I Tested 8 Korean Instant Ramens and Here's How They Rank
I Tested 8 Korean Instant Ramens and Here's How They Rank
Okay, confession: I've been eating instant ramen at least twice a week since moving to Seoul. Not because I'm broke (well, sometimes). But because Korean instant ramen is genuinely on a different level from the stuff I grew up with — and I say that as someone who used to think Maruchan spicy chicken was "pretty good."
So over the past three weeks, I made it my personal mission to cook and eat 8 different Korean ramens back to back and rank them properly. Same pot, same amount of water, cooked exactly according to package instructions. No extra eggs, no cheese, no tricks. Just the noodles, the broth, and the truth.
Here's where I landed.
How I Tested These
I cooked each pack on the same Tuesday afternoon in my apartment kitchen (yes, all eight — yes, I felt awful after). Judging criteria: flavor depth, noodle texture, broth quality, and whether the price makes any sense. Most of these I grabbed from the GS25 near Sinchon station; a couple came from Emart.
Prices I'll note in KRW because that's what it actually costs here. If you're ordering from Amazon or H-Mart in the US, expect to pay a small markup.
#8 — Paldo Bibimmyeon (팔도 비빔면)
Look, I know this has fans. And I get it, the red gochujang sauce is tangy and there's a coldness to it in summer that feels right. But ranked against everything else on this list? It's just not hitting the same.
The sauce clings okay, the noodles are chewy in a good way. But it's a dry noodle — no broth — and the flavor is one-note sweet-spicy without much complexity. It's also kinda finicky to eat properly; if you don't rinse the noodles fast enough they clump.
- Price: around ₩1,100 / ~$0.85
- Available: Amazon, H-Mart, most Korean grocery stores
Minor, but worth saying: if you don't like sweet-spicy sauce, this is a hard pass.
#7 — Samyang Nuclear Buldak (삼양 핵불닭볶음면)
This one I approached with genuine fear. The "nuclear" (핵) version is the souped-up sibling of regular Buldak and the Scoville levels are... a lot.
Honestly? The heat is real and it lasts. My nose was running by noodle five. The flavor underneath is smoky and almost chicken-y in a way that regular Buldak isn't, and that part I actually liked. But eating this isn't exactly enjoyable — it's more of a challenge. My coworker from Busan watched me finish it and looked mildly concerned.
If extreme heat is your thing, go for it. Otherwise, you're better off with the original Buldak.
- Price: around ₩1,400 / ~$1.05
- Available: Amazon, H-Mart
Caveat: Do NOT eat this on an empty stomach. I learned the hard way.
#6 — Kimchi Ramen (농심 김치라면)
Kimchi Ramen sits in this weird middle zone where it's totally fine but never exciting. The kimchi flavor is present — tangy, slightly fermented, a little sour — but it tastes more like "kimchi flavor" than actual kimchi, if that makes sense.
The broth is thin. Thinner than I'd like. And the noodles are standard Nongshim texture (which is good, just not special). But for what it costs — about ₩900 at the convenience store near Hongdae station last week — it's a solid lazy-day option. Nothing wrong with it, just not my first pick.
- Price: around ₩900 / ~$0.68
- Available: H-Mart, some Amazon listings
#5 — Buldak Ramen (삼양 불닭볶음면)
Here's where it gets actually good. Regular Buldak has achieved legend status online for a reason — the spice is aggressive but manageable, and the sauce is thick and a little charred-tasting in a way that's genuinely addictive.
Samyang Buldak Hot Chicken Flavor Ramen
The noodles are chewier than most. Almost springy. And the flavor builds as you eat rather than hitting all at once, which is what separates it from just being "spicy noodles." I've been eating Buldak at least once a week for over a year at this point and I'm still not bored of it. That's saying something.
One real downside: no broth means you need water or something to wash it down. Also it stains everything. My white bowl is now a little pink.
- Price: around ₩1,300 / ~$0.98
- Available: Amazon, H-Mart, most Western grocery chains now
#4 — Budae Jjigae Ramen (부대찌개라면)
This one surprised me. Budae jjigae (army stew) is one of Korea's great comfort foods — born in the post-war era by mixing American military rations with Korean ingredients — and the instant version actually captures that spirit better than I expected.
