Category: South Korea

#2873: Samyang Foods Korean Gomtang

#2784: Samyang Foods Korean Gomtang

It seems like almost everything that comes from South Korea is spicy, doesn’t it? Well, let’s break that concept right here. Gomtang isn’t spicy at all – it’s milky and beefy! Herte’s a little about it from Wikipedia – ...see full post

The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodle Bowls Of All Time 2018 Edition

The Ramen Rater's Top Ten Instant Noodle Bowls Of All Time 2018 Edition

It’s time for another top ten list and this time it’s The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodle Bowls Of All Time 2018 Edition! The first list debuted in 2013 – I can’t believe this is the sixth list! As always – if you are a company who would like me to review your products, please contact me via the contact link – I want to talk to you! These are my favorite instant noodle bowl selections from my over 2800 reviews to date. Let’s get started! ...see full post

#2840: Samyang Foods Potato Ramen

#2840: Samyang Foods Potato Ramen

Spud noodles! I’ve liked pretty much every potato noodle variety I’ve tried. Potatoes are a good way to increase the chewiness of noodles in a pretty inexpensive way. Potatoes are pretty easy to produce I’m guessing – just find some land and throw stuff in the ground and sooner or later – hey – potatoes. Well, let’s check this one out! ...see full post

Spicy Noodle Mukbang: Paldo Cheddar Cheese Ramyun

Spicy Noodle Mukbang: Paldo Cheddar Cheese Ramyun

If you didn’t know I do a lot of YouTube videos on my channel. A lot. Tons of Unboxing Time With The Ramen Rater and lots of Spicy Noodle Mukbang as well. I rarely post the Spicy Noodle Mukbang stuff on the site but I wanted to with this one. ...see full post

Unboxing Time: New Samyang Foods Samples

Okay you definitely know Samyang Foods by now – fire noodles and all. They keep coming out with new products all the time and keep sending them my way which I thoroughly appreciate! Thank you! Let’s crack this big box open and have a look! ...see full post

The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2018 Edition

NEW LIST FOR 2019 – CHECK IT OUT HERE

The Ramen Rater's Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2018 Edition

Well, it’s that time again. Since the last The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time list came out , I’ve reviewed 383 different varieties. I want to thank the companies and individuals who have sent me varieties I could not easily get. Incidentally, all of these are reviewed the same way – I follow instructions to the letter and taste each variety before I add any external garnish.. I figure that a naked bowl of noodles every day would be quite boring, plus it has given many ideas on what to add to them. As always, if you are an instant noodle company  or a reader who wants me to try one that I’ve not, please contact me. With that, let’s have a look at the top ten for 2018 – the finest and most memorable instant noodles I’ve tried. ...see full post

#2787: Samyang Foods Mala Buldak Bokkeummyun Bowl

#2787: Samyang Foods Mala Buldak Bokkeummyun Bowl

I’ve been kind of on a weird crusade lately. It has come to my attention that the popular Mala variety of Buldak Bokkeummyun is being touted by many people across the Interwebs as 4x Spicy. This is totally untrue – it’s really more like 0.5x. I did an informative video presentation about it – check it out here! ...see full post

#2784: Samyang Foods Jjajang Buldak Bokkeummyun

#2873: Samyang Foods Jjajang Buldak Bokkeummyun 짜장불닭볶음면

Alright, folks! Today I bring you the brand new Samyang Foods Jjajang Buldak Bokkeummyun. 1,920 SHU is the heat level. But wait – what’s jjajang? Let’s find out with some info from Wikipedia! ...see full post

#2783: Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkeummyun Hot Chicken Flavor Squid

#2783: Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkeummyun Hot Chicken Flavor Squid

What we have here is a squid snack – what’s that you ask? Well, they dehydrate squid somehow and seasoning it. I read once there was a a package of this kind of thing that said ‘chewing gum of Asians. Here’s some background on this from Wikipedia – ...see full post

#2769: Ottogi Kimchi Ramen

#2769: Ottogi Kimchi Ramen

Another one I found in Taiwan. This one is quite interesting as far as the packaging goes. Not only do you see Korean print but Chinese as well. This product is definitely for sale in Taiwan only – an export version. As far as the recipe changing from place to place, I have no clue. Here’s a little about kimchi from Wikipedia – ...see full post

