Lawson and Famima "Frozen Shirunashi Tantanmen" Comparison

Convenience store companies offer original frozen foods. Even if they are the same type of food, they often have their own unique characteristics when compared.

This time, we focused on the frozen "soup-less tantanmen. 7-ELEVEN did not carry it, so we compared two companies, Lawson and Famima.


The product information is as follows.

Lawson Shirunashi Tantanmen

Product name: Shirunashi Tantanmen
Price: 248 yen (tax included)
Contents: 350g (12.35oz)
Calories: 589 kcal

Famima Mochi Tappan Noodle without Soup

Product name: Mochi Tappan Noodle without Soup
Price: 248 yen (tax included)
Content: 350g (12.35oz)
Calories: 557 kcal


Price and content are the same. The same spiciness can be adjusted by adding "huajiaoyang chili pepper" as an optional garnish. To cook, place the inner bag on a heatproof plate and microwave for 7 minutes at 500W or 6 minutes at 600W.


The inner bag containing the noodles taken out of the package has the same design too. The bag with the optional seasoning is also almost the same design, although the color is different. When I checked, I found that both were manufactured by Nissin Foods.




It is not unusual for convenience store PB products to be manufactured by the same manufacturer...but never before have the contents looked so much the same. The price and content are almost the same, as are the ingredients. While Lawson's labeling says "pork extract," Famima's says "yeast extract," and so on, but the differences can be found if you look for them. On the other hand, what is the reason why Lawson's has 32 kcal more than Famima's? Is it the ratio of noodles to ingredients?

Lawson and Famima Frozen Ramen Noodle Eating Comparison

When we actually ate them, we could not tell the difference. They are so similar that it is safe to say they are almost identical. The noodles are wide and thick and chunky, with a thick, sweet and spicy tangy sauce with the aroma of sesame seeds. The ingredients include minced pork, green qinggengcai (Chinese cabbage), green onion, and boiled bamboo shoots, with the crunchy texture of bamboo shoots adding a refreshing accent.



As I expected, I wondered if the pepper with huajia chili, which is served separately, would give it more character. I thought so, but it was the same thing. The Famima's was slightly brighter red and the Lawson's was closer to brown, but both had the same gorgeous flavor and spiciness of the huajiaoyao when I tasted them.



...No difference means, in other words, no superiority. Both are delicious and, considering that they are priced at 250 yen, are considered to be quite cost-effective. If you have a craving for soup-less tantanmen, please visit either Lawson or Famima stores that are easily accessible.