(Gotsumori So-su Yakisoba | Gotsumori Sauce Yakisoba)
General Description
Welcome to instant noodles that drove me insane. I am still puzzled, but more on that later.
This is Gotsumori - if I had to translate their name, I'd say something like "big serving." They stand out by their big packages. They have many different types of instant noodles, but the yakisoba comes in this square package. They have 2 main yakisoba flavours: salt and sauce. This one comes with a small packet of Kewpie mayonnaise. If you haven't tried mayo on yakisoba, you ought to! It's really good!
When I first moved to Japan and didn't have much to cook with, I used to eat these noodles all the time. They're cheap and filling! So you can imagine my shock when Yue told me that Gotsumori has a pretty mediocre reputation in regards to taste! Well, I'm here to see if it holds up or really is just meh.
Before I move on, let me go over how to prepare it. Take the container out of the plastic wrap. Open the "lid" from the "A" corner until the "B" line. Take out the small packets from inside. Open the veggies (the blue packet labelled "かやく") and put in on the noodles. Pour in hot water until the line (about 660ml)(do not microwave the noodles). Close the lid and wait for 3 minutes. Afterwards, remove the tab on the corner opposite of "A" and carefully pour out the water. Take the lid completely of and mix in the sauce (the green packet labelled "液体ソース"). Put the mayo on top (the last packet) and enjoy!
Review
- Price
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108 JPY (130 cup) - Taste
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So here's the thing. I actually tried this twice recently to check if the first one was just weird, but I feel like there's a wasabi flavour?? But it's not spicy??? I couldn't wrap my head around it. After I gave it more thought, I realized it reminded me of Dijon or Japanese mustard. And guess what? I just needed to read the packaging cause it says it's karashi - or Japanese mustard - flavoured mayo. Japanese mustard has a bit of a kick to it like horseradish, so that explains everything.
Okay, on to the actual flavour. The noodles have that instant noodles taste - which I like! It does taste like yakisoba, but it's a bit different. I think it tastes is fine, but it's very plain. The mayo adds a nice creamy flavour and a little kick, although the amount won't cover all of the noodles. The veggie greens have a sharp taste that don't get lost in the sauce. However, they are few and far between.
It's not bad but you're going to get a mostly one note taste for the whole thing. - Texture
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The noodles are firm but soft. The veggies add a nice crunch.
- Smell
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You can smell the sauce as your mixing it. It's not that strong afterwards.
- Overall
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It's fine. It's a bit...odd for me, but that can be a welcome change. If you're eating cup noodles all the time, this can switch up the flavour. It's also pretty filling, so if you need a cheap meal, this is a good option.
However, I will say that it's fairly simple. As such, I got kinda tired of eating it by the end. I don't think it's something I would want to eat over and over again, back-to-back unless you add some extra ingredients or flavours. - Would I try again?
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Sure, but not for a while.
