jjamppong Archives - THE RAMEN RATER

This was sent to me by Kristina W. of Arizona – thank you! This one was a toughie to decipher so here’s what I found. GS25 is a chain of convenience stores in South Korea. From what I read on the packaging, this is a product made for them by Paldo. There’s a restaurant in Incheon called Gonghwachun – I think that’s what is being referred to here. Gonghwachun is a famous Chinese restaurant and well known for its Jjajangmyeon. Finally, Jjamppong (also jjambong, champong) is a spicy seafood soup. If I’m wrong, please comment! Anyways, on with the review!

Here’s the back of the packaging (click image to enlarge). From what I see, I’m going with 550mL of water and then cooking the noodles and seasoning powder for 4 minutes. After that, adding the seasoning block and giving a stir.

A nice big brick of noodles.

Powder seasoning.

Spicy flavored seasoning.

A seasoning block!

Seasoning blocks are really cool – they re-hydrate really quickly and have lots of interesting ingredients. This one has a strong fish scent.

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added odeng, shrimp, narutomaki, kamaboko and sweet onion. The noodles nice and wide and plentiful. The broth is nice and spicy and has great seafood flavor. This is a real treat – 4.0 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 8801128506656

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About Jjajangmyeon in South Korea.

The post #989: GS25 Gonghwachun Jjamppong appeared first on The Ramen Rater.

Woke up to an email from Stan at eMart telling me he had sent some samples and that they would possibly arrive sometime this week. A little later, there was a knock at the door and a USPS guy asking me to sign for a box – a big box!

Inside the big box were two smaller boxes (they still were big though).

The first box I opened was full of the new eMart Dare You Habanero cups – 30 of them! Also there were 30 pairs of disposable chopsticks with Samyang Foods logos on them.

The second box has eight six packs of eMart’s new Dare You Habanero Jjampong! Ultra spicy seafood noodles – right on!

Wow – this is a lot of noodles! Thanks go to Stan over in South Korea at eMart! I’ll be reviewing these soon!

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Time for some extremely spicy noodles! This is another one from eMart, makers of Dare You Habanero Ramyun. Dare You weighs in at 5,930SHU (Scoville Heat Units) – the hottest I’ve had thus far. This one’s 3,960SHU – not as fiery hot, but definitely not to be trifled with! Jjampong is a seafood soup. You ready?

Here’s the back of the package (click image to enlarge). Contains seafood.

The noodle block.

The powder seasoning.

A speck of this was tasted – A nice flavor and a fiery heat that engulfed my whole mouth!

An oil packet – kind of looks like it’s full of fire!

Has a color not unlike habanero peppers.

The veggies and seafood.

A little smorgasbord.

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added odeng, kamaboko, narutomaki (all three are different kinds of fish cake), red, orange and yellow bell pepper and some onion. The noodles are very nice – thick and great consistency. The broth is spicy – like a fire in your mouth! If you took away the heat, you would find a nice and rich seafood flavor. I found that the two components compliment each other nicely in the broth. The pieces of vegetable and seafood are quite nice – they hydrated well. 4.0 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 8801073110014.

I think this is one of the most ingenious marketing ideas of all time.

The post #1037: emart Dare You Habanero Jjamppong appeared first on The Ramen Rater.

Here’s one that the folks from God Of Patena sent – thanks! Very little English on here – searched and translated via UPC code and kept coming up with ‘chanpon’ over and over so I’m calling it that. Also found it called ‘champon’ too, but more often than not it was ‘chanpon.’ Most things show it as a seafood broth, but as you can see on the package, it looks like ham or smoked pork. I also saw mention that this was a borrowed noodle soup from Chinese culture; like jjamppong perhaps? Let’s check it out!

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

The noodle block. It reminds me of waves lapping a distant shore.

The seasoning packet.

A nice scent with seafood notes.

Solid ingredients.

Looks like cabbage and shrimp and maybe some other things going on.

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added thin sliced chuck sauteed in garlic and Worcestershire sauce, carrot, mushroom, egg and sweet onion. The noodles are wonderful – thin and elastic with a perfect consistency. The broth is light and almost cheery – a nice savory taste. The extra bits hydrated well. 4.25 out of 5.0 stars.UPC bar code 4901104100015

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A bunch of Japanese TV commercials from 1987 – there’s an Itomen one at 1m30s.

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This was sent to me by Kristina W. of Arizona – thank you! Jjajangmyun is basically a noodle that is coated in a black bean sauce. Let’s check it out!

