This is a big and somewhat heavy bowl from Taiwan. I’ve reviewed the version not made for export (this one usually goes to Hong Kong). What was funny about this one is that I found it up in Canada at a store in Aberdeen Centre – defintely not where this belongs. It’s full of beef and import restrictions would bar it from Canada. What a nice surprise! Let’s check out this one with Australian and New Zealand beef!
Uni-President Imperial Big Meal Beef Flavor – Taiwan
Detail of the lid (click to enlarge). Contains beef. To prepare, add in powder and liquid sachets and boiling water to fill line. Cover for 3 minutes. Add in large retort pouch. Finally, stir and enjoy!
The noodle block.
A dry sachet (watch these sachets get used on the episode of Instant Noodle Recipe Time below).
A wet sauce sachet.
A large retort pouch full of beef and sauce.
Finished (click to enlarge). Added spring onion, sesame seeds, egg, and chili flake. The noodle is thick and has a slight brittleness and chewyness at the same time. The broth is a very thick and tasty beef. Included beef is on point and the gravy it comes in really add a lot of rich flavor to the soup. 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 4710088412201.
A huge thanks to MLats for shooting this over! Love it when readers come through with varieties I’ve never gotten the chance to try and really want to.
So – a little background. Aji-no-men is produced by a company called Aji-no-moto. Here’s a little about the Japanese company from Wikipedia –
AJI-NO-MOTO (味の素, “essence of taste”) is the trade name for the company’s original monosodium glutamate (MSG) product.[2]
The origin of Ajinomoto Co., Inc. was a newly organized business unit in 1908 in Suzuki Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., founded in May 1907 by Saburosuke Suzuki II. This unit was organized at a request of Dr. Kikunae Ikeda (1864–1936), a Professor at Tokyo Imperial University, who invented a method for producing monosodium glutamate seasoning. He wanted to commercialize his discovery and by working with Sabururosuke Suzuki II to make this a reality in 1909. Under the general control of Saburosuke, Chuji Suzuki, a younger brother of Saburosuke, was in charge of the production and Saburo Suzuki, a son of Saburosuke, handled sales and marketing.[37] Dr. Ikeda was interested in the taste of kelp juice and when analyzing samples, he discovered the causative substance of its unique flavour, was monosodium glutamate (MSG). He named this specific taste “umami.”. Umami is now accepted around the world as one of the essential basic tastes, but it was not yet known at the time of discovery.[38] Ikeda further invented a method of manufacturing MSG, and acquired patents in Japan in 1908, France in 1909, the UK in 1910, and in the United States in 1912.[39] After obtaining a Japanese patent, Ikeda was inspired by an article written by a Japanese doctor, Hide Miyake, claiming that the flavour of umami facilitated digestion. Subsequently, in order to use umami to improve the health of the Japanese at that time, he asked Saburosuke Suzuki II to further commercialize it for general consumption.[40][41] The product name “AJI-NO-MOTO,” which continues to be used today, represents a seasoning that is made from vegetable proteins such as wheat and soybean. In November 1908, the company registered its trademark for ““AJI-NO-MOTO””. In parallel, in October 1908, prior to the start of manufacturing and in consideration of safety issues, the company conducted an evaluation test of monosodium glutamate at the Tokyo Sanitation Laboratory of the Ministry of the Interior. Test results and evaluations showed that the product was harmless and suitable for human consumption. As a result, full-scale production began in December 1908 and products were mass-produced by March the following year. After presenting the product at an exhibition at the first new product exhibition event held in Ueno, Tokyo, in April 1909,[41] sales for general consumers began on May 20th 1909.[42] This is the founding anniversary of the business.[43]
So yeah – this is a very old Japanese company and they have lots of different product ranges. I’ve always wanted to try their instants, and here’s some from their Peruvian line! Let’s give it a try!
Aji-no-men Sabor Carne Sopa Instantanea Con Fideos – Peru
Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Looks to contain beef. To prepare, boil noodles in 500ml water for 3 minutes. Add in soup base. Finally, stir and enjoy!
A dry sachet.
A dry soup base.
Finished (click to enlarge). Added thin sliced beef, an egg, spring onion, black sesame seeds, chili flake, and Cholula hot sauce. Noodles were your average instant. Broth was nice and beefy – nicely so. Broth was thin. 3.0 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 7754487001700.
