The Noodles Reviewed!

Ingredients: ABC Noodles: Wheat flour, vegetable oil (contains palm oil), guar gum, salt, potassium carbonate, sodium carbonate, sodium polyphosphate, tartrazine C.I. 19140. Seasoning: Salt, sugar, monosodium glutamate, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, seafood powder, shrimp powder, pepper, ginger powder, garlic powder, chili powder, dehydrated vegetables (cabbage, carrot, celery), disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, sodium succinate, maltodextrin. Oil: Vegetable oil, garlic, seafood paste.
Nutrition information: 294 calories, 124 calories from fat, 14g fat, 6g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 913mg sodium, 37g carbohydrate, 2g dietary fiber, 0g sugars, 6g protein. 6% RDA of iron.
Price: $0.59 at Big Lots!.
Type: Plastic cup, with freeze-dried noodles, oil and seasoning packets, and miniature plastic fork.

A reasonably well-conceived blend. The noodles are thick and filling, and the vegetables serve to add some much-needed texture. The soup base is bland ut not offensively so, and a trace of actual seafood flavor can be detected.

Ingredients: ABC Noodles: Wheat flour, vegetable oil (contains palm oil), guar gum, salt, potassium carbonate, sodium carbonate, sodium polyphosphate, tartrazine C.I. 19140. Seasoning: Salt, sugar, monosodium glutamate, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, autolyzed yeast extract, chicken powder, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, dehydrated vegetables (carrot, leek, texturized vegetable protein), disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate. Oil: Vegetable oil and onion.
Nutrition information: 320 calories, 153 calories from fat, 17g fat, 8g saturated fat, 1.7mg cholesterol, 1290mg sodium, 34g carbohydrate, 2g dietary fiber, 2g sugars, 8g protein. 6% RDA of iron.
Price: $0.59 at Big Lots!.
Type: Plastic cup, with freeze-dried noodles, oil and seasoning packets, and miniature plastic fork.

Surprisingly bland. THere's little detectsble onion flavor, and the texturized protein, while evoking the texture of standard instant-ramen chicken-fat squares, does little to evoke flavor. The noodles, at least, are decent.

Ingredients: Wheat Flour, Vegetable Oil, Dehydradted g[sic] Vegetable, Salt, Sesame oil, Wheat Protein, Sugar, Mushroom Flavour, Chili Powder, Monosodium Glutamate, Disodium Guanylate, Disodium Inosinate, Natural Spices.
Nutrition information: 315 calories, 7.9g protein, 14.5g fat, 8.2g saturated fat, 25.9mg cholesterol, 1800mg sodium, 36.8g carbohydrate, 0.3g dietary fiber.
Price: $0.58 in bulk ($6.99 for 12) at Vỉnh Hựng Supermarket of Mira Mesa, CA.
Type: Plastic cup, with freeze-dried noodles, oil, seasoning, chili powder, and dehydrated vegetable packets, and miniature plastic fork.

The noodles are fairly rubbery, and the flavoring is slightly metallic-tasting, if a bit more flavorful than the other Beef & Chicken soups. The ingredients listed are probably inaccurate, since the actual "vegetable" packet seems to contain strips of dehydrated fat.

Ingredients: Wheat Flour, Vegetable Oil, Dehydradted [sic] Vegetable, Salt, Wheat Protein, Sugar, Chicken Flavour, Chili Powder, Monosodium Glutamate, Disodium Guanylate, Disodium Inosinate, Natural Spices.
Nutrition information: 315 calories, 7.9g protein, 14.5g fat, 8.2g saturated fat, 25.9mg cholesterol, 1800mg sodium, 36.8g carbohydrate, 0.3g dietary fiber.
Price: $0.58 in bulk ($6.99 for 12) at Vỉnh Hựng Supermarket of Mira Mesa, CA.
Type: Plastic cup, with freeze-dried noodles, oil, seasoning, chili powder, and dehydrated vegetable packets, and miniature plastic fork.

Nothing special, but not especially bad either. The flavorings of the Beef & Chicken soups tend to be mostly bland and slightly offensive; this one's mostly bland and fairly innocuous. The noodles are, as always, no prize, but the overall soup is almost edible.

Ingredients: Wheat Flour, Vegetable Oil, Dehydradted [sic] Vegetable, Salt, Wheat Protein, Sugar, Shrimp Flavour, Crab Flavour, Chili Powder, Monosodium Glutamate, Disodium Guanylate, Disodium Inosinate, Natural Spices.
Nutrition information: 315 calories, 7.9g protein, 14.5g fat, 8.2g saturated fat, 25.9mg cholesterol, 1800mg sodium, 36.8g carbohydrate, 0.3g dietary fiber.
Price: $0.58 in bulk ($6.99 for 12) at Vỉnh Hựng Supermarket of Mira Mesa, CA.
Type: Plastic cup, with freeze-dried noodles, oil, seasoning, chili powder, and dehydrated vegetable packets, and miniature plastic fork.

It's actually a surprisingly good soup stock, hampered by the fairly unexciting noodles and dehydrates. This one's the best of the Beef & Chicken line, which doesn't say much.

Ingredients: Wheat Flour, Vegetable Oil, Dehydradted [sic] Vegetable, Salt, Wheat Protein, Sugar, Shrimp Flavour, Beef Flavour, Chili Powder, Monosodium Glutamate, Disodium Guanylate, Disodium Inosinate, Natural Spices.
Nutrition information: 315 calories, 7.9g protein, 14.5g fat, 8.2g saturated fat, 25.9mg cholesterol, 1800mg sodium, 36.8g carbohydrate, 0.3g dietary fiber.
Price: $0.58 in bulk ($6.99 for 12) at Vỉnh Hựng Supermarket of Mira Mesa, CA.
Type: Plastic cup, with freeze-dried noodles, oil, seasoning, chili powder, and dehydrated vegetable packets, and miniature plastic fork.

Basically, a baseline Beef & Chicken soup. There's little to recommend it, as neither the noodles nor the seasoning even come up to a reasonable standard. Even the packet of chili powder doesn't seem to do much to cheer this soup up.

