A surf & turf lovers dream ramen. Nongshim’s Neoguri Instant Noodles offer a wonderfully balanced seafood and land-lover flavor that isn’t going to send people swimming for the shore. Unlike many seafood-based instant noodles, these don’t taste predominantly like the ocean. These noodles are not too salty and not too spicy. After tasting and writing this article, I see just why these noodles are so popular. They even have some cute characters on the package! One quick warning before we get into the review. Make sure you get the package where the “raccoon” has hearts in his eyes. If the cute, little fur ball has fire in his eyes, you’ve gotten the spicy version (applies to the packaging found in Korea).
Flavor:
A well-balanced seafood flavor that’s not too intense. That’s exactly how I would describe these noodles. They almost have an “artificial” seafood flavor that lacks the intensity of real seafood. They are definitely for everyone. Even if you don’t enjoy seafood. Almost every Midwestern American I have ever met in South Korea marked this ramen as one of their favs. The spice doesn’t build on you like Bibimmyeon, but offers a subtle boost to the overall flavor. The broth that includes the dried squid flakes is where the seafood flavor comes into play. I should say though, if you don’t like laver (basically seaweed), just leave that out when boiling the ingredients together. You can definitely taste the flavor of laver, which might be off putting to some.
Spiciness:
The flavor of this instant ramen is enhanced by the underlying, ever so slight spiciness. It’s a very subtle type of spiciness that doesn’t build, but adds a tasty, peppery seafood flavor to the broth. I might be going out on a limb here, but this seems like an acceptable or more universally enjoyed type of spiciness.
Smell:
These noodles give off a delicious seafood odor, which is reminiscent of the dried squid flakes and laver included in the package. On a side note, I really enjoyed the generous piece of laver in this ramen.
Texture:
The instant noodles in Nongshim’s Neoguri are some of the most satisfying noodles I have tried. These aren’t your basic ramen noodles. These noodles are thick. However, they are still easy to cut. The texture of the noodles are much chewier than other brands. This works nicely with the seafood flavored broth, which gets absorbed into the noodles for a burst of flavor.
Overall Impression:
Nongshim’s Neoguri Instant Ramen is a beautiful combination of seafood and South Koreas unique soup culture. South Koreans definitely know what flavors mix well together when boiled. These noodles burst with a rich and salty seafood flavor. So, if you’re into seafood flavored broth with chunky instant noodles, you’re in luck with this cup of instant noodles.
Do you like the taste of seafood or laver? I know for a fact that my landlocked parents don’t! Let me know down in the comments section below!
If you’re interested in hearing more about instant ramen, check out my on-going series, Noodle Story: An Exploration of Korean Instant Noodles, here on Medium.
