Here’s another flavor I got from my coworker on his trip to Guam: Nissin Cup Noodles Tom Yum Kung. Prior to this write-up, I thought I vaguely remembered seeing this one advertised as a limited-time offering from Nisisn being sold in Japan several years back, but I also see other mentions of it going back nearly a decade, so either I’m wrong and it was always a permanent part of the Cup Noodles product line, or it was one of those flavors that was so popular that Nissin decided to bring it back and keep it around. Either way, I’m excited to give this a try in light of that trainwreck of a tom yum from my last review.
Read more: Review: Nissin Cup Noodles Tom Yum KungYou might also see this named “Tom Yum Goong” since “Kung” and “Goong” are interchangeable phonetic spellings of the same thing in Thai cuisine, which is shrimp (or prawn depending on where you live). What I find interesting is that while this is made for the Japanese market (and yes, apparently also sold in Guam, which is a US territory), there is also a different Cup Noodles Tom Yum recipe manufactured in Hong Kong for global export, and I actually have a cup of that one that I’ll take a look at sometime after this pile of Guam noodles is all properly reviewed. If you live outside of Japan and want this, there are quite a few Japanese storefronts that will ship it to you.
This contains a salt equivalent of 5g, putting the converted sodium count at around 1970mg or so.
The first thing you may notice is the tom yum paste sachet on the top of the cup, which is intended to remain on the lid so it can heat up as the noodles steep. Inside, there’s a standard Nissin noodle block, a powdered soup base, and a nice amount of dried toppings. The paste doesn’t specify what’s in it, but I’m expecting something akin to the usual tom yum flavors – lemongrass, galangal, chili, seafood extract, etc. The broth powder is even more vague when translated, but there is definitely MSG, dairy, and chicken in the base. Finally, those dried toppings are some pretty sizable seasoned shrimp, sliced mushrooms, red chili pepper flakes, and coriander.
Here it is after steeping with the tom yum paste added, prior to stirring it all up:
And the final product:
Noodles:
Typical Nissin noodles here.
- 5/10
Spiciness:
There’s an unexpected amount of heat to this that I wasn’t anticipating from a Japanese product. Lots of chili pepper bits in here make for a solid close-to-medium heat level that I really appreciate in a robust broth like this. This isn’t super hot but is definitely not for the spice-averse. On the bright side, it has very little linger and is mostly a back-of-your-throat spice rather than an uncomfortable lip or mouth burn.
- 3.5/10
Overall:
Wow… what a stark contrast to that last tom yum I just reviewed. This has a terrific flavor. First and foremost, the citrus flavor in here feels natural and doesn’t smell or taste like wood cleaner. The soup base has some wonderful savoriness and shrimpy notes, and the tom yum paste then adds to it all with a satisfyingly sour, herby, spicy kick. Besides adding some heat, the chili flakes have some peppery flavor to them that they contribute to the flavor notes. As for the other dried ingredients, the shrimp were firm, well-seasoned, and flavorful, I loved the inclusion of tender mushroom pieces, which I see frequently in takeout tom yum but not in instant varieties so much, and thankfully for a cilantro-gene carrier like me, the cilantro/coriander flakes were pretty mild and mostly inconspicuous to the overall flavor profile. I’m never gaga over the texture of Nissin’s noodles in these cups, but this is one of those times, just like their Hot and Sour variety and Black Pepper Crab variety, where the flavor has won me over despite the medium quality noodles. This is right up there with the tom yum offerings from Mama, often considered the gold standard for instant tom yum. If you’re a tom yum fan and you spot this for sale, it’s definitely worth a purchase.
- 9/10