Ingredients: Wheat Flour, Vegetable Oil, Dehydradted [sic] Vegetable, Salt, Wheat Protein, Sugar, Shrimp Flavour, Chili Powder, Monosodium Glutamate, Disodium Guanylate, Disodium Inosinate, Natural Spices.
Nutrition information: 315 calories, 7.9g protein, 14.5g fat, 8.2g saturated fat, 25.9mg cholesterol, 1800mg sodium, 36.8g carbohydrate, 0.3g dietary fiber.
Price: $0.58 in bulk ($6.99 for 12) at Vỉnh Hựng Supermarket of Mira Mesa, CA.
Type: Plastic cup, with freeze-dried noodles, oil, seasoning, chili powder, and dehydrated vegetable packets, and miniature plastic fork.

It's a standout in the Beef & Chicken line for tasting like what it claims to taste like, but honestly, there are so much better Tom-Yum flavored soups out there, that this one isn't worth the time.

Ingredients: Wheat Flour, Vegetable Oil, Dehydrated Vegetable, Salt, Wheat Protein, Sugar, Duck Flavour, Chili Powder, Monosodium Glutamate, Disodium Guanylate, Disodium Inosinate, Natural Spices.
Nutrition information: 315 calories, 7.9g protein, 14.5g fat, 8.2g saturated fat, 25.9mg cholesterol, 1800mg sodium, 36.8g carbohydrate, 0.3g dietary fiber.
Price: $0.58 in bulk ($6.99 for 12) at Vỉnh Hựng Supermarket of Mira Mesa, CA.
Type: Plastic cup, with freeze-dried noodles, oil, seasoning, chili powder, and dehydrated vegetable packets, and miniature plastic fork.

The noodles are pretty wretched as such things go, and the flavoring is awfully bland and reminiscent of American noodle soups.

Ingredients: Noodles: wheat flour, refined palm oil, salt. Seasoning powder: salt, monosodium glutamate, pork flavor, spices, sugar. Sauce: refined palm oil, chili paste, bean paste.
Nutrition information: 390 calories, 150 calories from fat, 16g fat, 8g saturated fat, 15mg cholesterol, 1360mg sodium, 48g carbohydrate, 0g fiber, 2g sugars, 9g protein, 10% RDA iron.
Price: $5.88 for 12 at Ranch 99 Supermarket (Kearney Mesa, CA).
Type: Cardboard bowl, with seasoning and oil packets.

These were actually awfully disappointing -- there's very little actual flavor. It smells intriguing (with hints of anise, which works well in the pork-soup oeuvre), but none of those odors seem to translate into tastes.

Charm Noodles are produced by the Korean company Samyang Foods.

Hot Beef Flavor Cup Noodle

Ingredients: Noodle (wheat flour, potato starch, yam flour, salt, white egg), curry powder, salt, sugar, dried bonito, soy sauce (water, wheat, soybean, salt), kelp, wakame seaweed, euphausid, green onion, monosodium glutamate, citric acid, camamel color, guar gum, soya lecithin, tocopherol (v.e.).
Nutrition information: 320 calories, 35 calories from fat, 4g fat, 0g saturated fat, 5mg cholesterol, 2550mg sodium, 58g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 3g sugars, 14g protein, 2% RDA iron.
Price:
Type: Aluminum tub, with udon, curry, and dehydrates packets.

There were no English instructions on this, so I had to guess at preparation methods -- I followed the method used on the Nong Shim Udon bowl, but without draining the water. I'm afraid the results were disappointing -- which may be my problem rather than theirs. The undon adamantly refused to debrickify, so they stayed a solid mass in the midsts of a pool of curry-flavored broth. The etceteras were limited to scallions, too, and thus unimpressive.

Ingredients: Noodles: wheat flour, egg powder, tapioca flour, salt, potassium carbonate, water Soup sachet: salt, artificial chicken soup flavouring, sugar, .flavor, MSG, abalone flavoured extract, pepper powder, dehydrated chives. Sauces sachet: hydrogenated vegetable oil, shallot, chicken powder, soy sauces, artificial flavouring. Dehydrated sachet: cabbage, dried shrimp, chives.
Nutrition information: 230 calories, 0 calories from fat, 0g fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 390mg sodium, 42g carbohydrate, 7g fiber, 1g sugars, 13g protein, 2% RDA vitamin A, 14% RDA iron.
Price: $0.92 in bulk ($10.99 for 12) at Vỉnh Hựng Supermarket of Mira Mesa, CA.
Type: Cardboard bowl, with dried noodles, fork, and seasoning, vegetable, and sauce packets.

This one's ambitious, but does a pretty good job of following through on its ambitions. The flavor is, if predominantly chicken and salt, sufficiently abalonelike that the title isn't mere advertising. The noodles are quite different than the norm -- they're wide egg noodles which cook through surprisingly often, and are quite tasty. If the information on the bowl is to be believed, the noodles are nonfried, with corresponding health benefits. The dehydrated vegetables are well implemented, including cabbage, which is different but works. The only downsides I see to this soup, in fact, are logistical rather than taste-oriented: first, the sauce sachet has a great deal of difficult-to-dislodge shallot grit, although in this regard it's far better than the Happy (Beef & Chicken) soups; second, the cardboard bowl has rather less rigidity than a plastic bowl might; third, the fill line is far too high for a satisfying experience. I've found that filling with hot water to just above the top of the noodles makes for a thicker, more enjoyable bowl.

MAMA Noodles is an American importer, chiefly of Thai noodle cups.

Ingredients: Wheat Flour, Palm Oil, Salt, Sugar, Spices, Monosodium Glutamate, Chilli [sic], Citric acid, Shrimp Powder, Leek and Lemon Flavour.
Nutrition information: 280 calories, 110 calories from fat, 12g fat, 6g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 1610mg sodium, 36g carbohydrate, 2g dietary fiber, 3g sugars, 6g protein. 0% RDA of vitamin A, 0% RDA of vitamin C, 4% RDA of calcium, 15% RDA of iron.
Price:
Type: Styrofoam bowl, with freeze-dried noodle and oil and seasoning packets.

This soup strikes a happy medium flavorwise. It's reasonably spicy, but one can definitely taste the sweet and citrus flavors (lemon, alas, rather than the more appropriate lemongrass or kaffir lime). The noodles are fairly thin and a welcome departure from the average Ramen noodles.

Maruchan is a Japanese company with the popular American "Instant Lunch" and "Instant Wonton" brands. In the American market, their only real competition is the Nissin's "Cup Noodles" brand.

