MAMA Artificial Pa-Lo Duck Flavour Oriental Style Instant Noodles

Made By:  Thai President Foods, Ltd. [Thailand]
Required to Prepare:  12 oz. boiling water
240 calories per package

I wanted a small serving of noodles this morning as a pre-brunch snack, which is the perfect occasion to try one of these 2-ounce size Thai noodles.  I chose MAMA's Pa-Lo Duck flavor, so I can compare it to the "non-fried" duck flavor noodles I had a while back.  A cursory Google search seems to suggest that "Pa-Lo" is simply another word (the Thai word, perhaps?) for "five-spice", so I'm imagining the flavor will be at least similar.  I told you I was going to try to find the same flavor with the good noodles!

The package contains our lovely MAMA dark seasoned noodles, a packet of thick light-colored garlic-scented oil, and a double foil packet that has our soup base and the obligatory chili powder.  We add all the ingredients into a bowl, add 1-1/2 cups of boiling water, and cover and let stand for three minutes.  After a quick stir, we're ready to eat!

The noodles are definitely way better than the "non-fried" ones, with the nice firm texture that I am used to.  They might be a little less flavorful than I remember, but maybe it's not fair to compare these to noodles that have soaked in Tom Yum broth.  The broth is a bit spicier than I was expecting; I did rate the other ones at about a 3-star level, but these are probably more like a four.  Perhaps due to this, the five-spice flavor seems a little bit subtle, but it is there, along with a nice rich duck-broth base.

Overall, these were quite enjoyable, though they seemed a bit overly spicy for a morning snack.  Of course, I could probably do something about that by leaving out some or all of the chili powder, which I might actually do in the future--while I don't usually mind spice heat, it seemed a little out of place in this one.  While I still prefer the flavor of the Tom Yum varieties, I could see wanting this one again.  Oh, and of course it practically goes without saying that for only twenty extra calories per package, this one is just strictly better than the "non-fried" version. :)

Myojo Ippeichan Yomise-no Yakisoba Oriental Flavor with Mayonnaise

Made By:  Myojo Foods Co, Ltd. [Japan]
Tools Required:  ~2 cups boiling water
620 calories per package

While it hasn't been that long since I've had a package of Myojo's Ippeichan Yakisoba to eat, it has certainly been a while since the last Myojo yakisoba review, so when I found a new variety of it to review at Uwajimaya, I was excited!  But as everyone knows, finding a new food to try is less interesting than actually trying it, so for today's lunch, I am having Yomise-no Yakisoba!

The contents of the package are roughly the same as in the other Ippeichan yakisoba, though the noodles and the sauce are both lighter in color, and the "mustard-mayonnaise" packet is instead just a "mayonnaise" packet.  To prepare, we add the "Dry Vegetable" (which seems to just be dehydrated cabbage) to the container, and fill to the line with boiling water.  After the noodles stand covered for three minutes, we peel open the drain spout on the other side of the container and drain the water out, then mix in the remaining packets.  The "sauce" has an aroma not unlike teriyaki sauce, and then when I add the "spice" packet I notice a strong scent of black pepper.  There are also sesame seeds and some unidentified red flecks along with the green seaweed powder this time.  Despite what the directions say, I can't resist using the mayonnaise as a topping instead of stirring it in.

The noodles have a wonderful soft-yet-firm texture, and again Myojo has presented me with a flavor profile that is going to be difficult to describe.  The sweet-and-savory note that I smelled when I opened the sauce packet is actually very subtle, and the mayo and black pepper notes are what take the forefront, with the other seasonings and hint of sweetness rounding out the flavor deliciously.  If I have a criticism at all, it would be that the cabbage bits seemed to stay a bit tough, though I will also say that they seemed much less out of place here than in most of the other cabbage-wielding yakisoba varieties.

If the original Ippeichan Yakisoba is like eating a McDonald's hamburger, this one is like homemade southern-style fried chicken--it's a lighter, simpler flavor but still definitely retains the 'comfort food' feel.  I honestly can't decide which one I like better, and seeing as how we're talking about one of my all-time favorite instant noodles, that is quite the compliment.  Myojo has definitely crafted an excellent addition to the brand!  ^_^

Maruchan Midori no Tanuki Tensoba

Made by:  Toyo Suisan Kaisha, Ltd. [Japan]
Required to prepare:  ~14oz. boiling water
460 calories per serving

Available online through Amazon.com

Last time I was at Uwajimaya, I picked up the 'sister product' to the Akai Kitsune Udon that I reviewed a few months back.  Again, the name of the product is not disclosed in english, so I am left to translate the Japanese writing myself and come up with "Midori no Tanuki Tensoba", which roughly means 'green raccoon* noodles (with tempura)'.  I've heard of a red fox, but I don't think I've ever seen a green raccoon.  I actually imagine they are referring to the mythological kitsune and tanuki instead of the indigenous woodland creatures, though, so maybe a tanuki can be green if it wants to be.

