Tangy, toothsome salad makes a good side

Bean startch noodles with chicken and soy sauce

Brand: 7-11

Price: 198 yen

Place of purchase: 7-11 convenience store

Rating:

When it comes to sides for bento boxes and dinners, I sometimes rely on convenience store offerings. This one is labeled in English and Japanese as bean starch noodles with chicken and soy sauce. So what are these bean starch noodles? They're called harusame in Japanese, made from either mung bean or potato starch, and look like noodles. They have a neutral flavor, so they're great for soaking up seasonings. This little dish has steamed chicken, some julienned vegetables, and soy sauce seasoning. It's lightly tangy.

I thought about the "cost performance", the dish's quality versus the cost to make it. I don't think I could make this small quantity in my own kitchen for the same price. When I cost it all out, between the harusame noodles, chicken, julienned omelet, and other assorted ingredients, I couldn't do it for 200 yen. It would only be economical in larger volumes, and I'm a solo weeknight diner. And the flavor and texture are just right - tangy with a pleasant bite. The only thing I regret is that the container has a tear-off plastic film rather than a lid. Lidded containers are more easily reusable in the fridge or for packed lunches.