A box arrived from Taiwan. These are product samples from Mr. Noodles – a company I met at the Taiwan International Food Show in November 2017. They offered to give me samples then and there, but I had to decline as my luggage was already packed with noodles.
Well, here we are. This is one I found at Walmart up in Richmond, BC Canada. I’ve never had a lot of luck finding enjoyment of this brand but always gotten a lot of mail/questions about it. People have asked me many times how they can complain to the company that makes thes. I don’t know exactly why – I think a lot of the time people will store instant noodles and they’ll get banged up or the packs will get opened and after a long time will go bad. But my complaint usually has been that they’ve usually not had very strong flavors and the noodles come out funny when you follow the directions.
Directions are very important to follow. Not only that, they’re exceedingly important to get right. If you’re going to be doing up an instant noodle and you put instructions on a package that aren’t perfect, they’re not going to come out perfect – although many people will just cook them the way they like. I live in a kind of noodle bubble with some weird constraints. For fairness, I have to follow the directions exactly as the manufacturer puts on the package when I review. People will often comment on my reviews saying ‘use less water than called for’ or ‘cook an extra minute.’ I agree – this may taste better, but unless I treat every variety the same, my reviews would be kind of skewed in an odd way.
Many people complain that my reviews are too ‘subjective’ – that giving a score just based on what I like or dislike personally and not some kind of scientific method isn’t fair. Well, to them I say this: it’s fair for me. I’m not a scientist. I’ve always written about noodles and their flavor with the findings of my own personal mouth. I will look at my early reviews and see varieties I’ve tried again – Sichuan Chinese varieties for example. I thought they were horrendous and disgusting – how could anyone eat that? Over the years, I’ve learned to appreciate them though and found enjoyment there.
This one immediately screams ‘dude, you’re probably not going to like it.’ That’s the knee-jerk of experience. Why would I get it to give it a try? Simple – I haven’t had it. I end up getting a lot of varieties that I have a pre-conceived notion about; that I think probably won’t be to my liking. But unless I try them, I’ll never know. I fear no noodle really. I have to shut my brain up and then give them a try. So let’s shed the thought of past experience and give this a shot.
Mr. Noodles Pho Noodle Soup Simulated Beef Flavour – Canada
Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, add everything to the bowl and cold water to fill line. Microwave for 3~4 minutes. Finally, stir and enjoy!
Finished (click to enlarge). Added coriander (no basil, sorry), Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, Huy Fong sriracha, jalapeno slices, and beef. The noodles were horrible. After 3.5 minutes in the microwave, they didn’t even seem close to done. I took this shot a minute or so later and then tested those noodles 5 minutes later. Still crap. I don’t know how a noodle can be made so un-noodley. The broth was a very watered down one with some pho taste to it. However, with half the water it might have tasted better. The included garnish was mostly fluffy TVP. Here’s what I get for keeping an open mind and my hopes up. Call if you’d like help. 0.0 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 059491009412.
Here’s another one that Colin sent – thanks! Today I was really craving something curry – it’s been a little while since I’ve had any curry to review so here goes!
Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, break the noodle block into 4 pieces and add noodles to 25-~300ml boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Add in sachet contents. Stir and enjoy!
The noodle block.
The seasoning sachet.
Has a pleasant curry scent.
Finished (click to enlarge). Added Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, fried tofu cake, coriander and chilli flake. The noodles were great – nice and fluffy with a good chew. The broth has a very pleasant curry taste I thoroughly enjoyed. 4.0 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 846656006276.
Here’s one sent to me by Colin – thanks again! So this one is kind of interesting – I’ve reviewed lots of Mr. Noodles in the past, however they’ve been from Canada. I think there’s also a Mr. Noodles in India as well – unsure if they’re related to this Bangladeshi brand though. It seems to me that with so many Mr, Noodles out there (lest we forget Mr. Noodles from Sesame Street as well), there’s bit of confusion. In fact, I get comments quite often actually from the Mr. Noodles customers in Canada asking where to go to contact them. Of course as far as the Canadian ones go, all I can find is a distributor and nothing else. So very sorry, Canadians…
These Mr. Noodles are from Pran, a company that makes all sorts of different things. Hopefully soon there will be a Meet The Manufacturer with Pran so we can check out all their varieties. Now let’s see how Mr. Noodles is when he comes from Bangladesh!
#2310: Pran Mr. Noodles Instant Noodles Beef Flavour – Bangladesh
Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. to prepare, break noodle block into 4 pieces and add to 250-300ml boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Next add in sachet contents. Finally, stir and enjoy!
