Momofuku Mania

Have you heard of Chef David Chang? He is a famous chef known best for the famous restaurant chain Momofuku, which is especially renowned for its noodles.

I actually typically don’t like non-broth noodles, but I’ll EASILY make an exception for Momofuku. I think the thick and chewy texture of the noodles help make it more satisfying, so I don’t need the broth to feel like I’ve eaten a hearty meal.

All the flavors are also straightforward and traditional. Momofuku isn’t going for gimmicks; they want to make an instant noodle that delivers a high-quality, restaurant-esque experience for you to enjoy at home. You can also (one might even say encouraged to) add your own mix-ins since the flavor profiles are so accessible, and the noodles themselves are such a large part of the experience. The noodles and sauce packets make a phenomenal base when you want to add some of your own garnishes and tastes. Overall, Momofuku didn’t just want to make noodles, they wanted to make a canvas (which can also double as a finished painting, of course).

The three flavors Momofuku currently boast are: Soy and scallion, spicy soy, and tingly chili wavy noodles. I tried all three! All three are similar inside to pack (air-dried noodles + sauce packet), but the soy and scallion flavor also has a pack of dried scallions, and the tingly chili noodles are thicker than the other two flavors.

Soy and Scallion: This is the simplest, and only non-spicy, flavor. The umami and sweetness are balanced in the soy sauce within the sauce mix, and the sesame oil gives it some earthiness. I added a soft-boiled egg and some Korean seasoned spinach to the noodles when I tried them, and I almost forgot I was eating instant noodles!

Spicy Soy: This was a step up in spiciness, but nothing too major. I mean, my spice tolerance is certainly nothing special, but I handled it fine. I again added a soft boiled egg (but feel free to add something else, I just don’t eat meat and LOVE eggs), and some more of my Korean seasoned spinach (say YES to prepping side-dishes). The taste of this flavor is basically the same as the soy and scallion flavor, but there are no scallions, and chili oil is added to the sauce packet. Go for this one if you want something similar with extra warmth.

Tingly Chili Wave: This one is definitely spicier! It was so spicy I needed to add peanut butter to cope. Despite already knowing this, I did also add some spicy marinated tofu crisps though… So I didn’t do myself any favor… This one has a more complex blend of flavors thanks to the abundance of spices in the chili paste, including numbing Sichuan peppercorn. The thicker noodles also provided an even more substantial mouthfeel.

Momofuku noodles also keep well as leftovers, which cannot be said for every instant noodle. The very first time I had the tingly chili noodles, I did not finish them (I had laid myself out a veritable buffet and overestimated how much I could eat). But the next day I just needed to microwave them, and they were as good as new! We can probably thank the sturdiness of the noodles for that.

Overall, Momofuku noodles are simple, but in that simplicity they go for quality over quantity. The ingredients list are relatively simple, but they seek the best for each ingredient used, which allows underestimated flavors to shine and reveal their own complexity as they flow over your taste buds. The noodles are also special for the same reason. They too are simple, but their quality is practically incomparable within the instant noodle arena. And for more ideas about how to customize Momofuku noodles, check out shop.momofuku.com/blogs/recipes/tagged/noodles

-Josie

Hearty & Heartwarming Pepper Power

The Jing Yao Pepper soup ramen review is a little different from the others we've covered! To me, it is more like a soup starter than a whole soup. There are six packets in each bag you buy. Half those packets are a blend of noodles, seasoning, soy curls, gluten, and dried veg. The other half are packs of cornstarch and more seasoning. You pair the two different packs together to make one pot of soup, which has around 4 servings in itself. Pepper soup is known for its complex taste profile, and is even thought to have healing properties by some, due to the variety of seasonings used. Here is a translation of the back:

To start, bring 1000 ml/4 cups of water to a boil with the noodles/veg/soy packet. Adding additional broth flavoring is optional, but the directions do advise against adding any more salt. So I just added a single bouillon cube to add a little more to the broth, since the 4 cups of water would dilute the salt in the cube. You could also add any additional veg at this point. While waiting for this mixture to boil, you can move onto preparing the next packet.

While that is cooking, tip the starchy packet into a bowl and add 260 ml/1 cup of cool water to that. Mix to make a slurry. Pour the slurry into the pot to thicken the soup and stir. Once it returns to a boil, you're done! Feel free to enjoy the aromatic pepper and star anise blend of the soup, adding vinegar and sesame seed oil to taste, as recommended by the directions.

Or, you could take it up a notch. When researching the soup, I read from one Chinese woman that she recommends cooking it with carrots, tomatoes, and adding cilantro as a garnish. I did the same (plus celery, my soup soulmate) and it definitely added layers of flavor. I even added some more soy curls to add more protein. Those are easy to cook with and have a very substantial, meaty texture that grips the flavor around it like pasta due to that texture. You only need to soak them until they are just reconstituted (this brand took just a few minutes) and add them to whatever dish you are making. You could personalize it as you want. I can imagine it would be great with pork belly or thin beef slices, or different vegetables like bok choy or spinach.

I had this with leftover rice since I had added so much, but there are still noodles in there, so it still counts for this review! I also added the dried packet to noodles and the peppery, star anise-ey flavor was very refreshing as it balanced well with the other flavors in my ramen, and added protein from the soy curls.

We have a few different flavors of this soup... green (mild), orange (5 spice), and red (mala).

-Josie

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