Ram-Don from Parasite (Jjapaguri with Steak)

The instant noodle dish from the Oscar-winning film Parasite is quick and easy to make, super delicious, and only requires a few ingredients! Ram-Don or Ramdon (more traditionally known as Korean jjapaguri) gets an elevated twist with seared cubes of steak.

The South Korean film Parasite made history by being the first foreign language film to win the Academy Award for Best Motion Picture. It also took home the coveted awards for Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, and Best International Feature Film.

In addition to its historical wins, the film also became quite famous because of a popular and intriguing meal that was featured in it. Ram-don (or ramdon) is a slurpable instant noodle dish that is super savory with a spicy kick.

Inspired by the film, this dish get an upgrade from Korean comfort food to head of the class with the addition of seared cubes of steak.

What is Ram-Don or Jjapaguri

The actual Korean name for the dish featured in the film is jjapaguri or chapaguri. It's a combination of 2 different packages of instant noodles, and is therefore a combination of their names as well. Chapagetti + Neoguri = Jjapaguri.

The translators of the film weren't able to translate jjapaguri into something that would resonate with English-speaking audiences. The result is "ram-don" or "ramdon," a combination of the words ramen and udon.

Jjapaguri is a popular and easy Korean noodle dish that has gotten a lot of fame and momentum from its inclusion in pop culture. Whether you've seen the movie Parasite or not, these ram-don noodles are definitely crave-worthy and worth making!

Ingredient notes

• Noodles: You'll need two varieties of Korean instant noodles to make ramdon: Chapagetti and Neoguri. The former is an instant noodle version of jjajangmyeon, a Korean dish featuring noodles in black bean sauce. The latter is a spicy seafood flavored instant noodle soup.
• Steak: While the film features super expensive Hanwoo top sirloin beef, you can downgrade the quality of beef in your own version of ramdon. Use sirloin, strip, or rib-eye steak cubed into ½-to-¾-inch pieces.

How to make it

Ram-don is a very quick-cooking dish! Start out by bringing 4 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan or medium pot. Open both packages of Chapagetti and Neoguri.

When the water is boiling add the noodles and vegetable flakes from both packages. Boil for only 2 to 3 minutes, and then strain over a bowl or large measuring cup. You'll need to reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid for later.

Meanwhile, cube up 8 ounces of sirloin steak or rib-eye. Ideally ½-to-¾-inch cubes are good, but some of mine were a bit larger. Smaller cubes will be a bit easier to eat.

Add a little bit of oil to a frying pan over high heat. You can also use some oil spray if you're using a nonstick pan. It doesn't stick and it doesn't splatter since it's a small amount of oil.

Sear the cubes of steak for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until cooked to your desired doneness. Set aside.

Return the strained noodles/vegetable mixture to the pot with 1 cup of the reserved cooking liquid.

Heat over medium heat, add the cooked steak, the black bean paste seasoning powder from the Chapagetti package, and about ½ the spicy seafood seasoning powder from the Neoguri package.

This is pretty spicy, so you definitely won't want to use all of it unless you really want it super spicy. I used right about ½ and thought it was a good level of spice--spicy but not unbearably spicy.

Mix until the sauce thickens and coats the noodles. Serve immediately!

Expert tips and FAQs

This yields 1 serving of ram-don noodles in the movie, but realistically this is 2 comfortable servings (and this is how I've calculated the estimated nutrition below). You can even divide it up into 3 smaller servings and still feel quite satisfied!

If you love this recipe and plan to make it often (or as a larger batch), you can even purchase noodle combo packs, which include four packages of each type of instant noodle required for the ramdon recipe.

Cultural significance of Ramdon in Parasite

Now that we've made this delicious recipe, let's take a quick look at its cultural significance in Parasite. The film's central theme hovers around class disparities. This is showcased when an extremely poor family goes to work for an extremely affluent one.

One of the biggest examples of the disconnect between the classes comes from a simple request for a popular Korean instant noodle dish: jjapaguri (referred to as Ram-Don in the English subtitles).

In one of the scenes, the mother of the wealthy family calls home from the car and speaks with the housekeeper. They are 7 minutes away, and would like her to whip up this cheap and easy noodle dish.

But wait! Throw in some Hanwoo top sirloin beef! There's some hanging around in the fridge. Typical. Let's pause here for a moment.

Korean Hanwoo beef is akin to Japanese Kobe and other extremely expensive types of beef that are nearly impossible to procure in the States. Meanwhile they're definitely impossible for most instant noodle-eating folks to even afford!

The marriage of a cheap everyman's instant noodle dish with a completely unaffordable steak is the class-clashing result. It's the ultimate edible example of the film's theme of the haves and have-nots.

Other recipes you may like

• Japchae (Korean Sweet Potato Noodles with Meat and Vegetables)
• Beef Teriyaki Udon Noodles
• Yaki Udon (Japanese Stir-Fried Udon Noodles)
• Ants Climbing a Tree (Ma Yi Shang Shu)
• Singapore Noodles (Singapore Mei Fun)
• Mie Goreng (Indonesian Stir-Fried Noodles)
• Pork Lo Mein
• Pajeon (Korean Scallion Pancakes)

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