The Definitive Source For Instant Noodle Reviews Since 2002
Another box from CarJEN Food Sdn Bhd arrived yesterday!
They sent more of their CarJEN Nyonya Curry Laksa and E-Zee Kari as well as a vegetarian curry, vegetarian flavor and a unique one – spinach flavor! Looking forward to reviewing these as part of Meet The Manufacturer! Thank you!
I’m sure your first question might be ‘what is asam pedas’ so let me break it down for you. Pedas means spicy. Asam is tamarind. The two together refer to a dish which is both sour and spicy. Here’s what wikipedia has to say about asam pedas:
Instant noodles are usually served cooked, but there are other methods as well. These are ‘snack noodles,’ which are eaten without any cooking straight from the bag. Although not well known in the United Staes, they indeed are very popular around the world – there are multiples brands and varieties spanning Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan to name a few. Today we’ll look at an individual pack (the picture above is a ten pack). Let’s check out these J.J. Snek Mi from CarJEN!
To start things off, I felt it would be great to try this Mi E-Zee Kari. Kari (curry in english) is one of my favorite flavors since I was a kid. My mom used to make curried chicken liver over rice and it was some seriously delectable stuff. Over the years, I’ve experienced a great many kinds of curry: Japanese curry which is usually sweet, Indian curry, Thai curry and my current favorite, Malaysian curry. Let’s see how this Mi E-Zee Kari measures up!
A very large box of samples arrived today!
Looks to be full of interesting items from Malaysia! Let’s see what CarJEN Food Sdn Bhd sent!
Interview With CarJEN Food Sdn Bhd * Product Samples From CarJEN Food Sdn Bhd * Product Samples From CarJEN Food Sdn Bhd (2) * Mi E-Zee Perisa Kari * J.J. Snek Mi Perisa BBQ * E-mi Mi Perencah Asam Pedas * CarJEN Nyonya Curry Laksa * J.J. Snek Mi Perisa Ayam * Friday Video: CarJEN Food Sdn Bhd Spotlight * Mi E-Zee Plain Noodles Mee Goreng * Mi E-Zee Perisa Bayam * E-mi Mi Perencah Ayam Jagung * Mi E-Zee Perisa Kari Sayuran * Mi E-Zee Perisa Sayuran
Today, we say farewell to the Monde Nissin Meet The Manufacturer! It’s been really neat to try all of these different varieties one right after the other – this is the 15th review! I do up to 15 in a row during an MTM. I thought today would definitely be fitting for something hot and spicy. Why you ask?
Rice vvermicelli isknown by many names in the world; bihun, beehoon, bihon – it’s all the same thing! One thing though – these noodles are made with corn starch! But pancit – let’s see what wikipedia has to say:
Bulalo sounds interesting – a beefy soup. I think I need more info though – here’s what wikipedia had to say:
There are quite a few varieties of these Pancit Canton – and in the past this one’s been my favorite. It’s been quite a while – sounds really good today.
So when I post my reviews on instagram, I use hashtags. I usually try to find ones that are decent, relevant and get the most eyes on the reviews of course, and I then look at the pics others post and like them, in hopes that hey will look and like the ones I have posted or even follow. Pretty basic method of growing a viewer base. Well, I also look at the hashtags that those people use, and I saw an interesting one – #lechon. Wasn’t sure what Lechon was, so I looked at a bunch of people’s pictures and found that it was roast whole pig. I decided to take this to YouTube and have a look. After perusing quite a few, I found this video about how Cebu Lechon is made. I’ve never tried this, but I think I would love to give it a taste someday. Anyways, enjoy and Happy Black Friday!
I think a lot of people will say that Lucky Me! Beef Na Beef is one that they’ve seen many times when visiting an Asian grocery in the USA. Beef, like chicken, is one of those flavors you see about every instant noodle manufacturer out there making. Everyone knows what beef and chicken flavors taste like (well, maybe not everyone – hi vegetarians!). The weather here is quite cold and rainy lately and nice beef flavored broth sounds really good. One thing though; the Philippines isn’t a place known for it’s chilly climate. Would a beef instant translate well for colder places that’s been made there? I think I’ll have to see! Let’s revisit Lucky Me! Beef Na Beef!
Well everyone, today is Thanksgiving! I thought I’d like to thank everyone who visit The Ramen Rater every day – your attention and interest inspires me to continue on in my journey to find the best instant noodles in the world and let you know about them! I wanted to also thank you for buying things using the Amazon links I provide. These aren’t products directly from me, but from people/companies selling them on Amazon, and I get a little something every time one of you uses a link and either buys the item shown or browses and finds something else they’d like. This really helps us out, especially around the holidays. If you’re planning on doing holiday shopping on Amazon, consider something from the Noodle Shop or simply go to the Noodle Shop and click on the Amazon logo. You’ll be helping keep The Ramen Rater running ! Thanks, and Happy Thanksgiving!
