Noodle Bliss
Recently, the writer was given the chance to try four different flavours of the Mie Sedaap brand instant noodles, to which she has decided to penned down the experience of eating them one by one.
I have found the perfect souvenir anyone could get me from their trips abroad — instant noodles! Locally, I have always experimented with different types of instant noodles, be it local produce or imported ones, bought from stores here. Certain special flavours that are unavailable here, I would get from online shopping platforms.
For me, food is a beautiful language that entails the story of its culture. Hence, giving me a taste of food abroad allows me to understand a little bit about the country that was visited. Recently, I was given souvenirs from Jakarta, Indonesia in the form of the popular Indonesian brand Mie Sedaap of different flavours.
I have always known that there is something else beyond the normal ones, the soto and even the curry-flavoured Mie Sedaap sold on our shelves here. At one period of time, the Mie Sedaap chain released the Korean spicy and salted egg flavours which were a trend in Kuching. Everyone was chasing to try them here. Social media and online shopping platforms were flocked with advertisements regarding these flavours.
As I received the packets of instant noodles, I read the flavours as follows: Beef Yakiniku, Style of Singapore spicy laksa, ayam bakar limau and Korean spicy soup — each its own identity rooted in the Mie Sedaap brand.
So, to receive flavours that were beyond my expectations was an exciting instant noodle adventure for me. I had a go at all these flavours within a week as I was intrigued by how each would taste like.
Beef Yakiniku
Inspired by the Japanese Yakiniku, which translates to grilled beef, this Mie Sedaap flavour came in a box with real beef said to have come from the United States. The packet also has an added seaweed crunch pack to intensify the flavours.
The noodles were balanced thin and thick — definitely thicker than the original Mie Sedaap. Though the packed beef was unappetising to look at, the taste was surprisingly soft, juicy and sweet with its barbecue-flavoured sauce.
The flavours on the noodles were mostly salty, and with the added crunch from the packed seaweed, the flavours of umami rose. Overall, this box of noodles is worth trying, especially with the real beef that comes with it. It is not often that instant noodles consist of real meat, and when a brand manages to score the texture and taste of its meat, then you’ll know that pack of noodles is good!
Style of Singapore spicy laksa
The taste of this noodle is familiar as we have brands in Malaysia that produce similar-tasting laksa. With the broth packet given powdered coconut milk, the broth thickens and is filled with the coconut-milky flavour merging with the spicy laksa taste.
For this flavour, Mie Sedaap uses a thicker noodle variant and its texture is springy and chewy. The combination of the broth and noodles together infused a sensation of flavours that burst when chewed.
Though this noodle flavour is exciting, it was not a favourite for me as I do not prefer spicy soup noodles. However, those who crave Singapore laksa or Penang laksa — the instant noodle version — can go for this flavour as in my opinion, it is flavourful and savoury to satisfy one’s craving.
Ayam Bakar limau
My favourite flavour among all, the ayam bakar limau is a mix of savoury and sourish from the lime essence that comes with the flavouring sachets. This noodle thickness variant uses the normal Mie Sedaap noodles that we regularly come across as Malaysian, eating the original version.
But because I couldn’t have access to it any time as they don’t sell it locally (unless I decide to purchase it online), I would definitely miss this flavour the most. The taste of the ayam bakar was there, and it reminded me of eating barbecue chicken with honey glaze, with lime squeezed onto it. The flavour was on point, and it beats whatever dry instant noodle I have tried.
This flavour also comes with sambal cobek and crushed rempeyek daun jeruk which enhances the experience of eating this. One thing about the Mie Sedaap brand noodles is their crunchy toppings which often leave one wanting more.
Korean spicy soup
Though we do have this sold here, this Korean spicy soup flavour was on another level. When eating any Korean-inspired noodles from Mie Sedaap, the brand often includes two levels of spicy chilli powder to choose from. Being the highly spicy-tolerant person I am, I opted for level two and it wasn’t as spicy as the usual Korean spicy instant brand sold at the market.
The noodles used are thick, and like the Singapore-style laksa flavour, the thick texture fused with the broth allows for a burst in the mouth. The flavour of the soup exudes a kimchi taste — a typical ingredient when out-of-Korea brands would create “Korean flavoured” items.
For those who want to be introduced to the shelves of Korean spicy instant noodles, this Mie Sedaap version can be used as an entry-level to the world of spicy instant noodles. Eating this, topped with cheese, can be a satisfying meal.
