Category: South Korea

The Ramen Rater’s Global Top Ten Instant Noodle Bowls 2023 Edition

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The Ramen Rater's Global Top Ten Instant Noodle Bowls 2023 Edition

Been lagging on doing top ten list editing – my apologies. The weather’s been really good for walking, and in May I did over 500 miles. I included a special post at the bottom about it. I also included something of a change from how I’ve been doing things as well involving AI. Anyways, this is the annual The Ramen Rater’s Global Top Ten Instant Noodle Bowls – these are my favorite varieties out of review up to #4440 which are in the bowl style. Hope you enjoy! Top Ten Cups and Bottom Ten lists should be coming soon! ...see full post

#4483: Samyang Foods Buldak Yakisoba HOT Chicken Flavor Ramen – South Korea

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#4483: Samyang Foods Buldak Yakisoba HOT Chicken Flavor Ramen - South Korea

Big thanks to Pher Engi for sending this along. Have you seen this one? Figured I should get it out there soon as possible for everyone to see. Definitely a departure from the multiple creamy and cheesy flavors as of late. Let’s give it a try! ...see full post

#4475: Samyang Rosé Buldak Stir-fried Noodles – South Korea

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#4475: Samyang Rosé Buldak Stir-fried Noodles - South Korea

First – this doesn’t taste like roses. This was sent by The Fat Hipster – thanks man! So, rose is like a chili-cream kind of thing.  I tried a rabokki that was rose before and loved it, so we’ll give this a try with high hopes. I want to also thank Samyang Foods for something very exciting to hear – from the Korea Times: ‘For customers who are blind or visually impaired, the company for the first time printed Braille dots on the packaging of Rosé Buldak Stir-fried Noodles.’ This is referring to the cup versions. I think this is truly excellent. I’m legally blind and while I don’t read braille, I think some day I may need to. Really top notch of them – high marks from me. Let’s see if the flavor matches this kind innovation. ...see full post

#4467: Samyang Buldak Cream Carbonara Artificial Hot Chicken Flavor Ramen – South Korea

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Here’s one of the last two from The Fat Hipster – check him out on YouTube as he has eaten pumpkin spice cup noodles, topped with pumpkin spice spam, with whipped cream atop. This is really great. So these noodles are like an extra creamy carbonara as far as I can tell without knowing anything about them. But, I will cook them up and then do a mukbang where I eat them and I will let you know how they taste. Let’s get started. ...see full post

#4452: Samyang Buldak Jjamppong – South Korea

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#4452: Samyang Buldak Jjamppong - South Korea

Here’s another Buldak variety that came by way of The Fat Hipster – he’s got a great YouTube channel you should check out! This guy drank s’mores flavor Pepsi. You should really look at what he’s up to! ...see full post

#4438: Samyang Foods Buldak Lovely Hot – South Korea

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#4438: Samyang Foods Buldak Lovely Hot - South Korea

A big thank you to The Fat Hipster from YouTube for sending this over – so I figured this sounds like a good place to start. Why? Well, I realized in my post schedule for YouTube that this would come on Valentine’s Day, so hearts, Valentine’s day – not an extreme stretch. This appears to be a less spicy version – but it’s also got something else going on. The packaging scheme looks a lot like Buldak Light. ...see full post

#4430: Nongshim Shin Kimchi Big Bowl – South Korea

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#4430: Nongshim Shin Kimchi Big Bowl - South Korea

I’ve a couple fascinating varieties from the Shin range by Nongshim which came by way of  The Fat Hipster – thanks man! He’s got a YouTube channel where does reviews you should check out. This is one I though was only in the UK but from the labeling it’s distributed throughout Europe – there fore its getting the South Korea stamp as it’s not just for one country but many.  Let’s give it a try! ...see full post

#4424: Dongwon Spicy Topokki With Rose Sauce – South Korea

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#4424: Dongwon Dpicy Topokki With Rose Sauce - South Korea

I thought this one was a combo tteokbokki and noodle like the other one I reviewed a little while ago but that isn’t the case. Rose is when you have a carbonara and a spicy tteokbokki sauce mixed together – spicy and creamy. I couldn’t just let it be so I made it and it’s freaking good – here you go. ...see full post

#4421: Ottogi Kimchi Ramen – South Korea

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#4282: Ottogi Kimchi Ramen - South Korea

So this one might look like a variety simply for the US market but there’s a difference. The nutrition facts are valid for Canada as well. This one get’s the country of origin’s tag on it, although it’s most certainly an export product. It’s been quite a while since I’ve reviewed a South Korean variety I’ve not reviewed. Quite a while! Let’s hit it up and give it a try! ...see full post

