Taste Test: We Tried Bhutan's First Instant Noodles And Here's What We Think

For those who are curious about how KP Noodles taste like, we managed to get our hands on a packet of Spicy Chicken KP Noodles.

By Kinley Yangden | Bhutan Times

Bhutan's first local brand of instant noodles finally hit the shelves early last month and of course, we had to get our hands on it for a taste test.

Manufactured by KP Foods in Samtse, KP Noodles come in three flavours: Hot Garlic Chicken, Spicy Chicken and Oriental Vegetables. We only managed to find the Spicy Chicken flavour at 8 Eleven Mart in Thimphu. Each packet was being sold at 25 Nu.

Note: We are not encouraging the frequent consumption of instant noodles with this review. Rather, we hope it serves to feed those who are curious about how Bhutan's first instant noodles taste like.

Don't be deceived by the small packaging

The entire pack of instant noodles may look small but upon opening it, the noodle itself seems pretty compact. The quantity is decent, as we found out after cooking it.

Noodles need to be cooked longer

We tried cooking a packet of noodles according to the instructions on the packet and another one just slightly longer for the noodles to soften a little more.

Comparing the two, we felt the one that was cooked longer had a better texture and tasted better. The one that had a shorter cooking time was a tad browner and had a slightly "burnt" taste to it due to the flash-frying of the noodles. But if you're the type who prefer noodles that aren't too soggy, the texture is still pretty good.

Adding an egg is a must

We tried two versions of the soup: One with an egg and one without, and quickly found out that the soup tasted somewhat bland without an egg. Plus an egg is a must when it comes to instant noodles.

 Add your own chilli

Despite being called Spicy Chicken, the final product of the KP Noodle was everything but spicy. The chicken flavour was strong but we did not find it spicy at all - in fact, some Korean ramyeon brands are spicier than this. So you might want to add your own fresh chilli or ezay (chilli paste) to give that spicy kick to your tastebuds.

Conclusion

We found KP Noodles' Spicy Chicken to be pretty satisfying taste-wise, although it wasn't as spicy as we hoped it would be. It can also seem rather bland on its own, so some side ingredients like eggs and chilli would definitely help to boost the overall flavour.

According to KP Foods, the most popular flavours are Oriental Vegetables and Hot Garlic Chicken. If you've tried those flavours, let us know what you think.