
Ramyeon with banchan or side dishes served in restaurants can be two to three times more expensive than no-frills ramyeon. Sept 11,2022
By Foong Pek Yee
foongpekyee@gmail.com
You can get a bowl of no-frills hot ramyeon or instant noodles for about 3,000 won (RM9.85) in 24 hour- self service- ramyeon shops within three minutes in Seoul.
The no -frills ramyeon which comes without side dishes is an option for people opting for a cheap and fast meal outside their homes these days.
These specialty ramyeon shops use vending machines and come with a wide range of brands and flavours.
The seating also caters to solo diners.
But patrons may need to pay more for their no-frills ramyeon soon.
Major ramyeon manufacturers have announced an increase in price from this month, according to reports by The Korean Herald recently.
South Korea’s Nongshim will increase the price of its instant noodles by an average of 11.3% effective Sept 15.
And Paldo’s average increase of 9.8% will start from Oct 1.
Justifying the price hike, Nongshim cited soaring global wheat prices while Paldo attributed it to the increase in price of raw materials and logistic costs.
Quoting industry sources, The Korean Herald says Ottogi and Samyang will also increase their price after Sept 12.
Soaring inflation in recent months saw many South Koreans opting for cheap meal options like ramyeon at convenience stores as dining in restaurants became increasingly expensive.