Harim Hoolla-myeon US-Export Ramen Review [Korean Food]

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Today’s new ramen from Harim has an unusual story: Harim Hoolla-myeon was built as an export product for H Mart in the US, then re-imported back to Korea. Honestly, exports being re-imported to Korea isn’t that unusual anymore. What sets this one apart is that it wasn’t localized into some quirky overseas concept — its whole concept is that it faithfully nails the feel of a proper Korean ramen. That made me curious enough to buy it right away, so let’s dig into what it’s like.

Table of Contents

📋 At a Glance

Product: Harim Hoolla-myeon (Hoolla ramen)
Maker: Harim
Price: 5,000 won on sale (6,000 won list, 4-pack)
Weight: 112g (per serving)
Calories: 485 kcal (sodium 88% of daily value)
Main components: Noodles, powder soup, dried-flake packet (beef-based spicy broth)
Verdict: ★3.5 — Balanced and easygoing in flavor, though the value is a bit of a sticking point.

Harim Hoolla Ramen: Price and Highlights

In Korea, spicy ramen is the default, so this doesn’t feel especially novel. But in the US, where people are used to Japanese-style instant ramen, the “spicy broth ramen” concept quietly caught on at H Mart, riding the K-food wave. The standout trait seems to be little more than a “rich, savory broth.” As for price, on sale you can grab a 4-pack multipack for around 5,000 won.

This one totals 112g at 485 kcal, with sodium at 88% of the daily value. Given that basic broth-ramen lines like Shin Ramyun or Jin Ramen are 120g, it feels a touch smaller, though the sodium is similar. For cooking, it calls for 4 minutes 30 seconds in 500ml of water.

To be fair, when it comes to Harim ramen, I’ve always felt they were quite serious about chicken-broth bases. This menu does include something like chicken extract, but compared to the chicken-focused products they’ve released so far, the ingredients themselves are fairly ordinary. Maybe that’s exactly why I got even more curious about the taste.

What’s Inside Hoolla-myeon

Let’s do a quick check of the contents. Like other broth ramen, this one keeps it simple with three parts: noodles, powder soup, and a dried-flake packet. Considering the price, there’s nothing particularly special about the setup.

The powder soup has a fairly deep red color. Dab a bit to taste and, among Harim’s ramen lineup so far, it lands on the spicier side aside from The Misik, with a savory punch that’s strong as expected. Compared to the clean heat of Shin Ramyun, it’s closer to the heat of Jin Ramen Spicy or Shin Ramyun The Black, I’d say.

The dried-flake packet had nothing especially unusual compared to other ramen. It’s the common lineup you’d expect: dried green onion, dried bok choy, carrot, and mushroom.

Cooking Hoolla-myeon

The method isn’t hard, so I went ahead and cooked it. As it cooks, you can see the broth is a fairly rich type. A good amount of spicy aroma rises while boiling, with a slightly nutty note too — clearly they tried hard to bring out a more “basic” character than Harim’s earlier ramen.

Here’s the finished look. It really doesn’t differ much by eye from the other basic-lineup ramen sold in Korea, does it? On the surface, it even resembles Harim’s Matnamyeon, which launched around the same time.

Hoolla-myeon: The Taste

Now let’s taste it. Since there are so many ramen to compare against, I’ll focus on how it differs from the others. First I pulled up a big chopstickful of noodles and gave it a try.

The Actual Taste of Noodles and Broth

Going by the noodle texture and the broth soaked into it, the spiciness isn’t a standout feature. Rather than heat, the beef-based savoriness and a moderate kick came through nicely. Of course, it’s noticeably spicier than Jin Ramen Mild, and compared to Jin Ramen Original it’s about the same or slightly spicier.

Taking a spoonful of the broth, the savory depth came across quite strongly overall. If Shin Ramyun Original feels a bit clean, this one leans slightly richer. Many reviewers said the US-export Hoolla-myeon had a strong beef-plus-garlic character, but here the garlic itself didn’t come through that strongly. Instead, the hearty, refreshing kick was a touch more pronounced.

Easygoing Balance, and the Value Question

Overall, it left a strongly easygoing impression. The flavor was balanced, with nothing sticking out or lacking, and compared to Harim’s Matnamyeon from around the same time, it had a slightly added weight in savoriness. That said, it’s fair to call it nearly identical to Matnamyeon overall. Differences like this can shift with your mood on the day or a subtle change in broth volume.

It’s great for pouring rice into, and it would fit right into Korea’s basic broth-ramen lineup — but if there’s one thing that nags at me, it’s the value. Given that Jin Ramen, Shin Ramyun, and Ansungtangmyun sit in the 4,000-won range for a 5-pack thanks to sheer volume keeping prices low, a single 4-pack at a 6,000-won list price (5,000 won on sale) does feel a bit pricey, right?

Final Verdict

Looking at it this way, the takeaway was a decent, easygoing flavor, and the value is something you absolutely can’t ignore. Personally, the taste was good enough that I’d happily eat it again if asked, but thinking about the price, I did wonder whether I’d need to buy it a second time. What about you? Still, if you’re curious about the flavor, it’s a menu worth trying at least once. For readers abroad, look for it at your local H Mart if you’d like to see what the fuss is about.

For the backstory on how Hoolla-myeon launched first at Hawaii’s H Mart and was later re-imported to Korea, you can read the (Korean source) Newspim report.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How much is Harim Hoolla-myeon?

A four-pack runs about 5,000 won on sale (6,000 won list). Each single serving is 112g at 485 kcal, with sodium at 88% of the daily value.

Q. What kind of ramen is Hoolla-myeon?

It’s a beef-based spicy broth ramen originally made as an H Mart export for the US and later re-imported to Korea. It comes as a simple setup of noodles, powder soup, and a dried-flake packet.

Q. How does Harim Hoolla ramen taste?

The beef broth is savory and pleasantly spicy in a balanced, easygoing way. The heat sits slightly above Jin Ramen Original, and it tastes quite similar to Harim’s Matnamyeon.

Q. Is Hoolla-myeon worth buying?

Flavor-wise it’s good enough to eat again, but the value gives you pause. It’s pricier than Shin Ramyun or Jin Ramen multipacks, so it’s more of a try-it-once pick if you’re curious.

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