Bento and Rice and Spice - 11-3-09

Yesterday I was working late again (another meeting with Bangalore) and Jenny suggested I go to the Bento place here in Corvallis. It was an excellent suggestion. I don't eat there nearly enough. I got a classic - combination number 4. Rice, steamed brocoli and cabbage, chicken in spicy Teriyaki sauce, 3 gyozu and one bbq pork steam bun. I bought two more sweet bao (red bean paste stuffed).
On the way back to the office, I stopped at the Rice and Spice market and bought some ramen and pickled ginger (I love that stuff).

Pork Tom Yum yummy - 10-7-09

Another one that has been waiting in my drawer for a while. I did just get another bag from Uwajimaya, but those will come later. I also just got a Microsoft Lifecam Cinema here at work. The pictures look nicer, but are just at 640x480 now because the stupid software failed to install. Darn you MS!
Along with the noodles, I had some carrots and an apple and finished it off with chocolate pudding. :)

Variety	date and rating	notes
MAMA Tom Yum Pork Flavour	8/4/09 - 9/10	I really enjoyed this one. Just enough spicy that when you drink the broth it gets the back of your throat, but is gone leaving you wanting more. I love the lime leafy taste. One of the packets was just sesame seeds.

Satay - 8-4-09

So I neglected to grab something from home on my way out, which means today is an eating from the drawer day. This is another ramen pack I picked up at Uwajimaya a while ago.

Variety	date and rating	notes
Nissin Satay flavor	8/4/09 - 7/10	When I opened the sauce packet, I sniffed it but I just smelled a melted plastic scent (not appetizing). I don't know if it was the sauce's fault or something else at the break station, but ugh. The flavor is interesting and once it is made it smells fine. With the exception of the MSG and palm oil, I like the ingredients. It just strikes me as average, unfortunately. I might have to pick up another pack in the future and try reviewing it again.

KGC - 7-1-09

A while ago when Oprah did the 'free Kentucky Grilled Chicken' thing, Jenny jumped on it and we tried to get our free meals, but the local supplies ran out long before we got any. So KFC was kind enough to send us coupons in the mail for free two piece meals. My coupon came first with an expiration date of 7/3, and Jenny's just arrived this week with a start date of 7/6, so we could not go together for them. So I went and picked mine up today. I figured it is worth a write up.

Here's what I got (I was not asked to choose, which is fine cuz it was free) - a breast piece, a tiny wing, a biscuit, potatoes and gravy and cole slaw. I would have picked the cole slaw anyway, but I would have chosen potato salad.

The seasoning used in the grilling is good. It has that nicely condensed flavor you would hope for. Savory and just a little sweet. The chicken is juicy as you would expect from KFC. The skin gets sort of dried out which I like - I want it crisp or a little chewy. I don't eat much skin, as I try to avoid the layer of fat underneath. I'd be happy if they had a skinless option, though I'm sure they don't do that to help maintain juicyness.

The sides haven't changed in 30 years as near as I can tell, for good or bad. I don't like the brown gravy much, but the biscuits are always good and I like cole slaw. The drink was kind of awful, but I mixed Sierra Mist, lemonade and fruit punch, so what do you expect.

Overall, I was pleased, especially for free. :) 8/10 - I'd definitely eat it again, though I don't know if I would go out of my way for it (unless the secret chemicals that make you crave it fortnightly kick in).

La Patissier - 6-6-09

My kind friend and coworker Otto sent us over to La Patissier in Corvallis for pastries. Its a cute French style bakery. We tried a selection of things from their baked goods case. THE ALMOND CREAM WAS SOOOO GOOOD!!! Followed closely by the blueberry cream cheese.
Next time, we hit the desert case. :)

First comparison lunch - 6-5-09

Last week I had just a bit of leftover garlic shrimp, so I took it for lunch and ate it with a Nissan Chow Mein with Shrimp from my drawer. So I thought it would be fun to compare a 'real' shrimp against a 'ramen' shrimp.

No 3 bears - 4-2-09

Another fine day for a review of something new. I was going to grab some taquitos for lunch, but was in a hurry after I spilled the dog's water all over the floor this morning. I have been wanting to try this one out since I bought it at Uwajimaya ages ago. I'd never seen a savory porridge mix before and was curious. I'm not very familiar with Vietnamese food, so I don't know if this is a popular dish.

