Tag Archives: original

#2939: Tapatio Ramen Noodle Soup Original Flavor

Hey look at this! A Tapatio instant noodle! I’ve seen people douse their instant noodles in this stuff for years on Instagram. Here’s a little about it from Wikipedia –

Tapatío is a hot sauce, produced in Vernon, California, that can be found at many supermarkets, pharmacies, and liquor stores in the United States.

“Tapatío” is the name given to people from Guadalajara, Jalisco: the company’s founders come from Guadalajara. It is exported to Mexico, Canada, Central America, Australia, and elsewhere.

The ingredients, as listed on the product label, are water, red peppers, salt, spices, garlic, acetic acid, xanthan gum and sodium benzoate as a preservative. Tapatío comes in five sizes: 5, 10, and 32 fluid ounces, and 1 gallon (3.785 liters), as well as in 7-gram packets. The sauce overall has a Scoville rating of 3,000, hotter than Sriracha.^[1]

The product slogan is “Es una salsa … Muy salsa” (very saucy”).

The Tapatío Hot Sauce company was started in 1971 by Jose-Luis Saavedra, Sr., in a 750-square-foot (70 m²) warehouse in Maywood, California.^[6] In 1985, the company moved to a 8,500-square-foot (790 m²) facility in Vernon, California, 5 miles (8.0 km) from Downtown Los Angeles. Although larger than the first location, the new factory had a single loading dock and limited storage space, which created a new series of problems for the company. After a long search, a site was found for a developer to custom-build a new 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m²) facility, which Tapatío presently occupies. The new factory has several loading docks and automated production.

Hey cool – let’s give this one a try!

Tapatio Ramen Noodle Soup Original Flavor – United States

Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Looks to be meaty free but check for yourself. To prepare, add in sachet contents and add boiling water to fill line. Cover for 3 minutes. Finally, stir and enjoy!

Detail of the lid (click to enlarge).

The noodle block.

Loose bits from the bowl.

The soup base sachet.

A lot of colorful powder.

Finished (click to enlarge). Added fried egg, cheddar cheese, cilantro and fried jalapeno. The noodles are thin and light – and of a good quality and pretty large quantity. The broth is a tangy and spicy one, with definite notes of Tapatio. Pretty good! 4.5 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 780707102114.

Tapatio Ramen Noodle Soup Big Bowl 105g , Original (Bulk Case of 6)

Hey! Watch me cook the beef variety on Instant Noodle Recipe Time!

#2908: Best Wok Mi Goreng Original Instant Noodles

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Here’s one I got sent by a company called Suprama – they also make the World O Noodle line. Mi Goreng sounded good today – let’s hit it!

Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, add noodle block to a pot of water and cook 2~3 minutes. Drain. Add in sachet contents. Stir and enjoy!

The noodle block.

A dual sachet (it’s folded over.

A light powder.

Fried onion garnish.

A trio of connected sachets.

Sweet soy sauce.

A spicy chilli sauce.

Seasoned oil.

Finished (click to enlarge). Added tomato, coriander and fried egg. The noodles were just right – good gauge and mouthfeel. The flavor was really great too – sweet with a tick of spiciness and saltiness. The included fried onion was perfect! 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 8991688890620.

A Brief History of Indonesia: Sultans, Spices, and Tsunamis: The Incredible Story of Southeast Asia’s Largest Nation

Kids get to visit the Suprama noodle company in Indonesia!

Meet The Manufacturer: #2447: KOKA Signature Stir-Fry Original Flavor Instant Noodles

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Today we have stir-fry noodles. Curious about what these are going to be like – sweet? Spicy? Salty? I do like stir-fry, however it’s like a sandwich. You can put all kinds of things in a sandwich. But a grilled cheese is a long way from a Monte Cristo. Singaporean stir-fry noodles sound good though – let’s have a look!

KOKA Signature Stir-Fry Original Flavor Instant Noodles – Singapore

Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, add noodle block to a pot of boiling water and cook 2 minutes. Drain. Add in sachet contents. Finally, stir and enjoy!

The noodle block.

A dual sachet.

A light powder.

Oil.

Finished (click to enlarge). Added chopped coriander, fried onion and Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts. The noodles came out nicely in two minutes and were definitely adequately done. The flavor was very sweet and a little salty. 3.0 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 8888056813131.

Koka, Instant Noodles, Stir-Fry Original Flavour, Mi Goreng, 85 g (Pack of 5)

A great TV commercial for KOKA noodles.