Found this at Dollarama, a dollar store up in Canada. A cup of beef. See the little microwave icon on the lower right? We don’t have a microwave currently. Our old one was 20 years old, give or take a year and I though ‘hey – we should get a new one.’ It seemed to be cooking things inconsistently so we went and ordered a new one. It was all screwed up so we returned it last night. Found another one which was really neat! Got it home, lugged it in, opened it up to see this –
Cracked front. So tomorrow we’ll be heading to the store again to return another stupid microwave. Thanks, Best Buy. Anyways I’ll do this one the old fashioned way. Let’s give it a try!
Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge).Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, add in sachet contents and fill to line with boiling water. Cover for 3 minutes. Finally, stir and enjoy!
Finished (click to enlarge). Added scallions, Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, and beef. Noodles are as spongy as can be – maybe instead of 3 minutes these would be better steeped for 5. Soup is incredibly salty. Sorry, no. 0.0 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 667888287277.
Another one from my trips to Chin World up in Richmond, BC. Remember kids, if you’re coming from the states, bring your Canadian cash because they’re not going to take your cards or exchange your greenbacks for ya! Really interested in how this one’s going to be – last one I tried wasn’t too shabby from this brand so let’s take a look!
Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, add sachet contents and boiling water to line. Cover for 5 minutes. Finally, stir and enjoy!
Finished (click to enlarge). Added Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, beef, and spring onion. Sweet potato vermicelli hydrated nicely. Broth had a very tasty beef flavor as well as a light spiciness – kind of caught me off guard as I expected it to be spicier. More savory this one. 4.0 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 6924524200484.
I reviewed the red boxed version previously – and it blew my mind. This one has ultra fancy Australian Wagyu beef in the mix! Yeah! One thing you should note though, you’re going to pay for it. This is super premium stuff and goes for 499$NTD (that’s $15USD). On top of that, this is only out during the holiday season, so Lunar New Year. Maybe Mid Autumn Festival too? I’ll say one thing, if it’s that much better than the other version, it’s going to be existential. Let’s check it out!
A-Sha Gourmet Wagyu Beef Noodle Soup – Taiwan
Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Contains beef. To prepare, in a pot add 700ml water and bring to a boil. Cook noodles for 5~6 minutes (I did 5 1/2). In nother pot, empty large sachet of soup and heat. Drain noodles and then add to broth. Finally, stir and enjoy!
The noodle block.
The large pouch of soup.
A dry sachet of greenery.
Finished (click to enlarge). Nothing added. Noodle is exquisite dry noodle – very broad with a thicker centrer and thinner outer edge giving a dual mouthfeel which is just great. The broth is rich and full with a strong beef flavor – very hearty and complex. Lots of spices in there. The beef is of superb quality – and it’s like butter. Included greenery is a nice finishing touch. This is definitely a fine gourmet bowl. 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 4715635853896.
So here’s the second of the POP varieties I’ve seen. This one however is one I found at HMart up in Richmond, BC. Why’s it called Pot Or Pan? Well, you can make it as a broth version and a dry noodle version. Interesting! Let’s check it out!
Nongshim POP (Pot or Pan) Beef Flavor – United States
Detail of the packaging (click to enlarge). Contains beef. To prepare, add sachet contents and noodles to 400ml boiling water and cook 4 minutes. Finally, stir and enjoy!
A noodle block.
A dry sachet.
Has a beef scent to it.
Another dry sachet.
Salt.
A sachet of garnish.
Lots of little bits.
Finished (click to enlarge). Added Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, soft egg, sprin onion, and boiled beef. The noodles are great – good gauge and light chew. The flavor honestly reminds me of Kentucky Fried Chicken original recipe – but leaning slightly towards a beef back. It’s fascinating! I definitely recommend checking this one out. 4.0 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 031146043286.
This one’s very interesting. This is from Taiwan but for the Hong Kong Market. Found it up in Canada at Aberdeen Centre at a little gift shop full of Hello Kitty and other stuffed animals in the back – it’s near the food court.
What’s interesting is that there’s no reason this should be in Canada – it’s got about as much business being there as it would in the United States – this beef wouldn’t be allowed. There’s no import/distributor sticker either. Hey – I’m not complaining, don’t get me wrong!