#4413: Ottogi Spicy Cheese Ramen – South Korea

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#4413: Ottogi Spicy Cheese Ramen - South Korea

Been wanting to try this one for a while – Ottogi makes some good ones. My favorite has been the Jin Jjamppong – nice smoky seafood flavor. Let’s give this one a try! ...see full post

#4395: Wellheim Seoul Topokki – Jjajang – South Korea

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#4395: Wellheim Seoul Topokki - Jjajang - South Korea

Nope it’s not ramen so don’t start, but it was on the ramen aisle at local store Boo Han Market in Edmonds, Washington. Let’s check it out! ...see full post

The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten South Korean Instant Noodles Of All Time 2023 Edition

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The Ramen Rater's Top Ten South Korean Instant Noodles Of All Time 2023 Edition

After a couple years, here’s The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten South Korean Instant Noodles Of All Time 2023 Edition. It’s been a sort of tough go lately; so few new Korean varieties have crossed my desk. Usually they’ve all been ultra spicy ones, and while good, they’ve not been ones that are top ten listers. There should be a few new ones to the list for next years list that have yet to be published, though. If you’ve an instant noodle company in South Korea, I’d love to review your products. I used to receive samples from the larger companies quite often, but unfortunately not so much recently. This list is comprised of varieties from South Korea that I’ve reviewed up to my 4,300th review. With that, here’s The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten South Korean Instant Noodles Of All Time 2023 Edition! ...see full post

#4362: Chilkap Perilla Seeds Korean Style Pasta – South Korea

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#4362: Chilkap Perilla Seeds Korean Style Pasta - South Korea

Found this one at Boo Han Market last weekend at the end of July. So, this isn’t ramen, it’s something called sujebi. Looks different that’s for sure. Let’s try it out! ...see full post

#4359: Nu Rea Red Kimchi Udon – South Korea

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#4359: Nu Rea Red Kimchi Udon - South Korea

Another one from S-Mart. There’s a different one which is Black Kimchi flavor – Should be about the same is my guess but red. I remember the black one was a little sweet – maybe this one’s more spicy? Guess only one way to find out. ...see full post

#4350: Paldo Bibim Tteokbokki – South Korea

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#4350: Paldo Bibim Tteokbokki - South Korea

This comes by way of BNB Global – thanks! So Bibim Men is a cold noodle dish – you cook and drain the noodle, rinse with cold water and then add the sauce. This is a variety of tteokbokki, rice cake tubes which are soft and thoroughly enjoyable. This uses the same type of sauce as in the cold noodle, however it’s hot. I don’t think chilling tteokbokki would work so well – probably would make them tough. Regardless, this sounds interesting and I’m very interested. Let’s give it a try! ...see full post

#4349: Paldo Stir-Fried Noodle With Spicy Soy Sauce – South Korea

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#4349: Paldo Stir-Fried Noodle With Spicy Soy Sauce - South Korea

This is an interesting one. While it says it is a stir-fried chicken flavor, below that it mentioned it has artificial chicken and beef flavor. I’m very curious – it sounds interesting. I’m excited as I’ll be reviewing some more Paldo stuff soon. Let’s check this one out – I think I found it at S*Mart in Bellevue, Washington. ...see full post

The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Spiciest Instant Noodles Of All Time 2023 Edition

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NOTE – THE 2024 LIST IS OUT – CHECK IT OUT HERE

The Ramen Rater's Top Ten Spiciest Instant Noodles Of All Time 2023 Edition

It’s true – some like it hot. This list is comprised of the hottest varieties I’ve tried – that are currently available as far as I can tell. In prior years, there were some that were so hot that the #1 on here was like cotton candy. That being said, I’m guessing there weren’t many repeat customers. At the bottom, you’ll see those varieties. This list is current as of review #4300. Let’s get spicy with The Ramen Rater’s Spiciest Instant Noodles Of All Time 2023 Edition! ...see full post

The Fat Hipster Sends Myriad Spicy Korean Varieties

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The Fat Hipster Sends Myriad Spicy Korean Varieties

The Fat Hipster is a fellow ramen afficionado and has a great review channel on YouTube – check it out! He sent a box with a ton of varieties I haven’t tried before – let’s have a look! ...see full post

#4305: Nu Rea Udon Black Original – South Korea

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#4305: Nu Rea Udon Black Original - South Korea306

Here’s another interesting one, this time from South Korea. Really no clue what the ‘black’ entails, although there’s another one of these bowls that says ‘red’ on it. Let”s give it a try. ...see full post

#4575: Nongshim Shin Ramyun Bokkeummyeon – South Korea

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#4431: Nongshim Shin Ramyun Bokkeummyeon - South Korea

