Tai Pei Orange Chicken

Made By:  Discovery Foods (USA)
Tools Required:  Microwave, Knife/Scissors
Meal Size (525 calories per package)
Rating:  :)

(complete information at official website)

For today's lunch, I am going to reach outside the instant-noodle category again and try another one of these Tai Pei frozen take-out-style entrees.  I really liked the first one I tried, so I am looking forward to giving this one a go!

Like the other Tai Pei box, preparation is extremely simple, though one should always read the directions before unwrapping things!  These are designed to be microwaved with the plastic wrap still on, so that it steams properly.  The instructions say to microwave 3-4 minutes in a 1200W oven; my machine is a little less than that, so I give it 4-1/2 minutes, then let it stand for a few minutes as directed.  I use my sharp object (a paring knife) to remove the film, give the contents a stir, and get ready to eat!

The box ends up only around half to two-thirds full; one of the box flaps tells us this is because the contents cook down to a smaller volume as they defrost and steam.  The sauce is nicely thick and is plentiful enough to coat everything evenly, and there is a generous quantity of vegetables and breaded chicken pieces along with our steamed rice.

Some of the components seem better suited for the steaming process than others, of course; the vegetables are quite nice--crisp, flavorful, and fresh-looking.  The chicken pieces don't fare so well... the meat is very soft, and the breading is soggy.  Their flavor is okay, but the texture definitely isn't comparable to real take-out.  The sauce is sweet, but no more so than I expected from an orange chicken sauce; it does have a good hearty flavor instead of just seeming like flavored corn syrup.

For a frozen convenience lunch, I didn't think this was bad at all.  The portion size seemed generous, the flavors were nice, and the crisp vegetables prevented the overall texture from seeming too mushy.  Not spectacular, mind you, but I'll probably end up buying it again. :|

Tai Pei Chicken Fried Rice

Made By:  Discovery Foods (USA)
Tools Required:  Cooler (for storage), Microwave, Chopsticks
Meal Size (570 calories per package)
Price:  $2.00 (sale at Woodinville Safeway)
Rating:  :D

When I started this blog a couple of months ago, I had decided that maybe I would branch out and review some things that weren't strictly "instant noodle" products, but I had pretty much decided that I would stick with things that were shelf-stable as opposed to frozen food products.  That was before I saw a sale on this nifty chinese-take-out style meal; I just had to grab one to try, and so why not share my experience?  {Tentatively, my new rule is probably more like "things that Jessie would eat with chopsticks"--which would actually include almost anything, just so you know.}

Anyway, the preparation is pretty simple on these; you put the frozen box into the microwave for five to six minutes without taking the plastic wrap off or anything, then let it stand for three to five before unwrapping, stirring, and eating.  The plastic wrap has little holes in it for steam ventilation, and it's pretty stretchy--the scissors on my little Victorinox keychain knife came in handy getting the hot package open.  The box had quite a bit of "air space" at the top (it was probably only about 3/4 full) but the package helpfully tells me that this is because frozen rice takes up more room than hot cooked rice does.

I was actually pretty impressed by the flavor of these.  Maybe this means I have been eating instant noodles a bit too often, but I enjoyed having some veggies that hadn't been dehydrated and some actual meat for a change.  The chicken was quite soft, probably from being steamed in the box, but the texture seemed okay otherwise.  The rice is flavored with soy sauce and oyster sauce, and is nicely moist but not too heavy.  This was good enough that I hope they are still on sale--I want to try the other flavors now!  :D