andrejthechef
KoreaNoodlesDinner

Ram-don with Steak

Jjapaguri, a mash-up of instant black bean noodles and spicy seafood noodles, topped with expensive sirloin. The dish at the center of Parasite's most famous scene.

prep
10 min
cook
15 min
total
25 min
serves
2
level
easy
Ram-don with Steak, from Parasite (2019)

A wealthy family's housekeeper rushes to make this exact dish in Parasite (2019), mixing two different brands of instant noodles and topping the result with expensive sirloin, in a scene that has become one of the most quoted and most Googled recipes in modern film.

"Jjapaguri" is a genuine, popular combination in South Korea, built on combining the seasoning packets, not the broths, of two different instant noodle brands, and the film's pairing of cheap convenience food with costly beef works as a quiet, pointed detail about the class divide running through the whole story.

Part of our 40 famous movie foods list.

method

  1. Season the steak pieces with salt and pepper.

  2. Heat the oil in a pan over high heat, and sear the steak for 2 to 3 minutes, until well browned but still pink in the middle. Rest, then slice if needed.

  3. Bring a pot of water to a boil, and cook both packets of noodles together according to the package, usually about 4 to 5 minutes, until just tender. Drain, reserving a splash of the noodle water.

  4. Return the noodles to the pot, and mix in the seasoning packets from both chapagetti and neoguri, combining the two sauce flavors into one.

  5. Add a splash of the reserved noodle water and the butter, and toss until glossy and well coated.

  6. Divide the noodles between two bowls, and top with the seared steak.

  7. Finish with sliced spring onion, and serve immediately.

chef's tips

  • "Jjapaguri" is a real, popular combination in South Korea, mixing the seasoning packets from two different instant noodle brands rather than their broths, which is exactly how it is prepared in the film.
  • Searing the steak hot and fast, and keeping it a little pink in the middle, matches the way the dish is treated in Parasite (2019), where an inexpensive instant noodle base is elevated by an expensive cut of beef.
  • In the film, this exact pairing becomes a quiet, pointed symbol of the class divide at the center of the story, cheap convenience food made luxurious by one costly addition.
  • Mixing both seasoning packets together rather than using just one is what actually makes this jjapaguri rather than plain chapagetti; it is a specific, deliberate combination, not a shortcut.