Ingredients: Enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (contains one or more of the following: canola, cottonseed, palm), dehydrated vegetables (corn, carrot, onion, garlic, chive), salt, textured soy protein, hydrolyzed corn, wheat and soy protein, monosodium glutamate, lactose, dehydrated soy sauce (wheat, soybeans, salt, maltodextrin), maltodextrin, beef extract, sugar, spices, chicken broth, caramel color, soya lecithin, potassium carbonate, sodium phosphate, beef fat, sodium carbonate, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, turmeric, freshness preserved by BHT. Contains wheat, soy, soy, and milk ingredients. May contain traces of shrimp.
Nutrition information: 290 calories, 110 calories from fat, 12g fat, 6g saturated fat, 1190mg sodium, 38g carbohydrate, 2g dietary fiber, 2g sugars, 6g protein. 2% RDA of vitamin A, less than 2% RDA of vitamin C, 2% RDA of calcium, 8% RDA of iron.
Price: $0.33 at Vons Supermarket ($0.25 during frequent sales).
Type: Styrofoam cup, with freeze-dried noodles and loose seasoning.

It's unambitiously flavored and strictly middle-of-the road with respect to vegetables, noodles, and broth. It doesn't taste terribly like beef, although the freeze-dried fat cubes add a sufficiently beefy touch.

Ingredients: Enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (contains one or more of the following: canola, cottonseed, palm), salt, dehydrated vegetables (carrot, garlic, chive), freeze dried shrimp, hydrolyzed corn, wheat and soy protein, lactose, monosodium glutamate, dehydrated soy sauce (wheat, soybeans, salt, maltodextrin), chili and other spices, caramel color, sugar, chicken broth, soya lecithin, potassium carbonate, natural flavor, sodium phosphate, sodium carbonate, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, turmeric, freshness preserved by BHT. Contains wheat, soy, shrimp, and milk ingredients.
Nutrition information: 290 calories, 110 calories from fat, 12g fat, 6g saturated fat, 10mg cholesterol, 1220mg sodium, 38g carbohydrate, 2g dietary fiber, 1g sugars, 6g protein. Less than 2% RDA of vitamin A and C, 2% RDA of calcium, 8% RDA of iron.
Price: $0.33 at Vons Supermarket ($0.25 during frequent sales).
Type: Styrofoam cup, with freeze-dried noodles and loose seasoning.

This is probably the most strongly flavored of the Maruchan line. It's distinctly spicy with an odd tang to it. The shrimp, as freeze-dried shrimp usually do, lends nothing but texture to the overall composition.

Ingredients: Enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (contains one or more of the following: canola, cottonseed, palm), dehydrated vegetables (corn, green beans, tomato, green peas, onion, celery, cabbage, garlic), salt, hydrolyzed corn, wheat and soy protein, monosodium glutamate, lactose, natural flavor, spices, autolyzed yeast extract, sugar, dehydrated soy sauce (wheat, soybeans, salt, maltodextrin), cabbage extract, chicken broth, soya lecithin, potassium carbonate, sodium phosphate, sodium carbonate, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (cototnseed, soybean), disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, turmeric, freshness preserved by BHT. Contains wheat, soy, and milk ingredients. May contain traces of shrimp.
Nutrition information: 290 calories, 110 calories from fat, 12g fat, 6g saturated fat, 1410mg sodium, 37g carbohydrate, 2g dietary fiber, 2g sugars, 6g protein. 4% RDA of vitamin A, less than 2% RDA of vitamin C and calcium, 8% RDA of iron.
Price: $0.33 at Vons Supermarket ($0.25 during frequent sales).
Type: Styrofoam cup, with freeze-dried noodles and loose seasoning.

So apparently green beans and celery are quintessentially Californian vegetables. I presume dehydrating avocado is impossible and move on. The vegetable selection is, as mentioned, ambitious, and mostly works in presenting a different texture sensation. The broth is more flavorful than the usual Maruchan, but still nothing to write home about.

Ingredients: Enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (contains one or more of the following: canola, cottonseed, palm), dehydrated vegetables (onions, carrot, green peas, garlic, mushroom), salt, textured soy protein, monosodium glutamate, chicken fat, powdered cooked chicken, lactose, hydrolyzed corn, wheat, and soy protein, sugar, sorbitol, spices, autolyzed yeast extract, dehydrated soy sauce (wheat, soybeans, salt, maltodextrin), chicken broth, silicon dioxide (anti-caking agent), turmeric, disodium insonate, disodium guanylate, potassium carbonate, sesame oil, sodium carbonate, freshness preserved by BHT. Contains wheat, soy and milk ingredients. May contain traces of shrimp.
Nutrition information: 210 calories, 110 calories from fat, 12g fat, 6g saturated fat, 5mg cholesterol, 1470mg sodium, 19g carbohydrate, 1g dietary fiber, 2g sugars, 5g protein. 2% RDA of vitamin A, 6% RDA of iron.
Price: $0.33 at Vons Supermarket ($0.25 during frequent sales).
Type: Styrofoam cup, with wontons and seasoning packet.

Ingredients: Enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (contains one or more of the following: canola, cottonseed, palm), dehydrated vegetables (carrot, potato, corn, green peas, onion, garlic), salt, hydrogenated soybean oil, corn syrup solid, sodium caseinate (milk derivative), chicken broth, food starch modified, sugar, hydrolyzed corn, wheat and soy protein, monosodium glutamate, powdered cooked chicken, autolyzed yeast extract, spices, cabbage extract, xanthan gum, dehydrated soy sauce (wheat, soybeans, salt, maltodextrin), soya lecithin, potassium carbonate, sodium phosphate, sodium carbonate, turmeric, artificial flavor, caramel color, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, freshness preserved by BHT. Contains wheat, soy, and milk ingredients. May contain traces of shrimp.
Nutrition information: 290 calories, 110 calories from fat, 13g fat, 6g saturated fat, 1350mg sodium, 37g carbohydrate, 2g dietary fiber, 2g sugars, 7g protein. 2% RDA of vitamin A, less than 2% RDA of vitamin C and calcium, 8% RDA of iron.
Price: $0.33 at Vons Supermarket ($0.25 during frequent sales).
Type: Styrofoam cup, with freeze-dried noodles and loose seasoning.

Tastes vaguely milky -- creamy is perhaps too strong a word. It's got a distinctive flavor at least, which is a welcome change in the Maruchan line. The aftertaste seems to linger longer and more unpleasantly that the other soups, though.

