Ottogi Sesame Flavor Ramen

Made By:  Ottogi Ramyun Co. Ltd. [Korea]
Preparation:  Saucepan & Range
490 calories per package

Available online via Amazon

For dinner tonight, we had the last selection of the instant noodles from the June Ramen Box!  My sweetie recently told me (while we were having the Sapporo Ichiban Shio Ramen that included the sesame seed topping) that she enjoys the flavor of sesame, so I am hoping this will be a hit with the entire Ramen Butterfly household.  The back of the package promises that the included Egg Block will also deliver "the rich flavor of roasted sesame," so that sounds promising.

The noodle block is a brighter yellow color than usual, and there are three included seasoning packets:  There is the dry soup base packet, the aforementioned "Egg Block", and a small packet of bright orange sesame oil.  We bring 500cc of water to a boil, then we add the soup base, egg block, and noodles and cook for four minutes.  After transferring to a bowl, we add the small amount of sesame oil and stir.  We also notice that the square Egg Block seems to have completely disappeared, so apparently instead of being a Block, it was supposed to disperse and become part of the broth.  In any case, the noodles are ready to serve!

I have to say, I am starting to get bored with the oppressive spice level of most Korean ramyuns.  It's not that I can't handle spicy food, either; I mean 'oppressive' in the sense that all the other flavors which are supposed to be present get oppressed by the large amount of chili heat.

This ramen is unfortunately a prime example:  The package doesn't even mention anything about being spicy, and it promises "rich flavor of roasted sesame."  The Ramen Box pamphlet does mention the "spicy level" is Medium, but also reassures us that this "offers a balanced taste of nuttiness and spiciness" and that the "addition of the egg block adds a savory taste to the broth."  What do we have instead?  Yet another slight variation of Shin Ramyun.  It's a shame, because the tiny hints of the subflavors that I can pick up seem like they could have been interesting, if they weren't too busy being oppressed.
My wife was even less impressed by the level of oppression, and added some American cheese to tone down the heat.  Unfortunately this didn't do anything to liberate the alleged sesame and egg undertones, and instead just turned it into some mediocre nacho cheese soup.

For the record, the noodles have a firm and slightly slippery texture, and remind me of the 'udon' style noodles from Neoguri et al.  However, I'm just adding that to the list of ways this could have been interesting but chose not to be.  I don't imagine I'll be buying this one. :\

Menraku Japanese Curry "Udon"

Made By:  Hikari Miso Co. Ltd. [Japan]
Required to Prepare:  Hot Water
340 calories per package

Available online via AsianFoodGrocer

One of the perks of my job is that I don't get a lunch hour.

No, really, it's kind of a perk, because in trade for having to be present and on-call through lunch, the company buys all my work lunches (along with providing lunch for the examining doctors). Occasionally, though, there is a day where none of the doctors want to order lunch--and rather than make a delivery order just for myself, I try to keep a (company-purchased) stash of bowl noodles and yakisoba-style 'tray' noodles in the cabinet for such occasions.

Anyway, I recently had the opportunity to try Menraku's Japanese Curry "Udon" for lunch at work.  The bowl has the standard two packets (soup base and dried veggies) and some wide, thick instant style noodles.  To prepare, we empty the packets into the bowl, fill up to the fill line with boiling water, and stand for five minutes.  Then after a quick stir, the noodles are ready to eat!

I am glad that Menraku put the word "Udon" in quotation marks on the package, as if they know they're using the term loosely, because these noodles are almost completely unlike any 'real' udon I've experienced.  It's almost as if they're overcooked and undercooked at the same time; they seem a bit soggy, but are also sticky and gummy.  I know it's not fair to compare them to 'fresh' vacuum-packed udon, but Samyang has already proven to me that it's possible to do a dry udon that is reminiscent of the fresh ones.
The noodles did seem to get more pleasant the longer they sat in the broth, but I think that was just that they were transforming from sticky+soggy to just plain soggy.

