Yu Foodlabs Cup Noodles Review – We Tried 2 Flavors

Cup meals are synonymous with convenience. No cutting, chopping, no seasoning- all you need is boiling water and five minutes. 

Adding another brand to our list of cup noodles reviews, we ordered the all-new Chilly Manchurian and Zingy Cheese from Yu Foodlabs. Was Mishry’s Yu Foodlabs Cup noodles review as flavorful and exciting as their instant pasta review?

Cheese or chilly, which variant did we lean towards?

Quick details on Yu Foodlabs cups noodles range in the table below.

When reviewing Yu Foodlabs Cup noodles, we focused on how convenient these are to prepare, the taste and texture, the ingredient list, and how they are priced. 

1. Taste

Are the flavors balanced or is one ingredient dominant? Does the Chilly Manchurian variant have a subtle or mild spice kick? What about the aftertaste? How zingy is the Zingy Cheese variant? Is the cheesy flavor appetizing?

The meal should taste fresh, there shouldn’t be any industrial flavors. 

2. Texture

After letting the noodles immerse in boiling water for the brand-recommended time, how well did they cook? Was the bite too soft and squidgy or underdone and chewy?

What about the veggies? Did they retain the soft crunch? Had they rehydrated well?

3. Main Ingredients

What are the noodles made of? What are the main ingredients that go in seasoning? 

4. Other Parameters

Price

Vegetarian cup noodles are priced between Rs 40-50. Are Yu Foodlabs cup noodles priced economically or competitively?

Packaging

Does it come with cutlery? Are the containers sturdy enough to hold boiling water? Are the noodles and seasoning packed separately?

Shelf Life

When unopened, how long do these cup noodles stay edible for?

Aroma & Appearance

Did the aroma change/intensify after adding boiled water? Were these noodles long and slurpy or broken and clumpy?

Yu Foodlabs cup noodles are offered in two variants Chilly Manchurian and Zingy Cheese, and our review covers them both. 

Both variants are packed similarly. The noodle cake and seasoning mix is inside the bowl with a fork. There is also a water level marking that indicates the quantity of water to be added. 

Price & Packaging

An 80-gram container is priced at Rs 69/- It has a shelf life of nine months. Post-cooking, the serving size increases to 225 grams.

Main Ingredients

Refined flour noodles, cheddar cheese, spring onion, garlic, corn kernels, tomato puree, palm oil, corn flour, milk, vinegar, refined oil, salt, sugar, red chili powder, spices and seasoning, and water.

This packaged meal has a pretty clean ingredient list. No preservatives or additives. It is one of the things we appreciate about the brand.

How we made it?

As suggested, we broke the noodle cake in four parts followed by adding the sauce. Then boiling water upto the marked level was added and we mixed everything well. The bowl was covered with the lid and set aside for five minutes. Once done, we stirred the contents again for 30 seconds and began our taste test. 

Aroma & Appearance

The dry powder had a red hue and we could see some corn kernels. It emitted a cheesy tangy aroma. 

Once cooked, the noodles looked plump and well hydrated. 

Taste & Texture

Right off the bat- disappointing. The aroma changed a bit and turned quite displeasing like that of raw tomatoes. The noodles had a squiggly bite but were not appetizing. The corn kernels had rehydrated well and the spring onions added a unique texture. In terms of taste, the cheese flavor was very mediocre. While the salt was decent, the overall flavor profile reminded us of a portion of Italian pasta. This felt more tomatoey than cheesy.

Although elements like tomato, cheese and herbs should work terrifically, but here they do not marry well. This is unappetising.

Price & Packaging

A 70-gram container (225 grams after rehydration) is priced at Rs 59/-. Like the above variant, it has a shelf life of nine months.

Main Ingredients

Refined flour noodles, green capsicum, palm oil, french beans, carrots, onions, garlic, spring onion, celery, ginger, tomato puree, soya sauce, corn flour, vinegar, refined oil, salt, sugar, dry red chilli, star anise, spices and seasoning, water.

How we made it?

The same method of preparation was used for this variant too.

Aroma & Appearance

In the dry powder, we could see dehydrated beans, some ginger, and celery. This had a prominent aroma like that of a Chinese instant gravy mix.

Taste & Texture

The noodles lacked the chewy bite. Despite having let the noodles cook (sit) in water for exactly five minutes, they seemed overcooked and squidgy. The spring onions and beans had rehydrated quite well and had a soft bite.

Taste-wise, the salt and spice levels did not require any adjustment. However, the presence of soy in the flavor profile was too bold. Moreover, the aroma was straight-up displeasing.

All-in-all, this was not a flavorsome product.

Here are some interesting FAQs on Yu Foodlabs Cup Noodles.

That’s a wrap on Mishry’s take on the Yu Foodlabs Cup Noodles. This doesn’t work, neither the texture nor the flavors. These cup noodles fared below average on prime parameters. We have definitely tasted better cup noodles.

This came as a surprise, owing to the excellent-tasting pasta and oat bowls this brand offers.

Have you tried Yu Foodlabs cups before? How was your experience?