Today’s review is from a brand that is the largest instant noodle manufacturer in China. And despite that pedigree, this is the first time I’m trying one of their products: Kang Shi Fu Braised Artificial Beef Flavor Soup Noodle. Kang Shi Fu is also called “Master Kong” according to most online retailers and the Wikipedia page for this company. But I do have a colleague in the noodle review world who says that Kang Shi Fu and Master Kong are actually separate companies and that there’s some sort of stolen branding mascot thing going on between the two of them. I don’t know which of those things is correct and I really don’t have a dog in the fight of Chinese manufacturers stealing each other’s trademarks. So I will just say that 99% of the time you can find this product and many other products under either name, Kang Shi Fu or Master Kong, if you’re looking to buy any of their flavors online.
The Verdict:
| Product: | Kang Shi Fu Braised Artificial Beef Flavor Soup Noodle |
| Origin: | China (Export to the USA) |
| Noodle Quality: | 6/10 |
| Spice Level: | 2/10 |
| Overall Score: | 9/10 |
Their Wikipedia page also says that they have dual headquarters in both China and Taiwan, which is relevant to the reason I chose this product for a review today. And this is the main reason: a couple episodes back, I reviewed Nongshim’s Ramyun Chef Braised Beef Flavor. Well, actually, I reviewed the whole product line, but that one flavor kind of stuck out. It was supposed to be a Taiwanese braised beef flavor, but it just did not sit right with my taste buds. It was far too heavy on the fennel and the star anise flavors rather than being balanced with the other spices. That was not an experience that I found to be typical of other examples of Taiwanese braised beef soup that I’ve eaten. And so I thought, let’s see what the biggest noodle manufacturer in China, which also has a massive Taiwanese presence, can offer on the subject. And just to elaborate on that, the largest noodle manufacturer in Taiwan is not Kang Shi Fu; it’s actually Uni-President, also called Unif. I reviewed one of their products all the way back in Episode 12. The reason this particular brand won out for today is that I have seen many, many Redditors, bloggers, and YouTubers say that this Kang Shi Fu product is their favorite instant noodle product of all time, not the one from Unif. That’s pretty high praise and it intrigues me.
This style of soup is a mixture of Sichuan spices used to braise tough cuts of beef and turn it into a soup. Typically that means a mixture of tingly, savory, and sweet licorice-adjacent herbs, hopefully all in perfect harmony. I paid a very reasonable $1.49 for this bowl at Yamibuy, where it is consistently one of their top-selling products.
Inside the pack, we’ve got a big block of thin-to-medium gauge noodles. They’re made from wheat flour, palm oil, tapioca starch, and a bunch of other additives. There is a paste sachet made from palm oil, scallion, garlic, salt, ginger, MSG, and chili pepper. There is a powdered soup sachet made with salt, MSG, sugar, spices, and artificial beef flavor. And then there’s a dried flake sachet with dehydrated carrot, textured vegetable protein (which means imitation beef) and scallions. And we have a little foldable fork just in case you need it. Based on my reading of the ingredients in here, this appears to be vegan. It is an import product from China; therefore, it cannot contain meat without jumping through a lot of hoops. If you are vegan and you want to buy this, please check for yourself to make sure that I didn’t miss anything. This whole bowl contains an insane 2,500 mg of sodium, which is over your recommended daily allowance, so proceed with caution.
To cook this, you need to steep it in boiling water for four minutes with the lid closed. It says on the bowl you should not microwave this, so don’t try, or do so at your own peril.
Noodles:
These noodles are well-hydrated despite feeling a bit stiff while I was stirring them. They are not the greatest noodles I’ve ever had, but they’re very far from the worst. They’re round and reasonably chewy. They hold on to the oily broth really well. I would say a slight step above your typical Nissin or Maruchan bowl or pack offerings.
• 6/10
Spiciness:
This has a good amount of Sichuan peppercorn in it, and I can tell because my lips were tingling while I was eating this. It has some chili pepper in it which I could feel on my tongue and a little bit in the back of my throat. It’s not overpoweringly spicy. I think it’s actually a really approachable level of spice – tingly, but not crazy hot.
• 2/10
Overall:
It’s really delicious. I’m a believer. I can see why people have said this is their favorite instant noodle product of all time. It is not my favorite, but it is going to get a good score. Artificial beef flavor, first and foremost, is spot-on. Whatever is in here, probably soy sauce and yeast and that onion and garlic combo, is making this taste like a beef broth even though there’s no actual meat in this.
You’ve got the Sichuan spices in there, including the peppercorn, but also the licorice-adjacent ones that I had a problem with in the Nongshim recipe. They’re in here, and they’re not muted, but they’re just in harmony. They’re not overpowering everything. Have you ever made a recipe that called for a teaspoon of something and you accidentally put a tablespoon in instead? The tablespoon mistake is where I was with the Nongshim braised beef. I like those flavors in the right amount. This Kang Shi Fu variety is the teaspoon version that I’m used to, where the flavor is still there but it’s not the dominant flavor. Hopefully that makes sense.
The dried flakes and carrots are decent with a good crunch. The artificial beef pieces, though, are kind of weird and spongy. I’ve had way better soy protein beef. And between these beef pieces and the noodles not being mind-blowingly good, those are the two reasons that are going to keep this from being a perfect 10 score. But the fake beef pieces are easy enough to eat around. And the noodles are good enough that it’s not like a total detractor from the overall experience. I’m sold. Really awesome stuff.
• 9/10
If you spot this in your local Asian grocery store or see it for sale online and you like the flavors I described, this is absolutely worth a purchase. You will get a robust, flavorful broth with pretty okay noodles and mostly good toppings inside. I guess Kang Shi Fu is the number one noodle manufacturer in China for a reason.