Meet The Manufacturer: Interview With Tat Hui Foods Pte. Ltd.

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Meet The Manufacturer: Interview With Tat Hui Foods Pte. Ltd.

Interview With Tat Hui * Product Samples From Tat Hui 1 * Product Samples From Tat Hui 2 * KOKA Signature Chicken Flavor Instant Noodles * KOKA Silk Spicy Marinara Instant Rice Fettuccine * KOKA Delight Laksa Singapura Flavor Instant Non-Fried Noodles * KOKA Creamy Soup With Crushed Noodles Curry Flavor * KOKA Signature Stir-Fry Original Flavor Instant Noodles * KOKA Seafood Flavor Instant Noodles * KOKA Delight Tomato Flavor Instant Non-Fried Noodles * KOKA Purple Wheat Noodles Chili & Lime Flavor * KOKA Delight Spicy Black Pepper Flavor Instant Non-Fried Noodles * KOKA Signature Laksa Singapura Flavor Instant Noodles * KOKA Delight Spicy Sesame Instant Non-Fried Noodles * KOKA Silk Beef Pho Flavor Instant Rice Fettuccine * KOKA Creamy Soup With Crushed Noodles Sweet Corn Flavor * KOKA Signature Spicy Singapore Fried Noodles Instant Noodles * KOKA Instant Noodles Chicken Satay Flavour

I found the KOKA products on Instagram recently and thought hey – it’s the 15th anniversary of The Ramen Rater, I thought I should try and reach out and see if they’d like to do a Meet The Manufacturer. They did a while back – they were the first company to do one actually! Back then, I reviewed export versions available in the United States. This time around, they’re varieties sold in Singapore. I had the chance to interview the Marketing Team of Tat Hui Foods Pte. Ltd.

Interview With Tat Hui Foods Pte. Ltd. – Singapore

THE RAMEN RATER> Thank you for taking part in Meet The Manufacturer! To start the interview, can you tell me about the history and founding of Tat Hui?

TAT HUI> The founder of Tat Hui Foods Pte Ltd, Mr Lim Hi Lay laid the first foundations to
KOKA in 1985. He was eager to share the rich culture and unique character of
Singaporean cuisine with the rest of the world through his humble instant noodles. Our
products were first introduced to Asian grocery markets in the US, Europe, and Australia,
followed by mainstream market exposure in Europe and the Middle East.

TRR> What was the first product you manufactured?

TAT HUI> KOKA Original Instant Noodles. This is the range that continues to be the most popular amongst overseas markets.

TRR> Your headquarters are in Singapore. What is life like there?

TAT HUI> The air-conditioning is constantly on in our office, given the heat and humidity in
Singapore. In this office, you’ll find a considerable proportion of employees who’ve been with us throughout the years, the old guard if you will, working with new blood to
constantly keep up with the ever-changing needs of consumers today.

TRR> Can you tell us about the different varieties of noodles you make?

TAT HUI> We have six different ranges available: Original, Signature (No MSG), Delight (Nonfried, No MSG), Silk (Rice Noodles), Purple Wheat and Creamy Soup.

TRR> How many noodle products do you produce every year?

TAT HUI> On average, we produce around 320 million packs every year.

TRR> Do you make varieties suitable for Vegetarians? Vegans?

TAT HUI> Yes, we do have noodles suitable for Vegetarians and Vegans. If you’re interested in a particular flavor, just refer to the packaging or visit our website:
http://www.kokanoodles.com/ to confirm that it is appropriate for vegetarians/vegans.

TRR> Why the name Tat Hui?

TAT HUI> Tat Hui is derived from the company’s name in mandarin : 达辉 which can be translated as ‘to achieve brilliance’.

TRR> Why the name KOKA?

TAT HUI> KOKA is derived from our brand name in mandarin (可口, meaning delicious); it is a
play on the phonetic pronunciation in mandarin – which is pronounced something like
kuh-kouw.

TRR> Many of your products are non-fried. How are they produced then?

TAT HUI> Our non-fried noodles go through a steaming and baking process instead of the
conventional way of deep frying the noodle cakes. This enables us to provide consumers
with an alternative which is much lower in fat content.

TRR> What kind of noodles do you use in your products? What are the differences between
them?

TAT HUI> We have traditional instant noodles, wholegrain noodles, purple wheat noodles and rice noodles.

TRR> What are the benefits of the purple noodles you produce?