Variety	date and rating	notes
Vifon Instant Porridge Chicken Flavor	4/22/09 - 8/10	This was really pretty good. I poured the contents of the package into a 12oz disposable cup and filled with not water from the coffee station. The taste is almost exactly like Jenny's homemade chicken noodle soup. She makes her own noodles thick and nicely chewy, and doesn't use any extra vegetables. This doesn't have the noodle texture, but otherwise is just like it. A smooth chicken flavor in a thick soupyness. I'll buy this again.

OJ chick 3-23-09

Happy belated Pi day, for anyone in the know. I baked a pecan oatmeal pie on 3-14 to celebrate, but the 1 oz of dark molasses was not to Jenny's liking, so I ate more of it than she did. :) I just was not having a great cooking weekend - the pie was too molasses-y and maybe underdone and could have used more oatmeal in my opinion. I made Empanadas on Sunday, but somewhere on the way I either tasted the filling too early or ate too many because I got sick that night. I need to work on my filling recipie, too. I might just do taco meat or cheese next time.

Did I mention I don't like horseradish? I don't. I've got a stack of 5 unwanted Horsey sauce packets from our last trip to Arby's on my desk. Yuck.

Today I'm eating Nissin Chow Mein Orange Chicken Flavor. I almost went for a shrimp tom yum again, and might have liked it more. :P

Variety	date and rating	notes
Nissan Chow Mein Orange Chicken Flavor	3/23/09 - 6/10	I was amazed at the sourness of the smell of this. It is predominantly vinegar with a hint of orange and pineapple. The taste was a bit off, too. There were a few bites toward the end that tasted like I expected and were good. The dried red chilis I appreciate, but I only got some spice out of two bites.

Souper 3-4-09

So today seemed like a good day to eat from the drawer, which is kinda full. I had a hard time deciding between two products from the same company, Nissan. There is the Souper Meal with Improved Flavor Shrimp with Tomato and Garlic, or the Chow Mein with Shrimp. Both have the same number of calories (280 per serving), interestingly enough, and have 2 servings per container. Ultimately I decided on the Souper Meal, as it doesn't stack in the drawer as nicely.

Variety	date and rating	notes
Nissan Souper Meal with Improved Flavor Shrimp with Tomato and Garlic	3-4/09 - 6.9/10	This came with three packets, one of which was on top and is labeled 'finishing touch'. I was surprised how much powder there was in the pouch. It gave the water a cloudy pinkish-yellow color. I started eating before I put in the flavor enhancer, and it was kinda underwhelming. I get the shrimpy flavor but all the other ingredients are kinda dull. I should expect that after the Chicken Souper experience. The flavor enhancer, which I tasted for fun, is just soy sauce and oil as near as I can tell. The whole comes off as more filler food than something really good. The chewy little shrimp are fun, though. Once I got into some of the vegetables it got better. By about half way through I was starting to get a sense that this is supposed to be an Italian inspired flavor. Under the right conditions, Jenny might enjoy this as it is somewhat like her favorite thing from the McGrath's menu. A few highlights from the ingredients: corn syrup, nonfat dry milk, msg, powdered chicken, clam powder, bakers yeast extract, and many chemicals. I was going to give it a 6, but once it cooled down toward the end it got better. Ya know, its always funny to me when there is an ingredient like Corn Syrup which you can't see but comes before one you can like Dried White Onion Flake.

Wednesday 2-11-09

Thought I'd try eating out of the drawer today. Work has been busy - its already 12:42 and I'm just getting to the writing part of lunch.

quick lunch after games 2-2-09

Yup, the Maruchan yakisoba Teriyaki is better than the Nissan Chow Mein beef teriyaki flavor. I didn't eat it while I was playing games at 12 because I don't want to get sauce on the cards. I'm a messy eater, and didn't want to ruin Arne's copy of San Juan.

Drawer restock 12-3-08

We made a trip up to Portland's west side on the Thanksgiving break to go to ZooLights at the Portland Zoo (much less confusing name than Washington Park). We naturally stopped by Uwajimaya, though I wish we could have stayed longer. We were running kinda late. But I saw these awesome DBZ/One Piece crossover candy figures. Correction - there was just one, and it was over $5 so I didn't get it. :(. I did get some more Ramen, and based on the Mama Shrimp Creamy review below I went for more Tom Yum flavors.

