Tablemark Oriental Flavor Noodle Soup Review

Here goes nothing, another product I clearly had to rely on the smaller English print. Well hey, it worked out for me, this dish was actually pretty interesting. This came to me via the local strip mall store, Japanese foods and novelties, a MUCH smaller store than the others. Apparently this is made by Tablemark Co. LTD out of Japan.

Bright and Colorful  ;-)

I decided to make this for lunch, and my expectations were that this would be spicy, however I was way off. Again, this dish had a TON of freeze dried vegetables, and a good amount of soup stock. I really loved this again because the cabbage swelled up many times larger than it came in the package. There were two packets and the noodles had a yellow tint to them.

I stirred it up a bit

The taste again was VERY satisfying, and was pretty salty with a nice side taste of the vegetables. I did notice how UNspicy this was, which really doesn't happen much. Again, I did like it because I really wasn't wanting anything too spicy today. However, this can probably be filed under the "try if you like" category because there isn't anything too special about the taste and flavor.

Traditionally high sodium (of course)

All in all, this bowl was a bit overpriced for what it was ($2.49). I will say however, it was completely worth it, since it was a good change from my normal sandwiches and chips for lunch. Then again, this didn't have anything too interesting about it, and I couldn't put my finger on it. Lastly, I'd have to give this a 7 out of 10, since it was good, but not fantastic, and it was a solid change to my week.

Thanks,

Stocky

Unif Instant Rice Noodles *Chinese Onion* Review

It looks like it's been a little while since I did some noodles. I tend to eat these at lunch and make a perfect quick lunch that fills and warms you. This product is made by UNIF, a Vietnamese company. These are sold in your normal ramen "chunk" of noodles.

Onion Flavor

I didn't know exactly why I chose this one outside of it being pretty cheap and not spicy. I will say I've recently just picked up another pack of this noodle. Again, this is a SOLID good secondary choice for my second favorite ramen, behind my other shrimp bowl. This is a pretty plain tasting soup as far as the overwhelming flavor. However this doesn't mean its bad, actually it's really good, and tasty. To say it again, this isn't really one of those "spicy" dishes and will soothe almost any pallet. Also I liked the fact these had clear-ish noodles, they tasted and looked different than anything I've ever had.

Fully Cooked

I will have to say, this was a surprise that this soup was so tasty. I was anticipating an overwhelmingly strong onion flavor, (which I hate). They actually were more salty than anything, since there are a few packets of spices. Again the spices tended to be in better shape/greater quantity than those here in the States.

All in all, this noodle is pretty good, given their less spicy taste. I would recommend these noodles to anyone who wants to try something a bit "lower risk". That said, I have to give this an 8.5 out of 10, getting high marks for dynamic tastes, textures, and low spice. However gets a few ticks off because of the less spice, since some people really enjoy spiciness. 

Thanks,

Stocky

PS- I may be taking a break here pretty soon, as I'm planning my wedding. Also, the local food store had completely empty shelves in their refrigerated section (probably due to the Japan disaster). Anyway, I thought I'd let my users know ahead of time.

Jumex Mango Nectar Review

I think it's about time that I did a review on something from a different part of the world. This "nectar" is from Jumex, in Mexico but is distributed in the USA from San Antonio, TX. I really have to be honest and really just picked this up on a whim that I could possibly mix this with a splash of coconut rum. Again, definitely one of my more random moments, but will this one pay off?

Kind of a "busy" label

I didn't know what to expect from a "nectar" drink having never had one before. I have had my fair share of juices and the like, but nothing labeled specifically nectar. Anyway, I will say this was an afterthought, and I did buy this along with some coconut milk/water; which I may review later sometime. As far as how this product smells, my significant other said it smelled rotten etc. However if you've ever been around fresh mangoes ... they can sometimes smell a bit "off". However, I wasn't bothered by it, just giving a different opinion.

As Mentioned, this is mixed with Sweet Tea, nothing else... strangely good.

