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Meet The Manufacturer: Interview With CarJEN Food Sdn Bhd

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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 KariJ.J. Snek Mi Perisa BBQ * E-mi Mi Perencah Asam Pedas * CarJEN Nyonya Curry Laksa * J.J. Snek Mi Perisa AyamFriday Video: CarJEN Food Sdn Bhd SpotlightMi E-Zee Plain Noodles Mee GorengMi E-Zee Perisa BayamE-mi Mi Perencah Ayam JagungMi E-Zee Perisa Kari SayuranMi E-Zee Perisa Sayuran

Today, we start a new Meet The Manufacturer. This time, it’s with a Malaysian company called CarJEN Food Sdn Bhd. I conducted an interview with Mr. Sukumaran Nair, CEO of CarJEN Food Sdn Bhd. Hope you enjoy it!

THE RAMEN RATER> Thank you very much for agreeing to do this interview! Could we start off with some information about CarJEN; when was CarJEN founded, where and by who?

CARJEN> Carjen Food Sdn Bhd was founded in 1997 and has now grown into a well-established and dynamic organization that specializes in the manufacture of top quality flavoured snack crackers, flavoured instant noodles, plain instant noodles and noodles snacks. Our principal office is located in Cheng Industrial Estate, Melaka. The directors include Mr. Sukumaran, Mr. Gilbert Tam, Mr. Fred Essey and Mr. Johnny Essey (70% Australian owned and 30% Malaysian owned.

TRR> For those of my readers who are not familiar with your line of products, could you tell us a little about them?

CARJEN> Carjen Food manufactures snack crackers with flavours of prawn, chicken, green peas, cheese and pizza. As for instant noodles the flavours are curry, chicken, asam pedas, vegetarian, beef, spinach and vegetarian curry.

TRR> Can you tell us – what does the name CarJEN mean?

CARJEN> Carjen was coined from the names of the wives of the founders, Carrol and Jenny.

TRR> Can you tell us about the differences and features of your Nyonya variety?

CARJEN> This product is named Nyonya Curry Laksa, simply because it has been popularised and made by the Peranakan Nyonyas over the years. The knowledge of Nyonya cooking has been passed down from generation to generation in Malaysia. Though the name Nyonya is
specifically attributed to a unique culture here in Malaysia, the taste is well received and
accepted by all Malaysians especially the Malays because the freshly prepared spices and
herbs in the dipping sauce; such as Seroi (lemongrass), Belocan, asam (tamarind), dried
chillies and coconut cream, to name a few of the ingredients; are already traditionally used
in Malay cooking. This is due to the close ties shared by the Peranakan Nyonya and the
Malays from centuries ago, in which the Nyonyas have infused the noodles with dipping
sauce containing sauce, herbs and spices used in traditional Malay cooking.

TRR> Can you tell my readers what Nyonya cuisine is?

CARJEN> Peranakan Chinese and Baba-Nyonya are terms used for the descendants of the 15th through 17th-century Chinese immigrants to the Indonesian Archipelago and British Malaya. Most have lived for generations along the straits of Malacca and most have a lineage where
intermarriage with the local Indonesians and Malays. In Malacca, they are known as Baba-Nyonya, it has been assimilated to the Malay culture and customs, including their typical rich Malay spices in their food preparation.

TRR> You not only make regular instant noodles that are cooked, but a line of snack noodles –can you tell my readers about them?

CARJEN>: Our J.J. Noodle Snack is excellent in quality, crunchy and crispy and also trans-fat free. They may be enjoyed by everyone at any time of their convenience. It can be eaten on its own without any cooking.

TRR> Is CarJEN involved in the local community around you?

CARJEN> Yes, we participate in roadshows across the nation
in Malaysia(see attachment).

TRR> Why do you think noodles are such a popular food?

CARJEN> Noodles can be cooked in several forms such as fried, soup, with sauces, etc. It goes well with all kinds of meat, vegetables.

TRR> You are located in Melaka, Malaysia. Can you tell us a little about where you factory is and life there?

CARJEN> Carjen Food is located in Cheng Industrial Estate, Melaka, Malaysia. It is a mix of residential area and factories.

TRR> Are there any new products that will be coming out soon that you could tell us about?

CARJEN> Yes, they are in the process of being finalized and will keep you informed when ready for the market.

TRR> A lot of people wonder about the health factors (sodium, etc) when it comes to instant noodles. How do you recommend people made instant noodles a healthy part of their diet?

CARJEN> Our CarJEN Nyonya Curry Laksa has no added MSG and the UPS is high in fibre, zero trans fatty acid, cholesterol free and has vitamin E of 4.5mg.

