I wanted to know whether the Japanese had truly perfected the craft of instant noodles. So for two meals straight, I conducted a taste test. I had Marugame’s Bean Curd Udon for dinner, then followed it up for lunch with a bowl of Kitsune Udon scavenged from the office cabinets.
The verdict? Hai!
Read my unscientific controls and unserious reviews:
Marugame (丸亀製麵) Bean Curd Udon
Medium Bowl: $3.65
Add-ons:
- A serving of pork slices: $1.60
- Plate of boiled greens: $1.30
- Tempura batter bits: free
- Green onions: free
Noodle texture: The classic chewy thick udon.
Broth: Light, clean umami dashi.
Inari age: Thick tender and juicy. Perhaps a touch too sweet, but I see it as the dish’s signature note. A perfectly balanced sweet and savory bowl when the meant is added 〜(꒪꒳꒪)〜
Nissin Donbei (日清) Kitsune Udon
Single bowl: ~$2.25~ office refreshments
Add-ons:
- Okra & wood ear salad¹: homemade
with Ma & Pa’s groceries - Hard-boiled tea egg: office refreshments
- Pokka Sapporo Hokkaido Corn Tea: office refreshments
Noodle texture: Spongy, squiggly, with a subtle chewiness. Reminiscent of 炸意麵 or fusilli bucati lunghi².
Broth: Added half a packet of seasoning, which was plenty for my LocknLock container. Clear dashi base with zero biting saltiness you get from instant noodle seasonings.
The sponge³: Expands into an 8*6 square under, very absorbent. A more subtle twinge of sweetness with a texture almost indistinguishable from fresh stuff ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧
Footnotes
- Seasoned with a yuzu seaweed mix and a dab of wasabi.
- Call it far-fetched, but having had it over the weekend, the resemblance lingered.
- Took me a second to realize what y was referring to in my snap.