The standard Nongshim Shin Ramyun has long held a place as a household favourite, and more recently, its Kimchi variant has gained popularity. In this instance, we tried the Nongshim Shin Ramyun Black, a ‘premium’ offering developed after three years of careful consideration of customer feedback.

The outcome was a soup base made from a blend of beef and pork broth to deliver a profound flavour profile, in conjunction with the familiar heat of the conventional line. Nongshim prided itself on the noodles being crafted from fresh farm-sourced ingredients, superior-grade grains, and an array of spices, all while maintaining a reduced sodium content and avoiding the use of MSG.

Each package contained dehydrated noodles, two sachets of powdered soup base and a sachet of flakes (containing dehydrated meat and vegetables (green onions, carrots, mushrooms)). The preparation of these noodles involved boiling the dehydrated noodles in 500 mL of water alongside the three sachets for approximately 4.5 minutes.

Once ready, the soup base took on an opaque orange-red hue, distinct from the clearer base seen in the conventional line. It exuded a more robust, meaty, and garlicky aroma compared to its counterpart. Upon tasting, the soup base proved to be thicker and richer than the conventional offering, with a pronounced presence of garlic and onion that crafted a deeply satisfying flavour profile. This richness effectively mellowed the sharpness of the chilli, creating a well-rounded taste experience. In terms of texture, the noodles exhibited a slight springiness and the flakes were more substantial in size and flavour, distinguishing them from the conventional line. However, despite the heightened flavour and improved mouthfeel, this premium variant didn’t quite justify its price point, which was more than double that of the original. While enjoyable, we found ourselves favouring the Kimchi variant over this one.

This Nongshim Shin Ramyun Black contained 130 g. It was produced in South Korea and purchased in Sydney, Australia in 2023.