SunLee Vermicelli Crab 11-7-08-08

Another drawer lunch, another review. :) I had lunch catered by the cafeteria yesterday because we had a design company visiting for my current project. My box lunch was just a chicken ceasar wrap, but it was missing something and kinda dry. Sudexho does our food service on site and it is not what it was a few years ago. I miss the custom made wraps they had - green tortilla, chicken peanut sauce and whatever veggies sounded good. mmmm.

I have eaten a number of fun things that I haven't written up. The trip through DC/Philly/Lancaster/Baltimore was fun. I still like cheesesteaks, though they weren't as good as I remembered them from last time. I think the consensus was that we liked Gino's slightly more, but they are both so good.

While in Windsor Mills, Amelia and I went to the H-Mart. Almost as good as Uwajimaya. :) They had a much bigger fish market, and a lot more Korean foods. Their candy selection wasn't as good, but we did find a few good things to eat. Amelia got a tube of Lychee gummies that were good, and I got a pack of Kasugai Pineapple Gummys that we all really enjoyed. They taste juicy and are very soft. Fortunately, you can find those at Rice and Spice and most Asian stores, so I won't have to travel to Baltimore for them.

Variety	date and rating	notes
SunLee Vermicelli Crab flavor	11/7/08 - 8/10	Another good pick. The smell was interesting as I added the hot water. A mild crab smell with a hint of chili. The flavorings came in 3 pouches - a seasoning, a chili and a small oil. Also included was this cute little fork. :) A fun surprise, after how hard the shrink wrap was to get off (notice torn lid). The noodles are nice, mung bean and potato starch, and are light and smooth. The first bite tasted much like it smelled, then I got a kick of the chili. Wow, I probably didn't need to add the whole chili pack, but its good. Definitely worth buying again.

Mama creamy shrimp tom yum9-29-08

Dug into the drawer today. I regret slightly not having spent some time on the Uwajimaya noodle aisle on Saturday when we went for the Japanese Festival (Oh how I love fresh Taiyaki). But I still have a few things in the drawer.

Variety	date and rating	notes
Mama Shrimp Creamy Tom Yum Flavour	9/29/08 - 8.5/10	This is good. :) The hot oil in it gives it some lip tingling flavor, and the broth is wonderfully creamy and fished. If you look past the MSG and palm oil, the good ingredients are cream powder, chili powder, garlic, lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, dried leek, shrimp powder. I had a bag of baby cut carrots, and they ended up in the broth. :) Definitely will buy this again.

What I'm watching

Thought it'd be fun to have a snapshot of what I'm currently watching on tv or the internet.

• DirecTivo
• Naruto - fun stories sometimes, especially Shikamaru ones, but the animation quality varies widely
• Bleach - really enjoy this one, good animation and characters, though the start of the Bount storyline could have been better
• Code Geass - Nicely done with some political intrigue. Its fun to see Clamp which is so people-oriented do a giant robot show.
• Moribito - I'm really glad Cartoon Network picked this up. I'm really amazed at the quality of the animation, and the story is pulling me in. I came in on episode 3 and the battle scene was so well done, I just watched it again last night.
• Really looking forward to Star Wars Clone Wars. Took the kids to the movie and they liked it, but it suffered writing-wise. I could tell it was originally written for TV by the way they kept re-stating the plot every 20 minutes or so. (spoiler) And I always figured the reason they hid Luke on Tatooine was that Vader wouldn't set foot on the old planet, so I was surprised Anakin would go there.(/spoiler)
• Online - toonamijetstream.com
• Hikaru no Go - I don't know why I like it so much, as its just about Go, but the characters are good and driven. Fun to have a show about a game like Pokemon or many others that isn't bent on teaching game mechanics or memorizing characters.
• Kiba - good show, just getting going, seems toy-rific.
• Blue Dragon - watched a few episodes, but missed the start. :( I loved DBZ and this looks interesting, but I'm too late into the show to figure out who everyone is.

