12 Best Korean Ramen To Spice Up Your Life

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Korean ramen consumption jumped sharply worldwide. What is Korean ramen? Called ramyun in Korea, it is an instant noodle that Koreans have loved since 1963 when Samyang Ramyun first came on the market. With K-Drama’s ever-increasing popularity, which frequently showcases the best Korean ramen, many of the top brands have become bestsellers in the Western world. Ramyun also became a great emergency stay-at-home food during the pandemic.

Nongshim Shin Black Noodle Soup was chosen as the world’s best Korean ramen by “The Travel”, a global travel site, and the “New York Times” in 2020. Nongshim ramen is sold in over 100 countries globally and plays a lead role in K-ramen obsession, followed closely by Ottogi, Samyang, and Paldo ramen brands.

Here is my list of the 12 best Korean ramen ranked. Not surprisingly, I put Nongshim Shin Black as my favorite ramen, too. I couldn’t help it, it’s simply the best Korean ramen of the bunch and one of my favorite Korean snacks. The rest are a smörgåsbord of tastes and textures, many of which can be combined for just the right level of spiciness and flavor.

Please note, ramen comes in many forms and flavors. I combined the best Korean ramen that come in a bag and a cup on this list.

---

1. Nongshim Shin Black Noodle Soup

Picked by The “New York Times” and “The Travel” as the best instant noodles, Shin Black Ramen is the premium version of Shin Ramen. This ramen has an extra beef bone soup base power packet which makes the broth thicker and meatier. It’s also loaded with Shin Ramen’s famous spiciness. Shin Black Ramen comes in three different versions; Shin Black Meal Noodle, Shin Black Cup Noodle, and Shin Black Ramen Bowl.

---

2. Nongshim Shin Noodle Soup

Since its creation in 1986, Shin Ramen has been the undisputed bestseller in Korea and one of the most popular instant noodles in the world. It was also named by the “Thrillist” in December 2021 as one of the best instant noodles.

Its spiciness may you shock you at first but you’ll finish your bowl very satisfied. The chewiness of the noodles and the richness of the spicy broth – packed with beef, mushrooms, carrots, and peppers – will make you crave another bowl instantly. Shin Ramen has 3 different versions; Shin Meal Noodle, Shin Cup Noodle, and Shin Ramen Bowl.

---

3. Samyang Original Ramen

Samyang Original Ramen is the first Korean ramen ever produced, way back in 1963. This is definitely the ramen that nostalgic Korean baby boomers love the most. Loaded with ham and vegetable flakes, the soup has a pleasing multi-layer flavor that everyone can enjoy, regardless of age.

---

4. Ottogi Jin Ramen Mild

Jin Ramen Mild is very popular with those who don’t appreciate the spiciness of Shin Ramen, making it the number one ramen for Korean children. Since its debut in 1988, it has become one of the most popular ramen and a fierce competitor of Shin Ramen in Korea. It has plenty of vegetable flakes inside, such as green onion, mushrooms and carrots, The mild but rich broth provides an authentic traditional Korean flavor with every bite. It comes in 2 versions: Jin Ramen Mild, and Jin Ramen Mild Cup Noodle. There are also spicier versions of Jin Ramen; Jin Ramen Spicy, and Jin Ramen Spicy Cup Noodle.

---

5. Nongshim Bowl Noodle Soup, Kimchi

This is one of the first Korean ramen bowls and has been a steady seller since its debut in the 1980s. Ramen bowls are so simple and quick to make. Just follow these steps – 1. Put water into the bowl; 2. Put the bowl into a microwave for 3~4 min; 3. Eat and enjoy. That’s why ramen bowls and cup noodles are so popular with people in a hurry who need to eat fast.

These noodles contain kimchi, a globally popular fermented dish that’s nutritious and makes a great addition to many foods. With this added kimchi taste, and a mild spiciness, this ramen bowl is well-balanced and flavorful – perfect for those who are newbies to kimchi.

---

6. Nongshim Chapagetti

Chapagetti is the instant noodle version of the Chajangmyun (Jajangmyun) Noodles, an extremely popular noodle dish and one of the first delivery foods in Korea. Jajangmyun is a Chinese black sauce fried noodle dish that was invented by a Chinese Korean back in 1905 in Incheon, Korea. It has become one of Korea’s favorite foods since then. More recently, Chapagetti gained international popularity, along with Neoguri, because of the Oscar winning movie, “Parasite”.

Chapagetti is from the words Chajang (Jajang) and Spaghetti. You can tell from the name that it is a blend of Chinese (fried black sauce) and Italian flavors. The vegetable flakes have chunks of dried potato, onion, and carrots to go with its delicious jajang sauce powder and olive oil.

Chapagetti comes in 2 versions; Chapagetti, and Chapagetti Big Bowl.

