Tried and Tested: Daiso Processed Food
I'm always on the lookout for unexpectedly cheap but good food that I can easily whip up for myself at home. So for all of you out there who wants a decent, idiot-proof meal that can be prepared in less than 15 minutes, read on to see the 3 meals I've tried to make with ingredients all from Daiso!
Appetizer - Pumpkin Potage
Preparation
Step 1: Boil water
Step 2: Pour boiled water into the instant soup
Need I say more?
There's really nothing fancy about this instant soup but I did expect the soup texture to be creamy instead of a clear soup base. But for 3 sachets of unimpressive soup at $2, I would say yes to the price but not really to its taste. You could stick to a good ol' can of Campbell soup.
Meal #1 - Cold Soba Noodles
Preparation
Step 1: Boil water
Step 2: Place noodles in boiling water for approximately 4 minutes
Step 3: Sieve out the water and place noodles in a bowl of ice for 5 minutes before removing (you don't want your soba noodles to taste lukewarm)
Step 3: Drizzle some soba sauce on the noodles
*Seaweed not included. For illustration purposes only.
If I had to live on $4 for an entire week (or longer), I would grab this bottle of soba sauce and buckwheat noodles off the shelves of Daiso. As a matter of fact, it was these two items that inspired me to try other Daiso food items! After having these Soba noodles, I am never paying $12 again for a plain bowl of Soba noodles. At least to me, they all taste pretty much the same and make a good supper if you're hungry at 2am and craving for something other than Maggie. A word of warning though, be careful not to pour too much of the soba sauce as it can be quite salty.
Meal #2 - Japanese Curry Rice
Preparation
Rice:
Step 1. Peel off microwave rice packaging slightly along the dotted lines
Step 2: Microwave for 4 minutes
Curry:
Step 1: Boil water
Step 2: Place unopened curry sauce in boiling water and let it sit for 4 minutes
*Eggs not included
Slightly spicy like what was promised on the packaging but nothing too challenging for anyone to handle, the sauce was surprisingly good. The thickness of the curry was just right for me - not too thick or too diluted, and tasted like legitimate Japanese curry. Like every authentic bowl of Japanese curry, it came with potatoes and carrots, and the only thing that was missing missing is a nice, crispy piece of Katsu.
I didn't have high expectations for the rice. After all, it is microwaved rice from Daiso. But I'm glad to say that the rice lived up to some expectations! It was a bit too moist but soft and still passable. In fact, it may even be better than the rice the "Cai Png" auntie at the coffee shop under your block serves which I often find too dry and hard.
Meal #3 - Mentaiko Sauce Pasta
Preparation
Pasta:
Step 1: Boil water
Step 2: Place pasta in boiling water for about 4 minutes, or until you get the right texture
Mentaiko Sauce:
Step 1: Boil water
Step 2: Place unopened pasta sauce packet into boiling water and let it sit for 4 minutes
I really did try my best to make this dish look appetising. But like what they say in Korea, you need a decent face to begin with for plastic surgery to work. The same goes for this mentaiko sauce pasta, and it tastes just like how it looks - pretty bad.
The sauce was too chunky and thick, and what was supposed to taste like mentaiko was replaced with a weird combination of an odd and creamy texture. I guess they're right when they say that you get what you pay for especially when it comes to anything that contains seafood. You're better off spending a few extra bucks at a proper Japanese restaurant.
---
This might come in handy on days when you're just too lazy to get out of your house to have a proper meal - but a piece of advice, don't overdo it and get some real food. Don't blame me if your hair starts to fall out and your metabolism deteriorates from all that excessive levels of fatty acids and artificial seasoning. Just kidding.
If you're craving for Japanese snacks instead, read our take on the best Daiso snacks here.
- Nat.
If you're not too lazy to get out of your house for some proper meals, check out our Telegram Channel for food promotions around Singapore every day and you might just score yourself a proper meal at Daiso prices! We've also recently opened up our secret Kiasu Foodies Community on Facebook for foodies everywhere to discuss about food promotions and the hottest events in Singapore.
Comments