Here’s the other currently-new product from Momofuku, their Spicy Chili Noodles. Coming right after Sweet & Spicy, the obvious question is whether this feels distinct from that one or Tingly Chili or is more or less a spicier version of either. The packaging is certainly similar to Sweet & Spicy, but the ingredients list is certainly different, so I’m curious how it actually eats vs. the rest of the product line.
Read more: Noodle Journey Episode 111: Momofuku Spicy Chili NoodlesBrand: Momofuku
Noodle Journey Episode 110: Momofuku Sweet & Spicy Noodles
After an insanely long wait for new flavors, today’s review is one of the two new flavors (as of August 2023) from Momofuku’s instant noodle lineup: Sweet & Spicy. Unlike their earlier offerings, which mostly leaned on soy and sesame profiles, this one brings a gochujang-style sauce that promises a balanced kick with some sweetness. The noodles are still made by A-Sha, so I’m already expecting top-notch texture, but we’re finally at a point where Momofuku is making their own sauce instead of repackaging an existing recipe from A-Sha. This feels like a smart pivot for Momofuku, moving into something with a different flavor profile and a fuller sauce compared to their original three flavors.
Read more: Noodle Journey Episode 110: Momofuku Sweet & Spicy NoodlesNoodle Journey: Momofuku Noodles – The Basic Hack
Full disclosure: this article works better as a video, which you can view by clicking above. However, for the sake of completion, I’m giving this one a write-up in the same way as my video reviews. Read on if you’d like to learn more about this simple little noodle hack!
Read more: Noodle Journey: Momofuku Noodles – The Basic HackNoodle Journey Episode 18: Momofuku Soy & Scallion Noodles
It’s time to round out the Momofuku noodle lineup, at least for now at the time of this review, with their Soy & Scallion flavor. This is the third variety I’ve reviewed after the Spicy Soy and Tingly Chili, and if you’ve seen those reviews, you know I’ve got a lot of love for the quality of the noodles. Credit goes to A-Sha for creating something with serious quality and texture. The Spicy Soy sauce packet was fine but a little underwhelming flavor-wise. The Tingly Chili kicked things up nicely and had a much broader array of flavors besides just soy. This one? It’s basically the Spicy Soy sauce minus the chili oil, with a pack of dried scallions added in. So today’s overall score is going to hinge almost entirely on whether those scallions pull their weight.
Read more: Noodle Journey Episode 18: Momofuku Soy & Scallion NoodlesNoodle Journey Episode 7: Momofuku Tingly Chili Wavy Noodles
As promised back in Episode 4, I finally get my hands on Momofuku’s Tingly Chili Wavy Noodles. At the time of review, all three Momofuku noodle flavors had recently come back in stock after a long absence. This Tingly Chili variety is a different noodle recipe than the other Momofuku varieties, with a visibly wavier, flatter cut. And as I learned this time around, it comes with a serious pedigree: the noodles are co-developed with A-Sha (yes, the same A-Sha behind their own popular Taiwanese-style noodles), though it’s unclear exactly who contributes what.
Read more: Noodle Journey Episode 7: Momofuku Tingly Chili Wavy NoodlesNoodle Journey Episode 4: Momofuku Spicy Soy Noodles
I originally planned to dig into one of the Korean or Japanese packs gathering dust in my pantry, but a bag of Momofuku Spicy Soy Noodles caught my eye at Target. Given the name attached to it (David Chang) and the fact that Momofuku started as a noodle bar, I have some reasonably high hopes going in.
Read more: Noodle Journey Episode 4: Momofuku Spicy Soy Noodles