#36 - Batchelor's Sweet & Sour Flavour Super Noodles

• Brand: Batchelor’s Super Noodles
• Flavour: Sweet & Sour
• Cost: £0.60 (part of 5 for £3 deal, normal price is £0.69)
• From: Tesco
• Description: Super Noodles in a tasty sweet & sour flavour sauce
• Weight: 100g (300g when prepared)
• Allergies: Contains Wheat, Gluten, Celery, Milk
  
  
         Weird!

I received a a message a few days ago from a fish-fearing friend of mine that simply read: "Sweet and Sour Super Noodles are wrong!"

Our relationship is such that if we ever do manage to agree on anything it must be absolutely true so I thought the best thing to do would be to review them myself (I already had a packet in the cupboard).

Typical Super Noodle presentation, cellophane wrapper containing noodles and a flavour sachet - none of which is currently recyclable. Preparation can be done on the hob or in the microwave and as usual (when I can) I chose the hob.

“How do they taste?” The answer is weird! I'm not aware of anything else in the world that tastes quite so much as a jellyfish looks. This is just one big bowl of gelatinous oddness.

“Do they remind me in any way of an authentic sweet & sour dish?”  The answer is no. To be honest though they never had a chance. I took a look the ingredients when I was preparing them and all that's there with regards flavour is onion powder, yeast extract, tomato powder, garlic powder, citric acid and parsley. There is also butylated hydroxyanisole, propyl gallate, MSG, disodium 5'-ribonucletides, sodium diacetate,silicon dioxide and tricalcium phosphate. Take a look in any cookbook and I doubt you'll see similar things listed under your favourite sweet and sour recipe. Don't worry if you don't know what any of these things are, I've created a glossary page with all the info there.

“How do I feel now I’ve finished it?” Gutted. A waste of 10 minutes of my life. I suppose I'm satiated but these truly are awful.

Conclusion – For the overall experience they are too expensive at 69p. Also, my friend and I agree, and as I told you at the top of the page when that happens it just needs to be accepted as fact by the rest of the world. Sweet & Sour Super Noodles are wrong!

Need 4 Noodle Rating: 2/10

I'll even explain this score: 1 point for being easy to prepare, .5 of a point for tasting a bit like food, 0 points for authenticity and .5 of a point for managing to fill me up.

#35 - Shanghai Garden Curry Flavour Noodles

• Brand: Shanghai Garden
• Flavour: Curry
• Cost: £0.18
• From: Tesco
• Description: Instant Curry Flavour Noodles
• Weight: 108g (408g when prepared)
• Allergies: Wheat, Gluten (cannot guarantee nut free)
  
  
          Cheap and quite cheerful...

There is a little note on the back of these noodles that says "Produced in China for Tesco Stores Ltd" which can only imply that there is some kind of exclusivity deal going on. I've tried to find information on Shanghai Garden but I've not been very successful unfortunately.

Packaging is the standard, cellophane wrapped noodles with a foil flavour sachet inside. There is no sign that any of this is recyclable. Preparation is also quite standard; add noodles and sachet contents to pan, add boiling water, bring back to the boil, simmer, eat.

“How do they taste?” The answer is surprisingly alright. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a flavour sensation but there is flavour there. The noodles are a good consistency too. I'm going to give them 2 out of 4 I think - middle of the road.

“Do they remind me in any way of a traditional curry dish?” The answer is incredibly mildly. The ingredients contain turmeric, cumin, chilli and garlic as well as caraway seed, cayenne pepper, Szechuan pepper, ginger and aniseed. They've clearly tried but at 18p per portion you're never going to get that much. Here's an idea Mr Tesco - put them up to 25p and make them taste of curry?

“How do I feel now I’ve finished it?” The answer is quite full with a lot of salt left in my mouth. A full pack of these gives you 32% of your daily calorie intake, 36% of your daily fat intake, 64% of your daily saturates intake and 24% of your daily salt intake so I'm not surprised about how I'm left feeling.

Conclusion – A product from China that can be picked up on our UK shelves for 18p per unit. There's not a lot of love gone into these although I do approve of the ingredients list, there's nothing artificial in there at all. They taste alright too so I'd probably go for them again if it wasn't for this salty taste I'm left with.

