#ewew tries Ottogi Instant Noodles

I recently came to be acquainted with this particular brand of instant noodle after our first visit to Don Dwae Ji Sam Gyeob Sal where we had a super enjoyable Korean BBQ meal.

Since our meal was so satisfying, not to mention great value for money, it was easily predictable that we would return again at some point (and we did...and this time my husband came along too).

The All-You-Can-Eat Korean BBQ was still at a great price of RM29.90+ (drinks not included) on our second visit.....and still as good too.

The same banchan was served but instead of the usual ten, one was noticeably missing...the Korean-style hard-boiled (or soy-marinated) eggs (must be due to the shortage of eggs we had at one time...lol).

Oh well, as long as our favourite banchans, the sweetish, fragrant nuts and exceedingly juicy pickled radish are still among them, we're content.  These two, we asked for refills, of course.  In fact, these are the very two banchans that are bottled up for sale.  So you can get a jar and bring the flavours home with you.

We managed one refill of each type of meat...the non-marinated meats (of pork belly and pork shoulder loin except the sausages) and marinated meats (of pork and spicy chicken) coz my husband was present to help this time).

We also made sure we got refills of onions, garlic and green chillies coz those (when grilled) are great accompaniments to the meats.

My husband's favourite meat was the spicy marinated chicken (coz meats that are marinated are so much tastier, he said) while my son and I prefer the fragrant, charred pork belly.

Not only did we manage a refill of each type of meat, we also asked for a refill of the ramyeon (Korean-style spicy instant noodles) which we loved the first time round.  And that brings us to the subject matter (or focus) of this post...the instant noodles!

When settling the bill, we were able to take a peek and noticed that the brand of instant noodles used was none other than the Spicy Jin Ramen by Ottogi.

They can be found selling at Family Mart sometimes....and I'm sure they're in some supermarkets too but I find it most convenient to buy them from Shopee.  They come in a packet-of-five and retails for around RM15.90.

Its net weight of 120g means it's a bigger portion size than our Maggi (Big) instant noodles.  I find the portion just right (on its own) as a supper snack and even enough as a meal replacement when we feel like eating something light.

Of course, even more convenient is to get them in the cup noodles packaging but this we have to fork out more lah...about RM5 for one.  I stock both versions in my pantry.

Each packet of noodles comes with a (dehydrated) veggies mix (of green onions, shiitake and carrot) and a (powdered) soup mix.  For the cup noodle form, the dried veggies are already in the cup with the noodles, so you just need to empty the soup mix.

Pour hot boiling water up to the level indicated in the paper cup, close the lid, let it steep for 4 minutes...and your noodles will be cooked just right.

This is obviously for the nights when you're hungry for a supper snack and the words "washing up" is not in your vocabulary.

On days when I don't feel like cooking and want to make this as a meal replacement, I would cook it on the stove top so that I can add extra ingredients.  Cook the noodles as per instructions given on the packet and you'll end up with a noodle that's slightly chewy in texture.  I don't even bother to loosen them up with chopsticks while they're in the pan and it still comes out great.

This bowl of noodles I made with added fried egg, (restaurant-quality) fried fish cake and bok choy.....a pretty complete bowl of goodness that's super filling and satisfying.  I love the deep, rich and spicy flavours of the broth (made from beef bone stock reportedly).

This one is more simple with just (restaurant-quality) fried fish balls and daikon radish, finished with a spoonful of (store-bought) fried shallots.  I've actually never thought of adding radish before but since that was the only veggie I had in my fridge, I had to make do.

Surprisingly, it turned out to be a great choice as the softened radish soaked up all that lovely flavours of the spicy broth.  Since discovering this, adding radish to instant noodles has become more of a regular practice for me (plus radish can also keep way longer than greens).

The first time I made this, I held back on the soup mix and didn't put all in just in case it was too spicy...but it wasn't.  After that, I put everything in....it's actually quite spicy but a spiciness level I'm willing to tolerate.  Lagi pedas, lagi syiok...plus when it's pedas, it'll stop you from drinking up all the soup...which is a good thing, right? ;)

I love it for its chewy noodles and the deep, spicy flavours of the soup long before BTS' Jin's endorsement. Well, this instant noodle now has a legion of fans (obviously) and was reported to be sold out everywhere in Korea at one time (a predictable outcome when you have someone like a member of BTS as its brand ambassador!)...lol.

Now this Ottogi Instant Noodle is one of only two brands of instant noodles you're more likely to find in my pantry cupboards these days.  If you enjoy eating instant noodles in a spicy broth (like I do once in a while), you might want to consider giving this brand a go. ^.^