Here’s another neat and never before seen Shin variety that was sent by The Fat Hipster – Shin Bokkeummyeon. Basically, it’s a dry version of Shin – also looks to be spicy from the packaging. I hope it’s good – let’s find out! ...see full post

#4302: Surasang Kimchi Janchi Guksu – South Korea

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#4302: Surasang Kimchi Janchi Guksu - South Korea

Another super recent find from S-Mart. This one sounded like it would be good. This is definitely for export, but for multiple countries so it’lll get the South Korea label instead of for a specific country being exported to. Let’s try some kimchi noodle soup! ...see full post

#4296: Paldo Teumsae Stir-Fried Ramen – South Korea

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#4296: Paldo Teumsae Stir-Fried Ramen - South Korea

If you’ve been following my reviews lately, you might wonder why this isn’t marked as for the USA – but the thing is if you look, it’s in English as well as French. This definitely means this is for the US and Canada – so, since I can’t pin it down for one or the other, this one gets the country of origin’s stamp on the review. ...see full post

#4290: Sempio Korean Anchovy Noodle Soup – South Korea

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#4290: Sempio Korean Anchovy Noodle Soup - South Korea

Here’s the second of two Sempio varieties I found recently. This one’s anchovy flavor. Sounds simple enough. Their noodles are unique, that’s for sure. Let’s give this a try! ...see full post

#4280: Sempio Korean Spicy Noodle Soup – South Korea

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#4280: Sempio Korean Spicy Noodle Soup - South Korea

You know, I can’t find anything anywhere about this one and what it’s actually called; I’m guess it’s an apt title, and the label looks to be an import label from the actual company itself. However, I bet the name is different. I bet. A dollar. I have a dollar. I’d have to open the piggy bank to get the cash out, but I’m good for a buck. It’s definitely a rice noodle as opposed to a wheat noodle – and I’m guessing that would be mentioned on the packaging. I looked further on the Sempio website – ...see full post

#4275: Ollebadang Jeju Red-Banded Lobster Cup Ramen – South Korea

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#4275: Ollebadang Jeju Red-Banded Lobster Cup Ramen - South Korea

It took a little finagling to wrap my head around this one – insofar as translation. Bar code was a no-go and the only English text referred to the caloric content and not much else. But what helped was that phone number with the 070 prefix. Boom! They were even kind enough to have an English version of their website. So, let’s check out this South Korean variety! ...see full post

Two New Buldak Varieties Arrive To Try!

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Two New Buldak Varieties Arrive To Try!

Here’s something I bet you didn’t know about! Two new varieties joining the popular Buldak range! Big thanks to MH for sending these along! Well, have a look – people are having trouble finding them, but I’m guessing if you look really hard you will. ...see full post

BNB Global / CCC Sends Great Paldo Ramen Varieties

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BNB Global / CCC Sends Great Paldo Ramen Varieties

I recently got an email from a company called BNB Global who is a big distributor for Paldo products here in the US. Paldo is a South Korean company that makes some great varieties – some of which I haven’t tried yet – here’s a special look at some of these new varieties! Enjoy and check ’em out! ...see full post

Exotic Pizza Party! Indomie Pizza! Bibim Men Pizza!

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Exotic Pizza Party! Indomie Pizza! Bibim Men Pizza!

Welcome to my newest installment of my experimentation with instant noodles and breads/pizza dough! This one was a real win IMHO – both came out exceedingly well! First, I made an Indomie pie which presented some questions – how do I make the sauce? Butter. How about a cold pizza with Paldo Bibim Men? Never baked a pizza that would be refrigerated before serving. It’s summer and really hot here right now. Cold sounds good. I’ll give you the recipes for both which are pretty simple. Let’s hit it! ...see full post

#4204: Yopokki Kimchi Rapokki – South Korea

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#4204: Yopokki Kimchi Rapokki - South Korea

Okay so for those of you who don’t know what tteokbokki is, you needsta figure that out because it’s really quite nice! This is both tteokbokki and ramyun; hence, rabokki. Let’s give this a try. ...see full post

Stuffed Shin Black Bread!

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I know you’re wondering ‘why does he do these things?’ I pose the opposite question – ‘why don’t you do these things?’ I’ll be honest – I’m playing with food. It’s something different to try. Sometimes it doesn’t work, but I’m finding many times it does work and it works pretty well! Let’s make some stuffed bread with a popular variety! ...see full post

Buldak 2x! MAMA Green Curry! Ramen Pizza 2.0!

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Buldak 2x! MAMA Green Curry! Ramen Pizza 2.0!

