Noodle Journey Episode 85: Nongshim Guksu Soba with Gochujang

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’s 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.

Read more: Noodle Journey Episode 85: Nongshim Guksu Soba with Gochujang

Each four-pack runs around $8 and is readily available at Walmart or some Asian grocery stores. These noodles are manufactured in South Korea and imported for the US market. The soba noodles are made from buckwheat, which is technically a seed not a grain, which gives them a unique texture and flavor. Inside the pack, you’ll find the soba noodles, a gochujang-based sauce packet with gochujang, ginger, apple concentrate, and mustard, and a flake packet with cabbage, cucumber, green onion, and sesame. Sodium clocks in at 1,630mg per serving, which is fairly average for a Korean product.

Noodles:
The soba noodles are dense, chewy, and have that signature nutty buckwheat flavor. They hold up impressively well in both sauced and soup formats. Indeed, after sitting in broth for five minutes, they still retain their bounce. These are great soba noodles, but if you dislike soba’s flavor or texture, it’s not going to make you a convert. I love it though.

• 10/10

Spiciness:
The gochujang sauce packs a solid medium punch. It tingles the lips and the back of the throat without being overpowering. If you’re not into spicy food, this might feel a bit much, but for gochujang lovers, it hits the right balance.

• 5/10

Overall (Sauced):

This version is vibrant and punchy. The sauce is sweet, spicy, a little sour from the mustard and ginger, and nutty thanks to the sesame oil and seeds. Even the rehydrated cucumber (something I’ve never seen in an instant noodle) adds texture and freshness. If I have one nitpick, it’s that I wish there were more cucumber bits, but otherwise, this is a fantastic cold noodle dish.

• 9/10

Overall (Soup):
In soup form, the flavor gets a bit diluted, though not drastically so. The same great ingredients are all there, just a touch more muted due to the added water. The cold soup version is still enjoyable, especially if you opt to use chicken broth instead of water for added flavor. Personally, I prefer the sauced version, but this one is still a great way to enjoy this product.

• 8/10

Notes since filming:

This one, like its Beef Bone Extract counterpart in the previous video, seems to be discontinued. Fortunately, Nongshim repurposes this wonderful gochujang sauce in other products, so it’s not a complete loss.