You might not want this stuff to be the first TJ's food in baby's mouth. Number one, I'm not sure infants are supposed to eat semi-spicy, highly-salty, instant-type noodles. But since Sonia and I don't have a kid yet, there's absolutely no way to be sure. Number two, they're really not that good.
Sonia preferred the Satay. I preferred the Pad Thai. Make no mistake, this stuff is not nearly as disgusting as Trader Joe's Satay Peanut Sauce. That stuff tasted rancid. This stuff just tasted...not that good.
Both dishes were void of texture, except for some very cheap noodles in a slimy sauce. They weren't rubbery, which in my opinion, would be the worst-case scenario. They weren't tough. They were just there. There was no meat. There were no vegetables. No crispy ricey things. Just noodles. And sauce. We both decided they needed a little something. So we added the only other thing we had in our freezer: Lean Cuisine Fajita Spring Rolls, which by the way, they do not sell at Trader Joe's.
And some people say we're not real foodies.
On the right is displayed the nutrition info for the Pad Thai. Let it be noted that I was not able to display the nutrition info for the Peanut Satay opposite the Pad Thai because Blogger is being difficult right now. But I'll go ahead and tell you that there are somewhat fewer calories in the Peanut Satay. If anything, that's evidence to support my case: more calories = more deliciousness if you ask me...the Pad Thai is slightly better. Sonia's tastebuds must not be functioning correctly.
At any rate, she gives the Pad Thai 2.5 stars. And 3 to the Peanut Satay.
I give 3 stars to the Pad Thai. And 2.5 stars to the Peanut Satay. At $2 per box, I guess you get what you pay for.
Trader Ming's Pad Thai Noodles. Bottom line: 5.5 out of 10 stars.
Trader Ming's Peanut Satay Noodles. Bottom line: 5.5 out of 10 stars.
Thanks for all the great reviews 15G of fat would stop me from buying - glad to know I am not missing anything.
ReplyDeleteLove your site.
Ellen
Thank you Ellen! :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a disappointment! I'm always on the search for delicious store-bought pad thai, but haven't run across it yet! What's baby girl's name?
ReplyDeleteHi Emily, no offense but we're preferring to keep her name, etc, at this point. Everyone is doing great though! Can't wait until she can help with our blog :)
DeleteI think I missed the word "private" in there somewhere :)
DeleteI agree, I ate these before I read this review and they are horrible.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your review. I bought two of the Trader Joe's peanut satay to have for emergency lunches (you know, those days where you can't get your act together and grab a packaged lunch) and it is "meh" at best. Wish I had seen your blog entry before I bought these!
ReplyDeletePhew, these are a most unique combination of nasty and weird tasting! I bought the Satay because of the price, and the noodles are a gummy, strange texture, and the sauce has an aftertaste I just can't put my finger on. There's cheap, and then there's "leave it on the shelf."
ReplyDeleteOk, I just made an attempt at eating these. It smelled alright before I cooked it, but after it was done, I took one bite and threw it straight in the trash. I've never tasted something so nasty in my life. I had the Kung pao ones. I should have listened to you guys. How did they even get a rancid tasting flavor in the sauce? I expect certain things from TJs, but not these.
ReplyDeleteI had the Kung Pao version last night... and like the previous commentator, it went straight in the trash. I should've known right away, as the sauce smelled TERRIBLE before microwaving and shockingly, the microwave did nothing to fix that. It was one of the most disgusting things I've ever eaten. How is this product on the shelves?
ReplyDeleteVERY BAD.
ReplyDeleteI liked it. It just needed more, so it served as a good base. Certainly not the same as one made at home or restaurant.
ReplyDeletedisgustin' , not even worthy as a base to improve on
ReplyDeletewell, I like them :D
ReplyDeleteBarf. I threw the Kung Pao one out after two bites.
ReplyDeleteThe peanut satay:
Used 1/3 of the sauce
Tossed the meal in a pan where I'd just browned some chicken breast
Added the cubed chicken breast to the noodles
Fresh cilantro
Fresh green onions
Added delicious Spanish style peanuts
A little peanut oil
Finished it with a lime wedge
IT WAS STILL BAD
The noodles remind me of those miracle noodles made of seaweed. Bouncy and gummy. The sauce smelled bad. Vinegar and sugar and nastiness. I don't understand trader joes right now. What happened. Barf barf barf.
Oh also the Kung Pao smelled like the time my husband got bad takeout Chinese and brought the leftovers home but left them in his car all weekend by accident. Not kidding. It smelled so bad I had to wrap it in plastic and take it out to the trash can on the curb.
ReplyDeleteThe kung Pao is too vinegary but I actually love the peanut noodles for a quick lunch.
ReplyDeleteI made the mistake of eating this before reading any reviews. I had the Pad Thai and it was gross. I am not a picky eater, BTW. 5.5 out of 10 is too generous of a score. I threw it out after only two bites, one with and one without Sriracha.
ReplyDeleteI have a cast iron stomach & hv been to Bangkok countless times without ever getting sick eating at street stalls.
ReplyDeleteTrader Joe's Satay made me mildly ill but I strugged it off. This weekend I ate the Pad Thai which had no expiration date on it (isn't that required now?) but I found the receipt & had bought it 10 weeks ago.
I fixed it, ate about half & thought it was truly disgusting. Within 2 hours I was going at "both ends" & that kept up for almost 36 hours.
Trader Joe owes me two double rolls of toilet paper.
It was disgusting & unlike any Pad Thai I've ever eaten in Thailand or the USA.
I have a cast iron stomach & hv been to Bangkok countless times without ever getting sick eating at street stalls.
ReplyDeleteTrader Joe's Satay made me mildly ill but I strugged it off. This weekend I ate the Pad Thai which had no expiration date on it (isn't that required now?) but I found the receipt & had bought it 10 weeks ago.
I fixed it, ate about half & thought it was truly disgusting. Within 2 hours I was going at "both ends" & that kept up for almost 36 hours.
Trader Joe owes me two double rolls of toilet paper.
It was disgusting & unlike any Pad Thai I've ever eaten in Thailand or the USA.
I have a cast iron stomach & hv been to Bangkok countless times without ever getting sick eating at street stalls.
ReplyDeleteTrader Joe's Satay made me mildly ill but I strugged it off. This weekend I ate the Pad Thai which had no expiration date on it (isn't that required now?) but I found the receipt & had bought it 10 weeks ago.
I fixed it, ate about half & thought it was truly disgusting. Within 2 hours I was going at "both ends" & that kept up for almost 36 hours.
Trader Joe owes me two double rolls of toilet paper.
It was disgusting & unlike any Pad Thai I've ever eaten in Thailand or the USA.
Damn. I wish they still had these things.
ReplyDelete