Hot on the heels of the immensely successful and groundbreaking MyKuali Penang White Curry Noodle, comes MyKuali's Penang Hokkien Prawn Noodle (aka Prawn Mee or "Har Mee" in KL).
Launched in mid July 2014, it was relatively easy to find this time around (unlike its predecessor, the MyKuali Penang White Curry Noodle). I got my hands on a pack of MyKuali Penang Hokkien Prawn Noodle (there were lots of them actually) on the shelves of Giant Supermarket in my neighbourhood (including the Penang White Curry Noodle)...no need to hunt 'high and low' for it this time.
This is a pack of MyKuali Penang Hokkien Prawn Noodles which retails at RM7.49 for a pack of 4. At this price, it's slightly more expensive (as it's new) compared to their (older) Penang White Curry Noodle which has since seen a price cut and now retails around RM6.99. Reason could be because of the recent debut of Maggi's Penang Seafood Curry and/or the stiff competition and growing number of instant white curry noodles in the market.
There's an instant noodle war brewing out there....and may the better instant noodle win! But, I think we, the consumers, may end up to be the ultimate winner....with more choices and better prices! Yay :D !!
Just like its predecessor, the MyKuali Penang Hokkien Prawn Noodle comes with 3 sachets.....a (cooked) chilli paste, a seasoning powder and fried shallots.
The cooked chilli paste was aromatic and not too spicy, the seasoning powder had a good prawn smell and the fried shallots were crispy. Although I don't appreciate pre-fried shallots, as some have this 'expired' taste (from 'expired' oil), and would like freshly fried ones in my prawn mee, it may be too cumbersome to make, and this packet of fried shallots tasted fresh enough, in my opinion.
This is my bowl of Penang Hokkien Prawn Noodle ala MyKuali just on its own (only thing to remember is to sprinkle the fried shallots on top at the end to retain its crispiness). I liked the prawn flavour that (almost) mimicked the 'real thing' and it was pretty good for an instant version.
For a more luscious bowl of Har Mee, throw in some prawns and a few slices of hard-boiled egg (things you can get from your fridge/freezer)...and you're in for a treat! Only thing missing is "kangkung" (water convolvulus) and (probably) bean sprouts (but I don't ever put bean sprouts in my har mee). Anyway, it's difficult to buy small quantities of both (and they don't last very long in the fridge, so I won't bother with either one).
This is my bowl of decadent Har Mee...well, it better be decadent coz I just added RM5 worth of prawns in there =) The cooked sambal in MyKuali's Penang Hokkien Prawn Noodle has a softer consistency (and is easier to dilute) compared to the paste of the Penang White Curry Noodle. One thing about MyKuali's soup base is that it's good to the last drop as it does not have the powdery aftertaste of those by Maggi.
If there's one complaint, it would be the noodles as they tend to stick together (even after cooking). This is one area that Maggi trumps the other instant noodles in the market...they know how to make their noodles right, which are easily separated and springy in texture, otherwise we won't be referring to all instant noodles by a generic name...Maggi Mee! And, probably, that's the reason why they are the preferred choice by Mamak stalls when they serve up a dish of "Maggi Mee Goreng".
MyKuali's Penang White Curry Noodle became an instant hit when it appeared on the Top 10 list of The Ramen Rater's blog. The said blog has (again) reviewed My Kuali's Penang Hokkien Prawn Noodle and the verdict was another 5.0 out of 5.0 stars (no surprises there).
I used to eat Ibumie's Penang Har Mee but I think I may have just found a better substitute! I definitely preferred My Kuali's Penang Hokkien Prawn Noodle to their Penang White Curry Noodle. Whether this noodle will achieve the same runaway success of its predecessor is yet to be seen.
So, what's next for this brand....Penang Assam Laksa, of course! Another of my favourite...bring it!!
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