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

Buy Now from Amazon.com

Nissin - Sukiyaki Japanese Style Udon

These Nissin noodles are Sukiyaki flavored. Sukiyaki is a Japanese meal similar to the Chinese style hot pot. Raw meats and vegetables are cooked in broth on a pot on the table and then each diner can grab from the pot and serve himself or herself. According to Wikipedia, the Sukiyaki broth is made primarily of soy sauce, sugar, and rice wine. This pack is also notable for its use of Udon style noodles which is very uncommon for Nissin. Nissin typically relies on their mainstay ramen style noodles which I consider to be one of the best in the business.


I was very surprised to see the shape of the noodles upon making this ramen. Udon noodles are supposed to be very thick, round, chewy, and slippery. These noodles were flat and were most definitely not udon noodles. With that said, they were at least chewy and rather tasty, but I was disappointed not to get true udon style noodles. In the future, I should keep it in mind that true udon style noodles cannot be dried or they will completely lose their shape and consistency. Instant udon noodles are possible, but only in a vacuum sealed fresh configuration like in Ai Men Tsu's Udon noodles.

The broth for these noodles was too sweet for me. It tasted like a typical Japanese udon broth except much sweeter. Perhaps this is what Sukiyaki usually tastes like, but it was still far too sugary for my taste. I prefer my instant noodles to be savory. The noodles themselves were interesting and quite tasty despite the fact that they are definitely not udon style noodles. Maybe if you love Sukiyaki, you could give these noodles a try, but I certainly wouldn't recommend them.

Nissin - Sukiyaki Japanese Style Udon - 3.5/10

Nissin - Chili Flavor

At first glance, these seem to be the same pack of noodles as the Nissin Demae Ramen Spicy Flavor that I found very disappointing. However, you might notice that the packaging is completely different, which led me to suspect these were completely different noodles. To be honest, I don't know what the difference is between the Nissin and Nissin Demae lines, but I suspect Nissin is manufactured in Japan while Nissin Demae is manufactured in Hong Kong. The American branches of Nissin products are called Top Ramen and Cup Noodle and I suggest you avoid those at any cost.

I was surprised to see the vertical orientation on this bag of ramen, which is quite unusual for Nissin and ramen in general. I can't think of another flavor of Nissin that comes in this orientation. The picture looked quite appetizing despite the presence of an obviously undercooked egg. The packaging contains a beef theme as opposed to the seafood theme found on the Nissin Demae Spicy Flavor wrapper.


When I ate the Nissin Demae Spicy Flavor, my big complaint was that the broth was barely spicy. Thankfully, the Nissin Chili Flavor is very spicy even though the broth appears brown. The noodles themselves are Nissin's standard noodles, which seem to be the same whether they are from Nissin or Nissin Demae. I like these noodles; I would characterize them as being slightly crunchy, medium thickness, and possessing a mild flavor. I recommend this flavor highly for someone that likes Nissin's noodles and is looking for a spicy meal to warm them up.

Nissin - Chili Flavor - 8.5/10

Nissin Demae - Curry Flavor

Here comes another flavor in the veritable pantheon of Nissin Demae's lineup. It's curry flavor! I expected this one to be fairly straightforward since the powder packet should just contain mostly curry powder. Also, there should be no subtlety to this flavor: just make it taste like curry!


As you might expect, the curry flavor ramen tastes fairly strongly of curry. In addition to this, however, there was also a hint of lemon and creaminess as well. It seems that Nissin Demae likes to give their broths a creamy texture. It's an interesting idea, but I think it is mostly unnecessary for a simple curry flavor.

The noodles are Nissin Demae's standard noodles, which I tend to enjoy due to their slight crispiness. They definitely have a palm oil taste to them too, which makes them very distinctly Nissin Demae flavored. The curry flavor is OK, but is not really a bold flavor like I usually prefer from ramen. However, I would definitely recommend this one if you like curry or just want something mild. I realize that curry is not usually considered a mild flavor; in the world of ramen, however, it is relatively tame compared to some of the extreme fiery or seafoody choices.

