I Came Back From NYC’s Fancy Food Show Craving One Ramen Combo: Chapaguri

I went to New York’s Summer Fancy Food Show expecting to discover new foods.

I did not expect it to make me rethink how I choose ramen.

The 2026 show filled the Javits Center with food brands, buyers, retailers, distributors, and more things to taste than anyone could reasonably fit into one day.

Then I reached the Nongshim Airlines booth.

A giant red gate framed the entrance. Inside, there was a boarding display, a wall of ramen, a cooking area, and plenty of people deciding what to try next.

Honestly, I related to that last part more than anything.

I am the kind of person who can stand in front of a ramen shelf for an unreasonable amount of time.

Spicy seafood? Something rich and savory? Soup? No soup?

Seeing so many choices in one place made me think:

Why does ramen always have to be an either-or decision?

And one combination immediately came to mind.

Chapaguri.

What Is Chapaguri?

Chapaguri is a Korean ramen combination made by cooking Chapagetti and Neoguri together in one saucy noodle dish.

The Korean name itself gives away the idea: Chapa from Chapagetti and guri from Neoguri.

Instead of deciding between the two instant noodles, you combine elements from both.

Chapagetti brings a dark, savory, slightly sweet sauce. Neoguri brings chili heat, seafood character, and its signature thick noodle texture.

The two products are different enough that the result does not simply taste like one noodle with extra seasoning.

It becomes its own dish.

Apparently, the Internet Had the Same Idea

Of course, combining instant noodles is hardly something I invented after walking around a food show.

Ramen fans online have been mixing noodles, sauces, toppings, and seasoning packets for years. And whenever conversations about the best instant noodle combos come up, Chapaguri has a habit of appearing.

And it is easy to see why.

The formula is memorable enough to explain in one line:

Neoguri + Chapagetti = Chapaguri.

It also captures something I like about instant noodles in general. You do not necessarily have to treat the package directions as the end of the conversation.

You can mix. Adjust. Add toppings. Change textures. Or take two familiar noodles and discover something different between them.

What Noodles Do I Need to Make Chapaguri?

To make Chapaguri, you need one pack of Nongshim Chapagetti and one pack of Nongshim Neoguri.

That is the entire foundation of the recipe.

But each noodle has a very different job.

Chapagetti: The Savory Base

Chapagetti is a sauce-style instant noodle inspired by Korea’s jjajangmyeon flavor profile.

Rather than creating a soup, its seasoning coats the noodles with a rich, dark, savory sauce that also carries a slight sweetness.

On its own, Chapagetti is fairly mellow. I went much deeper into its flavor, texture, and why it can be surprisingly polarizing in my honest Nongshim Chapagetti review .

In Chapaguri, it becomes the base that holds everything together.

Neoguri: The Heat and Seafood Character

Neoguri goes in a very different direction.

It is a spicy seafood-style ramyun known for its thick, chewy noodles and bold broth seasoning. If you have never tried it on its own, my full Nongshim Neoguri review goes deeper into its seafood broth, noodle texture, and spice level.

When Neoguri meets Chapagetti, that seasoning adds chili heat and savory seafood depth to the darker sauce.

Chapagetti provides the rich base. Neoguri provides the kick.

Once I started thinking about the two products in those roles, the combination made much more sense.

Why Do Chapagetti and Neoguri Work So Well Together?

Chapagetti and Neoguri work together because their strongest flavors contrast rather than duplicate each other.

The first few bites still have that dark, savory Chapagetti character.

Then Neoguri starts showing up.

The sauce gets hotter. The savory flavor becomes deeper. The seafood seasoning cuts through some of the richness, while Chapagetti keeps the entire dish from tasting like an ordinary bowl of spicy seafood soup.

The texture helps too.

Both noodles have enough body to hold a concentrated sauce, which matters because Chapaguri is supposed to be saucy rather than soupy.

You want just enough moisture for the seasonings to spread evenly across the noodles.

Too much water and the flavors become diluted. Too little and the sauce becomes difficult to coat.

When that balance works, Chapaguri does not really feel like two instant noodle packets thrown into the same pot.

It feels like a third dish that was hiding between them.

How Do I Make Chapaguri With Chapagetti and Neoguri?

Chapaguri is made by cooking Chapagetti and Neoguri together, draining most of the water, and mixing the noodles with the Chapagetti seasoning and part of the Neoguri seasoning.

1. Bring water to a boil and add the Chapagetti and Neoguri noodles along with their vegetable flakes.
2. Cook the noodles together until they are nearly ready.
3. Drain most of the cooking water, leaving a small amount behind to help form the sauce.
4. Add the Chapagetti seasoning and oil.
5. Add part of the Neoguri seasoning.
6. Mix thoroughly until the noodles are evenly coated and the remaining water has turned into a glossy sauce.

