#060 PALDO Kimchi Noodle
I love these noodles! Paldo has somehow captured the savory, spicy (mild really) and sour of kimchi in a bowl! Besides the oh-so delicious and addictive soup the noodles are pleasantly thin and so dang good. Very slurp friendly. I remember snacking on these noodles after school. It was a really quick and easy meal for a kid to make by oneself. I have memories of licking the seasoning with my fingers (which I still do on occasions) and carefully pouring the hot water exactly to the first groove. Mmmm…the good ole days……………….are back!
Unfortunately, I had completely forgotten how good these kimchi flavored noodles are. But those days are over! On one fateful Costco trip I finally caved and bought the whole case. For so many years I saw the 18 case pack in the instant soup isle and never had the compulsion to buy them. Maybe I took them for granted seeing as they were so accessible being sold at Costco. Well also, it’s a case of 18 bowls of the same noodle…I was afraid I was going to get sick of them – HA! I was so wrong. These noodles have been officially been bumped to my “must have at all times” list. I think I’m getting hungry looking at these pictures! I confess that I do contemplate having a second bowl after I’ve tasting the MSG goodness.
#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).
#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.