Nissin Demae - Curry Flavor - 5.0/10

Ramen Ki-Mama - A Good Place for Your Mama!

Ramen Ki-Mama
Vasastan, north of Ostermalm
Birger Jarlsgatan 93
Stockholm, Sweden
tel +46 8 15 55 39

On a recent trip to Sweden, this ramen lover was thrilled to have the opportunity to try some ramen on a different continent. Ramen Ki-Mama's sister restaurant, Sushi Ki-Mama, is regarded as the best sushi restaurant in the city, so I had high hopes for its ramen. Fortunately, Ramen Ki-Mama did not disappoint!


Our party of two arrived around 6 PM on a Thursday evening and was immediately seated in the clean but playful restaurant. It is a casual place, as evidenced by the self-serve napkins and chopsticks on every table, but maintains some sophistication with polished tables, a full bar area, and colorful wall murals.

Ramen Ki-Mama offers the three basic ramens (shoyu, shio, and miso) along with a variety of more exotic combinations. While some of these combinations may be pushing the boundaries of authentic ramen, they do use Asian ingredients and flavors. The presence of the three basic ramens is enough to keep a traditionalist happy, while the creative ramens will satisfy more adventurous eaters.


We ordered the shoyu ramen, which comes with roast pork, egg, bamboo, nori, and scallions, and the wakame ramen, which is spicy and comes with primarily chicken and seaweed in a shio broth. Both ramens arrived hot and with beautiful presentation of toppings over generous quantities of noodles.


I was pleasantly surprised that my shoyu ramen was delicious and rivaled even the better West Coast ramen restaurants (or maybe my expectations were set low after my recent trip to Wagamama). The pork was not too fatty, the broth was not too salty, and the noodles were cooked perfectly! The egg was also nicely warm, when all too often it arrives cold in a bowl of hot soup. The wakame ramen was spicy but not overwhelmingly so, and equally as delicious.

In short, you don't need to be in Asia or the US to enjoy an authentic ramen experience. Next time you find yourself in Stockholm, head straight for Ramen Ki-Mama for a bowl of delicious noodles.

Note: At the time of my visit, the exchange rate was approximately 1 USD = 6.8 Swedish KR.

Wagamama - Don't Bring Your Mama

Wagamama
Faneuil Hall
Quincy Market Building, near Victoria's Secret and Crate & Barrel
(617) 742-9242
Open Mon-Sat 11:30 AM - 11 PM; Sun noon - 10 PM

For many months, I had been eagerly awaiting the opening of internationally heralded noodle bar Wagamama in the US - first in Quincy Market and later this year in Harvard Square. I recently journeyed on a Thursday night to the newly opened Quincy Market location. Needless to say, I was disappointed by just about every aspect of my experience.


First, the wait. Everyone knows that Quincy Market is a huge tourist destination, but on a sweltering Thursday night, it still took my group of four an hour to be seated. We were not given any buzzer that would allow us to leave the immediate area.

Second, the seating. Instead of individual tables, the restaurant is set up with long cafeteria-style seating. So be prepared to rub elbows with giggly high school girls and sweaty fraternity boys, and to be churned out as soon as you're done with your meal. This is not a place to linger.

Third, the menu. While I commend Wagamama for its sensitivity to various types of allergies, the statement that the restaurant "is modelled on the ramen bars which have been popular in japan for hundreds of years" is totally a piece of crock. Not a single ramen item comes with sliced roasted pork, the staple of traditional ramen, or a shoyu broth. Instead, Wagamama offers toppings like grilled chicken breast, grilled salmon, steak, and shrimp in soups of pork and chicken broth accompanied by non-traditional garnishes like lime and carrots.

Fourth, the service. If Wagamama is high-tech enough to give its waiters wireless handheld devices, do they really need to draw all over my paper placemat? In addition, since Wagamama prides itself on making everything "fresh," the dishes are brought out to individuals one at a time. This means that one person in your party can sit and watch his/her food getting cold while the others wait for their meals to arrive at various times. My server was very nice and did everything she was supposed to - the problem was in the conception, not the execution. Well, at least you get free green tea.