The back of the package (click image to enlarge). Not sure if it contains meat or not.

The noodle block.

The only packet included is a big one full of sauce. Decided (as I did yesterday as well) not to make a big mess by trying to fit this stuff in one of the little sake cups I usually use.

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added some beef, carrot and Vidalia sweet onion. The noodles good – a little chewier than usual and nice and plump. The jjajang sauce is really great – has a rich black bean flavor with a little bit of extra heartiness, especially from the potatoes. 4.5 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 8801128506571.

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Here’s a recipe for jjajangmyeon!

The post #1110: GS25 Gonghwachun Jjajangmyun appeared first on The Ramen Rater.

Recently I heard about this recipe using Samyang Foods Budalk Bokkumyeon (Hot fried chicken flavor ramyun). I only have one of the bowls so I needed at least onhe more so I could do a regular review as well as try the recipe. I asked a friend at Samyang Foods if they could possibly send some more and I got a yes! Today this box arrived.

Inside was another box!

Snacks!

Sweet! Two of the bowl versions of the hot fried chicken ramyun! The other is a spicy jjampong.

Wow!

The two on the right are brand new baked varieties called SBN (Samyang Baked Noodles). They’re geared towards the health conscious. The left is the new Red Nagasaki Jjampong!

I asked if they could throw in a poster and sign it – and they did! Thank you very much for everything!

The post South Korean Samples From Samyang Foods! appeared first on The Ramen Rater.

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.

#10: Paldo Cucumber Bibim Men

Regular Bibim Men is quite good, but this has a little extra something. It is a cold variety, great for the summer months and delivers a spiciness and slight sweetness. The cucumber bits hydrate and end up crunchy and refreshing. Original review here

#9: Ottogi Bekse Curry Myon

I’m a big fan of curries from all over the world. We start with thick ramyun noodles. The broth is rich and luxuriant with a nice deep curry flavor. The little potato pieces (a rarity in the instant noodle realm) are very welcome and give it a little extra comfort food appeal. Original review here

#8: Paldo Namja Ramyun

A spicy premium ramyun variety. The noodles are thick and chewy and the broth has beef, chicken and garlic components. Namja translates to “men’s” or “guy’s.” Strong stuff and quite good. Original review here

#7: Samyang Foods Buldalk Bokkeummyeon

This spicy fried chicken flavored broth-free variety means business! It’s on the Top Ten Spiciest list from 2013 and it really packs a punch! Great noodles and great flavor. Comes with sesame seeds and seaweed as a garnish. Original review here

#6: Paldo Rabokki

Rabokki is a cross between ramyun and ttebokki. Ttebokki is a populat dish which features tube shaped chewy pasta made from rice and usually a thick spicy sauce. Basically, this is ramyun with a ttebokki sauce – and it’s really good! Wish they’d bring this one to the United States! Original review here

#5: HoMyeonDang Premium Noodle House Crab Jjampong

This is a very premium and fancy variety. The noodles are very good with a premium feel to them. The broth has a rich crab flavor augmented with a little sesame oil which gives it a little extra heartiness. The vegetable and crab piece mix rounds it out masterfully. Original review here

#4: 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 here

#3: Paldo Cheese Noodle

I really like cheese added to ramyun. This one already has a cheese flavor packet with it – perfect! It’s got a spicy broth which is pretty common of South Korean instant ramyun, but once you add the cheese powder packet, the broth takes on a different tack. It softens the blow of the heat yet maintains a balance where the one doesn’t completely overwhelm the other. Original review here

#2: Samyang Foods Baked Noodle Maesaengyitangmyun

Samyang Foods celebrated it’s 50th anniversary in 2013 – they originally introduced ramyun to South Korea in 1963 (people originally thought it was a textile). They decided to make a new baked noodle line for 2013 as something new. The result is a rich creamy broth with a twist. Maesaengyi is almost like a woven seaweed thread. It is fine and wispy and breaks apart in the broth and gives the broth an added ‘from the sea’ kind of taste, slightly reminiscent of a chowder. The baked noodles smell and taste quite nice. Original review here

#1 Nongshim Jinjja Jinjja Ramyun

This is the fourth time in a different top ten list. Jinjja Jinjja is absolutely wonderful stuff. The noodles are quite nice to begin with – classic gauge and chew. The broth has a strong spiciness couples with a pork flavor. To finish things off, there’s a packet of peanut powder with black sesame seeds. Jinjja Jinjja translates to Really Really – and I really really think this is excellent stuff! Original review here

The post The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten South Korean Instant Noodles Of All Time 2014 Edition appeared first on The Ramen Rater.

