A very varied tastingDiego Domínguez Almudévar
If I told my 19-year-old college self that in a few years I'd be spending two months of my life trying out instant noodles, tasting them, and ranking them for publication in a national newspaper, I'd be proud of myself. With that retroactive pride I present you one of the projects that I have done with the most love in recent months: 25 packages of instant noodles, tasted meticulously and ordered from worst to best quality, so that when you go to the Asian supermarket you can look like an expert in front of the eternal shelf of packages with colors and striking letters in languages that, Clearly, you don't understand.
Before giving way to the ranking I want to make my methodology clear, which I have tried to make as neutral as possible: I have cooked all the packages following the exact instructions described in them, without any variation and without any type of add-on (no toppings, no chicken, no fried egg, or anything at all). Then, I first evaluated the broth, if there is one, and then the noodles: for me, a good package has to shine in both aspects; If one of the two is perfect but the other is bad, it loses a lot of points (we'll see that in a couple of cases). Thus, the position is assigned taking into account the broth -taste, texture, aroma-; noodles for their structure, chewiness and elasticity; the price and ease of preparation.
I did the shopping in ordinary and Asian supermarkets in Madrid, so as not to tell you "these are the best but you can only buy them in Korea" and stay so wide. Most of them will be available in most Asian supermarkets in all cities of Spain (we did an article a while ago giving options throughout the country, as well as online). If you want a map before entering a world of gastronomic geekiness, this is the summary: from positions 25 to 16 are not worth it, from 15 to seven are quite good and will give you a correct experience, and from six to one are essentials that you have to put in a basket. I hope my job will cheer you up for a couple of those nights when you come back from work without wanting to do absolutely anything, except heat water to make these noodles and die on the couch covered with a blanket. There are few better sensations, I think.
#25
Name: Yatekomo Oriental
Brand: Gallina Blanca Country of Origin: Spain Flavor: Flavored Chicken Spicy: No
Tasting: The broth is bland, with little power, it is watery and with a very recognizable Avecrem flavor. It would be bearable if it weren't for an excessive herbaceous and aniseed touch (checking the ingredients, it does indeed have anise, which covers the rest of the flavors). The noodles are the real disaster of the product: fragile, they melt in the mouth before biting into them and form a paste reminiscent of porridge, and in taste, almost plastic, they are very unpleasant and ruin the whole experience. In favor of the product is that its preparation is very comfortable.
Last on the listDiego Domínguez Almudévar
Rating: It's a shame to start at the bottom with a Spanish brand, but there's nowhere to catch them. The "chicken" flavor of this same brand is saved a little more on the issue of the flavor of the broth, since it no longer tastes like anise, but the noodles are still a mess. On top of that, they come with a pretty high price tag. Price: €1.74 in any supermarket line.
#24
Name: MAMA Beef Flavor
Brand Name: MAMA Country of Origin: Thailand Flavor: Beef Spicy: No
Tasting: As soon as I see them they don't promise, and when I cook them my suspicions are confirmed. While the texture of the noodles is a bit better than the Yatekomo, the taste is horrifying, the closest thing to eating cardboard I've ever experienced. Worst of all, that flavor is passed on to the broth, which also doesn't have a very pronounced flavor, so it ends up tasting like cardboard as well. To top it off, they are very sugary and too sweet.
Mama míaDiego Domínguez Almudévar
Rating: Despite the fact that MAMA is an extremely popular brand in Thailand, these noodles are some of the worst I've ever had, with Yatekomo battling for last place. I've finally decided to put them on top, because they're worth half as much. Price: About €0.81 in Asian supermarkets.
