2008-11-12

Indomie "Mi goreng"

Brand: Indomie
Flavour: Mi goreng
Format: brick-in-packet
Packets: four
Identifiables: noodle brick, soy sauce, onion oil, flavour powder, chili powder
Sodium: 0.84 grams

I mentioned a short time back that Pat McK. sent me a whole boxful of instant noodles. Today, I finally opened up the most well-known and anticipated of those... the "Mi goreng" flavour. The picture on the wrapper shows brownish noodles with a variety of vegetables, a couple prawns, and a fried egg on top... but only the brown noodles are within. Also, be aware that the packaging proudly declares not merely that the dish is halal, but that there are four seasoning sachets within. Consider for a moment the implications of this last part. First, who uses the word "sachet" anymore? Second, four of them? Anybody who's read Watership Down knows that this is the highest number that bunnies can count, so we're really pushing some limits here.

I examined these four sachets. It turns out that they come in grafted Siamese-twin-like pairs. One has the seasoning oil, "minyak bumbu", which is a disturbing blend of pale yellow fluid, murky brown sediment, and little white flakes as one might feed to fish. Next to that is "kecap / soya sauce" which turns out to be the thicker sort, rather like salty chocolate sauce. The shird sachet is called "bumbu sauce", but contains white powder which smelled a bit garlicky. Adjacent to that was the final packet, the chili powder, labelled "cabe". The yellow line art on that is inexplicable; a mutant chef with a small pumpkin for one shoulder snapping invisible fingers at a chili half again his height. I think they're doing a dance number.

I boiled four hundred millilitres of water as directed, all the time wondering who a number was even specified if I'd just have to drain the stuff afterwards anyhow. In a bowl (the instructions say plate, but really, that's absurd) I mixed the full contents of the four sachets – they were, by the way, rather easy to open, even if getting all the sediment out of the seasoning oil packet was troublesome. The noodles cooked in three minutes, and drained easily. I stirred the mess together, snapped a photo, and then thought to myself, "Self, normally we type while eating. Why not simply eat now and type afterwards?" The delightful scent of the oniony ramen had gotten to me, and I could contain my hunger no more!

The noodles are reasonably sturdy, but the best far is the flavour. Oniony, garlicky, and with a fried flavour that I couldn't stop eating. Pat suggested that the previously reviewed Mi goreng might actually have the edge on taste, and I'm inclined to agree, but that doesn't count this one out by any means. The effort to make it is certainly worth it, and I find myself incredibly tempted to open the second packet and make it a large lunch.

Final verdict? If you can't find that other stuff, then stock up on this.

Numbers: packaging 4, preparation 2, heat 3, flavour 5, overall 5
Music: David Byrne - Sounds of True Stories - Freeway Son

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Actually, Mi Goreng from Indomie has been around for a lot longer than Sedaap's Mi Goreng. In fact, it had the monopoly on dry non-frying 'fried noodles' for so long that for years it only had one flavour - "asli" (original). Cpmpetition came and went, but until Sedaap came along, none presented formidable challenge. Sedaap is gaining ground, at least here in Malaysia, which is why Indomie is introducing various new flavours to keep its lead in the market.

So ends the story of two instant mi goreng wars. :-)

Dennis said...

Just made my third package of these. These are the best I've tasted. What is that flavor? Incredible "sachet" flavor. Haha.

Anonymous said...

Haha, there the best huh, go to an Indonesian restaurant or Indonesia then try the food and see if your feet are still on the ground. You will be blown away

Mohammed said...

i have left the min yak bumbu seasoning oil still for 2 weeks , it seemed to have lost its transparency and turned beige.. does it mean its gone bad ? though the expiration date on the packet sais 2015 ...

Unknown said...

I think that's just the oil getting too cool. Mine did this, and I held it in my hand a few minutes, then it cleared right up.

Unknown said...

Best way to deal with the seasoning oil is to freeze it for a few minutes then take out when frozen and cut top off of the side where the seasoning is and then just push it out with your fingers. I eat these all the time and love them, their so easy to cook and you can add pre cooked peas corn and carrots as well as pre cooked chicken, beef, lamb, crab meat as well as pre cooked asparagus,cauliflower,broccoli etc etc etc which makes an easy and filling meal in an instant.

Unknown said...

Worked great.
Thanks

Unknown said...

Don’t mind this ....very cheap and very tasty .

Unknown said...

Suggestion for the Oil, just shake it up and mix it while in the packet before opening.

Von Vonne said...

Just found the Indomie and LOVE that oil!!!

Louisa Ellingham said...

Just found this for the first time after loving all kinds of Asian foods for 50 years! I do love the flavours here and added chopped up gai lan and barbequed pork. Even though I gave up instant noodles a long time ago (heard they were so bad for you!, I think I will stock up on these. In fall and winter will be a great go-to when I don't want to go out!

Unknown said...

Anyone know if you can find bumbuseasonong powder alone? I would love to use it on rice

Unknown said...

I want to know we’re I can buy the Minyak bumbu Seasoning oil from please

Anonymous said...

…. It doesn’t take a blog to google what is in the packages. That being said anyone that knows anything about Asian noodles and the differences between nations knows the “disturbing sachets” are to taste plus the murky one is the least ingredient filled out of any other one in the selection… don’t know why you would take out the ginger as it’s the key taste for this flavour it sits in plain simple oil and the brown is soya sauce with a drop of Worcester sauce lol. All of what makes this an Indonesian dish take that out and you’ve got the Chinese version basically as the other flavours are so similar to Hoison and Siracha that you get in their sweet and spicy soup (the Raman kind found here right beside the Indonesian package. Oh I’m white as can be and not familiar with many things Asian specially noodle dishes as they are al basically the same with slight alterations to the spices used or flavor trying to achieve so if what makes it uniquely Indonesian isn’t for you buy some no name noodles hoisin and sriracha and you’ll have the same thing for a quarter of the cost…