The most important point for a first attempt is simple:

You do not necessarily need all of the Neoguri seasoning.

The goal is to add heat and seafood depth without completely overpowering the Chapagetti base.

Start with less. Taste it. Then decide whether your next bowl needs more.

That is much easier than discovering halfway through dinner that you accidentally turned Chapaguri into a spice endurance test.

Is Chapaguri the Same as Ram-Don?

Ram-Don is the English name used for Chapaguri in the movie Parasite, while Chapaguri is the Korean name for the Chapagetti-and-Neoguri combination.

The movie helped introduce the dish to a much wider international audience.

Its version was especially memorable because the instant noodles were topped with expensive beef, creating an extravagant contrast with the humble noodle base.

But beef is not what defines Chapaguri.

At its core, the formula is still beautifully simple:

Chapagetti + Neoguri.

What Does Chapaguri Taste Like?

Chapaguri tastes savory, slightly sweet, spicy, and seafood-forward, with a concentrated sauce coating thick, chewy noodles.

I would not simply describe it as “spicy Chapagetti.”

That undersells what Neoguri does.

The seafood character makes the sauce feel deeper, while the chili keeps Chapagetti’s richer flavor from becoming too heavy.

Chapagetti alone is smoother and more mellow.

Neoguri alone is hotter, brighter, and designed around broth.

Chapaguri lands somewhere between those two experiences.

It keeps the richness of a sauce noodle while adding enough spice and savory intensity to make each bite feel a little more complex.

What Are the Best Instant Noodle Combos?

Some of the most interesting instant noodle combos pair products with contrasting sauces, spice levels, or textures, and Chapaguri is one of the most recognizable Korean examples.

This idea took me straight back to the Fancy Food Show.

The fun of walking through an event like that is not necessarily finding one universal winner.

It is trying different things, comparing them, and realizing that completely different flavors can appeal to you for completely different reasons.

Ramen combinations take that idea one step further.

If you are still figuring out how different Korean ramen styles fit together, I also compared the broader category in my Nongshim vs. Samyang Korean ramen comparison . Chapaguri is a little different, though, because the point here is not deciding which noodle wins. It is seeing what happens when two very different flavors work together.

Instead of asking:

Which one should I choose?

You can ask:

What happens if these two work together?

And honestly, that question is more fun.

From the Fancy Food Show Back to My Kitchen

The funny part is that I had already been thinking about ramen this way before the show.

I recently bought a ramen bundle because I liked having multiple options without committing to a huge pack of one flavor.

That suits me very well.

I love ramen.

I also somehow turn choosing ramen into a strategic planning session.

Do I want something spicy?

Something savory?

Something seafood-forward?

Soup?

No soup?

How hungry am I?

Apparently dinner requires due diligence.

That is why ramen combos are starting to make more and more sense to me.

Sometimes the answer is not to choose more carefully.

Sometimes the answer is to combine the options.

My Chapaguri Verdict: More Ramen Combos, Please

I went into the Summer Fancy Food Show surrounded by thousands of different foods and somehow came home thinking about two instant noodle packets that were already familiar to me.

Maybe that is what good food discovery actually does.

It does not always introduce you to something completely new.

Sometimes it makes you look at something familiar differently.

And Chapaguri solves one of my most unnecessary recurring problems.

Chapagetti or Neoguri?

Apparently, I do not have to choose.

I hope we see even more thoughtful Korean ramen combos, instant noodle combinations, and ramen bundles that make it easy to explore different flavors without buying a giant multipack of everything.

Because for chronic overthinkers like me, that might be the real appeal of a good ramen combo:

one less decision to make, and one more interesting bowl to look forward to.

Frequently Asked Questions

What noodles do I need to make Chapaguri?

You need one pack of Nongshim Chapagetti and one pack of Nongshim Neoguri. Chapagetti provides the rich, savory sauce base, while Neoguri adds spicy seafood flavor and thick, chewy noodles.

How do you make Chapaguri?

Cook Chapagetti and Neoguri together, drain most of the cooking water, then mix in the Chapagetti seasoning and oil plus part of the Neoguri seasoning. Leave a small amount of water so the seasonings can form a sauce that evenly coats the noodles.

Is Chapaguri the same as Ram-Don?

Ram-Don is the English name used for Chapaguri in Parasite. Chapaguri is the Korean name for the instant noodle combination made with Chapagetti and Neoguri.

Is Chapaguri spicy?

Chapaguri has noticeable heat from the Neoguri seasoning, but the spice level can be adjusted by changing how much Neoguri soup base you use. Chapagetti’s richer and slightly sweet sauce also balances some of the chili heat.

What is a good Korean ramen combo to try?

Chapaguri is a well-known Korean instant noodle combo made with Chapagetti and Neoguri. It combines a rich savory sauce with spicy seafood flavor, making it a useful starting point for anyone interested in Korean ramen combinations.