Photo: Claire Lower
I have been putting cheese in my instant ramen for as long as I’ve been eating instant ramen (nearly 30 years). When I was a teen, I would crush up a packet of Maruchan instant noodles, add them to a large paper coffee cup, then fill the cup with scalding hot water from the hot water dispenser at my local corner store. Once the noodles were far too soft, I would drain off nearly all of the water, mix in the seasoning, then rip a string cheese into four equal pieces and shove those pieces down into the noodles. I’d let that sit for another minute or two, then enjoy what can only be described as “an unholy mass of over-seasoned, overcooked noodles, held together by far too much cheese.” It was good.
Brie Shin ramyun has a similar spirit, but she’s a little more sophisticated. There are a few different “recipes” bopping around on various social media platforms, but the gist is simple: Add brie to spicy ramen, preferably Shin brand, and let it melt to create a creamy, funky broth that reels in some of the spicy heat. (Some Ramen-fluencers recommend replacing the water with milk, but The Kitchn found that tempers the spice a little too well.)
You don’t get the cheese pull you might get with a mozzarella, but that creamy broth is beautiful, and you do get chewy little bits of mushroomy rind and the occasional melted blob of brie. It’s a fun little adventure for your mouth.
To make brie Shin ramyun, all you have to do is grab some Shin instant ramen (or your favorite brand of spicy ramen), make it according to the package instructions, then add as much or as little brie as you desire. (This person added an entire wheel.) I added two ounces, stirred that in to fully melt it, then added an extra slice on top and let it get melty, but not completely melted, for a little cheesy textural contrast. I would have also liked to add some scallions but was, sadly, out of them. (You should add some scallions though. They’re the perfect allium-y accent for all that richness.)
