Eat

Some Like It Hot

As in, tongue-singeing, fire-in-the-mouth spicy. RACHEL TOH and the chilli queens in the Simply Her team went in search of instant noodles with the most heat.

Portrait of Tammy Strobel

As in, tongue-singeing, fire-in-the-mouth spicy. RACHEL TOH and the chilli queens in the Simply Her team went in search of instant noodles with the most heat.

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PALDO TEUMSAE RAMYUN $10.50 for a pack of five, from Korean supermarkets.

The soup fired up our palate without the tongue-numbing effects (although it did give us the sniffles), but the thick, chewy noodles failed to soak up the broth and were bland. However, the soup made up for it; it was tasty, with the distinct tang of Korean chilli peppers.

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NONGSHIM SHIN RAMYUN $1.45 a bowl, from major supermarkets.

The spiciness of the mushroom-flavoured broth is subtle, although the heat builds up as you eat. The noodles had a slight artificial taste and we reckon it’s because of the cup. The packet version might have a more natural flavour.

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MAGGI EXTRA SPICY CURRY NOODLES $3.75 for a pack of five, from major supermarkets.

More peppery than tongue-numbing, it brought a hint of nostalgia to testers as everyone recognised the signature taste of Maggi noodles we grew up on.

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COOK SI RICE NOODLE WITH HOT & SPICY FLAVORED SOUP $1.35 a bowl, from Fairprice.

The soup wasn’t so fiery as the rice noodles absorbed much of the spiciness, so we got a kick from the noodles rather than the broth. No runny noses here but we liked the texture of the noodles, which were a combination of bee hoon and mee sua – smooth, yet not as delicate or slippery.

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SAMYANG CHICKEN FLAVOUR RAMEN $6.90 for a pack of five, from Fairprice.

This is extremely spicy. One mouthful is enough to cause a jolt to the tongue. The spiciness builds up slowly, so you’ll only feel the burn after a few seconds. But it wasn’t all heat – the ramen was full of flavour and we reached for more despite the gutwrenching intensity.

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PALDO SPICY SQUID STIR FRY NOODLES $11 for a pack of five, from Korean supermarkets.

The spiciness will hit you like a train, but if you keep going, you’ll be rewarded with a mild squid-like sweetness. The two contrasting flavours work together, with the sweetness putting out the heat ever so slightly. We licked the bowl clean.

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