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#2647: Marutai Nagasaki Chanpon

#2647: Marutai Nagasaki Chanpon - Japan - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles champon

Here’s one that came by way of Javier over at Box From Japan. With Box From Japan, you can get different subscription boxes – whether it be ramen or candy. Sometimes they have other special boxes – they have a Pikachu box, for example. Definitely worth a look!

I really dig chanpon – here’s a little about it from Wikipedia –

Champon (ちゃんぽん Chanpon), also known as Chanpon, is a noodle dish that is a regional cuisine of Nagasaki, Japan. There are different versions in Japan, Korea and China. The dish was, inspired from the cuisine of China. Champon is made by frying pork, seafood and vegetables with lard; a soup made with chicken and pig bones is then added. Ramen noodles made especially for champon are added and then boiled. Unlike other ramen dishes, only one pan is needed as the noodles are boiled in the soup. Depending on the season and the situation, the ingredients differ. Hence the taste and style may depend on the location and time of year.^{[citation needed]}

Although Nagasaki Champon is the most well-known rendition, there are other variations found in Japan. Ankake no Champon is a soy-sauce based variant found in Tottori, Shimane Prefectures, as well as the city of Amagasaki in Hyōgo Prefecture. In the city of Akita, a version with miso broth is served, with the soup filling to the bowl almost to the point of overflowing.

In Okinawa, Champon is a rice dish where assorted vegetables, thinly-sliced meat (pork, luncheon meat or corned beef hash) and scrambled egg are fried and served on top of rice.

The Korean Jjamppong is a similar noodle dish with a spicy seafood broth.

Alright so yeah a kind of milky broth with lots of seafood. Let’s dig into some chanpon!

Marutai Nagasaki Chanpon – Japan

#2647: Marutai Nagasaki Chanpon - Japan - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles champon

Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). To prepare, add powder and vegetable sachets and boiling water to fill line. Cover for 5 minutes. Add in remaining sachet. Finally, stir and enjoy!

#2647: Marutai Nagasaki Chanpon - Japan - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles champon

Detail of the lid (click to enlarge).

#2647: Marutai Nagasaki Chanpon - Japan - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles champon

The noodle block.

#2647: Marutai Nagasaki Chanpon - Japan - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles champon

The powder base sachet.

#2647: Marutai Nagasaki Chanpon - Japan - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles champon

Fluffy and plentiful.

#2647: Marutai Nagasaki Chanpon - Japan - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles champon

The liquid base sachet.

#2647: Marutai Nagasaki Chanpon - Japan - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles champon

A seasoned oil.

#2647: Marutai Nagasaki Chanpon - Japan - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles champon

A vegetable sachet.

#2647: Marutai Nagasaki Chanpon - Japan - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles champon

Corn for sure, but maybe some cabbage and seafood too.

#2647: Marutai Nagasaki Chanpon - Japan - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles champon

A little sachet.

#2647: Marutai Nagasaki Chanpon - Japan - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles champon

White pepper perhaps?

Finished (click to enlarge). Added chashu pork, Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, spring onion and chilli oil. The noodles came out with a hint of sponginess. Other than that they were good. The broth was very good – milky seafood with a nice saltiness and the veggies gave a well rounded spank to it with crisp cabbage and sweet corn. 4.0 out of 5.0 stars. JAN bar code 4902702004002.

#2647: Marutai Nagasaki Chanpon - Japan - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles champon

Marutai Nagasaki C h a n p o n 93g ~ 12 pieces

Always like watching this guy make his bowl of ramen

#2633: Myojo Chukazanmai Premium Sour & Spicy Noodle Soup

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Here’s one sent by Javier over at Box From Japan. Box From Japan is a monthly subscription service where you can get boxes of neat Japanese instant ramen or boxes of candy and they have other special ones as well! Definitely, give them a look!

So this variety is sour and spicy – and the sour comes from black vinegar. Black vinegar adds a kind of tangy tartness which I find a really neat condiment and works really well in noodle varieties I’ve tried. Let’s check out this bowl Chukazanmai!

Myojo Chukazanmai Premium Sour & Spicy Noodle Soup – Japan

Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, pull lid back and add powder and solid block. Fill with 400ml boiling water and cover for 5 minutes. Add in liquid sachet. Finally, stir and enjoy!

Detail of the lid (click to enlarge).

A fancy noodle block.

The powder base sachet.

Definitely a lot of powder here.

A solid block.

Freeze dried ingredients that really spring to life when added to boiling water. Usually vegetables and meats.

A liquid base sachet.

Black vinegar.

