Today’s review is the latest release in the Shin Ramyun lineup from Nongshim that just made its way to the USA in time for Shin’s 40th anniversary celebration this year: Nongshim Shin Rosé Ramyun, Spicy & Creamy Tomato flavor.
The Verdict:
| Product: | Nongshim Shin Rosé Spicy & Creamy Tomato Ramyun |
| Origin: | South Korea |
| Noodle Quality: | 8/10 |
| Spice Level: | 5/10 |
| Overall Score: | 6.5/10 (microwave method)* |
*The Verdict above reflects the microwave method, which ended up being my preferred cooking method, for reasons you can read below (or watch the video reiew).
You may not have been aware, but 2026 is the 40th anniversary of the Shin product line. To celebrate, Nongshim has released many new flavors in the Shin lineup. There’s this one and a couple of others that I have in hand and plan to review in due time, but this one’s the most exciting to me based on its flavor profile. Typically, Korean rosé sauce is a blend of cream and a sweet fermented red chili paste called gochujang, and it does not resemble the Italian sauce of the same name, which is usually tomato sauce, cream, and cheese. This one actually does contain tomato, unlike other rosé products that I have reviewed in the past. According to Nongshim’s original press release back in May, this recipe is somewhat based on a viral internet hack in which people combine basic Shin Ramyun soup with heavy cream and tomato paste. That all sounds pretty cool, but there is a big twist that I’ll get to in the ingredients below.
As of September 2026, this flavor was rolling out across the USA in Walmart, supermarkets, and Asian grocery stores. It was initially released in Korea and Japan back in May and was supposed to come out globally in June, but for whatever reason, it got delayed. I’ve been waiting actual months for this to show up here in the States so I can review it.
Inside the bowl is a block of flat, ridged noodles that look similar to what comes in Nongshim Zha Wang, the black bean sauce noodles. These are made from wheat flour and potato starch. There are also two sauce powder packets containing almond flour, coconut oil, garlic, gochujang, onion, MSG, parsley, tomato, and various spices. Did you catch that twist? Despite the lid looking like there’s powdered cheese that goes on at the end, there’s no cheese in here. Nor can I find any actual dairy in the ingredients: no milk, cream, whey, or casein. It looks like the creamy aspect is dairy-free and comes from the coconut, almond, and other starches and emulsifiers. This isn’t certified vegan, but I don’t see any animal products in the ingredients. If that’s something that appeals to you, check for yourself and make your own decision on whether to buy this. The entire bowl contains 1480mg of sodium and 10g of added sugar.
You can steep this or microwave it. I chose to steep it first in the hopes of getting firmer noodles. One thing to note is that the microwave directions have no draining step, while the steeping method does. Initially, I thought that might mean slightly more watery noodles from the microwave. The first powder packet had a very peppery, umami smell, most likely similar to normal Shin soup base. The second was clearly the creamy tomato component, with a slightly sour smell that I think came from the tomato powder. After steeping and draining, I found a fundamental flaw: the powder wasn’t dissolving very well. Fortunately, I had saved some noodle water, so I added about a tablespoon back in to help it dissolve. If you choose to steep and drain these, save a little water; I think you need it to make a proper sauce. Once mixed, it smelled very tomato-forward.
Noodles:
I was mostly right: these feel very similar to the Zha Wang noodles. I think there was some sort of compromise in the manufacturing process so they could be steeped or microwaved rather than boiled, but they’re still pretty good. They’ve got a nice thick chew, and the ridges hold on to the sauce very well. One bite was a little gummy, and I don’t know if that was the noodle itself or the preparation method. They’re not a perfect 10 like the Zha Wang noodles were, but for a bowl noodle, they’re pretty darn good. They’re very reminiscent of a ridged pasta. After trying the microwave method, I kept the noodle score the same.
- 8/10
Spiciness:
It’s a medium heat. It will definitely catch you off guard if you’re expecting this to be mild, but it sneaks up on you. On the first bite, you don’t feel any spice, then it starts working its way toward the back of your throat and has a little linger to it. I’d put it about on par with the spiciness of Shin Black, but it sticks around a little longer. The microwave preparation did not change my spiciness score either.
- 5/10
Overall:
Steeped method
With the steeping method, I don’t think this is exactly what’s advertised on the package. At first glance, the picture on the lid looks like a pile of cheese. It’s not. Then you realize it’s supposed to be a creamy powder, and rosé sauce is typically creamy, so you think that’s what you’re getting. I didn’t find any aspect of this sauce to be creamy. I guess that’s kind of to be expected when they choose a vegan-friendly, non-dairy recipe. That’s fine; I don’t have anything against non-dairy vegan creamer, but there’s a disconnect between the packaging and what was in this bowl. This was a tomato sauce texture, not a creamy texture.