Mentos roughly equals big tougher jelly bean giant Skittles 9-?-08

Revision to my previous comments. :)

Mentos roughly equals big tougher jelly bean 9-4-08

Yesterday Jenny bought a roll of Mint Mentos because she had never had them. Her observation was that they tasted like gum and got chewy but then you ate them. I had to try one, even though I hate mint. I'd never had any flavor Mentos. I was turned off by the corny ads years ago.
I found the taste like a winterfresh/doublemint kinda flavor, and it did get chewy in the middle until it disolved.
So then today I walked past a desk here at work and someone had a bowl of Gombals (sp?) jelly beans out. They looked a lot like Jelly Belly and were assorted flavors too, but some of the beans were stuck together. But the real reason I mention them is that I realized that a Mentos is really a bigger, harder jelly bean.

I'm just finishing my lunch of Nissan Chow Mein Thai Peanut Flavor. They still hold out at a 9/10 (see earlier review below) even though I put in just a bit too much water.

We just got back from vacation in Logan, UT to visit Jacob, Susan, Rachel, Sam, Brian, and Jenny's Grandma and Blaine. We had a pretty good trip in spite of the thunder storms knocking out power twice.
One of the funny things about the trip was how many hamburgers we ate. It started with us stopping at a Sonic, which Jenny hadn't ever had and I hadn't had since my mission in Texas. It was so good that we stopped again in Brigham City to get drinks and I ended up ordering a burger again. I almost had another from Wendy's when Jacob and Brian did a run but I got a chicken sandwich instead. Then when we went to visit Grandma, Blaine cooked us burgers on the grill and we had super fresh corn on the cob and watermelon. Then on Labor day, as is traditional, Jacob bbq'd us angus burgers over hickory charcoal. Those were so good I ate two. So a total of 5 burgers over a 6 day trip. While they were all good, I think I'm done with beef for a while. :)

Soup and slop 8-27-08

Today's lunch is an interesting mix. I grabbed a packaged Broccoli soup out of the fridge and some leftover 'curried chicken and potato slop' as Jenny called it. On Sunday I wanted to make a curry so I chopped some potatoes and chicken and threw it together with some coconut milk and spices. Pretty good, but the potatoes got cooked much faster than anticipated so it came out like mashed potatoes with stuff in it.

I'm watching Kiba on Toonami Jetstream while I eat. So far I'm enjoying it, and though its a lot like a Pokemon type show, it doesn't seem too toyriffic yet. (for definition of toyriffic, go watch Freakazoid).
Wish I'd caught the beginning of Blue Dragon when it started. It seems good but the earliest episode is 15.

Variety	date and rating	notes
Private Selection Aged Cheddar and Broccoli Soup	8/27/08 - 9/10	Mmm, MUCH better than the Hot and Sour!! I hadn't expected the almost spiciness of the aged cheddar to stand out so much. Really enjoyable. Hmm, ingredients show hot sauce, so I was mistaken about the source of the flavor. I notice a bit of oil separating out around the edges, but it doesn't taste oily, which is good.

tootsie roll 8-13-08

The best flavor of tootsie roll is the Lime. I don't know if there is any other way to get it besides those variety packs. Lemon is ok, but lime is the best. I'm not a huge fan of the chocolate (regular) ones. I like my chocolate to be real milk chocolate instead of chewy taffy.

Eating from the drawer 8-13-08

Today was a rough day, so I didn't grab a lunch at home.

Variety	date and rating	notes
Nissen Chow Mein Spicy Chicken Flavor	8/13/08 - 8/10	Mmm, I needed something spicy for lunch.

Pictures! - 8-6-08

I finally did it. I got my 2mp HP webcam (not as simple as the old Intel PC camera) and took some pictures of the packages I had lying around. I'm inserting them below into the appropriate reviews.

catchup: fried bean curd vs. hot and sour - 8-6-08

Yeah, still don't have the regularity of my updates down. Oh well, I do what I please.

I did get a nice sack of noddles and even porridge from Owajimaya in Beaverton a couple weekends ago, so I have some more material for future posts. They have a great instant noodle aisle and a fun candy section. I wish they were closer.

First up, a while ago I pulled out of my drawer another ramen pack I got from Rice and Spice here in Corvallis. This stuff was good. :) I wish I'd written about it sooner so I'd remember details. I should take pics of the packages, I keep thinking about it. If I use a webcam, the resolution should be nice and small.

Second is the Hot and Sour soup I had today. Not sure if it is so bad because I left it in my backpack all morning (its refrigerated) or if it is just that bad.