The noodle block.
The soup base seasoning.
Has a beef scent.
An oil sachet.
Has an onion scent.
Finished (click to enlarge). Added Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, sweet onion, beef and coriander. The noodles came out rather nice; indeed a light gauge and comfort food chew with an enjoyable floppiness. The broth had a very good beef taste I enjoyed especially – and the oil really bumped it up. 4.0 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 846656008252.
Here’s one my wife got for me on my birthday trip to Canada! Thanks, baby! Spicy chicken. Let’s check it out.
The cup.
The side panel from the cardboard outer (click image to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself.
Detail from the lid (click image to enlarge). To prepare, empty sachet into cup and fill to 1/2 inch from the top with boiling water. Steep for 3 minutes, stir, and enjoy.
The noodle block.
The soup base sachet.
Vegetables as well as seasoning in one sachet.
Finished (click image to enlarge). Added chicken, carrot, peas, sweet onion I has all sauteed with a little El Mexicano Adobo Seasoning and a sprinkle of colby jack cheese. The noodles are so strange; they smell like tortillas. I don’t understand why, but that’s what I get from them. They’re not the greatest in the world either and never seem to be completely prepared to me. The broth in this one wasn’t spicy, but it did seem to have a bit more flavor than the others in this line I’ve tried. 1.0 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 059491002550.
Don’t mess with Canada – they’ve got their facts straight.
Here’s another one from my birthday trip to Canada. I think this may the first instance of chicken kimchi noodles I’ve heard of. Let’s give it a try.
Here’s a closeup of the lid (click image to enlarge). Looks to be meat-free but check for yourself. To make this one, peel back the lid halfway, dump in the sachets and fill to 1/2 inch from the top with boiling water. Re-cover and let sit for 3 minutes and it’s ready.
The noodle block.
Soup base sachet.
Has a chicken taste.
The veg sachet.
Veg and powder.
Finished (click image to enlarge). Added hard boiled egg and a slice of processed cheese. The noodles are a little crumbly and have a slightly ‘off’ texture. The broth is really ‘off,’ it’s kind of like kimchi but then again not really. It has a kind of tomato and chicken thing going on but really oddly so. The bit of vegetable are there but I don’t know what for really. Everything kind of has this weird flavor throughout – the only thing I can liken it to is the smell of a bag of tortilla chips. Bottom line is that it really tastes neither like chicken nor kimchi and has extremely subpar noodles. 0.5 out of 5.0 stars.UPC bar code 059491009009.
Tom Brokaw talks about Canada. The Peace Arch crossing is what we drive by when going up there!
Here’s another from my Canadian birthday trip! Thanks again, Kit! This one’s for my son Andy (check out his blog at www.andyslegostuff.com). Usually he goes for the chicken varieties, but beef is what he’s getting today! Let’s check it out!
Here’s detail from the cardboard outer (click image to enlarge). Looks to be meat-free but check for yourself.
Here’s the cup itself.
Detail of the lid (click image to enlarge).
The noodle block.
The seasoning sachet.
Vegetables and seasoning inside.
Andy’s a fan of noodles, but never likes broth. Also, any mention of spiciness has him running as well. Usually I get a little resistance when mentioning adding lots of veggies and meat, but he was open to it this time. Had a nice thunderstorm roll through after this and hung out on the balcony watching for flashes and listening for rumbles…
Finished (click image to enlarge). Added peas, carrots and beef. The noodles were pretty sad – very mushy and had a weird flavor. The broth is lackluster, although has a nice color to it. The veggies are only so-so. 1.75 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 059491002352.
Another from my trip to Canada for my birthday – thanks, Kit! A chicken bowl – let’s check it out!
From the bottom of the cardboard outer (click image to enlarge). From the ingredients on the lid, this looks to be meat-free.
Detail from the removeable lid (click image to enlarge).
The noodle block.
Powder soup base sachet.
Chicken – simulated!
The vegetable sachet.
Peas and corn and carrot and other stuff.
Finished (click image to enlarge). Added baked chicken, peas, carrots, Walla Walla sweet onion, broccoli, bell pepper, and hard boiled egg. The noodles are a bit opn the weak side; Downright mushy. The broth has very little flavor; I see what they’re trying to get at as a chicken-like flavor, but it’s just not quite right. The veggies did well however – decent hydration and quality. 2.0 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 059491009030.
