Tag Archives: south

#2345: Sempio Clam Flavor Soup Kal-guksu

#2345: Sempio Clam Flavor Soup Kal-guksu - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - instant noodfles

Here’s one sent by Colin – thanks! I think I saw this one years ago up in Canada – I honestly think I got it but never reviewed it back then. Here’s a little about kalguksu from Wikipedia:

Kal-guksu^[1] (칼국수; literally “knife noodles”) is a Korean noodle dish consisting of handmade, knife-cut wheat flour noodles served in a large bowl with broth and other ingredients. It is traditionally considered a seasonal food, consumed most often in summer. Its name comes from the fact that the noodles are not extruded or spun, but cut.^[2]

The record of noodles can be found in documents of the Goryeo era, but the descriptions are vague and the nature of the noodles isn’t clear. In the 12th century document Goryeo dogyeong (hangul:고려도경, hanja:高麗圖經) it is mentioned that noodles were only eaten on special occasions, as wheat flour was very expensive, being imported from China. A cooking description can be found in a later document, The Best New Cooking Methods of Joseon (hangul:조선무쌍신식요리제법, hanja:朝鮮無雙新式料理製法), written in 1924. In the 1934 book Simple Joseon Cooking (hangul:, hanja:), the recipe calls for the noodles to be boiled and rinsed in cold water before adding broth and garnish, a method that differs from the modern version of boiling the noodles together with the broth.^[3]

Thought I ought to give it a go today. Clammy! Let’s get started.

Sempio Clam Flavor Soup Kal-guksu – South Korea

#2345: Sempio Clam Flavor Soup Kal-guksu - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - instant noodfles

A distributor/import sticker (click to enlarge).

#2345: Sempio Clam Flavor Soup Kal-guksu - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - instant noodfles

Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Contains shellfish and crustacean. to prepare, add package contents to 700ml boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Stir and enjoy!

#2345: Sempio Clam Flavor Soup Kal-guksu - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - instant noodfles

The noodles have their own packaging.

#2345: Sempio Clam Flavor Soup Kal-guksu - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - instant noodfles

The soup base sachet.

#2345: Sempio Clam Flavor Soup Kal-guksu - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - instant noodfles

Smells clammy!

#2345: Sempio Clam Flavor Soup Kal-guksu - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - instant noodfles

The garnish sachet.

#2345: Sempio Clam Flavor Soup Kal-guksu - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - instant noodfles

Looks like seaweed.

#2345: Sempio Clam Flavor Soup Kal-guksu - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - instant noodfles

Finished (click to enlarge). Added spring onion, red cxhili flake and white onion. The noodles were absolutely fantastic – very hearty chew and had that nice little floury aftertaste you’d find in Hakata style noodles. The broth was equally good – I expected bland when I saw the package calling for a whopping 700ml of water. Rest assured, this is not bland; it delivers a kind of buttery clam taste which is quite good. The little bit of laver (seaweed) gives it an added ‘of the sea’ taste. 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 8801005542517.

#2345: Sempio Clam Flavor Soup Kal-guksu - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - instant noodfles

Sempio Instant Noodles, Clam Flavored, 3.9-Ounce (Pack of 8)

A video about how to cook Sempio Kal-guksu.

The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Instant Noodle Snacks Of All Time 2016 Edition

1 Reply

Instant noodle… snacks? Yeah! Snacks of all kinds have come from instant noodles – candy, crunchy bits, you name it. They’re popular all over Asia and also the United States; have you ever taken a pack of instant noodles, crushed them and added in the seasoning and shaken the bag up and eaten them like potato chips or popcorn? Well, this is popular elsewhere as well! Let’s check out my favorite instant noodle snacks from over 1,900 reviews. Enjoy!

