Today’s noodles aren’t Korean (shock horror) but Indonesian! I thought it was time I expanded my instant noodle repertoire to include some from other places! Today it’s the turn of Indomie mi goreng dry noodles which are made by Indofoods, based in Jakarta. According to Mr Google, Indomie make 16 BILLION packets of the instant noodles every year!!
The packaging is pretty recognisable, and at 40p a packet, they’re super cheap which is probably why these are so popular the world over for a quick and tasty snack! I’m actually pretty surprised I’d not had these ones before! There are plenty in the range to try but these are their ‘classic’ mi goreng noodles.
Dry noodles
Lots of the instant noodles I review are slurpy with a good soup base. These ones are slightly different in that they’re actually dry noodles. That means (as you’ expect) that there is no soup. It also changes the way you cook them slightly. Rather than boiling the boodles with the seasoning, you boil them first, drain the water away and then mix in the seasoning. This gives a more intense flavour but they’re perhaps not quite as filling.
The Indomie noodle packets are smaller than the Korean and Chinese instant noodles I’ve tried so far. This is reflected in the price of around 60p versus closer to £1 a packet for some. I think these fall more firmly into the snack than meal category unless you have a very small appetite, which obviously, I don’t!!
As you can see, I went a bit extra with these and added a crispy bottom fried egg. And, as if that’s not extra enough on a weekday lunchtime, I fried the egg in some left over pork belly fat. Oooooh so naughty!
Scores on the doors
Ok, so I think dry noodles are a bit like marmite. You either like them or you don’t. I like them, but given the choice between a noodle soup and a dry noodle, the soup will win every time. That said, the mi goreng flavour was nice so I’ll probably get these again for a lighter lunch or (naughty) snack when a soupy ramen feels like too much.
I’ve scored it a bit lower in terms of ease to make, because it takes a little bit more than your usual throw it in a pan and eat as I’ve explained further up the page.
- Flavour – 7/10
- Texture – 6/10
- Ease of making – 6/10
Total: 19/30
Buy again? YES.
I got these in a local Asian supermarket but I’ve spotted them in bulk on Amazon for 54p a packet. Tempted?
Want more instant noodle reviews?
As you know by now, I do have a not so secret love of instant ramen and have begun building a guide to the best ones I can find, which I’ve lovingly called my Noodle Reviewooodle lol! Why not take a look and see what else I’ve been reviewing lately?
We really enjoyed these – I think I like a change from the soup noodles when the weather is hot. I did make a note to myself to have two packets each next time to make it in to a meal though 😂🍜🍜
Yes, I agree, I like the drier noodles sometimes for a change but the packets are a lot smaller and fit more into the snack category!
Glad you discovered Indomie Goreng. There are other variants of Indomie goreng you can try and there’s also a Mie Goreng Jumbo variant which is bigger in size and will be more fulfilling. Or you can cook 2 packets of Indomie goreng to satisfy your hunger. Indomie has the soupy variants as well with a wide array of flavours and some of the flavours represent some Indonesian traditional dishes. They are also small in sizes but I think the decision to keep the size small was made not only to keep the price low but also because Indonesians like to add varieties of toppings and ingredients into a bowl of Indomie, such as eggs, corned beef (you can use spam), meat balls, Indonesian crackers (we call them kerupuk), cabbages, some thinly sliced chillies. And we even eat Indomie as a side dish with a plate of rice! I’m a not big instant noodles eater and eat it sparingly because of my digestive issues, but for sure when the crave for savoury instant noodles hits (always when I’m having PMS!) and when I’m homesick, a pack of Indomie (my go to is always the soupy version with Indonesian traditional dish flavours) is always be the perfect remedy. If you can find other variants and flavours of Indomie in Asian stores nearby, please do try them out and let us know what you think!
Thanks for this, all really interesting and useful – will definitely try them as a base for a bigger meal as you suggest, this is what we often do with the Korean Shin Ramyun noodles! And yes, I will definitely be trying more Indomie flavours soon!
I’ve tried many different instant Ramen noodles and Indomie is by far the best IMO. A buddy from work introduced me to it, actually giving me a few packs. I thought “yeah, ok! Probably decent, but him saying ‘the best’ is probably his opinion.” I was prepared to give him him the “yeah, they’re decent” response out of politeness, but the texture & flavour was at a whole new level. And the price…!?! Extremely reasonable! They are definitely my favorite Ramen noodles. I’d buy them even if they were double the price. They are that good! And many YouTube reviews have them right up there with the best, too.
The price is really fantastic, I agree. And like you, I love instant noodles!
Thanks for this, all really interesting and useful – will definitely try them as a base for a bigger meal as you suggest, this is what we often do with the Korean Shin Ramyun noodles! And yes, I will definitely be trying more Indomie flavours soon!
Try them with a tin of Aldi Tuna (Italian style in oil). Aldi has the best ‘Tuna in oil’ on the market! This transforms the Indo Mie Mi Goreng into a delicious light meal rather than just a snack.
I just don’t drain the noodles with these, they’re much nicer that way.
I’ll try them that way next time!