Tasting Nissin's Hot & Spicy Firewok Sizzlin' Rich Pork Noodles

Today I'm trying Nissin's Hot & Spicy Firewok Sizzlin' Rich Pork Noodles. Like the previous one, it's a big serving and presented the same way. I cooked it in a bit more water and for 3:30 this time and it was still a bit al dente; another 20 sec did the trick, and the noodles remained chewy throughout. 

I tried it without the fire sauce first. Flavor was good but not at all spicy - I'd call it a basic pork flavor with a hint of soy & sesame. I opened the fire sauce packet and it was not at all the same - this one smelled more like charred or roasted meat and in a pleasant way. Had no qualms about adding this one, so wondering if I got an expired packet on the previous one. It added a little heat, but again nothing worthy of the term "Firewok". I did decide to add a bit of leftover pork and maybe 1/2 tsp of sesame oil and it was pretty tasty. 

This one runs 570 calories and an even 2,000 mg of sodium. 

Verdict: Much better flavor than the chicken one...but less heat. Again not sure I'd spend the money and sodium on it. 

Taste: B

Heat: C

A bit of a reset and expansion of focus - tasting Nissin's Hot & Spicy Firewok Molten Chili Chicken noodles

 I don't post nearly often enough (to either of my blogs). In an attempt to counter that, at least on this blog, I've decided to expand my focus just a bit. As those who know me well know, I have a thing for spicy foods - generally the hotter, the better. I'm thinking about starting a video series involving tastings, "World's Hottest X" rundowns, etc. At the same time, my daughter will be joining me with a focus on weird (to us) foods - think limited-edition flavors, flavors from different cultures, etc. 

So! Today I'm trying Nissin's Hot & Spicy Firewok Molten Chili Chicken noodles. It's a big serving, and advertises that it's 20% bigger than their other ones. Inside are noodles, a packet of seasoning, a packet of freeze-dried vegetables, and something called "Fire Sauce". Pretty straightforward to cook, though I cooked it for 4 min instead of 5 so it didn't get too mushy. 

I tried it without the fire sauce first. It had a decent texture, though still slightly mushy, but I generally expect that from the brands I typically find at the supermarket. There was a bit of heat, but definitely not anything to write home about. 

Next, I opened the fire sauce packet. It has a distinctly chemical smell to it that I found incredibly off-putting, to the point I almost didn't put it in. But I did, and it significantly upped the heat quotient. The smell diffused some, but it's still a very odd undertone that will likely prevent my buying this again. 

As I waited for it to cool, I noted that the noodles absorbed every bit of the water and got even a bit more mushy, though still edible. Per the packaging, it's called noodles in sauce, not soup, so I suppose that's to be expected. 

The entire thing runs 560 calories and 2,050 mg of sodium. Woof. 

Verdict: It was spicy and the heat lingered in a not unpleasant way. Not sure it's worth the weird chemical undertone and the sodium. 

Taste: C-

Heat: B-