#10: Wei Lih What’s That? Leisure Meatballs Spicy Chicken Flavor – Taiwan

They’re crunchy and light. They have a slight sweetness and a spiciness that is very slight but builds the more you eat. Original review

#9: Mamee Monster Snek Mi Perisa Ayam – Malaysia

The noodles are nice and crunchy. They have that lightness you would expect from an uncooked instant noodle, but not really oily as some can be. The flavoring is light and has a salty and almost sesame oil kind of flavor to it. Original review

#8: A-Sha Prince Katsu Snack Noodles – Taiwan

They’re very light and crunchy and have a nice salty and crunchy appeal to them. There’s a bit of a sweet and garlic or onion kind of thing going on as well as a hint of spiciness. Original review

#7: J.J. Snek Mi Perisa BBQ – Malaysia

The noodles are crunchy and have a nice flavor to them – very much reminding me of fried chicken from a well known restaurant chain. These were very good! Original review

#6: Samyang Foods Star Popeye Ramyun Snack – South Korea

It’s very crunchy and the noodles have a very light cinnamon note to them. The sugaryness of the rock candy brings this out in a nice way. Original review

#5: Mama Rangers Snack Noodles Shrimp Tom Yum Flavour – Myanmar

The snack noodle pieces are very short. The have a nice crunch to them. The flavor is that of a sweet tom yum, with a hint of spiciness, an unmistakable hit of lemongrass, and definitely tastes like sugary tom yum. It’s a nice flavor and was enjoyable. Original review

#4: Oyatsu Baby Star Snack Noodle Yakisoba Flavor – Japan

These short lengths of noodle are great. They’re light and crunchy. The flavor is that of yakisoba, so a little Worcestershire and salt and spices. It’s great stuff! Original review

#3: Ve Wong Little Prince Bacon – Taiwan

These little crunchy bits of noodles have a great bacon flavor. The big bag comes with a ton of little bags. My wife and I found these at an Asian grocery near Disneyland during our honeymoon – bacon snacks! Original review

#2: Komforte Chockolates Savory Ramen – United States

The chocolate was exceedingly good – a really nice 53% dark chocolate I enjoyed thoroughly – premium stuff. It’s not so dark that it will put off the milkies and not so light on cacao that it lacks richness. The bits of noodles were nice and crunchy, and not hard like a rock. The soy, onion and garlic flavors were very much muted by the rich chocolate flavor, but that wasn’t a horrible thing. Original review

#1: Mamee Monster Snek Mi Perisa Pedas – Malaysia

I really like the crunch of the noodles; they seem a little different than the other Mamee Monster varieties; they’re really crispy, but maybe have a little more give to them. They have a nice spicy flavor to them which was great and a little bit of sweetness and more spiciness from the seasoning – excellent snacks. Original review

The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten South Korean Instant Noodles Of All Time 2016 Edition

Comments

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!

#10: Paldo Kko Kko Myun

This one is like a bowl of candy to me. We start with nice quality noodles, and then the broth takes over. The broth has a kind of chicken and jalapeno flavor to it. The flavors play off of each other quite nicely and deliver both a strong bite as well as a mellow comfort food flavor in one bowl. The vegetable packet includes little chicken pieces. Original review

#9: Paldo Jjamppong Seafood Noodle King Bowl

Thick and chewy ramyun noodles are augmented by a broth with a good consistency – a little thickness was very good. Also a slightly sweet, seafood and spicy flavor to it I thoroughly enjoyed. Original review here

#8: Samyang Foods Red Nagasaki Jjampong

The noodles are perfect – what I like to find in ramyun! Thick and chewy. The broth is amazing – an excellent level of heat balanced with a respectable amount of seafood flavor. The added vegetable pieces hydrated quite well. Top notch! Original review

#7: Paldo King Bowl Super Spicy Pan Stirfried Noodle

The noodles are of a good ramyun gauge – lots of them as well. The flavor is a kind of seafood and spicy thing and there’s a sweetness going on as well. The supplied vegetables did great – this was an amazingly good stir noodle! Original review

#6: Nongshim Soon Veggie Noodle Soup

This is the first instant noodle on the top ten to be marketed towards vegetarians. What surprised me about it was the broth had such a full flavor to it; deep and satisfying. The noodles are slightly larger in gauge than your run of the mill instant, which is common of South Korean ‘ramyun.’ Magnificent stuff! Original review

