Budget Friendly Tasty Bowls

Since Wai Wai and Mama are both more budget-friendly ramen brands, we have two ramen flavors in this review: Mama’s Clear Pho and Wai Wai’s Pad Char Baby Clam.

The first flavor is Mama’s Clear Pho. I ate this one for the first time when I was sick, and oh man did it hit the spot. It was so comforting! The broth is not overly complicated. Like the name says, it's a very clear both in look and taste.

Inside the package there is the rice noodles, soup base, chili packet, and seasoning paste. It's also very simple to prepare. Add the noodles and all seasoning packets to a bowl, fill with 1.5 cups of just-boiled water, cover, and wait three minutes. Presto! A hot bowl of hearty pho. I added meatballs to mine for added protein and texture.

It's a bit spicy with the addition of the chili packet, but it didn't bother me at all. I thought it was just right and added warmth to the dish (for reference I would say I'm roughly low-medium on the spice tolerance range, and I don't usually seek out spicy food but I like it on occasion. Or to put it another way, I like spicy Cheetos, but I need to take breaks when I eat them lol). The broth had that almost undetectable sweetness akin to bone broth which makes it nice and smooth, but there's no meat or bone in the broth! I couldn't even tell that it is meant for vegetarians. And since it has rice noodles it might be good for people who need to avoid gluten (though I'm no expert on that). So DEFINITELY a good one to consider for blended households in terms of diet restrictions. Pacific Rim also carries other Mama Pho noodles. We have Mama beef pho in stock at the moment as well! And keep a lookout for the chicken flavor.

Now onto Pad Char Baby Clam from Wai Wai. If you like spicy seafood ramen this one will definitely fit your taste. Even if you don’t, it’s still worth a go since it has a unique taste profile compared to other seafood ramens.

First, let’s take care of the basics of ramen reviews (contents and cooking). Inside the packet there are standard noodles, seasoning powder, and a sauce packet. To cook it, place the noodles in a bowl and cover with just-boiled water. After 3 minutes, pour the water out (no broth here folks!) and add the seasoning packets.

Once it’s all prepared, the spice is quite strong, and there is a definite presence of star anise. I paired it with a soft-boiled egg and avocado. The creamy avocado and egg balanced out the spice for me nicely. The next time I had it, I added milk (yes that’s perfectly acceptable if you find yourself a bit overwhelmed by the spice in your ramen). It was still a bit spicy though, so I recommend this ramen more to people who like spicy noodles.

That's all for this one. Thank you for reading and have a nice day!

-Josie

✨Singapore Curry LaMian✨

Okay, I can say with certainty that Prima Taste’s Singapore Curry LaMian is the most DELUXE instant ramen I’ve ever had! You can tell from the distinctive packaging that their Singapore LaMian line is premium. These noodles are known for being indulgent, and their chicken curry flavor is no different.

Inside the package we have their thick steamed-then-air-dried noodles, and two mixes. With the sturdy mix packets, I feel like I’m unpacking an MRE! Knowing how much governments invest in those MREs, that’s really a compliment! The curry paste packet is pretty self-explanatory, and the curry premix contains the coconut milk mix.

Generally I like to taste the noodles plain before they are cooked, so I tip out some of the broken pieces from the bag to snack on while I am cooking. These noodles both look and feel high-quality, and they have a pleasant and refined taste. Honestly, some instant ramen noodles taste good on their own because they basically taste halfway to being chips due to being fried. La Mian noodles on the other hand taste good because they taste light and fresh! They’re real noodles!

The first step in actually making the noodles is to mix the paste and premix into 2 cups of water and then bring it to a boil. Simple! Once the curry soup is boiling in the pot, add the noodles, reduce the heat, and continue to boil them for 7 minutes. It takes a little longer than other ramens to cook because the noodles are thicker and of premium quality.

To add some green, I threw in some chrysanthemum leaves in the last couple of minutes of cooking (yes Pacific Rim sells those! They taste fragrant and cook easily in soup, so they are perfect for ramen). Other good options would be cooked chicken, tofu, bok choy, beans, or julienned vegetables (I find that vegetables with a longer and thinner shape will mix in and flow better with the noodles, and so are picked up more easily with chopsticks while you are eating rather than having to fish them out separately from the noodles).

I also had a few chicken-flavored tofu kebabs (also from PRF) with the LaMian. The texture of the soup was incredibly creamy, and the noodles were robust and chewy so as not to be overpowered. The sweetness of the coconut milk also wonderfully balanced out the spice from the curry. If you want a super luxe - yet quick - meal, Singapore LaMian should be your first choice!

On top of curry, we also currently have the flavors Chilli Crab and Laksa for you to check out! Prima Taste also has a whole grain LaMian line which we have in stock with the flavors curry, laksa, and prawn soup.

-Josie

PARASITE "Ram-Don" Noodles

South Korean thriller Parasite from director Bong Joon-Ho made history by being the first foreign language film to win Best Picture at this year's Oscar ceremony! This thrilling, yet often hilarious, tale of class disparities left me gasping for air... and craving noodles! Specifically jjapaguri... a combination of Nongshim's Chapagetti and Neoguri instant noodles, elevated to a higher level with the addition of seared steak.

Setting the Scene: On their drive back from a camping trip, wealthy Mrs. Park calls her poor housekeeper, Mrs. Kim, and requests that she prepare a bowl of “ram-don” for her young son by the time they arrive home. Sounds pretty simple, but what happens next is a frenzy of sizzling steak and searing satire. I won't give away any spoilers of this cinematic masterpiece, but I will walk you through how to make a bowl of these delicious noodles.

The ingredients needed are one package each of Nongshim Chapagetti and Neoguri instant noodles, 6 to 8 ounces of sirloin steak, tablespoon of oil, salt and pepper.

Prepare the sirloin by cutting into 1 inch cubes, pat dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the steak and cook for 3 to 5 minutes on both sides. Set aside.

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add both types of noodles to the boiling water along with the packages of dried flakes from both (do not add the seasoning packets yet) and cook until just-tender.

Strain the noodles, reserving 4 to 5 tablespoons of the starchy water. Return noodles to the pot over low heat and add the Chapagetti seasoning, half of the Neoguri seasoning, and the 4 to 5 tablespoons of reserved noodle water. Stir until the seasonings are well blended and the sauce thickens.

Add the cooked steak to the noodles. Stir and serve!

Simple, savory, complex... make a bowl and watch Parasite tonight!

-David Lynn