Ingredients: Enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (contains one or more of the following: canola, cottonseed, palm), salt, dehydrated vegetables (carrot, green peas, garlic), freeze dried shrimp, hydrolyzed corn, wheat and soy protein, lactose, monosodium glutamate, dehydrated soy sauce (wheat, soybeans, salt, maltodextrin), color, spices, sugar, chicken broth, soya lecithin, potassium carbonate, natural flavor, sodium phosphate, sodium carbonate, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, turmeric, freshness preserved by BHT. Contains wheat, soy, shrimp, and milk ingredients.
Nutrition information: 290 calories, 110 calories from fat, 12g fat, 6g saturated fat, 10mg cholesterol, 1220mg sodium, 38g carbohydrate, 2g dietary fiber, 2g sugars, 6g protein. Less than 2% RDA of vitamin A and C, 2% RDA of calcium, 8% RDA of iron.
Price: $0.33 at Vons Supermarket ($0.25 during frequent sales).
Type: Styrofoam cup, with freeze-dried noodles and loose seasoning.

Ingredients: Enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (contains one or more of the following: canola, cottonseed, palm), dehydrated vegetables (carrot, green peas, onion, garlic), salt, hydrolyzed corn, wheat and soy protein, dehydrated soy sauce (wheat, soybeans, salt, maltodextrin), monosodium glutamate, habanero and other spices, freeze dried shrimp, lactose, citric acid, sugar, natural flavor, chicken broth, caramel color, soya lecithin, potassium carbonate, beef fat, sodium phosphate, sodium carbonate, lime powder, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, turmeric, freshness preserved by BHT. Contains wheat, soy, shrimp, and milk ingredients.
Nutrition information: 290 calories, 110 calories from fat, 12g fat, 6g saturated fat, 10mg cholesterol, 1230mg sodium, 38g carbohydrate, 2g dietary fiber, 2g sugars, 6g protein. 2% RDA of vitamin A and calcium, less than 2% RDA of vitamin C, 8% RDA of iron.
Price: $0.33 at Vons Supermarket ($0.25 during frequent sales).
Type: Styrofoam cup, with freeze-dried noodles and loose seasoning.

It's spicier and less sour than the regular lime flavor, which is definitely a good thing. The flavors are actually fairly balanced here, and even the shrimp are more flavorful than usual.

Ingredients: Enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (contains one or more of the following: canola, cottonseed, palm), salt, dehydrated vegetables (carrot, green peas, garlic), hydrolyzed corn, wheat and soy protein, lactose, dehydrated soy sauce (wheat, soybeans, salt, maltodextrin), monosodium glutamate, freeze dried shrimp, citric acid, spices, natural flavor, chicken broth, caramel color, soya lecithin, potassium carbonate, beef fat, sodium phosphate, sodium carbonate, lime powder, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, turmeric, freshness preserved by BHT. Contains wheat, soy, milk, and shrimp ingredients.
Nutrition information: 290 calories, 110 calories from fat, 12g fat, 6g saturated fat, 10mg cholesterol, 1250mg sodium, 38g carbohydrate, 2g dietary fiber, 2g sugars, 6g protein. 2% RDA of vitamin A, less than 2% RDA of vitamin C and calcium, 8% RDA of iron.
Price: $0.33 at Vons Supermarket ($0.25 during frequent sales).
Type: Styrofoam cup, with freeze-dried noodles and loose seasoning.

It smells more like lime than it tastes, really. The citric acid doesn't make it taste 'lime', just sour, which doesn't mesh well with the basic broth flavor.

Ingredients: Enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (contains one or more of the following: canola, cottonseed, palm), dehydrated vegetables (onions, tomato, carrot, green peas, garlic, mushroom, chinese cabbage, cabbage), salt, textured vegetable protein, hydrolyzed corn and soy protein, sorbitol, monosodium glutamate, lactose, spices, sugar, autolyzed yeast extract, chicken broth, natural flavors, dehydrated soy sauce (wheat, soybeans, salt, maltodextrin), potassium carbonate, sodium carbonate, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, sesame oil, turmeric.
Nutrition information: 190 calories, 100 calories from fat, 12g fat, 5g saturated fat, 1340mg sodium, 19g carbohydrate, 2g dietary fiber, 4g sugars, 5g protein. Less than 2% RDA of vitamin A and C, 2% RDA of calcium, 6% RDA of iron.
Price: $0.33 at Vons Supermarket ($0.25 during frequent sales).
Type: Styrofoam cup, with wontons and seasoning packet.

The Instant Wonton Line has rather a lower noodle-to-broth ratio than I can find really filling, and the Oriental flavor, like most 'oriental flavors' tastes of nothing in particular, save salt.

Ingredients: Enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (contains one or more of the following: canola, cottonseed, palm), dehydrated vegetables (onion, carrot, green peas, garlic, mushroom), salt, textured vegetable protein, monosodium glutamate, lactose, sorbitol, hydrolyzed corn and soy protein, wheat protein, freeze dried shrimp, dehydrated soy sauce (wheat, soybeans, salt, maltodextrin), natural flavors, spices, chicken broth, caramel color, potassium carbonate, sesame oil, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, autolyzed yeast extract.
Nutrition information: 200 calories, 110 calories from fat, 12g fat, 6g saturated fat, 10mg cholesterol, 1120mg sodium, 19g carbohydrate, 3g dietary fiber, 3g sugars, 6g protein. Less than 2% RDA of vitamin A and C and calcium, 6% RDA of iron.
Price: $0.33 at Vons Supermarket ($0.25 during frequent sales).
Type: Styrofoam cup, with wontons and seasoning packet.

The Instant Wonton Line has rather a lower noodle-to-broth ratio than I can find really filling. The addition of freeze-dried shrimp to the mix only does so much for it, I'm afraid.

Ingredients: Enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (contains one or more of the following: canola, cottonseed, palm), salt, dehydrated vegetables (corn, carrot, onion, garlic, chive), textured soy protein, hydrolyzed corn, wheat and soy protein, monosodium glutamate, lactose, dehydrated soy sauce (wheat, soybeans, salt, maltodextrin), natural flavor, spices, chicken broth, caramel color, soya lecithin, potassium carbonate, sodium phosphate, sodium carbonate, beef fat, maltodextrin, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, beef extract, turmeric, freshness preserved by BHT. Contains wheat, soy, and milk ingredients. May contain traces of shrimp.
Nutrition information: 290 calories, 110 calories from fat, 12g fat, 6g saturated fat, 1260mg sodium, 38g carbohydrate, 2g dietary fiber, 2g sugars, 6g protein. 2% RDA of vitamin A, less than 2% RDA of vitamin C, 2% RDA of calcium, 8% RDA of iron.
Price: $0.33 at Vons Supermarket ($0.25 during frequent sales).
Type: Styrofoam cup, with freeze-dried noodles and loose seasoning.

