Which Korean Ramen Should You Try? A Guide to Flavour, Spice & Style

Choosing Korean instant noodles can be surprisingly difficult when the packets only tell you so much.

One might be creamy but still quite spicy. Another comes with a rich broth. Some are made to be eaten almost dry, coated in sauce, while others are better when you want a warming bowl of soup.

So rather than telling you which Korean ramen is “best”, this guide is about something more useful: which one is likely to suit you.

The quick answer

If you don't want to compare every packet, start here:

If you're looking for…	Try
Creamy, spicy noodles	Samyang Buldak Carbonara
A warming spicy noodle soup	Nongshim Shin Ramyun
The classic Buldak flavour	Samyang Buldak Hot Chicken Ramen Big Bowl
Serious chilli heat	Samyang Buldak 2x Spicy

There isn't one correct choice. The biggest difference is not simply the spice level. It is also how the noodles are prepared and what sort of meal you want.

First: do you want soup or sauce-coated noodles?

This is probably the easiest way to narrow things down.

Choose Shin Ramyun if you want broth

Nongshim Shin Ramyun is cooked and served as a noodle soup.

The noodles sit in a hot, savoury broth seasoned with chilli, garlic, black pepper and shiitake, with vegetable and mushroom flakes in the pack.

That makes it a good choice when you want something warming and brothy rather than a heavily coated noodle dish.

You can eat it as it comes, or add ingredients such as an egg, mushrooms, spring onion or vegetables if you want to make the bowl more substantial.

Good choice for: spicy soup lovers, colder evenings and anyone who wants a classic bowl rather than dry-style noodles.

Choose Buldak if you want noodles coated in sauce

Samyang Buldak is a different eating experience.

Instead of keeping a full bowl of broth, Buldak noodles are prepared as a stir-fried style dish. Most of the cooking water is removed before the sauce is mixed through the noodles.

The result is a thicker, more concentrated flavour.

If what you really want is chewy noodles covered in a strong spicy sauce, Buldak is probably the direction to go.

Then you have another decision to make: which Buldak?

Samyang Buldak Carbonara: for creamy and spicy

Carbonara is a sensible place to look if you like the idea of Buldak but want more than straightforward chilli heat.

It combines Samyang's spicy Buldak sauce with a creamy carbonara-style seasoning. The result is rich, savoury and spicy, but with a softer creamy character around the heat.

Don't mistake “creamy” for “mild”, though.

Buldak Carbonara is still a spicy noodle.

It makes more sense for someone who enjoys some heat but also wants richness and flavour alongside it.

The springy noodles and thick sauce also make it particularly good with simple additions such as a soft-boiled egg or spring onion.

Choose Carbonara if: you want creamy, savoury noodles with a noticeable chilli kick.

Probably skip it if: you specifically want a soup noodle or you avoid spicy food altogether.

Samyang Buldak Original: for the classic experience

If you've heard people talking about “Buldak ramen” and simply want to find out what the fuss is about, Original is the straightforward place to start.

It gives you the familiar Buldak combination: chewy noodles, concentrated sauce and significant chilli heat without immediately jumping to the 2x version.

The flavour is bold and savoury with some sweetness behind the chilli.

Original makes most sense when you actually want spicy noodles, rather than choosing something spicy because it happens to be popular.

If you're already comfortable with chilli in your food, this is a better introduction to the Buldak range than starting with the hottest packet you can find.

Choose Original if: you want the classic Buldak flavour and enjoy properly spicy food.

Samyang Buldak 2x Spicy: when heat is part of the point

The name gives this one away.

Buldak 2x Spicy is not the packet we'd recommend simply because someone is trying Korean noodles for the first time.

It is for people who genuinely enjoy intense chilli heat.

The same sauce-coated Buldak style is there, but the heat is much more aggressive. That can be exactly what some people are looking for, and completely wrong for someone else.

There is no prize for choosing the hottest option.

If you want to enjoy the flavour as well as the heat and aren't sure about your tolerance, start somewhere else. You can always come back to 2x Spicy later.

Choose 2x Spicy if: very hot food is something you already enjoy.

Don't choose it just because: you've seen somebody doing a spicy-noodle challenge.

Nongshim Shin Ramyun: for a spicy, savoury bowl

Shin Ramyun deserves to be considered separately from Buldak because it solves a different craving.

Instead of thick sauce clinging to drained noodles, Shin Ramyun gives you springy noodles in a spicy savoury broth.

The seasoning includes chilli, garlic, black pepper and shiitake, which gives the broth plenty of depth without making the entire experience only about heat.

It is still spicy, but the broth changes the way that spice comes across.

If someone told us:

“I want to try Korean instant noodles, but I'm looking for a proper hot bowl of noodle soup.”

Shin Ramyun would make more sense than Buldak.

It is also easy to build into a bigger meal with vegetables, tofu, mushrooms or other toppings you already have at home.

Choose Shin Ramyun if: broth matters to you as much as the noodles.

Which one should a first-time buyer choose?

There is no universal first packet because people's tastes are different.

But we can narrow it down.

If you enjoy creamy food and already tolerate some chilli:
Start with Buldak Carbonara.

If you normally prefer noodle soups:
Start with Shin Ramyun.

IIf you already eat spicy food regularly and want to try the classic Buldak flavour:
Try Buldak Big Bowl.

If you're actively looking for very strong heat:
That's when Buldak 2x Spicy starts to make sense.

What we wouldn't recommend is choosing 2x Spicy as your introduction simply because it has the biggest reputation.

The point is to find something you actually enjoy eating.

What if you're not good with spicy food?

Korean instant noodles do not all have the same heat level, and even the creamier varieties can still be considerably spicy if you're not used to chilli.

If you rarely eat spicy food, check the packet and product information carefully before buying.

You can also soften a spicy bowl with additions such as egg or cheese where they suit the recipe, but that won't turn a very spicy noodle into a genuinely mild one.

It is better to choose according to your normal tastes from the beginning.

Can you add your own toppings?

Absolutely, and you don't need an elaborate recipe.

For Shin Ramyun, ingredients that work naturally in a soup bowl include:

• egg
• spring onion
• mushrooms
• leafy vegetables
• tofu

For Buldak-style noodles, you might prefer:

• fried or soft-boiled egg
• spring onion
• sesame seeds
• cheese
• a few vegetables for extra texture

You don't have to add anything, though. Trying a packet as intended the first time is also a good way to understand what you actually like about it.

So, which Korean ramen should you try?

Think about the meal before thinking about the brand.

Want creamy and spicy? Try Buldak Carbonara.

Want a hot, savoury noodle soup? Shin Ramyun is the better fit.

Want the classic Buldak flavour? Try the Samyang Buldak Hot Chicken Ramen Big Bowl.

Want serious chilli heat? That's what 2x Spicy is there for.

And if you eventually try several, you may find that they aren't really substitutes for one another at all. A bowl of Shin Ramyun suits a different mood from a plate of Buldak Carbonara.

That's part of what makes exploring Korean noodles interesting.

At Asian Larder, we're gradually building our Korean and Asian noodle range around products people genuinely want to eat. You can browse our Instant Noodles & Ramen collection to see what is currently available.

Already deciding specifically between Samyang and Nongshim? Read our Samyang vs Nongshim: Which Korean Instant Noodle Should You Try First? guide for a closer comparison of the two brands.

Product recipes, ingredients and allergen information can change. Always check the packaging and individual product page for the latest information before consumption.