A Mixed Bag with Samokat's Rice Noodles - My First-Timer's Experience

A Mixed Bag with Samokat's Rice Noodles - My First-Timer's Experience

I'm exhausted after a long day, so cooking is the last thing on my mind. Ready-to-eat food is my go-to, and I remembered Samokat's instant food section. I'd heard some scary stories about people getting food poisoning from their ready-to-eat menu, so I decided to play it safe and check out their instant food.

I'm not a fan of instant mashed potatoes, but I'm always up for trying something new. Along with Rolton and Dosirak, there are plenty of noodle options with various toppings. I decided to choose a few options from different companies, including Samokat's rice noodle 'Bun-Ho' with a Vietnamese-style sauce, green paprika, and sesame seeds.

The packaging caught my eye – it's eye-catching and hard to miss. Plus, I was looking for a product that could be cooked right in its packaging, so I wouldn't have to wash any dishes.

Product information:

Price: 189 rubles.

Weight: 123 g.

Shelf life: 18 months.

Place of purchase: Samokat app.

Manufacturer: OOO 'TK Resurs-S', Yekaterinburg, Russia.

Nutritional value (per 100g of product):

Protein:

2.6 g

Fats:

2.9 g.

Carbohydrates:

21.8 g

Energy value (calorific value):

522 kJ (124 kcal)

Ingredients:

Rice noodles (rice flour, drinking water),

Vietnamese-style sauce with green paprika (water, sugar, thickener dicrohamaladipt acetic acid, salt, dried green paprika, flavor enhancers, dried garlic, dried onion, food-grade citric acid, monosodium glutamate, xanthan gum, red pepper, paprika extract, preservatives: sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate),

soy sauce (water, soybeans, wheat, salt, preservative sodium benzoate),

sesame seeds

I was a bit disappointed with the packaging – the only protection against opening was a sticker, which is easy to peel off. It's not exactly what I'm looking for in a product.

One thing that does put my mind at ease is that all the 'insides' (noodles, sauce, and sesame seeds) come in individual packaging, including the noodles – that's a plus.

The 'dish' is prepared almost according to the standard principle: first, you add the noodles and keep them in boiling water for seven to eight minutes. I think it's probably worth a minute or two less. Then, drain the water and add the remaining ingredients, mixing everything together.I was surprised to find it took me ages to spot the water level indicator – it's only visible once you've poured some in. From the outside, I think it's more noticeable, although at first glance, it just looks like a dent.

As I mentioned before, the noodles probably should be cooked for around five minutes, not eight, as indicated on the box. To be fair, I've never eaten rice noodles before and I'm not a huge fan of pan-Asian cuisine. Honestly, I wish there was a pill that would make me full without having to eat – the whole process is exhausting for me, and I don't really enjoy it.I'm not a fan of overcooked pasta, rice noodles, or any type of noodles that are mushy. Almost always and everywhere, I prefer al dente. To me, boiling this rice noodle for that long is too much, as it becomes too soft and overcooked. It's like someone's already chewed it for you. The texture is very delicate, and when it's almost completely cooled down, it gets a bit stiffer and tastes better, but at the same time, it's not very appetizing.

The aroma of freshly boiled rice noodles smells strongly of rice, so I immediately wanted to cook some plain rice, but as soon as you add the sauce, that aroma disappears, and the sauce's aroma takes over. I'm not even sure what that smell is, but it really didn't appeal to me – it was too unpleasant and slightly took away my appetite. I can say for sure it doesn't smell like paprika.

Now, about the taste. I tried the noodles first without adding any sauce or sesame oil – to me, they're almost flavorless. Just nothing.

As soon as I added the sauce, a light, spicy flavor appeared, but not strong enough to make the noodles unbearable. The spiciness is just right. Again, I love salty and spicy food, so I always add a lot of seasonings. Some people might find the spiciness too strong, as I'm often told I overseason or over-spice.

By the way, later I looked at the ingredients to understand what gives the sauce its aroma and flavor, and I realized that all I can taste is the soy sauce. In principle, the ingredients list is a long mix of chemistry and a lot of spices, so it's hard to understand the flavor. It's just spicy with a soy sauce aftertaste. That's it. I'm not a big fan of soy sauce, and the sauce in this noodle was pretty strong.

I have mixed feelings about this noodle. If I'm being honest, I don't think I'd buy it again. Something about it bothers me. Maybe it's the texture, the flavor, or the packaging. I couldn't finish it due to the soy sauce flavor. The main issue for me is that I'm not a fan of overcooked noodles, and this one was definitely overcooked. The texture was off, and the flavor was just okay.

On the other hand, I do like that the noodles and sauce come in individual packaging, which is a plus. The price was also reasonable, and the nutritional value was decent. If you're a fan of rice noodles and soy sauce, you might enjoy this, but if you're like me and prefer al dente noodles with a lighter flavor, you might want to look elsewhere.

I'd give this noodle 2.5 out of 5 stars. It was an okay experience, but it didn't exceed my expectations. I'd recommend it to fans of rice noodles and soy sauce, but not to those who prefer al dente noodles with a lighter flavor.

Rating: 2.5/5

Recommendation: If you're a fan of rice noodles and soy sauce, you might enjoy this.

Not recommended: If you prefer al dente noodles with a lighter flavor.