Okay so a few weeks ago I got a neat box in the mail. It contained the Washoku Explorer Tonkotsu Ramen kit. The idea is that you can get a nice kit with all the things you need to experience a great bowl of Japanese ramen at home – even the bowl! You can visit Washoku Explorer here. They have all sorts of other Japanese kits – really fascinating and a neat idea! The Tonkotsu Ramen kit includes this Marutai Hakata Tonkotsu ramen (2 packs with 2 servings each) and well as some special garnishes/add-ons I’ll show you below. Let’s check it out and give it a try!

Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Contains pork. To prepare, add one bundle noodles to 470ml boiling water for 2 minutes. Add in contents of one soup base sachet and one oil sachet. Stir and enjoy!

The pack contains two of everything.

Straight Hakata style ramen noodles.

The soup base sachet.

Has a nice pork scent.

The oil sachet.

Oh wow I smell garlic!

The kit has some nice extras – these are dehydrated spring onion which spring to life when introduced to the broth.

Kikurage mushroom – this must be soaked in water for 30-40 minutes before adding to the ramen.

Seaweed garnish!

Finished (click to enlarge). Added the spring onion, seaweed and kikurage mushroom as well as hard boiled egg, chashu pork and nanami togarashi. Note this is the bowl and spoon that were included with the kit. The noodles came out just right – nice firmness and chew with that groovy flouriness Hakata ramen noodle have. The broth is luxuriant – nice and thick with a rich pork flavor and garlic taste. Just top notch – 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. JAN bar code 4902702001216. As for the kit, it’s a very nice presentation; it gives the average person a way to enjoy a gourmet ramen at home with garnishes that come out very nice – I give the kit 5.0 out of 5.0 stars as well.

Visit Washoku Explorer.

A Marutai Ramen TV commercial.