Volcano Spicy Chicken Noodle
Volcano Spicy Chicken Noodle
Paldo's answer to Buldak, and arguably the harder of the two — a thick crimson chicken sauce with a curry note running underneath it, coating thick, chewy stir-fried noodles. Sesame and seaweed flakes go on at the very end. The name is not marketing. Approach accordingly. Imported from Korea.
- Boil the water
Bring 600ml of water to a rolling boil in a saucepan. Open the packet and lay out the liquid sauce sachet and the sesame and seaweed flakes. Wash your hands after handling the sauce and keep it well away from your eyes.
- Cook the noodles
Add the noodle block to the boiling water and cook for three and a half minutes. Stir gently so the strands separate. They should still have a firm chew, since they keep softening once the sauce goes on.
- Drain most of it
Pour most of the water off, leaving about seven tablespoons in the pot. That small amount of liquid is what lets the thick sauce spread across the noodles rather than sitting in a clump on top.
- Sauce and serve
Add the liquid sauce and mix for 30 seconds over low heat until every strand is coated. Turn the heat off, scatter the sesame and seaweed flakes over and serve immediately with something cold to hand.
Background
Every packet has a story behind it. Here's where this one comes from, what makes it tick, and why it made the cut for the box.
Paldo is a Korean food company founded in 1983, known for producing distinctive flavours that sit outside the mainstream. Their stir-fried noodle range is a staple of Korean convenience stores and offers a balance of flavour and heat.
Korean ramyun culture is distinct from Japanese ramen. The noodles are typically chewier, the broths spicier, and the flavours bolder. Korean ramyun is usually cooked in a pot rather than a cup, and sharing a pot of ramyun is a social ritual.
Served soupless, the sauce is the star. A concentrated blend that coats every strand of noodle with rich, full flavour. Without broth to dilute things, every bite hits with the complete flavour profile, making each mouthful more intense than a traditional soup ramen.
Chewy, springy noodles built for a soupless format. The texture is designed to hold sauce on every surface rather than swimming in broth. After draining, the noodles grip the seasoning tightly, so the flavour stays concentrated and consistent with every bite.
Korea's noodle makers have been in an arms race over heat since Buldak went viral in 2012. Paldo's Volcano is one of the few packets that genuinely competes at the top end, and it carries a curry note that the Samyang range does not have.
We put this one in the Spicy box knowing exactly what we were doing. It is harder work than most of what we carry, and the people who love it love it precisely for that. The curry underneath stops it being heat for the sake of heat.
Topping Suggestions
A few toppings that take this bowl from good to great. Most are already in your kitchen, and every one is optional.
Fried Egg
A fried egg brings crispy, golden edges and a runny yolk that melts into the broth for a rich, savoury finish.
Spam
Spam contributes a savory, salty, and slightly smoky character, giving the noodles a hearty, meaty essence.
Cheese
Cheese melts into a creamy, rich, and savory sauce, adding a decadent and indulgent dimension to the noodles.