Annie Chun's Noodle Express: Chinese Chow Mein

Yes, yes, I know; two of my three reviews are now about this brand. I got two different kinds when I went shopping, though, so deal. At least you'll be able to see if things improved.


(I get weird looks from my coworkers for photographing my food boxes. They don't understand my calling.)

Loyal readers may recall that my last Noodle Express was severely handicapped by a broken bowl. This particular Express was not plagued by this affliction! Bonus points right there. Yay. I even got to feel super proud about Saving the Earth with a Biodegradable Bowl! There's my effort for the day.

Underneath the Earth-Friendly details, there is a note about adding vegetables "or even some tofu or chicken," kinda like meat is a revolutionary idea. I had a chicken breast sitting around that needed to be eaten, so I decided to add it. It was pre-cooked, so I cut it up and put it in before it was microwaved. There started the real fun: I was going to give extra points because I realized I didn't need scissors for any of the excess packages and packets, until the packet of chow mein sauce splattered all over my pants. I have a pretty little weird brown stain on my leg now. (No points.) The whole thing went into the microwave for one minute again, even though I knew from prior experience that it took longer in the microwave I use. (Knowledge is power!) The noodles were all stuck together in the middle, so I gently pulled what I could apart and put it in for another 35 seconds. This also resulted in noodle blob, so I said "screw it" and just kinda tore into it. This seems to have worked. The noodles were pre-cooked, anyway, so it didn't matter much.

The addition of the chicken turned out to be a pleasant one, mostly because the taste of the chow mein was unsatisfactory. It had too much of some flavor, but I'm not a chef or even a legit food critic so I'm not too sure what it actually was. Also, it made the whole thing seem less... cheap. Plus, I just like chicken. Once again, the "veggies" and "spices" seemed to get in the way- they weren't really chewable so their texture clashed with the soft noodles. Overall it was pretty "meh." Edible, but not fantastic.

Pros: Uncracked packaging, no scissors needed, still awkwardly pretentious
Cons: Messy, not terribly tasty.
Final score: 2.5/5