Ottogi Sesame Flavor Ramen

Made By:  Ottogi Ramyun Co. Ltd. [Korea]
Preparation:  Saucepan & Range
490 calories per package

Available online via Amazon

For dinner tonight, we had the last selection of the instant noodles from the June Ramen Box!  My sweetie recently told me (while we were having the Sapporo Ichiban Shio Ramen that included the sesame seed topping) that she enjoys the flavor of sesame, so I am hoping this will be a hit with the entire Ramen Butterfly household.  The back of the package promises that the included Egg Block will also deliver "the rich flavor of roasted sesame," so that sounds promising.

The noodle block is a brighter yellow color than usual, and there are three included seasoning packets:  There is the dry soup base packet, the aforementioned "Egg Block", and a small packet of bright orange sesame oil.  We bring 500cc of water to a boil, then we add the soup base, egg block, and noodles and cook for four minutes.  After transferring to a bowl, we add the small amount of sesame oil and stir.  We also notice that the square Egg Block seems to have completely disappeared, so apparently instead of being a Block, it was supposed to disperse and become part of the broth.  In any case, the noodles are ready to serve!

I have to say, I am starting to get bored with the oppressive spice level of most Korean ramyuns.  It's not that I can't handle spicy food, either; I mean 'oppressive' in the sense that all the other flavors which are supposed to be present get oppressed by the large amount of chili heat.

This ramen is unfortunately a prime example:  The package doesn't even mention anything about being spicy, and it promises "rich flavor of roasted sesame."  The Ramen Box pamphlet does mention the "spicy level" is Medium, but also reassures us that this "offers a balanced taste of nuttiness and spiciness" and that the "addition of the egg block adds a savory taste to the broth."  What do we have instead?  Yet another slight variation of Shin Ramyun.  It's a shame, because the tiny hints of the subflavors that I can pick up seem like they could have been interesting, if they weren't too busy being oppressed.
My wife was even less impressed by the level of oppression, and added some American cheese to tone down the heat.  Unfortunately this didn't do anything to liberate the alleged sesame and egg undertones, and instead just turned it into some mediocre nacho cheese soup.

For the record, the noodles have a firm and slightly slippery texture, and remind me of the 'udon' style noodles from Neoguri et al.  However, I'm just adding that to the list of ways this could have been interesting but chose not to be.  I don't imagine I'll be buying this one. :\

Ottogi Ppushu Ppushu Noodle Snack (BBQ Flavor)

Made by:  Ottogi Ramyon Co. Ltd. [Korea]
Required to Prepare:  Large Wooden Mallet  Nothing!
205 calories per 1/2 package

Available online via Amazon (as part of variety pack)

The final product that I received in the May 2015 Ramen Box is this "Noodle Snack" from Ottogi.  Despite being--by all appearances--a package of ramen, complete with separate seasoning packet, the caped mallet boy on the package urges, "Don't boil it, Crunch it!"

Before researching this entry, I was a litle apprehensive about the idea of eating raw noodles, honestly; my mind was conjuring up an image not unlike trying to chew up raw spaghetti.  But apparently, this is a thing that people like college students have been doing for years, and Ottogi has merely legitimized the practice by making it an official product line.  (I'm guessing I dropped out of college too early to have learned of this practice in school like everyone else.)

Anyway, all we do is crush up the noodles into bite-size pieces (or smaller--I got a bit carried away I think), then open and pour in the seasoning pack and shake it up to spread the seasonings onto the crunchy noodles, then we eat them.
{Or rather, I eat them, because my sweetie immediately found the flavor revolting.}

The noodles were actually a pleasant surprise!  Far from 'uncooked pasta' texture, they are much more like those crunchy "Chow Mein Noodles" that come in a can. (Stay in school, kids!)  I rather liked the flavor; it seems like an Asian variation of the sweet barbecue flavor that most "BBQ Flavor" potato chips use; along with an overtone of sweet soy sauce, there are garlic/onion and smoked-meat notes.
In a reversal from many ramen products that list their nutrition as two servings even though they are clearly for one, this one is listed for the entire package, which turns out to be more than I would want in one sitting--I ended up saving half the package for later, so I am calling it two 205-calorie servings.

