Samyang – MEP Garlic Clam Flavor

Bitter: ⭐✰✰✰✰

Salty: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sour/Tangy: ⭐⭐✰✰✰

Sweet: ⭐⭐✰✰✰

Umami: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✰

Heat: ⭐⭐✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰

Quick Flavor Notes: Briny, garlicky, umami, seafood

Texture: Wavy noodles with good chew and medium-thick broth

Recommended: Yes

Ingredients: Noodle: Enriched Wheat Flour[Niacin, Iron, Thiamine, Folic acid, Riboflavin), Palm Oil, Potato Starch, Tapioca Modified Starch, Salt, Glycerin, Soybean Oil, Potassium Carbonate, Guar Gum, Tocopherols, Lecithin, Maltodextrin, Sodium Carbonate, Disodium Phosphate, Polyglycerol Esters Fatty Acids, Propylene Glycol Alginate, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Green Tea Extract, Yeast Extract, Garlic & Onion Extract, Pectin, Citric Acid

Powder: Salt, Sugar, Maltodextrin, Monosodium Glutamate, Dextrin, Dextrose, Clam Extract, Dried Seaweed, Garlic, Artificial Clam Flavor, Clam, Oyster, Paprika Color, Capsicum Oleoresin, Garlic Flavored Oil (Soybean oil, Garlic essential oil, Onion essential oil, Tocopherols), Tomato Paste, Black Pepper Powder, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Dried Shrimp, Yeast Extract, Caramel Color, Onion, Ginger Powder, Citric Acid, Silicon Dioxide, Water, Food Modified Starch, Tricalcium Phosphate, Tripotassium Phosphate, Xanthan Gum, Ginger, Malic Acid, Artificial Garlic Flavor

Flake: Dried Bok Choy, Dried Carrot, Fish Cake (Fish meat(pollock, golden thread)), Potato starch, Tapioca syrup, Polydextrose, Salt, Sugar, Monosodium Glutamate, Guar Gum, Color Paprika, Carmine), Palm Oil, Turmeric powder, Dextrose

MEP is a new line of instant ramen, or more accurately ramyum as it’s Korean, from Samyang. Samyang is most well known amongst the spice enthusiast community for their wildly popular Buldak line of instant noodles. While the Buldak line focuses predominantly on heat Samyang wanted to do something different with MEP, focusing on flavor and comfort as well as having each flavor have a unique spice and heat profile. The MEP line are also all soup noodles as opposed to the dry stir-fry style noodles of the Buldak line.

I’m a lover of clams so I decided the first flavor of Samyang MEP I’d try would be their Garlic Clam Flavor. While Samyang does say they’re focusing more on quality with this line they are still instant noodles so you can’t expect a clean and simple ingredients list. Some interesting ones are green tea, onion, and garlic extracts in the noodles themselves, which should give the noodles some flavor even separate from the broth. The broth packet does come loaded with seafood both real (clams, oysters, pollock, and dried shrimp) and fake (clam extract and artificial clam flavor) as well as seaweed for extra oceanic flavor. In addition there’s the trio of umami-rich glutamates – MSG, Disodium Inosinate, and Disodium Guanylate – plus a bevy of aromatics such as ginger, onion, garlic, and black pepper. The spice appears to come from chile extract in the true Samyang tradition.

Samyang has what the call a “MEPtagon” showing the spice and head profiles of the various flavors from the new MEP line. The Garlic Clam Flavor peaks with Fiery, which Samyang describes as a “bold burning spice that lingers”, Bursting, which they describe as “a sharp immediate kick of spice”, and aromatic which they describe as a “warm fragrant spice profile”. Preparing this is simple, taking only enough time to boil water and swirl the noodles around with the powder and dried flakes packets for several minutes – certainly much easier than the Buldak noodles which require you to cook the noodles then drain some but not all of the water. Prepared this does have a briny aroma and on first taste there is a solid seafood and oceanic flavor. I don’t know if I particularly get clam flavor as much as I get brine, oceanic, general “seafood”, and seaweed but the seafood flavor is one of the best I’ve had from any instant noodle. The garlic flavor is nice and strong as well and compliments the seafoody broth well. The noodles have a good chew and their wavy construction grips the sauce well. As expected with all of the MSG containing ingredients and the added glutamate bombs this has major umami appeal, you’ll want to make another bowl as soon as you finish the first.

In terms of heat this is a considerable step down from Buldak 2X Hot, but it does still have some kick. I’d put the heat of Samyang MEP Garlic Clam Flavor to be about on par with Shin Ramyun’s new Shin Red Fiery Spicy Beef (not to be confused with the original Shin Ramyun which is also in a red package but is quite a bit milder). As far as how it matches Samyang’s “MEPtogram” it does have a lot of aromatics with the garlic, seaweed, and ginger, and there is a quick burst of heat when you first taste it. I don’t get a prolonged lingering burn as I do with Samyang’s Buldak, so I don’t know if I’d give it the “Fiery” bonafides but it’s still quite tasty and has enough kick to keep it interesting. Most importantly the flavor is far better than Buldak, though my preference has always been for soup noodles vs dry or stir-fried noodles.

I’m happy to recommend Samyang MEP Garlic Clam Flavor. If you’re looking for a tasty soup noodle with a nice briny flavor that has a fun little kick but that won’t make you hurt this is a great one to try.