#23
Name: Maggi Fusian Classic Oriental Noodles
Brand: Maggi (Nestlé) Country of Origin: Switzerland Flavor: Chicken Spicy: No
Tasting: They have a pretty pronounced chicken broth flavor, so I'm not sure what the "chicken" flavors will taste like. Short noodles have an odd texture, passed on the outside and slightly the inside. The sauce leaves them sticky, it is excessively sweet and with a predominant green cardamom flavor that camouflages the rest of the flavors. This is the first bag of dehydrated vegetables we came across, but it would be better if it wasn't: peas give color but are basically hard plastic; And the carrot is as if it wasn't there. The package specifies two servings, but they weigh the same as any other single-serving noodles.
Chicken flavorDiego Domínguez Almudévar
Rating: Let's face it, the experience of eating instant noodles isn't the most exciting in the world, all the bites are pretty much the same. But the experience is even more boring with these, as they turn into porridge with a sweet cardamom flavor, the vegetables are a real nonsense and have one of the highest prices in the ranking. Price: €1.99 in any supermarket.
#22
Name: Buldak Hot Chicken Ramen Cheese
Brand: Samyang Country of Origin: South Korea Flavor: Chicken & Cheese Spicy: A Lot
Tasting: The noodles are very good, textured, elastic and chewy. It's a shame that they're completely overshadowed by an unbearably spicy, artificial sauce that's not funny at all and only brings suffering: by the third bite, my ears were ringing. The sauce is sticky, and sweet, and the cheese flavor is quite achieved, it is powerful and addictive (although while they were cooking they smelled a little strange, in the dish that smell disappears). I don't finish them.
Noodles number 22 in the rankingDiego Domínguez Almudévar
Rating: I know that putting one of the most popular instant noodles so low is going to bring me hatred from many fans of the brand (there are many different packages under the name Buldak whose central theme is spicy). There isn't a single package that I think is worth it: they all sting in a completely unbearable way (this is not even the most spicy, and believe me, I have a huge tolerance for spiciness). But the spicy has to have a meaning and a reason, not be a gauge of how macho you are for eating a pack of noodles that's making you cry: that's why there's no more Buldak in this ranking, and the noodles would be great if it weren't for the spiciness. Price: €1.46 in Asian supermarkets.
#21
Name: Soba Wok Style Classic
Brand: Nissin Country of Origin: Japan Flavor: Chicken Yakisoba Spicy: No
Tasting: We found our first noodles in wok format, without broth, and the introduction could not be worse: the noodles are thin and unsatisfying, without bite, and the sachet with vegetables -very important in these dry noodles, because it provides texture and a little binding-, is of very low quality. Plus, they're very lacking in sauce, so they taste mostly like noodles, which don't taste like much.
From JapanDiego Domínguez Almudévar
Rating: Very boring and not funny at all. There are much better options for this format. Price: 1 euro in Asian supermarkets
#20
Name: MAMA Pad Thai Stir Fried Flavor
Brand: MAMA Country of Origin: Thailand Flavor: Pad ThaiSpicy: Very mild
Tasting: The noodles are made of rice but they are extremely thin, which makes them very fragile and sticky, and they make an unpleasant dough in the mouth. However, its flavor adds a lot to the flavor profile of pad thai. And thank goodness, because the seasoning adds almost nothing: a very light prawn flavor, and a slight spiciness in the background that is pleasant but doesn't achieve much.
Mama mía vol. 2Diego Domínguez Almudévar
Rating: Very boring and disappointing, because Pad Thai is one of the most beautiful things in the world: I lack an acidic touch of tamarind, a peanut, I don't know, a bit of joy. Noodles are a paste, but they taste just right. Price: €1.04 in Asian supermarkets.
#19
Name: Maggi Fusian Oriental Pasta Chicken
Brand: Maggi (Nestlé) Country of Origin: Switzerland Flavor: Chicken Spicy: No
Cata: It's good not to have expectations in life, because when I saw them I expected them to be in second to last place, but I was semi-pleasantly surprised. The chicken flavor is quite pleasant, it's done: the noodles are pretty bad, thin and textureless, but at least they don't fall apart when you put them in your mouth.
