Mak Tok, Authentic Malaysian Kicap Manis (Sweet Soy Sauce), 135G

Needed this for a recipe, couldn’t find it in the shops, perfect for lots of cooking.

Who’d know 5 spice makes such a great addition? Not cheap though but used sparingly it is a useful condiment

As a condiment or dip this is disappointing, so I used up the bottle in a pork stir fry. That was very good.

Just great for use in cooking

Tastes like soy sauce only thicker will not but again as it’s a wee tiny bottle and the price is for a big bottle avoid save your money

This Sweet Soy Sauce by Mak Tok is made in the UK and seems to have a connection to the Dragon's Den TV programme – although that is not something I watch myself. The flavour is quite different to our favourite Soy Sauce and Kicap Manis is a Malaysian style with this recipe containing a mix of traditional Soy Sauce along with a sweet Soy Sauce and some Chinese five spice. We liked the flavour and the fact that this is a natural vegan product – it is not a substitute for regular Soy Sauce but something to be enjoyed in it's own right. Currently around four pounds from Amazon for a 135g bottle is sauce is not bad value for this type of natural specialist product – but it won't suit all tastes. We like it and might buy it again – however, our local supermarket sells a larger bottle of Kicap Manis that is actually produced in Malaysia and costs half the price of this version by Mak Tok, so it is a matter of personal choice which one you go for – Mak Tok deserve five stars for quality and flavour.

I’ve so far used this to marinate grilled fish and cubes of firm tofu; both were delicious. I do think the sauce is similar in taste and appearance to teriyaki sauce, with a very similar sweet and savoury flavour, albeit being a little saltier (which I enjoyed).The sauce has a nice consistency to it that’s neither watery nor sticky/gloopy or too thick so it works equally well used as a marinade as it does as a drizzle. It’s not a spicy sauce (there’s no heat in it whatsoever) and I think the flavour is well balanced, making it versatile enough to use in everyday cooking, not just when you want to make an oriental dish. I really like it and would definitely get it again; if you usually like teriyaki (or just enjoy the sweet, savoury, salty combo), I reckon you will enjoy this sauce.O t h e r N o t e s : Nutritional info per 100g: 120 calories, 0.4g fat, 37.8g carbs (21.6g sugars), 0.1g fibre, 6.3g protein.Suitable for vegans. Contains wheat. Longlife but refrigerate once opened and use up within 2 months.

I love soy sauce so I was curious to try this take on it. It's certainly got a different flavour to standard soy sauce - much sweeter (and there's a LOT of sugar in the ingredients list so I'm not surprised) and with a underlying warm spiciness too.However to me it was just too sweet, with all the salty and satisfying taste of classic soy sauce overwhelmed by the sugar. I think with less sugar it could still be sweeter and spicier than standard soy sauce, but retain some of the original taste as well.It's worth a try, and I like that it's made in the UK, but ultimately it's too sweet, too sugary and far too expensive - one little bottle for almost £4, which even the makers say represents only 7 servings, is a lot.I can't see anything in the ingredients which justifies the price, as it's mainly standard soy ingredients plus a lot of sugar and some five spice.