So, there’s always a point in time where you just want to…eat.
After your Year 10 yearlies end.
Before tutoring.
At 3 a.m. in the morning away from the windows because you never know what’s going to jump out at you.
Or maybe, you always want to eat.
Either way, there are some foods I always go back to- most of them MIGHT be incredibly unhealthy, but then again, this isn’t a post encouraging dieting- quite the opposite.
So, here are five of the meals in which I find my everlasting comfort.
- Buldak 2X Spicy Chicken Noodles
So, you’d think that eating something that probably will cause you stomach issues afterwards-to say the least-wouldn’t be a comfort food, BUT as a person who LOVES spice and noodles…Buldak is my toxic soulmate. It’s a vicious cycle of pain.
Usually, in the adventurous pursuit of attempting to finish a singular bowl of Buldak noodles, I also consume:
Between three and five glasses of milk
Half a cup of mayonnaise
A whole cucumber
Two cheese slices
Does it taste like the fiery gates of hell? Yes.
Is it worth it? Yes.
Probably.
Substitute: Masala Maggi
2. Carbonara
Who can NOT love cream and pasta and chicken/ham in one heavenly, creamy, artery-threatening masterpiece?
It’s warm.
It’s rich.
It’s comforting in the “I know this will make me sleepy, but I don’t care” way.
Also, carbonara is one of those foods you think will be quick to make until you realise you’ve dirtied six utensils, half the kitchen, and possibly set off the smoke alarm trying to crisp the bacon.
IT’S STILL SO WORTH IT.
Pair it with garlic bread and boom — emotional support meal for life.
3. Chicken and dumplings
Flavourful broth, tender chicken, shrimp dumplings…it makes an amazing dinner meal too!
If you want to be slightly healthier, toss veggies into the broth. If you blend them, you won’t even taste them.
If they ask you to make them from scratch…
I say Costco exists.
4. Fried Chicken
Korean double-fried chicken that’s sticky, crunchy and saucy? Yes PLEASE.
That plus skewers:
Perfect for post-exam depression
Mentally challenging school days
At 1 a.m in the morning
Whether it’s soy, garlic, spicy OR PAIRED WITH EVEN MORE CHILLI CHICKEN AND CHEESE LOADED FRIES WHICH ARE ALSO AMAZING, it just…hugs your soul!
5. Hotpot
Hotpot isn’t just food. It’s an experience. The kind of comfort meal where you sit around a bubbling cauldron of warm goodness like a group of starving witches, arguing about-
Whether the soup is too spicy
Stealing each other’s dumplings
Why the cheese fish tofu keeps disappearing, even though it was you
You secretly forget half the ingredients in your soup until they dissolve into mush, and then when you’re full and warm, you find those ingredients and promptly explode.
So, in conclusion, if you haven’t figured it out already,
At the end of the day, comfort food isn’t really about the calories, the presentation, whether weird combinations are a problem or putting cheese in everything would probably get you kicked out of MasterChef. It’s about those little moments where life feels overwhelming — exams, tutoring, family chaos, 3 a.m. existential crises — and something warm and familiar reminds you that you’ll survive. It could be tongue-numbing spicy noodles, creamy pasta, messy hotpot or a chaotic bowl of whatever-you-found-in-the-fridge- they will always offer a bit of softness, of nostalgia to your life. And honestly? That’s all the comfort we need.
Signing off…