TRR> Do you make/sell products other than noodles?

CARJEN> Yes, we manufacture and sell snack cracker, noodle snacks.

TRR> What was your first product?

CARJEN> Crackers.

TRR> How does the process in which you make your noodles differ from other brands?

CARJEN> The process is standard and normal practice by all noodle manufactures but Carjen Food uses premium flour ingredients and the first to use micro ingredients that adds value in terms of texture and keeping quality.

TRR> Where are your products available?

CARJEN> Carjen Food products are available in Malaysia, Middle East and recently in China, Taiwan, Macau, Singapore, Brunei and Saudi Arabia.

TRR> When you make noodles for yourself, do you add anything or have any recommendations?

CARJEN> We have serving suggestions where we encourage consumers to add additional garnishing.

TRR> How many cups/bowls/packs do you produce in a year?

CARJEN> 343,511 cartons.

TRR> Are there popular recipes locals have come up with for your noodles?

CARJEN> Carjen Food has developed and have been marketing a new product called “Nyonya Curry Laksa” which is traditional, authentic and local product which is popular in the state of Melaka, Malaysia.

TRR> Are certain products enjoyed on particular holidays?

CARJEN> Nyonya Curry Laksa is popular during the holidays period mainly among tourists.

TRR> Have there been any flavors you’ve thought of producing
that never made it to market?

CARJEN> Yes.

THE RAMEN RATER> Thank you for this opportunity for myself and my readers to learn more about your company!

Well, there we have it! Thanks to Mr. Sukumaran Nair, CEO of CarJEN Food Sdn Bhd, and everyone else at CarJEN Food Sdn BHD for making this Meet The Manufacturer happen. 

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 KariJ.J. Snek Mi Perisa BBQ * E-mi Mi Perencah Asam Pedas * CarJEN Nyonya Curry Laksa * J.J. Snek Mi Perisa AyamFriday Video: CarJEN Food Sdn Bhd SpotlightMi E-Zee Plain Noodles Mee GorengMi E-Zee Perisa BayamE-mi Mi Perencah Ayam JagungMi E-Zee Perisa Kari SayuranMi E-Zee Perisa Sayuran

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Meet The Manufacturer: Product Samples From CarJEN Food Sdn Bhd

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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!

These are big packs of their J.J. snack noodles in BBQ flavor.

Here’s their chicken flavor snack noodle – the big packs hold 10 small bags.

The two flavors in their E-mi line.

Many companies around the world not only sell their products with seasonings but without. These are 11 packs of instant noodle blocks.

Here is E-Zee Curry flavor.

I was initially contacted by CarJEN about this product – their new Nyonya Curry Laksa. Sounds pretty good!

They also sent these neat little zipper pouches with fork, spoon, chopsticks and keychains!

These can be folded to make a stand-yup you could put on a store counter. You would then use a marker and color over the parts on the numbers to show the price you were selling them at.

They also sent along a couple of brochures full of interesting info on CarJEN Food Sdn Bhd.

Finally, a couple autographed posters for the Wall Of Fame! Getting up quite a collection! Thanks to everyone at CarJEN Food Sdn Bhd!

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Meet The Manufacturer: #1582: Mi E-Zee Perisa Kari Curry Flavour

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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!

 Here’s the back of the package (click image to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, boil 450ml water. Add in noodle block and contents of soup base sachet and cook for 2 minutes. Stir and enjoy!

The noodle block.

The soup base sachet.

Some good smelling curry soup base!

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added coriander, shrimp, mung bean sprouts, sweet onion and tau pok (tofu puff). The noodles are really interesting – very elastic and heartier than most. The broth has a nice curry flavor which I thoroughly enjoyed. Was surprised that the taste was as strong as it was with 450ml water – very nice! 4.0 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 9557226082309.

 

Curious about where these instant noodles come from? Well, they’re made in Melaka, Malaysia. Where’s Melaka? Perhaps this map would help!

A short video about the history of Melaka.

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Meet The Manufacturer: #1583: J.J. Snek Mi Perisa BBQ

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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!

Here’s one of the small packs.

Here’s the back of the package (click image to enlarge). Contains chicken. To prepare, you can open and just eat the block as it is or crush while in the pack and open, then eat the little pieces. Enjoy!

Inside the packs you find these little noodle blocks. They have the flavoring in them.

Finished (click image to enlarge). The noodles are crunchy and have a nice flavor to them – very much reminding me of fried chicken from a well known restaurant chain. These were very good! This snack gets 4.0 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 9557226062349.