Last but not least, the food. I ordered the chili beef ramen, which is described as "noodles in a spicy pork and chicken soup topped with a marinated and grilled sirloin steak, fresh chillis, sliced red onions, beansprouts, coriander, spring onions and a wedge of lime." The dish was so overseasoned that the broth was completely inedible and the rest of the dish almost so. Every bite was dripping with sauce and oil. The steak itself was pretty good, but did not belong in a bowl of ramen. Generally, the flavors were so strong that it was hard to find any texture or subtleties. The portion size was disappointing and left me hungry to order Wagamama's overpriced and underwhelming desserts (which include such hundred year Japanese staples like chocolate fudge cake).

I would like to note that this review was written about Wagamama's ramen specifically, and not the other noodle options available. In fact, some people in my group did enjoy their rice noodles. You might enjoy places like Wagamama if you're the type of person who thinks that PF Chang's is the epitome of Chinese food. But as far as ramen goes, for a more authentic experience, head straight to Ken's Ramen in Allston or Sapporo Ramen in Porter Square instead.

Nissin Demae - Tonkotsu Flavor

Lately, I've found myself eating a string of Nissin Demae ramens. I'm not really sure why, 99 Ranch Market must have been having a sale or something when I picked these up. Anyhow, these are the Tonkotsu Flavor, which Sandi reviewed nearly 2 years ago!

Tonkotsu flavor is a pretty popular style of fresh ramen, although not as popular as Shio (salt flavored), Shoyu (soy sauce flavored), or Miso (miso flavored). Tonkotsu broth is made out of crushed pork bones and is usually a milky white color. The first sip of this broth reveals its strong pork identity.


One thing that I really like about Nissin Demae noodles is that they retain a tiny bit of crispiness even after being cooked in the broth. I don't like when the noodles get completely soggy like they do with those excuses for noodles that come in styrofoam cups.

I thought that this broth was just too salty. Interestingly, this is a complaint that I also sometimes have with restaurant ramen. The plentiful sesame seeds are a pleasant departure from the ordinary and a nice touch. However, they can't rescue this broth which is just too salty.

Nissin Demae - Tonkotsu Flavor - 4.0/10

Nissin Demae - Spicy Seafood Flavor

I usually consider the spicy seafood ramen flavors as the specialty of the Korean manufacturers. However, I was excited to see an offering from the Japanese ramen giant Nissin and more than willing to sample it.


One problem that often plagues seafood ramen is the overwhelming pungent fishy flavor. To counteract this, ramen makers often make the seafood based soup very spicy so that the broth is multidimensional. In this case, the broth was extremely garlicky and had a slight creamy nature that seemed to thicken it slightly. The spiciness was definitely strong but was almost deceptive. This is the kind of broth which you will be happily slurping away and then suddenly break out into a coughing fit from the spiciness.


Not surprisingly, the noodles themselves are Nissin's typical noodles. Nothing special, but far better than the stuff that comes in the styrofoam cups. I liked that they decided to complicate the seafood flavor with garlic and spiciness. Altogether, I think that Nissin pulled off this flavor quite well. Still, it's not anything special in the wide range of spicy seafood noodles in the pantheon of ramen.

Nissin Demae - Spicy Seafood Flavor - 6.5/10

Paldo Korean Noodle - Kimchi Flavor

Although I've never tasted this particular pack of instant noodles, I had a pretty good idea what they would taste like. Most Korean brands specialize in hot and spicy flavors, but Paldo actually has quite an extensive line of non-spicy noodles.

No surprises here as the broth turned bright red upon addition of the flavoring packet. As expected, the broth packed quite a spicy punch. Like their Korean brethren, the noodles themselves tended to be a little thicker and chewier.

Honestly, the flavor of these noodles is practically indistinguishable from other Korean spicy noodles. With that said, they are still all very good and one of my favorite styles of instant noodle. My advice is to buy whichever one happens to be on sale that day!

