Noodle Journey Episode 96: Samyang Buldak Lovely Hot Ramen

Following on the Buldak Light review from the last episode, now I’m diving into Samyang’s elusive Buldak Lovely Hot flavor, a variation that tones down the trademark fire but keeps the indulgence of fully fried noodles. While Buldak Light offers an air-dried, lower-fat approach with a milder sauce, Lovely Hot is designed for those who want the same reduced heat without sacrificing the fried finish of normal Buldak noodles. It’s marked with a “fire level 1” indicator, which is something you won’t see on English-export packaging but would be pretty welcome here, and it comes with a small but notable twist in the ingredients.

Inside the pack, you’ll find the classic fried Buldak noodle brick, the familiar sesame and seaweed flake packet, and a sauce packet similar to other Buldak varieties. The key difference is (based on my Lens translation) the inclusion of real chicken extract rather than artificial chicken flavoring, possibly explaining why this version isn’t widely exported. Sodium content clocks in at 1,420 mg, which is fairly typical for Korean noodles. Availability is spotty – your best bet is to check import-focused Korean commerce sites or to browse local Asian grocery stores that bring in South Korean products.

Noodles:
The fried, rounded Buldak noodles have the same satisfying chew and fullness as the brand’s core lineup. They pair well with the sauce, delivering that familiar texture that I expected.
• 8/10

Spiciness:
Remarkably, this is the least spicy Buldak I’ve tried so far, way less intense than both the regular flavor (8/10) and even the Buldak Light flavor (4.5/10). It’s closer in heat level to sriracha or a typical buffalo sauce, making it very approachable for those wary of extreme heat.
• 3.5/10

Overall:
Flavor-wise, this shares an almost identical profile with the regular and light Buldak versions, with sweet, smoky, and lightly curry-tinged notes, but the chicken extract lends a slightly richer, more savory backbone. It’s a subtle change, unlikely to sway vegetarians, but enough to warrant a half-point bump over the original’s score for me. While tasty, it’s hard to justify importing unless you’re a collector aiming to try every Buldak variety or unless you absolutely need a milder Buldak flavor in your pantry and don’t care about shipping costs. If you spot it locally, it’s worth a pickup for the comfortable spice level and gentle flavor boost, but otherwise, Buldak Light is the more practical mild option in the US.
• 8.5/10 

Notes since filming:

Sad to say, but now that Buldak Light is seemingly discontinued, this import from South Korea is your only option if you want all of the Buldak flavor with a lot less heat. Redditors will tell you to just buy the original and use half the sauce, but it’s still not the same experience as this.