Category Archives: Ottogi

The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten South Korean Instant Noodles Of All Time 2019 Edition

It’s January 2019, and so it is time for the first of many Top Ten Lists. I always start the year with the latest South Korean Top ten. This list was compiled as of posting 3,058 unique reviews of instant noodles, 349 of which are South Korean. All varieties are manufactured in South Korea. If you are a company interested in having your products showcased, please drop me a line. Let’s begin!

The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten South Korean Instant Noodles Of All Time 2019 Edition

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The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten South Korean Instant Noodles Of All Time 2019 Edition

#10: Nongshim Shin Ramyun Black

When Shin Ramyun Black came onto the scene a few years back it was a huge hit and still is. An upgraded version of their popular shin Ramyun, it includes a sachet of Sul-Long-Tang soup base which gives an extra heartiness to the broth. Thick ramyun noodles and a spicy bite round out the scene. It took me some time to get a pack made in South Korea, a requirement of this this. Original review Get it here

#9: Paldo Cheese Noodle

Paldo’s Cheese Noodle has been on the list for awhile now and with good reason. The way the cheese intermingles with the red spicy broth is amazingly good. The noodles are nice and thick ramyun and there’s a large quantity of them. Definitely one that everyone should try – and now there’s a spicier version on the market. Original review Get it here

#8: Nongshim Champong Noodle Soup Spicy Seafood Flavor

Nongshim Champong is a spicy seafood noodle soup. It combines what you are used to with the beefiness of a standard Korean ramyun but replaces the beef with seafood flavor. This more ‘of the sea’ variety works very well with the chewy ramyun noodle. It’s kind of like a seafood stew to be honest. Excellent when paired with seafood. Original review Get it here

#7: Nongshim Neoguri Stir-fry Noodles Spicy Seafood

Neoguri Spicy Seafood Soup is a long time favorite of many and now it’s been converted in this new version as a dry noodle, sans broth. To be honest, I like this much better – not only does it have the great flavor of Neoguri, it’s got a plethora of garnish included – featuring little pieces of fishcake with the raccoon mascot on them. Original review Get it here

#6: Paldo Rabokki Noodle

To understand Paldo’s Rabokki Noodle, you have to understand tteokbokki. It’s also spelled topokki – but however you spell it, tteokbokki are thick cylindrical rice tubes that have a nice chewiness to them. They’re often paired with a thick red sauce which is spicy as well as sweet and served with fishcake, egg and other garnish. These noodles are paired with the sauce in a very tasty representation and crossover of the dish. Original review Get it here

#5: Ottogi Jin Jjambbong Spicy Seafood Ramyun

Ottogi’s Jin series added a couple of new varieties recently, and this is my favorite of the two. During a recent trip to Taipei, I went to a restaurant called Love Instant Noodleswhere they doll up packs of instant noodles and serve them piping hot. This is the one I chose from their selection. Jjambbong is a kind of spicy stew and this one has a nice kind of grilled flavor to it, alongside the popular broader ramyun currently spreading around – great stuff! Original review Get it here

#4: Paldo Budae Jjigae

Here we have 2017’s #1 from this list and it was also on the annual The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2017 list. So, what’s Budae Jjigae? Well, take donated rations from US soldiers from the Korean War and mix them with the local South Korean cuisine. This interesting fusion works so well including tastes from both cultures. Original review Get it here

#3: Ottogi Budae Jjigae Ramen

Ottogi also has a Budae Jjigae – and it’s my favorite of the varieties to spring onto the market in the last couple years. With bits of processed meats and other niceties, it combines with South Korean flavors into a crescendo of tasty goodness. Budae Jjigae translates to ‘troop stew’ or army stew’ as it originated from donated rations from US forces during the Korean War. Original review Get it here

#2: Samyang Foods Samyang Ramen Spicy Flavor

This last year I’ve really fallen for Samyang Ramen – both the regular and spicy version. It’s a bit different from most South Korean varieties as they usually lean towards beef, these have a ham flavor. The thick, chewy noodles and the rich and very tasty broth bring these to this list this year, and while I type this, my mouth is watering just thinking about it. Original review Get it here

#1: Gookmul Knight Of Ribs

With imagery heralding to days of yore, a very unique and tasty one from South Korea tops this year’s list. A thick noodle is complimented with a retort pouch (a metallic sachet) which brings a sweet and savory sauce full of real pork – really like a pulled-pork noodle. What’s surprising is that this was the first variety I’ve found with one of these from South Korea – and it was excellent. Original review Get it here

#2769: Ottogi Kimchi Ramen

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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 –

Kimchi (/ˈkɪmtʃiː/; Korean: 김치, translit. gimchi, IPA: [kim.tɕʰi]), a staple in Korean cuisine, is a traditional side dish made from salted and fermented vegetables, most commonly napa cabbage and Korean radishes, with a variety of seasonings including chili powder, scallions, garlic, ginger, and jeotgal (salted seafood).^[1]^[2] There are hundreds of varieties of kimchi made with different vegetables as the main ingredients.^[3]^[4] In traditional preparations, kimchi was stored underground in jars to keep cool, and unfrozen during the winter months.^[2] With the rise of technology, kimchi refrigerators are more commonly used to make kimchi.

