I'm a fan of hot, spicy Asian cooking, and in the past I've really enjoyed Indomie's Spicy/Hot Fried Noodles. But These. . .
These are definitely next level heat, and also have an excellent texture with noodles that are very, very tasty. In the past, I'd make a solo meal using three 85 gram packets, cook and drain the noodles, then add the wet and dry spice ingredients, often with some pre-heated chicken or pork and steamed broccoli, and I would use all of the flavour packets from all 3 envelopes.
Which is what I did with these, the first time out, and Wow! OK: the noodles. Noodles are a yellowish colour and feel ever-so-slightly more chewy, not a bad thing - the texture is very pleasant. Prepared and drained in the normal way. Spice Packets: The package wrapping on these noodles is a dense black, and the colour of the oily red sauce that's one-half of the supplied spices is a deep, dark, slightly malevolent red. PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: Do NOT get the red chili oil on your fingers and then touch your face, ESPECIALLY near your eyes. There are many thousands of Scoville Units of heat hiding in even a smear of this oil, and the effect is not unlike pepper spray - perhaps not quite that intense, but really uncomfortable to the eye, and not easily rinsed out. You may want to pull on kitchen gloves for mixing. SO, You Have Been Warned - this stuff packs a punch, and your eyes will not love you At All if you wipe this seasoning anywhere in the vicinity.
That said, I went ahead and mixed up all three sets of the flavour packets while the noodles were cooking, then poured the dark red contents of all three packets over the noodles, mixed them in, and got out the chopsticks. The aroma of something very spicy was wafting up, and I took a mouthful. The first flavour is "noodles plus heat" - and it's delicious. The combination is bang on. The second, or follow-on sensation was of some very flavourful chillies that came across much more strongly as "Oh, My - that is a real burning hot back-of-the-palate taste, and it doesn't go away quickly. I knew, right there, that putting all of the flavour packets in might have been a bit adventurous, because the 'tail' is very definite and very warm. So, there was nothing to do except dig up another chopstick-load of noodles and repeat. The "Front" taste ends the after-burn from the first mouthful, but as soon as I'd given the noodles a good bite, the "After" tail was just as hot, and so it continued for the whole bowl I'd prepared. There was nothing left over - they were great! The one thing I was (somewhat) thankful for was that I had not added a big dollop or two of Chili Crisp to the preparation. The noodles have a very pleasant and very definite taste - they don't just lie there and yawn. They're chewy enough to be satisfying (if that makes any sense) but not annoying to eat. I finished off the entire batch quite quickly - perhaps to avoid any prolonged periods of back-end heat. I think a lot of that comes from the fact that the chili paste is very oily, and the oil carries a lot of the heat. (Just my theory). But Shucks and other Comments: these were Very Good!
For my second attempt, I prepared the noodles as is normal, but I mixed up only about 1-1/3 of the three sets of flavour packets with some juice from the heated up chicken I was adding. I put the spice/flavour mixture in first, then the chicken, still steaming hot, and mixed everything quickly, adding steamed broccoli at the finish. This was a better experience all around - there was still a lot of the wonderful flavour, but a bit less of the "pepper-spray" tail sensation between mouthfuls. Based on this preparation, and a third where I used up the 1-2/3 remainder of the flavour packets with some "orphaned" noodles from Indomi's Fried Noodle Hot & Spicy Chicken, pretty much convinced me that even though I'm enough of a chili head that I grow my own Scotch Bonnet and other peppers for my personal hot spice/oil condiment, I would not mix up three packets of these noodles with more than 1-1/2 of the contents of all flavour pouches from 3 packets of noodles.
That amount provides a very tasty, very warm and very pleasant mixture, especially if I'm adding bits of leftover Chicken or Pork or steamed veg. Don't get me wrong: I love the hot flavour, but the "tail" at maximum intensity will definitely be in the "blow your head clean off" territory for some.
Your Mileage May Vary, depending on the amount of asbestos in your DNA, and the amount of experience you have with very warm flavour sauce over these "dry" (as opposed to 'soup') ramen noodles. If in doubt the first time you try these, a bit less may give a better overall first experience than putting it "all in."
Having described all of that, with three (OK, 2-1/2) outings with this previously unknown variety of Fried Noodles, I am very impressed with the overall taste, and (in moderation) that flavour of the chilli ingredients used in these. These are not even close to the "old" Hot & Spicy Chicken noodles, which never struck me as being all that spicy - pleasant, but not hot.
But These? These will be my "go to" from here on out. They are delicious and the temperature is 'adjustable' to suit how masochistic you feel when making up any particular meal or late-night snack. They are really, really excellent, and fully earn a 5-star rating for taste, texture and heat. They make a great stand-alone meal, either by themselves or with protein & veg added. They would also be a good side-dish. They are about the best of any offering from Indomie I've tried. I will definitely be buying these "Black Label" Hot and Spicy Chicken noodles again. After trying these, I wouldn't go back to the white-packet noodles also labeled as a "hot and spicy" variety. These are a big step up in taste and texture; I'm really glad to have found them. If you have any inclination toward actually Hot spicy Asian flavours, I think these will be a welcome addition. About the only other wish I might have is that these will be a "regular" in the noodle offerings. Definitely a keeper. 5 Stars, with bells, whistles and a (small) fire extinguisher.
Seasoning powder: Sugar, Salt, Monosodium glutamate, Disodium succinate, Disodium inosinate, Disodium guanylate, Artificial chicken flavour (egg, milk, soy), Onion, Garlic, Dried leek, Shrimp paste (crustaceans, fish), Noodles: Enriched wheat flour, Refined palm oil (contains TBHQ), Salt, Sodium tripolyphosphate, Potassium carbonate, Sodium carbonate, Guar gum, Riboflavin., Seasoning oil: Refined palm oil (palm oil, TBHQ), Chilli, Herbs and spices, Artificial chicken flavour
