Noodle Journey Episode 114: Ottogi Real Cheese Ramen

I’m closing out the Korean cheese trilogy with Ottogi Real Cheese Ramen. This is the only one of the three that uses a liquid cheese packet, so I’m expecting a different texture and a cheesier finish out of this than the powdered-only soups. There’s also some interesting surprises in the flake packet.

I imported this one from South Korea for about $2.50 per pack (plus shipping). It isn’t easy to find in the US, though you might get lucky at an Asian market, eBay, or other online shops. Sodium is 1,570 mg. Inside the pack, we’ve got Ottogi’s fried noodle block, a soup base built on chicken and beef extract with some shellfish umami, a liquid cheese pouch with a cheddar-leaning aroma, and a flake packet with green onion, bok choy, carrot, and a few “ham” pieces (that I believe are ham-flavored/ham-textured fish cake). There are even a couple of surprise add-ins: tiny elbow macaroni pieces and the occasional broccoli bit.

Noodles:
Thick, chewy, and consistent with what I like from Ottogi. They hold the broth well and stay coated.
• 8/10

Spiciness:
Despite chili extract appearing in the ingredients, this feels pretty non-spicy when cooked. I couldn’t really detect anything hot, but you might if you have a major spice sensitivity.
• 1/10

Overall:
This is where the liquid cheese pays off. Because part of the cheese is integrated with the soup base and part is added as a liquid sachet, the broth turns creamy and properly cheesy without the clumping you get from powder-only packets. The flavor truly leans cheese-first with a nutty, slightly funky edge, backed by a very savory chicken-and-beef extract base. The vegetables rehydrate nicely; the carrots pop with sweetness, the green onion and bok choy add some crunch and freshness, and that random little bite of broccoli is a fun bonus. The elbow macaroni pieces are mostly textural but good, and the “ham” pieces are tasty but unfortunately scarce. Taken together, it’s the richest and most convincing cheese soup of the three; it’s exactly what I hoped the powdered versions would do but couldn’t quite reach.
• 9.5/10

Notes since filming:

If you want cheese soup, this is the one to get. I haven’t come across any other cheesy variety that can touch this one.