Samyang Buldak Yakisoba Spicy Ramen

Samyang took two things people love, Buldak and yakisoba, and put them together. The Buldak Yakisoba Spicy Ramen is a dry stir-fry style noodle that brings the signature Worcestershire and shoyu flavor of Japanese yakisoba and runs it straight through the Buldak heat machine. I was curious whether those two things could actually coexist in one bowl.

Produced in South Korea.

What’s in the Package

Inside you get a noodle brick, one sauce packet, and two flake packets. Simple setup for a dry noodle.

How to Prepare It

Boil the noodles and flake packets in 550ml of water for 3 minutes. Drain. Add the sauce packet, stir well, and serve.

How Does It Taste

The first thing James noticed when we opened the packet was the Worcestershire. That smell is unmistakable and it set up exactly what this bowl was going to be. What you actually taste is classic yakisoba. The Worcestershire and shoyu together, that slightly sweet savory combo that reads as distinctly Japanese. And then the Buldak heat arrives shortly after.

The spice hits you right as the yakisoba flavor registers. You get just enough of that smoky sauce to know it’s there and then your mouth is on fire. I kept wanting more of the yakisoba flavor but the heat kept getting in the way. James put it well: you’re going to be sweating after you eat this packet.

These are much thinner than standard Buldak noodles, closer to a 1 out of 5 on thickness. James figured out why it hits so hard. Thinner noodles pick up more sauce per bite, so the spice is more concentrated with every mouthful. That makes sense and it absolutely tracks.

James called this the spiciest Buldak we’ve had. Spicier than the black label. My eyes were wide open the entire time.

That said, it is pretty good. The yakisoba flavor is real and the combination works. I just wish there was a little more room to enjoy it before the heat takes over.

How Does It Compare

If you’ve had the Nongshim Chapagetti, you know what a well executed dry sauced noodle feels like. This is in the same format but a completely different experience. Chapagetti is rich and earthy with zero spice. This is the opposite. The sauce is lighter and the heat is the dominant force. Both are dry noodles but they scratch entirely different cravings.

Within the Buldak line, this sits at the top of the heat scale from what we’ve tasted. If you’ve tried the original and survived it, this one is the next level up.

How To Level It Up

A fried egg on top is the first move. It adds richness and gives the heat somewhere to go. James suggested cabbage and bean sprouts because anything fresh and crunchy helps cut through the intensity and gives your mouth a break between bites.

For something more briny, pickled daikon or pickled ginger would work really well here. The acid cuts the heat and the pickle flavor plays off the Worcestershire in the sauce nicely.

Final Verdict

The Buldak Yakisoba pulls off something interesting. The yakisoba flavor is real and it works with the Buldak sauce in a way I wasn’t sure it would. The problem is the heat is so aggressive that it competes with what makes this bowl worth eating. Go in with toppings ready, especially anything pickled or fresh, and it becomes a solid bowl. Go in plain and you will be humbled.

How do I rate my ramen? Check out the Ramen Rating Guide.

Where to buy Samyang Buldak Yakisoba Spicy Ramen

• Amazon
• Hmart
• Target
• Walmart
• Weee!
• Yami