Wicked Ramen (Yogoe Ramyeon) Shinsadong Naengcho-Myeon Flavor Review
Third time’s the charm. Or… not… Wicked Ramen Shinsadong Naengcho-Myeon Flavor does little to re-correct the mistakes of its sibling noodles in the series. They just can’t seem to get it right! There’s always a tradeoff between the important aspects that make up a fantastic bowl of noodles with their noodles. If the noodles are great, there aren’t any other ingredients. If there are added ingredients, either the flavor profile is a train-wreck or the noodles turn to ooze. You just can’t win!
I’m pretty much done expecting much from this series of noodles… There’s still time though. This company is still relatively knew to the game, so it will be interesting to see if someone corrects course and makes these noodles some of the best in the near future. They have a strong start with the ramen noodle foundation, because they are absolutely delicious, when cooked properly. If they can get their ingredients and flavors to become a bit more cohesive, these noodles will be a force to be reckoned with. That is… if they can justify the price tag…
So, let me tell you a bit about these noodles, before we get started. They are cold noodles with a red peppery and vinegar infusion. You can expect these to be sweet, sour, and just a bit spicy. It’s a classic combination of flavor layers and ideas that Korea prides itself on. Some people can’t handle the cold noodles, but I personally love them! Unfortunately, these noodles from the Wicked Ramen Series fall flat on their face…
Flavor:
This entry in the Wicked Ramen Series has a sweet, slightly tangy flavor that tastes quite like a diluted can of Chef Boyardee Spaghetti. The secondary flavors come from a surprisingly strong sesame taste followed by a healthy touch of laver. The tanginess I mentioned comes from the addition of vinegar, made noticeable not only in the ingredients list, but in the -cho part of the name of this particular ramen.
There were a few more ingredients to this package of ramen compared to its plain siblings. It’s a slight improvement, but not by a large margin. You are getting instant ramen noodles, laver, a dash of red pepper, and sesame seeds. Yeah… not much, but I’ll take any improvements at this point with the Wicked Ramen Series.
Per usual, let me describe a bite to you. At first, the sweetness of the murky red soup touches your taste buds. The secondary flavor then kicks in with the subtle nutty flavor of sesame seeds. The seaweed or laver joins the flavor of sesame for a moment, before being concealed by the instant noodles. Finally, the rather mild spiciness continues to tingle in your mouth after the bite is finished.
Hopefully, that gave you a feel for these instant noodles!
Spiciness:
Most people will find this level of spiciness agreeable. These noodles are mild with most of the spiciness coming from red pepper powder. Your mouth will tingle and it certainly does linger. The extra spice only enhances the flavor, which is much needed, because even MSG isn’t getting me excited about eating these noodles…
Aroma:
Shinsadong Naengcho-Myeon Flavor doesn’t have the aroma intensity that the prior offerings had. The aroma is sweet with an encapsulating smell of red pepper. There are also some subdued hints of sesame, although it’s not an incredibly strong player in the flavor. I couldn’t really catch much of the aroma coming from ramen noodles, probably because they were cooked to oblivion and rinsed thoroughly. The aroma of these noodles isn’t all that inviting, so don’t expect to have a furiously growling stomach when you smell this vinegar-flavored concoction.
Noodles:
I wasn’t a fan of the cook on these noodles at all! This creates a serious problem for these instant noodles, because that has been the best part about the prior entries I have tried in the series!
Four minutes and thirty seconds was absolute overkill for these instant noodles. The noodles were extremely soft and gelatinous. I might as well have been eating ramen noodle flavored Haribo!
So, it’s no surprise that they ended up far too chewy and slimy for my taste. I would have preferred the cook on the noodles to be dialed back significantly. I’m a fan of cold noodles and this made the exact type of noodles I hate when having them prepared that way.
The noodles should be ultra-cold and have more of a rigid, toughened texture because of it. I’m sad to see that Shinsadong Naengcho-Myeon Flavor ruined the best part about the entire Wicked Ramen Series.
Verdict:
Absolute garbage and a serious waste of money. I would have actually preferred that can of Chef Boyardee Spaghetti to these instant noodles.
Shinsadong Naengcho-Myeon Flavor was more or less one-step forward and two-steps back. It had a few more ingredients, which is hardly a compliment… We did get some sesame seeds and a bit of laver included as an additional packet. That was about it for the only step forward though. The rest of the experience provided a weak flavor profile and slimy noodles that would be at home in a cheap, B-movie horror flick.
I’m not a fan of these noodles in any respect. I suggest you just stay clear and either pick another package of ramen from this series or pick up something you know you’ll enjoy. There just aren’t any qualities about Shinsadong Naengcho-Myeon Flavor that I find worthwhile…
What are your thoughts?
What have your experiences been with the Wicked Ramen Series? Do you think the additional laver and sesame seeds are enough ingredients for a satisfying bowl of noodles? Let me know in the comments section!
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.
