Simply Asia Spicy Kung Pao Noodle Bowl, 8.5 oz (Pack of 6)

Since I just posted a review on the Thai Kitchen Spring Onion Soup, I figured I'd write on this Kung Pao Noodle Bowl. The noodles are mostly cooked, but they do need a little hot water for a couple of minutes as per the directions in the microwave, or adding 2-3 tablespoons of water along with the noodles if you are cooking up your own vegetables. I've found I prefer to break the noodles up a little bit while in the clear plastic packet. They are spicy and strongly flavored, so it you double the volume with vegetables it is still quite flavorful. My younger son says these are simply too spicy, which comes as no surprise. My teen daughter, who has a better palate, and is actually a little pickier than I am, likes these quite a bit. We've added red cabbage, shredded carrots, yellow and wild onions, and garlic grass to this. As a warning, unlike these insta-bowls with the dried noodles, the sealed moist ones will develop a terrible taste if you discover one three years old hiding in the back of your pantry. They develop an deeper off-brown shade instead of the fresher cream/tan color, and taste awful. That takes over three years, so it's not a problem with the product, just don't purchase these as food for your emergency stash...

I ordered these because i love spicy and was looking for something other than instant ramen cups to snack on. Saw 'spicy' and thought i'd try it. Now, it's easy to prepare - max of 3 minutes to prep + cook. And that makes it pretty decent. It's pretty flavorful, which made it enjoyable since.. it's not spicy at all. And the flavor isn't particularly wow-inducing either as once the noodles get even slightly room temperature you'll have trouble tasting much of that flavor. all in all, i'll give it 3 stars.

One of the best things about this product is that it does not require refrigeration. It is quite simple to prepare in a microwave and is very enjoyable. It doesn't take long at all. Just make sure not to use too much water or you'll dilute the flavor from the sauce. I don't do an exact measurement. I turn on the faucet and let a bit get on the bottom. It doesn't need a whole lot. This may require some experimentation for each person. This is my favorite boxed meal. * I put the noodles in before the water. Just let the water get around the noodles, not on them. - As for those with peanut allergies, I don't know if there are peanuts somehow in the sauce or anything, but there is a package of peanuts that comes with this that you can use or not. I prefer it without the peanuts.

I love the taste and convenience of this Kung Pao noodle bowl, although you cannot use the chopped peanut topping that is included. When opening the little packet, you immediately get a very strong cardboard smell -which tastes even worse. I compared it to a jar of peanuts that I had, and you can definitely tell that the peanuts given are either spoiled, or have been sitting around for decades. It's the same with every bowl I've eaten over the past few years, so I don't believe it's a bad batch of nuts. I use roasted peanuts instead, grinding them into smaller pieces on a plate with the glass jar they come in, and it makes a drastic difference. I also find the noodles to be too sticky or dry when following the directions, so I add a tiny bit more water, or a bit of oil or butter, and the consistency is much better. Overall, I like these enough to keep them on a subscribed delivery schedule!

I found this at my local Big Lots and was a little skeptical about buying yet another noodle bowl, as I'm usually disappointed in the quality and taste. I was pretty much assuming this one would turn out to be the same as the others, so I left it in my pantry for a while. Last week I was a little low on groceries so decided to give it a try. I fried up some poblano and green pepper on the stovetop while this was in the microwave, and then mixed it all together once everything was done. Usually my hubby is super picky about pre-packaged noodles like this, but he saw how quickly I was devouring them and wanted to give it a taste. We were both hooked! One thing I didn't do was add the peanuts on top, as I'm not a big fan. I haven't tried any of the other flavors besides spicy kung pao, but I think I'll stick with this one as it is savory and spicy!