I’ve been a fan of kimchi for a while – tasty and tangy and spicy. I’ve gotten a lot of reactions to it – most notably my friend Matt B. who literally freaked out and ran out of my kitchen when he smelled it. Honestly, I really don’t know why he had such a reaction – I really like it. Anyways, let’s give this variety a try.

Ottogi Kimchi Ramen – South Korea

Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Unsure whether it contains meat or not. Some interesting things here – lower right, it mentions insurance. In instructions, mentions seasonings and condiments – however there’s only a powder sachet. To prepare, add noodles and sachet contents to 550ml boiling water and cook for 4 minutes. Finally, stir and enjoy!

The noodle block.

The seasoning sachet.

Looks like powder and some vegetable matter.

Finished (click to enlarge). Added Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, spring onion, processed cheese and egg. The noodles are great – nice gauge ramyun with a kind of slick outer and chewier inner. The broth was nice as well – tangy kimchi hit to it. Good on the spicy as well. The aftertaste was a bit bitter. 3.5 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 8801045521312.

Ottogi, Instant K i m c h i Ramen, net weight 120 g (Pack of 2 pieces) / Beststore by KK8

An Ottogi TV spot – don’t you want to enjoy some mayonnaise right now?

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

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UPDATE: Here’s the new 2019 List!

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.

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

Video Presentation

A video presentation of the Top Ten South Korean Instant Noodles Of All Time 2018 Edition.

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

#10: Nongshim Shin Ramyun Black

#9: Paldo Cheese Noodle

#8: Nongshim Champong Noodle Soup Spicy Seafood Flavor

#7: Nongshim Neoguri Stir-fry Noodles Spicy Seafood

New to the market is Nongshim’s Neoguri Stir-Fry Noodles. Neoguri Spicy Seafood Soup is a long time favorite of many and now it’s been converted in this new version as a dry noodle, sans broth. To be honest, I like this much better – not only does it have the great flavor of Neoguri, it’s got a plethora of garnish included – featuring little pieces of fishcake with the raccoon mascot on them. Original review

#6: Paldo Rabokki Noodle

#5: Nongshin Chal Bibim Myun

Nongshim’s Chal Bibim Myun is a cold noodle which is great anytime, but especially during the summer months. A kind of sweet and spicy sauce coats the noodles and is also refreshing at the same time. Pairs very well with fresh cucumber and hard boiled egg. Original review

#4: Ottogi Jin Jjambbong Spicy Seafood Ramyun

Ottogi’s Jin series added a couple of new varieties recently, and this is my favorite of the two. During a recent trip to Taipei, I went to a restaurant called Love Instant Noodles where they doll up packs of instant noodles and serve them piping hot. This is the one I chose from their selection. Jjambbong is a kind of spicy stew and this one has a nice kind of grilled flavor to it, alongside the popular broader ramyun currently spreading around – great stuff! Original review

#3: Paldo Budae Jjigae

Here we have last year’s #1 on this list and it is also on the annual The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodles Of All Time 2017 annual list. So, what’s Budae Jjigae? Well, take donated rations from US soldiers from the Korean War and mix them with the local South Korean cuisine. This interesting fusion works so well including tastes from both cultures. Original review

#2: Ottogi Budae Jjigae Ramen

#1: Samyang Foods Paegaejang Ramen

The number one this is year is Samyang Foods Pagaejang. This is a very tasty beef noodle with strong flavor – a hearty broth and rich taste. The noodles are just perfect for me – a nice light outer edge and chewier insides. Definitely one to try and I hope it comes to the United States for all here to sample. Original review

#2644: Ottogi Budae Jjigae Ramen

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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 –

Budae-jjigae (부대찌개; literally “army base stew”) or sausage stew is a type of jjigae (stew), made with ham, sausage, baked beans, and kimchi.^[1] The dish was created shortly after the armistice that ended the Korean War, using the scrounged or smuggled surplus foods from the U. S. army bases.^[2] Although the dish was born in the period of post-war impoverishment, it continued to be popular during the period of rapid growth, and is still popular today. There are many restaurants specializing in budae-jjigae; the most famous ones on the budae-jjigae street in Uijeongbu, where the dish was first made. The dish is now a popular anju (accompaniment to alcoholic drinks) and a lunch item in college neighborhoods.^[3]^[2]

Budae (부대) is a military unit, often a “troop”. As a troop’s camp is also called budae, the word gun budae (군부대; “military camp”) is often used to refer to military camps in general, and migun budae (미군부대; “U. S. military camp”) to the U.S. military bases. Jjigae (찌개), often translated into “stew”, means a soup thicker than guk (soup).

