I’m reviewing something a little different today: a recipe straight from Nongshim’s own website. This one combines two of their most popular products, Shin Ramyun and Zha Wang, into a single hybrid dish called “Shin Zha Wang.” It’s meant to merge the spice of Shin with the rich black bean sauce of Zha Wang, creating a beefy, umami-forward fusion. Since both of these noodles rank among Nongshim’s best, it’s hard not to be curious.
Read more: Noodle Journey: Shin Zha Wang – A Nongshim Noodle HackI found this recipe on Nongshim’s website, but that live URL no longer exists and is now archived here. This recipe uses one pack of Shin Ramyun and one pack of Zha Wang. I followed Nongshim’s instructions exactly: both noodle blocks cook together in about four and a half minutes with roughly four cups of water. Before draining, you save about 100ml of water to form the sauce. The recipe calls for all of Zha Wang’s seasoning and liquid pouches plus half of Shin’s soup base, likely because any more than that would be overkill in both salt and spice. It’s a hefty portion, easily enough for two people, and unsurprisingly, it’s a sodium bomb.
The finished dish gives off a rich, meaty aroma dominated by Zha Wang’s oyster–black bean base with just a trace of Shin’s chili. The sauce turns out thinner than Zha Wang alone but coats the noodles evenly.
Spiciness:
Despite using only half the Shin Ramyun soup base, there’s a noticeable kick that builds gradually without overwhelming the flavor. It lands around the middle ground between Zha Wang’s mild warmth and Shin’s aggressive heat, enough to be satisfying while keeping it approachable.
• 4/10
Overall:
The combination works shockingly well. The Zha Wang noodles remain the star – ridged, hearty, and ideal for catching sauce – while the Shin noodles add a lighter contrast. The flavor skews heavily toward Zha Wang’s black bean, oyster, and beef notes, with Shin contributing mostly salt and chili. The result is essentially a richer, spicier, saltier version of Zha Wang, and it absolutely delivers. Compared to Chapaguri (the Chapagetti + Neoguri combo), this one feels beefier, less seafood-heavy, and more balanced. The added heat enhances the umami instead of fighting it. Nongshim knew exactly what they were doing suggesting this pairing; it’s indulgent, flavorful, and surprisingly cohesive. Just don’t forget it’s two meals’ worth of noodles and enough sodium for a small army.
• 10/10
Notes since filming:
As I mentioned in my Momofuku video, there’s nothing wrong with calling something like this a “hack,” and I say that as someone who’s literally been “hacking” away at software for my entire professional career.
