Tag Archives: 台灣麫評估

#1231: A-Sha Instant Noodle Shallot Flavor

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Here’s a new one from A-Sha. They decided to come out with a stright instant variety. You cook it a little differently, too. Shallots! Let’s give this a try!

Here’s the back of the package (click image to enlarge). Mentions that it is non-vegetarian. To prepare, boil about 400ml water. Put noodle block in a bowl that will hold the water, add noodles and cover (what I do is boil the water in a pan, remove it from the stove, drop the noodles in and put the lid on). Let sit for 3 minutes. Drain off water, add liquid sauce sachet and stir. Done!

The noodle block comes in it’s own inner wrapping. Here it is unwrapped.

The sauce sachet.

Has a great shallot scent.

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added sweet onion, thinly sliced big ugly carrot and chicken that was baked with Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning. The noodles are nice – slightly fluffy and of good character. The sauce gives everything a nice coating of soy, sweetness and shallot flavors which are balanced nicely. 3.75 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 4715635851519.

Here’s a Taiwanese news clip about when I did a Meet The Manufacturer with A-Sha about 6 months ago.

#1210: A-Sha Dry Noodle Hell Spicy Mala

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Happy Halloween! Today, I thought I’d go with something spicy – and not just spicy but hell spicy! But what about Mala – what’s that mean? Here’s what Wikipedia had to say:

Mala sauce is a popular oily, spicy, and numbing Chinese sauce which consists of Sichuanese peppercorn, chili pepper and various spices simmered with oil.

Regarded as a regional dish for Chongqing cuisine and Sichuan cuisine, it has become one of the most popular sauces in Chinese cuisine and spawned many regional variants.

The term málà is a combination of two Chinese characters: “numbing” (麻) and “spicy (hot)” (辣), referring to the feeling in the mouth after eating the sauce.

The numbness is caused by Sichuan pepper, which contains 3% hydroxy-alpha-sanshool. The recipe often uses dried red peppers that are less spicy than bird’s eye chili, which is widely used in Southeast Asian cuisines.

Sounds pretty darn hot! Let’s check it out!

Here’s the back of the package (click image to enlarge). Mentions ‘non-vegetarian sauce.’

The noodle block.

The spicy sauce sachet.

A very deep red color and a strong chili oil scent.

My boy and his pumpkin!

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added sauteed beef, sweet onion and garlic and garnished with green onions. The noodles are really nice – flat and very broad – and thick. They are so scant on ingredients and have such a nice texture and chewiness – as I’ve said before, they are masterful in their simplicity. The flavor? This stuff is really spicy – the oily liquid base coats every nook and cranny of the noodles with extreme heat and a nice balance of soy. I think the oil really spreads the heat into the palate and gives it a nice long burn. 4.0 out of 5.0 stars.

Back in May, this news story came out in Tasiwan. I asked if Taiwanese companies would contact me and send samples – A-Sha was one of those and I’ve really enjoyed their stuff!

#1201: A-Sha Instant Noodle Curry Flavor

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Been a little while since I reviewed anything by A-Sha. I did a Meet The Manufacturer in May, but nothing new since then. Well, today’s the day! Curry. It’s always been a favorite flavor of mine and I think this is the first time I’ll be trying a Taiwanese take on it. Let’s give it a try!

Here’s the back of the package (click image to enlarge). Says non-vegetarian in the top left corner, so I’m assuming there’s meat or fish in this one. Cook noodles for 3 minutes in boiling water, drain, then stir in liquid sachet.

The noodle block. Very light weight to it.

The liquid sachet.

Has a very nice sweet curry scent.

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added sweet onion and baked chicken. The noodles are nice – very fluffy actually and a springy texture. The curry? It has a slightly spicy, slightly sweet rich taste. It really reminds me of the curry my mom used to make with chicken livers! It’s very tasty and enjoyable. 4.25 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 4715635851526.

Here’s a video from Taiwanese news about my Top Ten Taiwanese Instant Noodles list.

Samples Of A Fiery Taiwanese Noodle From A-Sha

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A package from A-Sha… Hmmm what’s inside?

Ooh what is this? The folks at A-Sha told me this variety is called Hell Spicy Mala and is popular in Taiwan as it is extremely spicy. Sounds like fun!