Snack Foods Processing – (from Amazon) – Whether you are new to the field or you are a pro facing broader responsibilities, Snack Foods Processing provides valuable information gained through first-hand experience. It presents a clear introduction to the snack foods industry and its terminology and explains the technical interrelationships between the many materials and processes used in making the finished snack food. New entrants into the field will be able to confidently communicate with suppliers and associates. Managers and quality control personnel will gain a better idea of where to start in solving problems when they arise.

A short clip from a demo of CarJEN’s J.J. Snek Mi with J.J. maiking an appearance!

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Meet The Manufacturer: #1584: E-mi Mi Perencah Asam Pedas

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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:

The main ingredients in asam pedas are usually seafood or freshwater fish. They are cooked in asam (tamarind) fruit juice with chilli and different spices. The cooking process involves soaking the pulp of the tamarind fruit until it is soft and then squeezing out the juice for cooking the fish. Asam paste may be substituted for convenience. Various vegetables such as terong or brinjals (Indian eggplants), okra and tomatoes are added. Fish and seafood (such as mackerel, red snapper, tuna, gourami, pangasius or cuttlefish), either whole body or sometimes only the fish heads are added to make a spicy and tart fish stew. It is important that the fish remain intact for serving so generally the fish is added last.[1]

It’s a wet and windy day outdoors and I thought this one sounded very nice for this weather. Let’s give it a try!

Here’s the back of the package (click image to enlarge). Contains chicken. to prepare, add noodle block and soup base sachet contents to 400ml boiling water for 3 minutes. Stir and enjoy! It also says you can just enjoy it straight out of the bag.

The noodle block.

The soup base sachet.

Has a nice scent of tamarind and spiciness.

 

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added shrimp, sweet onion, coriander, mung bean sprout and mint. The noodles have a nice gauge as well as taste. The broth has a very good contrast of spicy and sour. The spiciness is pretty decent – nice to see! The sour taste is very good as well. 3.75 out of 5.0 stars.  EAN bar code 9557226082521.

  

Malaysian Kitchen (from Amazon) A perfect collection of delicious, authentic recipes that represent the best of Malaysian cooking, with 80 mouthwatering recipes shown in over 350 tempting color photographs.

A group trip to Melaka, Malaysia to try Asam Pedas!

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Meet The Manufacturer: Product Samples From CarJEN Food Sdn Bhd (2)

Meet The Manufacturer: #1585: CarJEN Nyonya Curry Laksa

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Here’s the new CarJEN Nyonya Curry Laksa! This one’s supposed to be pretty good and comes with a sachet of sambal dipping sauce. So to start, let’s see what wikipedia has to say about the term Nyonya:

From the Malay influence a unique “Nyonya” cuisine has developed using typical Malay spices. Examples are Chicken Kapitan, a dry chicken curry, and Inchi Kabin, a Nyonya version of fried chicken. Pindang bandeng is a common fish soup served in Indonesia during the Chinese New Year and so is a white round mooncake from Tangerang which is normally used during the Autumn Festival. Swikee Purwodadi is a Peranakan dish from Purwodadi, it is a frog soup dish.

Nyonya Laksa is a very popular dish in Singapore and Malacca, Malaysia while another variant called Asam Laksa is famous in Penang, Malaysia. Pongteh is also another popular and savoury dish of the Peranakan community. The main ingredient is onion, black mushroom (optional), chicken (at times pork is used instead of chicken, hence it’s called Babi Pongteh) and fermented bean sauce. The Malaccan Nyonyas are well known for this dish.

Okay now let’s find out about laksa – wikipedia says:

Laksa is a popular spicy noodle soup in the Peranakan cuisine,[1][2] which is a combination of Chinese and Malay cuisine. It can be found in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.[3] CNN Travel ranked Penang Assam Laksa 7th out of the 50 most delicious food in the world.[4]

The unique fature of this instant noodle is the sambal dipping sauce – again, I’ll reference wikipedia about sambal:

Fresh chilis are pounded together with toasted shrimp paste (belacan) in a stone mortar to which sugar and lime juice are added. Originally, limau kesturi or calamansi lime, is used but since this is scarce outside of Southeast Asia, normal lime is used as a replacement.[7] Tomatoes are optional ingredients. Sometimes, sweet sour mangoes or equivalent local fruits are also used. It can be eaten with cucumbers or ulam (leafy herbs) in a meal of rice and other dishes. A Malaysian-Chinese version is to fry belacan with chili.[8]

Sounds like we have a lot of flavors going on in this one! Let’s check out the new CarJEN Nyonya Curry Laksa!

