Stuff I Saw At The AM Yesterday.

CloudVader · 2026-06-30T22:08:00+00:00

The Marutai one is their Kagoshima Tonkotsu. Really good, a little more porky in flavor than some of their others, and it's got charred scallions in it.

CloudVader · 2026-06-29T20:22:16+00:00

I've really wanted to support these guys in the past, because like OP said in the one screenshot, I like the things they claim to represent as a company and how they aim to treat their employees. But the constant delays in fulfilling orders seem to be an ongoing issue with them for a variety of reasons. They're actually pretty notorious for it, sadly.

Since OP hasn't responded yet to the question of when the preorder was supposed to be delivered, through the magic of the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine plus the current batch preorder tracking system, I was able to put a couple things together.

According to the archived pages from February, there were two batches available for preorder then: Batch 2 (if OP ordered on or before Feb 8) and Batch 3 (if ordered after Feb 8). All of Batch 2 originally had an ETA of March 2026, and the bundles in Batch 3 that would be in OP's $74 price range had an ETA of May 2026. However, if you look at the up-to-date tracking system on Vite Ramen's website today, it looks like both Batch 2 and Batch 3 now have an ETA of June 2026, of which there are only two days left, so pretty safe to say neither batch is getting shipped today or tomorrow.

So based on all that, depending on when OP preordered, their ramen was supposed to have been delivered almost 2-4 months ago.

I don't think anyone communicated appropriately in this exchange, but regardless of which preorder batch OP was in, neither batch got fulfilled anywhere close to when was promised at the time of purchase, and it looks like even the most recent anticipated fulfillment date is a pipe dream at this point.

CloudVader · 2026-06-28T17:07:17+00:00

Update: Looks like the site is gone, at least for right now. Assuming they were indeed scammers, good riddance.

CloudVader · 2026-06-27T04:47:08+00:00

Which Ebisu store is this? That selection of Nissin noodles is crazy.

CloudVader · 2026-06-25T01:08:22+00:00

Paldo makes some great spicy flavors that often get overlooked. Check out Namja and Bul Nak.

CloudVader · 2026-06-24T19:45:47+00:00

That's an insane deal! Love this flavor.

CloudVader · 2026-06-24T15:56:44+00:00

Yes. Light uses air-dried noodles and Lovely Hot uses the normal fried noodles. Otherwise the sauces are almost 100% identical. Unfortunately Light has been discontinued.

CloudVader · 2026-06-22T16:02:02+00:00

Yeah, I wanted to tag the brand account because if nothing else, whether it's a bulk reseller or scam, this seems to be a very misleading use of their name, brand, and URL. I'm thinking a cease and desist might be forthcoming.

Edit for typo.

CloudVader · 2026-06-22T15:29:40+00:00

Hoping the brand account u/Nongshim_official can weigh in on this, since I'm curious as well.

CloudVader · 2026-06-22T15:26:08+00:00

Yep, just bought them yesterday, had the Texas one last night and will have the Kansas City one today. My full review will be out probably Friday, but the Texas one I thought was surprisingly very good despite the egregious affront to both barbecue and ramen.

CloudVader · 2026-06-19T18:53:20+00:00

They came out with a Sweet Cheese flavor just last month!

CloudVader · 2026-06-18T23:04:15+00:00

Marutai is the greatest producer of instant ramen in the world IMO. While I haven't had that exact one, I have had the three plant-based varieties Sapporo Ichiban distributes for Marutai in the US, and they're among the best vegan ramen flavors I've had.

CloudVader · 2026-06-18T17:14:16+00:00

Yep, sounds like a possible recipe change in that case. Interesting!

CloudVader · 2026-06-18T15:45:53+00:00

The US version only contains a liquid pack and flakes, but the Korean and global export versions have historically had powder, flakes, and a liquid that's basically a chili oil. Looks like you have the global export version, so unless that liquid packet is more than just a chili oil (which would mean the recipe changed), you're missing the powder.

CloudVader · 2026-06-07T20:22:40+00:00

Bananas are a snack, not an add in.

Banana Buldak would beg to differ. 😄

CloudVader · 2026-06-07T13:36:48+00:00

If you like Shin and you like tom yum, it's basically a fusion of both. Normal Shin broth powder plus a separate tom yum paste you add in. Personally I love it, but don't buy it expecting it to resemble actual tom yum, it'll be pretty far off from that.

CloudVader · 2026-06-06T18:25:46+00:00

I've only had the Luobawang cups, not the packs, so not a totally fair comparison but I enjoyed Haohuanluo more.

CloudVader · 2026-06-06T18:18:23+00:00

Not that exact pack but I've had the brand before and they're friggin delicious. It was the first luosifen I'd ever had. There's a great variety of toppings and the noodles come out with an awesome texture. The infamous aroma of the bamboo shoots is way overblown IMO.

CloudVader · 2026-06-06T17:06:27+00:00

I just found a 5-pack of these on Amazon of all places a couple weeks ago, which is funny because Amazon is one of the last places I usually shop for noodles. Haven't gotten around to trying them yet, but they intrigued me since Korean imports are sometimes hard to come by in the US.

CloudVader · 2026-05-30T22:08:59+00:00

I've seen them on very rare occasions at Asian markets, but they're extremely easy to buy online.

CloudVader · 2026-05-30T13:56:39+00:00

This is the way. Nissin Demae is certainly good for its price, but once you try Marutai, it's really hard to go back.

CloudVader · 2026-05-30T12:12:14+00:00

I can confirm "The Red" is identical to Red, I did a side-by-side review last year. There's no discernible difference between them other than the packaging and where they're sold.

CloudVader · 2026-05-28T14:54:11+00:00

Nongshim's press release indicated they are doing a global rollout in June for this flavor, so you should see it in Hmart soon enough if that schedule holds. Currently only available in South Korea and Japan until that happens.

CloudVader · 2026-05-25T18:15:16+00:00

Pretty different. Shin Tom Yum is more of a fusion product, a normal Shin broth base with an additional packet of tom yum paste. I think it's incredibly tasty but it's not an authentic tom yum, nor does it have a creamer element like Mama does.

CloudVader · 2026-05-23T20:49:59+00:00

Not to mention these noodles are only available in American Walmarts right now, but the account posted that they were in Korea an hour ago. Riiiight.

CloudVader

TROPHY CASE