Unboxing Time: New Samyang Jjajang Buldak Bokkeummyun

Unboxing Time: New Samyang Jjajang Buldak Bokkeummyun

OK, so on the chat which you might see on the lower right hand corner, I’ve fielded more questions about Samyang Foods’ Buldak Bokkeummyun (Fire Noodle) range than on anything else. Actually, the most prevalent questions have been whether one is spicier than the other and whether they’re HALAL or not. This is a special unboxing because within is a new variety – Jjajang! Let’s crack it open and have a look! ...see full post

#2758: Gookmul Knight Of Ribs

I don’t know if this one came before or after the famous ‘special edition lobster’ variety by this company, but this looks like it’s going to be quite a different variety. Here’s a little about ribs in Korea – ...see full post

#2729: Samyang Foods Kimchi Song Song Ramen

#2729: Samyang Foods Kimchi Song Song Ramen ramyun ramyeon spicy buldak stir

Today we have Song Song Kimchi Ramen. These fermented cabbage varieties out of South Korea are among my favorites. I really like the tangy as well as bright, spicy flavors. Kimchi is interesting; it’s cabbage as well as many other ingredients that is allowed to ferment for an amount of time. ...see full post

Unboxing Time: Exotic Noods February Green Box

Unboxing Time: Exotic Noods February Green Box

Another month, another box from Exotic Noods! The Feburary Green Box has a multitude of varieties – all hailing this time from South Korea to coincide with the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. Let’s crack it open and have a look at what’s inside! ...see full post

#2723: No Brand Delicious Ramen

#2723: No Brand Delicious Ramen - South Korea

Here’s one I found at a Carrefour on my trip to Taiwan in November of 2017. Okay, so it says No Brand. I think that’s pretty evident – and it also says Delicious Ramen. That too is nondescript. I searched for the bar code and found nothing from the pack code and very little from the 5 pack code – basically that it is what it is. An eBay seller had it marked as ‘Korean Noodle Ramyun Rameon’ although that’s a little less than what it says in English on the pack already. My thought is that this might just be a store brand but who knows. Ah ha – I just looked it up by the phone number on the package – 080-023-8593 – and it comes up with a lot of Paldo stuff. Perhaps this is by Paldo. Anyways, I’m guessing it’s time to crack this open and look within. ...see full post

The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten South Korean Instant Noodles Of All Time 2018 Edition

UPDATE: Here’s the new 2019 List!

Top Ten South Korean Instant Noodles

Kicking off Top Ten List season, I bring you the South Korean Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time for 2018. I looked at how many varieties from South Korea I’ve reviewed to date and got 326 so far. South Korean varieties continue to evolve and innovate in different ways in order to satisfy the changing needs and tastes of the consumer – definitely keeps things interesting. As always, I ask any companies, whether in South Korea or elsewhere – that would like me to review their products to send me an email! I am happy to talk to you!  Without further delay, let’s have a look at the Top Ten South Korean Instant Noodles list for 2018 – the best South Korean varieties available out of the over 360 South Korean varieties from the over 2,500 varieties of instant noodles I’ve reviewed thus far. ...see full post

The 0.5x Spicy Mala Fire Noodle Challenge

Here we are again with the Fire Noodle Challenge. This is the Samyang Foods Mala Buldak Bokkeummyun. So, all over YouTube, people are wincing and screaming as they choke down packs of Mala – why? Well, for some reason, they are under the impression that it’s 4x spicy. Don’t get me wrong – it’s quite spicy – it’ll kick your butt. But it is a far cry from the 2x Spicy Nuclear Fire Noodle, that’s for sure. ...see full post

#2680: Samyang Foods Carbo Buldak Bokkeummyun

#2772: Samyang Foods Carbo Buldak Bokkeummyun fire noodle challenge carbonara

Yay! Another new variety of the popular Buldak Bokkeummyun ‘Fire Noodle Challenge’ series. This one’s called Carbo. At first, I saw the name and the heart and thought low carbohydrate, but that’s definitely not the case here. ...see full post

Unboxing Time: Samyang Foods Carbo Buldak Bokkeummyun + More

Unboxing Time: Samyang Foods Carbo Buldak Bokkeummyun + More

Got this big box of fascination and had to wait a whole day before I had the chance to do the video unboxing! This was a serious struggle but that’s what I do for you – you get to see what’s in the boxes I do the videos of at the same time I do! Let’s tear into it! ...see full post

