Kidari Shikpum Seimyeon Seollangtang is not only a mouthful to say, but a bellyful of noodles as well. This sleeper cup of noodles is packin’ a truckload, no, a dump-truck full of noodles! And, they aren’t half bad either!
So, before I give the whole darn review away in the intro, let’s take a step back and examine my thoughts and expectations of this cup of instant noodles. At first glance, these noodles look like any other Korean traditional dish inspired noodles out there. I don’t know about you, but I’m usually not super stoked by the appearance of this type of cup.
Are these instant noodles loosely culturally relevant? Probably so, but sometimes I like the modern pop or flair coming from both the packaging and the unique flavors that the Einstein’s of flavor science are coming up with in the lab. Long story short, I’m not all that excited about these noodles, but I am excited for my first ramen review after a long hiatus. The bar might be set low today by the packaging, but it’s the inside that truly counts. Let’s hope that these instant noodles have some personality!
Flavor:
I’ll think I’ll start with the good news today. There is one whopping, extremely generous portion of noodles in this cup! I even had a hard time finishing every last strand of noodles after having a bite of lunch prior. I can’t say that many cups of instant noodles fill me up like these did.
There’s a strong flavor from the noodles that gets a boost from an equally powerful oniony flavor. Seimyeon Seollangtang also has just enough saltiness to keep these noodles from becoming too boring.
While extremely generous with the noodles, there was a tradeoff with ingredients. There’s not a whole lot to these noodles, other than noodles. You’ll be able to find some onion, leek, a touch of laver, and a few tiny pieces of beef. This leads me to my problem with these Seollangtang inspired instant noodles.
These noodles aren’t very beefy for being, “beef soup.” The broth might be milky like a bone broth, but it lacks the marrowy flavor of it. Aside from literal scraps of beef, there just isn’t any. Some major corners were cut here.
To describe the flavor a bit, you’re first hit with an overwhelming burst of onion flavor, before getting some of the sweetness from the noodles. The flavor gets rounded out by a dash of saltiness from the broth. That’s about it really. This cup of noodles is rather simple.
These noodles will be a great option for people that might be sick and are having trouble keeping down food. It will sit perfectly on your stomach like the best instant chicken noodle soup out there. In terms of utility, these noodles are a clear win!
Aroma:
These noodles smell quite delicious with their predominantly sweet aroma of noodles in combination with a healthy fragrance of onions. Seimyeon Seollangtang has a light and airy aroma, that might trick you into thinking these instant noodles are somewhat healthy, minus the carbs. I wouldn’t call the aroma powerful, it has a gentler edge compared to most other instant noodles on the market.
Spiciness:
Good news for everyone here. These noodles are not spicy at all and can thus be eaten by everyone without worry. The broth is ultra gentle as well. Along with not being spicy, these noodles also don’t have any black pepper added to them, despite the original dish incorporating it.
Noodles:
I really love these noodles. The texture of the noodles is very nice in combination with the salty and onion flavored broth. Plus, there’s a lot of them! The noodles are the star of the cup. They are long and very thin, which gives them a pleasant mouthfeel. The noodles ended up a bit soft, but they did retain their structure relatively well for soaking in the broth so long, while I took notes for the review. This is Seollangtang we’re talking about, so having soft, cloud-like noodles is perfectly accurate to the original dish. The fineness of these noodles also helped to pick up the broth by creating tightly knitted pockets for the broth to pool.
Verdict:
Kidari Shikpum’s Seimyeon Seollangtang is borderline boring with its incredibly mild flavor, that’s even more mild than the traditional dish itself. It’s not spicy at all and definitely not beefy enough. I’m not sure you can even consider these instant noodles Seollangtang, aka “beef soup.” I had a hard time finding any scraps of beef whatsoever.
Not all is bad with these noodles though, even though I’m feeling torn about this review. These noodles are hard to love, but I do think they have a place in the ramen pantheon. From a utilitarian perspective, these noodles will serve you well when you’re not at your best. If I was feeling like complete garbage after coming down with the flu, I would reach for these instant noodles in a heartbeat. They are absolutely perfect for people that might be feeling rundown. They’re easy on the belly, just like your grandmother’s chicken noodle soup. Although, if you’re craving something a little more on the wild side, there are infinitely more exciting cups of instant noodles out there begging to be tried.
Do you think these instant noodles should be considered “beef soup”? What ratio of beef to other ingredients is necessary to be labeled so? Let me know what you think in the comments!
If you’re interested in hearing more about Korean snack nuts or instant ramen, check out my on-going series, Noodle Story: An Exploration of Korean Instant Noodles and my other series, I Think I’m Going Nuts: An Eyeful of South Korea’s Little Snack Nuts, here on Medium.
