Interview With Red Chef * Product Samples From Red Chef (1 of 2) * Product Samples From Red Chef (2 of 2) * Red Chef Spicy Sakura Prawn Soup Noodles * Red Chef Green Tom Yum Soup Noodles* Red Chef Pandan White Curry Noodles * Red Chef Sesame Clear Soup Noodles
I noticed this brand on Instagram a few months back and they had some neat looking flavors. I thought ‘hey – I want to check those out!’ An email was sent and boom – here we are! To start things off, I conducted an interview with Red Chef’s Executive Director Annie Tang to learn more about the company and their products.
Meet The Manufacturer: Interview With Red Chef – Malaysia
THE RAMEN RATER> Thank you for agreeing to this interview! To start, can you tell my readers about the history of Red Chef?
RED CHEF> A few talented and experienced individuals who has under their belt created products that gained recognition and fame in the market, came out on their own to create this new brand Red Chef and its various delicious products.
TRR> Why the name Red Chef?
RED CHEF> “Red” is associated with passion which forms our identity and love for food which shows in our products which uses only quality and fresh ingredients while carefully preserving these amazing flavors throughout production to each and every delicious bite! That’s love in a bite!
“Chef” symbolizes culinary experts and we aim to portray “Red Chef” Brand to be a brand that elevates the traditional Asian food to a whole new level in the most convenient form, accessible to anyone and anywhere.
TRR> Can you tell us about the varieties of noodles you make?
RED CHEF> The first is the Green Tom Yum Noodles that brings in the unique flavors of the kaffir lime leaves and mix in with our unique formulation that gives you that instant distinctive Tom Yum sour taste followed by a full body of flavor that ends with a tingly spiciness at the end. We name this product Green Tom Yum because the soup itself is naturally green with the use of natural green ingredients such as green chillis, lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, lime and etc.
The second is our Pandan White Curry Noodles which we have elevated using the ever so popular Asian plant called Pandan aka Screwpine. Pandan is a herbaceous plant that grows in southeast Asia and is often used to flavour desserts, drinks and in some cases it’s also ground into a paste and used in savoury dishes to flavour rice or wrap up food. It adds an additional depth of flavors and its aromatic fragrance tantalized your tastebuds even before tasting it thus making it a more delicious experience.
The third will be our Sakura Prawn Noodles which we have selectively picked the famous Sakura Prawns for its distinct and satisfying flavor and its strong aroma that screams delicious prawn noodle. This is achieved through a special cooking processes that preserves the tasty essence of the freshness of the prawns.
The foUrth is our Sesame Clear Soup Noodle which we have added roasted sesame and garlic infused oil to add that burst of flavors. You may also experience the crunchy fragrant fried garlic bits that keep you wanting more to the last drop.
Using these fresh natural ingredients allow us to bring out all of the flavors unique to each component. Many don’t know that a lot of flavors are lost during the cooking process thus our team took it an extra mile further to ensure that everything is preserved as nature intended.
Thus reflecting our passion for the love of food in every bite our customers take.
TRR> You’re a new company – why was it important to you to start up?
RED CHEF> Our team wanted to push ourselves further than ever before in this industry something that we couldn’t do so before.
Many focus on the product while we want to also focus on the consumer experience hence from the first impression of the beautiful and elegant packaging right off the shelf, to its minimalist design to keep your attention on the delicious images, down to the fragrance and into each mouth watering bite.
It’s definitely a risk to do so but we believe so passionately about and just can’t help wanting to share our love of food to the world.
TRR> Your company is located in the Malaysia Can you tell us a little about your locale?
RED CHEF> We are located on the mainland of Penang, the foodie capital of Malaysia. Food inspiration is everywhere and it’s one of the reasons why it drives and fuel our passion to push the envelop further to find better ways to make food more delicious while making it nutritious as well.
TRR> How does your noodle making process differ from other instant noodle manufacturers?