Semi-surpriseDiego Domínguez Almudévar
Rating: They are very simple, but their lack of pretensions leads me to put them a little higher, their neutral flavor makes them good candidates to mix with anything and they do not have palm oil, which is always good. Price: €0.99 in any supermarket.
#18
Name: Yatekomo Yakisoba Classic
Brand: Gallina Blanca Country of Origin: Spain Flavor: Chicken Yakisoba Spicy: No
Tasting: The noodles are the same as those used in the Oriental Yatekomo, but since they don't go with broth here, they hold the texture a little longer, although they are still bad and stiff. The sauce is sweet, as it should be, and in good quantity. The carrot, in this case, provides crunchy bits that give some texture to the matter (given its absence in the noodles).
With crunchy bits, evenDiego Domínguez Almudévar
Rating: When I started doing this ranking, I really wanted to put these Yakisoba pretty high, because they were a big part of my diet in college. But I was quite disappointed: I remembered them much better, and I don't think it's my palate; I'm pretty sure they've changed the recipe. My suspicions were confirmed when I commented on it on Instagram, everyone seemed to agree that they were much better before. A pity, because I would have loved to have a Spanish option much higher. Price: €1.49 in any supermarket line.
#17
Name: Yopokki Sweet&Spicy Rapokki
Brand Name: Yoppoki Country of Origin: South Korea Flavor: Undefined Spicy: Very subtly
Cata: El caldo es bastante soso, no consigo identificar muy bien cuál es el sabor, aunque no resulta demasiado artificial. Lo que si consigo identificar es que es excesivamente dulce, empalaga a la segunda cucharada. Los noodles, aunque son finos, tienen mordida y quedan bien cocinados, y la pasta de arroz es divertida, queda bien cocinada y es una variación chula (aunque bastante escasa, conté seis en el bote). El sabor es Sweet & Spicy: el dulce es más que predominante, mientras el picante es demasiado bajo, un poco más pronunciado sería más divertido.
Picante sutilDiego Domínguez Almudévar
Valoración: Esta es una marca considerada premium, y cuesta casi cuatro euros. Por semejante precio, te esperas unos noodles que te vuelen la cabeza, y para nada es el caso: no justifican el precio. Su preparación es bastante cómoda en el microondas. Precio: sobre 3,59 euros en supermercados asiáticos.
#16
Nombre: Hào Hào Mi Goreng
Marca: Acecook País de origen: Vietnam Sabor: Gambas y cebolla (Mee Goreng, Nasi Goreng pero con noodles) Picante: Un poco
Cata: En general, bastante sosos, estarían más arriba si llevaran el doble de sazonado. El sabor a cebolla está conseguido y tiene notas de chalota tostada, pero la gamba brilla bastante por su ausencia. Los fideos, sorprendentemente, tienen buena textura: de los mejores noodles finos de todo el ranking. Igual tiene que ver con que se cocinan en un bol, lo que evita que se pasen. Tienen un picante ligero bastante real, que va creciendo bocado tras bocado y se agarra al labio, bastante conseguido.
Fideos nasi gorengDiego Domínguez Almudévar
Valoración: Los pondría un poco más arriba, pero hay otra marca que simplemente los hace mejores, y por lo tanto, estará esa. Por el sabor bastante moderado -como los Maggi Fusian, pero mejores, porque los fideos están muy ricos- van bien para combinar con cualquier cosa, ya que dejarán brillar a lo que le eches: este perfil de sabor con un huevo frito con puntillas queda de maravilla. De precio, imbatibles. Precio: 0,70 euros en supermercados asiáticos.
#15
Nombre: Nissin Demae Ramen Beef
Marca: Nissin País de origen: Japón Sabor: Ternera Picante: No
Notas de cata: Esta línea de la marca Nissin -los hay en muchos sabores- son en lo que piensas cuando piensas en noodles instantáneos. No es que tengan nada excesivamente malo, ya empezamos a llegar a la mitad buena del ranking y a partir de ahora todos los paquetes tienen algo bueno, pero nada destaca: el caldo es sabrosón pero se nota bastante el toque artificial, con una cantidad de grasa adecuada que le da cuerpo. Los noodles están bien, pero tirando a frágiles e insulsos.