As you can probably see above, this isn't exactly what the nectar looks like. The color and texture of the nectar is very thick (for a standalone drink), and almost a fluorescent yellow. Overall, I only took a sip of this without a mix or even water, and it was too sweet, even for my tastes. However, as shown above, this can be mixed with almost anything, even a southern USA staple, sweet tea! I again, did try and mix a bit with some coconut flavored liquor, and it was pretty awesome.

Contains 30% Juice, Not Bad!

Wow, is all I could really say about this. It's extremely versatile, and I bet I could drink this down by itself, if I could handle the sweetness. However this drink comes into its own when mixed. If you're looking for an alternative for mixing some sort of alcohol, this certainly is it. However, don't limit it there, I could see making an awesome Mango reduction sauce, for maybe a mahi or a light pork dish. Overall I'd have to give this one an 8.5, mostly for its versatility, but lower marks because it's not a great standalone beverage.

Thanks,

Stocky

Bing Energy Drink *Black Cherry* Review

I guess this doesn't necessarily count as anything "strange" or different, but this is something I really wanted to tell everyone about. This is one of those drinks that was kind of standing out next to the sweet tea section. Bing energy drink is probably one of those "quirky" gems. They are made and distributed by Bing, and has been featured on the food network.

Nice and Enticing Label

My first thoughts were that this drink would primarily be something I wouldn't be a "big fan" of... however I was extremely surprised. Holy cow this drink knocked my socks off, for an energy drink. Most energy drinks have a medicine like taste that just really never goes away even hours after drinking it. However, this drink was just ... yeah just WOW. I can't rave too much about it since it is only an energy drink, although its about the most fun you can have drinking these. I did get a bit of a small buzz off this drink, but didn't seem too over the top or jittery. I will say that even the taste being good, you'll find you still can't chug it very effectively, due to carbonation.

Label for the Drink

All in all, this will have been one of my shorter reviews, but still, this drink is superb. I can't say too much about a beverage. However, I'm starting to see this in more stores now, so if you can get a hold of these... please go and get one! I will say the buzz isn't the greatest, but it did keep me from nodding off/falling asleep fast at night. Overall I have to give this a 9.7 out of 10.

Thanks,
Stocky

I-MEI Cream Wafers (Strawberry) Review

Ah the illusive wafer treat, no doubt one of the easiest / least expensive treats on the market. These however are WAY different than what I'm used to. Anyway, these are another treat I picked up at K&S again, and I wasn't really expecting much, as they were pretty cheap. According to the label this is a Taiwanese company, a first for me I believe.

Traditional bright packaging

So opening this foil package was extraordinarily difficult, given they were packed in there to the gills. So when pulling these out be careful, because you might break a few. You'll see in the picture below, how much bigger these are than the traditional ones you see over here in the states. If I had to guess they are maybe 2-3x larger than regular brands. This was actually a good thing, since I don't like having to retrieve many of these due to their fragile state. I know it sounds petty, but I try to keep the packaging intact so I can save some for later.

HUUUGE!

As far as the taste, I'd have to say this is probably in a league of its own for cheap eats. I was really thinking the filling would have been a nondescript pink tartness. However I was pleasantly surprised on the first bite, it was so light, fluffy and somewhat natural tasting. The wafers were way more lofty, and the filling a lot more smooth. Speaking of the filling, it was closer to a whitish pink than the turbo pink color us Americans see from the majority of wafer makers. This was not only a refreshing change but probably the most flavorful and light snack I've had since I ate Shrimp Chips. That said, I would also say this does suffer from the same brittle and dry nature as other wafers on the market, that's just the nature of the snack. However, these are a bit more balanced and not as powder dry.

Label time!

Again, if you've not noticed, I'm a pretty big fan of these things. I'd again say that these are also in the "low risk" category for an international cuisine purchaser. I'm not a huge fan of wafer cookies or anything, but it's still refreshing to see it done properly in a larger format, with a somewhat normal taste. I think I bought these for a little over $1. These are an excellent snack option and may purchase these again, if I can get a hold of them, I give these a 9 out of 10. They receive high marks for taste, texture, value and overall quality. The only downside is the tricky packaging, their limited availability, and that's about it; again not too much bad I can say about these. These are a staple for people who like to snack on something a bit lighter, and without chocolate.

