Wai Wai Oriental Flavour

This is the third Wai Wai noods I've had. Like the others I like the noodles, and I like the flavouring (this one is very yummy, with good onion flavours), but it's just a bit hot for my palate. It's not a sharp empty chilli heat such as I've encountered from some cheap Asian noods, this one is an integrated warmth that invigorates and enlivens the soup base. It's just too damn hot for me, so I sweat and burn, looking for water to cool my mouth down. If only they made a less hot version I would be a happy man!

Made in Thailand with veggie ingredients.

Date: Dec 2016  Score: 5

Tried again. Madness. Too freaking hot man!  And there's not much here. And the flavour really wasn't worth the burn.

Date: May 2017  Score: 1

Lucky Me! Pancit Canton Original Flavour

O dear. I've had some Lucky Me! in March last year and didn't like them. This is the original flavour (which some folks in the Philippines, where these noods are made, are complaining doesn't taste like the original flavour any more), and it's dreadful stuff. These are really among the worse noods I've had. The flavouring is unpleasant, and the noodles are like old string. The RamenRater guy likes them, but its each to their own, and I do notice that we don't have the same taste. I don't think it has anything to do with him getting sent free samples from the company.

Made by the Monde Nissin Corporation which was founded in the Philippines in 1980 by Betty Ang. There is "chicken flavour" but no actual meat. The name means stirred or fried noodles (pancit is noodles) which roughly translates as chow mein.

Score: 1

***

Best instant noodle chow mein

The best (and worse) 

Chicken flavour instant noodles

Tom Yum Taste Test - Nissin v Mama

I quite like Mama noods, and I also like Tom Yum, which is a thin, spicy soup that originated in Thailand, where Mama are based. The soup is typically flavoured with lemongrass, lime and chilli. My favourite Mama noods are their Tom Yum flavours.

My favourite noods company is Nissin, so when I picked up a packet of Nissin Demae Ramen Thai Tom Yum I thought it would be interesting to  compare my current favourite Tom Yum noods with a Tom Yum from my favourite noods company.

Quess what? Yes, Nissin won easily. The flavours were crisper, sharper, fresher and more natural tasting. The noodles were spot on. The combination of great flavouring with perfect noodles makes for a totally yummy mouth experience. The Mama Tom Yum, which up to that point had constantly thrilled me, seemed artificial, cloying and overpowering by contrast. By themselves they would still be very yummy, but when eaten straight after the Nissin noods, the difference is plain to taste.

Winner: Nissin Demae Ramen Thai Tom Yum

Nissin Demae Ramen Thai Tom Yum

MAMA Tom Yum Pork Flavour

Nissin Demae Ramen Thai Tom Yum

These are awesome. Nissin do what other noods companies can only dream and hope of doing. Nissin have the years of experience, knowledge and infrastructure to make the world's greatest instant noodles. This is perfect Tom Yum - warmly spicy, with exciting lime and lemongrass flavours, and the noodles are unbelievable - just the right balance of firmness and yielding softness, they have a satisfying texture, and are able to pick up and hold the sauce. Veggie.  I don't think it is possible to achieve a better instant version of Tom Yum noodles.

Score: 10

Most yummy Tom Yum

Nifty Nissin noodles

Triple Chicken Taste Test

We put these three cheap chicken chaps to the taste test face off today. Initially the Sunrise one tasted  just too full of crude MSG to really compare - that quickly fell by the wayside.  The normal Asda chicken is made in China with dead chickens so that didn't please anyone. Added to which, though it had a tender and subtle flavour, there was too much noodle to seasoning, so the overall impression was bland. That left the Asda Smart Price chicken, made in China - ah, also with dead chicken powder. So, I really need to remember to check Asda's noodles. At one time Asda was a good veggie supermarket, with its own range of Wot No Meat veggie meals. But they stopped doing that, and then cut back on the Linda McCartney veggie brand, so we stopped shopping there. I still have a fond soft spot for Asda, but I think things changed for the worse when they were taken over by the American owned Wal-Mart company.

Anyway, the Asda noods were a little bland, and contained chicken, so the MSG drenched Sunrise wins by a technical knock-out.


Golden Sunrise Instant Noodles Roast Chicken Flavour  Score: 3
Asda Chosen By You Chicken Flavour Noodles     Score: 3
Asda Smart Price Chicken Flavour Instant Noodles         Score: 2

The best (and worse) Chicken flavour instant noodles

Golden Sunrise Instant Noodles Roast Chicken Flavour

Lots of MSG. Too chemical tasting for my liking, and way too intense on the MSG.


Date:  Jan, 2016   Score: 3

This is horrid stuff, it really is. Salty and chemical tasting. It's really hard to eat a whole pack without doing something to make it edible (we mixed in a pack of Super Noodle Chicken).


Date: July, 2017   Score: 1

The best (and worse) Chicken flavour instant noodles