#ewew tries Vit's Penang Hokkien Mee

There's been little time to eat out...cook....or write blogposts since the FIFA World Cup descended upon us (in mid-June)....and it'll stay that way for the next three weeks...kekeke! :D

Well, that brings me to the subject of this blog post which couldn't have come at a more opportune time since it's something I think will be eaten rather often during this period when hunger pangs strike at midnight or in the early hours of the morning.

Recently, while out grocery shopping, I found this version of Penang Hokkien Mee (by Vit's) @ RM6.50 a packet...with ramen noodles instead of the usual instant egg noodles.  Curious, I bought one to try.  After all, I do love prawn mee (my no. 2 favourite noodle after curry laksa) so much so that even instant-version ones will do.

Inside each packet, there are two separate vacuum-packed ramen noodles and two packets of seasoning paste.

The seasoning paste looks like the real McCoy....a cooked chilli paste with chilli oil and all.

Remove the ramen noodles from the vacuum pack and rinse the noodles under running water to loosen it.

Follow the instructions and measurement (for water) to cook the chilli paste.  Once the paste is well incorporated, add in the noodles to cook...it's looking good! ;)

My bowl of Penang Hokkien Mee is ready....albeit looking a bit sad.

What is prawn mee without the necessary key ingredients, right? ;)

Of fresh, succulent, sweet-tasting prawns....and these were fairly large-sized ones too.

And hard-boiled eggs.....sliced, not quartered.

With kangkung and freshly fried, crispy shallots that I love! ^.^

Now, that's a complete, proper bowl of prawn mee....if I do say so myself.

I really enjoy a good bowl of prawn mee with fresh prawns and crispy shallots in a deliciously robust prawn stock.  I have to say my quality ingredients gave this bowl of instant Penang Hokkien Mee a huge uplift! ^o^

As for the ramen noodles, I didn't like it one bit.  I can't put my finger to it but it had this off-putting taste (like the noodles weren't fresh...but no, it hasn't expired).  They claim the ramen noodles are pre-cooked and vacuum-sealed to retain moisture and stay fresh without refrigeration.

The prawn broth, on the other hand, was pretty alright, although the taste of it could have been slightly 'tainted' by the noodles.

How did I know?  Coz I discarded the ramen noodles and made it again another time (with the balance packet of seasoning) using meehoon instead (from my own pantry stock).  It tasted so much better.

It's a shame really....as the prawn stock of this instant version was pretty good, certainly better than some of the instant versions out there.

But I simply can't pay RM6.50 just for the paste (even if there are two sachets) and use my own noodles, can I?  One, it'll be a waste to throw away the ramen noodles and two, paying RM3.25 for just the paste isn't worth it when I can get a bowl of real prawn mee (with noodles and all) for RM6.50! >_<  Oh well, my search for a good instant prawn mee continues.....