The Definitive Source For Instant Noodle Reviews Since 2002
About a year ago I was contacted by a man in South Korea. He was very interested in knowing my story – he also wanted me to help him and contribute to a book he was writing. He seemed like a nice guy so I figured hey – sounds like fun!My only stipulation was that when done, that he would send me three copies.Well, the book is finished! It’s in Korean and I can’t read it unfortunately, but I’m hoping someone will be able to help me out on that soon.
Well lookie here – another one from Colin – thanks again! This one’s a cheesy version of the ever popular Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkeummyun. This is what people use to do the famous ‘fire noodle challenge’ – although this is the cheesy version. This stuff is hot – real hot. The Ramen Rater’s top Ten Spiciest Instant Noodle Of All Time list kinda hot. Let’s take a look.
So here’s something new I found at HMart. This is going to be battle for me, however you might wonder why. Well, much of the package is shiny gold colored. Unfortunately, shiny gold and silver packages are evil. I mean, not really, but really at the same time. Indeed they look nice, but they add a bit of an issue to my process. Indeed, scanning gold or silver foil packs presents a real problem. No matter what, there are wrinkles in the packaging, and ones I usually can use Photoshop to get rid of. However, these wrinkles when in a shiny foil wreak havoc with the scanner and the images come out extremely light and dark in spots. Anyway, just a little behind the scenes on what I do when putting out a post.
I’ve had the export version in the past but this is the version that Koreans eat in South Korea. I picked this up in Taipei at a Carrefour store. I’d never been to one before and really didn’t know anything about them other than that I knew they existed in Taiwan. Here’s some info from Wikipedia –
Buldak Bokkeummyun is the Korean name for what people all over the world have been enduring in the Fire Noodle Challenge. It’s a seriously spicy variety – #3 on my Top Ten Spiciest Instant Noodles Of All Time 2016 Edition. Well, they’ve come out with a spicier version that’s supposed to be just amazing. I contacted them and they sent me some along with other varieties – let’s check it out!
I got an email a few weeks back asking if I’d tried the new 2x Spicy Buldak Bokkeummyun. I hadn’t and really wanted to. The email was sent by Anders and his girlfriend Ji-Min who live in South Korea and were kind enough to send some varieties along! Let’s see what’s inside!
Here’s another one from Colin – you da man! He got these during a trip to Mexico earlier this year and sent them along. It’s funny; it still kind of boggles my mind how few instant noodles from Mexico I’ve had the chance to try until only recently. I mean, Mexico is pretty darn close. But then again it’s kind of the same way with Canada – I live about an hour and a half from the border and until we went up there a few years back for my birthday, I hadn’t tried much of anything from up there. Anyways, let’s check out this chicken flavored instant ramyun from South Korea for the Mexican marketplace.
A few weeks back I was at an HMart – the one on 184th next to Alderwood Mall in Lynnwood, Washington state. I saw this perky orange pack practically jumping off the shelf at me saying ‘pick me, pick me!’ I’ve reviewed this one a couple times in the past, but it just screamed eat me. Today, I’ve got so much craziness going on – I’ll let you in on it. First, I want to say that if you take really long flights, you should get up and walk around every hour or so. Why? Well, when you don’t, you can end up with blood clots in your legs. Then those blood clots can get into your lungs. Then you can end up in the hospital like I did last weekend with my first IV in my arm and a very timid feeling for the universe. Luckily, I’ll be fine, but it could’ve been much worse (i.e., no more The Ramen Rater). I’ve been having to get my blood checked, get injections this week… Not much fun. On the up side, I should be fine – the only pain I’m in is from shots (fleeting little bits of pain when I’m jabbed) and the clots will go away naturally. The other crazy business is that in 9 days Kit and I expecting our second child together! We’re very excited and I’ll definitely post pictures of her when she’s born! Those are the bigguns – aside from those, I have a sore tooth (drove me bonkers in the last 24 hours but totally eased up now), it’s about to snow any minute now, and oh yeah – Christmas is just around the corner! A lot in a small period of time. New life and dodging a bullet. Wow. Today, I slept in a little and decided to skip reviewing. Well, couldn’t figure out what to have for lunch – I didn’t want anything that would anger the tooth again, and so again this orange pack of noodles was staring at me. Today is your day!
Today I’ll be trying something new sent to me by Yongmin Park of Paldo – thank you very much! Very curious about this one as I’ve never seen it before. This is Budae Jigae – let’s see what Wikipedia has to say about it:
Here’s a new Jjamppong from Paldo of South Korea sent by Yongmin Park of Paldo. Thank you very much! I really like jjamppong so let’s check it out!
Okay so I guess karma will get you. I dunno. Let me explain… So I got this pack along with a couple others at HMart a week or two ago (great store, HMart by the way) and they had one of this series in single packs to buy, but the other two were in 5 packs that were around $9 each. Well, I went to the trouble of opening a couple of the 5 packs and taking out one each . Now, I’m unsure if this is truly a horrible thing to do; I’m sure they just put them on the shelf with the others that are sold in singles. Plus hey – I got them at HMart (there – the third time I mentioned HMart! Ooh a fourth!), so if you want to get these you can find them there. Well, as it turns out I reviewed this one in May and now I’m reviewing it again! Wasn’t my plan to do a re-review today but here we are. So perhaps the pulling of single packs from the multipack is why this happened. But probably not; I’m just getting old. Anyways, this is a jjajang/zha jiang (black bean sauce) noodle. Let’s hit it!