The broth doesn't save this one either; it has a hint of the proper Japanese curry flavor, but it seems very bland and watered down compared to other curry noodles I've tried--Ottogi's Bekse Curry Myon was way better, and even the 'cheap' Nissin Demae ones were more satisfying.  There isn't even any fun inclusions in the vegetable packet like the potato bits in the Ottogi one.
Unpleasant noodles and mediocre broth adds up to a bowl I won't be buying again, and I'll probably avoid any more of Menraku's quote-unquote "udon" as well.  :\

Thai Kitchen Rice Noodle Cart Pad Thai

Imported By:  Simply Asia Foods, LLC [Product of China]
Required to Prepare:  2 tbsp Water, Microwave
460 calories per package

Tonight, my usually-not-noodle-loving sweetie told me she wasn't all that hungry, and asked if we could have instant noodles for dinner!  I had something in the Noodle Stash for just such an occasion--two packages of these Pad Thai noodles from Thai Kitchen.  They were perfect not only because I actually had two, but because I know my sweetie prefers this type of dish over noodle soups.  Dinner is decided upon, so it's time to cook, eat, and review!

The package consists of a shrink-wrapped plastic container inside the paperboard overwrap; inside this container is a packet of "fresh" rice noodles, some sauce, and foil packs of dried veggies and peanut topping.  We open the noodles and dried veggies into the container, pour the sauce over the noodles and add 2 tablespoons of water, cover loosely with the lid, and microwave for two minutes.  After stirring things up, we top with the peanuts.  I cooked each meal individually, due to the short cook time, so after repeating all of the above, dinner is ready to go!

The texture of the noodles is actually pretty good; they are not sticky and are pleasantly firm.  Unfortunately, that's pretty much the only good thing for me to say about it.  The flavor of the sauce is a bit strange; it's overly tangy and sweet, and tastes much more like a not-very-good hoisin sauce than anything resembling an authentic Pad Thai sauce.  I ended up wishing I had left the peanut topping off; despite the product being in date, the peanuts were quite stale and actually tasted a bit rancid.  Overall, it just didn't seem like a quality product.  And it wasn't just my package; before I mentioned my impressions, my sweetie independently critiqued both the flavor of the sauce and the freshness of the nut topping.

The consensus of the Ramen Butterfly household, then, is that we were a bit disappointed in this one. :\

Samyang Cold Ramen with Ponytail Radish (Yulmu Bibimmyun)

Made By:  Samyang Foods Co., Ltd. (Korea)
Also Required:  Saucepan & Range, Water, Strainer, Bowl/Utensils
550 calories per package

Available online at OrderRamen.com

For today's lunch, I am going to try something completely different--this "stir noodle" style product from Samyang is made to be served chilled (hence the name Cold Ramen).  On the side of the package, it says "Yulmu Bibimmyun," which I'm guessing is a Korean noodle dish of some sort, which this is the instant variety of.  It's also described as a Spicy Radish flavor, so I am expecting the chili heat that is typical for Korean ramyun.  I'm actually a little nervous about this one, I'm not going to lie... but if I didn't want to try it, I shouldn't have bought it in the first place, so here goes!

Inside the package is a block of very pale-looking noodles, and one packet of a deep red seasoning paste.  We are to boil 600ml of water, or around 2-1/2 cups, add the noodles and cook for 4 minutes, then drain them and rinse under cold water until they are chilled.  Then we transfer them to our bowl, add the sauce and toss until mixed well, and it is ready to serve.

I have to say, the experience of eating cold noodles is dramatically different than having hot ones--it's like the difference between a nice hot plate of spaghetti and a cold pasta salad.  The texture of the noodles seems very different; they feel much firmer and chewier, not quite to the point of being off-putting, but almost.  The sauce does have a kind of radish-vegetable flavor going on, but that is all overpowered by the intense heat level.  These are some seriously spicy noodles!  I think I have a pretty good tolerance for the chili heat, but these left my mouth burning for at least fifteen minutes after I was done.  (Even my sweetie commented that I don't normally carry on like that after eating spicy noodles.)  Whew~!