Special Report: 4x Spicy Fire Noodles Do Not Exist

Special Report: 4x Spicy Fire Noodles Do Not Exist

fter seeing multiple posts and videos and online stores advertising for a 4x version of the popular Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkeummyun hot chicken noodle, I felt it required me to make a statement. ...see full post

#2668: Samyang Foods Wasa-Mayo Ramen

#2668: Samyang Foods Wasa-Mayo Ramen

I’ve had this for a little while – just sitting and waiting for me to give it a try. With the prodding of my readers, today is the day. People seem to be really interested in this one! Here’s what Samyang Foods had to say about it – ...see full post

#2650: Paldo Flaming Hot Savoury Cheese Noodle

#2650: Paldo Flaming Hot Savoury Cheese Noodle - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - ramyun

Well, the little cheese guy has gone from a place of meekness to one of anger. Let me show you.

#2650: Paldo Flaming Hot Savoury Cheese Noodle - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - ramyun ...see full post

#2648: Paldo Bulnak Pan Stirfried Noodle

#2648: Paldo Bulnak Pan Stirfried Noodle - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - bokkeummyun

Today we have an interesting little cup of noodles from South Korea – a little spicy one. This has been on my top ten spicy list for a while now and it’s some mean stuff. ...see full post

#2644: Ottogi Budae Jjigae Ramen

#2644: Ottogi Budae Jjigae Ramen - South Korea - The Ramen Rater

The first time I’d heard about Budae Jigae instant noodles was when I read an article in my nes feed about this brand making one. So what is budae jjigae? Let’s have a look at this from Wikipedia – ...see full post

#2637: Samyang Foods Jjajang Big Bowl

#2637: Samyang Foods Jjajang Big Bowl - South Korea - The Ramen Rater

I’ve tried the pack version of this and it was some of the best I’ve had. I really like that the South Korean companies have now adopted the wider thick noodle in a lot of products. These have a little extra character and are very good. So Jjajang usually begins the word jjajangmyeon – basically a noodle with black bean sauce. Let’s see how the bowl version of this product fares. ...see full post

#2634: Samyang Foods Ramen Bokki

#2534: Samyang Foods Ramen Bokki - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles ramen

Oh hey, ramen bokki! So this is a fusion of two foods: South Korean ramyun and one of the words I would say I’ve seen spelled about a zillion different ways, tteokbokki. Tteokbokki are big chewy tubes made from rice flour and they’re really good. Usually, it’s made with a spicy and sweet sauce, egg, fish cake, etc. Good stuff! So this is that but instead of with the rice tubes, you get the noodles. Let’s check it out! ...see full post

#2628: Wang Asian Style Noodle Seafood Udon

#2629: Wang Asian Style Noodle Seafood Udon - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

I know we found this one while out at a store somewhere… Hmmm… I want to say that this was at Asian Food Center on 130th and Aurora in north Seattle. If I’m correct this was the day of sad dim sum. ...see full post

#2623: Samyang Foods Assorted Vegetable Ramen

#2623: Samyang Foods Assorted Vegetable Ramen - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles ramyun

I’ve always loved the beef flavor, spiciness, and thick noodles that define ramyun. I’ve noticed in the past few years a few brands coming out with vegetable flavor ramyun – and they’ve all been pretty good! Looking forward to giving this one a try today! ...see full post

#2620: Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkeummyun Stew

Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkeummyun Stew - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

This is the only variety of Samyang Foods’ Buldak Bokkeummyun series to have a broth. Spicy chicken stew sounds good, and it is – at least the pack version was really good. There are usually some differences between packs and bowls. Mainly, bowls are almost always steeped, so the noodles may come out a little different than being continuously boiled. Also, bowls sometimes have extra ingredient sachets. Let’s give this one a try and check out this super spicy variety! ...see full post

#2616: Gookmul Special Edition Lobster Flavor Potato Instant Noodles

#2616: Gookmul Special Edition Lobster Flavor Potato Instant Noodles - Soiuth Korea - The Ramen Rater

I’ve been waiting to get my hands on this one for a while and thanks to Jay H. for sending it my way from Taiwan, I’ve got one! These are from South Korea, but they’re very popular in Southeast Asia currently and very curious as to why. ...see full post