Paldo Korean Noodle - Kimchi Flavor - 7.0/10

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

Nissin Demae - Chicken Flavor

I am very familar with Nissin Demae ramen noodles, having often eaten them while growing up. The most popular flavors are probably the beef, chicken, and the spicy flavors. All the Nissin Demae noodles come with the same ramen brick but with different flavoring packets to differentiate them. Some even have a flavored oil packet.


The Nissin Demae noodles are a little crispy and have a nice nutty flavor to them. The broth, as you might expect, tastes like chicken broth. The flavor of these noodles is a little bit weak, so the dish lends itself nicely to a healthy addition of Sriracha sauce.

The Nissin Demae chicken flavor is a nice basic ramen. The noodles themselves are quite delicious and the chicken broth is conservative yet hearty. With some Sriracha sauce, these noodles can be a good, satisfying meal.

Nissin Demae - Chicken Flavor - 6.0/10

Samyang Foods - KalGugSu Noodle Soup

I am not too familiar with what KalGugSu is supposed to be, but I believe it is a Korean dish made with a shellfish broth and chewy noodles. The picture on the front of this pack seems to corroborate my hypothesis. These noodles are made by Samyang Foods, one of the giants of Korean instant noodles along with Nong Shim and Paldo.

Unlike all other Korean noodles that I've had, KalGugSu's noodles are wide and flat. They are also chewier and maintain their chewiness even when cooked for a long time. The other surprise here is that this pack is not hot and spicy, like almost all other Korean noodles.

For once, I was not completely disgusted by the seafood tasting broth. The taste is quite clammy, but it is done in a savory way that actually tastes like clam. The bits of seaweed and carrot in the broth were helpful as well. I still prefer the hot and spicy types of Korean noodles but this is a nice change of pace. Both the texture of the noodles and the flavor of the broth are very different than the usual fare.

Samyang Foods - KalGugSu Noodle Soup - 6.0/10

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

Ramen King Dies, Aged 96

It's a sad day for Ramen Lovers all over the world today as news has broken that Momofuko Ando has passed away at the age of 96. This ramen pioneer was the founder of Japan's Nissin Food Products Co. and is credited as being the inventor of instant ramen.

I consider Ando's invention one of food science's greatest innovations in the 20th century. Instant ramen has brought quick and delicious meals to billions of people across the globe. I will honor Ando's passing by enjoying a steaming bowl of instant noodles.

Uni-President - Tung-I Instant Ramen Noodles

These are definitely the most unique instant noodles I have ever had. There is no specific flavor assigned to these, they are just "Instant Ramen Noodles" with a picture of a Merlin-esque wizard looking through a telescope. Weighing in at a miniscule 40g, these are a really tiny pack of noodles but could work well as part of a larger meal.

The back of the package contains Uni-President's slogan, which is "A Kiss to the Spirit of the Future". These particular noodles are released with several different space themed cartoon images on the packaging like astronauts and planets. I happened to pick the wizard looking through the telescope, but I assume all the different space-themed noodles have the same contents. The amount of noodles is absolutely tiny, but that was OK because I was eating some leftovers with the meal.


As you might expect, there is no distinctive flavor to these, as no particular flavor is even suggested by the packaging. It tasted a little bit like garlic and salt, but nothing was overwhelming. The noodles themselves were quite good. Like most Taiwanese noodles, they were extremely soft and flavorful. The noodles had almost a nutty flavor to them which I think comes from being fried in palm oil. All in all, these noodles were pretty good, but could only serve as a small piece of a bigger meal. I did really enjoy the packaging, though!

Uni-President - Tung-I Instant Ramen Noodles - 5.5/10

Nissin Demae Rice Vermicelli - Spicy Flavor

A few weeks ago, I was sorely disappointed by the Nissin Demae Ramen - Spicy Flavor. These are quite similar to those so I was a little wary going in. The Nissin Demae Ramen had just not been spicy at all and lacked much flavor at all. But I have had good success in the past with Nissin Spicy Flavor noodles so I was willing to give this type another try. The packaging is very similar to the packaging for Nissin Demae Ramen, even down to the little cartoon boy carrying a box of noodles.

