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Approved by Tirta Lie: Best frozen noodles in Jakarta
Noodle expert Tirta Lie shares his list of the 'best' frozen noodles to cook at home.
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Frozen noodles are flooding the market during the current pandemic and are often a better substitute to a bowl of instant noodles. (Shutterstock/Khaoniewping )
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or many Jakartans, noodles are a source of joy. The capital city is known as a melting pot of various kinds of noodles, including those based on old recipes brought into the country by Chinese settlers.
During the current pandemic, frozen noodles are flooding the market, and they can be an alternative to instant noodles.
Noodle expert Tirta Lie shared his insight on the frozen noodles market with The Jakarta Post. He also gave a fair warning that a pouch of frozen noodles cannot replace the sensory experience of being served a fresh bowl of the delicacy at stalls scattered in North or West Jakarta.
“Of course, eating noodles in a restaurant is more enjoyable than cooking them at home, because not every person can cook noodles the right way,” he told the Post on Thursday.
Nevertheless, Tirta awarded the prestigious “Tirta Lie Approved” seal to 42 brands of frozen noodles.
The Tirta Lie Approved seal is a form of appreciation to a dish he deems delicious, a sort of guidance for his followers on Instagram for their own palate adventures.
“The public knows that Tirta Lie's reviews are not paid endorsements. All reviews are legit. If it's delicious, then I say it's delicious. If it's not tasty, I won't talk about it further in social media, but I will give input privately to the cook,” he said.
Tirta said many noodle sellers had invited him to come and eat at their places to get reviewed, but he said he would prefer if the sellers were not aware that he's coming.
“If I come without notice, I get the real flavor and I still pay for the food. If it's tasty, I will award them the seal without them having to pay me,” he said.
He added that brands may use the seal as part of their marketing for free as long as they promise to maintain the quality of the product.
Some of the brands that have received Tirta's approval were awarded an A++ label, signifying extraordinary quality.
According to Tirta, a frozen dish with the A++ label is not only delicious but also carefully packaged, so that the content quality is protected.
“The packaging should be made of good materials, preferably transparent, so we can see the content. It also has to contain complete information of production and expiry date, as well as cooking suggestions and a halal or non-halal label," he said.
Read also: Jakpost guide to Tirta Lie’s favorite 'bakmi' places
Below is a list of frozen noodle pouches with the A++ Tirta Lie Approved seal you can add to your next grocery shopping:
Bakmi Ayam Jamur Roemah Ganyem
According to Tirta, this is one of the best halal frozen noodles you can buy today. He said that although the noodles do not contain pork and lard—widely believed to be the key to delicious dishes—the noodles were very tasty and well packaged. They are available via WhatsApp and Tokopedia.
Tirta believes that Bakmi Holiaw is a five-star noodle maker in town.
The noodles contain pork, and the joint is among the most popular for noodle lovers.
You can order their noodles via WhatsApp at 081310581188.
As one of the first to get the A++ label in the pouch noodle category, Tirta said, this brand had the best ingredients and taste.
To order, you can reach the seller via the official Instagram account.
The noodles are prepared in Jambi-style, and according to Tirta, the frozen ones taste just as fantastic.
They can be ordered through WhatsApp at 082122030898.
Their noodles are topped with mouth-watering smoked pork.
Tirta said the frozen ones were just as delicious as those you'd find in the restaurant.
Order via WhatsApp at 081272722020 or Tokopedia. (wng)