#2614: Samyang Foods Chacharoni

#2614: Samyang Foods Chacharoni - South Korea - The Ramen Rater

Chacharoni is a play on words. Jjajang kind of sounds like ‘cha cha’ and the roni calls to noodles. There are other plays on words in the South Korean industry when it comes to jjajangmyeon. So basically what you have here is a thick noodle with a black bean sauce – also known as jjajang. Here’s a little about jjajangmyeon from Wikipedia – ...see full post

#2603: Paldo Pororo Jjajang Noodle

#2603: Paldo Pororo Jjajang Noodle - South Korea - The Ramen Raster - Instant Noodle

Here’s yet another one I found up in Canada in July of 2017! Found this at HMart after having a really great dim sum lunch with some new friends at Aberdeen Centre in Richmond, BC. Okay, so Jjajang is a black bean sauce noodle. But Pororo? Let’s look at Wikipedia – ...see full post

#2597: Nongshim Neoguri Stir-Fry Noodles Spicy Seafood

#2579: Nongshim Neoguri Stir-Fry Noodles Spicy Seafood - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - neoguri bokkeum

I have long recognized this package – except this one has a twist! These have no broth. Here’s a little from Wikipedia about Neoguri – ...see full post

#2594: Samyang Foods Yulmu Bibimmyun

#2594: Samyang Foods Yulmu Bibimmyun - South Korea - The Ramen Rater

Here’s a spicy one from South Korea. Not just spicy but cold, bibimmyun is a favorite in South Korea during the summer months. Usually accompanied by a bright and spicy sauce, bibimmyun brings a strong taste to the table. This variety mentions yulmu. Yulmu (also known as Job’s Tears) is used in order to make yulmu-cha, a tea enjoyed in South Korea. ...see full post

#2589: Nongshim Mr. Bibim Korean Spicy Chicken Flavour

#2589: Nongshim Mr. Bibim Korean Spicy Chicken Flavour - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles ramen noodle soup bibimbap

Hot and spicy Korean fried chicken. Hmm – where have I heard that before? Well, I definitely like the real thing that I’ve had in the past – K-fried chicken is really the bomb – especially the spicy – and if you get a chance to try it you’ll be pretty happy about it I think. ...see full post

#2581: Samyang Foods Curry Buldak Bokkeummyun

#2581: Samyang Foods Curry Buldak Bokkeummyun - South Korea - fire noodle challenge - the ramen rater

I’ve reviewed the pack version of this one and now it’s time for the bowl. A few months ago I did a series of seriously spicy reviews for my guide to this series. Let’s see if my palate still can handle the heat! ...see full post

#2575: Samyang Foods Kimchi Song Song Ramen

#2575: Samyang Foods Kimchi Song Song Ramen - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

Today we have Song Song Kimchi Ramen. Kimchi varieties out of South Korea are among my favorites. I really like the tangy as well as bright, spicy flavors. Kimchi is interesting; it’s cabbage as well as many other ingredients that is allowed to ferment for an amount of time. ...see full post

#2568: Nongshim Mr. Bibim Stir Fried Kimchi Flavour

#2568: Nongshim Mr. Bibim Stir Fried Kimchi Flavour - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - ramyun

So I have a new contact named Danny at Nongshim Korea – one of the guys from Happy Souper helped me get a hold of him via email – thanks! Danny was kind enough to send along these new Mr. Bibim varieties. They’re dry noodles with a liquid base and kimchi included. Here’s a little about kimchi from wikipedia – ...see full post

#2561: Paldo Premium Gomtang

#2561: Paldo Premium Gomtang - South Korea - 곰탕 - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

Colin from Massachusetts was kind enough to shoot this one my way! Thanks again! So Gomtang is a flavor I really like -it’s kind of like a creamy beef soup broth. What’s kind of funny is that I’ve only sampled Gomtang made by Paldo. I know there are other brands making it in South Korea, yet I’ve never found any here. Let’s look up[ Gomtang on Wikipedia: ...see full post

#2555: Samyang Foods Kimchi Song Song Ramen Big Bowl

#2555: Samyang Foods Kimchi Song Song Ramen Big Bowl - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

Today we have Song Song Kimchi Ramen. Kimchi varieties out of South Korea are among my favorites. I really like the tangy as well as bright, spicy flavors. Kimchi is interesting; it’s cabbage as well as many other ingredients that is allowed to ferment for an amount of time. ...see full post