#053 FU CHANG Beef and Noodles
Oooo….this was a weird one. I’ve never seen this particular noodle in stores personally. This was part of a noodle bundle that a friend gave me for my birthday. As I started removing the outer packaging, I noticed the words “real beef inside” printed on the corner. A real meat packet inside? Is this an import? If so, how did it get pass customs? Strange. A while back a friend introduced me to Taiwanese instant noodles with real meat which was sooo good. The Taiwanese noodles are hard to come by because customs will confiscate them because of the “real” meat factor. There’s a “seal” printed on the package that says it’s been inspected and passed by U.S. customs that I am not sure about. To continue…I peeled back the lid to find 4 goodie packets (which I have decided were too many in this case). There was the usual seasoning powder & dehyrdrated vegetables, in addition there was a packet of brown paste and a large packet of fully cooked seasoned beef. Oh…and a plastic fork. I dumped all the ingredients into the bowl, added the water and waited. After 5-7 minutes, I peeled off the lid and a surge of steam engulfed my face and the scent of Chinese beef stew filled my nose. Smelled good! Didn’t taste so good though. The soup was WAY too salty and oily. The meat looked like pet food. I took a nibble on a small piece and that was it for me. These were so bad that I could not continue.
#052 MYOJO Chukazanmai with Soy Base
This Myojo Chukazanmai ended up being very yummy. When I unwrapped the package, the first thing I noticed was the dried noodles. It looked like they were handmade because of their inconsistent shape. Preparation was a little different than usual: boil noodles in water, take off heat, pour noodles into bowl and add seasoning powder, oil/soy mixture and combine thoroughly. You’ll notice that the seasoning powder dissolves immediately, which is a nice attention to detail. I wish Mi Goreng seasoning powder dissolved so quickly and consistently. The soy was strong but went well with the toasty chili oil. A very nice balance flavor-wise. My soup was a little too salty….i should have added a bit more water. However, despite that minor adjustment…these noodles were great. The noodles were soft and chewy because of their unusual shape. And the simple flavors of the soup are rich and comforting. Good thing I have another pack on hand.
#050 MARUCHAN Midori No Tanuki Instant Soba Bowl
Mmmm. This was quite a treat. To date, this is only the second instant soba that I’ve tried and yet again, it was mighty tasty. The broth was savory with a sweet finish. I think it’s bonito based? The soba noodles tasted like…well soba noodles? Hearty, earthy and a bit grainier in texture. The tempura puffs and tempura disc of green peas and carrots (I think?) soaked up the broth so every bite bursted with flavor. Maruchan noodles bowls have not let me down to date.
#049 NISSIN Cup Noodle Milk Seafood
I thought to myself today…what is this obsession with food pictures? Why do I like to document food through photographs? I must admit that I do scroll through my own posts and admire the pictures that I’ve taken over the past year and a half. They make me hungry. As I write this post and look at the pictures of this tasty treat I’m reminded of how freakin’ good this flavor was! I got a big whiff of shrimp when I peeled back the lid. Inside the cup, on top of the noodles are dehydrated ingredients like thinly sliced tako (octopus), cabbage, dehydrated segments of imitation crab, green onion and egg puffs. All covered with white creamy seasoning powder. In went the hot water exactly to the fill line and the 3 minute wait began. My mouth watered as I waited in anticipation. When it was finally time, I peeled back the lid and savored my first bite. The milk seafood flavor is like a super light version of clam chowder, minus the clam flavor. More like crab chowder. You get extra bursts of flavor from the little egg puffs because they soak up the soup. With all the accoutrements, this meal in a cup turned out to be a very substantial lunch. Why do the Japanese torture us like this? Why don’t they release this delicious flavor here in the states for us to enjoy? Oooooh how I yearn for more. More Milk Curry too.