We tried Shin Ramyun x Jay Fai’s Tom Yum Koong noodles, and here’s what we thought

Following months of teasers, the much-anticipated collaboration between Bangkok’s stir-frying wok queen Jay Fai and South Korea’s instant noodle brand Shin Ramyun is now available at your local 7-Elevens. But is this worth all the hype? We’ve tried Shin Ramyun x Jay Fai’s Tom Yum Koong flavour, and here’s our verdict.

[Feature and Hero Image Credit: Porpor Leelasestaporn]

Shin Ramyun x Jay Fai Review

Ever since her rise to stardom, with her first Michelin star in 2017, Supinya Junsuta a.k.a. Jay Fai, has enjoyed enduring popularity without any sign of waning. The same goes to the long queues outside the restaurant, meaning that you may have to put in extra effort to dine at her place. Her crab meat omelette has become a culinary icon, leading celebrities both local and abroad to flock to sample her signature dish. 

About the collaboration

When hearing the news about the collaboration project between Jay Fai and Shin Ramyun, admittedly, we were a bit disappointed that they didn’t decide to bring her crab omelettes to the world of instant noodles–perhaps, it would be onerous to replicate not only the flavours and the textures of her iconic dish. 

Mind you, this is not the first time our wok queen has joined hands with convenient food meals that have less to do with the dishes she’s been known for–think, her previous collaborations with 7 Eleven’s pad khee mao (Thai drunken noodle) and even Japanese kurobuta pork krapow as part of their Chef Cares Ready Meal. This time, they’ve opted for a flavour with a global appeal: tom yum koong, which comes with two variations: a soup-based flavour and a stir-fry one. 

Trying Shin Ramyun x Jay Fai Tom Yum Koong

The first one we tried was her stir-fry flavour. Needless to say, NongShim’s Shin Ramyun noodles are as good as ever with their chewy and sufficiently thick textures. The Tom Yum paste, however, was leaning towards the sweet side, even for someone who fails as a Thai-Chinese since she can’t handle the heat that well–yes, that’s me. There’s a subtle heat in the taste, but we wish they could do more to capture the tom yum essence. Reading the list of ingredients, we noticed that among those dehydrated flakes was bok choy. So, we added a bit of bok choy and a chunk of braised beef that we prepared for mala noodles. The results were satisfying. 

The soup version seemed to have a more savoury broth. The soup base was hot but not too overpowering with the occasional fiery tear running down our faces as we sipped. Unlike the stir-fry flavour, for which we had some preparation time, we only added something we could grab at 7-Eleven to make this bowl a bit presentable. We used egg palo and pork belly as garnishes.

Verdict

Is it worth the hype? Well, price-wise, it’s a reliable bowl of ramyoen. Considering it’s only THB 60, we’d put it under extreme disadvantage to compare these bowls to Jay Fai’s OG creations. So, when you find the queues lining up for Jay Fai too overwhelming or find yourself a bit tight on the wallet, this Shin Ramyun x Jay Fai could be your answer.  

Where to get it

You can find it at your closest 7-Eleven stores, and it’s also available online here.