Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite” is a film of multiple achievements: it received critical acclaim, bagged many awards including Best Picture at the Oscars and it introduced the world to ram-don.
Ram-don, or jjapaguri with steak, is a dish from the movie that people all over the world have been craving. That one scene has spawned countless copycat recipes online—you can find them everywhere, from food blogs to YouTube videos.
Jjapaguri is made by mixing two kinds of instant noodles: Chapagetti black bean ramen and Neoguri spicy seafood udon. Add cubes of sirloin to create the steak-topped “Parasite” version—because it wouldn’t be “Parasite” without that dose of commentary on class distinction.
But if you don’t have the patience to hunt down those specific noodle packs and make your own, you can always try chef Patrick Go’s version.
Ram-don scene
Go said that “Parasite” instantly became one of his top two favorite films of all time (the other being “Inception”) when he watched it. And yes, the ram-don scene struck him. “I think everyone could relate to that scene… it’s something very homey that we Filipinos can relate to. It’s like making pancit canton with bread and egg.”
His love for jjajangmyeon (Korean black bean sauce noodles) inspired him to create his own take on the dish. “Whenever I eat jjajangmyeon, I always mix it with kimchi. Kasi ‘di ba, jjajangmyeon is sweet, salty, savory so when they made that combination in the movie, I could relate to the flavor profile.”
But Go didn’t just throw together two kinds of instant noodles, of course. He used udon, created his own sauces and then topped the dish with Australian strip loin “so it has a bite.”
Introduced this past weekend at Gochu-Gang, Stall No. 6 at The Grid in Rockwell’s Power Plant Mall, this delightful bowl of noodles is already a hit. And we’re not surprised—it’s absolutely delicious.
Perfect with kimchi
Go serves it with kimchi. “This is perfect with kimchi. Ram-don kasi is salty, sweet, earthy and kimchi is sour so get one bite of each.”
Gochu-Gang’s Steak Ram-Don will be available at The Grid on weekends but, Go said that they’re already thinking of making it part of the permanent menu later this month. “A lot of people are looking for it,” he said. “Some people from yesterday came back today looking for it.”
And if you’re headed to The Grid, try Gochu-Gang’s other offerings. “Our specialty is our bibimbaps. We make our own ssamjang, we make our own special sauces. We have a salmon bibimbap and a beef ribeye bibimbap. We also have our smoked bacon kimchi rice.”
He also has tips for people who want to make the dish at home: “Get the real jjapaguri and then add sriracha or your own special spicy sauce. And your topping doesn’t have to be steak. You can also use grilled chicken or pork belly. Mukhang masarap siya with pork belly. You can play around with different kinds of noodles.”
