Samyang Hot Chicken Flavor Ramen - Mala

Here's another flavour I took a while to try because I couldn't buy single packets until recently: The Mala flavour! I like eating spicy Sichuan style stir fried chicken so this should be interesting.

Despite being Chinese, I actually first learned of the terms "ma" and "la" from Shokugeki no Soma (Vol. 15, chapter 122)

The cooking instructions!

The contents of the packet!

Time to boil the noodles (with the flakes)

So, the cooking instructions for this mala flavour is slightly different from the other dry noodles. Usually you just boil the noodles, drain the water and then add the sauce and toppings after that. This is the first I've seen where you boil the toppings together with the noodles and then drain the water. After draining the water (but leaving just a bit), I have to add the sauce and stir fry the noodles in the pot, another thing I haven't seen when it comes to instant noodles. This feels like actual cooking, lol.

Getting ready for the stir fry! I also added some sausages I boiled earlier.
Gotta have meat with those Sichuan spices!

Sizzle, sizzle~

Mmm, I can smell the aroma of the Sichuan mala spices.

Now for some finishing touches...

And it's done!

Wow, the spiciness of the mala sauce hits you right away when you put the noodles in your mouth! The taste is not bad, I kinda like it. However, I don't feel the numbness you'd normally feel when eating Sichuan peppercorn... Maybe there's not much of it in the sauce?

One surprise I did get was the dried mushrooms from the topping packet (which was rehydrated when it was boiling with the noodles). The mushrooms give the noodles a Chinese feel to it, which is a nice touch.

The sausages I added to the noodles also go surprisingly well with this dish (though, I may have put in a little too much). Come to think of it, there's actually not much point to me adding the egg, since it didn't add anything to the dish. Some proper veggies would have been nice to add, though.

Phew, the spiciness of these noodles are not to be underestimated! I had to take a break from eating it halfway through. My nose was runny and my mouth hurt from the spiciness, lol. It's still a dish worth trying, though. The next time I eat this, I'll try to add some dried seaweed and a little less sausages.

I rate this Mala noodle a 7.5/10!