#059 ITOMEN Chanpon Men
I can’t remember where I found these noodles but I think I bought them in Hawaii at the Japanese super market. 1 packet seasoning powder. 1 packet dried shrimp and bits of green onions and shitake mushrooms. Light broth.
#058 NONGSHIM Chapagetti Chajang Noodle
Saying the name of these noodles are enjoyable indeed. Chapagetti! Chapagetti! Mmmm…the gold packaging makes it look officially tasty. Inspired by the noodle bag I added a sprinkle of bite sized red onion and a sprinkle of frozen vegetables.
These noodles came with a packet of oil and a packet of powdered seasoning. Once the noodles and veggies were cooked and drained in went the seasoning and oil and mix mix mix! Think of Indomie Mie Goreng. The powder turned into a thick paste which made it hard to combine. The teeny oil packet was not enough. I could have added more olive oil but I didn’t.
And tada! Here is the result of all that stirring. Doesn’t look very appetizing does it? And honestly, the flavor was ok. Edible…but not as good as restaurant made Ja Jang Mien. The noodles were thick and chewy which are the textures that always agree with me. If you’re wondering what flavor this is, it’s bean paste flavor which is a bit nutty and salty. I’m happy with my decision to add the onions and frozen veggies. The onions and corn balanced this flavor out with a little sweetness. But I’d still eat Chapagetti again just not anytime soon.
#057 VIFON Bun Lau Thai – Thai Style Instant Vermicelli
Although the cooking suggestions say to cook the noodles in the bowl I normally boil instant rice noodles in the pot (especially rice vermicelli). I usually use a hot water dispenser for cup and bowl noodles but the temperature of the water isn’t thaaat hot to begin with so it doesn’t cook rice noodles very thoroughly. So instead of waiting for the water to boil and then waiting for the noodles to cook in the bowl, I get it done faster in the pot. However, I thought I’d follow the directions this time to see what happens. Surprisingly, the texture of the noodles turned out pretty good and ended up cooking all the way through. I wanted to make lunch a little more substantial so I added some shrimp. I sliced the shrimp in half length-wise (I figured it would cook faster and all the way through this way) and dropped them in the bowl to cook with the noodles. And tada! it worked! A little cilantro and lunch was ready. The soup is light, a little sour with hints of lemongrass…mmm…and fried onions. Overall the Thai flavor was light but still tasty.
#056 MYOJO Super Star Specialized Noodles Creamy Seafood Flavor
Straight from the magical land of ramen aka… Japon! I can’t even put into words how excited I was to consume this rare treat! There wasn’t any English on the packaging which was fabulous because it meant it was authentico. Peeling back the lid revealed 4 seasoning packets! It was like finding gold.
As you can see, there’s a packet of oil, 1 packet of seasoning powder, a packet included dehydrated corn, tako with meat bits and finally the last packet was of dehyrdated cabbage and wood ear. So many ingredients! As soon as I saw the noodles I knew I was in for a treat. These noodles claim to be fresher and healthier because they are dried not fried. And these are special noodle master quality which is the best! (so the bowl claims)
The best thing to use to keep the lid down is a plate. But I’ve also used my small cutting board, books and even a calculator! Grab whatever’s flat and heavy!
Finally! The finished product. I really didn’t know what to expect but when I saw creamy white soup I was ecstatic! The noodles were round, thick, spongy and chewy. The soup was creamy and salty with a sweet finish. MMMM. It was really nice to chow down on big pieces of cabbage and corn. SOOO good. Mental note to self: buy as many instant noodles from Japan while in Japan (whenever that happens).