I think overall, I would have to say that these really aren't my kind of thing.  While the fact that they were served cold didn't bother me in and of itself, I didn't really care for the rubbery texture of the noodles, and the spice heat was a little over the top even for me.  I do think that as a cold noodle, they feel more like a summertime thing to me, but if I were to revisit the cold noodle category again in the summer, I think I might try to find something a little less extreme, and give this one a pass.  :\

Truth in Advertising Special: Wanchai Ferry Orange Chicken vs. PF Chang's Home Menu Orange Chicken

In recent weeks, I've noticed a particular TV commercial for Wanchai Ferry frozen dinner kits which claims that their Wanchai Ferry Orange Chicken is preferred in taste tests over the competing P.F. Chang's Home Menu Orange Chicken.  As I said to my sweetie upon viewing this commercial, "I'll just see about that!"

I picked up one of each at the store, so let the taste-testing begin!

Wanchai Ferry Orange Chicken

Made By:  General Mills Inc.

Tools Required:  Skillet & Range, Microwave

Additional Ingredients Needed:  2 tbsp. Vegetable Oil, 1/4 cup water

610 calories per 1/2 package

Okay, first up is the challenger, Wanchai Ferry!  I have used their dry box-dinner kits before, but this will be my first time trying one of their frozen offerings.  They seem pretty confident in their commercial, let's see if their product can back it up!

Unlike the P.F. Chang product (and indeed, unlike most frozen skillet dinners I've used), inside the outer package we find several packages containing the components of our dinner:  There is a bag of breaded chicken nuggets, a packet of sauce, a steamer bag of frozen rice, and finally there are veggies (broccoli, carrots, and baby corn) loose in the outer bag.  Preparation is also fairly complex for a skillet meal; first we are supposed to fry the chicken nuggets over medium-high heat in 2 tbsp. of oil for a few minutes until it is browned, then we take the chicken back out of the skillet, turn down the heat to medium, and put in the veggies, sauce, and 1/4 cup of water.  Once it boils, we cover it and cook for three minutes, stirring frequently.  After that, we put the chicken back in the skillet, take the lid off, and cook for a few minutes more until everything is "thoroughly cooked."  Finally, we microwave the rice pouch for three minutes and let it stand for one, at which point dinner is ready to be served.  Whew!  Honestly, that really wasn't that much more convenient than preparing the box dinner.  Hopefully the food is worth it!

After getting the dinner separated into two bowls, the main thing I notice is that it looks like a really small portion.  There is probably around 1/2 cup of rice per portion, and around one cup or less of food.  The sauce actually has a really nice robust flavor; it is sweet yet not syrupy, and it became nicely thick and coated the pieces well.  I am not sure what all that nonsense about frying the chicken separately and taking it out and putting it in was all about, because it sure didn't keep the breading from getting soggy in the sauce.  The veggies are nicely crisp and flavorful.  The rice, on the other hand, is totally unacceptable--not only is the included portion very small, but the grains don't stick together like they should in an Asian dish, and the flavor is dull and mealy.  Overall, even though the sauce has a nice flavor, the unsatisfying portion size and the poor quality of the rice portion ends up sinking this one.  I found it disappointing. :\

P.F. Chang's Home Menu Orange Chicken

Distributed by:  Unilever

Tools Required:  Skillet & Range

Added Ingredients Needed:  cooked rice (if desired)

450 calories per 1/2 package (665 calories w/ 1 cup cooked rice added)

And in the other corner, the defending meal, P.F. Chang's Orange Chicken!  I was very satisfied with the other P.F. Chang's Home Menu product I've tried, so it looks like this battle is P.F. Chang's to lose.

This product is a much more traditional skillet meal, both in presentation and preparation:  Inside the package we find a loose assortment of breaded chicken nuggets, sauce chips, and vegetables, which appear to be carrots, edamame {green soybeans}, and water chestnut slices.  Preparation is very simple in comparison to the Wanchai Ferry meal; we simply put the contents of the bag in a covered skillet, and cook over medium-high heat for 12 minutes (or until the sauce gets thick), stirring occasionally.  At the end of the 12 minutes, the sauce still hasn't thickened much, so I uncover and let it simmer a bit more to thicken, reasoning that it will thicken much faster uncovered.  There is no rice included with this product, which might be a point in its favor after tasting what came with the other one, so I also cook some rice in my handy-dandy rice cooker, and dinner is ready to serve!