They also sent a few of these little pineapple cakes – they’re really good and quite fancy. They make them with real pineapple – a special treat! Thanks to Young and Hann-wei for these!

Meet The Manufacturer: #1097: Amianda Noodle Homely Dried Noodles – Sesame Paste

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Today, we have the last of the Amianda noodles. I’d like to thank Amianda for doing the interview and sending the great samples! Sesame paste – let’s get to it.

Here’s the back of the package (click image to enlarge).

The noodle block.

Sauce packet.

Has a soy scent.

The sesame paste packet.

Has a peanut and sesame scent.

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added a little Urashima Sesame & Salt furikake. The noodles are nice – elastic and a little chewy. The flavor is that of sesame paste with a nice peanut butter after taste. 3.75 out of 5.0 stars.

<iframe width=”420″ height=”315″ src=”//www.youtube.com/embed/zhETS4fdU0w” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe>Here’s how to make your own sesame paste!

Meet The Manufacturer: #1096: Amianda Noodle Tachia Noodles – Hot & Spicy Sauce

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As we wind down this spotlight on Amianda, we arrive at a hot and spicy variety of their Tachia noodles. Let’s have a look.

The back of the package (click image to enlarge).

The noodle block.

The sauce packet.

Has a soy scent.

The second liquid packet – presumably the spicy one.

Oh yeah – this stuff is spicy!

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added a fried egg with a little Louisiana Hot Sauce and some beef, garlic and Vidalia sweet onion sauteed with soy sauce. The noodles are great – nice elasticity, chew and texture. The flavor is salty, spicy and soy. A pretty good flavor and texture. 3.5 out of 5.0 stars.

<iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”//www.youtube.com/embed/bpWp9i-sow8″ frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe>Here’s some footage of part of a night market in Taipei.

Meet The Manufacturer: #1095: Amianda Noodle Tachia Noodles – Fried Shallot

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Today it’s fried shallot. Shallots are really quite enjoyable; like an onion and a garlic had a child – strong flavor! Let’s give this one a try!

The back of the packaging (click image to enlarge).

The noodle block.

The sauce packet.

Has a soy sauce scent.

The fried shallot packet.

Wow – pungent shallot!

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added roast beef and Vidalia sweet onion sauteed in a little Worcestershire sauce. The noodles were really good – texture and chew were great. The flavoring wasn’t as I expected though; the shallot taste was there, but almost seemed burnt. 3.25 out of 5.0 stars.

Scallion Pancakes in Taiwan – man that soiunds really good!

Meet The Manufacturer: #1094: Amianda Noodle Thin Noodles – Sesame Oil

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Thin noodles! Let’s have a look.

The back of the package (click image to enlarge).

They’re not kidding – these are really thin and wispy.

The sauce packet.

Has a soy scent.

The sesame oil packet.

Has a sesame oil scent.

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added sauteed beef, Vidalia sweet onion, red bell pepper and minced garlic with a little Worcestershire sauce. The noodles are great – fluffy and soft with a comfort food texture. The flavor is really mystical; it’s got the sesame oil there, but then there’s this flavor hovering around – like cinnamon or pumpkin spice – not sure what it is but it’s really great! 4.25 out of 5.0 stars.

In Taiwan, they have these ‘Night Markets’ – tons of different sellers of absolutely everything from merchandise to food. This is the Fong Jia Night market.

Meet The Manufacturer: #1093: Amianda Noodle Hakka Flat Noodles – Satay Sauce

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I don’t know what made me do it, but I felt a need to consult Wikipedia on satay and Taiwan. So I did and found this:

Shacha sauce (Chinese: 沙茶; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sa-te; also spelled sa cha sauce), or paste is a Chinesecondiment primarily used in Fujian, Teochew, and Taiwanese cuisines. It is made from soybeanoil, garlic, shallots, chilis, brill fish, and dried shrimp.[1] It has a savory and slightly spicy taste.

The ingredient has multiple uses:

  • as a base for soups
  • as a rub for barbecued meats
  • as a seasoning for stir fry dishes
  • as a component for dipping sauces, for example as used in hot pot meals

Shacha sauce is also known as sa-te sauce in the Hokkien dialect, reflecting its origin back to the satay sauce introduced by expatriate Chinese returning from South East Asia. It is however quite different from the peanut-based satay sauce popular in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore.