Here’s the back of the package (click image to enlarge). Contains shrimp. To prepare, ad noodle block to 400ml boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Add in curry paste sachet content and stir in, then the creamer sachet content and combine that as well. Garnish with the contents of the sambal sachet and enjoy!

The noodle block.

There’s so many large sachets that they get their own sachet to contain them all!

The Nyonya Curry Laksa paste sachet.

Has a kind of sweet scent to it.

A non-dairy creamer sachet.

Coconut powder – smells like coconut!

Finally, the sambal dipping sauce.

Has a strong shrimp scent to it.

 

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added mint leaf, shrimp, vegetable ball, mung bean sprout, sweet onion and tau pok (tofu puff). The noodles have a very standard and familiar quality to them with just a little extra backbone; they are easily broken by pursing the lips, however they are not spongy or mushy. The broth is superb – firstly, the coconut creamer gives everything a nice richness. The Nyonya Curry Paste adds a nice flavor – sweet and colorful. The sambal has lots of nice bits of shrimp in the paste as well as a little heat and citrus. This was absolutely fantastic stuff. 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 9557226082989.

Florence Tan Best Nyonya Recipes – (from Amazon) – Nyonya dishes with its piquant, spicy, savoury and sweet flavours are now within easy reach with this collection from veteran Nyonya chef, Florence Tan. Learn how to cook perennial favourites like PineapplePatchree, Chicken Rumpah, and Pang Susi, a dessert of savoury meat encased in sweet pastry. The elaborate preparation of Nyonya cuisine is clearly explained, from the seasoning and spicy paste to basics like food colouring and coconut milk, allowing you to appreciate the many layers and flavours of Nyonya fare. With easy-to-follow instructions and careful details, Florence Tan makes it a breeze to reproduce the best meals from her collection of Straits Chinese recipes.

Curious about the culture and history of Melaka? CarJEN Nyonya Curry Laksa is made in Melaka – here’s a short travelog which gives you a little snapshot of the history.

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Meet The Manufacturer: #1586: J.J. Snek Mi Perisa Ayam

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Here’s the other variety of J.J. snack noodles CarJEN produces. Ayam translates to chicken. The mighty chicken seems to be the universally accepted flavor in the world. I was just wondering – how many are there? Chickens, I mean; how many chickens are there on the planet? I typed in world population of chickens into Google and it spat this out instantaneously:

In 2009 the annual chicken population in factory farms was estimated at 50 billion, with 6 billion raised in the European Union, over 9 billion raised in the United States and more than 7 billion in China.

I searched to find out how many people there are and it said the world’s human population is roughly 7.2 billion. That’s a lot of us, and a lot of chickens. – about 7 of them for every person, everywhere. It kind of interesting to think about all the resources are needed to handle this huge population of chickens – feed, water, waste etc. Pretty amazing. But anyways, let’s have a look at this chicken flavored J. J. Snek Mi Perisa Ayam!

The above picture is of one of the individual packs that are inside the first picture with is a bag of ten.

Here’s the back of the package (click image to enlarge). Contains chicken. To prepare, simply open the bag and eat, or crush contents in the bag and then open. Enjoy!

The uncrushed noodle block.

Finished (click image to enlarge). The noodles have a very nice crunch without being too hard. They’ve got a nice chicken flavor to them. An easy to enjoy snack. Giving this snack a score of 3.75 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 9557226062332.

Treat Yourself: 70 Classic Snacks You Loved as a Kid (from Amazon) If you grew up on corner-store treats, memory lane is paved with Ho Hos, Yodels, Oreos, and Ring Dings. And while your taste buds may have grown up a bit, chances are you still crave these classic flavors. Now you can re-create the lunch-box delights that made you the envy of other kids, with all-natural homemade versions. After much obsessing and experimentation, Jennifer Steinhauer has cracked the code for 70 iconic treats to re-create in your own kitchen. There are cookies with a perfect crunchy base for cream filling, snack cakes with frosting so thick you can peel it off all at once, candies dipped in chocolate and dusted with sugar, and ice cream pops so juicy that they drip down your arm. A self-taught baker, Jennifer had no interest in complicated techniques or chemical gunk, just easy hacks that break down and remaster these throwback snacks.

A short video of a CarJEN sponsored event in Melaka, Malaysia.

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Friday Video: CarJEN Food Sdn Bhd Spotlight

Meet The Manufacturer: #1587: Mi E-Zee Plain Noodles Mee Goreng

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In general, I don’t review plain noodles. I usually require instant noodles to have a seasoning with them or have seasoning infused into them. Well, I hadn’t told this to CarJEN and they sent lots of them – I figured it only fair to do up a recipe with them! The picture on the front of the package certainly looks like mee goreng, so I figured I’d round some things up and make some for Kit for breakfast today. Let’s check it out!