Putting aside the packaging expectations, this is essentially a spicy tomato sauce. The creamy aspect was lost with this method. I don’t think there’s any particular pepper flavor; the sweet, tangy, zesty tomato is really front and center. If you like that, that’s fine. I don’t hate it, but I really don’t love it either. It reminds me of a milder version of the now-discontinued Samyang Buldak Tomato Pasta. If you’ve had Asian instant noodle products with tomato sauce before, they do tend to veer into the sweet side. I think this balances the savory, sweet, and umami a little better than others I’ve had, but at the end of the day, the steeped bowl was a pretty nice noodle with a pretty average spicy tomato sauce. I’m a little disappointed that I waited this long for that.
Prepared this way, it didn’t taste like any rosé sauce I’ve had, whether at a Korean restaurant or in instant noodle form. This is tough. I don’t want to give it a really bad score just because it’s not what it purports to be, but I don’t think it’s that great either. Good noodles, strong tomato flavor, some nice herbaceousness from the parsley, no flakes to speak of, which I think is to its detriment, and it just needs something else to make it a little better. I think this score is fair for the steeped bowl. It felt like a little bit of a hoodwink from Nongshim, and I was disappointed.
- 5.5/10
Microwave method
Here’s the deal: I could already foresee YouTube comments saying I hadn’t tried the other cooking method, that the score didn’t reflect the final product with whatever water the microwave leaves in it, and that it wasn’t a fair review. As it happens, I usually buy two of something when I know I’m going to review it in case something goes wrong, so I had another bowl of Shin Rosé. I followed the microwave instructions, which do not have you drain the water afterward. I wasn’t expecting a big difference in flavor, but I thought it might change the consistency, bring out the supposed creaminess, and maybe earn an extra half a point or so. I was genuinely curious.
Out of the microwave, before stirring, there was a decent amount of liquid left. There’s a substantial disconnect between the steeping and microwave methods, which puzzles me. If you’re going to put steeping instructions on the bowl, you could very easily say to retain, I don’t know, half a cup of water, right? Either way, this yielded something much saucier than what I had just reviewed by steeping.
After adding the powder packets and stirring, I was really glad I took the time to make the second bowl. It was like a totally different product. The microwave method made a sauce; draining all the water with the other method did not. With two powder packets and a complete drain, there isn’t enough water left to make a sauce. I should have done this right off the bat. Maybe I would have had a better first impression. I would actually consider this sauce relatively creamy in appearance and texture.
The noodle and spiciness scores stayed the same, but having a creamy sauce added a slightly nicer textural element that was sorely missing from the steeping method. At the end of the day, it’s still a sweet and spicy tomato sauce, which isn’t my favorite, but at least now I can say it resembles a rosé sauce much more than the other method did. The creaminess is here now. I guess without that liquid, the second packet couldn’t really do its job in creating a creamy finish for the noodles. I’m not in love with it, but it is better.
- 6.5/10
Final Thoughts
Don’t use the steeping method on the back of this bowl. If you have access to a microwave, by all means, use that cooking method – it yields a better sauce. If you’re a fan of sweet and spicy tomato sauce, you’ll find something to like about this. If you’re a fan of Shin Ramyun but not necessarily sweet and spicy tomato sauce, just be warned: buying this because it says Shin on it doesn’t mean you’ll get something similar to the other Shin products. It’s a pretty different product, so maybe you’ll like it, maybe you won’t. Those of you who don’t like the sweet elements typically associated with Korean food are going to want to stay away. For everybody else who’s adventurous enough, this is all right. Not my personal taste preference, but not outright bad. I’m really glad I tried the second cooking method.
If you buy this, leave a comment and let me know which method you chose, what your final result was, and whether you liked it. I’ve got a few more new Shin products in the queue from their 40th anniversary this year. If there’s a specific one you’d like to see first, let me know.
Continuing the Journey:
- For another creamy stir-fry take on Shin, read or watch Nongshim Shin Ramyun Toomba.
- Compare this with the non-tomato recipe in Samyang Buldak Rosé (US Version).
- For another Korean rosé sauce on wider noodles, see Samyang Tangle Kimchi Rosé Tangluccine.