Esos en los que piensasDiego Domínguez Almudévar
Valoración: No destacan especialmente en nada, aunque tampoco te vas a arrepentir de haberlos comprado. Son lo que me encantaría que fuera un Yatekomo, con noodles bastante abundantes. Pero no van a ser los primeros que metas en la cesta cuando vayas a comprar, eso seguro. Precio: 1,15 euros en supermercados asiáticos.
#14
Nombre: Potato Noodle
Marca: Nongshim País de origen: Corea del Sur Sabor: Pollo Picante: Un poco
Cata: Un caldo estándar sabor a pollo de noodles instantáneos, pero bastante conseguido, sin sabor artificial (el picante que llevan sí lo parece). Los fideos de patata, que son la estrella del paquete, son un poco más elásticos y chiclosos de lo normal, pero nada del otro mundo: el almidón de patata suele brillar más en noodles gruesos - tipo udon- que en los finos. Las verduras deshidratadas pasan sin pena ni gloria.
Con fideos de patataDiego Domínguez Almudévar
Valoración: Este es el primer paquete de Nongshim, que va a aparecer unas cuantas veces más, pero estos noodles son correctos, y ya está. Los fideos están muy ricos -aunque no veo cuál es la gracia respecto a los de trigo normales- y el caldo de pollo es correcto. Probablemente no los volveré a comprar, pero si te apetecen unos de pollo clásicos, son buena opción. Precio: 1,73 euros en supermercados asiáticos.
#13
Nombre: Samyang Ramen
Marca: Samyang País de origen: Corea del Sur Sabor: Pollo Picante: Sí
Cata: El caldo es un poco soso, y el picante algo artificial. Son coreanos, así que algo van a picar: en este caso es soportable, pero tapa cualquier cosa que pudiera decirme el caldo. Los fideos están bastante bien, chiclosos y elásticos, y el saquito de verduras es excelente, con trocitos de repollo sabrosos y con textura.
Casi mitad de tablaDiego Domínguez Almudévar
Valoración: Samyang es la misma marca que hace los Buldak, y estos me parecen mucho mejores. Aun así, son bastante sosos y no me dicen demasiado, pero son correctos. Irían un pelín más arriba, pero en el top más alto están otros de esta marca, y existiendo esos, no veo razón para comprar estos. Precio: 1,54 euros en supermercados asiáticos.
#12
Nombre: Pancit Canton XTRA BIG Kalamansi Flavor
Marca: Payless País de origen: Filipinas Sabor: Kalamansi Picante: No
Cata: El sabor es interesante, el calamansi es un cítrico a medio camino entre limón y la mandarina, y aunque pueda parecer raro en unos noodles, funciona. Mientras se cocinan huelen a bizcocho de limón, y la mejor forma de describir su sabor es mejillones al vapor con un chorro de limón por encima. El primer bocado sabe muy rico; los siguientes empiezan a empeorar porque empalaga un poco. Los noodles son así asá, se hacen pasta en la boca y se deshacen: en el paquete dice que son tamaño extra grande pero es una ración normal.
En mitad de tablaDiego Domínguez Almudévar
Valoración: Me gustan bastante y, sobre todo, se agradece el cambio en sabor, el arriesgar en algo. Puede que “bizcocho de limón” y “mejillones al vapor” en la misma nota de cata te suene un poco raro, pero la verdad es que están buenos, aunque empalagan un poco (quizá mezclados con algo se compense). La acidez, de todas formas, es interesante: es un componente que no se ve mucho en los noodles instantáneos y que deberían incluir más. Precio: 1,49 euros en supermercados asiáticos.