Mythified critters aside, what we have here is an instant rendition of Japanese "Tensoba", short for tempura-soba, or buckwheat noodles topped with some fried tempura.  Preparation is largely the same most other bowl noodles; we add the contents of the included packets (a powdered soup base, and what appears to be an extremely tiny amount of chili powder), fill to the line with boiling water, and cover and let stand for three minutes.

The included noodles are 'real' soba, at least to the extent that they have enough buckwheat flour in them to produce the traditional grayish color.  They have an interesting bread-like mouthfeel and a deep nutty flavor.  The broth is pretty much the same dashi-and-shoyu "Japanese-style" savory flavor as in the Akai Kitsune Udon, and in other "traditional" imported noodles.  I happen to love the flavor, but if you didn't like it in any of the other products, this one won't be for you either.  The tempura disk becomes extremely soggy, of course, which one would expect, but which Americans might not associate with the word "tempura".  Unlike the abura-age from the Kitsune Udon, the tempura disk ends up breaking up into the soup instead of being eaten separately, providing nice little counterpoints of flavor throughout the dish.

While the two products--Akai Kitsune Udon and Midori no Tanuki Tensoba--have similar flavor profiles, since the broth is (as best as I can tell) exactly the same, I have to say that in the battle of Red Fox versus Green Raccoon*, I greatly prefer the Raccoon's tensoba.  I think the soba noodles have an amazing flavor, and I like the way the tempura becomes a component of the dish instead of staying a separate garnish.  Both are really good, naturally, but given the choice this is the one I would go back to on a regular basis.  :D

*While often translated as "raccoon", the Japanese tanuki is unrelated to the true raccoon native to America and is more accurately a raccoon-dog, since the tanuki is a canine.

Samyang Japanese Seafood Flavor Udon

Made By:  Samyang Foods Co., Ltd. [Korea]
Required to Prepare:  550cc water, Saucepan & range
500 calories per package

A happy 2013 to everyone!  This year my sweetie and I have resolved to eat healthier, and this means I plan to be eating (and reviewing!) more instant noodles.  That might sound strange to some, but trust me, compared to eating lunch at fast food restaurants, ramen is a veritable health food.  To help get on board the wagon, yesterday I finally made it down to Uwajimaya in Bellevue to stock up on noodles and asian foodstuffs.

Rather than stand about wracked with indecision from an overabundance of choices, for lunch today I just plucked a packet off the top of the new-and-improved Noodle Stash and ended up with these Japanese Seafood udon noodles from Samyang.  The package informs me that "This is the oriental style Udon Which is soft noodles and clear soup taste in addition to the fresh raw-materials."  I find it amusing and slightly ironic, since these are a dried product instead of a fresh, soft-packed udon.

Anyway, inside the package, we find our large square brick of raw-materials thick noodles, a packet of soup base, and one labeled 'flake.'  We bring 550cc (or 2-1/3 cups) of water to a boil in our saucepan, add the contents of the packets and the noodles, and cook for 5 minutes.  Transfer our noodles to a bowl, and it is time to have lunch!

The broth is actually a bit more bland than I was expecting; rather than the usual dashi-and-shoyu Japanese-style broth that I am used to from some of the other udon products, this one seemed more along the lines of the generic "Oriental" flavor that you might find in a Top Ramen.  At first I thought maybe it was a straight dashi broth, but I made a small cup of HonDashi instant broth to compare, and this product seemed to be lacking both the smokiness and the seaweed undertone.  "Clear soup taste," indeed.

The noodles, on the other hand, were a pleasant surprise; I was expecting basically a Neoguri or Chapagetti-style thick puffed noodle, but these were the best rendition of the flavor and texture of fresh udon that I've had so far from a dry product.  They're still not quite the same as fresh raw-materials udon, but I enjoyed the noodles.  Overall, while these weren't bad by any means, the broth is forgettable enough that I doubt they will be a repurchase.  :|

Marie Callender's Cheesy Chicken & Bacon Pot Pie

Made By:  ConAgra Foods
Required to Prepare:  Microwave, OR oven, baking sheet, and aluminum foil
1180 calories per package

A while back, I mentioned that my partner rather liked these Marie Callender's pot pies.  I think I've also mentioned at least once that I rather have a thing for trying new products that pop up in the store.  Today while shopping, I noticed that Marie Callender's had a couple of "New!" pot pie selections on the shelf, so it seemed like the kind of thing that would appeal to both of us.  So tonight, we shall have pot pies!

Like last time, I use the oven directions since I want to prepare two at once:  We remove the pie from the box (but not the little paper pie pan), protect the crust edges with strips of aluminum foil, put them on a baking sheet, and put them in a 400° oven for 65 minutes.  Then they have to cool for about five minutes, and we remove the foil and serve.