After the Korean War, food was scarce in South Korea. People dwelling around U. S. army bases, in the Uijeongbu, Pyeongtaek, and Munsan areas made use of surplus foods from army bases, commonly processed meat products, collectively known as budae–gogi (부대고기; “army base meat”), such as ham, hot dogs, and Spam, along with canned baked beans.^[4]^[5] It is said that budae-jjigae begun as a buttery stir-fried snack made of sausages, ham, cabbages and onions to accompany makgeolli (rice wine), but later on, anchovy broth flavored with gochujang and kimchi was added to create the stew that is enjoyed today.^[4] The stew was also referred to as Jonseun-tang (존슨탕; “Johnson soup”), Johnson being the U. S. President Lyndon B. Johnson, who is said to have raved about the taste of the dish amid his visit to Korea.^[6] The ingredients were often scrounged or smuggled through a black market, as American products were not legally accessible to Koreans.^[2] During the military dictatorship of Park Chung-hee, the fact that Spam smuggling was an offense punishable by death made budae-jjigae even popular as an “intriguing” dish with illegal ingredients.

Budae-jjigae is still popular in South Korea. Common ingredients now include: Vienna sausage, bacon, tofu, pork, ground beef, instant noodles, macaroni, tteok (rice cake), American cheese, mozzarella, water-dropworts, scallions, chili peppers, garlic, mushrooms, and other vegetables in season.^[7] The city of Uijeongbu, which is bordered by Seoul to the south and has many army bases, is famous for its budae-jjigae. In the late 20th century, the city of Uijeongbu stipulated that the dish be referred to as Uijeongbu-jjigae to remove the military or war-time connotation in the name, though not many restaurants follow this guideline. Some restaurants have begun calling their product Uijeongbu-budae-jjigae. There is also what locals refer to as “Uijeongbu Budae-jjigae Street” where there is a high concentration of buddae-jjigae restaurants.^[8]^[9]

Just fascinating stuff! I really like when I find the history of a dish when it has really interesting origins. Let’s check out this budae jjigae from Ottogi.

Ottogi Budae Jjigae Ramen – South Korea

Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Unsure whether it contains meat but it looks like it does. To prepare, add noodle block and garnish sachet to 500ml boiling water and cook for 4 minutes. Add in liquid base sachet. Finally, stir and enjoy!

The noodle block.

A drty base sachet.

A slightly fluffy powder base.

A liquid base sachet.

Thick stuff.

A large garnish sachet.

Slices of hot dog among other things.

Finished (click to enlarge). Added Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, spring onion, SPAM, Oscar Meyer Angus Beef hot dog, and colby-jack cheese. Very good ramyun here – thick and chewier than many with a nice quantity. The broth is definitely multi-faceted. There’s a spicy component, a sweet component, a kind of smoky grill component and a kind of sausage linger component. The included garnish was very good – bits of hot dog, ham and other things all went together nicely. 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 8801045523729.

Aroma Stainless Steel Hot Pot, Silver (ASP-600)

A great recipe for a homemade version

#2548: Ottogi Plain Instant Noodle No Soup Included

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I reviewed this, however in a different package many moons ago. Back then the packaging said Ramyonsari. Recently, I did one called Sari Ramen. Basically, this is a plain instant noodle block in a plastic pillow pack.

It reminds me of The Simpsons actually; the shade of yellow and the blue text reminds me of Marge a little. But the whole ‘plain’ reminds me of their neighbors. Ned Flanders and his wife have two kids – Rod and Tod. They get asked about some treat or food and they ask what flavor would you like and all excited, one says plain and the other unflavored.

Well, I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that most people won’t eat these plain. I mean, literally this is just a block of noodles. However, they will go wonderfully in a hotpot or any other way you could make them. Let’s have a look.

Ottogi Plain Instant Noodle No Soup Included – South Korea

Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, add noodle block to a pot for boiling water and cook for 4 minutes. Do what thou wilt and enjoy!