Crabby crab from South Korea! This one was sent to me by colin from the east coast – thanks! Not a lot of ramyun I’ve seen out there with crab as a main flavor. In fact, I think this might be the first ramyun I’ve seen in this vein. You might say ‘hey – you’ve reviewed noodle that have crab flavor before’ but this is ramyun. ramyun is strictly a South Korean thing – it’s really has to do with the noodle gauge and the chewiness. Originally it was beef broth and spicy, but different things have come into the mix during the years – like crab! Let’s give it a try!
Here’s another one sent by Colin, a reader from back east – thank you! He went to Mexico recently and sent me a ton of varieties that he found there. You’d think with Mexico being next door I’d be able to find more varieties, but actually it’s been really hard. This one’s made in South Korea for the Mexican market. Instant noodle are hugely popular in Mexico, and with spicy flavors coming out of South Korea, it’s a pretty good fit. Let’s have a look!
Here’s another one sent by Colin, a reader from back east – thank you! He went to Mexico recently and sent me a ton of varieties that he found there. You’d think with Mexico being next door I’d be able to find more varieties, but actually it’s been really hard. This one’s made in South Korea for the Mexican market. Instant noodle are hugely popular in Mexico, and with spicy flavors coming out of South Korea, it’s a pretty good fit. Let’s have a look!
Here’s an interesting one – this is a Korean product Colin brought cak from Mexico and sent my way – thanks again! This is unique; i don’t think I’ve ever had noodles in such an Easter egg pastel colored package before. Not only that; Hovenia – where is this place? Is it a place? I looked on wikipedia and maybe this is relevant –
You know, I just saw this one at the local HMart a week or so ago and thought it would be nice to have it again. Kind of weird to be doing a re-review when I’m getting close to the 2,000th review, but hey, like I said it sounds good. This has been a popular one for a while now since it slammed onto the scene. I think it was a comedian named Lee Kyung who made this spicy chicken variety a big hit. Anyways, let’s crack it open and dig on in.
South Korea has the highest per person consumption of instant noodles in the world. It’s not a surprise that their instant noodle are quite good – usually the noodles (known as ramyun) are thicker and accompanied by a spicy broth. These are my very favorite varieties of South Korean instant noodles – hope you enjoy!
I’ve been wondering when I would find this one for a long time and finally, I have. It was at the local HMart in Lynnwood, Washington on 184th street – if you live in this area, you should definitely check this place out! Anyways, cheese powder and spicy South Korean ramyun – I mean how can you go wrong here? Not only that, you’ve got the added bonus of a little character with a block of cheese on it’s head vomiting cheesy goodness into the bowl with a smile on his/her face. Sounds tasty! Let’s check it out!
It’s been a long time since I’ve reviewed Nongshim Shin Black – and it’s gotten a packaging facelift. This is made here in the USA in Rancho Cucamonga, California! This is the ‘flagship’ of their new line of ‘Black Class Noodle Soup’ varieties. This one’s got neww clothes – but is it still the same underneath? Let’s have a look at this dressed up pack of Nongshim Shin Black noodles!
Paldo Foods is a South Korean company, and it looks like they’ve expanded to Vietnam with Paldo Vina. Now mushroom isn’t generally my favorite flavor, but I’ve been surprised in the last year or so at how much I’ve liked many mushroom instants. Let’s see how this one pans out.
Topokki time! Okay so you’re probably thinking ‘what? Yesterday he reviewed rice porrige and now it’s rice cake?!’ Well, this one has topokki (Korean rice cake) as well as noodles in it. One thing to note as well – see where it says to keep it refrigerated? I saw pallets of these where I got it that weren’t. To be honest, I think putting that on certain instant products that have these kind of fresh noodle packs inside is a way to give the illusory guise of something less shelf stable, making one think it’s higher quality. Honestly though, that kind of thing doesn’t really phase me. So! What is topokki? Wikipedia for ya –
I’ve gotten a good amount of comments about this one. Ottogi Sesame Ramen seems to have filled an interesting niche in the noodle market! It’s pretty neat stuff – it has something called an ‘egg block.’ It is basically dehydrated egg that when introduced to the boiling water springs to life! I’ve had the bowl version (also known as a king cup) before, but never reviewed the pack. Let’s check out Ottogi Sesame Ramen!
