NongShim Shin Black Noodle Soup, Spicy, 4.58 (Pack of 18)

This rocks my ramen bowl! If you want to change your perception of instant ramen, Check out chef Roy Choi's own variation on improving upon basic instant ramen. There's a fun video from tasting table. He adds an egg to the broth which almost poaches it, scallions, american cheese... Its so good. You can use cilantro or basil instead - whatever you've got. The american cheese part sounds weird at first but I use a good organic selection of cheese and it thickens the broth a bit and brings out a really unique flavor dimension that blends well. I also highly recommend adding dried shiitake mushrooms. That really takes it to the next level. This is excellent instant ramen to start with.I was worried about the salt content and even asked my doctor at my last physical if the salt content of ramen was unhealthy. He said "do you have high blood pressure?" I replied no because mine is optimal. "then you don't need to worry about salt". I've been reading and hearing that the dangers of salt are grossly over estimate for people without high blood pressure. I'm still cautious this meal makes a great occasional comfort food.

I'm a ramyun addict and I have always loved ramyun since I was little. It is the first thing I crave when I'm hungry and it's the only thing I can keep down when I'm hung-over. Ramyun has been and will always be my comfort food although I consider them very unhealthy. When I first spotted the Black Shin Ramyun on Amazon, I thought it was too expensive and didn't want to buy an entire box especially while I've been trying so hard to stay away from ramyun products to reduce my sodium and other toxic intakes. After many fruitless searches at nearby Asian markets to try a few packets, I ended up getting a case from Amazon after several months of hesitation; what can I say...I have to try all ramyun that I notice. Upon trying, I must say that I'm not disappointed at all and this is my new favorite ramen for the moment. The broth is thicker (from the beef bone extract powder) and has a bit of miso flavor very similar to the restaurant quality Japanese (non-instant) miso ramyun. It is definitely not as spicy as the regular Shin ramyun, but it has much more complex flavor and tastes more home-made with bigger chunks of mushrooms, hot peppers, etc. It is unbelievable that the product is MSG free with its play on all my taste buds, and I was very impressed that the product didn't make me feel as tired as most ramyun usually do after consumption. I'm very happy that I still have many packets left, and I'll savor them for all they're worth, which is actually much cheaper than comparable restaurant ramyun and home-made noodle soups.update 4/4/2013:I've subscribed for an auto-delivery subscription and unfortunately have been enjoying the ramen a bit too often. The nutrition fact shows that a package serves 2, but that is unrealistic as most will finish an entire package by themselves. The sodium intake for a package is 1840mg (76% daily value) and total fat of 18g (28% dv) if you finish the soup! The sodium content is actually improved from the original (Gourmet Spicy Picante) Shin ramen's 2100mg. I try to make it a bit less evil by adding some cabbage, green onions and other vegetables for additional roughage and flavors. Adding fresh hot peppers or Jalapeños to the ramen makes it even more amazing. Sometimes I'll even drop an egg for additional protein, but try not to consume the york. I avoid drinking the liquid to cut down on sodium but boy is it hard to stop once you start... Having a constant supply of this ramen is dangerous but I don't have the heart to stop the subscription because I can't find it locally. Help~~!

This soup is amazing...While i'm not quite positive that I love the 'sul-long-tang' story, I do love this soup. I am a huge fan of ramen noodles and of the Nongshim brand 'ramyun' noodle. However, I took a shot in the dark with this Black line. The soup is a great soup, it tastes very similar to the Nongshim Gourmet Spicy ramyun. However, it's a tad bit less spicy, due to (my estimation) the added base (ox bone stew) and additional vegetable package.I originally purchased this package because I thought that the Black line signified that it was a premium 'ramyun' package. However, it appears that this is not the case, while there are more veggies, the 'premium' connotation does not overly portray itself in this package. It's truly a different soup.Is it worth the premium over the gourmet spicy? I would say, for an every now & then buy, sure! But to replace my subscription to the Gourmet Spicy line, no way!I survived on Maruchan ramen for 6 years of my life. While going through school, I knew nothing more than ramen. So needless to say, part Japanese or not, I rely upon ramen noodles. However, after stumbling upon the Nongshim Gourmet Spicy noodles, i've never looked back. I am certain that my local Oriental Mart has paid it's mortgage solely upon my Gourmet Spicy purchase order. However, Amazon to the rescue...now my normal subscription is a case of Gourmet Spicy every 2 months. A case of the Spicy Seafood Udon noodle every 3-4 months. To this I have added, a case of these sul-long-tang Black noodles every 5-6 months. This evens out my ability to consume Nongshim Ramyun on a normal schedule.Overall, as great as these 'black' noodles are, the best part is that I can eat the noodles w/out squinting the entire time I consume them, due to the lack of fear that revolves around eating the Gourmet Spicy noodles splashing into my eye socket. I swear, i'd rather get another vasectomy than get more Gourmet Spicy broth in my eye.

This ramen had been recommended by a friend, and he was completely correct! I had it for the first time today. The spice level is good: not too hot but definitely there. The ramen noodles seem a little more substantial than what I'm used to with the cheaper ramen. The vegetable packet has green onion, garlic, and mushrooms that really add to the soup. I added a sliced boiled egg and a few cooked bacon pieces. I can see how adding different things can keep this ramen fun.