Nongshim taps New York dining scene for expanded US marketing push

Nongshim's Shin Ramyun pop-up booth at the Korean Cultural Center / Courtesy of Nongshim

Nongshim said Thursday it is expanding its U.S. marketing push this month with a series of collaborations in New York, including a special menu item with a popular Korean restaurant and a pop-up at the Korean Cultural Center.

The largest instant noodles and snack company in Korea is partnering with Atoboy, a Korean restaurant in New York, to serve a Shin Ramyun Pancake throughout July, marking the 40th anniversary of Nongshim's Shin Ramyun brand and Atoboy's 10th anniversary.

The dish combines boiled Shin Ramyun noodles pan-fried into a crisp pancake topped with shrimp and cheddar cheese, finished with the noodle seasoning and the restaurant's aged chili oil. Nongshim will also operate a Shin Ramyun snack booth at Atoboy's anniversary celebration July 28 at Radio Park in New York.

Separately, Nongshim is working with the Korean Cultural Center New York, under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, to run a Shin Ramyun Bunsik booth until Aug. 22 inside a Korean internet cafe-themed event space on the center's second floor.

The event is part of the center's 2026 summer culture campaign and marks the companies' second joint project following a 2024 event.

The push follows a string of recent U.S. marketing efforts, including outdoor advertising and an experience booth in Times Square last October, a Shin Ramyun Bunsik store opened in December at John F. Kennedy International Airport's Terminal 1 and a January feature on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"

A Nongshim official said the company plans to continue expanding its presence with American consumers under its "Spicy Happiness in Noodles" branding.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.