Noodle Journey Episode 112: Paldo Cheese Ramyun

I’m kicking off a cheese-centric trio of reviews with Paldo Cheese Ramyun. I’ve had this variety once long before the channel/website even began, so I’m curious how it holds up now, especially next to other cheesy Korean options I’ve covered. This is a soup noodle, not a sauce noodle, so the cheese is meant to round out a classic red-chili beefy broth rather than be a creamy sauce.

A four-pack typically runs about $10 at Asian grocery stores or online. Sodium is very high at 2,360 mg for the pack. Inside you get Paldo’s square ramen block (with onion and garlic extract baked into the noodle), a soup powder containing MSG, yeast, and chili with artificial beef flavoring (some English packages list beef bone extract, so check labels if you avoid beef), a tiny flake packet containing cabbage, carrot, and green onion, and a separate powdered cheese packet you stir in after cooking. The aroma of the powder is that of a mild, cheddar-leaning cheese note, and there is some definite risk of clumping unless you stir aggressively.

Noodles:
Pleasantly chewy with a clean wheat flavor and no harsh aftertaste. The broth clings well, and the texture stays satisfying through the bowl. Easily one of my favorite Korean instant noodle bases.
• 9/10

Spiciness:
This is not a “cheese = mild” situation. The chili sneaks up a bit; I’d call it almost a medium heat, but it doesn’t linger too much thanks to the dairy.
• 4/10

Overall:
Putting aside the cheese aspect, this is first and foremost a Shin-adjacent beefy, onion-forward chili broth, which the cheese mellows and rounds out rather than overwhelms. The base soup is already tasty on its own; the cheese adds a lightly nutty, powdered-snack vibe that’s fun, if a little inconsistent when clumping happens. The flake packet doesn’t do much, and the broth remains thinner than you might expect from something labeled “cheese”; if you want richness and a more pronounced cheese aspect, add your own slice of melty cheese at the end of cooking. Even with those caveats, the flavor combo works: chili, onion, and artificial beef meet a gentle dairy finish that feels like comfort food rather than a gimmick. It’s not the cheesiest bowl on earth, but judged for what it is, it’s an easy recommendation for cheesy ramyun fans.
• 7.5/10