TAT HUI> In addition to being lower in fat, KOKA Purple Wheat Noodles provide 3 times more
antioxidants than red grapes. These antioxidants are known as anthocyanins, which is naturally present in purple grains.

TRR> How does your noodle making process differ from other instant noodle
manufacturers?

TAT HUI> The way we do our fried noodles is similar to other brands but we are using a different process when it comes to our fat-free noodles which has a softer and smoother texture. This in turn, will also reduce the cooking time for our consumers.

TRR> Is the purple noodle process different from other instant noodles you produce?

TAT HUI> Our Purple Wheat noodles are non-fried and steam-baked, just like our Delight range.

TRR> A lot of people are concerned with their sodium intake. How would you recommend
people enjoy your product and do you take this into consideration during production/R&D?

TAT HUI> Yes, we have to take this into consideration during R&D. If people want to restrict their
sodium intake, they can further reduce the amount of seasoning they add into the noodles
and we would encourage them to add more vegetables or fish for a well-balanced meal!

TRR> Does your company involve itself with local community or participate in charities?

TAT HUI> Yes, we do sponsor charities and various events every year, like overseas disaster relief, non-profit organizations such as Lions Clubs Singapore, various churches and the less fortunate in Singapore.

TRR> Are there any new products coming soon?

TAT HUI> We launched Koka Creamy Soup not long ago; it comes in 6 different flavours:
Mushroom, Chicken, Hot & Sour, Vegetable, Curry and Sweet Corn.

TRR> In what countries are your products popular? Do people enjoy them differently in
different places?

TAT HUI> Our products are popular in over 40 countries around the world, including Europe,
Middle East, Asia and Australia. We often have people emailing us to let us know how much they love our noodles! Yes, we do notice that everyone enjoys their noodles differently; People in Western countries like their noodles dry whereas in Asian countries, they enjoy their noodles either dry or with a full bowl of soup. We have shared some creative and tasty creations from fans around the world on our Facebook and Instagram as well. Do search for #KokaMoments 😉

TRR> When you make noodles for yourself, what do you like to add to them to make them
extra special (garnish, etc)?

TAT HUI> We asked around in the office and we got some really interesting answers for you!
Mun Hin – Vegetables (especially carrots) and a dash of pepper
Kat – All types of vegetables!
Nat – Vegetables, tofu and eggs
Ms Leow – Fresh vegetables and eggs
Feng Lan – Seafood (Especially with Tom Yum flavor instant noodles)
Sharon – IKEA meatballs and a braised egg

THE RAMEN RATER> Thank you for this opportunity for myself and my readers to learn more about Tat Hui and KOKA products!

#2438: World O’Noodle Mi Goreng Original Flavour Fried Noodles

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I found this one during my November 2016 trip to Taiwan. So this was at a Jason’s Market at the bottom of the Taipei 101. Mi Goreng is a very popular stir nodle dish. Mi Goreng instant noodles are most well known from Indonesia, indeed where this one is from. Let’s see what Wikipedia has to say about Mi Goreng –

Mie goreng (Indonesian: mie goreng or mi goreng; Malay: mee goreng or mi goreng; both meaning “fried noodles”^[3]), also known as bakmi goreng, is a flavorful and spicy fried noodle dish common in Indonesia,^[1]Malaysia, and Singapore. It is made with thin yellow noodles fried in cooking oil with garlic, onion or shallots, fried prawn, chicken, beef, or sliced bakso (meatballs), chili, Chinese cabbage, cabbages, tomatoes, egg, and other vegetables. Ubiquitous in Indonesia, it can be found everywhere in the country, sold by all food vendors from street-hawkers, warungs, to high-end restaurants. It is an Indonesian one-dish meal favorite, although street food hawkers commonly sell it together with nasi goreng (fried rice).^[4] It is commonly available at Mamak stalls in Singapore and Malaysia and is often spicy.

Sounds good – I’ve been a fan of mi goreng for decades now! So let’s give this one a try.

World O’Noodle Mi Goreng Original Flavour Fried Noodles – Indonesia

The import sticker (click to enlarge).

Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Contains chicken. To prepare, add noodle block to 450~500mL boiling water and cook 2~3 minutes. Drain well. Add in contents of all sachets except shallots. Stir well. Finally, garnish with shallot and enjoy!

The noodle block.

A dual sachet.

Powdered seasonings.

Fried shallot.

A sachet trifecta! So we have (from left to right) seasoned oil, sweet chilli sauce and finally sweet soy sauce.

The liquid ingredients mingling together.

