Growing up in a Korean household, ramyeon has played many roles in my life: it’s my grandmother’s weakness, my friend’s hangover remedy, and my go-to meal when it’s raining cats and dogs. After many years of slurping down ramyeon without much thought, this article is my resolute attempt to find out which is the cream of the crop. Here is my list of the 12 best instant ramyeon in Singapore.
Table of Contents
Personally, I like to think of ramyeon as Janus-faced. On one hand, it’s the easiest dish to whip up, and yet, it’s so multifaceted with a myriad of brands, flavours, textures—and the list goes on. We all know that personal preferences are subjective, which is why I came up with three categories, and four criteria for each.
The three categories introduced are Best Spicy Ramyeon, Best Black Bean Ramyeon, and Best Seafood Ramyeon.
Each criteria is given a maximum of 5 points, for a total of 20. I’ll then convert the points to a percentage score.
Best spicy ramyeon criteria:
First, the texture of the noodles. Ideally, it should be springy with a bit of resistance even in the hot soup, which means it shouldn’t be prone to breaking easily. Thin or thick, the noodles shouldn’t taste too floury, and must be able to absorb the flavour of the soup.
The second component is all about the soup. FYI, I’ll follow the instructions to add the right amount of water to get the perfect soup base. Preferably, the soup shouldn’t be too bland or salty, and there has to be some depth to its flavour.
Next, the spice level. Since we’re debating the best spicy ramyeon, it goes without saying that there should be a kick of spice that lingers for a while. But it shouldn’t be unbearably spicy, such as Samyang’s fire noodles—a no go in my books.
Finally, the value of each packet. I’ll purchase the instant noodles either from a local supermarket or Korean mart, and take note of the price per packet.
Best black bean ramyeon criteria:
Foremost, the texture of the noodles. They should be chewy, generously coated in oil, and shouldn’t turn soggy or dry during consumption.
Following, the black bean sauce should strike a good balance of sweet and salty. The oil provided in the packet shouldn’t exude an intense or off-putting smell, and the black bean sauce cannot have an astringent flavour.
Next, the variety of toppings. The more the merrier applies to this component—we want a good mix of meat, peas, and vegetables.
Lastly, the value of each packet. Likewise, the instant noodles will be bought from a local supermarket or Korean mart, and the price of one packet will be used for comparison.
Best seafood ramyeon criteria:
Similar to the best spicy ramyeon criteria, the texture of the noodles is crucial here. It should be thicker than usual to resemble the noodles in jjamppong, and has to be springy and chewy at the same time. Again, the noodles shouldn’t taste floury, and they should soak up the goodness of the seafood soup.
The next component is the soup. Since it’s a seafood broth, the flavour has to be rich and umami, but not overwhelming.
Third, the spice level. There should be a good amount of spice enough to keep you going back for more, but it should be moderately so, as we don’t want to be caught in a coughing fit.
And of course, the price of each packet will be compared across all four products to find out which one is the most value for money.
Paldo’s Teumsae Ramyeon was delectable, but it paled in comparison to its counterparts.
This was the spiciest among the four. Personally, the soup was the main element that kept me going back for more. But considering how spicy it was, it may be a struggle for some to enjoy—especially if you don’t have a good spice tolerance. If you love bold flavours, though, you might enjoy this. In terms of noodles, I appreciated the springy texture, albeit the noodles tasting a little floury at times.
Here’s a personal tip: Teumsae Ramyeon tastes better when the noodles are fully-cooked, instead of having them al dente. If you enjoy a kick of spice with noodles that are on the thinner side, Teumsae Ramyeon will surely tickle your fancy.
Texture of noodles: 3.5/5
Spice level: 3.5/5
Soup: 4/5
Value: 4/5
Total: 75%
One of my mother’s favourite brands is Nongshim’s An Sung Tang Myun, which explains why I have a sentimental attachment to it. Though it came in third in its category, I can see why loyal fans go back to this brand time after time.
When cooking An Sung Tang Myun, there was a distinctive smell that set itself apart from the rest of the ramyeon brands. The keyword here is umami—the umami-laden noodles and soup made this dish an addictive one. The kelp flavour is prominent—you can even taste it in the noodles. Out of the four brands, An Sung Tang Myun’s noodles did the best job at absorbing the flavour of the soup, all the while maintaining a good resistance to each bite. If I had to nitpick, I wish there was a better balance of salty and spicy as I found the former to be overpowering.
Texture of noodles: 4/5
Spice level: 4/5
Soup: 4/5
Value: 4/5
Total: 80%
National favourite Ottogi’s Jin Ramyeon came in second by a narrow margin. I’m not familiar with the culinary science behind their soup, but it was light on the palate yet robust in flavour. And there was a fair balance of salty and spicy, which the aforementioned brands lacked.