Inside, you will find the noodle block.

Finished (click to enlarge). Added Otafuku Yakisoba sauce, Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, beef, spring onion and Kewpie mayonnaise. The noodles worked well in this; a little thicker than a standard instant and a nice quantity. Basically, just heat a little oil in a pan and add beef for a couple minutes, then sprouts, and spring onion and let them cook for a few more. While this goes on, cook up the noodles and drain them.

Once your beef and veggies are as done as you like, add in the noodles and stir everything up – give another minute or so, then add a half cup or yakisoba sauce and stir again and let cook about 30 seconds to a minute and you’re done. I’ve been making this quite a bit lately – also adding carrot and white onion.

Usually, you’d add cabbage in yakisoba, but since I got a blood clot in my lung a few months back because I slept on a flight and didn’t walk around for hours (yeah don’t do that), I’m on Warfarin which means the vitamin K in cabbage negates the effect of the medication. Anyways – yeah I’m fine don’t worry! But yeah this is a simple recipe and works great – and these noodles worked exceedingly well. As in a previous post, I’ve stopped giving scores to plain noodles – I’ve only reviewed a few varieties in the past. Good quality and chew. Unrated. UPC bar code 645175522010.

OTTOGI RAMYONSARI(ramen noodle) 1BOX(48pack / 3.88oz(110g))

A little collection of Rod & Todd Flanders.

#2530: Ottogi Ppushu Ppushu Honey Butter Flavor

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What have we today? This is a popular South Korean snack noodle – Ppushu Ppushu – and an interesting new flavor. Ppushu Ppushu means… I don’t know what it means, but it’s pretty neat stuff. Let’s check it out – right now!

Ottogi Ppushu Ppushu Honey Butter Flavor – South Korea

The distributor/import sticker (click to enlarge).

Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, set the package on a hard flat surface. Punch it a few times to break up the noodle block. Open the package carefully, take out sachet and add in contents. Fold closed and shake. Finally, open and eat as a snack!

The noodle block.

The seasoning sachet.

A fine powder.

Finished (click to enlarge). The noodles have an excellent crunchiness. They aren’t ‘bust your teeth’ crunchy either so that’s nice. The flavor is a really odd one; a kind of weird artificial honey taste. I like it, yet I don’t. It’s hard to explain; I take a bite and then feel slightly disgruntled, then perplexed, then inquisitive. Hence, another bite. Same thing. Unfortunately I don’t get a ‘hey I really like this’ feeling. For a snack, I give this one 2.0 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 8801045560458.

Korean smash ppushu honey butter flavor 90g 4 packs

A short vid I made years back showing part of the preparation

#2474: Ottogi Ppushu Ppushu Noodle Snack Chilli Cheese Flavor

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Last moth I was looking for a specific variety at a local Korean grocery called Boo Han Market in Edmonds, Washington. Much to my chagrin, they have changed their instant noodle section! It used to be way in the back and kind of lackluster. Now it’s right up front and they’ve got an even better selection than before. That’s where I found this interesting instant noodle snack.

First, chilli cheese crunchy instant noodles sounds pretty good – but coming from South Korea? Hey – why not. What I find actually quite odd is how our little Mexican friend above looks as though he has an angry look on his face while he wields the pepper issuing from his crotch. It reminds me of an album cover – well, I’ll just show you.

See what I mean? Shaft’s got his whacking stick at the ready. I tell you what though – this is a pretty badass album. In fact, I’ll see if I can find it on YouTube and slap it in at the bottom. Perhaps the movie – it’s a good movie too. Anyways, let’s check out this South Korean chilli cheese flavor instant noodle snack!

Ottogi Ppushu Ppushu Noodle Snack Chilli Cheese Flavor – South Korea

The distribution/import sticker (click to enlarge).

Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free from the sticker, but check for yourself. To prepare, set bag on table and smash a few times with your fist. Take out seasoning sachet and sprinkle into pack. Shake, shake, shake. Finally, open bag and enjoy like a bag of chips!

The noodle block.

A sachet of seasoning.

The chilli cheese powder.

Finished (click to enlarge). The noodle chunks are nice and crunchy and very snackable. Indeed, they aren’t too hard that they’ll break your teeth by any means. The taste is a spicy chilli cheese – certainly that pepper he’s angrily wielding is a sign he means business. Pretty good stuff. For an instant noodle snack, I’ll give this one 4.25 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 8801045560519.

Ottogi Ppushu Ppushu 1BOX(40EA) (Chili Cheese)

Here’s the trailer…

…and here’s the soundtrack.

#2391: Ottogi Jin Jjambbong Spicy Seafood Noodle

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