Expanding the ramen repertoire: Indomie Mi Goreng Fried Noodles

Ellyse Retana

As we progressed through our college experience, instant ramen has come to hold an unexpectedly large role in our diets and friendships. We figured if we’re going to eat something like instant ramen, we may as well do it right. This means no Maruchan, no Cup Noodles, no weird organic rice noodle packets from Whole Foods that cost $4 apiece, but ramen that is made for a distinguished palate. Indomie Mi Goreng Fried Noodles is a particular brand that’s not only vegetarian and halal, but that allows the consumer to choose their own adventure when it comes to this culinary experience.

For starters, in addition to the brick of noodles one is guaranteed to find in their package of instant ramen, five potential add-ins. In case you’re wondering, that’s a whopping 121 possible combinations. The five packets provide for a dynamic flavor experience with options such as: seasoning powder, fried onions, sweet soy sauce, a chili sauce and an oil packet. The seasoning powder is garlicky, as well as sweet and salty, and the fried onions are a fun addition that add some texture to the ramen. If you’re looking for a bit of kick, go ahead and mix in the chili sauce to taste, and the sweet soy sauce is a must. The oil packet provides extra onion flavor, as if you hadn’t gotten enough from the powder and actual fried onions.

The noodles are not of the typical texture one finds in your everyday Cup Noodles. The noodles are dense and don’t turn to mush in the three minutes you wait for them to cook. The broth, of course, can make or break one’s ramen experience, and when eating Mi Goreng, you won’t want to leave a single drop; it’s a rather interesting mix of sweet, tangy and of course, salty.

If you are interested in this brand of ramen that we’re particularly enthusiastic about, it can be found in Cub Foods or at Rainbow in packs of five for less than $3.00. If you find yourself especially enamored with this ramen as we did, you can get it from Amazon (it’s on Amazon Prime, so near instant gratification!) in a box of 30 packages for $18.99 — well worth it. Go forth and expand your instant ramen horizons.