Hello Everyone! When you think of breakfast, it should be quick to prepare and warm up your empty stomach – if you’re in a rush that is. It should also be filling. You can find all those characteristics in instant noodles!

Comfort food for some, a staple for the rest – instant noodles in the Philippines is favoured by many, either dry or with a soup base. A hot bowl of soup with noodles in the morning gets us going through the day. You simply put a block of noodles in briskly boiling water for about 3 minutes, stir in the seasonings and pour it into a bowl. Tada! Breakfast is solved! Just remember, eating instant noodles is not commendable, but we can still eat them in moderation.

This is how I normally like to have my instant noodles for breakfast once a week – boiled and tossed in its packet seasonings and topped with fried egg with a runny yolk. I also add in more chilli powder just because I love a good hard kick of spice, and a squeeze of fresh calamansi juice for a bit of tang. But of course, I’m not going to just write up a recipe for instant noodles with fried egg for you…

There’s only one type of instant noodles you’ll see me eating, and that’s Indofood Mi Goreng, which if not mistaken, can be found in Indonesia and is only distributed in Brunei. I’m sure most of my follow Bruneians have seen lots and lots of boxes of these being checked-in by almost every single Filipino passenger (myself included), so it’s no doubt that this particular brand of instant noodles is a big hit with our community.

I recently saw a hashtag thread on Instagram for #JazzedUpInstantNoodles and that’s where the inspiration came from. Since instant noodles is a heavy favourite, not only amongst Filipinos, but also across the Asian (and most likely Western) community, I’ll be sharing with you tonight my version of Level Up Instant Noodles, the Filipino way of course. When I say Filipino way, I mean by using Filipino favourites like Lechon to mash up with my favourite pack of instant noodles for a super filling breakfast!

PREP TIME 5 MINS | COOKING TIME 5 MINS | SERVES 1

INGREDIENTS

• 1 packet (80g) Indofood Mi Goreng, or any other instant noodles
• 150g of spit-roasted lechon, cooked
• 1 bird’s eye chilli, chopped
• 1 calamansi, halved
• 1 large free range egg
• Chilli powder, to taste
• Lechon sauce
• Spring Onions, chopped

METHOD

1. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat with about a tablespoon of oil. Crack the egg gently into the pan to keep the yolks intact. Cook until the tops of the whites are set, but the yolk is still runny. Browned and crispy on the edges with a golden liquidy yolk is how I like my fried eggs! Transfer to a small plate and set aside.
2. Bring a small pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the block of instant noodles and cook until al dente, about 3 minutes.
3. Once the noodles are done, drain and return them to the pot with a little bit of the cooking water. Mix in thoroughly the packet seasonings and extra chilli powder.
4. Transfer to a serving plate together with the lechon and fried egg. Top with extra chilli powder and spring onions. Enjoy!

You can buy small portions of lechon at your local market if they sell it there rather than the whole pig. I got mine from our local weekend market that sells for P700 a kilo. I usually go for the liempo (belly) part because there are less bones and is juicier that other parts. However, it is also the fattiest part of the pig. What I usually do it throw out the fat, but is also such a waste in terms of paying for the fat included. Dilemma.

Of course, there are many other ways in which you can level up your instant noodles at home. A growing popular trend in Brunei and across certain parts of Asia as well is to add salted egg to everything. You can now have Mi Goreng coated with salted egg sauce, or even Mi Goreng with Ayam Penyet (fried chicken) that’s drenched in salted egg sauce! The possibilities are endless and it’s up to you to pair your favourites and get creative in the kitchen!

BON APPÉTIT

– Ally xx