng that I tried before. The noodles are rather oily and the taste is dominated by the sweet soy sauce and the fried red onion. The flavor is quite good and unique and I'm glad that IndoMie has a reasonable size instead of their tiny 85g package.

IndoMie - Mi Goreng Rasa Baso Sapi - 8.5/10

Six Fortune Instant Beef Noodle - Stay Away!

Six Fortune Instant Beef Noodle is a 120g Korean ramen that comes with two packets - a veggie packet and a seasoning packet. If you couldn't tell from the title of this post, this was one of the worst ramens I have ever eaten and one of the few I have actually regretted eating later.

The broth tasted extremely bland and nothing at all like beef. The veggie packet had scallion flakes and these weird spongy brown things, which I had no idea what they were but added nothing to the overall ramen experience. The noodle texture was too stiff, not chewy, and did not absorb what little flavor was in the soup. In summary, avoid eating this ramen!

Wei-Chuan Stewed Beef Noodle Soup with Vegetable

These noodles are in a different class than most of the noodles reviewed on this website, but I thought I'd include it anyway. Unlike most other instant noodles, no water needs to be added to this. Instead, it comes in a plastic bowl with beef and vegetables already included. The bowl needs to be kept frozen.

I am quite familiar with some of Wei-Chuan's products, especially their pickled cucumbers and dried noodles, and have been pleased with their quality in the past. This noodle bowl is very convenient because all you have to do is pop it in the microwave and it's soon ready to eat.

As you can tell by this picture, the noodle soup came out looking delicious. The meat was soft and surprisingly fatty. I would have expected leaner cuts, but the fatty cuts were definitely delicious. The noodles were quite good, definitely tastier and more substantial than the kind found in dried instand noodles.

All in all, I would be perfectly satisfied if I received this in a restaurant. Of course, I have had better, but this is by no means inferior to the typical beef noodle soup served in a decent Chinese restaurant. The portion size is quite small compared to what you would normally get in a restaurant. Also, the addition of some scallions would have been nice. However, I was pleasantly surprised by these noodles and would definitely get them again...if there weren't already a decent Chinese restaurant across the street!

Wei-Chuan Stewed Beef Noodle Soup with Vegetable - 9.0/10

Ai Men Tsu Noodle - Udon Chilli Beef Flavor

These noodles are the first instant noodles that I have ever had that aren't dried. They can be found in the refrigerated section of Asian grocery stores. This specific brand is imported from Taiwan.


Don't panic! That cloudy stuff on the top of the soup is from the egg that I added. Following the instructions, I added 500cc of water, which turned out to be way too much. So much so that it diluted the taste of the soup. Perhaps they were expecting more water to boil off, especially since the microwave instructions only call for 350cc of water.

Well, it was hard to figure out what this was supposed to taste like since everything was too dilute. The noodles were nicely thick and chewy, but didn't have much flavor since there wasn't much to absorb from the soup. Interestingly, the scallions were extremely potent, unlike the tasteless filler that they usually put in instant noodles.

Next time, I'll be sure to add only about 350cc of water when making this on the stove!

Ai Men Tsu Noodle - Udon Chilli Beef Flavor - 6.0/10

Nong Shim Beef Noodle Soup

Nong Shim Beef Noodle Soup is a 120 gram circular ramen with two packets - one with vegetable flakes and one with seasoning powder.





Most of the 120 gram ramens that I have eaten have been incredibly spicy and flavorful. So, it was hard not to be a little disappointed by the relative blandness and gentle flavors of this non-spicy ramen. The seasoning powder smelled delicious as the noodles were cooking, but I found the broth to be only so-so and the noodles just standard. The vegetable flakes, while promising in their abundance, did not really rehydrate in the thin soup and did not have much flavor either. The "beef" taste was pretty much nonexistent. All in all, a completely average ramen. I'm sticking to hot and spicy in the future!

Nissin Demae Ramen - Beef Flavor

The Nissin Demae Ramen are deceptively large, weighing in at 100g. In general, this brand tends to be milder in flavor than other instant noodles. This is not necessarily a bad thing, because Nissin Demae usually pulls of their flavors pretty well.

Inside this ramen are a seasoning powder and a flavored oil. As expected, the flavor was quite mild, but nice and beefy. There were a lot of noodles, but they were thinner and less flavorful than I would have liked. The taste of the noodles themselves is a little bit mealy, although this effect is very subtle.


I have eaten this ramen so often over the years that it is what I instantly think of when I think about instant noodles. It is fine and basic but nothing particularly special. Nissin Demae is a quality brand of ramen, but I would recommend a more exciting flavor such as Hot & Spicy.

Nissin Demae Ramen - Beef Flavor - 6.5/10