McCormick Palabok Noodle and Seasoning Mix Honest Review

I really love Mang Inasal’s palabok, but I’ve been trying to cut down on my fast food consumption so decided that I could probably whip up a really great tasting palabok at home too! Well, I found a recipe and realized…. damn, the palabok sauce is so difficult to make. LOL. Hence, I have resorted to purchasing McCormick’s ready-made palabok seasoning. Here’s my honest review on whether or not this one hits the spot.

Verdict: Nah, Mang Inasal’s palabok was way better

 

What was included in McCormick’s Noodle and Seasoning Mix?

Well, as the name implies – it came with 150 g Palabok noodles and 50 g Palabok Seasoning Mix. It doesn’t look like a lot when you first open it up. I scoffed when I read that the pack’s meant to serve 4, because no way could this serve four?! So I ended up opening 2 packs… Big mistake. It really is meant to serve 4! So I ended up cooking for 8. Oops.

 

What do you need to prepare when cooking Palabok?

Well, aside from the noodles and the sauce, you’re still in charge of the toppings. I opted to add the following (good for 8!)

• 200 g shrimp, shelled and boiled
• 100g fried tofu, sliced
• 5pcs egg, hard boiled and sliced
• 3 stalks spring onion, chopped
• 1 cup crushed chicharon

 

How do you cook Palabok with McCormick’s Noodle and Seasoning Mix?

• Cook the palabok noodles by boiling the noodles for 3 minutes. Afterwards, drain the hot water

• Dissolve the McCormick Palabok Seasoning Mix in 1 1/2 cup of water (per pack) then boil. I forgot to boil initially and was wondering why it was so watery!

• Prepare your toppings
  • Shell the shrimp, then boil. I cut the shrimp further in half to increase the amount of toppings
  • Crush the chicharon! I don’t know if you can purchase crushed chicharon, but I ended up buying chicharon and crushing it wiht a mortar and pestle #Manual
    • Boil the water. Once boiling, cook the eggs for ~8 minutes. Afterwards, drain the hot water and submerge the hard boiled eggs in cold water. This is to make it easier for you to peel the eggs later on.
    • Wash the spring onion stalks and get rid of the yellowish and “lanta” looking parts of the spring onion. Chop up

• Mix the noodles with the Palabok sauce, then sprinkle the toppings on top.
• Bon Appetit!

 

Did the Palabok made from McCormick’s Noodle and Seasoning Mix taste good?

Meh, it was ok. I didn’t think you could taste the palabok flavor much. On top of that, I felt like I could still taste some seasoning mix clumped together (of course, this probably means I didn’t boil it well enough LOL). Oh well, probably not an experience I’ll be repeating anytime soon.