Finished (click to enlarge). Added Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, Chinese sausage, and spring onion. The noodles have a strong chew and good backbone – a good reason to call this one premium. The broth has a nice balance of sweetness, sour tanginess from black vinegar, and an underlying afterthought kind of spiciness from Sichuan pepper. Very interesting and quite good. The inclusion of the freeze-dried block that expands with a nice variety of vegetables rounds out the bowl. 4.25 out of 5.0 stars. JAN bar code 4902881421386.

Myojo Instant Ramen Assorted Soy Sauce (Pack of 4), Miso (Pack of 4), Oriental Salt (Pack of 4) Flavor, 3.73-Ounce (Total Pack of 12)

A trove of old Myojo TV commercials!

#2627: Nissin Men Shokunin Sesame Miso Ramen

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Yet another from Javier over at Box From Japan. Box From Japan is a purveyor of monthly subscription boxes – ramen bowls and candy are at the forefront among other neat things – check ’em out! Today it’s a miso ramen – here’s a little something from Wikipedia –

Miso ramen is a relative newcomer, having reached national prominence around 1965. This uniquely Japanese ramen, which was developed in Hokkaido, features a broth that combines copious miso and is blended with oily chicken or fish broth – and sometimes with tonkotsu or lard – to create a thick, nutty, slightly sweet and very hearty soup. Miso ramen broth tends to have a robust, tangy flavor, so it stands up to a variety of flavorful toppings: spicy bean paste or tōbanjan (豆瓣醤), butter and corn, leeks, onions, bean sprouts, ground pork, cabbage, sesame seeds, white pepper, and chopped garlic are common. The noodles are typically thick, curly, and slightly chewy.

Alright – let’s delve into this one!

Nissin Men Shokunin Sesame Miso Ramen – Japan

Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Unsure if it contains meat but I would expect it does. To prepare, add dry sachet and 410ml boiling water to the bowl and cover for 4 minutes. Add in liquid sachet. Finally, stir and enjoy!

Detail of the lid (click to enlarge).

The noodle block.

A liquid base sachet.

Very thick with a miso scent.

A dry sachet.

Vegetables including corn.

Finished (click to enlarge). Added spring onion, Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, egg and barbecue pork. The noodles were really quite nice – a solid backbone and good chew. I liked the gauge – just right. The broth was very good – just the right level of miso for me. A little thickness there as well. The included garnish had corn and cabbage and worked great. A miso I enjoyed. 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. JAN bar code 4902105041833.

Nissin Men Syokunin (3 Taste Variety Pack) (3.4ounce X 6cups)

Looks like a back to school kind of Cup Noodle advert from Japan

#2622: Acecook Shoyu Wakame Noodles With Sesame

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Here’s yet another great one from Javier over at Box From Japan. Box From Japan offers subscription instant ramen bowls – you can get a box every month! Thank you! So what’s this wakame? Here’s a little from Wikipedia –

Wakame (ワカメ wakame), Undaria pinnatifida, is a sea vegetable, or edible seaweed. It has a subtly sweet flavour and is most often served in soups and salads.

Sea-farmers have grown wakame in Japan since the Nara period.^[1]^{[better source needed]} The Invasive Species Specialist Group has listed Undaria pinnatifida on its list of 100 worst globally invasive species.

The name was derived from the Japanese name wakame (ワカメ, わかめ, 若布, 和布).^[3]^[4]

English, it can be called “sea mustard”.
China, it is called qúndài cài (裙带菜).^[5]
French, it is called “wakamé” or “fougère des mers“.
Korea, it is called miyeok (미역)^[5]

So a sea vegetable! Notice all the different names. This is really common not only for wakame but for many vegetables of the world. Let’s check this one out!

Acecook Shoyu Wakame Noodles With Sesame – Japan

Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Unsure whether it contains meat but I would imagine at least fish. To prepare, add in vegetable sachet and 410ml boiling water. Cover for 3 minutes. Add in liquid base and stir. Finally, garnish with small sachet contents and enjoy!

Detail of the lid (click to enlarge).

Ther noodle block.

A liquid sachet.

Has a sweet soy sauce kind of scent.

The vegetables sachet.

A lot going on here indeed!

A smaller sachet.

I believe this is a style of togarashi but I’ll give it a taste to make sure.

Finished (click to enlarge). Added Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts. The noodles aren’t bad – slight sponge but overall I liked them. The broth had a nice balance of soy sauce flavor augmented with the extreme seaweed overload. The wakame was crunchy, the corn sweet and the sesame seeds were a nice touch. 3.75 out of 5.0 stars. JAN bar code 4901071215583.