#11
Nombre: Unif 100 Furong Shrimp Flavor
Marca: Unif País de origen: China Sabor: Gambas Picante: No
Cata: Uno de los mejores caldos de todo el ranking, con un sabor a gambas muy logrado, sutil y sorprendentemente realista, quizás un poco pasado de grasa, pero muy agradable en general. También destaca la bolsa de verduras, muy abundante, retienen el sabor y aportan crujiente. Es una pena que los fideos sean tan normalitos, tirando a malos: aunque tienen estructura no son nada chiclosos y no tienen nada de sabor, son como cartón, no muy agradables de comer.
Uno de los mejores caldosDiego Domínguez Almudévar
Valoración: Es una gran pena, porque tienen un caldo buenísimo que recuerda muchísimo a la sopa wonton; pero no puedo ponerlos más arriba porque los noodles son indefendibles. Las verduras, por cierto, también maravilla; entraría fácilmente en el top cinco con unos fideos del estilo de la marca Nongshim. Precio: 0,98 euros en supermercados asiáticos.
#10
Nombre: Shin Ramyun Gourmet Spicy
Marca: Nongshim País de origen: Corea del sur Sabor: Picante Picante: Sí
Cata: El caldo es bastante picante: a mí me da hipo, no llegan a pitar los oídos y se puede comer, pero son muy picantes. Los fideos de esta marca son siempre muy buenos, chiclosos y elásticos, y el caldo está bastante conseguido, pero el picante lo tapa. El sobre de verduras es bastante escaso.
Top 10Diego Domínguez Almudévar
Valoración: Son los noodles picantes favoritos de mucha gente, y por lo tanto iba con las expectativas altas, pero la experiencia fue muy parecida a la de muchos otros: pican, y poco más. El caldo está bueno, y los fideos muy ricos, pero el picante constante en cada sorbo del caldo los hace lineales. Aun así, el picante es tolerable si estás acostumbrado, por lo menos no te hace tirarlos como los Buldak. Precio: 1,73 euros en supermercados asiáticos.
#9
Nombre: Jin Ramen Mild
Marca: Ottogi País de origen: Corea del Sur Sabor: Pollo Picante: Sí
Cata: Caldo correcto y nivel de picante elevado pero agradable, el más conseguido hasta el momento porque respeta algo el sabor del caldo. Los fideos son chiclosos, a pesar de ser tirando a finos, y la bolsita de verduras está correcta.
Diego Domínguez Almudévar
Valoración: Estos dos puestos, el 12 y el 11, podrían intercambiarse porque son muy parecidos. Recomendaría ambos a alguien que quiera comerse unos de este estilo, porque el picante es potente -aunque es la opción “suave” de la marca- pero deja disfrutar del plato sin sufrimiento. He puesto el Jin Ramen por encima porque me pareció que el picante estaba un poco más logrado, pero los fideos del Shin Ramyun son mejores, así que puedes decidir por ti mismo. Precio: 1,14 euros en supermercados asiáticos.
#8
Nombre: Youmi Udon Noodle Spicy Flavor
Marca: Youmi País de origen: Corea del Sur Sabor: Ternera Picante: Sí
Cata: El picante es bastante agresivo, recuerda al picante de los chiles frescos, con mucho ataque al metértelo a la boca que va bajando después (no como el del chile seco, que se construye poco a poco en la boca). Aunque diferente, tampoco me emociona, y creo que estarían mucho mejores con menos cantidad. De todas formas, el caldo es muy sabroso, con mucha alga nori, tiene un sabor a dashi bastante pronunciado y puede saborearse elkatsuobushi o niboshi. El paquete de verduras tiene muchas, además de soja deshidratada y alga nori en trozos. Los fideos udon podrían ser más chiclosos, pero están ricos y se siente premium.
