It's hard to believe that the first Cup Noodle Fusion series was over a year ago! Nissin released them in 2021 to celebrate 50 years of the Cup Noodle. I didn't think they'd bring it back...
But here we are, with a bunch of all-new combinations to slurp. I tried 2 flavours last time:
Part 1: Cheese Curry x Chili Tomato
My first pick from series 2 ended up being a remix of those picks: Cheese Curry x Miso.
Chee-so curry isn't a new invention by any means. Miso curry is pretty common around here, and if you've ever ordered one with cheese then you already know exactly what this Cup Noodle tastes like.
It isn't a ground-breaker. It isn't even that weird. It just works.
Again, I'm a fan of these half-and-half cup designs. Looking back at last year, they're essentially the same, so yeah. Nissin's removed the '50th' anniversary text from the fusion logo and added 'series 2' instead. This actually gives me hope that it'll come back for series 3 next year... although what the hell they'll pair up for it is anyone's guess.
Last year's Cheese Curry fusion pot came with the usual packet of cheese powder. This one didn't. And that was a disappointment, not gonna lie.
Look! Nothing! How dare Nissin deprive me of more cheese with my curry noodles. Sometimes that's the best part! (yep, that's my pro tip for this post: if you're eating a curry and it isn't that great, shove a load of cheese in it. Instant food mood booster.)
At least there are cheese cubes hiding under the lid. Along with some bits of corn, other freeze-dried veggies, some Cup Noodle mystery meat, and a lot of powder.
The scent of this powder mix was amazing. Super rich, and full of umami.
I've stopped taking pics of what Cup Noodles look like when they're ready to eat, because they all end up looking the same... they don't taste the same, though, and that's what you're here to find out about.
It tasted like... drum roll, please... a miso curry. I don't think that should surprise anyone. It's good that the curry flavour was much more noticeable, compared to last year when the Chili Tomato completely overpowered it. Maybe Nissin is reading my posts...
The hot water essentially turned into miso soup. Again, not complaining.
I enjoyed this combo, a lot. Recreating it with 2 cups is going to be a pain in the butt yet again, but seeing as Cup Noodle's latest Quest prize campaign requires eating as many as possible... I may well have no choice.
Verdict: 9/10. A natural pairing. Another one that's going to be sorely missed when this campaign ends.