A big thank you to reader Anders E. of South Korea for sending this along!For a long time, Nongshim Jinjja Jinjja was my absolute favorite ramyun from South Korea. They even made it here in Rancho Cucamonga, California for a while with the subheading of ‘flamin’ hot and nutty.’ Jinjja Jinjja means ‘really really.’ Well, they stopped making them. I’m not exactly sure why; some people said that South Koreans aren’t big fans of pork broth. Nevertheless, Nongshim has brought Jinjja Jinjja back – here’s a little something I found on Nongshim’s South Korean website:
The Ramen Rater’s top Ten South Korean Instant Noodles Of All Time made it’s debut last January and I thought this would be a good day to release the new one for 2015! South Korean instant noodles (known as ramyun) are characteristically thicker and chewier than most instants. Spiciness is a common trait as well as beef flavors. Here are my top picks of the South Korean varieties I’ve reviewed of my 1,573 reviews to date.
This is an absolutely perfect short film called ‘Instant Noodle’ about one man’s obsession with finding the ultimate spicy Korean ramyun. It was made by Dreamagine Productions Media. If you’re a fan of spicy instant noodles, you’ll love this! Season’s greetings to all!
It’s been so long since I’ve reviewed a new Bowl Noodle! I remeber a few years ago I was hunting high and low for certain varieties, many long gone. I remember the beef anfd ginger flavor was pretty good! Then they switched over to these microwaveable versions instead of the foam bowls – and I like them better! Curious how this one will be.
Here’s something I’ve been waiting for – three new products from Nongshim America! Let’s see what’s inside!
As with many instant noodle companies, Nongshim has plants all over the world. Usually, these factories produce flavors that are popular in the countries they are located in, as well as well known favorites. This one is a variety made in China and I found it up in Canada. It seems that many of the ones made in China are available up in Canada, although I’ve never seen them here in the USA – curious. Let’s have a look!
Hey look – it’s the return of the happy little cheese guy with the sign! He looks so happy that he will be eaten – after having been reduced to a powder mix! I wonder how he would look if he really knew he would be eaten?
Pulmuone is a South Korean company that makes products using their LOHAS philosophy. They really like the sustainable agriculture/green/etc thing over there. There’s a video at the end of this post that extolls their virtues. I thought I’d reviewed this one before but noticed that there were a couple minor changes in the nutrition facts as well as new packaging, so thought maybe I’d give it a try today. It’s called Nature Is Delicious, but it doesn’t say it on the packaging like the old version does, which is kind of weird. Well, actually it says it in Korean, and the only way I could figure it out was by comparing the UPC codes from the original review and this one. I’m kind of curious about how they got the name Pulmuone… Hmmm… Anyways, let’s see how low calorie instant ramyun tastes!
Hey look – another prototype! Thanks, Moses of Paldo America! Kokomen is one of Paldo’s signature products. It’s a spicy chicken and jalapeno broth accompanied by a nice amount of noodles and a garnish that includes these little strips of chicken. Good stuff. This is a milder version. Let’s see how this one compares!
I got a message from my pal Moses over at Paldo America while back asking if I’d like to review some instant ramyun that hasn’t been put out yet but is being sampled with college students to see what they think. I was absolutely rceptive to the idea – prototype instant noodles sound very interesting! Let’s see how barbecue ramyun tastes – this is the first of two versions, the other I’ll try soon.
This is an interesting box. Why?
The new variety of Bibimyun!
But what the heck is this? Prototype ramyun! Paldo America sent three different prototypes – I believe this one is Mild Kokomen. The other two are barbecue flavor variants! Looking forward to trying! Thank you very much!
Hey look! A friend at Paldo America said he had something to send me!
It’s a pot! It’s square for square ramyun blocks!
I’ve been really lucky – the FedEx guy has been coming to my patio for ages when I have a package but he’s retired! This is the last box he brought me.
Today I’m trying something really interesting. This is Paldo’s new spicy octopus ramyun! I thought I couldn’t make this stuff without adding some octopus, but I’d never cooked it before and was a little reserved and slightly nervous. Octopus? Hey, why not! I went to the Korean grocery and picked some up. It was a bit of a surprise how many different kinds of packaged octopus there are. I settled on frozen baby octopus. Let’s see how it turns out!
Yesterday I saw the FedEx truck coming around the corner through the patio door window. They stopped. What’s nice is that the guy just parks and comes up to the window these days. Let’s see what inside!
It’s no secret that I eat a lot of instant noodles. Last year alone, I did 320 new reviews! I’m often asked, “when you aren’t reviewing, what instant noodles do you like to eat?” South Korean ramyun is the answer. In 1963, instant noodles were first introduced to South Korea as ‘ramyun.’ People were a little confused at first; they thought it was a textile! They also weren’t super keen on it being chicken flavored; South Koreans prefer rich beef flavors as opposed to lighter poultry tastes. With a little tweaking, the spicy rich beef noodles synonymous with ramyun were born. The thick noodles, rich broth and spiciness keep me coming back for more. This list contains my favorites from the 1272 reviews I’ve done thus far. They are all made in South Korea, and many will be hard to find in the United States, if not impossible. With that, here’s my list.
I’ve had lots of different versions of this. Today it’s the South Korean local one – not the export. Sounds really good to me! Let’s check it out!
On my Top Ten Spicy list, the package version of this is #1. Hottest thing ever – hands down! Well, they also sent me the cup version – let’s see how spicy this sucker’s gonna be!
