I have not tasted Korean food yet except those passable bit of kimchi and seaweed roll in my cousin’s party. Yesterday, a box of ramyeon was shipped to my doorstep by a Korean friend. I was delighted because this noodle is popular in Korea. They came in different colors and flavors but since I could not read Hangul, I was forced to try each by the appearance of their packages. There was a kind letter detailing how to cook the noodles. And the gist of which was that I am supposed to cook it for five minutes.

Anyway, I followed his instruction to the letter lest I do something wrong and end up disappointed. Well, what can I say? Ramyeon, as with other food in the Korean cuisine I suppose, is a little less salty than Pinoy food. I have to add a dash of salt so it would appeal to my palate. I devoured the ramyeon in beef and kimchi but it was sooo friggin spicy. One thing I could say though is that the noodle, which is considerably thicker than our own or the Japanese ramen, is very delicious and surprisingly fresh. I felt lightheaded after and, of course, my nose was runny.

All in all, ramyeon is a hearty meal with subtle flavor. It’s not something for people who prefer their mouth to be assaulted with flavors from the outset. The taste is not strong and there are certainly no fireworks there. But it is a meal that you can eat for a time and not feel nauseous unlike our noodles here which after eating a fair share, you’ll temporarily abhor the taste. I came to like to eat ramyeon especially in this weather.