It’s interesting too how it mentions New Zealad and Australian beef is used. I’d love to see this using Taiwanese beef honestly, but that’s a little difficult as that’s more spendy. Taiwanese beef is really good, but I don’t think there’s enough beef there to facilitate the instant noodle industry of Taiwan. Anyways, let’s peel back the lid and try this Imperial Big Meal!
Uni-President Imperial Big Meal Super Hot Pot Beef Flavor – Taiwan
Detail of the lid (click to enlarge). Contains beef. To prepare, add smaller sachets in and boiling water (500ml). Cover and put retort pouch on top and let steep for 3 minutes. Add in pouch. Finally, stir and enjoy!
The noodle block.
A dry sachet.
Vegeteables and seasoning powder.
A wet sachet.
A seasoned oil.
The retort pouch.
Thick sauce with chunks of beef.
Finished (click to enlarge). Added scallions. The noodles are pretty good; thy have a decent backbone to them. However, they just seem a little crumbly after 3 minutes and just don’t fit the bill; they’re the weakest part of this bowl. The broth on the other hand is rich and luxuriant – full of beef flavor and pieces of beef. A hard one o put down. 4.0 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 4710088412089.
I’ve reviewed this in the past, but this one has new packaging and so gets a new number. I dunno – could have a new recipe too. Many companies are making subtle below the radar changes on their domestic product lines including lowering sodium. It’s kind of funny; people complain about the amount of sodium in instant noodles, but when presented a lower sodium product that exclaims the feature, they’ll shy away with thoughts of blandness. It just goes to show people are kind of conflicted. Okay, not kind of.
Maruchan has pushed a lot of low-cost product on the market – as mentioned in the book The Noodle Narratives (I can’t recommend reading this higher), low cost and high volume could be their motto. Price-point is a huge concern for manufacturers here in the United States and unfortunately for instant noodles, that’s given them a lot of negative stigma as to quality. Most instant noodle companies globally seek some pretty impressive QC standards and certifications which aren’t all that easily (or cheaply) attained.
In Japan, Maruchan products come in a myriad of flavors and varieties – fancy and expensive bowls with all sorts of different unique qualities. The lack of acceptance in the US market of higher end instant noodles has been a real thorn in the side of innovation it seems, although in recent years, I’ve seen a few new things coming from Maruchan in particular that are interesting, for example their Taste Of Asia Bowl range which includes a truly excellent Tom Yum variety.
Anyways, not trying to toot anyone’s horns here but thought I’d ramble on a Sunday morning. Let’s check out some roast beef ramen!
Maruchan Ramen Noodle Soup Roast Beef Flavor – United States
Detail of the packaging (click to enlarge). Contains beef. To prepare, add noodle block to 2 cups boiling water and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Finally, take off heat and add sachet contents, stir for 1 minute and enjoy!
The noodle block.
A dry sachet.
A light powder base.
Finished (click to enlarge). Added spring onion, boiled beef, white onion, fried crispy garlic, Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, an egg, and black sesame seeds. The noodles are very soft and on the verge of mushy, however they work well and have a familiarity with them I think anyone in the United States can identify. The broth has a salt beef taste which is pretty good. Reminds me a lot of beef flavors I’ve had in Filipino varieties. 3.25 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 041789002588.
This one was found up in Richmond, BC at the SuperStore. What’s funny about this one? Well, it shows chopsticks on the cup and has a fork inside. I’ve been given a ration of insults and criticism for using a fork. I really don’t understand why; I mean, here’s an Asian variety with a fork. I think it’s common for Westerners to immediately go to ‘Asian people use chopsticks and if you use them wrong you suck’ kind of thing. My logic is that if I’m in Asia, I’ll use a pair of chopsticks. In Thailamd they use a fork to push food onto a spoon and then eat it, so I did that while there. It really doesn’t matter what tool you decide to use, it’s about eating a meal, right?
Anyways back to more important matters. What’s pancit you ask? Here’s something from Wikipedia –
In Filipino cuisine, pancit are noodles. Noodles were introduced into the Philippines early on by Chinese Filipino settlers in the archipelago, and over the centuries have been fully adopted into local cuisine, of which there are now numerous variants and types. The term pancit is derived from the Hokkienpian i sit (Chinese: 便ê食; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: piān-ê-si̍t or Chinese: 便食; pinyin: biàn shí) which literally means “convenient food.”[1] Different kinds of noodles can be found in Filipino supermarkets which can then be cooked at home. Noodle dishes are also standard fare in local restaurants. Food establishments specializing in noodles are often referred to as panciterias.