The broth is rich and a little smoky, with this slightly processed-sausage undertone that sounds weird but works. There's a subtle sweetness underneath the spice that's very distinctly budae. The noodles are thick and hold up well in the broth. It's the closest to "feels like a real meal" out of anything on this list.
Not widely available outside Korea, but if you're shopping at H-Mart, check the ramen wall — I've spotted it there.
- Price: around ₩1,500 / ~$1.13
#3 — Jjapaghetti (농심 짜파게티)
Okay, so Jjapaghetti got a massive global moment after Parasite (the movie) featured it. If you haven't seen the "ram-don" scene, the dish is technically Jjapaghetti + Neoguri mixed. But on its own? Jjapaghetti is genuinely great.
It's a black bean sauce noodle — think Korean-style jjajangmyeon in instant form. The sauce is savory, a tiny bit sweet, and has this deep roasted-onion thing going on. Texture-wise the noodles are on the softer side (cook for the full time or they're underdone) but the sauce coats them perfectly. Cold weather food. Starchy comfort food.
It's not spicy at all, which might disappoint some people. And the smell when you first open the packet is intense — almost like strong soy sauce. It grows on you fast, though.
- Price: around ₩1,200 / ~$0.90
- Available: Amazon, H-Mart, Walmart (sometimes)
#2 — Jin Ramen (오뚜기 진라면)
Jin Ramen doesn't get enough credit outside Korea. Everyone talks about Shin Ramen, but locals will often tell you Jin is actually better — and after doing this test, I'm inclined to agree.
The broth is rich and round in a way that feels almost homemade, which sounds like an insane thing to say about a ₩950 packet. There's a subtle depth here — dried anchovy-ish umami in the background — that Shin Ramen doesn't quite have. The noodles are slightly thicker and stay springy even when the broth cools down a bit.
It comes in mild (순한맛) and spicy (매운맛). I tested the spicy version. The heat is present but not aggressive — more of a warm burn than a sharp slap, which is honestly what I want from a weeknight bowl.
- Price: around ₩950 / ~$0.72
- Available: H-Mart, some Asian grocery stores
#1 — Shin Ramen (농심 신라면)
Okay, the crowd-pleaser wins. But hear me out — Shin Ramen is #1 not because of hype, but because it's engineered to be reliable in a way that no other ramen on this list can match.
Nongshim Shin Ramyun
The broth is bold and spicy with a deeply savory backbone that doesn't quit. The noodles are firm (not mushy, even if you overcook them slightly), and the dried vegetable packet actually adds real flavor rather than just being a garnish. It's the ramen I've cooked on a Sunday night when I was sick, the ramen I've eaten standing in my kitchen at midnight, the ramen I brought to my friend's place when she had no food in her apartment near Mapo.
Compared to something like Maruchan or Top Ramen back home, it's not even the same category of product. Those are fine. Shin Ramen is genuinely good.
Is it the most interesting ramen on this list? No — that's probably Jin or Budae Jjigae. But consistent, satisfying, available everywhere, pairs with anything you add to it. Hard to beat.
- Price: around ₩1,000 / ~$0.76
- Available: Amazon, H-Mart, Walmart, Target, most mainstream grocery stores now
Where to Buy These in the US/UK/Canada
H-Mart (US/Canada): Best selection, usually has all 8 on this list.
Amazon: Shin Ramen, Buldak, and Jjapaghetti are easy to find. Budae Jjigae takes more searching.
Walmart/Target: Shin Ramen and Buldak have crept into mainstream grocery aisles. Worth checking the "international" or "Asian food" section.
Online Korean grocers (like Hanahreum or Gochujar): If you want the full selection including regional or seasonal flavors, these are worth bookmarking.
So there it is — eight ramens, three weeks of eating, one very tired stomach. If you're new to Korean instant noodles and want to start somewhere, grab a pack of Shin Ramen and a pack of Jin Ramen. That'll tell you pretty quickly whether you're going to go deeper into this rabbit hole.
(Spoiler: you will.)
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