Here’s the back of the package (click image to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, Boil a noodle block in water for 2 minutes. Use in any recipe you like!

Here’s one of the noodle blocks. These promo packs contain 11 of them!

Mi E-Zee Mee Goreng

  • 1 cooked and drained block of Mi E-Zee Plain Noodles
  • 1 hard boiled egg
  • 1/2 seasoning sachet of any kind (used Mi E-Zee Kari)
  • mung bean sprouts
  • sweet spice sauce (manis pedas)
  • sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
  • shrimp
  • fried shallot

After you’ve made the noodles, drain. Drop in a skillet and add in 1/2 seasoning sachet, mung bean sprouts, shrimp, manis pedas and sweet soy sauce to your liking. Cook on medium heat,for a minute, stirring constantly. Add in shrimp and continue cooking 2 minutes, constantly stirring. Add to plate and garnish with fried shallot and hard boiled egg. Enjoy! As this is a plain noodle, it’s kind of hard to give it a review score as I usually look at the noodle and broth or flavoring. EAN bar code 9557226082477.

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Meet The Manufacturer: #1588: Mi E-Zee Perisa Bayam

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This is only the second time I’ve had this flavor of instant noodle a couple of times before. For those of you who are wondering, Bayam translates to Spinach. I’m kind of bummed – I don’t have any spinach to go with it today, but I wonder if it’ll need any. Let’s see if this Mi E-Zee Perisa Bayam delivers some spinachy goodness!

Here’s the back of the package (click image to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, boil 450ml water and add noodle block. Cook for 2 minutes. Add in seasoning sachet contents and stir. Enjoy!

The noodle block.

The soup base sachet.

The soup base indeed has a strong spinach scent.

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added hard boiled egg, vegetable tempura ball, sweet onion, mung bean sprouts and sliced green onion. The noodles have a good chew and familiar gauge. The broth is interesting – kind of a spinach salt broth. 3.5 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 9557226082415.

Lonely Planet Malay Phrasebook & Dictionary

 

Wanted to announce today that we’ve found out something about our baby!

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Meet The Manufacturer: #1589: E-mi Mi Perencah Ayam Jagung

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I thought this sounded interesting. Ayam Jagung translates to corn and chicken. What’s nice is that I haven’t made any noodles with chicken in a while and it just seems like it’s about time to have some! Let’s check it out!

Here’s the back of the package (click image to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, Add noodles and seasoning to 400ml boiling water and cook three minutes. Enjoy!

The noodle block.

The soup base sachet.

A very light powder with a chicken and corn scent.

 

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added mung bean sprouts, corn, chicken made by Aunt Cindy, sweet onion and spring onion. The noodles have a good texture and flavor to them. The broth was neat – was kind of like a sweet corn and chicken mix and quite nice. 3.75 out of 5.0 stars.EAN bar code 9557226082538.

Authentic Recipes from Malaysia (from Amazon) Malaysia’s cuisine is an exciting blend of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and European cooking. Drawing on their multiethnic heritage, Malaysians have developed unique variations on Asian favorites like Malay Chicken Satay, Chinese Fried Kway Teow and Indian Chicken Curry Puffs. Added to these are exotic creations like the fiery Portuguese Baked Fish prepared by Malacca’s Eurasian community, Kelantanese Nasi Ulam (rice blended with handfuls of freshly chopped herbs) and savory Butter Prawns—a dish that blends seasonings from all of Malaysia’s major ethnic groups. This book provides a selection of unforgettable recipes, at the same time introducing the reader to the nation’s diverse cultural and culinary traditions.

When we were in Malaysia last year, I saw something I’d never seen before. At the airports, there were different concessions, and one of them offered ‘corn in a cup.’ I thought this was kind of strange as in the USA it’s usually served on the cob. As it turns out, corn in a cup is here in the USA as well – kind of funny to go to such a faraway place to see something available here!

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Meet The Manufacturer: #1590: Mi E-Zee Perisa Kari Sayuran

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The first review of this Meet The Manufacturer was Mi E-Zee Perisa Kari. The difference here is that this is one for vegetarians. Let’s check it out!

Here’s the back of the package (click image to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, boil 450ml water. Add in noodle block and cook two minutes. Add in contents of soup base sachet and stir. Enjoy!

Here’s the noodle block.

The soup base sachet.

Has a nice curry scent.