This pack of noodles is different because it is vermicelli instead of ramen. Vermicelli is a very thin strand of rice noodle that is amazingly absorbent. Because of their huge absorbent properties, these 65g of noodles seem to fill you up more a little bit more than they should.


Unlike the Ramen variant of these noodles, this pack became nice, red and spicy. There is not much flavor to these except for the heat, but that is expected since they are labelled as "Spicy Flavor". The vermicelli tend to stick to each other which is a little annoying, but hardly the fault of Nissin. If you try to pick up a few bite-sized strands to eat, chances are the whole ball will stick to it and get pulled out of the soup. After experiencing these, I can only surmise that my previous negative experience with the Nissin Demae Ramen - Spicy Flavor must have been the victim of a packaging mistake and lacking the hot oil packet.

Nissin Demae Rice Vermicelli - Spicy Flavor - 8.0/10

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

Nissin Demae Ramen - Spicy Flavor

The Nissin Demae Spicy Flavor is one that I remember fondly from my childhood when my family would purchase entire cases of these. I also remember the fiery bliss of having numb lips and tongue after downing one of these.

The packaging has changed a little bit over the years, but the message remains the same: these things are SPICY. I especially like that they don't try to mask the intent of these noodles as "Spicy Beef Flavor" or "Kimchi Flavor" or anything like that. I am very familiar with Nissin Demae's noodles and they represent the default noodles that I think of when I think of instant ramen.

I was very confused when I made these noodles. They looked nothing like I remembered, which was a sea of red, almost as intense as seen on the packaging. The taste was even more disappointing! It really wasn't spicy at all, and tasted mostly of just sesame oil. I have no idea what went wrong, but I'm hoping that I just received a fluke package or something. I will have to pick up another pack of these sometime and find out for sure.

Nissin Demae Ramen - Spicy Flavor - 4.0/10

Wai Wai - Minced Pork Soeng Kreung Flavour Instant Noodle

As usual, I don't really know what the name of these instant noodles mean, but that didn't stop me from trying them. These are imported from Thailand, so I'm guessing that Minced Pork Soeng Kreung is a Thai dish.

These are on the smallish side for instant noodles, as tend to be the case with imports from Thailand. Thai noodles also tend to be more exotic flavors, which is a sharp contrast with imports other countries, especially Korea.

The noodles themselves were much thinner than the typical instant noodles. They tasted quite good and reminded me of mifun noodles, although these were made with wheat instead of rice. The broth flavoring consists mostly of onion and spicy oil. It was quite good, although I thought it was a little bit too oily. I was a little surprised that these turned out to be spicy, but not disappointed because I rather like spicy instant noodles.

Wai Wai - Minced Pork Soeng Kreung Flavour Instant Noodle - 6.5/10

Samyang Foods - Leebaikyang

It's hard not to notice these noodles on the shelf with their flaming red packaging. Made by Samyang Foods, the Leebaikyang noodles are imported from Korea and are graced by a trio of jolly musicians on the package. I have no idea what Leebaikyang means, but I have had good success with Samyang Foods in the past, so I decided to try these noodles. Judging by the packaging and where these noodles come from, I would guess that they are probably spicy hot with not much other flavor.


Like all their other products, Samyang noodles are very chewy and need to be cooked a little longer than the average ramen. However, I feel that they also tend to be tastier with a little more flavor as well. They definitely have more substance and will fill you up better.


As I expected, these noodles turned out to be just like every other one of Samyang Food's spicy instant noodles. The spiciness is very strong and has a tangy chili powder flavor. There's a nice amount of scallions and dried shitake mushrooms to add some variety. Nong Shim and Samyang are certainly battling it out to win the Korean hot and spicy noodle battle. Their products are so similar and redundant that I cannot really tell them apart. But they happen to be one of my favorite styles so I am not going to complain!

Samyang Foods - Leebaikyang - 8.0/10