I’m taking a look at a Nongshim variety that completely slipped past my radar until recently: 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.
Read more: Noodle Journey Episode 84: Nongshim Guksu with Beef Bone ExtractBrand: Nongshim
Noodle Journey Episode 75: Nongshim Ansung Noodle Soup
I’m revisiting a flavor I tried a long time ago: Nongshim’s 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/
Read more: Noodle Journey Episode 75: Nongshim Ansung Noodle SoupNoodle Journey Episode 71: Nongshim Tonkotsu Ramen with Kuromayu (Black Garlic Oil)
I’m back with another tonkotsu ramen, this time from one of my favorite South Korean brands, Nongshim. 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.
Read more: Noodle Journey Episode 71: Nongshim Tonkotsu Ramen with Kuromayu (Black Garlic Oil)Noodle Journey Episode 42: Nongshim Angry Chapaguri
Today I’m trying out the Korean import of Nongshim’s 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”).
Read more: Noodle Journey Episode 42: Nongshim Angry ChapaguriNoodle Journey Episode 25: Nongshim Neoguri
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.
Read more: Noodle Journey Episode 25: Nongshim NeoguriNoodle Journey Episode 22: Nongshim Chapagetti
This review marks my first experience with jjajangmen, or black bean sauce noodles, starting with Nongshim’s 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.
Read more: Noodle Journey Episode 22: Nongshim ChapagettiNoodle Journey Episode 2: Nongshim Shin Black Ramyun
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. 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.
Read more: Noodle Journey Episode 2: Nongshim Shin Black RamyunNoodle Journey Episode 1: Nongshim Shin Ramyun
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.
Read more: Noodle Journey Episode 1: Nongshim Shin Ramyun