Maruchan Instant Lunch Roast Chicken Flavor

Made By:  Maruchan Inc. [USA]
Required to Prepare:  Hot Water (10 oz.)
290 calories per serving

Available online through Amazon.com

It occurs to me that I have done very few reviews of cup noodles, which is kind of a shame, since I think for convenience and versatility they're really hard to beat--add some chips and some fruit on the side, and they're a really easy lunch; have them by themselves and they're a great afternoon snack.  If you have access to either a water cooler with a hot-water tap or a single-cup coffee maker that can dispense hot water, there is literally no cooking required.

This flavor used to be one of my favorites when I lived in Maruchan country [Missouri], and I hadn't found it again since moving to Nissin territory [Seattle area].  So when I found a good selection of Maruchan products at the local WinCo (for 28¢ a cup!) I had to grab a few for review!  As I mentioned above, preparation is as simple as adding 10 oz. of boiling or nearly-boiling water (to the fill line) and waiting three minutes.  Time for a noodle break!

I don't know if the noodle texture of Instant Lunch has improved, or if I just didn't remember how good they were, but I do actually prefer the noodles here to the domestic 'packet' noodles that tend to be soft and soggy.  I remember liking the broth, but I didn't remember details; it's a nice chicken-stock flavor, but with a hint of cumin that gives it a little depth.  The corn rehydrates a little better than the carrot bits, but both provide a nice little pop of sweetness to contrast the salty-savory broth.  I enjoyed it!  I think I might be having some more "cup noodle breaks" in the near future. :)

Maruchan Yakisoba Roast Chicken Flavor

Made By:  Maruchan, Inc. (USA)
Tools Required:  Microwave, Water (around 1c)
520 calories per package

Rating:  :|

(Available online through Amazon.com)

Happy belated Fourth of July to my fellow Americans!  I know it isn't too late to mention the holiday, because people are still setting off firecrackers in my neighborhood as of just a few hours ago.  As for me, I plan to celebrate the Independence holiday week by firing up some yummy noodles!  I picked this Yakisoba noodle from Maruchan--what could be more all-American than roast chicken, right?

Inside the package, we find our ramen-style noodles and two packets; there is a dried-veggie packet that contains corn, peas, cabbage, red pepper bits, and onion flakes, and then we have our packet of powdered seasoning.  We are supposed to add the dry veggies in the space around the noodles (so they will be in the water), fill to the line, and microwave for four minutes.  After letting it stand for one minute, we remove it from the microwave, peel off the lid, and add the seasoning packet, which stirs in fairly easily.  It looks good!

The noodles are okay; I think they have a slightly softer texture than the competing Chow Mein line from Nissin, but they don't seem too mushy or sticky or anything.  The flavor is a bit sweeter than I thought it would be; I remember having had a Maruchan "Instant Lunch" cup noodle in Roast Chicken flavor, and it was a richer, heartier version of their normal Chicken flavor.  This one seems more like it's a light version of their Teriyaki flavor--like they mixed a teriyaki chicken with a savory chicken flavor.  Or maybe it's a honey-glazed chicken flavor?  It's sort of odd, actually.  The veggies do seem flavorful, but for some reason they seem to want to sink straight to the bottom instead of staying mixed into the noodles.  I tried to keep them stirred in, but I still ended up with a big pile of corn and cabbage at the end.

Don't get me wrong, the flavor wasn't bad, and these noodles were enjoyable.  However, I think most of the time, I will be choosing either a plain chicken flavor or a Teriyaki flavor, instead of this slightly unusual cross between the two. :|

Maruchan Yakisoba Teriyaki Beef Flavor

Made By:  Maruchan Inc. (USA)
Tools Required:  Microwave, Chopsticks
Meal Size (520 calories per package)
Rating:  :)

(available online at Amazon.com)

Today I'm having another 'soupless' noodle; this product is the direct competitor to Nissin's Chow Mein Teriyaki Beef that I reviewed a week ago.  I was actually a bit underimpressed by that one, so we'll see if this one is an improvement.

The package contains the brick of noodles and two packets; there is a packet of dried veggies that we add before cooking, and a packet of powder seasoning that we add at the end.  The noodles themselves are the typical ramen-style thin wavy noodles, unlike the wide flat noodles in the Nissin product.  The instructions are to add water to the fill line and microwave for four minutes.  The powder seasoning seems to stir in fairly easily, and then we are ready to eat!

During cooking, there was a strong aroma of cabbage, and indeed we see that the dried veggies were mainly cabbage bits, along with some carrots, onion, and what looks like tiny mushroom pieces.  Everything rehydrated well, including the noodles; although I did see some spots where the noodles looked a bit white, I didn't notice anything that seemed undercooked as I was eating.  The sauce seemed quite a bit thicker and heartier than that of the Nissin product, and it coated the noodles nicely; the flavor was a pleasant sweet and savory taste that kind of reminded me of hoisin sauce.

At the end after I had eaten all the noodles, there was a little bit of sauce and vegetable bits left over in the tray, so I got out a spoon so I wouldn't have to waste any.  I guess that means I liked it. :)