Oh man, this is the STUFF.  The pie is filled with a thick, rich cheese sauce; it has a wonderful flavor and texture, very smooth and creamy.  In addition to the advertised chicken and bacon pieces, the pie also contains broccoli, and I'm pretty sure there were some chunks of potato and possibly a carrot slice or two as well.  It was a little harder than usual to identify the components, since they were all thoroughly smited with delicious golden cheese sauce, so there may be some minor ingredients that I missed.  Not that any of that matters, because all I could really taste is bacon, cheese, and crisp buttery pastry.  And if that sounds like a bad thing, well... it just wasn't.

This is pure decadent comfort food, but isn't that what pot pies are supposed to be?  Not only would I say this is definitely a worthy addition to Marie Callender's lineup, I might also say I think I have a new favorite pot pie. ^_^

Newman's Own Complete Skillet Meal for Two--Chicken Parmigiana & Penne

Made By:  Newman's Own, Inc. [USA]
Required to Prepare:  Skillet and Range (or 2qt casserole and microwave)
490 calories per 1/2 package

For dinner tonight, we are looking to the freezer for one of the convenience meals I try to keep available, and we ended up choosing this Chicken Parmigiana penne pasta dish from Newman's Own to try.  I'm not sure I have the usual anecdote about how we arrived at this decision today, but I will say that, as is usual for me, I purchased this while it was on sale with a coupon, so instead of the shelf price of (I think) $8.99, I gave $4.99 for it.

Anyway, we are hungry, so let's get on to the review.  Inside the bag we find par-boiled penne pasta, frozen sauce chips, some things that look like little cubes of white cheese, and six chicken nuggets.  To prepare, we simply empty the contents of the bag into a large non-stick skillet, cover, and heat on high for 4 minutes, then on medium-high for 6 minutes while stirring occasionally.  After the ten-minute cook time advertised, everything is bubbly and hot, and the sauce has thickened nicely, which is frankly more than I was expecting based on my experiences with these bag meals.  Since it doesn't seem to need extra cook time, it looks like dinner is ready to serve!

On first taste, my partner said to me (and I agreed) that it seems to be "missing something."  The sauce seems to be a bit on the sweeter side, which is something I am not used to with a chicken parmigiana.  Another thing I am used to with chicken parmigiana is for it to actually be made with parmesan cheese, which this isn't--the little bits of cheese I saw were mozzarella, according to the ingredients list.  I try adding some shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano of my own to try to rectify this situation, which helped but didn't completely solve the issue with the sweet sauce.  The three chicken pieces we each got were very soft and the breading was quite soggy, naturally; I didn't mind them and sort of enjoyed the salt-and-pepper seasoning of the breading, but my sweetie was a bit put off by the texture.

Overall, it wasn't bad, but it didn't seem especially good either, and really didn't seem to be quite as quality a product as we were expecting from Newman's.  I still have respect for the brand and will be trying some of their other offerings, but I doubt we'll get this one again. :|

El Monterey All Natural Shredded Steak & Cheese Burrito

Made By:  Ruiz Foods [USA]
Required to Prepare:  Microwave (or Oven)
280 calories per package

And now for something really different!  After this, we'll get back to ramen for a while, I promise.  (A trip to Uwajimaya is overdue and is in the near future.)  I'm going to admit up front that this isn't the type of thing I normally choose for myself, and that it made it into my freezer, and into the review queue, for one reason only--there was a coupon in the Sunday paper to try one free.  It should go without saying that this was a price the Ramen Butterfly was incapable of passing up.  So for today's lunch, a frozen burrito it is!

Preparation is so simple, I hate to even call it that.  You open one end of the package, and then microwave it for 75 seconds if it was frozen, or for 30 seconds if it was thawed.  (You can also take it out of the package, wrap it in foil, put it on a baking sheet, and put it in the oven for 30 to 45 minutes, if you're so inclined.)  I chose to let it stand in the microwave afterwards for a minute or two just to make sure all the cold spots would be gone, and then I take it out of the wrapper.

Okay, I'll start with the outside and work my way in.  The tortilla has a really odd texture... I worried it might turn out soggy and wet from microwaving in the wrapper, but it's not, really; instead it seems doughy, as if the tortilla itself were undercooked somehow.

And unfortunately, the tortilla is the high point, compared to the fillings.  I had a hard time figuring out what I was actually eating, because there was such a disconnect between the flavor and the texture.  As you observe the picture of the inside of my burrito, keep in mind that refried beans are not on the ingredient list.  This must mean that the brown paste you see must be, in fact, the "shredded steak."  Once I realized this, the flavor I was tasting--bland beef and mild cheese--started to make sense.  And there was, in fact, an occasional 'string' here and there to hint that I might be eating a meat product.  But it's certainly a far cry from the picture on the wrapper.

Well, it was free, anyway, so I suppose I got my money's worth.  But for the normal price of $1.29?  Not so much.
I do suppose it's possible it would have tasted a little better if I had thawed it first, or used the oven directions.  And, I'm certain it would have tasted a lot better if I had gone to Taco Bell and got a Burrito Supreme for roughly the same price.  :b