This is the second of the Panda Signature variety cup style noodles I’ll be trying today. I must say, the video where I unboxed a ton of varieties a reader in Montana sent me has done really well. Sadly, it’s not because people are excited about the products. They’ve been much maligned by folks who were sad to see their former favorite get replaced by this brand. One thing people have brought up too is the country of origin on these. You see, on the single packs, the closest thing I could find to a country of origin was from the HALAL seal being from Malaysia. People kept saying that they said ‘product of PRC.’ PRC is People’s Republic Of China. Well, this cup says that, so I have visual confirmation that these are manufactured in China. To me, this isn’t a big deal; a LOT of instant noodles are manufactured in China. However, many are incensed by this insofar that the product it replaced was made in the United States. I’m sure some other reasons have led to their anger about this, which I’m not sympathetic to. But I can see their point on the made in the USA viewpoint. More importantly, they’ve been extremely critical of the flavor of these products being different, and have been downright disgusted by them. I won’t say any have been favorites of mine, but I haven’t found them as a range to be incredibly bad or worth of my bottom ten list. This being said, I have heard that 12 packs of the noodles around around $2 – which is pretty inexpensive. I wouldn’t expect filet mignon at under twenty cents per portion,. Anyways, I was able to contact the company that produces these and they’ve mentioned that they are going to be producing a reformulated version (aka a new recipe). So, I’ll of course try them when they debut and hopefully be able to do an interview with them when that time comes. If you’re wondering that since they’re made in China why the title up top says United States, this product isn’t for sale like this in China and specifically made for Walmart stores here. Let’s check out this one out – sounds tasty enough from the name.
Panda Signature Ramen Noodle Soup Chili Lime Flavor – United States
Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, add in sachet contents and water to fill line. Microwave 2~3 minutes. Finally, stir and enjoy!
Detail of the lid (click to enlarge).
The noodle block.
A dry sachet of soup base.
A sachet of vegetables.
Finished (click to enlarge). Added mushrooms, Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, beef, spring onion, sesame seed, chili flake, and Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp. The noodle came out much better microwaved than steeped, that much is for certain. The broth and the noodle however – that’s pretty hard. You see, one of my favorite smells is a strange one – it is when an air conditioner is fired up for the first time in a while. Reminds me of hotel rooms. Well, I like that smell, but generally never thought of eating that smell. I’m confused. How this is an approximation of chili and lime is beyond me. I am loathe to give these out, but sadly I have no recourse. 0.0 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 850018252553.
Watch me cook on Instant Noodle Recipe Time!