The world of instant noodles is constantly growing. What used to be limited to just simple ramen now includes instant South Korean classic dishes, such as bibimyun, jjajangmyun and even labboki.
Whether you are overwhelmed by the instant noodle aisle at your local Asian supermarket or uncomfortable with departing from your usual go-to brands, the Ramen Rater is here to help. As a blogger, Hans Lienesch has reviewed over 1,000 varieties of instant noodles from around the world, and he recently released a list of his “Top 10 South Korean Instant Noodles,” some of which can’t be found in the United States.
South Korean food company Paldo features prominently, grabbing five out of the 10 spots with a large variety of instant noodles, including their instant cucumber Bibim Myeon (the cucumber comes dehydrated) which ranked at No. 10, Labokki (ramen meets tteokbokki) at No. 6, and two variants of ramen, eighth-ranked Namja Ramen (it’s for men!) and Paldo Cheese Ramen (No. 3), which finally legitimizes the vast numbers of people who like to throw a Kraft single on top of their noodles.
Samyang has two of their products on the list, but neither one is technically a ramen. The first is Buldak Bokkeummyeon, a spicy chicken-flavored, broth-free dish with sesame seeds and seaweed garnish, which was ranked seventh. No. 2 on the list is Gu-Un Myeon, Samyang’s 50th anniversary baked noodle line, with a maesaengi (seaweed fulvescens) flavor that Lienesch appreciated. Notably, Samyang’s Nagasaki Jjamppong did not crack the Top 10.
Last but not least, coming in first is Nongshim, not for their popular Shin Ramyun line, but for their “Jinjja Jinjja” Ramen, which translates to “Really Really.”
This is the fourth time on a different top 10 list for Lienesch, and he notes the quality of its noodles and broth, which features a spicy pork flavor. The peanut powder that comes with it also adds a “truly unique component,” according to his review of the ramen.
You can check out the full list here, as well as Lienesch’s comprehensive reviews of each instant noodle entry.
Jinjja jinjja.