Doesn't taste much like pork -- unsurprising, as it doesn't contain any. It's very similar in flavor to the beef flavor lunch.

Ingredients: Enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (contains one or more of the following: canola, cottonseed, palm), dehydrated vegetables (corn, carrot, onion, garlic, chive), salt, textured soy protein, monosodium glutamate, hydrolyzed corn, wheat and soy protein, chicken fat, dehydrated soy sauce (wheat, soybeans, salt, maltodextrin), powdered cooked chicken, natural and artificial flavors, sugar, spices, autolyzed yeast extract, chicken broth, soya lecithin, potassium carbonate, silicon dioxide, sodium phosphate, sodium carbonate, turmeric, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, caramel color, freshness preserved by BHT. Contains wheat and soy ingredients. May contain traces of shrimp.
Nutrition information: 290 calories, 110 calories from fat, 12g fat, 6g saturated fat, 1380mg sodium, 37g carbohydrate, 2g dietary fiber, 2g sugars, 6g protein. 2% RDA of vitamin A, less than 2% RDA of vitamin C, 2% RDA of calcium, 8% RDA of iron.
Price: $0.33 at Vons Supermarket ($0.25 during frequent sales).
Type: Styrofoam cup, with freeze-dried noodles and loose seasoning.

It smells like roast chicken, but as is so often the case, the taste doesn't live up to the olfactory promise. It tases different, at least. A bit lemony, a different selection of spices, perhaps. A nice change from the regular chicken, but probably would pale with time.

Ingredients: Noodle: wheat flour, refined palm oil, tapioca starch, salt, guar gum, potassium carbonate (E501), sodium carbonate (E500), disodium 5'-inosinate (E631), disodium 5'-guanylate (E627), glycine (E640). Soup base: sugar, salt, disodium 5'-inosinate (E631), disodium 5'-guanylate (E627), MSG (E621), spice mix (garlic, cinammon, star anise, and spring onion flake), hydrolyzed plant protein (duck flavour), and caramel color. Fried garlic oil sachet: soybean oil, garlic, and shallot.
Nutrition information: 380 calories, 170 calories from fat, 19g fat, 6g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 2000mg sodium, 46g carbohydrate, 3g dietary fiber, 1g sugars, 7g protein. 2% RDA of calcium, 6% RDA of iron.
Price:
Type: Plastic bowl, with freeze-dried noodle, oil, and seasoning packets.

It's got a hint of the spices in the Mee-Jang Stewed Beef Flavour, but far less assertively done. The noodles are listless, so all in all, the experience done here, while admirable, is done better by Mee-Jang.

Ingredients: Noodle: wheat flour, refined palm oil, tapioca starch, salt, guar gum, potassium carbonate (E501), sodium carbonate (E500), disodium 5'-inosinate (E631), disodium 5'-guanylate (E627), glycine (E640). Soup base: sugar, salt, disodium 5'-inosinate (E631), disodium 5'-guanylate (E627), MSG (E621), spice mix (kaffir lime leaf, lemongrass, chili, and spring onion flake), and hydrolyzed plant protein. Tom yum oil: palm oil, chili paste, and kaffir lime leaf.
Nutrition information: 370 calories, 160 calories from fat, 18g fat, 10g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 1980mg sodium, 46g carbohydrate, 2g dietary fiber, 2g sugars, 7g protein. 2% RDA of vitamin C, 8% RDA of iron.
Price:
Type: Plastic bowl, with freeze-dried noodle, oil, and seasoning packets.

Fairly enh. Noodles cooked nonthoroughly, and the

Mee-Jang is the instant-noodle brand of the Namchow Corporaion, a Thai company, which is actually the snack-foods division of a Taiwanese conglomerate called, straightforwardly enough, the Namchow Group. Mee-Jang's soups tend to feature daring (and often successfully so) departures from the run-of-the-mill flavorings. As a side note, their oil and seasonings packets feature symbols looking unnervingly like biohazard icons.

Ingredients: Noodle: wheat flour, palm oil, modified tapioca starch, salt, guar gum. Powder Pack: salt, spices, monosodium glutamate, disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate, artificial beef flavor (salt, potato starch, hydrolyzed soy protein, sugar, spices, liquorice, silicone dioxide (anti-caking agent)), dried carrot, dried cabbage, caramel color, dried onion, garlic powder. Oil pack: palm oil, shallot, spices.
Nutrition information: 220 calories, 170 calories from fat, 18g fat, 9g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 1850mg sodium, 44g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 0g sugars, 5g protein.
Price: $0.50 in bulk ($5.99 for 12) at Vỉnh Hựng Supermarket of Mira Mesa, CA
Type: Styrofoam bowl, with freeze-dried noodles and oil and seasoning packets.

This has the same ingredients as the Stewed Beef flavor, and I think it's the same soup renamed and slightly modified. Very strongly anise-flavored, which makes this soup intensely spiced but not intensely spicy. There are subtle undertones to the spicing, but it's really mostly anise-like, which is good if you like that sort of thing (I do, for what it's worth).

Ingredients: wheat flour, palm oil, modified tapioca starch, salt, guar gum. Powder Pack: salt, sugar, monosodium glutamate, disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate, spices, ciric acid, soy sauce powder (soybean, wheat, tapioca dextrin, caramel color), artificial chicken flavor (salt, milk powder, milk protein, hydrolyzed soy protein, maltodextrin, latose, sugar, onion powder, caramel color, silicone dioxide (anti-caking agent)), non-dairy creamer, dried onion. Paste Pack: palm oil, spice, garlic, shallot, sugar, paprika color, lemon grass oil.
Nutrition information: 303 calories, 135 calories from fat, 15g fat, 9g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 1496mg sodium, 36g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, 2g sugars, 6g protein, 2% RDA vitamin C, 1% RDA calcuium, 6% RDA iron.
Price: $0.50 in bulk ($5.99 for 12) at Vỉnh Hựng Supermarket of Mira Mesa, CA
Type: Styrofoam bowl, with freeze-dried noodles and oil and seasoning packets.