For some reason, whenever I think about Canada, I think about when I watched TV as a kid. The Canadian shows were different; living so near Canada made it so I got to watch both US and Canadian TV. Well, this video has nothing to do with that except these are all 80’s sci-fi show intros. Check ’em out!
Here’s another one we found in Richmond, BC during my birthday trip! Thanks yet again to my wife Kit! By the way today is out 3 years and 7 months first meeting anniversary! I’m curious about this one since it’s a Canadian product and it’s a South Korean theme. My hopes are high! Kind of an interesting one to pick as well as I got an email today from MBC , a South Korean TV network, and I’m going to do an interview with them tonight for the Cul-Two TV show! When it’s out, I’ll share a link. As for this noodle bowl, let’s check it out!
Here’s all the package info (click image to enlarge). Looks to be meat free. Contains wheat & soy.
The noodle block.
The powder base packet.
Has a nice tangy flavor.
The veggie packet.
Looks like dehydrated kimchi to me!
Finished (click image to enlarge). Added beef and Vidalia sweet onion sauteed in Worcestershire sauce, kimchi and green onion. The noodles are thin and weak with a very crumbly texture. The broth is a little on the light side, however is has some spiciness and a nice flavor. The vegetables were interesting as they tasted more like broccoli than kimchi, yet they were there. 2.75 out of 5.0 stars.UPC bar code 059491009016.
If you are from Canada, then move to South Korea, and then comback to visit Canada, here are some things you’ll appreciate about Canada you may have taken for granted before…
Today’s Father’s Day and my son Andy is over. Thought we’d have some noodles and this is the one he picked. He usually sticks to chicken flavored ones. Let’s check it out!
Panel from the cardboard outer (click imago to enlarge). Looks to be vegetarian.
The noodle block.
The soup base.
Powder as well as veggies!
So we took pictures of eachother when we ate our noodles.
Finished (click image to enlarge). Added a slice of cheese and some chicken lunch meat. Andy says these are delicious and he can’t resist it – so yummy! My thoughts on this cup are a little different. The noodles are sad and have almost zero backbone with a really odd crumble to them. The broth is near tasteless and the veg is kind of weird. Bottom line – he loves it, I don’t. 1.5 out of 5.0 stars. Happy Father’s Day! UPC bar code 059491002505.
Here’s a vid of my son singing while the dogs hope that a piece of candy might fall to the floor. That’s a favorite activity of pugs if you’re not familiar with them.
Yep – another one from Canada. I really like how it says ‘simulated flavor.’ It’s a beef simulator! Let’s try it.
From the bottom of the cardboard outer (click image to enlarge). The ingredients are on the lid and no meat or egg is mentioned. Contains wheat.
The noodle block.
Powder seasoning.
Light in color.
Vegetable packet.
Looks like some corn, carrot, cabbage, peas and green onion.
Finished (click image to enlarge). Added beef (non-simulated) sauteed in Worcestershire sauce, broccoli, bell pepper and sweet onions. Topped the beef with Dua Belibis Chilli sauce and everything with a little Urashima Sesame & Salt furikake. The noodles are just plain weird; they are as crumbly in texture as possible but not really spongy. They don’t suck up the flavor of the broth much. The broth though isn’t very flavorful so that could be part of the issue. The corn was the only thing I found pleasant, but not overly so. Bland stuff. 2.0 out of 5.0 stars.UPC bar code 059491009047.
There seem to be a lot of videos on YouTube with people doing strange things with Mr. Noodles.
On my birthday, my wife took me up to Canada and I got 55 new varieties of instant to review – here’s one of them! I’ve reviewed Mr. Noodles before and found them to be marginal at best. Let’s see how the bowl version here goes!
Here’s what’s on the bottom of the cardboard outer (click image to enlarge).
Underneath the cardboard is the bowl and here’s the lid (click image to enlarge).
The noodle block.
The powder seasoning.
Has a spicy scent.
Vegetables!
Some corn, some green stuff, maybe some carrot?
Finished (click image to enlarge). Added green bell pepper, green onion, broccoli baked chicken with Italian seasoning and Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning and some Urashima Sesame & Salt furikake. The noodles are a little melancholy – they don’t soak up the broth’s flavor and are crumbly. The broth’s flavor is kind of an oxymoron here as the broth is extremely bland; all I find is mainly a spicy taste which is more of a sting than heat. Veggies fared decently,. 2.0 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 059491009078.
This is one of the more bizarre self-made videos I’ve seen.
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