Apparently Cafe Steamers came out with an entire line of Asian inspired flavors. Maybe it's because I tend to buy 4-packs of my favorite flavors from Sam's Club, but I had no idea that there were so many new flavors. I've been a fan of these steamy frozen dinners way before I started Sometimes Foodie, and I have been consistently buying them over the years, but I have kind of stuck to the flavors I have known and loved.
While searching for those elusive Fruit Punch Oreos, I decided to pick up two new flavors to review this week.
If you look at my older photos, you can see that the Cafe Steamer branding has completely changes. Before, the design focused on clean white backgrounds and fancy plating, similar to food you would receive at a restaurant. The logos were crisp, there was no texture, and the box looked a bit sterile. Admittedly, my food photography tends to lean towards the clean and sterile side, but actually like textures and bright colors. To me, this new packaging design really makes the brand look a lot more inviting and appealing. Other than the design, nothing else has changed. The meals are still packaged inside a plastic bowl and sieve, which is quite interesting, but it does make for a lot of waste. I put my bowls out in the recycling, and I hope the rest of you do too, otherwise these things can pile of in the trash pretty quick.
The directions are incredibly easy, all you have to do is remove the cardboard sleeve and place everything in a microwave for four minutes. Once it's done, you peel off the plastic sheet, pour the steamed contents of the sieve into the lower bowl, mix, and eat.
This specific flavor has a nice and spicy aroma while it cooked, but the scent didn't really remind me of General Tso's. Once everything was combined I took a taste, and I wasn't impressed. The sauce was sweet and spicy, but other than the heat, there wasn't much flavor. As for the veggies and rice, they were steamed pretty nicely for being cooked in a microwave, but all of the flavoring replies on the sauce, and it just didn't work for me.
I really love these meals, because they are so convenient, but the flavors can be hit or miss. While this one wasn't truly a "miss," it was pretty bland and disappointing.
I ate the entire thing for dinner, and found the portion size to be really filling, but the flavoring just wasn't there. I wanted something a bit bolder, and this just didn't deliver. I don't think I'll be buying this flavor again, but it doesn't deter me from wanting to try the rest of the Asian line-up.
© Maria Smith http://poison-and-antidote.net
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