Nora Sinigang Ramen

I’ve only had sinigang once. My friend, Jeanelle, made it with fish heads at a foodie event and I absolutely loved the tamarind sourness in it. That experience is what made me want to try the instant version.

Produced in the Philippines.

What’s in the Package

Inside the bowl, you’ll find a round block of non-fried wheat noodles and two sachets. The transparent packet is the vegetable sachet containing dried bok choy, carrots, and mushrooms. The silver-and-green sachet contains the Sinigang soup base powder.

How to Cook Nora Sinigang Ramen

1. Open the lid halfway. Empty both the vegetable sachet and the soup base powder onto the noodles.
2. Pour boiling water up to the inside fill line.
3. Close the lid and let sit for 5 minutes.
4. Remove the lid, stir thoroughly to ensure the tamarind powder is fully dissolved, and serve.

How Does It Taste

Opening the packet I was immediately put off by a slight soapy smell. It’s noticeable and off-putting enough that I was worried going in. But the flavor didn’t follow through on that warning. The sourness was actually great. It was tamarind forward, well-calibrated, and the kind of sour that keeps you going back for another sip.

I found myself enjoying this more and more as I ate it which is a specific kind of instant ramen experience worth noting.

The bowl includes dehydrated baby shrimp and dried vegetables which add a small amount of substance. The noodles take 5 minutes which is longer than most instant noodles, worth knowing before you start. Thin and wavy, no spice, thin broth.

How Does It Compare

There’s nothing else on the site that goes for the sinigang profile specifically. The closest flavors in terms of a sour Southeast Asian broth are the Acecook Hao Hao Hot Sour Shrimp and the Wai Wai Quick Zabb Tom Yum Shrimp. They’re both sour forward seafood broths but from different traditions. The Nora is the only Filipino tamarind sour bowl in the catalogue and it stands on its own for that reason.

How to Level Up Nora Sinigang Ramen

More boiled shrimp to boost the seafood element the dehydrated shrimp is suggesting but not delivering. Fresh spinach adds the green that sinigang traditionally has. Minced garlic cooked into the broth adds a pungent note that cuts through the sourness and gives the bowl more depth.

Final Verdict

Don’t let the smell put you off. The sourness is the real story here and it’s a good one. A tamarind sour broth in instant form that actually captures something of the original. Worth trying if you’re a sinigang fan or just curious about Filipino soups in an instant format.

How do I rate my ramen? Check out the Ramen Rating Guide.

Related Instant Ramen

• Acecook Hao Hao Hot Sour Shrimp
• Wai Wai Quick Zabb Tom Yum Shrimp Flavor
• Lucky Me Pancit Canton Chilimansi
• Mama Tom Yum Shrimp Instant Noodles
• Nguyen’s Pho Instant Rice Noodles Seafood Flavor

Where to buy Nora Sinigang Ramen

• Weee!