Thanks,

Stocky

Asian Taste *Black Tea* Review

Now I will be frank, I was never really a tea drinker until I turned about 20 something. To be honest I didn't really have to high hopes for this since it was $1.99 for a box of 20 bags. Again, that's extremely cheap, even by today's standards. This product and manufacturer I couldn't really find anything too much about it, suffice to say you can find this item online at most retailers.

Rather to the point Tea Box

Again when it comes to Tea there isn't much to say, due to the nature of the actual drink, it's meant to be relaxing. However, I actually prefer to drink this when I need a boost of energy, as black tea has the highest concentration of caffeine in teas. Not really something you'll drink to get you as hyper as what a Red-Bull would do, but I do find this has a good amount of kick (caffeine), to it. I like to enjoy this mostly when the weather is on the chilly side, since I don't really ever add sugar or ice.

For being Black Tea, it shows pretty reddish-brown.

As far as taste goes, this particular brand has a really nice smell and flavor to it. The dry bags smell kind of like a mix between Lipton iced tea brands. The taste starts off as a very warm, broad taste with subtle lows of a 'woody' flavor. However, the aftertaste is quite nice, comparatively, to the overly woody taste that this drink may sometimes have. I'd say, that this is something I could enjoy at pretty much any time of day.

Very nondescript bag

All that said, this is one of 2 flavors of tea from this brand I'll eventually review. Again, there isn't much to say in the way of recommending this since tea is something you like or don't like. Certainly, this is a good replacement or change to your normal coffee routine. I also will say as a coffee drinker, occasionally, I will say the Tea Caffeine buzz is much more subtle, but tends to keep me more focused. Anyway, if you can get your hands on it, from Amazon or something like that, do it. Overall I give this an 8.5 out of 10, with high marks for drink-ability, flavor, caffeine content and overall enjoyment. However, if you're not a "tea person" this probably isn't the best first tea choice. Conversely, if you enjoy tea and want to expand your horizons, this is an excellent choice to get away from large channel brands like Lipton.

Thanks,

Stocky

OKF Coco Coconut Drink *Pineapple* Review

I have to be honest, when I picked this up I almost assumed it was another Aloe drink. I can't exactly say I was disappointed, until I had a chance to try it. This again comes from OKF, a Korean beverage company, of which I've done other reviews for. I am starting to think I'm doing reviews on only a couple companies, but hey, I review what I can get my hands on.

OKF WOO HOO!

The first thing I noticed about this drink was the overwhelming smell. Most of the time, you don't get a good whiff of what you can smell from a beverage. However, this drink is stellar, and has a very sweet; almost nectar type drink with a slice of pineapple and coconut. On the contrary I wish the taste was the same, because it's actually way over the top sweet and not a lot of pineapple flavor. The pineapple flavor that IS present is really fake and only hits you at the end. There's not much to be said about the actual coconut flavor since that's pretty much gone.

Little Floaty Things

I have to say however the tell-tale "chunks" in this drink do NOT correlate to a good overall experience. In contrast the Aloe Vera Drinks, which have the squishy almost jell-o like, pieces. The coco brand has pieces of coconut, which are far more chewier, less tasting, and certainly less enjoyable. This drink is SERIOUSLY curbed by this by also having a horrendous after-taste. I really cannot convey to you in words how much less fun/appealing this drink is now, I will most likely NOT finish it.

Nutrition and Producer Information

All in all, this drink... if you can call it that, is kind of a miss. I will say that the taste isn't all that horrible, just really misses the mark with the texture. I think from here on out, unless I feel adventurous, getting another Coco drink. Overall, I will give this about a 4 out of 10, with disappointing flavor, texture, and aftertaste. Again, I will say you are welcome to try this, just know that it won't be for my recommendations.

Thanks,

Stocky