Oodles of noodles: a noodle thread

I'm really enjoying the mung bean thread noodles (Jia Jia, also) at the moment. They are kind of like rice vermicelli but with more bite. I really like the texture.

For instant noodles, I like the Nissin range. Love their huge range flavours and, in my experience, they're all good!

I get these ones (less packaging) but I'd say they are much the same.

The texture is way better than rice noodles - they have a springy bite.

What are peoples thoughts on the straight to wok noodles. I use them, but find them flavourless. Mostly used to bulk up a dish. Are there better options???

I use them quite often as they're handy however they are very oily so tend to give them a quick soak in hot water to remove some of the oil.

Got these in the middle at Aldi 69c

imo a fairly standard cheap instant noodle but the flavourings are a bit different and are quite tasty. You get the normal sachet of flavour plus a sachet of what I can best describe as oily flavoured onion with burnt bits. Sounds awful but it adds the little extra that makes it taste less instant ;-)

I just stir the egg in so it just becomes part of the broth.

Chopsticks, always. There is no better tool for noodles, imo.

With instant noodles its just enough water to make them like pasta for me. 300ml which seems to be the amount that most require is just a little too much so I use a little less.

Always soupy for me! Probably about 500ml of water.

Instant Noodles:

Koka are the best of the ones you can find regularly in Irish supermarkets, not mad on the cheapo ones in Tesco/Aldi/Lidl etc. Even SuperNoodles aren't great, I hate the way they go mushy. Noodles need to be al dente or I won't go near them.

In order of preference for Koka's flavours, I go curry, mushroom, chicken, beef, Tom yum, stir fried. The Asian shops are great for trying out different flavours and styles. I got a packet from one of the shops on Parnell Street that had 5 separate little sachets of oil and veg and chilli powder and flavouring. There are a few that you'll learn to avoid, but many that you'll love. The 'spicy beef' flavour are usually pretty good in most brands, I think the ones I used to get are called "Mr Kon" Those "Shim Ramyun" ones from Ryath's post above are deadly. Nissin are great also, but try out any of them you can get.

Instant Extras:

I always add chilli flakes, most times a splash of chinese curry paste (Goldfish brand), and the odd time sesame seeds depending on what type I'm having. An egg is a good addition, poached is good but mixed throughout like Chinese soups is better. even a boiled egg chopped in half works great. Scallions are top drawer, as are bean sprouts if you can get them for that extra crunch. Raw prawns cook well in either the pot or the microwave. You can add almost anything you want, really, I've often put the end of a cooked chicken, spag bol or lasagne in with them to bulk it up. Those packets of microwaveable rice are great also. 99% of the time I eat mine with toast, great for soaking up the soup if it's a little too watery.

I also used to make instant noodles with a bit less water than normal, take them off the heat 30 seconds before they're done and bang the whole pot into a wok or frying pan. Beat an egg and add it to the pan and you get a lovely dish.

Cooking Noodles:

There's only one player in town. I spotted this logo on a box in more than one takeaway over the years and only figured out I could order them myself online relatively recently. "Lucky Boat" are the brand that they use, especially the thin ones that most people seem to prefer.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lucky-Noodles-Restaurant-Quality-Stir-Fry/dp/B08SBRYPHX?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1&psc=1