#5: Nongshim Zha Wang (Jjawang) Noodles With Chajang Sauce

The noodles are out of this world – soft and chewy, with a nice width and thickness – very hearty. The sauce coats everything and there’s more than enough of it. It has a rich black bean flavor augmented with peas, cabbage and other veggies. This is the best jjajang I’ve ever tried. Original review

#4: Paldo Cheese Noodle

These noodles – wow. I think the best addition to South Korean ramyun has to be cheese. Well, not only is cheese included here but it’s got just the perfect notes of spiciness and strong, rich flavor. The little guy with the sign that says cheese noodle rocks as well. Original review

#3: Paldo Rabokki Noodle

The noodles plumped up just perfectly – thick and a good chew. The broth is more of a sauce and it’s very rich – spicy and sweet – like an adult version of Spaghetti-O’s which I find delectable. Original review

#2: Nongshim Jinjja Jinjja

The noodles are very good – nice thick ramyun. The broth has a seriously spicy kick to it and a very peanut aroma with pork notes. The vegetables hydrated very well. Back with a vengeance! Original review

#1: ChoripDong Hurricane Rice Cake

It’s red. It’s got a thick spicy and sweet sauce. It’s got ramyun. It’s got topokki. This was a real find – Just looking at the picture makes me want some right this instant. The most wonderful big bowl of noodles I’ve ever had. Original review here

#1372: Samyang Foods Nagasaki Jjamppong

Comments

Here’s a little cup that’s been sitting in my box for a while. Sounds good – something a little spicy and seafoody! Let’s check it out!

Detail of the side panels (click image to enlarge). I’m almost certain there is seafood in this one. To prepare, add sachet contents and boiling water to fill line and re-cover. Let sit for 4 minutes and stir. Enjoy!

Detail of the lid (click image to enlarge).

The noodle block.

The soup base sachet.

A very light powder.

Some veggies from the bottom of the cup.

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added Busan fish cake, sweet onion and green onion. The noodles are nice, thick ramyun through and through. They hydrated very well and had a nice texture and chewiness. The broth has a nice kick of heat to it and a kind of sweet seafood flavor I enjoyed. The vegetable bits hydrated well and were of good quality. 3.75 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 8801073210356.

A Samyang Foods Nagasaki Jjamppong TV commercial.

#1048: Ottogi Cheese Bokki

4 Replies

Here one that came from Korea by way of Kristen W. of Arizona! Thank you so much! I’ve wanted to review this one for a long time! Let’s check this unique variety out.

The side panels (click to enlarge).

This lid is unique in the the idea is to use a chopstick to poke holes in the top to use as a drain spout (click image to enlarge).

The noodle block.

Powder seasoning.

Smells cheesy!

Finished (click image to enlarge). The noodles are alright and the cheese flavor coats them nicely. Kind of like Easy Mac/ramyun. 3.5 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 8801045572772.

An Ottogi ad for lots of different stir cup varieties like this one.

Meet The Manufacturer: #1031: HoMyeonDang Premium Noodle House Don Ramyun

Comments

Today is the last review of the Samyang Foods Meet The Manufacturer spotlight. Rest assured, there will definitely be more of their products reviewed in the future – I only do a maximum of 15 reviews in a row for a company during a Meet The Manufacturer and they sent more than 15, so lots of neat stuff coming! I want to thank Samyang Foods for their samples and everything else – really nice people!

Don Ramyun… It evokes thoughts of a big whorl of noodles speaking the words ‘I’m going to make you an offer you can’t refuse.’ According to the info Samyang Foods sent, this is a variety with minced pork. Let’s check it out!

The back of the package (click image to enlarge).

The noodle block.

Powdered seasoning.

A little spicy and a nice pork flavor.

The veggie packet.

A nice amount and looks like good stuff!

Solid ingredients… Hmmm.

Here’s the minced pork.

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added two slices of cheese. The noodles are very nice and plentiful. The broth has a rich pork taste with a strong spiciness I liked. The added pork bits go really well – there’s a decent amount of them. The veg is nice too. This is a nice bowl of noodles. 4.0 out of 5.0 stars. Nice! UPC bar code 8801073110601.