Variety	date and rating	notes
Sapporo Ichiban Kitsune Fried Bean Curd	? - 9/10	I really liked this flavor. The fried bean curd had a nice chewy texture and the noodles were thicker than standard ramen. I think the only way it could have been better would be to be served at a little walk up Japanese shop.
Private Selection Hot & Sour Soup	8-6-08 - 3/10	This one did not get many points with me. I have had hot and sour soup before and enjoyed it, but it isnt my favorite and I generally avoid it due to the high fungus content (bleck). Jenny picked this up on sale so I thought I'd try it. It comes from the refrigerated section, so it is a 'higher quality' product than the norm. They definitely packed in the wood ear mushrooms, so I have to give them credit for that even if I don't like them. I found, however, that the smell was awful. Something like warm outhouse or dog food. I can't figure out why. The taste is ok, with a nice spicy aftertaste, but occasionally I get that ick factor from the smell. I'm not sure if I can finish it, but I didn't have breakfast this morning... Yeah, I got through just over half by eating baby carrots. I'm moving on to an oatmeal raisin cookie.

Ramen does not belong on a keyboard - 5-23-08

Oops, I just made package ramen and spilled a mess of the liquid on my keyboard. I was trying to handle the hot container with a microwave pouch on top and I missed setting it down on the edge of my desk. I use an old Goldtouch keyboard at work, one that splits in half and has adjustable angles. Fortunately, it appears to still be working. I'm typing on it now and all I did was tip it up to drain it then ran some paper towels between the keys. This might turn into one of my messiest lunches yet. I wonder if my keyboard will smell...

I spoke too soon, my delete key doesn't work any more :(

I had two other ramen lunches since the last time I updated, so today is a 3 for 1. :)

Variety	date and rating	notes
Nissan Top Ramen, Oriental flavor	5/23/08 - 7/10	This is the stuff I spilled on my keyboard. I cooked it using hot water in a CoolWhip container. I'm eating it with microwave broccoli in butter sauce. I've grown to like the Oriental flavor. I didn't like it as a kid, but know that I know it is a soy sauce/miso like flavor, I find it much better than chicken. In fact, the noodles came from a chicken flavor packet which I threw out and just used the oriental flavoring from another packet. I eventually poured the butter sauce from the broccoli in to the noodles. Tastes so buttery! (ack)
Maruchan Instant Lunch Lime Chili Chicken	? - 8.5/10	I rather like this flavor. Spicy with a bit of lime.
Nissan Souper Meal, Chicken flavor	? - 6/10	I thought it would be worth trying one of these larger bowls, in spite of it containing mushrooms. :P I was disappointed. The main flavor was chicken fat. There wasn't anything better over a regular cup noodles other than size.

Cup 'o - 3-18-08

First up, I had just a little left over from the Bento Oriental Express lunch yesterday. It is my favorite hole in the wall here in Corvallis. I've eaten there whenever I get the chance since my days at OSU, though it is out of the way so I don't go very often. For directions just google "Corvallis Bento". This time, I had soy sauce chicken and sweet and sour spareribs with rice and steamed brocolli and cabbage. Very good.

Since there wasn't much left, I also pulled a noodle cup from my drawer. Don't know why I didn't see it reviewed below, so here is a quick one.

Variety	date and rating	notes
Nissan Cup Noodles Spicy Chile Chicken Flavor	3/18/08 - 8/10	I like food I can make with the hot water from the coffee station. Good with a bit of spice but not much other flavor. Maybe a hint of limyness, but that might be mental because I have Maruchan Lime Chili Chicken cup also in my drawer.

disgusting - 2-11-08

Today for lunch I took some leftover meatball soup (turkey burger with broccoli meatballs in soup with garbanzos, green beans and stewed tomatoes) and some Safeway Pomegranate açai yogurt.
I didn't know what açai was, so I thought it would be interesting to try. The label made it look like some kind of berry.
The yogurt tasted like creamy perfume or paint. IT WAS AWFUL. I'm going to call the 1-877 number on the container and complain. My nose is still paining.
For reference, see Wikipedia.
Oprah's guest described it as "açaí tastes like a vibrant blend of berries and chocolate" which this yogurt did not. :P
UPDATE: Safeway was kind enough to send me a coupon when I called. They didn't even ask what batch number it was, which makes me think they had either gotten a lot of complaints or people just don't like that flavor.

take a big bite - 2-8-08

I found this old picture I took with an Intel PC webcam ages ago. It was a meatloaf sandwich as I recall. :)

not quite ramen day - 1-10-08

Today I had a meeting that ran from 11am to 1pm without a lunch break. I now have an hour before my next meeting at 2, then meetings all to 5. So lunch is whatever is in my drawer. :)
I obviously need to restock, however. I still have a couple cup'o'noodles and a Nissan Chow Mein (reviewed below), but I thought I'd finally try the Cheeseburger Mac sample I got in the mail ages ago.