Thought this would be one my son would like. He’s been keen on trying new things, and I doubt he’s ever had any Filipino soups before. Sopas is basically chicken soup, but has a Filipino twist to it. Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about Sopas in the Philippines:
Lucky Me! Spicy Beef Mami is a newer product I’m pretty sure. A couple neat things about this one is tyhat they use Labuyo pepper. It’s also known as Bird’s Eye chilli as well a cili padi (chilli paddi) in Indonesia and Malaysia. What’s more, this is another instance of instant noodles being referred to as ‘mami.’ As far as I know, this in a purely Filipino thing; never seen instant noodles called mami anywhere else (although there is a Malaysian company called Mamee, (a play on mee and MAMA) and a Thai brand called MAMA (for the same reason). I thought I’d see what Wikipedia has to say about the various meanings of mami and got this list:
I have tried a few quick spaghetti in the past – from South Korea, Japan and Indonesia, but never from the Philippines! I had a look to see if there’s a particular way in which spaghetti is enjoyed in the Philippines and as it turns out, I found some recipes that included hot dogs. Interesting! Well, let’s have a look at this unique instant variety = Lucky Me! Curly spaghetti!
As you can see, Lucky Me! not only makes packaged instant noodles but cups as well (they also produce bowls). This one is a variety called Supreme Pinoy Chicken. From what I gather, these are supposed to be adobo chicken flavored instant noodles. What’s adobo chicken? Let’s ask Wikipedia:
Pancit Canton is a Filipino favorite whose roots began in China. It is also very much like Mi Goreng, an Indonesian dish. Basically, noodles and cooked, drained, and then combined with a dry powder and oil and sauce combination to create a tasty broth-free dish. These Lucky Me! Pancit Canton come in a variety of flavors, this being their original flavor. I’ll be reviewing more of these during Meet The Manufacturer as well, since it’s such a prominent product of theirs. Let’s check out Lucky Me! original Pancit Canton.
Here’s a documentary dealing with the food culture of the Philippines! I thought it would be very fitting to explore the foods of the Philippines while reviewing foods from a Filipino manufacturer! Happy Friday! More reviews coming tomorrow!
Chicken instant noodles are known the world over. In fact the first instant noodles ever sold were chicken flavored! Seems like chicken is a very accessible flavor for people. I reviewed this one over 3 years ago the first time – let’s see how Chicken na Chicken by Lucky Me! fares this time around!
Macaroni is used in a lot of Filipino cuisine. One I’ve tried in instant form is Sopas, a soup with macaroni in it. The weather here is really quite cold (at least for Washington). It’s gotten down to as low as 26 degrees Fahrenheit the last few nights. This looks like a nice warm stick-to-your-ribsy kind of thing. Let’s check it out!
I’ve always thought La Paz Batchoy sounded interesting, but really never dug in to figure out what it’s all about. Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about it:
It’s been a while since I had any Lucky Me! Pancit Canton. This is a re-review of the 40th instant I ever reviewed! That puts it around 2002 or 2003 being the last time I tried this one. Not only that, it’s been about 1,000 reviews since I had any Pancit Canton. So what’s Pencit? Wikipedia has this to say:
After looking through the neat catalog from the first batch of samples, I asked if they could send a couple more – and they did!
Nothing I love more than to get a notification that a package from a faraway land is on it’s way. Let’s see what’s inside!
Interview With Monde Nissin * Product Samples From Monde Nissin (1) * Product Samples From Monde Nissin (2) * Lucky Me! Instant Pancit Canton (Chow Mein) Chili & Citrus * Lucky Me! La Paz Batchoy Instant Noodle Soup * Lucky Me! Special Baked Mac Style Instant Macaroni * Lucky Me! Chicken Na Chicken Instant Noodles * Friday Video: Food Journey Philippines * Lucky Me! Instant Pancit Canton (Chow Mein) Original Flavor * Lucky Me! Supreme Pinoy Chicken Instant Noodles * Lucky Me! Special Instant Curly Spaghetti With Yummy Red Sauce * Lucky Me! Spicy Beef Mami Instant Noodle Soup * Lucky Me! Special Instant Sopas Chicken Flavor * Lucky Me! Special Instant Noodles Jjamppong Flavor * Lucky Me! Beef Na Beef Instant Noodles * Friday Video: How to Cook Cebu Lechon * Lucky Me! Instant Pancit Canton (Chow Mein) Sweet & Spicy Flavor * Lucky Me! Supreme Bulalo Artificial Bone Marrow Flavor Instant Noodles * Lucky Me! Special Instant Pancit Bihon With Kalamansi * Lucky Me! Instant Pancit Canton (Chow Mein) Extra Hot Chili Flavor
I was a little surprised today to realize that this is the last of the Thai President Foods Meet The Manufacturer! I’ve gotten used to having something ‘tom yum’ almost every day for a couple weeks now. It’s gonna be interesting to going back to the rotation of varieties from my hampers of noodles! Well, let’s check out this one and bid a fond farewell to this Meet The Manufacturer. I still have more varieties they make that I’ve not reviewed yet, so you’ll see them coming along.
