Another day, another instant noodle review. And with this one, we’re firmly back in my favourite territory: Korean ramyeon. This is a review of the Samyang potato ramen and spoiler: they’re great!
Samyang is a well known Korean food brand and they produce many different instant noodles including the spicy Buldak and Kalgugsu ranges. Today’s review however, is on their potato ramen.
I’d not heard about this one before so when I spotted it, I had to grab a pack of five. Dave had already tried them and given me the thumbs up so I took a pack with me to my friend’s house a few weeks ago to eat whilst on babysitting duties.
A hearty bowl
The noodles have a chewy texture which is quite different to the usual instant egg noodles. They’re not udon but they’re definitely leaning in that direction. The slightly thicker cut also helps the sauce really coat the noodles.
Flavour wise, these have a mild heat. They taste like a very savoury, slightly spicy chicken pot noodle and if like me, you’re partial to a super spicy noodle (like Shin Ramyun), they make a nice contrast. To continue the savoury hit, I added chestnut mushrooms and chicken and mushroom dumplings. And, as is my preference, I added slightly less water than the packet suggested and ended up with a really hearty bowl of food that filled me right up!
How to cook:
Put the noodles and two flavour sachets into a pan of boiling water. The packet suggests 550ml but I went for 500ml as I like it less soupy. Add frozen dumplings immediately and the mushrooms 1 minute later. Then allow them to cook at the same time. After 5 mins, remove from the heat and pour into a bowl, topping with freshly sliced spring onion. Eat and enjoy!
Scores on the doors:
- Flavour – 7/10
- Texture – 9/10
- Ease of making – 9/10
Total: 25/30
Buy again? YES.
We finished off the pack of five quickly. These are a great base for creating a filling meal and really worked nicely with the mushrooms and chicken dumplings. The chewy noodles elevated the dish beyond your standard instant noodles and I will 100% be buying these again soon.
Pick them up for next day delivery on amazon or keep an eye out at your local Asian supermarket. I’ve not seen them sold individually so expect to pay around £8.50 for a pack of five.
Dave