 Finished (click image to enlarge). Added tau pok (tofu puff), mung bean sprouts and coriander. The noodles have a nice gauge and mouthfeel – almost a litle buttery. The broth has a very nice curry taste which I thoroughly enjoyed. It didn’t have a ‘vegetarian’ flavor as many crossover flavors have in the past. 3.75 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 9557226082781.

Madhur Jaffrey’s Ultimate Curry Bible (from Amazon) This is the most comprehensive book ever published on curries, written by Madhur Jaffrey, the world’s bestselling Indian cookery author. The influence of the Indian curry has been far-reaching: Indian immigrants and traders influenced the cooking of many other great cuisines of the world, including those of Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan and China.

An interesting recipe to make curry noodles that are  wholly raw.

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Meet The Manufacturer: #1591: Mi E-Zee Perisa Sayuran

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Today we bid a fond farewell to the CarJEN Food Sdn Bhd Meet The Manufacturer. It’s really amazing how many different instant noodle companies there are in Malaysia. What got me was after so many years of exploring instant noodles, here’s yet another one I’d not heard of until they contacted me. Today’s final review is their ‘sayuran’ variety (sayuran translates to vegetarian). Let’s have a look!

Here’s the back of the package (click image to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, boil 450ml water. Add in noodle block and cook 2 minutes. Add in contents of soup base sachet and stir. Enjoy!

The noodle block.

The soup base sachet.

Has a kind of butter and vegetable scent.

 

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added mung bean sprouts and coriander. Ther noodles as usual have a nice gauge and chew – your typical instant. The broth has a kind of salty and buttery flavor and some vegetable hints in there. It’s pretty good. 3.5 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 9557226082316.

The Asian Vegan Kitchen (from Amazon) – The Asian Vegan Kitchen is a collection of recipes from across Asia, featuring the spices and the many tasty ingredients that have made these cuisines popular world-wide. It caters to the growing segment of people of all ages who have chosen to eschew animal products, yet still want to add some global spice and excitement to their diet.

Here’s a recipe for tofu and mushrooms in coconut for the Vegans out there!

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The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2015 Edition

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The Ramen Rater's top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2015 Edition

The top ten instant noodles list is an annual post I do which is always quite a treat for me.  I started reviewing back in 2002, but I really got going with it in June of 2010 – I’ve done nearly 1,600 reviews since then. It still boggles my mind that after trying so many, the industry continues to innovate and bring flavors forth that truly amaze me. With that, here are my absolute favorites – The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2015 Edition.

 This year I also made a video to accompany the list.

#10: A-Sha Veggie Noodle Tomato Noodle With Vine Ripened Tomato Sauce – Taiwan

This was a fairly recent review; I hadn’t expected Taiwan to be on the top ten list. But there’s no denying – this is absolutely marvelous stuff. The noodles have a great gauge – broad, flat and soft with a light chew. The great part is the tomato flavor – when I opened the sachet of sauce the whole room smelled like fresh tomatoes. Not only that, there’s more than enough sauce to flavor all of the noodles. Original review

#9: Maruchan Gotsumori Sauce Yakisoba – Japan

#9: Maruchan Gotsumori Sauce Yakisoba - Japan

Marchuan’s first time on the top ten instant noodles list. This big tray of yakisoba was a very nice surprise. First, there’s a lot of noodles here – easily enough for two. Second, the flavor has a little hint of spiciness. Thirdly, the cabbage hydrated very nicely with a tantalizing crunch. Finally, the inclusion of Kewpie mayonnaise sealed the deal for me. Original review

#8: Mama Oriental Style Instant Noodles Green Curry Flavour Jumbo Pack – Thailand

#8: Mama Oriental Style Instant Noodles Green Curry Flavour Jumbo Pack - Thailand

The noodles are Mama’s great brown noodles – they don’t suck up too much broth and have a tension I really like. Not only that – there’s a decent amount of them! Then there’s the broth whose rich green curry flavor satisfies with excellent heat and flavor. Original review

#7: MyKuali Penang Hokkien Prawn Noodle (New Improved Taste) – Malaysia

The noodles are great – gauge is just a little wider than standard. The broth is a work of art; the strength of sweet prawn flavor is balanced with a well-tempered amount of heat.
It’s thick and has a perfect oiliness to it. To top it off, the fried onions are the best I’ve encountered in the instant noodle world; they are of good size and plentiful. Original review

#6: Mamee Chef Gold Recipe Mi Kari Seribu Rasa – Malaysia

With their special Mi Tarik technology that emulated traditional hand-pulled noodles, you get a great texture and chewiness as well as elasticity with this noodle. The broth however was what made this a favorite of mine – it has a comfort food feel to it that seems to come from a component that reminds me of strong cumin. Worthy of the name Gold Recipe. Original review

