Paldo Cheese Ramyun

Made By:  Paldo Co. Ltd. [Korea]
Required to Prepare:  Saucepan & Range
480 calories per package

Available online via Amazon.com

Continuing the trek through the May 2015 Ramen Box, we have this Cheese Ramyun from Paldo.  The idea of cheese ramen sounds a bit odd at first, but I don't know why it would be that much different than some other kind of cheese soup (like that awesome broccoli and cheese soup from Panera Bread).  Also, we had a good experience from the domestic Cheddar Cheese Chow Noodles, so I don't know why a 'soup' version of cheese ramen woudn't work just as well.

The contents of the package are very typical of any other Korean Ramyun, with the addition of a third packet containing "Cheese Powder."  Preparation is also very typical; we boil 550ml of water, add the dry veggies and soup base, and cook for four minutes.  The soup base itself has a reddish color not unlike the other 'hot-spicy' flavor Korean products; for the sake of science, I decide to taste the broth before adding the Cheese Powder, and it is definitely a milder version of Shin Ramyun et al--very similar to the Jin Ramen Mild that also came in this month's box.  The cheese powder seems to be the same stuff that comes in a box of macaroni and cheese, and is a bit clumpy at first, but eventually I get it stirred in, at which point the noodles are ready to serve!

The cheese is not actually the primary flavor of the broth, but (especially judging from the before/after tasting) it does change the complexion of the flavor quite a bit; there is a creaminess and tanginess that is added, which both counters a bit of the spiciness and seems to allow different sub-flavors to come out.  I should at least mention the noodles and vegetables, even though they are pretty much the same as in all the other Korean ramen products I've been having; the noodles are firm and flavorful, and the veggies are the usual green onion/carrot/cabbage blend.

I liked this one quite a bit as well!  I'm enjoying the more balanced flavors that I've been experiencing with the products that came in this Ramen Box; this one has the creaminess that I enjoy when I add an egg to a Korean 'hot' ramyun, but as a different variation with the extra tanginess that comes from the cheese--it's actually somewhere in between the egg and my sweetie's idea of adding sour cream to Shin Ramyun.  My opinion of Korean ramen has gone up after trying these products; I don't think I had realized there was this much variety.  I could see myself getting this one again as well! :)

Soup it Up:  The Ramen Box pamphlet suggests toppings of chopped green onions, egg, and additional cheese in the form of a slice of American.  We tried the extra cheese and green onions, along with some leftover roast ham. The extra cheese was a definite upgrade for me, taking it from a sort-of-creamy Korean-spice-flavored noodle to a sort-of-spicy cheese-flavored noodle, closer to my original expectations.  The extra green onion played nicely with the onion/garlic in the soup base, and the ham fit in perfectly because of course it did.  Ham and Cheese is a classic for a reason, right?

My sweetie did mention that she thought a soft egg could have gone well also--further experiments will clearly be necessary. ^_^