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.

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A Samyang Foods Nagasaki Jjamppong TV commercial.

The post #1372: Samyang Foods Nagasaki Jjamppong appeared first on The Ramen Rater.

Here’s a new Jjamppong King Bowl from Paldo. The king bowl is yet another instant noodle form factor. There are cups, king cups, bowls and king bowls. I think the main different between cups and bowls are really the portability factor. I think a king cup and a king bowl hold the same amount of liquid though; I’ll have to compare them some day. But I digress. This is Jjamppong – here’s a little from Wikipedia about Jjamppong who are unclear about what it is:

Jjamppong (Korean: 짬뽕, Chinese name: 炒碼麵), a spicy noodle soup flavoured with onions and chili oil. A form of jjamppong is also the local Chinese speciality in the Japanese port city of Nagasaki (see Chanpon). The noodles are made from wheat flour.

So like Jjajangmen (noodles with black bean sauce), this is Chinese-Korean fusion. This bowl has some interesting directions which are a little tough to figure out but I’ll go over that further along. Let’s have a look at this Paldo Jjamppong king bowl!

Here is some detail from the text on the top and bottom of the plastic outer wraps (click image to enlarge).

Here’s the lid (click image to enlarge). To prepare, open lid halfway and take out sachets. Add in soup base and seafood vegetable mix and pour boiling water up to fill line (400ml). Cover and steep for 4 minutes. Stir well and add in finishing touch sachet. Enjoy! So, none of the sachets say finishing touch. If you do look at the ingredients list from the last picture, you’ll see the ingredients of the finishing touch sachet – and they’re almost all oil, so it’s the oil sachet.

The noodle block.

The soup base sachet.

A strong spicy seafood scent.

A vegetable block.

This block contains dehydrated vegetables and seafood. When water is added, it reveals its bounty!

So this is the ‘finishing touch’ sachet.

Has a sesame scent amongst other things.

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added sliced large green onion, mung bean sprouts, shrimp, mussel, octopus and clam. The noodles are nice thick ramyun; wide and chewy. The broth is just awesome – it has a very strong spiciness and a very good seafood flavor, along with a slight sweetness. The broth has a slight thickness which gives it a really great character. Best ramyun I’ve had in a while – 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 648436100866.

You can get a 12 pack of these bowls here.

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A Paldo Spicy Seafood TV advertisement.

The post #1523: Paldo Jjamppong Seafood Noodle King Bowl appeared first on The Ramen Rater.

Well everyone, today is Thanksgiving! I thought I’d like to thank everyone who visit The Ramen Rater every day – your attention and interest inspires me to continue on in my journey to find the best instant noodles in the world and let you know about them! I wanted to also thank you for buying things using the Amazon links I provide. These aren’t products directly from me, but from people/companies selling them on Amazon, and I get a little something every time one of you uses a link and either buys the item shown or browses and finds something else they’d like. This really helps us out, especially around the holidays. If you’re planning on doing holiday shopping on Amazon, consider something from the Noodle Shop or simply go to the Noodle Shop and click on the Amazon logo. You’ll be helping keep The Ramen Rater running ! Thanks, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Jjangppong is one of two popular Korean-Chinese dishes, the other being Jjangmyeon which is a broth free dish of noodles with black bean sauce. Wikipedia has this to say about Jjangppong:

Jjamppong (Korean: 짬뽕, Chinese name: 炒碼麵), a spicy noodle soup flavoured with onions and chili oil. A form of jjamppong is also the local Chinese speciality in the Japanese port city of Nagasaki (see Chanpon). The noodles are made from wheat flour.

Instant Jjamppong usually has a rich seafood broth and pictures on the front of the package showing the noodle soup accompanies by assorted seafood. Let’s have a look at Lucky Me! special Jjamppong!

Here’s the back of the package (click image to enlarge). Contains fish. To prepare, add contents of package and sachets into a large bowl. Add 400ml boiling water to bowl and cover for 3 minutes. Stir and enjoy!

A round noodle block.

The soup base sachet.

Has a nice spicy seafood scent.

A solid ingredient sachet.

Looks to be mostly small bits of seafood.