This soup is one of the most ambitious spicy noodle bowls I've seen, and carries it off quite well. It's very spicy, but behind that spiciness lurks an abundance of flavors which, if not in canonical Tom Yum proportions, nonetheless shine through brilliantly, lending the soup a sweet, heavily lemongrass-infused flavor. I only have two real criticisms of this soup: first, the noodles, as freeze-dried Ramen rather than the texturally superior rice vermicelli, are nothing to write home about; second, the ingredient listing is almost certainly inaccurate, since it lists neither chili oil nor dried shrimp, both of which were abundently present.

Ingredients: wheat flour, palm oil, salt Seasonings: palm oil, sugar, salt, Monosodium Glutamate, lemon grass, citric acid, bergarmot [sic], Dehydrated vegetable (Welsh onion)
Nutrition information: 303 calories, 135 calories from fat, 15g fat, 9g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 1496mg sodium, 36g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, 2g sugars, 6g protein, 2% RDA vitamin C, 1% RDA calcuium, 6% RDA iron.
Price: $0.50 in bulk ($5.99 for 12) at Vỉnh Hựng Supermarket of Mira Mesa, CA
Type: Styrofoam bowl, with freeze-dried noodles and oil and seasoning packets.

This soup is one of the most ambitious spicy noodle bowls I've seen, and carries it off quite well. It's very spicy, but behind that spiciness lurks an abundance of flavors which, if not in canonical Tom Yum proportions, nonetheless shine through brilliantly, lending the soup a sweet, heavily lemongrass-infused flavor. I only have two real criticisms of this soup: first, the noodles, as freeze-dried Ramen rather than the texturally superior rice vermicelli, are nothing to write home about; second, the ingredient listing is almost certainly inaccurate, since it lists neither chili oil nor dried shrimp, both of which were abundently present.

Ingredients: Noodle: wheat flour, palm oil, modified tapioca starch, salt, guar gum. Powder Pack: salt, spices, monosodium glutamate, disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate, artificial beef flavor (salt, potato starch, hydrolyzed soy protein, sugar, spices, liquorice, silicone dioxide (anti-caking agent)), dried carrot, dried cabbage, caramel color, dried onion, garlic powder. Oil pack: palm oil, shallot, spices.
Nutrition information: 303 calories, 135 calories from fat, 15g fat, 9g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 1375mg sodium, 36g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, 1g sugars, 6g protein, 2% RDA vitamin C, 1% RDA calcuium, 11% RDA iron.
Price: $0.50 in bulk ($5.99 for 12) at Vỉnh Hựng Supermarket of Mira Mesa, CA
Type: Styrofoam bowl, with freeze-dried noodles and oil and seasoning packets.

It's extremely flavorful, with a hint of spiciness which is comfortingly warm. It doesn't actually taste much like beef, but then, what does?

The Japanese-American company Nissin produces the popular "Cup Noodles" and the also well-known (but outside the scope of this page) "Top Ramen" brand. They've achieved a visibility in American consciousness of Ramen equalled only by Maruchan.

Cup Noodles "Souper Meal" Shrimp with Tomato and Garlic

Ingredients: Wheat flour, vegetable oil (contains one or more of the following: palm oil, canola oil, soybean oil, peanut oil, sesame oil, BHA, BHT), dehydrated vegetables (carrot, green pea, onion, tomato, parsley), salt, non-dairy creamer (corn syrup solids, soy, corn and palm oil, sodium caseinate [a milk derivative]), sugar, freeze-dried shrimp, garlic powder, monosodium glutamate, soy sauce powder (wheat, soybeans, maltodextrin, salt), natural flavor, shrimp powder, spices, calcium carbonate, tomato powder, potassium carbonate, paprika color, sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium alginate, disodium succinate, disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate, sodium carbonate, citric acid, turmeric color, artificial flavor, calcium silicate (anticaking agent), tocopherols, ascorbyl palmitate. Manufactured in a facility that also processes milk products.
Nutrition information: 560 calories, 200 calories from fat, 24g fat, 10g saturated fat, 2820mg sodium, 74g carbohydrate, 2g dietary fiber, 4g sugars, 12g protein. 12% RDA of vitamin A, 4% RDA of vitamin C, 8% RDA of calcium, 30% RDA of iron.
Price: $1.25 at Vons Supermarket ($1.00 during frequent sales).
Type: Cardboard cup, with freeze-dried noodles and seasoning, vegetable, and liquid packets.

This is a really huge bowl. Unfortunately, "really huge" doesn't necessarily translate to "really satisfying". It's in most respects like a double portion of a regular instant-noodle soup, with little to recommend it. The broth flavor is inexplicably chemical, and the etceteras are either unambitious, like the freeze-dried shrimp and parsley, or poorly executed, like the tomatoes. The noodles themselves are reasonably well-executed though.

Ingredients: Enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), vegetable oil (contains one or more of the following: canola oil, cottonseed oil, palmoil), non-dairy creamer (corn syrup solids, partially hydrogenated soy oil, sodium caseinate [a milk derivative], dipotassium phosphate, mono- and diglycerides), salt, xanthan gum, monosodium glutamate, natural flavors, onion powder, hydrolyzed soy, corn and wheat protein, whey, dehydrated cheese (cultured pasteurized milk, salt, enzymes), sugar, calcium silicate (anticaking agent), garlic powder, dehydrated parsley, potassium carbonate, sodium carbonate, sodium tripolyphosphate, artificial flavor, chicken stock, autolyzed yeast extract, sodium alginate, citric acid, yellow 5, yellow 6, disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate, turmeric color, tocopherols, chicken powdr, soy sauce, T-BHQ. Manufactured in a facility that also processes shrimp.
Nutrition information: 290 calories, 120 calories from fat, 13g fat, 6g saturated fat, 1120mg sodium, 38g carbohydrate, 2g dietary fiber, 1g sugars, 6g protein. 2% RDA of vitamin A, 0% RDA of vitamin C, 4% RDA of calcium, 15% RDA of iron.
Price: $0.33 at Vons Supermarket ($0.25 during frequent sales).
Type: Styrofoam cup, with freeze-dried noodles and loose seasoning.