Was glad I did – I thought that this might be more of a chicken or beef kind of flavor, but I would’ve been completely wrong. So, satay or shacha, here it is!

The back of the package (click image to enlarge). May contain seafood.

The noodle block. Note that these are hakka noodles – wide!

The sauce packet.

The sauce has a soy sauce scent.

 

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added Vidalia sweet onions. The noodles are broad and have such a nice texture – so like an egg noodle but not eggy! The flavor is light; and has a seafood taste that’s very enjoyable. Reminds me of shrimp shumai. 4.5 out of 5.0 stars.

A fish market in Taiwan.

Meet The Manufacturer: #1092: Amianda Noodle Tachia Dried Noodles – Rou Zhao Meat Sauce

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Today, we have the Tachia noodles again but with rouzao. What is rouzao? Wikipedia mentioned that it involves minced pork (Amianda mentioned this one includes it in the sauce) and minced pork rice is the common rouzao:

While Minced pork rice is referred to as one important icon in typical Taiwanese folk cuisine, the variety of methods to customize flavors is so wide that it creates considerable differences between regions. In southern Taiwan, where people name it by the sauce “bah-sò-pn̄g (肉燥飯)” instead of the meat, Minced pork rice is preferably served with pork with less fat. People in the north of Taiwan favor a greasier version of meat sauce with rice.

In southern Taiwan, while “bah-sò-pn̄g” is seen on the menu indicating Minced pork rice, “ló͘-bah-pn̄g (滷肉飯)” remains on the very same menu, referring to another dish where braised pork belly covers the rice. The same rice with braised pork belly is known as “khòng-bah-pn̄g (焢肉飯)” in northern Taiwan.

Minced pork rice can also be found in China, and a wider selection of vegetables such as corn is eaten along with it.

Sounds good – let’s check it out.

Back of the package (click image to enlarge). Contains pork.

The noodle block.

This time there’s no info on the sauce packet.

A little thicker than the past few. Has a really nice sweet pork scent.

Andy joined me for a bowl of noodles.

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added a fried egg and ham I minced, garlic, sesame oil and a little soy sauce and sauteed for a few minutes. The noodles are spectacular – elastic and perfect chewiness. The flavoring is awesome! Has a sweet and salty braised pork flavor that is just out of this world. 5.0 out of 5.0 stars.

Video on how to make Rou Zao Mian – kind of what we have here. Mian means noodles.

Meet The Manufacturer: #1091: Amianda Noodle Homely Dried Noodles – Original Flavor

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Today I’ll be reviewing a thinner gauge noodle by Amianda. I thought it was funny that they were called ‘homely,’ as here in the US homely usually means ugly, but I think this time it’s meant to be more along the lines of homemade or home-style.

The back of the package (click image to enlarge).

The noodle block. A very thin gauge.

The liquid sauce packet.

In the provided literature, it says ‘the most classic flavor of all, sauce with hand-made soy sauce can serve you the original sweetness of noodle.’

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added a fried egg and some ham. The noodles are very thin and have a nice elasticity and texture. The flavoring while light has a very nice soy flavor and sweetness. These are excellent! 4.0 out of 5.0 stars.

The differences in soy sauces around Asia are discussed, centering in Taiwanese soy sauce.

Meet The Manufacturer: #1090: Amianda Noodle Dried Noodles – Spicy Sauerkraut

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Today it’s a spicy sauerkraut – kind of interesting to see sauerkraut as a popular addition in Taiwanese noodles, but this isn’t the first time I’ve seen it – I think it’s about the fourth. Anyways, let’s give it a look!

The back of the packaging (click image to enlarge).

The noodle block. They look about the same as the Tachia variety I reviewed for #1088.

A sauce packet.

Has a nice sesame oil scent.

Another liquid packet – the spicy component perhaps?

Yep – has some heat!

The sauerkraut pouch.

A decent amount and has a nice scent.

 

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added green onions. The noodles are excellent – nice texture and chew. The flavoring is a little oily and bland. There’s a bit of spiciness there. The sauerkraut’s kind of interesting – a nice crunch to it but not a strong flavor. Left wanting a little more flavor. 3.25 out of 5.0 stars.

About making sauerkraut.