Picantito agresivoDiego Domínguez Almudévar
Valoración: Estos son otros de esos noodles con un precio más elevado que el resto, casi tres euros, pero en este caso y a diferencia de los Yopokki que veíamos antes, se nota. El caldo está verdaderamente bueno, y las verduras le dan una heterogeneidad muy agradable. Los udon, aunque podrían ser mejores, son una variación que se agradece, y van en buena cantidad; la pega, el exceso de picante, que desvía un poco la atención de sus otras cualidades. Precio: 2,68 euros en supermercados asiáticos
#7
Nombre: Master Kong Braised Beef Noodles
Marca: Master Kong País de origen: China Sabor: Ternera Picante: Sí
Cata: El caldo tiene un sabor a ternera muy logrado, intenso y realista, con un picante agradable y que se va construyendo en la boca sin llegar a ser desagradable: es excesivamente graso, aunque supongo que parte de la intensidad de su sabor proviene de ahí. Bol muy abundante, te deja lleno. Las verduras no son muy allá: la soja se pone muy blanda, parece miga de pan mojada. Los finos son finos pero mantienen la estructura y tienen algo de textura, aunque no son los mejores.
El nombre es complicado de recordar
Valoración: El caldo tiene una intensidad que pocas veces se encuentra en noodles instantáneos, ya que suelen ser más diluidos o con menos potencia (al final, están hechos con polvos). En este caso el sabor proviene tanto de polvos como de una pasta aromática muy concentrada, responsable de gran parte del sabor y del exceso de grasa. Los noodles podrían ser mejorados, pero está bien, y el sabor del caldo es tan potente que el de los fideosse nota poco. Podrían quitar la soja deshidratada y se harían un favor. Precio: 2,50 euros en supermercados y muchos bazares asiáticos.
#6
Name: A-Kuan Sichuan
Brand: Baijia Country of Origin: China Flavor: Chili Peppers, Hot Sour (Biang Biang Noodles) Spicy: Yes
Tasting: The noodles, wide and made with potato flour, are interesting and a fun variation, although they stick a bit together and break easily. The flavor profile of Biang Biang Noodles is perfectly achieved, with a lot of Sichuanese pepper that numbs your tongue, its citrus touch; black vinegar, soy sauce, and chili peppers; You can see the different components. They are spicy but not too much, which makes them addictive. Vegetables, as if they didn't exist.
Anchoty noodlesDiego Domínguez Almudévar
Rating: Following the judging rules, in which I really value how realistic it is regarding the dish on which it is based, these noodles deserve a very high position, because they taste exactly like Biang Biang Noodles. If you've never tried the original dish and are curious about what it feels like to eat Sichuanese pepper, you can get a pretty good idea by buying one of these packets. The noodles could be better, because they stick together, but I love them: very successful, very tasty and a little scarce. Their flavor can be cloying in large quantities, so it's best to make them as a side dish with some protein on the side. Price: €1.23 in Asian supermarkets.
#5
Name: IndoMie Mi Goreng Stiry-Fry Spicy Noodles
Brand: IndoMie Country of Origin: Indonesia Flavor: Onion (me Goreng) Spicy: Moderate
Tasting: Very well achieved flavor profile: onion with hints of toasted shallot, a sweet touch from the kecap manis -sweet soy sauce- that comes in the condiments. They don't have prawns, but they gave me shrimp tones when I ate them, the same because of the context of the rest of the ingredients. The spiciness is very realistic – it's chili powder – and pleasant. The noodles, despite being thin, are very elastic and chewy, among the best in the ranking in their category. The different seasonings come compartmentalized separately, so you can adjust the seasoning to your liking (I put them all in and it was fine, not too tasty or too little). Among these condiments, there is a sachet of fried shallot, which is somewhat scarce, as is the amount of noodles.