Moo Nam Tok – this sounds familiar… It looks like I reviewed a rice vermicelli version a while back. So, what’s Moo Nam Tok? Let’s consult Wikipedia:
Thai Chef is a line by Thai President Foods that’s sold in Germany and the surrounding area. Everything on the pack is in German. Seems that people all over the world are big fans of instant noodles! It still surprises me to find varieties in areas I wouldn’t have expected them. Beer and sausages are what I come to think of when I think of German food choices, but I’m finding out more and more that people around the world are looking east to try new things. Let’s have a look at these noodles!
Here’s another of the Bamee line, one that appears to be for the Northern European market. Bamee looks to mostly be comprised of classic flavors – beef chicken and duck. Chicken seems to be one meat that people in just about every country eats as well as makes in an artificially flavored form such as this. I think a nice relaxing cup of chicken noodles sounds nice. Let’s have a look!
This is one of the easiest to find varieties of MAMA noodles here in the USA. The ubiquitous ‘silver pack.’ What’s different about this one is it’s the 90g Jumbo Pack as opposed to the smaller 60g size. If you’ve been following my recent Thai President Foods reviews, you’ll note that there are lots of Tom Yum variations. Here’s a list with some different ones to note:
Here’s a good one – it’s on The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2014 Edition! Seriously good. One thing that will confuse many is the name – it certainly did confuse me. Yentafo? Mohfai? Tom Yum – that I knew, but the others… Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about yentafo:
When I think tom yum, I think spicy, seafood and citrus flavors. When I think extreme thrown into the mix, I’m guessing that it’s going to be ultra spicy. One thing that Thai varieties tend to have in common is that when they say they’re spicy, they really mean it! Let’;s have a look at this new variety for this year by Thai President Foods’ MAMA brand and see what it’s got.
Mi Goreng! It sounds exotic, but it boils down to fried noodles. This is a rather unique one – I don’t think I’ve heard of a masala chicken dry noodle like this before, but it sounds pretty good! It’s been a while since I’ve had any mi goreng, and my son is here today and wants some so I thought why not. Let’s check it out!
MAMA Shrimp Creamy Tom Yum. This stuff is magnificent. So much so that it was on The Ramen Rater’s top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2013 Edition list. What’s nice is that it’s pretty easily sourced. What’s even nicer, this is the Jumbo Pack! I was told once that the reason this is called ‘shrimp creamy’ instead of ‘creamy shrimp’ is that when you boil shrimp heads, there is a creamy looking effect and that’s what they’re going after here – not something pertaining to a dairy product. Let’s see how this one comes out – it’s is just a bigger version, then it should be even more wondrous fun!
Soon as I saw this one in the box, I was instantly curious. Spicy cheese flavor from Thailand? I didn’t know they liked cheese in Thailand! Ah, well everyone likes cheese I suppose. Spicy cheese is even better in my book – spicy and tasty’s where it’s at. Well, let’s see what we have here inside this fascinating new cup from MAMA!
Before this Meet The Manufacturer, I really hadn’t known that Thai President Foods made so many different lines of instant noodles. I thought they made MAMA and that was about it – I was definitely wrong about that! Here’s another line for export to Europe, Bamee. This one has quite a few languages on it, more than the Thai Chef I reviewed a couple days ago which looked to be more for the German market. Anyways, beef! Beef sounds like a good one for today – it’s cloudy outside and a bit cooler. I’m wishing we could skip fall and go straight to winter – I really like snow and fireplaces and all of that comfy stuff. Summer is great, but it’s been a pretty hot one here. Beef soups are some of my favorites during winter, which is what made me go on that tangent there. Anyways, it’s still summer but time for Bamee beef noodle soup! Let’s go!
I’ve seen Pad Kee Mao on the menu at our local Thai restaurant but never ordered it. Hmmm. What’s wikipedia have to say about it I wonder?
As I mentioned yesterday, I was nominated by my sister to do the ALS ice bucket challenge – it’s the thing everyone is doing these days to bring awareness and donations for people with this debilitating condition. You have to have a bucket of ice dumped on you! Well, I did it with a little help from my pal Jason Warden – the video is at the bottom, so be sure to check it out and also have a look at www.ALSA.org and consider donating to help find a cure!
To start things off, I’m sure you have all heard of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. What it is for those of you who haven’t, is a campaign to increase awareness of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), a motor neuron disease which causes the connections between the mind and muscles to degrade. The challenge involves a person having a ton of icewater dumped on them, and then nominating three people to do the same. Yesterday, my sister nominated me after she was nominated. Usually, you have 24 hours to accept and carry out the challenge. Today, I’m going to be getting a lot of icewater dumped on me! At the bottom of this review will be my sister’s challenge, and tomorrow’s review will feature me getting drenched! If you want to help, please consider donating to ALSA.org.