This portion seems to be a much more respectable size, though part of that is the one cup of rice that I added.  However, even with the added rice, the calorie count is comparable to the prepared Wanchai Ferry meal, and adding 200 calories' worth of rice seems better than adding 200 calories' worth of oil to me.  Again, the sauce has a nice flavor; this one is more spicy-sweet rather than tangy-sweet, though.  I like the veggie mix, especially the edamame, although if there were the baby corn in this along with the other stuff, that would just be perfect.  The chicken might be a little less firm in this one, but it is still appetizing.  Most importantly, once I am finished with the dish, I feel like I have had enough to eat!  I think I preferred the General Chang's Chicken to the Orange Chicken, but I wouldn't mind having this one again either, and now that I've had two good experiences with P.F. Chang's Home Menu, I am even more interested to try the rest of the offerings. :)

The Verdict:

The victory goes to P.F. Chang!  Wanchai Ferry could have been a contender with the flavor of their sauce, but the small portion size and the abysmal rice cost them the title.  Honestly, if they could change the preparation to avoid adding so many calories in oil, leave out that nasty rice, and replace it with more of the other stuff, they would have a lot better product.  Also, I can't ignore the fact that the P.F. Chang meal is significantly easier and more convenient to prepare.

I can't testify as to whether they have taste-test results that show their product is better or not, but--especially considering that the P.F. Chang meal makes me more interested to try the rest of their line, and the Wanchai Ferry meal makes me less interested to try theirs--the Ramen Butterfly Testing Institute hereby finds the advertisement in question to be Completely False.

Roxy Crab Chips

Distributed by Roxy Trading Inc. (Product of Japan)
140 calories per 1 oz. serving

Usually when I get to an asian grocery to shop for noodles, I also end up bringing home a few imported snacks and things that I can't buy locally, for novelty and variety.  These Crab Chips caught my eye, I think mainly because of the coloring of the chips; they are stark white (probably even whiter in person than the picture makes it look) with little red flecks, presumably to suggest the appearance of crab meat.

Unfortunately, the appearance is the only thing that is suggestive of crab meat--there is absolutely no detectable crab or seafood flavor whatsoever.  The flavor did seem familiar though, and it actually took me most of the way through one serving to figure out what they taste like.  So here it is:  They taste like fried wonton sheet.  You know, like those little crispy strips they give you at chinese restaurants to put in your egg drop soup?  That's just what this tastes like.  So if you happen to want a whole bag of those, except shaped like little discs and decorated like crab for some reason, you are in luck if you find a bag of these.  Otherwise, I tried them for you so you don't have to. :\

Hormel Compleats Turkey & Dressing

Made By:  Hormel Foods
Tools Required:  Microwave, sharp object
290 calories per package

Rating:  :\

(Available online through Amazon.com)

Today my sweetie and I are having an extra-convenient lunch because we are caring for a new puppy!  We have added an eight-week-old German Shepherd to our family.  So far, we have enjoyed the two varieties of these Hormel Compleats meals we have tried; let's see if the third one follows the trend.

The preparation is exactly the same as the other Compleats meals, but I will repeat it here for convenience:  we remove the paperboard overwrap, poke holes in the film or otherwise make a steam vent, microwave for 90 seconds, then let stand for one minute. 

Upon removing the film, we are greeted with two discs of turkey meat on top of an oblong cake of dressing, with the balance of the tray filled with gravy.  I note that this one shares the unphotogenic qualities of the Roast Beef meal, so I moved the meat to one side and tried to stir up some of the dressing for a more representative picture.  The meat doesn't really seem like 'real' roast turkey (as if the shape didn't give that away), the texture is fairly soft--it's basically that chopped-and-formed turkey loaf product that gets served in school cafeterias around Thanksgiving.  The dressing does have some chunks of celery in it, but is otherwise pretty bland and uninteresting, and the gravy is of the 'canned' variety.

