How to Make Samyang Ramen Better: The Ultimate Buldak Upgrade Guide

Samyang ramen is spicy. Everyone knows this. The company behind it, Samyang, built an entire global reputation around noodles that hurt a bit. The most famous range, Buldak, is not subtle and does not care how confident you felt five minutes before eating it.

That said, Samyang is also very fixable. Small changes make it better without turning it into something else. This is a guide for people who like the noodles but would prefer to enjoy them rather than survive them.

Why Samyang Feels Different

Most instant noodles come with a soup powder. Samyang comes with a sauce that looks like it should be handled carefully.

You boil the noodles, drain them, then cook the sauce straight into them. No broth to hide behind. Everything sticks to the noodle. This is why the flavour is strong and why mistakes are noticeable.

It is also why Samyang is easy to improve.

Use Less Sauce and Admit Nothing

The sauce packet is the main source of heat. Using all of it is optional.

Half the packet still tastes like Samyang. Three quarters is usually enough for people who enjoy spice but also want to taste food later in the day.

Add the sauce slowly. Taste. Adjust. Nobody is checking.

Cheese Helps More Than It Should

Cheese works because fat calms chilli and because melted cheese makes everything feel put together.
Mozzarella, processed cheese slices, or mild cheddar all work. Fancy cheese does not help here. 
Add the cheese after the noodles are coated in sauce. Turn the heat off. Cover the pan. Wait. Stir. This is the reason the Cheese and Carbonara flavours exist. Someone figured this out earlier than we did.

Eggs Are Always the Correct Decision

Eggs make Samyang feel like a meal rather than an incident waiting to happen.

Options that work:

• Fried egg on top with a soft yolk

• Scrambled egg mixed into the noodles

• Raw egg stirred in right at the end

The yolk blends into the sauce and makes it smoother. This is especially good if you used most of the sauce and are starting to regret it.

Creamy Does Not Mean Mild

Adding milk or cream does not remove the spice. It spreads it out.

Two tablespoons of milk or cream is enough. More than that and the sauce loses structure.

Coconut milk also works if you like a slight sweetness. Do not add too much unless you want spicy noodle soup, which defeats the point.

Vegetables Exist for a Reason

Vegetables give you the illusion of a healthy meal, go ahead and get your fiber in. Your digestive system will thank you.

Good options:

• Mushrooms

• Spring onions

• Spinach

• Bok choy

• Sweet corn

They add texture and give you breaks between bites of sauce. Add them at the end of boiling or cook them separately.

Protein Makes It Make Sense

Eating Samyang by itself feels incomplete after a while.

Things that work well:

• Fried chicken

• Spam

• Bacon

• Pan-fried tofu

Chicken fits the flavour best, which is not surprising given the sauce. Cook protein separately and mix it in at the end so it stays crisp.

Do Not Overcook the Noodles

This matters.

Overcooked noodles turn sticky and soak up too much sauce. The spice feels harsher and the texture goes bad quickly. Boil until just done. Drain properly. Add sauce and stir briefly over heat.

Firm noodles behave better.

Which Samyang to Start With

If you are new:

• Carbonara

• Cheese

If you want the standard experience:

• Original Hot Chicken

If you enjoy making poor decisions:

• 2X Spicy

None of these are mild. Some just let you sit down afterwards.

Samyang ramen rewards small adjustments. You do not need to reinvent it. Just cook it with a bit of care and stop trying to prove anything.

Once you find your version, it becomes something you actually look forward to eating instead of something you film for proof.

Which is probably healthier in the long run.