Well folks, it’s been a hot summer’s day here in Gallagher’s Corners… Oh wait scratch that. I’m in Kenmore, Washington… Regardless, it hit 94 degrees today and we live in an apartment with an air conditioner, but at 11pm it’s still 80 degrees. Nasty. ...see full post

Shin Ramyun & MyKuali Tom Yum Pizzas!

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Well, it’s been a long time coming, but here we are. It’s pizza time. I could go into detail to start with, but let me just say – this pizza is wonderful and I’ll tell you how to make it. Probably the best bready thing I’ve ever made. Before we start, let me say this also – if you’re looking for a pizza crust from instant noodles, you will not find that here. What I’ve found is that instant noodles are best as is and not screwed around with too much. A filling for bread, but not part of the dough.  Let’s begin. ...see full post

The Definitive Guide To Samyang Buldak 2.0

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Definitive Guide Series – Maruchan Ramen Noodle SoupSamyang Buldak * Nongshim Shin Ramyun * Indomie Mi Goreng ...see full post

#4138: Paldo Teumsae Stir-Fried Ramen – South Korea

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#4138: Paldo Teumsae Stir-Fried Ramen - South Korea

Thanks to Jessica K. for clueing me in about this stuff! She said it’s good stuff and I got a good deal on it on Amazon so figured what the heck. Anyways, this is a dry version of Paldo’s Teumsae and a mukbang sounds good – only 18 degrees Fahrenheit outside right now. Let’s give it a try! ...see full post

#4128: Paldo Teumsae Cheese Tteokbokki – South Korea

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#4128: Paldo Teumsae Cheese Tteokbokki - South Korea

Here’s one from James in Lakeside, CA – thanks again! Wow – this looks burly. I had to read around to verify cooking instructions and they aren’t hard to cook – just wanted to do it right. This will be my first mukbang I’ve done in ages – not only that, I’ve been hardcore on diet and exercise lately, so not only will it be spicy, it’s going to be a gut buster. Egad. Let’s give it a shot! ...see full post

#4068: Jongga Rabokki Ganjang Stir Fried Noodles With Korean Style Teriyaki Sauce – South Korea

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#4068: Jongga Rabokki Ganjang Stir Fried Noodles With Korean Style Teriyaki Sauce - South Korea

Here’s one that came by way of James of Lakeside Californica – thanks again! This brand has particularly good kimchi varieties – curious how this one will be. Let’s check it out! ...see full post

The Definitive Guide To Nongshim Shin Ramyun Noodles

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The Definitive Guide To Nongshim Shin Ramyun Noodles

Definitive Guide Series – Maruchan Ramen Noodle SoupSamyang Buldak * Nongshim Shin Ramyun * Indomie Mi Goreng
UPDATE 3/15/2023 – Added Shin Vegan cup
UPDATE 3/12/2023 – Added section referring to new Shin Gold and Shin Green US variants.

Back in 1986, a South Korean company called Nongshim 농심 (which translates to Farmer’s Heart), introduced a product called Shin Ramyun. Since then it has been one of the most popular varieties around the world. In this post, I’ll do a deep dive into the product – a tear down of the package and it’s contents, my tips of preparation, and some things you might not know about it. While not my favorite variety I’ve tried, chances are it may be yours. I run a group called Ramen Junkies on Facebook and the topic and focus of the bulk of posts on there surround this product. ...see full post

#4031: GB Company Devil Of Fire Buldak – South Korea

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#4031: GB Company Devil Of Fire Buldak - South Korea

Another one sent by The Fat Hipster – thanks again! So this is by the same folks as did the other Devil Of Fire Bulmawang variety, however this one is without broth. Very curious how this will go. Let’s find out – mukbang below! ...see full post

#4030: Yeomradaewang ‘Spiciest Ramen In The World’ – South Korea

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#4030: Yeomradaewang 'Spiciest Ramen In The World' - South Korea

A big thanks and shout out to The Fat Hipster for shooting this one over – been curious about it and thought today would be a good day to see how strong the burn is. The name translates to King Of Hell – let’s see how fiery this guy is. ...see full post

The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Spiciest Instant Noodles Of All Time 2022 Edition

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The Ramen Rater's Top Ten Spiciest Instant Noodles Of All Time 2022 Edition

One thing I’ve noticed – spicy is in. This list tends to be the most popular on my website The Ramen Rater every single day. People just want to get all the spicy they can get. Why is that? Spicy is intense. Spicy compliments flavor. Spicy will knock you on your butt. The challenge and chase for the endorphin rush that ultra spicy things give people is extremely tempting for many. These are the spiciest varieties I’ve had the opportunity to sample as of my 3,950th review. Ready to burn? Let’s get to The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Spiciest Instant Noodles Of All Time 2022 Edition. ...see full post