#5: Prima Taste Singapore Curry La Mian – Singapore

For the third year in a row on the top ten instant noodles list, this amazing curry has made the top ten instant noodles list. This one has very thick chewy noodles – they take a little longer to cook but it’s worth the wait. The broth is truly luxuriant – with two large sachets of paste and coconut powder. Original review

#4: CarJEN Nyonya Curry Laksa – Malaysia

#4: CarJEN Nyonya Curry Laksa - Malaysia

CarJEN’s first time on the top ten instant noodles list. This one was particularly interesting to me. First, the noodles are quite good – standard gauge with just a little extra backbone. The broth is superb – firstly, the coconut creamer gives a nice richness. Then, Nyonya Curry Paste adds a nice flavor – sweet and colorful. Then there’s the sambal dipping sauce – it had nice bits of shrimp as well as a spicy sweet and citrus taste that was amazing. Original review

#3: Prima Taste Singapore Laksa La Mian – Singapore

#3: Prima Taste Singapore Laksa La Mian - Singapore

Third time on the top ten instant noodles list. The noodles are thick and have a great chewiness to them – definitely on the premium end of the stick and very impressive. The broth is a deep and flavorful one, with a richness to it that’s really quite amazing. It’s thick from the coconut powder which gives it a sort of milkiness. The paste had all sorts of things going on – has a great homemade ‘stewed for hours’ kind of feel. It’s a little spicy and a little sweet and must be tried firsthand. Masterfully executed. – Original review

#2: MyKuali Penang White Curry Noodle (New Improved Taste) – Malaysia

These were number one on last years top ten instant noodles list. The noodles seem a little more elastic and fuller this time – just a little more. The chew and mouthfeel are excellent. The broth is just amazing stuff again – definitely very spicy and strong garlic going on. The broth is darker as well. A couple little changes but still just as wonderful as ever! Original review

#1: MyKuali Penang Red Tom Yum Goong Noodle – Malaysia

The noodles are just as always – nice gauge that has a great chewiness and quantity – just right. The broth – wow. It definitely has that full on flavor I experienced in Langkawi. The broth is not only strong but it’s got a thickness to it, and has that kind of aroma and consistency of a broth that’s been stewing all day long. Strong spicy heat, lemongrass and shrimp notes play throughout as well as a nice bit of sweetness as well. This is spectacular. Original review / Special Top Ten Re-Review

 

Thanks for viewing the top ten instant noodles list for 2015! I get a lot of pleasure out of reviewing instant noodles and experiencing the flavors from far flung lands! The top ten list comes out annually on the Monday closest to April 20th. The top ten instant noodles list is solely based upon my taste buds, who are made very happy by these products. Please contact me if you are interested in using this list for commercial use. 

The post The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2015 Edition appeared first on The Ramen Rater.


A New Variety From CarJEN!

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Got a big box delivered today! What’s inside? Let’s take a look!

Well packed!

This is CarJEN’s new Otentiq Cheezy Mushroom instant noodles!

Nice packaging! I’m real curious about this one. There’s going to be a Cheezy Curry as well!

They kindly sent along a couple signed posters for my collection! Thank you!

Some literature about Otentiq Cheezy Mushroom – and wait – what’s this?

Stickers!

CarJEN’s Nyonya Curry Laksa was #4 on the 2015 Top Ten list! Looks really nice on there too! Thanks to Sugu, Cherene and Santhosh for sending me these new samples!

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New CarJEN Packaging With The Ramen Rater Logo!

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Here’s a box I’ve been waiting to see! Let’s see what’s inside!

Here’s Andy showing off the new packaging for CarJEN’s E-Zee Kari instant noodles! I rated this one 4.0 out of 5.0 stars. A nice little pack of noodles!

They even put it on the outside of the big packs!

Spicy flames, curry and The Ramen Rater’s official seal of approval!

The CarJEN Nyonya Curry Laksa has stickers on them mentioning their place on this year’s top ten list!

It really is sambalicious! Thanks to everyone at CarJEN for sending these samples along!

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#1713: CarJEN Otentiq Cheezy Mushroom Instant Noodles

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So here’s a new one from CarJEN – a new line called Otentiq. You might remember seeing CarJEN’s Nyonya Curry Laksa on this year’s big top ten list in the 4th place spot. I’ve seen very few cheese themed instant noodles in the past, and I believe this is the first one from Malaysia. Very curious how it will be – if the Laksa is any gauge, this could be really good! There’s also a CarJEN Otentiq Cheezy Curry coming soon as well! Let’s check it out!