Finished (click to enlarge). Added Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, kerupuk aci, coriander, fried egg and Dua Belibis sweet chilli sauce. The noodles are the perfect gauge for instant mi goreng – their chew is excellent as well. Indeed the quantity is decent too. Moreover, the flavor just hits everything perfectly – the sweet, the salty, the spicy. A solidly excellent mi goreng. 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 9557428000873.

Cradle of Flavor: Home Cooking from the Spice Islands of Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia

Mie goreng being prepared at a hawker stall.

#2299: Cintan Mi Segera Mmm… Original

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Another one from Colin – thanks! In 2014, I visited Malaysia and found quite a few varieties of Cintan products at a grocery store called Econsave in Butterworth. I didn’t expect to get one from somebody who lives here and sourced here. However, I’m very curious what this original flavor is like. Moreover, what is original flavor? Perhaps their vegetable flavor? I guess we’ll see. Now, let’s check it out!

#2299: Cintan Mi Segera Mmm… Original

Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Contains shellfish. To prepare, add noodle block to 360ml boiling water and cook for 3 minutes. Add in sachet contents. Stir and enjoy!

The noodle block.

The seasoning sachet.

A kind of small amount of seasoning.

Finished (click to enlarge). Added Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, coriander, tau pok, sous video chicken and hard boiled egg. First, noodles hydrate out well – very standard. The broth is interesting, but not at the same time. I would call it chicken flavor since it is definitely more chicken-like. However, it is on the bland side. Finally, if you’re the type who is non-committal to anything involving choice, this is the flavor for you. 3.0 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 025296932026.

Lonely Planet Discover Malaysia & Singapore (Travel Guide)

A Cintan TV commercial followed by some behind the scenes of its filming.

Meet The Manufacturer: Re-Review: MAMA Instant Rice Vermicelli Bihun Goreng Perisa Asli

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Today, we bid a fond farewell to the President Rice instant series with this Bihun Goreng. This product is probably self-explanatory to many, but I’ll give a little more to those who are unfamiliar. Mee goreng is a noodle that is boiled, drained and then seasoned and garnished. Bihun goreng is basically the same, however done with rice vermicelli. Let’s give it a try – and my thanks to President Rice Products for making this Meet The Manufacturer happen!

Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, add vermicelli to a bowl and cover with boiling water. cover and let steep for 3 minutes. Drain. Add in sachet contents. stir and enjoy!

The rice vermicelli.

The dry seasoning sachet.

A slightly granular powder.

A liquid sachet.

Dark and oily.

Finished (click to enlarge). Added Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, shrimp, coriander, tofu puffs, fried garlic and chilli flake. The vermicelli is thin and has a nice little chew to it. I gave it a few cuts with kitchen scissors to make it more manageable. The flavor is kind of a sweet, salty and spicy affair – just as bihun goreng should be! I really like this stuff a lot – a great change from a fried wheat noodle. 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 8851876000234.,

Instant Rice Vermicelli Bihun Goreng (Perisa Asli) – 1.94oz (Pack of 30)

Hanging out, cruising along the Kwai to the Mekong Delta last year.

Meet The Manufacturer: #2154: Jingqi Black Eyes Bean Original Noodles With Sesame Sauce

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For thje past four days, I’ve been enjoying a noodle lunch with my son Andy – today’s our last one for this Meet The Manufacturer, He’s really been enjoying them a lot! Let’s check out the sesame flavor sauce and original noodle in the thinner gauge.

Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, boil noodles in a pot for 3 – 4 minutes. while boiling, add sauce to a bowl and add 2 – 3 tablespoons of water and stir. Drain noodles and add sauce. stir and enjoy!

The noodles.

The sauce sachet.

Has a sesame scent.

Lunchtime (click to enlarge)!

Finished (click to enlarge). Added enoki mushroom, spring onion, green bell pepper and broccoli. The chew on these noodles are very good – nice gauge too. The sesame sauce lends itself well, and the flavor is quite good. 4.0 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 4715898976240.

The Food of Taiwan: Recipes from the Beautiful Island

A video with some interesting facts about Taiwan.

Meet The Manufacturer: #2151: Jingqi Aloe Vera Guan Mian Original Noodles With Sesame Sauce

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In the last review of this style of noodle, I really liked its breadth and thinness. Curious to see how it plays with a sesame sauce. Let’s find out!

Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, boil noodles for 4 – 5 minutes. Add sauce to a bowl and add 2 – 3 tablespoons of water and stir. Drain noodles and add in sauce. Stir and enjoy!