Need 4 Noodle Rating: 4.5/10

#34 - Instant Noodle King Beef Soup Flavour

• Brand: Instant Noodle King
• Flavour: Beef Soup
• Cost: £1.14
• From: Asda
  
• Description:
• Weight: 75g
• Allergies: Wheat, Soyabean (May contain traces of nut)
  
  
                 A lot of packaging (and flavour)

This is my first review of a product produced outside of the UK. The brand is Instant Noodle King which is part of the Sau Tao company which itself is part of Sun Shuk Fuk Foods Co. Ltd from Hong Kong. Sau Tao offers over 150 different types of noodle products - crikey, best get testing.

There is a sign on the packet which implies that there is some recycling of the packaging to be done, which is a good thing as there is a lot of it. Of the bowl, lid, insert cover, 3 sachets, fork in packet and actual cellophane outer skin I would suggest that only the pot and the insert cover can be recycled.

Preparation is as simple as opening all the sachets into the pot, filling with boiling water to an obvious fill line, replacing the lid, waiting for 3-4 minutes and stirring. When you open the sachets you really get a good idea that these are a well considered product. The dehydrated vegetables alone is a really good helping of chives, cabbage and coriander and then there's the flavouring and sauce sachets too. In the UK the sauce sachet is usually a bit of soy sauce, mango chutney, ketchup or something similar, here the sauce sachet contains palm oil, leek, garlic, artificial beef flavour, sesame sauce, bean paste, salt and spices - awesome!

“How do they taste?” The answer is quite lovely. You get a really nice leek taste throughout, the noodles are lovely and soft and the broth has a relatively complex yet well balanced flavour. The little bits of veg floating around give some texture to the whole thing too.

“Do they remind me in any way of traditional beef noodle soup?” The answer is no. They say there's  beef flavouring in both the soup and sauce sachets but I really can't detect it. It does however have a very authentic Chinese feel to it and I like it.

“How do I feel now I’ve finished it?” The answer is light yet satiated with a myriad of flavours dancing around the palette.

Conclusion – As my first review of a non-UK product I can now see why my international foodie friends have pitied the state of our UK noodle industry. On the Noodle League you will see Kabuto Miso Ramen currently standing proud at the top and that is because they have clearly tried to emulate this kind of product. This is the way forward and at just over a pound a pot you really can't complain.

Need 4 Noodle Rating: 6.5/10

(this relatively low score is due to the packaging and the fact they don't actually taste of beef)

#33 - Chicken Flavour Mug Shot On The Go!

• Brand: Mug Shot On The Go!
• Flavour: Chicken
• Cost: £1.00
• From: Tesco
  
• Description: Ribbon noodles in a chicken flavour sauce with sweetcorn and mushrooms
• Weight: 67g (275g when prepared)
• Allergies: Cow's Milk, Wheat Gluten, Barley Gluten, Egg, Celery

This is my second Mug Shot on the Go! and the first one, Spicy Sweet & Sour, was very nice so I'm looking forward to this one.

Packaging is 100% recyclable which is excellent but there is a problem with the instructions. You are told to fill to line, the line is on the outside of a completely opaque cardboard pot, so how are you supposed to be exacting when you put the water on the inside? I once had this idea that the makers of these products tested everything to give you the best possible product. After the King Pot Noodle fiasco, coupled with this, I'm not so sure. To be honest though, if not, why not?

“How do they taste?” The answer is quite nice. The flavour is relatively sweet with a good dose of umami working its way around the palette. The noodles are of a good consistency and are well coated with sauce. Not bad.

“Do they remind me in any way of a chicken dish?” The answer is only just. The flavour is   a cross between 1980's vending machine chicken soup and roast chicken skin. Surprisingly I find this quite pleasant. The bits of sweetcorn and mushroom floating around don't do a lot and I'm starting to get a salty after taste...

“How do I feel now I’ve finished it?” The answer is salty but satisfied. I'm a bit peckish today so I'll probably snack before dinner but that's not a reflection on the pot.

Conclusion – Not as good as the Spicy Sweet & Sour but not bad. This saltiness is getting on my nerves a bit too.

Need 4 Noodle Rating: 5.5/10

#32 - Batchelor's Mild Curry Flavour Super Noodles

• Brand: Batchelor's Super Noodles
• Flavour: Mild Curry
• Cost: £0.60 (part of 5 for £3 deal, normal price is £0.69)
• From: Tesco
• Description: Super Noodles in a tasty mild curry flavour sauce
• Weight: 100g (300g when prepared)
• Allergies: Contains Wheat, Barley, Gluten, Celery, Milk
  
  
               Oh dear...

