Monday, January 02, 2006

Neoguri Udon Seafood & Spicy

Like most Korean instant noodles, this offering from Nong Shim (the makers of the popular Shin Ramyun) is hefty, weighing in at a hefty 120g. The noodles come conveniently in a circular shaped brick, rather than the usual square brick. This is convenient if you follow the 'quick-n-easy' cooking technique, like I usually do:

  1. Microwave bowl of water for 3 or 4 minutes.
  2. Toss in the noodles and spices, cover, and wait for a few minutes.
  3. Enjoy!
These noodles are Udon, which means they are thicker and chewier than other noodles. Nong Shim's strategy with their instant noodles seems to be to combine relatively bland noodles with extremely flavorful broth. This works pretty well, especially since they excel with their broth flavorings.

Wow! Look at the sheer volume of noodles in that thing. To quote the Pepto-Bismol guy, "I can't believe I ate the whole thing." Actually, the Nutrition Facts on the back of the Neoguri package shows that this is supposed to be two servings. But the vast majority of people will not be sharing, I'm sure!

There were a lot of seaweed flakes in the soup, which was nice. There were miscellaneous other things, like carrot, onion, mushroom, and strange fish-cake things, but the vast majority of the dried vegetable packet was seaweed, which is fine. The soup tasted like a spicy seaweed broth, which was quite flavorful and delicious. I think it's not quite as spicy as the Nong Shim Hot & Spicy, but it's close. The nice thing is that it's not an oily spiciness; this means the heat will not annoyingly linger on your tongue.

Strangely, I noticed that the veggies and the spices tended to sink underneath the noodles rather than float on top like they usually do. In fact, upon reaching the end, I found a large pile of seaweed and some strange fish-cake things. Just be aware to carefully mix the concoction so that everything is well distributed.

The flavor and volume of these instant noodles was quite good. Although I prefer the plain Hot & Spicy to the Seafood & Spicy flavor, they are similar and the seafood flavor is subtle and not bad. Another offering from Nong Shim that packs a punch and really delivers.

Neoguri Udon Seafood & Spicy - 8.0/10

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24 comments:

Anonymous said...

I dont think its all that good. it looks like shit and it taste like shit

Anonymous said...

how can you hate it!? it taste so good with all the spicy stuff in it! but the only part i hate is the seafood stuff, so i usually piuck it all out qand leave the seaweed in it.

Anonymous said...

this is one of my favorte types of ramen. it is very spicy & i love the seafood flavor. good choice!

Anonymous said...

I thimk these noodles are really good! The "seafood stuff" (presumable the cuttlefish and mussels) are interesting and chewy and I wish there was more.

Jonald said...

I think they are great, especially the spicy ones. And the big, chewy udon noodles are so much better that the usual whimpy noodles.

Anonymous said...

youre doing it all wrong
you actually have to cool it on the stove top
boil 500ml of water and then pour it into a saucepan, put all the stuff in and then put it on low heat for 10 mins, come back and the noodles should be all soft and have soaked in the flavour, then pour it out and crack an egg into it
so delicious

Anonymous said...

these are my absolute favorite ramen noodles. I would love to learn how to cook from scratch (I either have to drive an hour to buy them or order them online)

Anonymous said...

u only hate it cuz u put too much water u failure

Anonymous said...

I was surprised by the texture of these noodles- I expected them to be big, cheap, sorry ramen noodles- but they really do have a nice Udon texture. The seafood flavor IS quite subtle. Very nice. : )

Anonymous said...

i totally love this ramen/udon/whatever it is! always have an emergency ration at work - for those lazy lunch days. a little effort goes a long way. i do agree that it could definitely be spicier tho!

Anonymous said...

These are the best ever. I like to boil them so they get really chewy, and mix in soft tofu and egg. It tastes like sundubu tofu stew. It can always be spiced up with some Sriracha sauce!

Anonymous said...

I'm pretty sure that if you cook it like that, it is not going to taste very good. You have to bring the water to a boil on a stove, then good the noodles with the seasoning for at least 10 minutes.

Anonymous said...

Mitlin

i luff all noodles!

Anonymous said...

Yes, you are right about we Americans. Untill I read your comment the most I ever put into instant noodles was egg and mushroom. Now I'll try adding seafood. Thanks! But, for the record, your comment was rude and insulting - not a good way to make friends or influence people.

Anonymous said...

Have it the 'traditional' Korean way and throw a slice of cheap American cheese on top and let it melt in. Dee-lish!

Anonymous said...

Neoguri is amazing, been in love with it ever since i tried it in high school.
Shin ramyun is even better, and eating either one with "Miss Vickie's Jalapeno Chips" is so good, it's scary. Makes me hate maruchan ramen and nissin top ramen.

Anonymous said...

Neoguri is amazing, been in love with it ever since i tried it in high school.
Shin ramyun is even better, and eating either one with "Miss Vickie's Jalapeno Chips" is so good, it's scary. Makes me hate maruchan ramen and nissin top ramen.

EDIT: also great with Mama Zuma's Revenge Habanero Potato Chips

arghhh so good!!

Jonald said...

So I'm intrigued; do the Miss Vicky's Jalapeno chips go IN the soup or do you just munch them on the side?

Anonymous said...

This is the best damn ramen i have ever had. There really isnt much of a seafood taste. its more a seaweed flavor and is extremely "umami". it tastes alot like a spicy Japanese miso to me. really gives me a fix of authentic Japanese/Korean flavor. LOVE IT!

Doodles MAXIMUM said...

Oh my CRAP I love these noodles. Me and my brother used to eat six packs between us as a snack. My favorite way to cook it is to put in just enough water so that it all boils off right when the noodles are all cooked through.

So spicy and good that way. God bless Neoguri. I'm seeing it all over the place now, I can pick it up at the local store.

Anonymous said...

I love Neoguri with Lop Xiong (Chinese sausage)throw 2 sliced sausages in when you add the noodles... OMG the best!

Anonymous said...

Adding some cut up chicken breast is also a good way to add some weight to these beautiful, beautiful noodles.

RBoettcher said...

A great dish if prepared like so:

-Bring to boil 500ml of water
-Add all seasonings/flavor packets and noodles
-Reduce heat to medium, cook for 4 minutes
-After 4 minutes add an egg, stir and cook for 1 more minute
-Serve in a large bowl with freshly cut spring onions on top. For more spice add Sriracha chili sauce.

Anonymous said...

In all honesty, Neoguri destroys every ramen noodle in existence. It's so good and you gotta have it with some kimchi! Haha, I actually just read an article about Neoguri, pretty funny stuff

http://www.chopsticklounge.com/2013/04/i-love-neoguri-instant-ramen.html