My favorite Samyang Foods commercial!

Meet The Manufacturer: #1030: Samyang Foods Assorted Vegetables (60 Ingredients) Ramyun (SK Version)

Comments

So here in the US, this is simply called Assorted Vegetable – although I think the 60 Ingredients is definitely important. I’d love to know what all of the ingredients are… Let’s check this one out!

Here’s the back of the package (click image to enlarge). Not sure if this is vegetarian or not.

The noodle block.

The powder packet.

Lots of reddish powder. Spicy!

Vegetable packet!

Nice variety.

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added an egg, broccoli, sweet onion, green bell pepper, green onion and carrot. The noodles are very good – nice texture and width as always. The broth has a rich vegetable flavor with a good amount of spiciness. The bits of vegetable were pretty good too. Hearthy vegetable noodle soup. 3.75 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 8801073110168

A documentary about business in South Korea.

#1008: Ottogi Sesame Flavor Noodle Bowl

2 Replies

Found this one up the road at KS Mart in Lynnwood, Washington. Looks really interesting – an egg block huh? I imagine it will be like a seasoning block or something… Funny; I had a sesame one yesterday too. Well, on with the sesame flavored noodles!

The side panels (click image to enlarge).

The noodle block.

Seasoning powder.

Interesting – a bit spicy but not a spicy red broth. Curious how this ends up.

Yep – a block is in here.

Egg block!

Sesame oil.

Has a nice sesame scent as sesame oil usually does.

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added egg, rib eye steak with some Dua Belibis Indonesian chilli sauce, broccoli and Urashima Sesame & Salt furikake.The noodles are pretty good – slightly spongy. The broth is quite nice – has a strong sesame flavor from the oil but also has a nice spiciness and a separate depth of flavor. The three components combine for a very nice hearty broth. The egg block adds to the heartiness as well. Very nice – 3.5 out of 5.0 stars.UPC bar code 645175570417.

Ottogi makes a lot of different products. Here is the Ottogi booth at a food show in Australia from 2012.

Shin Black Cup Samples From Nongshim America!

Comments

The FedEx guy apologized for the box getting a beating…

Its contents however were resilient!

Been waiting to try this one for a while! PSY is promoting this one for them! Pretty cool! Thanks go to Ray A. and everyone else at NSA!

Samples & Swag From Paldo America!

Comments

A box from California…

Wow how awesome! If you’re keen on South Korean noodles, you’ll probably recognize that this is the pack version of Paldo’s Dosirac tray. Paldo sells a lot of these in Russia.

I’ll be wearing the hat and apron they sent while I make it too! Thanks to Sungmin over at Paldo America!

#975: Ottogi Spaghetti Ramen

Comments

Here one that came from Korea by way of Kristen W. of Arizona! Thank you so much! I’ve wanted to review this one for a long time! Let’s check this unique variety out.

Side panels (click image to enlarge).

The noodle block.

The powdered flavor packet.

The powder had a sweet flavor to it.

The veggie packet.

Corn and meatybits!

Here’s the sauce packet – lots of red stuff in here!

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added sweet onions, light ham and Urashima Sesame & Salt furikake. The noodles are pretty standard ramyun noodles. The seasoning powder that stirs in has a light sweet’n’salty taste. The spaghetti sauce? Sweet and just a little spicy. The veggies are decent. This is a lot of fun and tastes great! 4.5 out of 5.0 stars – unique and enjoyable!UPC bar code 8801045571416.

Old Ottogi TV commercial.

Looks like an older Ottogi TV commercial!

Donation From South Korea

3 Replies

Kristen W. of Arizona sent me some noodles she got while she was in South Korea!

This is a great little collection of South Korean varieties you can’t easily find here! Ottogi Cheese Ramyun and Spaghetti bowls – been wanting to try them for a while! The two above are Paldo Korea varieties – I think Rabokki and Jjajang. The Nongshim Shin Cup in the lower right is the South Korean version. Thank, Kristen! Soon as they’re made, some The Ramen Rater stickers will be coming your way!