The flavour is achievedDiego Domínguez Almudévar
Rating: I hadn't tried them before and they were highly recommended to me when I said I was making this article. It's bad to go with high expectations, but in this case they all were met: a very successful flavor profile, very pleasant and addictive, and noodles that don't fall apart, as usually happens with those that come in this format without broth. To put a downside to them, they are scarce, but for their price you can buy two, and that's it. Price: €0.75 at any Asian supermarket.
#4
Name: Neoguri Ramyun Seafood & Mild
Brand Name: Nongshim Country of Origin: South Korea Flavor: Seafood Spicy: Mild
Tasting: Broth with a pronounced seafood flavor and a lot of body. The spiciness is light, justified and pleasant, it gives it a very good extra touch. The noodles are chewy and filling, as is often the case with this brand, and the veggie sachet comes with lots of wakame seaweed and a few fishcakes.
He has a kitten in his bag, which always gives pointsDiego Domínguez Almudévar
Rating: A perfect seafood ramen. It's likely that the 100th place Prawn Unif11 has a better seafood broth, but in the case of the Neoguri, the noodles are also very good, so for me it's much better (and anyway, the broth is also very good). The wakame seaweed enhances that taste of the sea, and the spiciness is pleasant, without covering the rest; something that we have already learned is something that must be rewarded. Price: €1.73 in Asian supermarkets.
#3
Name: Samyang Kimchi Ramen
Brand Name: Samyang Country of Origin: South Korea Flavor: Kimchi Spicy: Mild
Tasting: Very rich broth, with a very realistic consistency, body and an aftertaste like prawn bread that I can't identify, it's probably prawn powder; but a very successful kimchi flavor predominates. The noodles are thin but have consistency, and are very abundant in relation to the broth. The spiciness is nice and mild, but it's present all the time.
Aftertaste of prawn breadDiego Domínguez Almudévar
Rating: Kimchi noodles are almost always a sure hit, because the taste is very realistic. The broth in these have a very interesting texture, quite distant in that aspect from the rest, which makes a very solid bowl from start to finish. There's not much more to say, it's all good (I don't see the reason to buy Samyang's classics before these, which are just better). Price: €1.54 in Asian supermarkets.
#2
Name: Shin Ramen Kimchi
Brand Name: Nongshim Country of Origin: South Korea Flavor: Kimchi Spicy: Mild
Tasting notes: Slightly spicy and very umami broth, with a pronounced and realistic kimchi flavor. The noodles are chewy and elastic, with flavor, and the master touch of this pack of noodles: dehydrated kimchi, very filling, which regenerates with the broth and makes each bite heterogeneous in flavor and with different textures.
Silver MedalDiego Domínguez Almudévar
Rating: We have already said that the kimchi broth is a sure hit, but this version also includes the bag of dehydrated kimchi, which is really delicious and gives the whole fresh kimchi punch. The noodles are also quite a bit better than Samyang's, so I consider this package to be superior (although both are very successful). Price: €1.73 in Asian supermarkets.
#1
Name: Chapaghetti
Brand Name: Nongshim Country of Origin: South Korea. Flavor: Black Bean (Jajangmyeon) Spicy: No
Tasting notes: The sauce is a near-perfect imitation of the classic Korean dish Jajajgnmyeon of noodles: sweet, slightly bitter, umami.... The noodles are thick and have bite. The soy balls from the bag of dehydrated vegetables, quite generous, are very good and are a pleasant surprise when you come across them from time to time. The final oil gives it extra texture, although it doesn't add any flavor. Their preparation is a little more tedious because you have to drain them, reserve water, and then mix it with the powders. Visually, they are also very accomplished.
The championDiego Domínguez Almudévar
Rating: They could easily pass for a restaurant jajangmyeon, especially if you mix them with a couple of toppings. The sauce is perfectly balanced, and the vegetables and dried soy give it a bit of heterogeneity. The noodles, on the other hand, are the best I've ever had: very chewy and elastic, like all Nongshim's, but in this case they are not immersed in broth, so they are not overcooked. Price: €1.73 in Asian supermarkets.
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