Today, I’ll be reviewing my recent Sau Tao Black Truffle Abalone Dry Noodles purchase. Honestly, I’ve never heard of Sau Tao before, but apparently it’s a well-known brand in Hong Kong, which produces a variety of food products ranging from noodles to sauces. My friend absolutely LOVES their noodles, so I figured I might as well try to see what all the hype’s about

Verdict: So-so, different take on instant noodles

 

What I ordered

• Box of Sau Tao Black Truffle Abalone Dry Noodles
• PHP 650 per box
• Each box contained 12 packs of instant noodles, 12 packs of black truffle oil, and 12 packs of abalone (?) sauce. I was a bit worried about buying SO MANY packs, but pfft. 1 pack is sooo small – I guess it’s for people on a rabbit diet or if you’re just snacking. But if you’re eating it as a full-fledged meal, then I suggest you cook 2 packs per person

 

Packaging

The packaging is BEAUTIFUL. Very fancy and feels very “atas.” I think it makes for a beautiful gift box, and I actually gifted one to my grandparents!

Even the mini-noodle packs inside are beautifully and tastefully packaged. Honestly, I think bulk of my money went into this box… Better recycle it HAHA

 

Cooking Instructions

Step 1: Pour boiling water over the noodles, then place into the microwave and let it cook for 3 minutes

Step 2: Stir well with chopsticks, drain the water and set aside

Step 3: Pour all the sauce in and mix well

It’s essentially instant noodles but with fancier packaging LOL

 

Taste

It’s alright. To be fair, I found the noodle texture quite interesting. It’s definitely not the typical Yakisoba/Lucky Me-style noodles we Filipinos are accustomed to. Instead, it actually tasted faintly reminiscent of Hong Kong-style noodles (I should know btw – I used to have a food stall in Ateneo that sold Hong Kong style noodles haha!). BUT, and this is a big but for me, there’s a slight aftertaste that remains in your mouth that reminds you this IS instant noodles, and definitely not freshly cooked noodles. Still ok, but definitely not WOW.

Also, equally important, don’t eat the noodles on its own! I guess it’s alright in small doses (maybe one pack), but otherwise, it can get nakakaumay (or you can get tired of the taste). I suggest you pair it with some meats. On my end, I paired it with some newly steamed siomai (purchased from Ideal Choice PH) . I thought it paired really well, and the addition of chili added a nice extra kick to the noodles!

 

Value for Money

It’s interesting and I’m glad I tried it. Having said that, I don’t think I’ll be buying this again. Why settle with instant noodles, when I can get fresh hand-pulled noodles from the numerous Chinese restaurants in Banawe?