12 April 2006

Instant Noodle review #1: SHIN RAMYUN

Manufacturer: Nong Shim
Origin: Korea
Price: Around RM2.50 per pack. Available in a 5-pack value pack.
Size: Lunch
Notes: Contains beef. Non-halal.

    Note: Updated with actual photograph of cooked noodles!





Ah... Shin Ramyun. Of all the instant noodles in the world, this is probably my favourite - good enough to warrant staying at home rather than going out to lunch. I first tried it while studying in the UK and have been loving it ever since.

As a testament to its quality, almost every budget noodle restaurant in Korea offers Shin Ramyun on its menu. Kinda like the Maggi of Korea, only better.

Each packet contains a rather large cake of noodles (enough for lunch), the spicy beef soup base and a pack of dried vegetables. It takes about 5 minutes to cook properly, although I normally cook it until it's nice and soggy. I also put far less water than recommended to make the soup stronger.

This is what it normally looks like when I cook it:
The instant noodle of the Gods...



It's spicy in a pepper sort of way (as opposed to chili), so it won't burn your tongue but it'll make you sweat a lot if you're prone to sweating while eating spicy food.

It goes well with an egg (either beaten in or left with the yolk intact), chopped spring onions and crushed fresh garlic. The soup base has a nice, beefy flavour that's quite satisfying while the noodles have a rather nice texture about them.

Yum.

Unfortunately, it's a beef-flavoured soup noodle, which means that our Hindu and non-beef-eating Chinese friends can't eat it. And neither can our Muslim brothers, since it isn't certified as 'Halal'.

Interestingly enough, this means that Shin Ramyun can only be eaten by Christians. Yes, it's a Christian instant noodle by Christian loving Koreans for Christians throughout the world.

Shin Ramyun is for Christians.

And atheists.

After all, if you believe in the non-existence of God, you wouldn't really care what sort of animal was supposedly slaughtered to create possibly the best instant noodle in the world.

So if you don't believe in God or otherwise (unless you're a Hindu or Muslim), try Shin Ramyun. I guarantee you'll love it.

8 comments:

The Wanderer said...

dude, shite like this sustained us through many a peckish night back in sheff. still remember the truck laden with korean food? that comes like, once a month? we'd buy shite by the case man.

Chris Chong said...

Oh yes...

I love that Korean truck.

And the slightly confused Koreans in it who initially wondered why the hell we were speaking in English.

I still eat Shin Ramyun at least three times a week.

Mmmm...

The Wanderer said...

you mean even now?

urgh, aren't cha sick of eet yet?

Anonymous said...

hahah awesome. this noodle is for christians and atheists. LMAO.
i'm agnostic, so i guess that counts.. :]

Unknown said...

Shit, I picked from the Tesco noodles section and ate it with delight, now that I know its Haram I feel pissed off. Why didn't they put them with all the other Halal noodles ? It is definitely misleading , and expensive but thats not the point ....

The Stitch and Fold said...

But as far as I am aware, the soup is actually VEGETARIAN. Read the ingredients:

http://www.mattas.co.uk/rice-pasta-noodles/shin-ramyun-noodle-soup-hot-spicy

Yup, not a sign of beef in it. Only in the picture...

Don't worry Tanvir.

sarah said...

came across this post via goole-ing so thought share same info. shin ramyum DOES contains beef so its non-Halal.

http://www.singaporemalaysiastore.com/nong-shim-shin-ramyun--korean-spicy-instant-noodle.html

Ingredients: Wheat Flour, Palm Oil, Potato Starch, Modified Potato Starch, Salt, Beef Seasonings (Yeast Extract, Beef Bone Stock, Beef Extract, Liquid Corn Syrup, Refined Beef Tallow), Monosodium Glutamate, Dehydrated Vegetables (Green Onion, Mushroom, Carrot), Red Pepper, Sugar, Soy Sauce Powder (Hydrolyzed Soy Protein and Corn Gluten, Maltodextrin, Salt), Spices (Black Pepper, Garlic, Onion, Ginger), Soy Bean Paste Powder (Soybean, Maltodextrin, Salt), Red Pepper Seed Oil, Potassium Carbonate, Oleoresin Capsicum, Oleoresin Paprika, Corn Flour, Ginger, Sodium Carbonate, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Sodium Metaphosphate, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Sodium Phosphate, T-BHQ, Tocopherol, Sodium Pyrophosphate, Riboflavin color.

CONTAINS WHEAT, SOY AND BEEF.

Lemburt said...

It's halal now! Certified by the Korea Muslim Federation Halal Committee! XD