Detailed instant noodle reviews and ratings – watch, read, and discover your next favorite.
Noodle Journey's first unboxing video! While hunting for some new noodles, I came across StyleKorean.com, a South Korean website selling some interesting noodle products (and cosmetics, if you're into that sort of thing), some of which I can't find in the USA. There's some really cool stuff in here, so check it out if you're interested in ordering from them. (This video is not sponsored in any way. I'm just a fan of their service and selection.) #nongshim #samyang #buldakramen #paldo #ottogi
This is my first time reviewing a soba noodle product, and I’m kicking things off with something from one of my favorite Korean companies. Nongshim Guksu Soba with Gochujang combines Korean sweet-and-spicy chili paste with Japanese-style buckwheat noodles, creating a chilled noodle dish that’s a refreshing change of pace. And the most interesting part? It comes with two different preparation methods: cold sauced noodles or cold noodle soup. Naturally, I'm reviewing them both.
I’m taking a look at a Nongshim variety that completely slipped past my radar until recently: Nongshim Guksu with Beef Bone Extract. The packaging boldly advertises a hybrid of beef and umami dashi flavors, and I picked up a four-pack on sale for $3.99 at my favorite Asian market, marked down from the usual $5.99. Oddly, I haven’t found it on Amazon, but some Walmarts carry it, and other Asian online stores or eBay may have listings.
I’m revisiting a flavor I tried a long time ago: Nongshim Ansung Noodle Soup, also known as Ansungtangmyun. Back then, I wasn’t in serious reviewer mode, so this time I’m taking a closer look. Despite its lower prominence compared to Shin, this one is still easy to find in stores like Wegmans or online for around $5 to $10 per 4-pack. The name “Ansung” refers to the small Korean city where this recipe originated, and the import version usually bears the original Korean name instead. According to Nongshim, this is a mildly spicy miso soup with beef extract and shiitake mushrooms, and it definitely piqued my curiosity. Read all about the history of Ansungtangmyun here: https://nongshimusa.com/homev2/our-products/meal-noodle/ansungtangmyun/
I'm back with Nongshim Tonkotsu Ramen with Kuromayu, this time from one of my favorite South Korean brands! While tonkotsu is traditionally a Japanese pork bone broth, here we've got a Korean company making their interpretation of it with this Kuromayu (black garlic oil) variety. For anyone unfamiliar, kuromayu is made by charring garlic in sesame oil, giving it a deep, bitter, smoky flavor that’s common in tonkotsu ramen, with the word "kuro" literally translating to "black." This isn't the same as fermented black garlic (which is also a valid ramen topper if you so desire), but rather has a different flavor profile.
Today I'm trying out the Korean import of Nongshim Angry Chapaguri Bowl, a product that blends two existing Nongshim classics: Chapagetti, their mild black bean noodle, and Neoguri, their spicy seafood udon. This mashup has gained global popularity thanks to its appearance in Parasite and seems to be a staple in Korean instant noodle culture, often referred to Ram-don. While the original hack required mixing the two packs, this pre-packaged version offers a more convenient alternative, with an increased spice level (hence the "Angry").
For this 25th review milestone, I wanted to do something a little special. I had originally planned to review the Korean import of Nongshim Neoguri, a spicy seafood ramyun with thick udon-style noodles. But while prepping for the shoot, I noticed a twist: my local Wegmans carried a version manufactured in the US, while the one I had bought online was manufactured in Korea for export to the US. That might sound like a small difference, but the ingredients told a very different story.
This review marks my first experience with jjajangmen, or black bean sauce noodles, starting with Nongshim Chapagetti. You might recognize this from the movie Parasite, where it was combined with Neoguri and steak to make the now-famous “Chapaguri” (or “ram-don”). I actually tried that hack myself before starting the channel, but I never tasted Chapagetti or Neoguri on their own until now. Nongshim has since released a bowl version of Chapaguri, which I’ll check out if I find it.
After opening the series with Nongshim Shin Ramyun, it only felt right to follow it up with the so-called “premium” version, Nongshim Shin Black Ramyun. This one has a bit of a reputation online as the Rolls Royce of Korean instant noodles, but there are a few things to be aware of, especially when it comes to the version you're actually buying.
Nongshim Shin Ramyun is where this all started for me. I had instant noodles in my pantry for years, but it wasn’t until the pandemic hit that I started digging into the world beyond the 30-cent supermarket bricks. Shin Ramyun was one of the first I tried without any clue what I was getting into, and it set the bar high enough that I still use it as the benchmark for spicy Korean ramyun.