Probably about the most positive thing I can say about this meal is that it was fairly easy to eat with chopsticks.  The flavor wasn't awful, but I don't know too many people who get excited about lunchroom fare.  It just seems so much more plain and processed than the other Compleats meals I've reviewed, that I'm going to have to call this one a letdown.  :\

Snapdragon Hong Kong Seafood Rice Noodle Soup Bowl

Made By:  Tabetai Inc. (Thailand)
Tools Required:  Hot Water, Spoon & Chopsticks
Snack Size (220 calories per package)
Price:  $2.79 (at World Market in Woodinville)
Rating:  :\

Today for an afternoon snack, I'm going to treat myself to another of the Snapdragon Rice Noodle bowls that my sweetie bought for me, this time in the Hong Kong Seafood flavor.  I don't really know what sort of seafood flavor I am in for, but the other Snapdragon bowls I have reviewed so far have been excellent, so I am excited to try this!

The package includes the lidded plastic bowl and the bundle of rice noodles, a double-pack of soup base with oil in one side and powdered seasoning in the other, and a transparent green packet of dried garnish that obviously includes real dehydrated tiny shrimp.  We empty everything into the bowl, fill with boiling water, and let it stand covered for three to five minutes; after a quick stir it is ready to serve.

Upon lifting the lid, I am greeted with a sesame aroma, with a hint of shellfish.  The broth has a very savory, very salty seafood flavor; normally I don't stress on sodium content, but 1940mg for only a 220 calorie serving does feel a bit excessive.  The noodles have a firmer texture than I remembered from the other Snapdragon products, but once I got used to them they were pleasant.  They were a little too slippery for lacquered chopsticks, though, so I switched to some disposable bamboo ones pretty early on.  The little shrimp are probably the high point; they rehydrated nicely and gave the occasional burst of sweetness to contrast the salty broth.

I would have to say that these are clearly my least favorite of the Snapdragon bowls that I have tried so far.  They aren't bad, exactly, but hardly worth the gourmet price.  I doubt I will be getting this one again. :\

Indomie Mi Goreng Satay

Made by:  Indofood (Indonesia)
Tools Required:  Saucepan & Range, Strainer, Bowl or Plate, Chopsticks
Light Meal Size (380 calories per package)
Price:  49¢ (at Uwajimaya in Bellevue)
Rating:  :\

Here is something more exciting!  Mi goreng is a popular Indonesian stir-fried noodle dish, and this is the instant version.  "Satay" are those marinated skewered meat things that are popular in Thai restaurants (as well as in Thailand and Indonesia).  Sounds like a winning combination!

This one comes with five packets of seasoning!  There is a silver double-packet that has powdered "Bumbu Sauce" and "Cabe/Chili," and a clear triple-packet that has liquid "Minyak Bumbu/Seasoning Oil" and "Kecap/Soya Sauce" as well as dried "Bawang Goreng/Fried Onion."  In the package I had, the 'seasoning oil' looked a bit separated, so I found it helpful to massage the packet to stir it up before cutting it open, so it would squeeze out easier.

The noodles cook by the standard stovetop method:  boil water, add noodles for three minutes.  While the noodles are in the water, we are supposed to open the two liquid and two powdered packets and stir them together into a paste.  (The instructions say to use a plate, but I do love my pink butterfly bowls.)  At the end of the three minutes, the noodles get drained and then added to the bowl, and we toss them with the sauce until everything looks more-or-less the same color.  Right before serving, we sprinkle the tiny portion of fried onion on top as a garnish, and it is time to eat!

The noodles have a nice texture, firm but not sticky.  The flavor is mildly sweet, moderately spicy, and very peanutty.  I thought the "seasoning oil" looked suspiciously like peanut butter!  It actually tastes much more like the peanut sauce that comes with satay than the satay itself; I have to say, that is really not what I was expecting at all.  On the plus side, they did complement my Acai Green tea nicely.  I think these have some promise if I were to dress them up with extra ingredients, but standing on their own they get a rating of "disappointed smiley."