The Ramen Rater

www.theramenrater.com
www.youtube.com/theramenratertube
www.instagram.com/theramenraterter Why, offend their beloved instant noodles, of course.

‘Ramen Rater’ makes his mark

Hans Lienesch, an Anacortes native who's known as the "Ramen Rater," stirred up controversy in April, when he failed to list any Taiwanese noodles on his website rating list. Posted: Saturday, June 15, 2013 6:00 am

By Lynsi Burton
@Lynsi_SVH

How does someone outrage the entire Taiwanese island and remain a media target for days? Anacortes native Hans Lienesch contin

ues to dominate the world of instant noodles with his ever-growing website, The Ramen Rater. Now an Edmonds resident, Lienesch reviews instant noodles from all over the globe each day and posts his detailed thoughts to his website. And his thoughts are taken quite seriously.

“It’s getting pretty crazy,” Lienesch said. The Ramen Rater has passed judgment on 1,081 noodles and counting, with no end in sight. Lienesch caused an international stir in April when he posted his 2013 “Top Ten Instant Noodles of All Time,” a list that changes from year to year as he tastes ever more types of noodles. The Taiwanese media, hailing from a country that values its instant noodles, targeted Lienesch for not including any

Taiwanese varieties in his list.

“The Taiwanese are extremely proud of their instant noodles,” he said. His name and top 10 list remained in the Taiwanese news cycle for about three days, Lienesch said. A television segment featuring a Taiwanese man angrily pumping his fist with graphic flames blasted Lienesch for his omission. Tens of thousands of Taiwanese people posted comments to The Ramen Rater site. Lienesch finally issued an apology. But the Taiwanese omission wasn’t completely his fault. Genuine Taiwanese noodles are hard to come by locally because the United States can’t import certain ingredients included in the noodles, Lienesch said. A lot of Taiwanese varieties are Americanized and lose their authentic quality. Even when people mail Lienesch noodles from various spots on the globe, authorities will rifle through his packages and remove certain items. Though he enraged an entire republic, the controversy elevated Lienesch’s stature a bit in the instant noodle community.

“Being in the news like that, I’m considered the expert on instant noodles now,” he said. Now Taiwanese companies mail him their noodles, and he often interviews company representatives to introduce their brand to his readers. Lienesch also was featured this year in a Japanese TV show called “God of Patena,” where a panel of people discuss a random topic. An American character on the show interviewed Lienesch for his opinions on instant noodles and allowed him to present his top three — which were different at the time of the show’s filming. The character, a sort of bumbling “Larry the Cable Guy”-like figure, interviewed Lienesch over Skype. However, when looking back on the video clip, he can’t figure out what’s going on.

“I don’t know what they’re talking about most of the time,” he said. Soaring past 1,000 different noodles, Lienesch isn’t even close to running out of noodles to try, as fans and instant noodle companies continue to send him samples.

“I see no end in sight for the Ramen Rater,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun. I enjoy every bit of it.”

05/10/2026

#5538: Indomie Korean Ramyeon Spicy Mushroom Flavour - Indonesia

Added egg, dumplings, basil, scallion, sesame seed, and crushed red pepper. Noodle is very thick - and chewy. Almost like it wasn't done enough, but it worked. Broth had savory and veryr spicy attributes as well as a little sweetness. Included veg was prevalent. It didn't seem crazy mushroomy though. Altogether it was interestiing and pretty enjoyable. 3.75 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 8994963004101.

See this and over 5,000 reviews, recipes, top ten lists and more at www.theramenrater.com

#ラーメン #方便麵 #泡麵

Indomie Korean Ramyeon Spicy Mushroom Flavour – Indonesia — Instant Noodle Recipe Time — EP 2766

05/10/2026

Time to cook -

Indomie Korean Ramyeon Spicy Mushroom Flavour – Indonesia — Instant Noodle Recipe Time — EP 2766 ---------------------------------------------------See this and over 5,000 reviews, recipes, top ten lists and more at https://www.theramenrater.comFinally, ...