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added octopus, mussels, clams, shrimp, squid, green onion and sweet onion. The noodles are thin and have a nice lightness to them – much like one would find in a cup noodle but a little different. The broth has a very good spiciness and seafood flavor which I would expect in a jjamppong instant and works well. The solid ingredients hydrated well and were of excellent quality. 4.5 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 4807770273100.

Lonely Planet Philippines (Travel Guide)

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A Lucky Me! Special Jjamppong TV advertisement.

The post Meet The Manufacturer: #1532: Lucky Me! Special Instant Noodles Jjamppong Flavor appeared first on The Ramen Rater.

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.

#10: Paldo Cucumber Bibim Men

#9: Ottogi Bekse Curry Myon

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#8: Paldo Namja Ramyun

#7: Paldo Kko Kko Myun

#6: Paldo Korean Traditional Beef Gomtangmen

The noodles are nice and sturdy after three minutes of cooking and have a great texture and chewiness. A couple minutes later, they’ve gorged themselves a bit more on the broth and changed quite a bit – I like that. The broth has a very nice and rich beef flavor and it’s tasty, non-spicy and warm. This would be really great after hours out in the cold. Original review

#5: Paldo Jjamppong Seafood Noodle King Bowl

The noodles are nice thick ramyun; wide and chewy. The broth is just awesome – it has a very strong spiciness and a very good seafood flavor, along with a slight sweetness. The broth has a slight thickness which gives it a really great character. Original review

#4: 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

#3: 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

#2: Paldo Cheese Noodle – South Korea

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

#1: Samyang Foods Maesaengyitangmyun Baked Noodle – Southh Korea

Last year was the 50th anniversary of ramyun in South Korea, pioneered by Samyang Foods. Samyang decided to try making something new – SBN, a baked noodle. What’s really neat here is that the noodles smell like bread! The broth is a lot like gomtang, a traditional beef soup. To shake it up, maesangyi is added – kind of like seaweed spun into a cotton-like consistency. The finished product is quite delectable; almost like a chowder! Original review

The post The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten South Korean Instant Noodles Of All Time 2015 Edition appeared first on The Ramen Rater.

I recently reviewed a South Korean Jjajang instant noodle. Well, here’s another double J named instant noodle! Jjamppong! So, what’s jjamppong? Wikipedia has this to say:

Jjamppong (Korean: 짬뽕, Chinese name: 炒碼麵), a spicy noodle soup flavored with onions and chili oil. A form of jjamppong is also the local Chinese specialty in the Japanese port city of Nagasaki (see Chanpon). The noodles are made from wheat flour.

Seafood sounds good! Let’s check it out!

Detail of the side panels (click image to enlarge). Contains fish. To prepare, empty sachets into bowl. Add boiling water to line and steep for 3 minutes. Stir and enjoy!

Detail of the lid (click image to enlarge).

An included fork!

The noodle block.

The soup base sachet.

Has a spicy scent.

The solid ingredients sachet.

Little bits of fish perhaps.

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added crab stick, fish ball, sliced squid, shrimp, kamaboko, mung bean sprouts and white onion. The noodles are of a thin gauge although made from wheat and have a nice soft texture. The broth has a definitely spicy seafood taste which I really liked. The garnish hydrated well. 3.75 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 4807770272646.

Not a fan of seafood? Try out this Lucky Me Supreme Instant Noodles Bulalo Flavor 65g Pack of 8

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A new TV spot from Lucky Me!

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As many might know, I started The Ramen Rater (click to see the old site) in 2002 and did about 60 reviews. Then, I turned my attention to spicy hot sauces with The Sauce Rater. In 2010, I resumed my instant noodle reviewing. I’ve long been a fan of the spicy side of things – strong heat and good flavor are a couple of my favorite things. Let’s have a look at the absolutely hottest varieties I’ve found in my over 1,700 reviews of instant noodles from around the world in this year’s The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Spiciest Instant Noodles Of All Time 2015 Edition.

