Maggi Mi Vs Maggi Noodles

I eat out a lot because I can't cook.  Well, I can, (sort of) but I never said I'm good.  I am proud to say I love my instant noodles and my fail-safe no fuss eat-at-home meal when I'm too lazy to think of something to eat/ somewhere to go is a packet of Maggi noodles.

Last week it was like... noooooo!!!!  Our supply of overseas bought Maggi noodles was dwindling... only one packet left.  Now if you're wondering why we bother to bring something like instant noodles in from overseas, this is a testament to why.

For years now, Mum has never bought Maggi noodles from Melbourne and has been bringing instant noodles whenever she comes to visit.  When asked, she claims matter-of-factly that the ones bought from Australia lacks flavour and is pretty much tasteless.

Hmm.  We were running out of Maggi supplies, so at the supermarket the other day, MerlinFan and I decided hell, why not, let's just buy the five-pack of Maggi chicken flavoured noodles and see what it's like.  I mean, seriously, how different can instant noodles get from country to country?

Malaysian bought (left), Australian bought (right)

Boy, was I wrong.  I knew something was amiss as soon as I opened the seasoning packet.  The seasoning was an unnatural, revolting shade of dark yellow and smelt funny too, like cheese.  Okay... to be fair I wouldn't judge until I actually cooked it.

OMG!!!  

This has got to the most disgusting instant noodles I've ever eaten!  It was evening time, so I don't think my camera caught the true vile yellowness of the Maggi noodles under the living room lights.  Totally baffling, since it clearly stated "No Artificial Colours" in front.  And I usually add an egg and spam (yes, I love spam too!) but the Australian bought Maggi noodles just had NO taste whatsoever.

Maybe it was the lack of MSG, unlike the ones bought in Malaysia (you know how we Asians love our MSG!).  I was left completely baffled.  How can something "That Yellow Bastard" from Sin City yellow be so completely tasteless?  Even stranger was how the both packets of chicken flavoured Maggi noodles were produced in Malaysia, so how could the one exported to Australia taste so nastily different?

Verdict:

It's obvious.  I'm never buying Maggi noodles in Australia again.  I'm using the noodles from the remaining packages for something else and throwing out the seasoning. 

And next time?  I'm getting it straight from the original source back in Malaysia.  Of note, I saw the original Malaysian Maggi Mi in a couple of Asian groceries, but MerlinFan was going for holidays so she was going to stock up on our supplies (it's much cheaper back home).

What d'you know, I guess Mum did know best after all.  @_@