#5538: Indomie Korean Ramyeon Spicy Mushroom - Indonesia

05/10/2026

Here's one that may slipped past your radar...

#5538: Indomie Korean Ramyeon Spicy Mushroom - Indonesia The Ramen Rater tries a new Indomie variety to grace American shores, part of a Korean-styled range from Indonesia

05/09/2026

#5537: Nissin Demae Iccho 100% Hokkaido Wheat Flour Black Garlic Oil Tonkotsu Flavor Instant Ramen - Hong Kong

Added egg, sesame seed, scallion, chashu, and narutomaki. Noodle is great - a fried instant with flour that makes it a bit more sturdy on the chew and mouthfeel. Broth is milky with a really nice savory flavor and then the black garlic oil that catapults it to the next level. Truly enjoyed this one and highly recommend. 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 4897878930060.

See this and over 5,000 reviews, recipes, top ten lists and more at www.theramenrater.com

#ラーメン #方便麵 #泡麵 #

Nissin Demae Iccho Hokkaido Black Garlic Oil Tonkotsu –Hong Kong—Instant Noodle Recipe Time — EP2765

05/09/2026

Time to cook -

Nissin Demae Iccho Hokkaido Black Garlic Oil Tonkotsu –Hong Kong—Instant Noodle Recipe Time — EP2765 ---------------------------------------------------See this and over 5,000 reviews, recipes, top ten lists and more at https://www.theramenrater.comFinally, ...

#5537: Nissin Demae Iccho 100% Hokkaido Wheat Black Garlic Oil Tonkotsu - Hong Kong

05/09/2026

Black garlic Demae Ramen upgrade -

#5537: Nissin Demae Iccho 100% Hokkaido Wheat Black Garlic Oil Tonkotsu - Hong Kong The Ramen Rater tries a 100% Hokkaido wheat flour version of Demae Iccho black garlic oil tonkotsu from Hong Kong

05/08/2026

#5536: Samyang MEP Garlic & Clam Flavor - United States

Added pepper thread, scallion, and sesame seed. Noodle is excellent - great chewiness a and gauge. The broth is fascinating; a kind of garlic seafood with extra heat on it. I dunno - not bad but needs a little extra savoriness. 3.5 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 192699001502.

See this and over 5,000 reviews, recipes, top ten lists and more at www.theramenrater.com

#ラーメン #方便麵 #泡麵

Samyang MEP Garlic & Clam Flavor – United States — Instant Noodle Recipe Time — EP 2764

05/08/2026

Let's MEP it up -

Samyang MEP Garlic & Clam Flavor – United States — Instant Noodle Recipe Time — EP 2764 ---------------------------------------------------See this and over 5,000 reviews, recipes, top ten lists and more at https://www.theramenrater.comFinally, ...

#5536: Samyang MEP Garlic & Clam Flavor - United States - THE RAMEN RATER

05/08/2026

A naming convention sure to confuse -

#5536: Samyang MEP Garlic & Clam Flavor - United States - THE RAMEN RATER The Ramen Rater tries a garlic and clam variety from Samyang's new MEP range - a wordplay of spicy and chewy

05/07/2026

#5535: Indomie Beef Flavor - Turkey

Added Chinese sausage, scallion, sesame, and scallion. Noodle works well insofar as hydrating. The broth is very interesting; it's like a beef flavor, however there is this piquantness in there which is compelling and a little different. 3.5 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 8680908021103.

See this and over 5,000 reviews, recipes, top ten lists and more at www.theramenrater.com

#ラーメン #方便麵 #泡麵

Indomie Beef Flavor – Turkey — Instant Noodle Recipe Time — EP 2763

05/07/2026

Time to steep -

Indomie Beef Flavor – Turkey — Instant Noodle Recipe Time — EP 2763 ---------------------------------------------------See this and over 5,000 reviews, recipes, top ten lists and more at https://www.theramenrater.comFinally, ...

Want your public figure to be the top-listed Public Figure in Seattle?
Click here to claim your Sponsored Listing.

Website

http://www.theramenrater.com/

Address

Seattle, WA

The Ramen Rater

Share

Category

Website

Address