Variety	date and rating	notes
Hamburger Helper Microwave Singles Cheeseburger Mac	1/10/07 - 6/10	Would have been better if I followed directions :) I didn't have a microwave safe bowl, so I only cooked it for 1.5 minutes before the bowl had a meltdown, so the mac is not even to the 'al dente' stage, so it gets stuck in my teeth. I must be crazy for eating stuff like that. The sauce is good and cheesy though the burger part isn't very noticable.

I also grazed on some Chex 100 calorie pack Strawberry Yogurt leftovers, a third of an old HoneyBar Natural cranberry delite, doritos cool ranch, goldfish and Wheat Thins multigrain. And some candy.

another ramen day - 1-3-08

I've been feeling uninspired for lunch lately, so I dug in my desk drawer and had the Thai Peanut again.

Variety	date and rating	notes
Nissan Chow Mein Thai Peanut	1/3/07 - 9/10	Hotter than I remember, must have gotten more red pepper flakes in this one. My lip is tingling and I'm only half way through. Still good, ate with mandarin oranges. The two servings in container provide 540 cal, 64 percent sodium and 40 percent sat fat.

I also have a couple of the spinach-carrot brownies Jenny made from the cookbook I got her for Christmas. It is the one by Mrs. Seinfeld.
The brownies are... good. I like a fudgy brownie (so does Jenny) that is less cake-like, but these are nice and chocolaty. The seem like they are missing something - chips or caramel or nuts.

New Ramen flavor - 12-11-07

So a couple weeks ago I went by Rice and Spice, a local asian food store in Corvallis, and picked a couple random flavors of Ramen. I went for ones that were under a dollar, because I hadn't warned my wife I was going to be shopping. :) I'll review the other one later, but today I decided to try out the $.49 Tung-I Ramen Noodle.

Variety	date and rating	notes
Tung-I Ramen Noodle Fresh Shrimp Flavor	12-11-07 - 9/10	Comes with two flavor packets, one of which is just oil cooked by dumping noodles in a container and adding 195 degree water from the coffee station MSG appears 3 times in the ingredients. Not sure what the carrot colored cubes are. Surprisingly tasty, almost a lime flavor though there is none in it. Good spice mix. I now have 54% of my RDA of Saturated fat and 68% of sodium.

Maybe I should start scanning the packages from these noodles for reference.

First entry - 11-20-07

So, I thought it would be worth sharing my opinion on whatever crosses my mind.
First up, my notes on ramen. Yes, I still like the classic poor-student food, and eat it voluntarily. I keep several packs in my drawer at work for 'emergency lunches'.

Variety	date and rating	notes
Maruchan Yakisoba Beef Teriyaki	6/14/07 - 8/10 8/21/07 - 8/10 11/19/07 - 8/10	seemed watery but good
Nissan Chow Mein Thai Peanut	6/19/07 - 9/10
Nissan Chow Mein Teriyaki Beef	7/3/07 - 7/10	intested with shitake mushrooms
Nong Shin Bowl Noodle Spicy Chicken	7/19/07 - 5 or 7/10	contains beef, beef fat, egg yolk, MSG, mushrooms, pollock BUT NO CHICKEN
Nissan Chow Mein Chicken	9/11/07 - 7/10	liquid sauce smelled funky, surprisingly blah, but I'd eat it again

Pre-First entry - 1/23/05

Before I started the OpinionBlog, I had a ramblings text file on this web site that I never got around to doing much with. Here is the one entry I haven't duplicated.

1/23/05
Its amazing the number of foods that taste good on a salad.
goldfish crackers
most any vegetable
leftover chicken parmesan
bean dip
salsa
even potato salad tastes good on spinach leaves