The noodles were almost perfect—chewy, springy, and the right amount of thickness. There was a sense of satisfaction each time we slurped up the QQ noodles. Also, the noodles were still pleasant to eat despite being left out for a while.
A shout-out to $1.12 ramyeon—I’m sure we can all appreciate a good deal, so I urge you to give this brand a go. I promise you won’t regret your purchase.
Texture of noodles: 4.5/5
Spice level: 4/5
Soup: 4.5/5
Value: 4.5/5
Total: 87.5%
Surprise, or no surprise, Nongshim’s Shin Ramyeon won the best spicy ramyeon title. I thought it was the taste of familiarity that made me gravitate towards this brand, but my ramyeon-loving colleague ranked it at the top, too—it’s just good, period.
The texture of Shin Ramyeon’s noodles was my favourite out of the four. Despite being on the thicker side, the noodles were not floury, and they went down smoothly. In terms of toppings, shiitake mushrooms take centre stage here. While it is a polarising ingredient due to its strong smell and flavour, I am personally partial to it, and thought that it played an important role in giving more depth to the soup. Among the four brands, I thought the spice level of Shin Ramyeon was just nice. I’m not one to finish the soup when having instant noodles, but if we’re talking about Shin Ramyeon, I’ll gladly add a bowl of rice and gulp it all down.
On a rainy day, Shin Ramyeon will be the first brand that comes to mind now. It also helps that it’s available in most supermarkets and Korean marts in Singapore. Here’s a tip: their packet ramyeon tastes better than the cup noodles, so opt for the former whenever possible.
Texture of noodles: 4.5/5
Spice level: 5/5
Soup: 4.5/5
Value: 4/5
Total: 90%
As all ramyeon diehards may know, Ottogi is one of Korea’s food giants with some of the best instant noodles. So you can imagine my disappointment when I had to rank their Jin Jjajang at number four in this category.
The biggest miss was the texture of the noodles. They were too thick and had a floury taste that clashed with the black bean sauce. Thankfully, the saving grace was the sauce, which managed to hit a good balance of sweet and salty. Also, there was a hint of smokiness that added a bit of dimension to the overall flavour.
Value-wise, each packet comes up to just under $2, which is mid-range for Korean ramyeon.
Texture of noodles: 2.5/5
Toppings: 4/5
Sauce: 4/5
Value: 3.5/5
Total: 70%
Lo and behold—Samyang isn’t only known for their spicy noodles. Their Chacharoni is relatively popular in Korea, which naturally raised my expectations.
There were two elements that I enjoyed about this particular brand: the consistency of the sauce, and the generous toppings. The black bean sauce was not in a powder form; instead, it came in the viscous consistency that resembled the sauce of actual jjajangmyeon. In terms of toppings, there was a good amount of dried potatoes and meat, which instantly got my nod of approval.
Here’s the downside: the sauce was too sweet, and a little astringent towards the end. Also, it didn’t help that the noodles were on the thinner side, so it wasn’t as shiok as I’d liked. In a nutshell, Chacharoni looked better than it tasted. It got me thinking about how this brand will be my backup plan, but never my first choice when it comes to instant black bean ramyeon.
Texture of noodles: 3.5/5
Toppings: 4.5/5
Sauce: 3/5
Value: 3.5/5
Total: 72.5%
Next, we have Nongshim’s Chapagetti, which is my personal go-to brand when I’m craving black bean noodles. It’s noteworthy that Chapagetti was the cheapest and most accessible out of the four brands.
Unlike Chacharoni, Chapagetti’s black bean sauce comes in a powder form. You also get a packet of olive oil along with another packet of dried toppings. As you can tell from my rating, I found the sauce to be the most outstanding element. It was more than enough to coat the noodles entirely, and I particularly liked that it was the least sweet out of the four brands. Also, a little goes a long way with the olive oil—though the packet was tiny, the oil was indispensable to giving the noodles a silky texture. Do note that there’s a tendency for Chapagetti to harden relatively quickly, so I recommend consuming it as soon as you can.
Texture of noodles: 4/5
Toppings: 4/5
Sauce: 4.5/5
Value: 3.5/5
Total: 80%
The most expensive out of the lot is Paldo’s Jjajangmen, which was priced at $12.80 for four packets in a Korean mart. I thought to myself that this better be worth it, and it really was. Now that I’ve gotten a taste of how good a pricey instant noodle can be, there’s no going back.