The noodles.

The sauce sachet.

Has a very dark look to it.

Lunchtime (click to enlarge)!

Finished (click to enlarge). Added spring onion, enoki mushrooms and broccoli. The wide noodles have an exceptionally good chewiness and are thin as well – love this stuff! The sesame taste was rich and not overdone. Delicate and gourmet. 4.75 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 4715898976097.

Forbidden Nation: A History of Taiwan

I hope to someday go to Taiwan (well, I’ve been to Taiwan 4 times now, just not outside of Taoyuan airport) and try some of this great food!

#2100: Myojo Mee Goreng Original Flavour

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Myojo has three new Mee Goreng varieties. I’m unsure if there’s a difference between this one and their regular one I reviewed in the past other than the packaging, but I guess we’ll see! It’s a good day for some mee goreng I think – let’s crack it open and have a look!

Detail of the pack of the package (click to enlarge). Contains oyster. To prepare, cook the noodles in a pot for 2-3 minutes. Drain. Add in sachet contents. Combine and enjoy!

The noodle block.

The powder seasoning.

A granular mixture.

A dual sachet – seasoned oil on the left and sweet soy on the right.

The two ingredients mingling together.

Finished (click to enlarge). Added fried egg, coriander and shrimp. The noodles had a good gauge and chewiness for a mee goreng. Good quantity too. The flavor was a salty and sweet one with lots of it coming from the sweet soy sauce. I would have liked to have had a little inkling of spiciness in there, but this was really good. 4.0 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 8888107000848.

The Food of Singapore: Simple Street Food Recipes from the Lion City [Singapore Cookbook, 64 Recipes]

Man, I need to check out Singapore.

Meet The Manufacturer: #1990: Nissin Cup Noodle

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I thought I should start things off with the original Nissin Cup Noodle. It’s funny; I’ve never reviewed one of these before (except the Emergency Nissin Cup Noodle from Momofuku Ando Day #4, which is a bit different). The story goes that Momofuku Ando noticed businessmen on flights would ask for cups of hot water instead of coffee. They would put pieces of Nissin chikin Ramen in these cups and eat it that way. He thought hey – why not ma.e instant ramen in a cup form. He did, and now it is a ubiquitous item throughout the world. As you’ll see during this Meet The Manufacturer, there are many, many different varieties of Cup Noodle made by Nissin – from the logical to the surprising and unique. Cup Noodle has it’s own museum as well! In Yokohama, Japan! Find out more about it here. Let’s crack open this one – the original Nissin Cup Noodle.

On the bottom of the cup is a little sticky strip. You can use this to hold the lid down during the cooking process.

Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Contains meat and seafood. To prepare, open lid and add boiling water to fill line. Cover and let steep for 3 minutes. Stir and enjoy!

Detail of the lid (click to enlarge).

Detail of the noodle block.

Bits of garnish from the cup – shrimp, egg and more.

Finished (click to enlarge). The noodles have that nice Cup Noodle texture – soft and with a flat and thin gauge. The broth has a nice soy sauce taste with light fish notes. The shrimp, egg and pork hydrated very well. 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. JAN bar code 49698626.

Nissin Cup Noodles 77g ~ 20 pieces

The original Cup Noodle TV commercial.

#1901: Prima Juzz’s Mee Original Spicy Flavour

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Here’s one of the new ones sent to me by Prima Taste. I hadn’t heard about these before, so it was a really nice surprise! I immediate found the name interesting – I think it’s a play on ‘just me,’ but I could be wrong. Let’s look inside and see what this new variety is all about.

Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, add noodles to 500ml boiling water and cook for 4 minutes. Drain, but leave the noodles wet. Add in liquid and powder sachet contents and stir well. Garnish with chilli flake. Enjoy!

The noodles are a little wider and flat.

The powder seasoning sachet.

A light powder.

An oil sachet.

Has a spicy onion scent.

The garnish sachet.

Chilli flakes.

Finished (click to enlarge). Added coriander and tau pok. The noodles are wide and thick and have a very nice chew to them I really liked. The flavor was a really tasty with a nice bite to it and even moreso after I added the chilli flake. It reminds me of Taiwanese varieties in the way the noodles are gauged/shaped, but they seem to have a softer tooth. Excellent! 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 8886350067878.

Prima Taste Laksa La Mian, 185g, (Pack of 6)

A way to cook Juzz’s Mee with some extras!