When it comes to Japanese instant noodle giant Nissin, it's easy to get distracted by some of their more eccentric heavy food hitters like 1-meter-long soba noodles or French fries and chicken nuggets Cup Noodle, but they've actually put a focus on nutrition in their instant meals lately, if you can make sense of that.

One example is a new take on their popular Curry Meshi series. Curry Meshi is actually a noodleless product, packing rice and curry together in a cup. Nissin has launched a new version of it, however, called "Kanzen Meshi" (Perfect Rice/Meal), that brands itself as the perfect balance of nutrition in an instant curry cup. Nissin says the curry cup contains 33 nutrients specified by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare that are necessary in a day, as well as a "perfect" balance of carbs, protein, and fat.

Naturally, we just had to try it out!

One difference we noticed was that instead of the usual curry roux, a "Perfect Mystery Powder" was included. We suspect it may be related to the mystery meat packed in Cup Noodle that was revealed a few years ago.

Along with rice, the cup contained meat chunks, potatoes, and carrots.

After pouring in hot water and letting it cook for five minutes, we finally added in the mysterious Perfect Mystery Powder.

And then the "finishing touch" spicy oil also included.

The result? A surprisingly rich and sweet thick curry. The umami of the vegetables was instantly noticeable, and the "European-style" curry packed sweetness from the onions used in the mystery powder but also delivered a lingering spiciness that would satisfy most heat heads.

Maybe nutrition isn't your number one priority when buying instant curry in a cup, but if you're to believe the "perfect balance" said to be packed in Kanzen Meshi, it's definitely worth a try to get a healthy bite!