Samyang’s Buldak Carbonara is one of the most talked-about instant noodles on the Internet, constantly recommended in Reddit threads, YouTube challenges, and noodle circles of all kinds. I picked mine up as part of a Korean ramen combo box from Cokoyam (RIP), but you can also find it on Yamibuy and Amazon.
Read more: Noodle Journey Episode 5: Samyang Buldak CarbonaraNow, let’s talk about what carbonara is. Traditional Italian carbonara is made with pasta tossed in a silky sauce of beaten eggs, cheese (usually parmigiano or romano), black pepper, and pancetta or bacon. It’s creamy without using any actual cream. I’ve made it before, sometimes with fusion twists like miso or sriracha, but it’s a dish with a very specific identity. So going into a Korean ramen version of it, I’m not sure what to expect. Will it actually taste like carbonara? Will it just be a spicy cheese ramen with a gimmick? I have no idea, which honestly makes me even more excited to try it.
Inside the pack, you get a round noodle block, a liquid sauce packet, and a pink cheese powder packet. The cooking method is pretty typical for dry ramen: boil the noodles, save a bit of the starchy water, then mix in the sauce and powder to create a thick, creamy coating.
Noodles:
These are great. They’re flat and springy with a chew that reminded me of fettuccine or linguine. They’re not quite on the level of the Momofuku noodles I reviewed earlier, but they come surprisingly close. The portion size is solid and the noodles do a great job holding the sauce.
• 9/10
Spiciness:
The heat kicks in early and lingers. It’s not as much into the melt-your-face-off territory like I thought it might be, but it’s definitely very hot, especially if you have no frame of reference for how hot Korean noodles can get. The cheese and creaminess help balance it out, though it still sits at the upper end of medium for most people.
• 7/10
Overall:
This surprised me in the best way. It’s not anything like authentic carbonara, since it has some very sweet cream notes, plus all that chili heat, but it still works as a kind of creative fusion dish. You get cream, cheese, garlic, soy, and just a hint of something warm and sweet in the base sauce, possibly curry powder. The result is balanced and bold without being overwhelming. The noodles are excellent, the flavor is distinctive, and the portion is generous. This is one I’ll definitely be revisiting.
• 9/10
If this is your first step into the Buldak lineup, you’re in for a treat. It’s approachable but still packs a fiery level of spice, and it delivers far more than I expected from what I thought would be a novelty flavor. If you don’t like sweet & spicy as a flavor combo, you will probably dislike these, but I think they’re terrific.
Notes since filming: The very first Buldak review I ever did, and I was hooked. I had just started getting up my heat tolerance thanks to Nongshim Shin and various hot sauce orders from Heatonist. As with most things that have as meteoric a rise as Buldak, there’s been a lot of naysayers popping up to say they don’t find Buldak even remotely compelling, but I fell in love with the flavor and the noodles right here on camera and I haven’t looked back.