Here’s the back of the package (click image to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, add noodle block to 400ml boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Add in contents of mushrooms sachet and cook for 1 additional Minute. Stir contents of cheese powder sachet evenly and garnish with contents of parsley sachet. Enjoy!

The noodle block.

The cheese powder sachet.

Lots of cheesy goodness!

The mushrooms sachet.

Lots of mushroom bits.

The garnish sachet.

Parsley.

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added Swiss cheese and a couple sliced mushrooms. The noodles come out nice and plump, soaking up a good amount of broth and have a perfect texture to them. The broth is really great – first off, it’s thick, almost sauce like. It has a very tasty cheese flavor augmented with a little bit of black pepper. It’s not too much black pepper taste either – it’s just right. The bits of mushroom that came with this one hydrated very nicely. The parsley on top was s very nice and very unique touch. Excellent! 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 9557226083054.

Florence Tan Best Nyonya Recipes – (from Amazon) – Nyonya dishes with its piquant, spicy, savoury and sweet flavours are now within easy reach with this collection from veteran Nyonya chef, Florence Tan. Learn how to cook perennial favourites like PineapplePatchree, Chicken Rumpah, and Pang Susi, a dessert of savoury meat encased in sweet pastry. The elaborate preparation of Nyonya cuisine is clearly explained, from the seasoning and spicy paste to basics like food colouring and coconut milk, allowing you to appreciate the many layers and flavours of Nyonya fare. With easy-to-follow instructions and careful details, Florence Tan makes it a breeze to reproduce the best meals from her collection of Straits Chinese recipes.

A CarJEN video showing their factory and products.

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New Cheezy Curry Product Samples From CarJEN

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Got a knock late in the day yesterday and a DHL guy saying he had a package for me.

Here’s the new Otentiq Cheezy Curry! I liked their Cheezy Mushroom a lot, and being a curryphile, I’ve been very curious about this one!

These look really neat! I’ll be trying this stuff very soon!

They emailed asking if there was anything else they could send. The Ramen Rater logo is on their E-Zee Curry now and I asked if I could have some of the unused packaging. These are the 5 pack bags. The top is sealed, so I imagine a machine opens the bottom, slides in 5 packs and then seals it somehow.

They also sent a roll of the bags for the individual packs. Thanks! Can’t wait to try the new Otentiq Cheezy Curry!

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#1722: CarJEN Otentiq Cheezy Curry Instant Noodles

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Recently, I reviewed the new CarJEN Otentiq Cheezy Mushroom variety and really liked it. This one is the curry variety – I love curry as anyone who sees my top ten lists can realize rather quickly. What’s neat is that I don’t think I’ve seen cheese curry in an instant before, however I have had cheese curry in an Indian restaurant. Well, let’s see what we have here – it certainly looks nice!

Here’s the back of the package (click image to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, add noodle block to 400ml boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Add in curry powder and cheese powder sachet contents and stir evenly. Add in chilli flakes and enjoy!

The noodle block.

The soup base sachet.

Has a strong curry scent.

The cheese powder sachet.

Very cheesy!

The chilli flakes sachet.

Looks spicy!

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added hard boiled egg, shrimp, Swiss cheese, Chinese long bean, tau pok and white onion. The noodles hydrated very well and had a genuinely enjoyable gauge and mouthfeel. The broth was very rich – strong curry flavor with an underlying cheese taste. The chilli flake was a nice addition and gave an extra kick. 4.5 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 9557226083047.

Florence Tan Best Nyonya Recipes – (from Amazon) – Nyonya dishes with its piquant, spicy, savoury and sweet flavours are now within easy reach with this collection from veteran Nyonya chef, Florence Tan. Learn how to cook perennial favourites like PineapplePatchree, Chicken Rumpah, and Pang Susi, a dessert of savoury meat encased in sweet pastry. The elaborate preparation of Nyonya cuisine is clearly explained, from the seasoning and spicy paste to basics like food colouring and coconut milk, allowing you to appreciate the many layers and flavours of Nyonya fare. With easy-to-follow instructions and careful details, Florence Tan makes it a breeze to reproduce the best meals from her collection of Straits Chinese recipes.

This is pretty good – Gordon Ramsey get some guys to start cooking Malaysia curry and badmouths the crap they had in their fridge previously. I tend to do this to a lot of my friends. Usually, I’ll get a lift to the Asian market and then give them a tour of what to buy to make something truly delicious and well-rounded. Would be nice to get a visit from Chef Ramsey though…

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