When the munchies attack at midnight, most Singaporeans would go for prata, or whip up some fuss-free instant noodles at home. When we get bored of mee goreng - after ranking six brands here from worst to best - we go for soupy curry mee. It’s more exciting for the palate than, say, plain ol’ chicken or seafood-flavoured noodles. Plus, it’s more wallet-friendly than fancy Japanese and Korean instant noodles, not to mention ubiquitous; almost every instant noodle brand offers its own version of curry mee.

On a recent grocery run at a NTUC FairPrice supermarket, we spotted a product that we’ve never seen before: Tesco Instant Noodle Curry Flavour ($1.65 promotional price for five packets; usual price $2.20). FYI: FairPrice has been carrying a selection of British food retailer Tesco’s products since 2017. But according to its package, the curry-flavoured noodles are made in Malaysia. It seemed exceptionally popular, as the shelf containing the noodle packs was almost empty, with just a few packs left. Being a kiasu Singaporean, we bought a pack to try at home too.

Like other instant noodle brands such as Maggi, Tesco’s curry noodles come with just a simple packet of spicy seasoning (which contains salt, curry powder, chilli powder, sugar spices and MSG), plus the noodles. But we must say the packaging looks a bit more atas than the typical garish instant noodle packs - each packet is wrapped in matte plastic with hipster graphics and fonts.

We had high expectations for this curry mee given its apparent popularity, and it didn’t disappoint. The texture of the wheat flour noodles is more superior compared to its curry mee competitors - each al-dente strand has a bouncy springiness reminiscent of potato starch noodles, and doesn’t go limp even after soaking in the hot soup. The curry broth is also feisty and spicy (add a junky slice of processed cheddar cheese to make the soup thicker, creamier and more shiok). Very nice.

Other than curry, we also spotted two other Tesco instant noodle flavours: Asam Laksa ($1.65 promotional price for five packets) and Chicken. We gave the Chicken flavour a miss, but tried the Asam Laksa flavour and was let down. The packet promised “tangy fish broth”, but our bowl was flatly sour, with barely any other flavour nuances. Give the Asam Laksa flavour a miss, we say, and load up on the Curry one instead.

The instant noodles aren’t stocked at FairPrice’s online supermarket, but you have a better chance of finding ’em at its bigger physical outlets (we got ours at the FairPrice supermarkets at VivoCity and Jem).

Available at selected NTUC FairPrice supermarkets.

PHOTOS: YIP JIEYING