RED CHEF> Currently we are focus in our strengths and passion in creating unique pastes while noodle making process we are teaming up with one of the best in the industry to provide that.
TRR> Do you make your own pastes?
RED CHEF> Yes we do. We have our own well experienced R&D team that looks into every minute detail from aroma, texture, flavor profiles and also its nutritional benefits.
Our production follows the principle Taste of “Kochabi” (The Taste of the olden days) with a modern twist.
Using traditional and proven cooking methods into modern machineries for mass production allows us to preserve the best of each ingredients throughout the cooking processes while maintaining its Aroma and Taste.
TRR> How do you decide on what varieties to produce?
RED CHEF> The varieties we produce very much depend on the nature and availability of raw materials. While we decide on which varieties to produce taking into considerations the consistency of the supply and taste of each ingredients as well as the life span.
Besides, we also consistently think of new ways to overcome the challenges of handling the ingredients to ensure only the best goes to Red Chef products.
TRR> How many noodle products do you produce every year?
RED CHEF> We started with 4 flavors in our Packet Noodle Series and the Bowl and Cup Noodle series will be in the pipeline. We aim to launch our Bowl Noodles in the third quarter this year and Cup Noodles next year.
TRR> Apart from noodles, are there other products you produce or plan to produce?
RED CHEF> Since our core manufacturing strength is producing instant cooking paste, we will be producing instant cooking pastes in consumer pack and Food Service pack to widen our range of products.
TRR> Can you suggest pairings for your products, like meats, seafood or vegetables?
RED CHEF> In today’s modern world, it’s all about personalization. The flavors is amazing on its own but easily personalized to individual taste preferences that will further enhance the experience and satisfaction.
However, we do kindly suggest to our consumers to cook the additional ingredients separately and top up later especially if one doesn’t plan to alter the original flavor of the soup.
TRR> A lot of people are concerned with their sodium intake. How would you recommend people enjoy your product as part of a healthy meal?
RED CHEF> We have formulated the paste to use the least amount of sodium in each product. For those who are concern about the sodium intake may opt to reduce the seasoning they add on. By doing that, they are still able to enjoy the essence of the natural herbs and spices (with high nutritious value) from the pastes while reducing sodium intake.
TRR> Are you involved in in your local community or participate in charities?
RED CHEF> As we are still new in the market, we are not yet active in any community based activities but that is definitely part of our agenda in the near future.
TRR> Are there any new products coming soon?
RED CHEF> Yes, as we launch this first Noodle Series of 4 flavors, our R & D is still busy with new series of products which we will reveal from time to time.
TRR> In what countries are your products available?
RED CHEF> Red Chef products are currently available in Malaysia and we are still seeking export opportunities giving everyone an opportunity to taste the flavors of Asia. Back in our home base, we are teaming up with Yee Lee Trading, a strong FMCG company with well-established sales and distribution network as well as logistics services throughout the country. This company has been a successful distributor in Malaysia for some world famous brands including Campbell and Red Bull.
TRR> When you make noodles for yourself, what do you like to add to them to make them extra special?
RED CHEF> Green Tom Yum Noodle – This flavor with seafood especially prawns and squids, due to its sour taste and I do not suggest to go with any poultry.
Pandan White Curry Noodle – A few versions and combinations
a. The original version is shown in the packaged by adding prawns, fried bean curd, cuttlefish, cockles and long beans.
b. The “anything from the freezer” version – fried fishballs, meatballs or anything that is left over from your freezer
c. The meat version – goes really well with pork slices
Sakura Prawn Noodles – I usually like to stir fry some shrimps (small ones) with the paste before I cook the noodles, it goes well with boiled egg too especially when the egg yolk combines into the prawn soup.
Sesame Clear Soup Noodle – I enjoy this flavor with minced pork meat balls(seasoned with salt and pepper), fish ball and chicken slices.
THE RAMEN RATER> Thank you very much for this opportunity to learn about Red Chef and your products!
Thasnk you very much! Alright – let’s check out samples and start Meet The Manufacturer!