Nancy Reyes Lumen of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism writes that according to food lore handed down from the Chinese, noodles should be eaten on one’s birthday.[1] They are therefore commonly served at birthday celebrations and Chinese restaurants in the Philippines often have “birthday noodles” listed on their menus. However, she warns that since “noodles represent long life and good health”, they must not be cut, as that would “corrupt the symbolism.”[1]
Pancit is a derivative of a type of noodle(s) that originated in China but pancit which is different in its own aspect originated in the Philippines. The fact that pancit is eaten and part of Filipino culture means that it was most likely brought over from settlers originating in China or East Asia.
Well, there you go – pancit means noodles. Let us begin.
Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Contains beef.. To prepare, add boiling water to fill line. Cover for 3 minutes. Drain. add in sachet contents. Finally, stir and enjoy!
The noodle block.
A dry and a wet sachet. No contents pics today – we got a few inches of snow last night and I woke up to a big flash and heard electronics clicking. I figure getting everything ready fast as possible’s probably a good plan.
Loose bits from the cup.
Finished (click to enlarge). Added roast beef lunch meat, Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, spring onion, and fried garlic. The noodles are slightly broader than others I usually see from the Philippines. They had a nice soft tooth and were of good character. The flavor was definitely on the Filipino side of the spectrum – nice beef with other flavors going on. This seemed more pancit than yakisoba and was pretty good. 3.75 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 4800016551871.
Here’s one I found up in Canada at Aberdeen Centre in a shop that was rife with Hello Kitty plushies and exotic candies and snacks next to the food court – I want to say it was called something like Paint Box or Art Box. This one was a nice surprise as it’s been tough to find Doll Brand varieties other than their export pack versions around here. I reall would love to do a Meet The Manufacturer series with Doll, so if you’re listening, please contact me! Let’s check out this Beef & Satay variety from Hong Kong!
Doll Bowl Noodle Satay & Beef Flavour – Hong Kong
Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Contains fish and shrimp. To prepare, add sachet contents and boiling water to fill line. Cover for 3 minutes. Finally, sir and enjoy!
Finished (click to enlarge). Added Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, beef sauteed with Thai Cafe peanut sauce, spring onion, soft egg and black sesame seeds. Noodles hydrated nicely. Broth has a very strong flavor of satay and is really savory – included garnish included nice bits of scrambled egg. 4.25 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 4892333101549.
Here’s one of the last ones sent by a Taiwanese university student who has probably graduated by now – thanks again and good luck! This is a really big box – let’s check it out!
Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Contains beef. To prepare, boil noodles for 1~2 minutes in 400ml boiling water with soup pouch. Drain. Add in soup pouch. Finally, stir and enjoy!
Two of these noodle blocks are included.
Two soup pouches are included.
Finished (click to enlarge). Added boiled beef, soft egg, Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, scallion and mushroom. The noodles hydrated well but seemed kind of out of place; the visual was a stark white noodle in a rich looking broth and it was honestly off-putting. Round noodle has a nice chew though. The broth really didn’t give me that braised beef taste. Beef seemed a little fattier than I would have liked. Overall, the flavor just didn’t hit for me. 1.5 out of 5.0 stars. . EAN bar code 4710110232494.
Here’s a fancy new one from Taiwan! Lots of brands with boxed versions these days. You might see my logo on this one – Mom’s Dry Noodle has been on the top ten Taiwan as well as my annual top ten for the last two years! I will say I haven’t tried this one until today though, but given their track record, I’ll bet it’s good stuff! Let’s find out!
Mom’s Dry Noodle Spicy Hot Pot Noodle – Taiwan
Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). To prepare, add everything to 700ml boiling water and cook 5~6 minutes. Finally, stir and enjoy!
A package within the box.
The noodle block.
A wet sachet.
A lot of oily paste.
A dry sachet.
Looks like carrot, cabbage and other vegetables.
Finished (click to enlarge). Added scallions, mushroom, Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, boiled beef, carrot, baby bok choy and crisp garlic. Noodles are just perfect – wide and chewy. The broth has a strong Sichuan pepper flavor to it that by itself just doesn’t do it for me; just overwhelms. I won’t say that Included vegetable hydrated nicely. Definitely one that works better with your own garnish. 3.0 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 4919011150780.
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