In terms of flavour and consistency, the sauce resembled that of the regular black bean noodles you’ll find in Korean restaurants. Not only was there a substantial amount of sauce, but the quality was also superb. You get a good mix of pork, peas, carrots, and cabbage doused in a relatively sweet and rich sauce. I must say the noodles really hit the spot for this one—when I say not too thin and not too thick, Paldo’s Jjajangmen serves as a good blueprint.
Now, the question is, will I purchase this again? My answer is yes, I might consider having this every once in a while if I’m in the mood to splurge.
Texture of noodles: 5/5
Toppings: 4.5/5
Sauce: 4.5/5
Value: 2.5/5
Total: 82.5%
Since Nongshim’s Squid Champong falls under the seafood category, I was anticipating a robust soup with more depth and flavour.
Alas, the Squid Champong fell short of my expectations as the soup was mild compared to how aromatic it smelled. In addition, the noodles were the thinnest among all the brands mentioned on this list. The overly thin noodles were not exactly the best pairing with the seafood base, which affected the final rating by a fair bit. Despite the shortcomings, I appreciated that the soup didn’t exude a pungent smell as there’s a tendency for seafood broths to be overwhelmingly intense when done wrong.
Texture of noodles: 3/5
Spice level: 3.5/5
Soup: 4/5
Value: 3.5/5
Total: 70%
The sibling of Nongshim’s An Sung Tang Myun is Nongshim’s Seafood An Sung Tang Myun. Similar to the Squid Champong, the texture of the noodles was not the vibe when eaten together with the seafood soup. Also, I found it rather bizarre that there weren’t any toppings apart from a handful of dried seaweed.
Compared to the aforementioned ramyeon, the Seafood An Sung Tang Myun was slightly better as the soup was richer in flavour. Though not exactly the best representation of seafood ramyeon, there were subtle nuances of crab and prawn in this soup. Not too shabby for its price, I must add.
Texture of noodles: 3.5/5
Spice level: 3.5/5
Soup: 4/5
Value: 3.5/5
Total: 72.5%
Nongshim’s Neoguri is another ramyeon brand I grew up with, and I’ve always been fond of how adorable the name is. FYI, “neoguri” translates to “racoon” in English.
My favourite thing about Neoguri ramyeon has got to be the noodles. Bouncy and chewy are two words that come to mind when I describe its texture, and though the noodles had a slight flour-like aftertaste, the soup made up for it. A quick disclaimer, you might not be a fan of this brand if you don’t like kelp. The soup has a strong seaweed flavour, which I thought gave it a full-bodied flavour. There was a slight miss on the spice level though; Nongshim could definitely provide more kick in the spice department to zhng up the soup base.
Texture of noodles: 4.5/5
Spice level: 3.5/5
Soup: 4/5
Value: 3.5/5
Total: 77.5%
Ah, here comes the champ that stole my heart. Ottogi’s Jin Jjambbong left me thoroughly impressed, and it has since become one of my guilty pleasures.
Among the seafood ramyeon contenders, Jin Jjambbong was the priciest, but also the fanciest in terms of its contents. The ramyeon packet comes with dehydrated flakes, a liquid sauce, and a seasoning oil.
I was surprised when I saw how thick the uncooked noodles were—it was evidently the thickest out of the four brands. When cooked, the noodles were chewy and substantial, which I thought was the perfect fit for the seafood category. Across the board, Jin Jjambbong’s soup had the deepest shade of red, which can be daunting. But not to worry, as the colour is an indication of the soup’s richness rather than how spicy it is. And here comes the best part—you also get a distinctive, charred taste just like in a bowl of jjambbong sold in restaurants. The combination of the smoky aroma, flavourful soup, and bouncy noodles makes this toothsome dish really hard to resist. Oh, and not forgetting the crab meat topping—it was the cherry on top.
Out of the 12 ramyeon brands we tried, Ottogi’s Jin Jjambbong takes the crown. I’m aware that the final score is tied with Nongshim’s Shin Ramyeon, but considering how popular the latter already is, take this as a chance to try this equally delicious alternative.
Texture of noodles: 5/5
Spice level: 5/5
Soup: 5/5
Value: 3/5
Total: 90%
Now that you know which ramyeon brings home the prize, go forth and try out these 12 best Korean instant noodle brands and come up with your favourite. Perhaps you might find that my favourite ramyeon isn’t yours, which goes to show that personal preferences are indeed subjective when it comes to food. If you’d like to purchase these Korean ramyeon online, you can check out Koryo Mart and Shine Korea.
If you, like me, are a big fan of acai bowls, find out where to go for the best acai bowls in Singapore. Also, check out which is the best oat milk in Singapore to recreate cafe-style coffee at the comfort of your own home.
Photos taken by Ke-ian J Leong.
This was an independent review by Eatbook.sg.
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