#10: Wugudaochang Sichuan Pepper & Chicken Flavor – China

The Sichuan pepper was something relatively new to me until I really got a mouthful of them in this variety. It kind of reminds me of the way a hot pepper acts, but then when you inhale, it has a kind of cooling kind of sensation like mint; hard to explain but definitely something different. This one came with a peanut and pepper garnish and the noodles had a very nice gauge and texture. Original review here

#9: Nongshim Jinjja Jinjja – South Korea

While still not available in the United States, Jinjja Jinjja is back in South Korea! This one packs a serious punch of heat along with pork, peanut and black sesame seeds. Original review here

#8: JML Emperor Instant Noodles Spicy Chicken – China

I wasn’t expecting this one to be extremely spicy at the outset and then was in for a ride. Very very hot – augmented with a large sachet of coarse chilli peppers. Original review here

#7: emart Dare You! Habanero Jjamppong – South Korea

Extreme heat is paired with nice bit of seafood broth and lots of bits of seafood. All the fire and flavor melded together with thick ramyun noodles make it hot as well as delicious. This one comes in at 1,960 SHU (Scoville Heat Units). Original review here

#6: MyKuali Penang White Curry Noodle – Malaysia

MyKuali’s new recipe added a big punch of heat to their already amazing and groundbreaking Penang White Curry Noodle. Thick almost saucelike broth fires up the palate and includes a generous amount of garlic this time. Original review here

#5: Ching’s Secret Hot Garlic Instant Noodles – India

When I found this one at a local Indian market, I was very enthused. I thought to myself ‘hey, I like garlic!’ I kind of expected a salty, buttery and almost fettucini kind of thing. But no – this innocuous looking plate of noodles was violently spicy! Super hot garlic spiciness just builds and builds! Original review here

#4: Paldo Teumsae Ramyun – South Korea

On the list for four years now! Another South Korean ramyun with serious kick to it. This isn’t to be trifled with! Teumsae has restaurants in South Korea which serve up some seriously spicy fare. I really like the text underneath the word Teumsae which reads, ‘Flavor. Culture. Human’ Original review here

#3: Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkeummyeon – South Korea

I would say that I’ve seen dozens of videos on YouTube showing people competitively eating this one. This stuff is extremely hot. Another brothless variety and it really packs a punch as well as has a nice taste to it. Thick ramyun noodles round everything out nicely and will transmit the spicy sauce to your tongue. Original review here

#2: Paldo Bulnak Bokkummyun Spicy Fried Octopus Ramyun – South Korea

See that little octopus on the package with the smile on his face? He’s laughing. Laughing as he watches you sweat as you eat this ultra spicy ramyun! I’m not kidding this one was over the top spicy! Bring a fire extinguisher. Original review here

#1: emart Dare You! Habanero Ramyun – South Korea

For the fourth year running, this stuff tops the list. Despite a packaging design change, you should still heed the warnings; habanero pepper top right corner, temperature gauge and screaming person, black packaging… Yeah – it’s not one to underestimate; this is violently hot. The broth just keeps delivering the heat and it’s just insane. Try licking a lit candle – I swear this stuff is hotter! Original review here

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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

#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

#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

#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

#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

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First, I want to send a special thank you to Yongmin Park for sending me product samples! See, every year I do the Top Ten South Korean Instant Noodles list and each year it’s starting to seem like I get fewer and fewer products to try from South Korea. People have been getting grumpy about the list too – see, it’s only for products made IN South Korea, not elsewhere. Let’s have a look inside and see what awaits!

Under the lid (click to enlarge).

New premium varieties – jjamppong and jjajang (click to enlarge).

Budae Jigae (click to enlarge) – if you look at the enlargement, you can see that there are very interesting things on the package – beans, macaroni, sausages… Budae Jigae was developed after the Korean War – lots of US military rations were left for the people and they adapted them into a special stew/soup!

Finally, Bibimmyun – IN A BOWL (click to enlarge)!!! I’ve been trying to get my hands on this for a VERY long time! Thanks again Yongmin Park – you rock!

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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!

Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Contains fish. To prepare, add noodles and both the red and white sachets to 550ml boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Add in oil at the end. Stir and enjoy!

The noodle block.

A liquid sachet.

A liquid soup base.

The vegetables sachet.

A nice little mixture.

An oil sachet.

Spicy oil!

Finished (click to enlarge). Added Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, spring onion, carved squid, Busan fishcake and shrimp. The noodles are big thick and great – very nice! The broth has a very good taste to it but seems to be missing the saltiness perhaps? I really like it, but something seems missing; maybe that makes it gourmet? Unsure. Vegetable bits hydrated very well. 3.75 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 8809296883180.

Paldo Bul Jjamppong Noodle Soup, Spicy Seafood Flavor, 4.90 Ounce

A Paldo video about adding garlic and pork to a pan, sauteing it, then adding in water and this product and cooking it.

The post #2212: Paldo Bul Jjamppong appeared first on The Ramen Rater.

I’ve liked jjamppong for a while now. For those of you not familiar with it, it’s kind of like a spicy Korean seafood hnoodle soup. Let’s check it out!

Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Contains seafood. To prepare, add noodles and sachet contents (except the oil) to 550ml boiling water for 5 minutes. Add in oil. Stir and enjoy!

The noodle block.

The soup base.

A lot of spicy smelling stuff!

The solid ingredients sachet.

Vegetables and seafood.

An oil sachet.

Spicy oil!

Finished (click to enlarge). Added carved squid, pork, shrimp, chopped garlic and spring onion and sauteed with La-Yu chilli oil and added. The noodles are very good – thick, slightly wide and chewy. Definitely on the gourmet spectrum. The broth has a rich kind of smoky and spicy seafood taste to it which is really great. The included garnish hydrated very well. 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 8801073113213.

Samyang Godd Jjambbong Spicy Noodle Soup Ramen 5-pack

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If you want to make jjamppong from scratch, check out this recipe! Maangchi makes a lot of videos on Korean cooking – great stuff!

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South Korean instant noodles are known around the world as being spicy and beefy for the most part. However, there are many different styles. In fact, seafood jjamppong, black bean jjajang, cold noodles, and creamy beef noodles exist in the scene. Today, I’ll do a rundown of my favorites – the best of the highest rated South Korean varieties from over 2,300 unique varieties I’ve reviewed from around the world. Finally, I would like to note that it’s tougher to find South Korean varieties. Therefore, any instant noodle companies from South Korea should contact me promptly to be considered for upcoming top ten lists. Let’s get started.

The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten South Korean Instant Noodles Of All Time 2017 Edition

This year’s video presentation with some extras!

#10: Nongshim Soon Veggie Noodle Soup

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 is that the broth has 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 here

#9: Samyang Foods Cheese Curry Ramyun

Samyang Foods Cheese Curry

The noodles are of a decent ramyun gauge and hydrate nicely in the three minutes directed. In addition, the broth is thick with a very nice kind of creamy curry flavor. Finally, an inkling of spiciness. Beautiful stuff! Original review here

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

Nongshim Zha Wang Chajang Jjajangmyun

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. Finally, its thick, rich black bean flavor is has peas, cabbage and other veggies. This is the best jjajang I’ve ever tried. Original review here

#7: Paldo Cheese Noodle

Paldo Cheese Noodle

These noodles – wow. Arguably 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 too! Original review here

#6: Nongshim Champong Noodle Soup Spicy Seafood Flavor

Nongshim Champong Noodle Soup Spicy Seafood Flavor

These noodles are big and plump and chewy – wider as well. They’re fantastic! Would love to see a Shin Ramyun using this noodle! The broth is equally wonderful insofar as the flavor has this taste and smell. It has a seafood barbecue kind of taste. The oil adds a nice extra to the broth. Spicy, tasty and awesome! Original review here

#5: Paldo Rabokki Noodle

Paldo Rabokki Noodle

The noodles plump up 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 here

#4: Nongshim Jinjja Jinjja

Nongshim Jinjja Jinjja

The noodles are very good – nice thick ramyun. In addition, I have read that they are augment them with chilli pepper in them as well. Next, the broth has a seriously spicy kick to it and a very peanut aroma with pork notes. Finally, the vegetables hydrate very well. Back with a vengeance! Original review here

#3: Nongshin Chal Bibim Myun

Nongshim Chal Bibim Myun

First, the noodles are nice and thick with a great chew – ramyun through and through. Second, the sauce works extremely well. It’s sweet and spicy and works perfectly with a cold noodle. Finally, the flavor is nice and crisp while smooth and effective. Original review here

#2: ChoripDong Hurricane Rice Cake

ChoripDong Hurricane Rice Cake Rabokki

Very red. It’s got a thick spicy and sweet sauce. Fresh ramyun. It’s got topokki. Indeed, this is a real find – Just looking at the picture makes me want some right this instant. Slipping from #1 to #2 this year. Original review here

#1: Paldo Budae Jigae

Paldo Budae Jigae / Chigae

As always, I’m shocked when something comes across my desk that’s unlike anything I’ve reviewed. In the first place, the noodles are great – thick ramyun. Indeed they are chewy and thick gauge. The broth is really good; thicker than most and has a kind of ‘boiling with hot dogs in it all day’ kind of thing going on. Moreover, the included garnish is a real treat as it contains not only beans, processed meat and slices of sausage, but pieces of macaroni as well. This one really goes above and beyond on this one – I’m impressed. Original review here

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