Unif-100

Name: Unif-100 Variety: Artificial Shallot Beef Distributor: Uni-President Enterprises Corp. Noodle: Ramen Flavoring: Large powdered soup base + spiced oil with concentrated beef stock + large dried vegetable packet Preparation: Standard Notes: Cooking directions in Chinese, English, and ... French?

Alex:

In the same way that Nissin offers their premium Demae line as an alternative to the lower grade Top Ramen, so Unif has a premium line of their own, the Unif-100 series. This heartier version of Tung-I might qualify as a super-heavy weight at 125g, for for the purposes of a level paying field, I'd consider it a contender with the rest of the premiums.

The dry noodles gave off a scent, not unlike clean corrugated cardboard, that took me back to many a childhood dinner party spent running around the stock room of Sea Garden in Seattle's International District. Generous allotments all around, from the noodles themselves to the palpably weightier veggie packet.

Not that I think I'm rebounding, but with the overpowering Mr. Kon experience still fresh in memory, this ramen was precisely the balance I was referring to in that review, and which I was hoping I might soon run across. The heat came primarily from the chilies in the veggie packet, (and not the oil, like in many of the Chinese varieties) giving the soup a flavorful spice, and reducing the harsh pepper-edge. The rest of the vegetables were, dare I say, crisp?

I am generally hard pressed to give a generic "spicy beef" packet an above-average review, if only because of cop-out factor. It's much too easy to mask poor ingredient quality with intense spice, but Unif-100 clearly has no need for such nefarious practices. Here is a well conceived meal that balances flavor, garnish, and soup-noodle integration. Hooray, Taiwan!




Anne Marie:

Unif Tung-I Ramen Noodles

Name: Tung-I Variety: Chinese Beef Distributor: Unif / Uni-President Enterprises Corp. Noodle: Taiwanese ramen Flavoring: Powdered soup base with shallots and green onion + spiced oil packet Preparation: Standard Notes: Cross-cultural concept ramen

Alex:

Another Taiwanese brand, emulating Chinese flavors, borrowing Japanese packaging techniques.

This is very similar to the saimin I grew up on in Hawaii - noodles infused with palm oil that comes out in the boiling process, making the steam doughy smelling. The soup base bore a heavy similarity to Sapporo Ichiban, in that the reliance on salt for flavor was minimized, allowing the green onion to contribute meaningfully. I had almost forgotten about the spiced oil, which had a latent warming effect at the base of my tongue. ^_^ Yep, that's right, I did it. Happy noodle face. All that's missing is a slab of fried tofu or sliver of kamaboko.

1/2


Anne Marie:

I enjoyed the concept of the flavored noodles and found it added the slightest bit of interest to the Ramen. I expected it to have a spicier effect so was a tad disappointed, but had I not known or expected the flavored noodles, I likely would not have been let down. The broth itself did have a strong beef flavor, and the entire meal was certainly palateable, but I did not find the flavors refreshingly unique. I enjoyed this Ramen variety, but was not excited or blown away. Hence I found it a good basic beef flavored option.

香辣牛肉麵

Name: 香辣牛肉麵 Variety: Peppered Beef Flavor Distributor: Ve Wong Noodle: Ramen Flavoring: Beef in concentrated liquid seasoning + Dry veggie packet with powdered seasoning Preparation: Standard Notes: Product Code - 21191; Packaging Detail - 30/90 gr. Metalized Bag

Alex:

Smells like its going to be spicier than it is. Oil is subtler than advertised "spicy" varieties, but definitely catches the tongue.

Props go to the veggies. We have full on baby bok-choi bits here, with the actual leaf texture and flavor still in tact. The beef could be identified as beef (not a trivial feat).

Stock finishes saltier than the average - that's damn salty, for the record.





Anne Marie:

Noodle Quality:
Of the few instant ramen varieties I have tried to date, the noodles for this particular one actually rank fairly high (definitely better than the standard Maruchan ramen noodles). A slightly thicker noodle, but certainly not drier made for a gummier, and seemingly more al dente (if that is a term adopted by more than just the Italians to describe noodles) pasta. The good quality noodles thus did not detract from the overall sauce + noodle experience.

Sauce Integrity:
I appreciate instant ramen that comes with an oil packet in addition to the dry seasonings. This particular packet also contained the meat (beef) which I give major kudos to them for not drying the meat with the veggies in the dry seasoning packet. The meat was actually palatable (as opposed to the cup noodles meat which I inevitably throw out because reconstituted chicken just does not work for me) and the texture was that of roast beef/pot roast (only a tiny version of course). The veggies in the dry seasoning packet also reconstituted well and I was not reminded of the fact that i was eating rehydrated cardboard like so often is the case.

Overall Ramen Experience:
We cooked the noodles until slightly softened in the boiling water and added the two sauce packets while still cooking the noodles for the extra 2-3 minutes. Perhaps this changed the flavor slightly (for the better) rather than adding the powder after the noodles had already absorbed the liquid. The first bite made me think it was going to be spicy, but that didn't really pan out. The flavors were certainly stronger than the average instant ramen and it seemed that each bite had a slightly different character to it, which I appreciated. The flavors fell a little flat for my taste, but overall I was quite impressed with the combination of spices I would have liked the oil to have played a larger role, supplying more of a distinguishable taste perhaps.

1/2