Originally a Kellog's product Super Noodles have got to be the most popular packaged instant noodles in the UK. I don't have any proof for that but they're everywhere and have been going for as long as I can remember. Now produced by Premier Foods for Batchelor's they're available in a wide variety of flavours, have an 'On the Go' range in a pot and even a Saucy range with extra flavourings.

I've got quite used to just pouring boiling water into a pot but these are packaged so it's off to the hob. You can prepare these in the microwave but I tend not to when there's an alternative method of preparation.

They come in a plastic wrapper (not recyclable) and inside there's the noodles and a sachet full of the flavouring (also not recyclable). There isn't any excess packaging though which is a good thing I suppose. Preparation is simple enough; put the noodles in a pan, add 300ml of water, bring to the boil, reduce heat to a simmer and wait until the liquid has been absorbed which takes about 4 minutes.

“How do they taste?” The answer is a bit bland. The noodles themselves are a bit rubbery even though, as always, I followed the prep guidelines to the letter. The little flecks of parsley floating around seem to be only there for colour as you certainly can't taste them.

“Do they remind me in any way of a mild curry?”  The answer is no. A quick look at the ingredients tells me why. You see any curry is going to include a fair amount of spice, this product contains garlic and turmeric - that's it! That's rubbish!

“How do I feel now I’ve finished it?” The answer is satiated but unflavoured.

Conclusion – The price is good, don't get me wrong, but when you factor in the extra physical labour required to make them, the fact that NONE of the packaging is recyclable and the important fact that they don't taste that great, I'm not impressed.

Also, another look at the ingredients list shows me that they contain Butylated Hydroxyanisole and Propyl Gallate. I have no idea what they are but I'm going to look them up and by the time you get to the Glossary page I'll have an answer waiting for you.

Need 4 Noodle Rating: 3/10

#31 - Sweet & Spicy Pot Noodle

• Brand: Pot Noodle
• Flavour: Sweet & Spicy
• Cost: £1.00
• From: Tesco
• Description: Noodles in a Sweet and Spicy flavour sauce with vegetables and a little sachet of sweet mango chutney.
• Weight: 90g (305g when prepared)
• Allergies: May contain soya
  
  
                                             There are better Pot Noodles out there

Yet another of the Pot Noodle range for lunch today, this is the 9th - they're just so readily available - just the Chicken & Mushroom, Jamaican Jerk and GTi versions to go as it stands.

I'm not sure what to expect from a flavour called Sweet & Spicy. Foods I can think of that would have that description mainly come from Chinese, Burmese and Mongolian cuisine - these should be very interesting then...

“How do they taste?” The answer is alright I suppose. There's a taste of curry powder, it's a bit dry to the palette and all in all is pretty uneventful. It's not a bad taste but it's not a great one  either by any means.

“Do they remind me in any way of a sweet and spicy dish?”  The answer is no. When I was thinking of sweet and spicy dishes before the one I couldn't get out of my mind was Szechuan beef with its sticky sauce full of chilli, Szechuan pepper and sugar. This was nothing like that. Really it just tastes of a really mild curry that has used too much poor quality curry powder.

“How do I feel now I’ve finished it?” The answer is satiated but disappointed.

Conclusion – Another distinctly average Pot Noodle. The packaging is likely to save a disappointing score. You see Pot Noodle's always get 1.5 (out of 2) for their packaging as they're almost entirely recyclable and have clear instructions. The half point is lost due to not being 100% recyclable and the pots being a little bit bigger than they need to be.

Need 4 Noodle Rating: 4/10

#30 - Chicken & Mushroom KING Pot Noodle

• Brand: KING Pot Noodle
• Flavour: Chicken & Mushroom
• Cost: £1.36
• From: Tesco
• Description: Noodles in a Chicken & Mushroom flavour sauce with vegetables and a little sachet of soy sauce.
• Weight: 114g (385g when prepared)
• Allergies: Non Listed
  
  
                             Contemplative...

King Size is used in so many industries, from beds to cigarettes, why not use it with noodles too? The only thing I'd say is that getting something King Size usually means you're going to get a better deal - not here.

MATHS ALERT: If you take a normal size Pot Noodle at 90g costing £1.00 then it turns out you're paying 1.11 pence per gramme. If you then apply this cost per gramme to to the 114g you get in a KING Pot Noodle it should cost £1.26 and these cost £1.36. Where has this 10p come from? As a friend pointed out to me recently you still get the same size sauce sachet too and I can't believe the minimal extra packaging would cost them 10p so why are we being charged this amount??? I am going to write to Pot Noodle for an answer and will let you know if they respond.