On first taste, they seemed like a novelty item that I might not buy again, but after half the package, I have to say they were starting to seem rather craveable, so depending on price, I could maybe see buying some just to have a fun snack to take to work, and I could see myself trying out the other flavors as well. :)

Ottogi Jin Ramen (Mild)

Made By:  Ottogi Ramyon Co. Ltd. [Korea]
Required to Prepare:  Saucepan & Range
500 calories per package

Available online through Amazon.com

Tonight I am reviewing the first of the noodles from my May Ramen Box; I decided to start with the mild one of the three, Ottogi's Mild Jin Ramen.  I noticed while looking up the Amazon link that there is also a hot version of this, so Jin Ramen is probably their trademark for the traditional-flavor Korean ramyun, like Shin Ramyun for Nong Shim.

Inside the package is the typical two packets of powder soup base and dry veggies, and a block of noodles which are the slightly thicker and rounder variety; they remind me a bit of the "udon style" noodles from Neoguri or like Samyang's dried udon.  We are actually supposed to put the vegetable flakes in the water at the beginning, before we bring it to a boil, which seems like a good idea to give them more time to rehydrate.  The vegetable packet has a more interesting mix than in a lot of other noodles; in addition to the typical green onion and cabbage, there are carrots, some wakame seaweed, dried mushrooms, and even some 'beeflike' TVP bits.  Once the 550ml of water comes to a boil, we add the soup base and noodles and cook for four minutes, then transfer to a bowl and serve!

This might be mild for a Korean Ramyun, but be warned--it is still pretty spicy compared to even the "spicy" varieties of American ramen.  That said, I think it is basically the same flavor profile as in Shin Ramyun and similar "hot-spicy" flavored ramyuns.  Since the spice level is toned down from those a little, though, I find that I taste the other layers of the flavor better in this soup; I am picking up the beef-onion base over the chili heat, which is nice.  The extra veggies like the seaweed and mushroom bits are nice as well.  The noodles have a very pleasing firm texture and a nice light flavor to them, which pairs well with the broth.

I definitely think I prefer the lighter spice in this one over the regular Shin Ramyun, I think the flavor is better balanced overall.  I'm not as sure I would place it above Shin Ramyun Black, but that might not be a fair comparison as Black is a 'premium' product that would cost more.  I'll certainly enjoy having the other package that came in the box, at least, and I could see myself buying more--as Korean ramyuns go, I rather liked this one. :)

Ottogi Bekse Curry Myon

Made By:  Ottogi Ramyun Co. Ltd. (Korea)
Tools Required:  Saucepan & Range
420 calories per package

Next up, I found another curry flavored ramen to try!  This one is made by Ottogi, a company I hadn't previously heard of.  They must be fairly well established in Korea, though, since they have their own U.S. distribution branch.  Unfortunately for them, the main thing that stands out for me looking at the package is their logo--to me the little face looks like a creepy disturbing version of Maruchan's logo.

Trademarked creepiness aside, though, I think the product seems promising; I am looking forward to another curry noodle! Inside the package is a block of noodles that look strangely puffed or aerated, a packet of dehydrated veggies, and a packet of powder soup base.  We add the dried vegetables to 2-1/4 cups of water in our saucepan and bring to a boil, then add the soup base and noodles and cook for four minutes.  As soon as I add the soup base packet, the aroma tells me what kind of curry I am going to be sampling--it smells just like the Japanese-style S&B Golden Curry.  I transfer it to a bowl, and get ready to try it!

The broth has a wonderful flavor of Japanese curry, with flavors of curry spice, onion, and potato.  It is significantly spicier than even the 'Hot' S&B mix, which must be the Korean influence--they don't make many Ramyuns that aren't hot and spicy.  Unfortunately, the noodles are lackluster; they became quite soggy and don't seem all that flavorful.  I greatly prefer the texture of the noodles from Myojo, Nong Shim, or MAMA.  The vegetables, while not that plentiful, are very nice, though.  The onion bits rehydrated nicely and retained a lot of flavor, and the little white squares that I assumed were tofu bits before cooking turned out to be little chunks of potato, which I thought was a very nice touch for a Japanese curry flavor.

Thanks to the broth and the veggies, I definitely enjoyed this soup, though I do wish there had been a more generous helping of those nifty green onion and potato pieces.  The noodles held it back from being amazing, but I would have it again. :)