Instant Bi Bim Myon 비빔국수/국수비빔/골동면
Me getting a little sick of kimchi ra myeon decided to buy a packet of noodles lying on the shelf that looks interesting. Missing Korea’s cold noodles, I decided to purchase a packet of instant noodles that is eaten dried. The first packet I bought is this:
Bi Bim Guk Su $2.40
I bought from the korean mart at KeyPoint (Beach Road) – SHINE. The instructions says to wash the noodle under running tap after being cooked. It is optional to put in into ice water after that. This was what made the noodles spring-y. It comes with seaweed and sesame seeds garnishings. I’ve added pork balls to my noodles. I must say that it tasted really nice though I have some hesitation taking my first bite. It is not that spicy and tasted more like tomato sauce. The sesame seeds enhanced its flavour. I finished it within five minutes. It was really tasty and I love the texture of the noodles.
I visited Sol-Mart at Tampines 1 not long after and bought two more packets of bi bim myeon. Here’s one of them:
Char Bi Bim Myeon $1.70
The one that I cooked doesn’t even look like the one in the picture on the packet! The instructions that comes with it does not say to run the noodles under running water or cool it in ice. It was still palatable but doesn’t taste as nice as the first. It also doesn’t come with seaweed and sesame seeds garnishings.
The second packet:
Yor Mu Bi Bim Myeon $1.80
This packet is more spicy than Char Bi Bim Myeon. It tasted a little better but the texture of the noodles can’t be compared to the first packet. Probably because the first one is so-myeon and the second and third packets are instant ra-myeon. I added additional seaweed in the noodles. Again no sesame seeds in this packet.
Try making your own Bibim myeon: http://www.homecookingdiary.com/2008/03/korean-spicy-cold-noodle-gook-soo.html
Bibim guk su is one of the most popular traditional noodle dishes in Korean cuisine. It is a cold dish made of very thin wheat flour noodles called “so myeon” with added flavorings. It is also known as “guk su bibim” or “gol dong myeon”. All of which literally mean “stirred noodles” or “mixed noodles”. This dish is especially popular during summer.
What makes this dish so distinct from other cold noodle dishes from different cultures is the strong spicy flavor produced from the combination of red pepper powder, “go chu jang” and minced garlic, along with a sweet-and-sour flavour created by vinegar and sugar. Most spicy cold noodles are prepared with a slight touch of sesame oil to enhance the richness of its flavor.
Typically the dish would be prepared by stir-frying diced beef, julienned pickled cucumbers and mushrooms in sesame oil, which is all mixed together with the cooked noodles, soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds and sugar. Garnishes placed on top and around the spicy noodles include hard-boiled eggs, pickled mu, dried gim strips, sliced cucumbers and sometimes sliced Korean pear or tomato.
– adapted from Wikipedia
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