Buldak birthday seaweed soup sounds wrong on paper. In the bowl, it works. It tastes like hangover soup and spicy ramen collided in the best way. The viral version uses leftover miyeokguk, but this builds the seaweed soup from scratch in the same 15 minutes, so the broth has real depth before the Buldak goes in.
Why Build The Broth First
Three things most people skip, and they are the whole recipe. Toast the beef in sesame oil first, that is where the nuttiness comes from. Cook the seaweed with the beef and oil before any water goes in, so the miyeok absorbs the flavour. And add the Buldak heat a little at a time, because it compounds fast. The noodles boil up thick, a little like 칼국수.
What You Will Need
For the miyeokguk base
- 100g thinly sliced beef
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- A small handful of dried seaweed, soaked
- 500ml water, plus extra
For the seasoning
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- A pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp tuna sauce
- Optional MSG
For the buldak
- 1 packet Buldak powder
- 1 packet Buldak hot sauce
- 1 packet Buldak noodles
How To Make It
- Toast the thinly sliced beef in sesame oil over medium-high until fragrant and nutty.
- Add the minced garlic and soaked seaweed, and let them cook in the oil so the flavour absorbs.
- Pour in 500ml water.
- Season with soy sauce, salt, tuna sauce, and a pinch of MSG if you have it.
- Bring to a boil, topping up with extra water before the noodles go in.
- Add the Buldak powder and hot sauce a little at a time, tasting between additions.
- Drop in the noodles and simmer until cooked and slightly bouncy.
- Serve hot.
Singapore Swaps
Buldak packets are in every supermarket in Singapore. Tuna sauce, or chamchi-aek, is at Korean marts, and light soy with a touch of fish sauce gets close in a pinch.
One Tip Before You Start
Beefy, garlicky, briny, chewy, then spicy, in that order. If you dump all the Buldak in at the start, you only taste the last one.
FAQ
Can I make it less spicy?
Yes. Use part of the powder and sauce, taste, and stop when it is right for you. The seaweed broth is doing the real work.
Do I need the tuna sauce?
It deepens the broth, but extra soy and a little salt will carry it if you do not have it.