Cheese-flavored instant noodles are one step lower on the cheese-quality scale than boxed macaroni-and-cheese, which are at least frequently resuscitated with milk. These smell unpleasantly artificial and taste only marginally better, but if you're not fussy about your macaroni and cheese, it's edible and bears a vague flavor resemblance to something with real cheese in it. It's kind of watery though, and for thicker sauce you may want to pour in just enough water to cover the noodles.

Ingredients: Noodle: wheat flour, modified starch, rice bran oil, salt. Liquid Soup: water, soysauce [sic] (soy bean, salt), anchovy extract, salt, monosodium glutamate, glucose, caramel powder. Solid soup: dried fish cake (pollack, wheat flour), green onion, laver, red pepper flake. Red pepper flake.
Nutrition information: 370 calories, 49 calories from fat, 5g fat, 1.2g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 1823mg sodium, 69g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, 5g sugars, 10g protein, 10% RDA vitamin C.
Price: $1.50 in bulk ($8.99 for 6) at Hing Long Supermarket of City Heights, CA
Type: Styrofoam and plastic bowl, with fresh noodle, solid, sauce, and red pepper packets.

Noodle bowls tend to be a low-budget item. Maruchan Ramen is frequently found for as little as $0.25. Most Asian bowls range from $0.50 to $0.80. A bowl costing more than one dollar is atypical, and since I can get a bowl of decent vegetarian chili at the local co-op for a dollar, it's not much of a draw for me either. So, given the extraordinary price of the Nong Shim udon bowl, we expect extraordinary soup -- and for the most part, we get it. The noodles are unmistakably the best you'll find: udon is very hard to translate into the noodle-cup arena of dehydration, so instead this bowl features undehydrated, fresh-packed noodles, as good as the Udon you'll find at any asian grocery. The other highlight of this soup is the stunning array of dehydrated solids, including nori, fish cake, and these odd little dumplings. The broth is the least remarkable thing about this soup, but it's worthy in its simplicity. All in all, whether this bowl is "worth it" to you depends a lot on how much weight you put on the quality of your Ramen-eating experience. True conneisseurs should at least try this one, just to see how good an instant noodle soup can be.

Ingredients: Noodle: wheat flour, palm oil, potato starch, corn starch, salt, guar gum Seasonings: salt, kimchi powder, monosodium glutamate, soy sauce powder (soybean, salt, malto dextrin), dehyrdated kimchi flake, sugar, carrot, glucose, dehydrated green onion, spices( red pepper, garlic, black pepper), paprika, corn starch, citric acid, dehydrated kimchi (chinese cabhbage, salt, red pepper, garlic, ginger).
Nutrition information: 384 calories, 154 calories from fat, 18g fat, 9g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 1888mg sodium, 49g carbohydrate, 0g fiber, 2g sugars, 7g protein, 6% RDA vitamin C, 2% RDA iron.
Price: $0.50 in bulk ($5.99 for 12) at Vỉnh Hựng Supermarket of Mira Mesa, CA
Type: Styrofoam and plastic bowl, with freeze-dried noodles and seasoning packet.

Kimchi flavor is hard to rate. I like kimchi and I like this soup, which has nice, spongy, flavor-soaking noodles. My main complaint is that the soup is kind of empty due to unadventurous choices in dehydrates. However, most people don't like kimchi, and probably wouldn't like this soup, so it's very much a judgment call as to whether this soup is worth your while.

Ingredients: Noodle: wheat flour, potato starch, fractionated palm oil, salt. Powder soup: salt, monosodium glutamate, beef extract powder, corn starch, sugar, soy sauce powder (soybean, salt), soybean paste powder (wheat flour, soybean, salt), garlic, ginger, onion, black pepper. Solid soup: dried carrot, dried mushroom flake, dried green onion, red pepper flake.
Nutrition information: 335 calories, 108 calories from fat, 12g fat, 7g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 1808mg sodium, 48g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, 5g sugars, 6g protein, 5% RDA vitamin C, 2% RDA iron.
Price: $0.50 in bulk ($2.99 for 6) at Hing Long Supermarket
Type: Styrofoam cup, with freeze-dried noodles, loose solids, and seasoning packet.

This cup's a little overseasoned -- perhaps a bit too salty, making it reminiscent of the worse American soups. Other than that, it's pretty good, packing significant spiciness and surprisingly flavorful vegetables, including large mushrooms. Some of the seasonings don't dissolve properly, instead sinking to the bottom of the cup.

Fun fact: the "Nong Shim Spicy Noodles Cup" is actually the name of an international annual Go Tournament.

Ingredients: Noodle: wheat flour, palm oil, potato starch, salt, vitamin B2. Powder soup: salt, beef extract powder (red pepper, salt, onion, beef extract), spices (garlic, onion, red pepper, black pepper), monosodium glutamate, soy sauce powder (soy bean, salt, dextrine), sugar, corn starch, textured vegetable protein/. Solid soup: dried chinese cabbage, dried green onion, dried carrot.
Nutrition information: 401 calories, 145 calories from fat, 16g fat, 8g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 2121mg sodium, 54g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, 1g sugars, 8g protein, 6% RDA iron.
Price: $0.69 at Ranch 99 Supermarket.
Type: Styrofoam cup, with freeze-dried noodles, solids packet, and seasoning packet.

This one's reasonably balanced -- the dominant flavor is chili, and it's moderately spicy, but it's got the right flavor balance under that. The dehydrates reconstitute well, but just as a warning, the solids packet's information is clearly incorrect, since it contains big beef bits.

Paldo is a Korean company which seems to do a lot of business in America, although it's limited to Asian markets for the most part. Their soups tend to actually be reasonably honest efforts.

Ingredients: Noodle; Wheat flour, Palm oil, Salt, Potato starch, Riboflavin. Soup Base; Onion powder, Garlic powder, Red pepper, Soy sauce (Soy Bean, Salt, Water), Monosodium glutamate, Vegetable flake, Cabbage, Scallion, Textured vegetable protein.
Nutrition information: 400 calories, 150 calories from fat, 16g fat, 8g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 1730mg sodium, 57g carbohydrates, 3g dietary fiber, 2g sugars, 6g protein, and 4% RDA of iron.
Price: $0.50 in bulk ($5.99 for 12) at Vỉnh Hựng Supermarket of Mira Mesa, CA.
Type: Styrofoam box, with noodles and powder and vegetable packets.

