I say noodles, you say Ramen. Potayto, potahto

Anyway, Leandra bringing up Ramen in a thread (_thatÂ’s_ a pleasant image!) inspired me to review some of the more exotic instant noodles available from my local supermarket.

All noodles were made up according to the instructions on the pack, and the contents of the included sachets were added.

The review candidates, from left to right:

Nong Shim “Shin Cup” from Korea;
Tiger Tiger “Thai Curry”, “Chinese Style Hot & Sour”, “Tom Yum” & “Tom Ka” from Thailand;
Pot Noodle “Sweet & Sour” (from Surrey).








The results:


Nong Shim

The best cup for eating from, itÂ’s made from polystyrene so it not going to burn your bits.

Inside the pack are average quality thin noodles, and a separate sachet of powder, described as “soup base”. Having made it up, there are a only few bits & bobs floating in there, most of these are indeterminable, apart from the red pepper and kale, the latter of which isn’t on the ingredients list on the pack.

This is principally a soup – the amount of sauce significantly outweighs the quantity of noodles.

Pleasantly hot, but unfortunately not much depth to the flavour.


Tiger Tiger

Basically, these appear to be the same basic “chicken” flavoured noodles, the only difference being the precise contents of the sachet of sauce. The sauce itself is worthy of mention - it is really firm to start with, and really needs to warmed before the packet is opened.

The Tiger Tiger brand has a chilli rating on each pack – not that it’s very obvious.
Another thing to note is the folding plastic fork included in the pack – it’s tough enough to eat with, but not enough to stir it with .. so kind of useless really.

The “Thai Curry” is a fair approximation of a green Thai curry… made with noodles, however the heat really does not warrant its 2-chilli rating;

The “Tom Ka” (1-chilli rating) is very similar, but a little milder;

The “Tom Yum” variety is again very similar, but has a 3 chilli rating – not surprising as the “sauce” seems to consist solely of ground chillies and oil. Unfortunately, the chillies mask all the other flavours so although it’s pleasantly warm, there’s no depth;

The “Hot & Sour” type has a 1-chilli rating, and is more like a Chinese sweet & sour.

Tiger Tiger noodles definitely have the best pot for reuse – it has a close fitting lid, and the label on the side is easily removable. Even if you throw the pot away, the lid is great for mixing up small quantities of car body filler.


Pot Noodle

Definitely more sweet than sour, especially when the sachet of what appears to be fine ground mango chutney is added.

For some reason, Pot Noodles always seem to have dehydrated peas in them, usually I flick them across the kitchen while IÂ’m waiting for the kettle to boil, but for this review I left them in. As peas, theyÂ’re not bad at all, but the just donÂ’t go with the other ingredients.

The noodles are far thicker than the other review products, also included are “texturised soya pieces”, which I suspect are actually recycled polystyrene packing chips. The sauce is very thick, and unless stirred enthusiastically during “cooking”, powder will get left at the bottom of the pot.

The pot is no real use to anyone after cooking / eating Â… though I have been known to mix up resin in one or two.




Conclusion

I suppose as this is a review I had better come to some conclusions … for me, the “fusion style” Tiger Tiger “Tom Yum” and “Hot & Sour” noodles don’t really work, but the “Thai Curry” and “Tom Ka” varieties do, as they seem to be more like proper Thai cuisine.
The Pot Noodle is overly sweet & and is nothing like any proper Asian cuisine.
The Nong Shim is quite different to the rest; IÂ’d call it a soup, not a noodle dish.

All in all, I’d recommend the Tiger Tiger “Thai Curry” and “Tom Ka” varieties the highest, with the Nong Shim a close second.

hmm. i will have to go to great wall shopping mall* and try some. how do they compare to the Cup of Noodles?
*its a asain shopping complex in my area if you cant tell

Hey HEY! what the heck is "(_thatÂ’s_ a pleasant image!) " supposed to mean??!? and I STILL like my Nong SHim Kimchi ramen, it's hot AND has "nice depth of flavor"

I like the part about the mixing of car body filler...very appropriate for a food review!!!

Quote: Originally posted by pimp_joose I like the part about the mixing of car body filler...very appropriate for a food review!!!

Just trying to keep my articles "relevant"