Everything about this is just like a normal Pot Noodle that's been increased in volume. The packaging is the same just bigger, it's a standard Pot Noodle flavour so really you're just getting more. This raises something I mentioned earlier though, why is the sauce sachet the same size? as in a normal size Pot Noodle? I like to think that the manufacturers agonise over the proportions of flavourings in order to provide the best possible eating experience. This situation however tells me that we'll get what we're given.

“How do they taste?” The answer is pretty nice. There's a lovely peppery kick (despite pepper not being mentioned as an ingredient), the noodles are soft and well covered in sauce and the veggies give a good bit of texture as you're eating.

“Do they remind me in any way of a Chicken & Mushroom dish?”  The answer is a little bit. There is a taste akin to that of chicken (despite chicken not being mentioned as an ingredient) but I can't really pick up any mushroom (despite mushroom actually being listed as an ingredient)

“How do I feel now I’ve finished it?” The answer is pretty full and enjoying the after taste. I'm definitely going to have the energy for the afternoon.

Conclusion – One of the longest standing flavours is always going to taste quite nice. I'm just left wondering about the cost, the sachet, etc... Seems like all the energy I've got is going to go into quiet contemplation on Pot Noodle

Need 4 Noodle Rating: 6.5/10

#29 - Batchelor's Chow Mein Deli Box Noodles

• Brand: Batchelor’s Deli Box Noodles


• Flavour: Chow Mein
• Cost: £1.19
• From: Tesco
• Description: A tasty and satisfying light lunch
• Weight: 75g (255g when prepared)
• Allergies: Egg, Wheat, Barley and Gluten
  
  
                                                     I wouldn't if I were you...

There are 4 flavours in this range and this is my fourth try of them. So far the other 3 flavours have averaged a score of 5.5 (Mild Curry - 6.5, Chicken - 5.5, BBQ Beef - 4.5). I have just found out today that the idea behind these products was to market them towards female consumers and perhaps that's why they've put so much effort into making the packaging look appealing? If that's true then they've missed a trick as surely it's men who judge by sight, women are a lot more complex...

Anyway, the packaging is good, it looks appealing in it's New York takeaway box and it's all recyclable on the outside. When you get inside there's a flavouring pouch which is made from mixed materials so it can't be recycled. One thing about this is that the pouch is huge, surely they could make it a bit smaller especially as it's just going to go to landfill.

Unfortunately, as soon as I poured the water in I knew I wasn't going to like these. There's an aroma which I associate with AWFUL flavour that you only seem to come across when people are trying to mimic Chinese flavours - I'm sure I'll get onto this shortly.

“How do they taste?” The answer is a bit odd. If I could split my mouth in half and taste the two flavours that come through so strongly separately I think one side would be disappointed and the other side would be utterly disappointed. There's a horrible chemical favour coming through but looking at the ingredients I can't decide what it might be unless it's the malt extract???

“Do they remind me in any way of a traditional chow mein?”  The answer is hell no! A traditional (soft noodle) chow mein is a marriage of simple fresh flavours - this is not. Also, you'd think there might be some Asia flavours added but there aren't. Yes I would use oil, salt, onion and garlic when cooking a SE Asian dish but there'd also be things like soy, mirin, palm sugar, lime, lemongrass, water chestnut, chilli, fish sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin, and the list goes on. None of these can be found here and let's be honest I'd also use oil, salt, onion and garlic in Indian cooking, Italian cooking, Mexican cooking, etc...............

“How do I feel now I’ve finished it?” The answer is on the verge of anger. For £1.19 and all the effort they've gone to make it look nice why haven't they put any effort into the flavouring? WHY??? These could really take off I'm sure but this effort is way below average.

[caption id="attachment_224" align="alignright" width="150"] Appealing?[/caption]

Conclusion – I'm glad I don't have to try any more flavours because the only one I really liked was the mild curry flavour. From the very start when you put your flavourings on top of the noodles you're left with a grey powder that really doesn't look very appetising at all. Add the water and it all turns dark brown and you're hit with THAT smell. Then the eating and that smell translates to THAT flavour.

Need 4 Noodle Rating: 3/10

#28 - Tesco Everyday Value Spicy Curry Flavour Noodles

• Brand: Tesco Everyday Value
• Flavour: Spicy Curry
• Cost: £0.40
• From: Tesco
• Description:Dried noodles in a spicy curry flavour sauce mix with soya protein and dried vegetables
• Weight: 70g (260g when made up as per instructions)
• Allergies: Wheat, Gluten, Soya
  
  
                                             Much better than expected

This is the 2nd Everyday Value noodle pot I've tried from Tesco's own range. The first one, beef and tomato, only scored 4 out of 10 but, to be fair, at 40p per pot I think that's pretty good. First thing to point out is the packaging. It's reminiscent of a Pot Noodle but doesn't contain a sauce sachet. The pot itself is recyclable, the lid isn't - again, not bad.

