Honest Review- Yorihada 'Fire-Flavored' Jjajang Ramen – Don't Be Fooled by the Name! ($2.10 for 5 Packs?)

Welcome back to Slurp & Stream! While browsing the aisles of Lotte Mart (one of South Korea’s massive supermarket chains), a product immediately caught my eye: “Yorihada Fire-Flavored Jjajang Ramen” (Black Bean Noodles). Drawn in by the slightly professional-looking packaging that didn’t belong to the usual major instant noodle brands, and absolutely intrigued by the “Fire-Flavored” name, I immediately tossed it into my cart.

Did it deliver that scorching, smoky wok-hei flavor its name promised? Here is my 100% honest review!

💸 Shocking Value for Money: An Instant Pass!

The very first thing I have to praise is the price tag. I bought a bundle of 5 packs for only 2,790 KRW (roughly $2.10 USD) at Lotte Mart. In today’s economy, getting a pack of ramen for around 40 cents is practically unheard of! In terms of pure budget-friendly value, this starts off with a perfect score.

🔥 The Name Says “Fire,” But the Taste…? A Massive Plot Twist!

After cooking it up and taking my first highly-anticipated bite, a giant question mark popped into my head. “Wait… where is the fire?”

Yes, you read that right. Despite the intimidating name, there is absolutely zero smoky “fire” flavor and zero spiciness. It is an incredibly mild, gentle flavor. Even if you have zero tolerance for spicy food, you can eat this peacefully without breaking a sweat.

🍜 How Does It Compare to Chapagetti?

If you’ve ever had the legendary Chapagetti (famous in the US from the movie Parasite), you might be wondering how this compares.

While Chapagetti has its own unique, distinctly “instant ramen” black bean flavor, this Yorihada ramen actually tastes a bit closer to authentic Jjajangmyeon you’d get at a Korean-Chinese restaurant. However, the seasoning is quite mild and plain. If you are expecting a bold, umami-packed punch, you might find it a little lacking.

💡 Pro Tips for a Tastier Bowl & The Ultimate Combo

• Noodle Cooking Tip: The instructions say to boil the noodles for 5 minutes. However, because the noodles are quite standard, I highly recommend boiling them for slightly less than 5 minutes to maintain a bouncy, chewy al dente texture!
• The Ultimate Pairing: You can’t eat black bean noodles alone! Pair this with its eternal soulmates: Danmuji (sweet yellow pickled radish) and Kimchi. Since the ramen’s flavor is a bit mild, the crunch and acidity of these side dishes balance it out perfectly.

⭐️ Final Score: 4.0 / 5.0

The flavor itself isn’t particularly mind-blowing, but I’m giving this a solid 4 stars strictly because of the insane price point, which forgives all of its minor flaws.

Who do I recommend this to?

• People who aren’t super picky gourmet eaters when it comes to instant noodles.
• Anyone looking for the absolute best bang-for-your-buck meal to fill their stomach on a budget!

The TL;DR: The undisputed king of budget ramen! But absolutely do not expect any spice or smoky flavor. It’s as plain and mild as it gets!