Simply Food’s instant, gluten-free rice noodles bowls with an insanely flavorful broth were a massive hit in my house. Now, about all of that single-use packaging….
What is It?
Simply Food makes noodles–rice and wheat–for rice noodles and instant ramen bowls, as well as rice paper wrappers, among other products. The pho rice noodle bowls and instant ramen bowls are products of convenience–each needs only hot water to turn the bowl into a meal.
How does it Taste?
The rice paper wrappers are easy to use. Softened in a bowl of warm water, they rolled smoothly around fresh herbs and shrimp. The rice noodles have a clean flavor but I did not notice any particular fragrance from the noodles while they cooked.
The Instant Ramen Bowl is filled with springy wheat noodles and little seasoning packets filled with enough MSG that the glutamine scent wafted over the table once hot water hit the bowl. The gluten-free rice noodle bowl is similarly packed with little seasoning packets, including one with a bit of chile. Little flavor bombs, the packets are where it’s at, transforming a bland bowl of noodles into something savory and craveable. I could barely sample the bowl before my family was clamoring to finish the rest for me.
Instant Ramen Bowl
Instant ramen, the sodium and MSG-laced meal of college dorm/hot pot fame, is not remade into something entirely new by Simply Food. Their spin on it is likable enough with no noticeable nutritional difference between it and their competitors (yes, there is palm oil, and preservatives like potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate in addition to the MSG, just like the competitor’s). Their packaging is not styrofoam but poly-lined paper making them a somewhat better alternative (though still poor) for single-use packaging. The pho or gluten-free rice noodle bowls, despite these icky bits, feel fresh, a part of the instant noodle market that needs more competitors to step in and make the category compelling. Simply Food’s pho bowl is ahead of the game in that instant rice noodle department.
*I received a free sample of this product.