“How do they taste?” The answer is not bad and remarkably flavoursome. This is the same comment as the last one I tried so I'll say the same again "I say this as you’d expect the bare minimum of flavouring but you get a nice dark broth coating nice noodles with the odd little bite of carrot or pea."

“Do they remind me in any way of a spicy curry? The answer is yes, but it's more of a Chinese curry flavour. This is what I said about the Original Curry Pot Noodle I reviewed so they're in good company. Ingredients include cardamom, coriander, turmeric, fenugreek, garlic powder, pepper, cumin and bay amongst other things. The problem is that there's probably more sugar than all of these combined and so it loses that authentic Indian/Pakistani curry flavour.

“How do I feel now I’ve finished it?” Pretty good is the answer. With only 325 calories I'm glad I'm eating quite late today as these will see me through to dinner which is really all you want.

Conclusion – As previously I am impressed with what you get for 40p. The only unrecognisable ingredients are maltodextrin and malic acid but if you take a look at out glossary page you'll see that these are quite fine to have in your food. All in all, pretty happy with these.

Need 4 Noodle Rating: 5.5/10

#27 - Southern Fried Chicken Pot Noodle

• Brand: Pot Noodle
• Flavour: Southern Fried Chicken
• Cost: £0.75 (buy 2nd half price deal, original price £1.00)
• From: Sainsbury’s
• Description: Noodles in a Southern Fried Chicken flavour sauce with vegetables and a little sachet of Tomato sauce.
• Weight: 90g (305g when prepared)
• Allergies: May contain soya
  
  
                                                No, just no!

Mmmmmm, Fried Chicken flavour. I can't wait for this one because I love fried chicken, be it The Colonel, SFC, Chicken Cottage, home cooked Tatsuta Age, it doesn't matter - I love 'em all!

Packaging is good, very nearly all recyclable, clear instructions  - let's get tasting!

“How do they taste?” The answer is OK I suppose. I'm not sure what I'm tasting though and the ingredients list doesn't help much either, I mean what are 'ground spices' and 'flavourings'? The consistency is the usual Pot Noodle consistency which is good.

“Do they remind me in any way of Southern Fried Chicken?”  The answer, incredibly disappointingly, is no. Yes there is spice but it's so lacking in flavour that it's just that - spice. I'm looking for a butter, spicy, herby flavour and it's just not there.

“How do I feel now I’ve finished it?” The answer is satiated but annoyed by the after taste.

Conclusion – Another distinctly average Pot Noodle, remind me why these are the nation's favourite someone...

Need 4 Noodle Rating: 5.5/10

#26 - Batchelor's Mild Curry Flavour Pot Shots

• Brand: Batchelor’s Pot Shots
• Flavour: Mild Curry
• Cost: £0.60 (3 for £1.80 deal, normally £0.79 each)
• From: Sainsbury’s
• Description: A delicious, filling noodle snack in a tasty mild curry flavour sauce
• Weight: 46g (225g when prepared)
• Allergies: Wheat, Gluten, Milk, Mustard, Celery
  
  
   

Disappointing

These have had mixed results in the past but here we go again with another flavour. Mild curry appears to be a very popular flavour with a variety of noodle manufacturers so I'm guessing these should be alright.

As usual I love the packaging on these Pot Shots, a good size and totally recyclable.

“How do they taste?” The answer is grainy. It's like the mixture hasn't all dissolved but that can't be the case, I'm an Instant Noodles expert and I always make sure that everything is mixed properly, for the right amount of time. What makes this doubly weird is that the noodles seem to be super saturated and are really watery. Plus there is no residue left when I'm finished so where is the graininess coming from???

“Do they remind me in any way of a mild curry dish?”  The answer is a little bit. There is a bit of spice coming through but no real curry flavours and that's not surprising looking at the ingredients. There's turmeric in there but no cumin, no coriander - honestly, what did they expect.

“How do I feel now I’ve finished it?” The answer is dry mouthed, not quite full enough and a bit cross at the overall poor quality of this product.

Conclusion – Very disappointed.

Need 4 Noodle Rating: 5/10