---

7. Nongshim Neoguri

Neoguri was launched in 1982 by Nongshim and was differentiated from their other ramen by its thicker noodles, which are more like udon noodles with a rich spicy seafood flavor soup. This was an instant hit in Korea and became Korea’s favorite instant seafood noodle soup. As mentioned above, it gained international popularity along with Chapagetti because of Parasite’s infamous noodle dish, ChapaGuri.

This has 2 versions; Neoguri, and Neoguri Cup Noodle.

---

8. Nongshim ChapaGuri

This Korean ramen came right after the success of “Parasite”. Chapaguri Bowl is a well-executed combination of Chapagetti’s delicate jajang taste and Neoguri’s spicy seafood flavor, just like in the movie, this instant bowl will be yours to eat and enjoy within 5~6 min. Simply pop it into a microwave, avoiding the inconvenience of cooking on a stovetop like in Parasite.

---

9. Samyang Buldak Ramen

Buldak ramen (Hot Spicy Chicken Stir-Fried Ramen) is the Korean ramen that started the phenomenonal ‘fire noodle challenge‘, which resulted in more than a million videos on YouTube of people trying this challenge worldwide. This stir-fried ramen is extremely spicy, even by Korean ramen standards, but also has a delicious and addictive flavor with chewy and firm noodles. The sauce is flavorful, creating the perfect balance between spiciness and a strong chicken flavor.

Buldak ramen has 11 flavors: Hot Chicken, Original, Carbo, Kimchi, Light, Spaghetti, Jjajang, Stew, Curry, 2X(HEAK), Cheese, and Corn. It also comes in 3 cup noodle flavors, Orignal, Carbo, and Cheese.

---

10. Paldo Bibimmen

Paldo Bibimmen is the first Korean cold spicy ramen that was first manufactured in 1984. This Korean ramen was inspired by Korean cold spicy noodles. The perfect balance between spicy, sweet, and sour flavors makes Bibimmen so unique. It has been one of the most popular Korean ramen for more than 37 years.

---

11. Paldo Teumsae Ramen

Paldo Teumsae ramen claims to be the spiciest noodle soup in Korea and, I kid you not, I will have to agree! This is another one that caused a craze of Korean spicy ramen noodle eating challenges and mukbang on social media. The addictive spiciness will make you crave this Korean ramen from time to time, even if you swore you would never eat it again.

---

12. Nongshim Soon Veggie Noodle Soup

Soon Noodle Soup is vegan Korean ramen that has the same delicious noodle soup taste inspired by Shin Ramen, but with a milder flavor created from the savory vegetable ingredients. Soon is the Korean word for mild and that is why the Korean word Soon is used for this ramen. Think of this as a milder, vegan version of Shin Ramen. This ramen is for those who want to eat healthy vegetarian ramen!

Soon Noodles Soup comes in 2 versions; Soon Noodles Soup, and Soon Cup Noodles Soup.

---

How Can You Make Korean Ramen Even Tastier?

Here are a few tips to spice-up your Korean ramen, turning it from a simple snack into a soul-warming meal, such as weekend rabbokki. Pick and choose your favorites from the suggestions below:

1. Eggs (add a raw egg during cooking or a hard boiled egg at the end)
2. Kimchi
3. Spam (add raw during cooking or fry it first)
4. American cheese slices or shredded mozzarella cheese
5. Fried hotdog
6. Fried bacon
7. Tteok (Korean rice cake)
8. Sriracha (Make it spicier!)
9. Dried seaweed
10. Scallions and sesame seeds for extra flavor

Are there any other ingredients you like to add to Korean ramen? Let me know in the comments at the end of this article and I’ll add them to the list.

Don’t forget, you can also experience the taste of Korean ramen, along with many other delightful Korean treats, through a subscription to the awesome Seoul Box.

---

Korean Cookware To Make The Best Ramen

Korean people swear the best way to eat Korean ramen is by cooking it in a yellow aluminum pot, putting the noodles on the lid of the pot, then slurping them down your throat quickly. You may have seen this in your favorite K-dramas, like in the picture below.

Using these Korean pots is a fun way to cook ramen and they give you an authentic taste of Korean cuisine. If you want to try it at home, here are some of my personal cooking pot suggestions to enhance your Korean ramen experience.

---

---

---

---

9 Ways To Enjoy Korean Ramen: YouTube Recipes Hack

Check out this video from Aaron & Claire’s YouTube channel to discover 9 incredible ways to enjoy Korean ramen. Transform a simple bowl of noodles into a filling lunch, late-night snack, or side-dish at a family dinner. You’ll be shocked at the many different uses of Korean ramen.

---

Popular Korean Ramen Mukbang on YouTube

In this video from Hamzy, you’ll be amazed at the amount of ramen noodles she devours in this spicy dish. If you’ve never watched a mukbang video before, you might be shocked to see just how much these Korean YouTubers can eat. And then, like me, you’ll probably become addicted to them.

---

---

---

We hope you like our reviews and recommendations! All products featured on Best of Korea are independently selected by our writers and editors. To purchase a product, please use our links so that we may receive an affiliate commission for your purchase. Best of Korea LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program.