A strong, flavorful entry. Pepper, onion, and garlic flavors come out strong in the soup base, and the noodles are chewy and well-crafted. The fixings are limited, but well-chosen; the TVP in particular, which can be a dicey proposition, is a pleasant textural element.

Ingredients: Noodle: Wheat flour, potato starch, palm oil, salt, onion paste, corn flour. Soup: salt, vegetable, monosodium glutamate, red pepper, glucose, soy sauce powder, bean paste powder, black pepper, onion flake, carrot flake.
Nutrition information: 390 calories, 140 calories from fat, 16g fat, 8g saturated fat, 10mg cholesterol, 2480mg sodium, 54g carbohydrates, 1g dietary fiber, 2g sugars, 6g protein, 2% RDA of calcium, and 2% RDA of iron.
Price: $0.54 in bulk ($6.49 for 12) at Vỉnh Hựng Supermarket of Mira Mesa, CA.
Type: Plastic bowl, with noodles and powder and vegetable packets.

Ingredients: Noodle: Wheat flour, Modified starch, Palm Oil, Salt, Corn flour. Soup: Vegetable, Salt, Monosodium Glutamate, Red pepper, Garlic powder, Onion flake, Shrimp powder, Seaweed Flake.
Nutrition information: 370 calories, 130 calories from fat, 16g fat, 8g saturated fat, 5mg cholesterol, 2020mg sodium, 52g carbohydrates, 2g dietary fiber, 2g sugars, 6g protein, 2% RDA of vitamin A, 2% RDA of calcium, and 4% RDA of iron.
Price: $0.54 in bulk ($6.49 for 12) at Vỉnh Hựng Supermarket of Mira Mesa, CA.
Type: Plastic bowl, with noodles and powder and vegetable packets.

The noodles are workmanlike, but the flavor is actually quite shrimpy and the extra fixings are unequaled except by Nong Shim's Udon bowl, which costs 3 times as much. A variety of seaweed, scallion, what appear to be bean curd skins, carrot, and possibly fish cake (which is not listed on the ingredient list, note) makes for a pleasant texture and taste phenomenon.

Ah, Pot Noodle, infamously the worst of the noodle soups in existence. The soups do not contain actual pot; the jury is still out on whether they contain actual noodles. What happened to the noodles which they were supposed to put in the soup is unknown; all the pot, however, apparently went to the developers of their website. Pot Noodle is characteristically unsoupy -- unfortunately, this makes it instead 'sludgy', probably due to the liberal sprinkling of flour added to their seasonings. Add that to the 'texturized soya pieces' they mix in, and you have a truly bizarre lunch sensation, texturally speaking.

Ingredients (after preparation): Noodles (49%) [Wheat Flour, Vegetable Oil, Salt], Water, Vegetables in Variable Proportions (3.1%) [Sweetcorn, Peas, Chives], Wheat Flour, Maltodextrin, Texturized Soya Pieces (2.5%), Garlic, Yeast Extract, Flavour Enhancer (Monosodium Glutamate), Salt, Ground Spices, Flavourings, Onion, Oat Fibre, Sugar, Vegetable Oil, Malt Extract, Herb. Sachet: Hot Sauce (1.9%) [Water, Spirit Vinegar, Salt, Spices, Starch].
Nutrition information: 378 calories, 9.1g protein, 50.6g carbohydrate, of which 3.9 are sugars, 15.6g fat, of which 7.2g saturates, 3.3g fibre, 1500mg sodium.
Price:
Type: Plastic cup, with noodles, loose solids and seasoning, and hot sauce sachet.

Liberal usage of hot sauce masks the wheaty flavor of their seasoning powder well. The hot-sauce packet is amusingly festooned with taunts at the consumer's manhood, but even the whole packet didn't lead to an overwhelmingly spicy experience. Without the hot sauce, I'd imagine this noodle would be bland, and even more intolerably wheatish than the others.

Ingredients (after preparation): Noodles (48%) [Wheat Flour, Vegetable Oil, Salt], Water, Vegetables in Variable Proportions (5.3%) [Carrot, Peas, Chives], Wheat Flour, Texturized Soya Pieces (2.5%), Maltodextrin, Onion, Salt, Soy Sauce, Glucose Syrup, Flavourings, Flavour Enhancers (Monosodium Glutamate, Disodium 5'-ribonucleotides), Oat Fibre, Yeast Extract, Malt Vinegar Extract, Vegetable Oil, Yeast, Sugar, Carob, Garlic, Lactic Acid, Colours (Curcumin, Paprika Extract), Milk Protein. Sachet: Soy Sauce (1.9%) [Water, Soya, Wheat, Salt, Sugar, Molasses, Malt Extract, Acetic Acid].
Nutrition information: 381 calories, 9.1g protein, 54.1g carbohydrate, of which 4.2 are sugars, 14.3g fat, of which 6.7g saturates, 1.1g fibre, 1700mg sodium.
Price:
Type: Plastic cup, with noodles, loose solids and seasoning, and soy sauce sachet.

Well, it could have been a lot worse. The Pot Noodle hype led me to expect something inedible, and instead I just got something pretty wretched. It needs to be stirred thoroughly, which they don't stress as heavily as they might, and even then it tends to be a bit overthick near the bottom. The flavoring, at half the intensity, would be nondescript and not too bad -- at it's current level it's more than a bit overwhelming, and not in a good way. The noodles themselves are a bit rubbery and tend to cook unevenly.

Ingredients: Noodle: Wheat Flour, Salt, Sugars, Guar Gum, Sodium Carboxymethyl, Potassium Carbonate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Glucose, Palm Oil, Soybean Sauce (Soybean, Salt, Sugars, Water) Seasoning: Salt, Sugars, Monosodium Glutamate, Disodium 5' Ribonucleotide, Garlic, Pepper, Onion, Crab Flavour, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Chilli Powder, Palm Oil
Nutrition information: 280 calories, 110 calories from fat, 0g fat, 0g saturated fat, 4.6mg cholesterol, 1170mg sodium, 37g carbohydrate, 2g dietary fiber, 2g sugars, 6g protein.
Price: $0.47 in bulk ($5.59 for 12) at Vỉnh Hựng Supermarket of Mira Mesa, CA
Type: Plastic bowl, with noodles, chili/seasoning and oil packets, and fork.

Very crabby. The powder smells a lot like less-spicy Old Bay, and the flavor is less intense than the odor but still notably crablike. The double-ended seasoning packet's a bit inconvenient, though.