Acecook non-fried seaweed noodles soy sauce 86g ~ 12 pieces

A TV spot for this product

#2613: Nissin Raoh Backfat Rich Shoyu Ramen

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#2613: Nissin Raoh Backfat Rich Shoyu Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

Here’s another one sent by Javier over at BoxFromJapan.com. Box From Japan offers subscription boxes of all sorts of neat Japanese things including candy and ramen! Check ’em out!

Today we have a fancy Raoh variety – one with chashu and seaweed. These are a special line of premium bowls that are generally pretty top notch. Here’s a little about sahoyu ramen from Wikipedia –

Shōyu (醤油, “soy sauce”) ramen is the oldest of the five, it has a clear brown broth, based on a chicken and vegetable (or sometimes fish or beef) stock with plenty of soy sauce added resulting in a soup that is tangy, salty, and savory yet still fairly light on the palate. Shōyu ramen usually has curly noodles rather than straight ones, but this is not always the case. It is often adorned with marinated bamboo shoots or menma, green onions, kamaboko(fish cakes), nori (seaweed), boiled eggs, bean sprouts or black pepper; occasionally the soup will also contain chili oil or Chinese spices, and some shops serve sliced beef instead of the usual chāshū.

Let’s check this one out!

Nissin Raoh Backfat Rich Shoyu Ramen – Japan

Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Contains pork. To prepare, add in pork and vegetable sachet and 400ml boiling water. Cover for 5 minutes. Add in liquid base sachet. Finally, stir and garnish with seaweed and enjoy!

#2613: Nissin Raoh Backfat Rich Shoyu Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

Detail of the lid (click to enlarge).

#2613: Nissin Raoh Backfat Rich Shoyu Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

The noodle block.

#2613: Nissin Raoh Backfat Rich Shoyu Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

The liquid base.

#2613: Nissin Raoh Backfat Rich Shoyu Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

Has a kind of lustre to it.

#2613: Nissin Raoh Backfat Rich Shoyu Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

A vegetables sachet.

#2613: Nissin Raoh Backfat Rich Shoyu Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

Looks like spring onion.

#2613: Nissin Raoh Backfat Rich Shoyu Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

Seaweed!

#2613: Nissin Raoh Backfat Rich Shoyu Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

The pork sachet/.

#2613: Nissin Raoh Backfat Rich Shoyu Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

These generally hydrate very well.

Finished (click to enlarge). The noodles hydrate nicely and are of a good quality. Definitely premium – nice gauge and chew. The broth is very good shoyu with a great oiliness – not too much. The included chashu comes out very well and is not paper thin but thicker than most. The seaweed is, well, seaweed and the spring onion works as well. 5.0 out of 5,.0 stars. JAN bar code 4902105234518.

Nissin – R a o h , Japanese Instant Noodles, Soy Sauce Soup, 4.3oz X 6bowls (For 6 servings)[japan I m port]

A Nissin TV spot

#2592: Maruchan Yokozuna Tonkotsu Ramen

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#2592: Maruchan Yokozuna Tonkotsu Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - Box From Japan -

Here’s one sent by Javier over at Box From Japan. At Box From Japan, you can receive boxes of instant ramen from Japan as well as different subscription boxes like Japanese candy! Sounds interesting, doesn’t it? What’s more, in the two years I’ve been reviewing these, I’ve not ever received one that I’d reviewed before! So what is this Yokosuna all about? Well, I could be wrong, but it looks like Yokozuna is an echelon attained by Japanese sumo wrestlers. The Yokozuna are the best of the best. Let’s check it out!

#2592: Maruchan Yokozuna Tonkotsu Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - Box From Japan -

Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Contains meat. To prepare, add all but liquid sachet to bowl and add boiling water to fill line. Cover and steep for 5 minutes. Add in liquid base sachet. Finally, stir and enjoy!

#2592: Maruchan Yokozuna Tonkotsu Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - Box From Japan -

Detail of the lid (click to enlarge).

#2592: Maruchan Yokozuna Tonkotsu Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - Box From Japan -

The noodle block.

#2592: Maruchan Yokozuna Tonkotsu Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - Box From Japan -

A dry base sachet.

#2592: Maruchan Yokozuna Tonkotsu Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - Box From Japan -

Powder base and some vegetable matter.

#2592: Maruchan Yokozuna Tonkotsu Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - Box From Japan -

The liquid base sachet.

#2592: Maruchan Yokozuna Tonkotsu Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - Box From Japan -

A rich liquid.

#2592: Maruchan Yokozuna Tonkotsu Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - Box From Japan -

A garnish sachet.

#2592: Maruchan Yokozuna Tonkotsu Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - Box From Japan -

Lots of vegetables!

#2592: Maruchan Yokozuna Tonkotsu Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - Box From Japan -

Feels like something solid inside.

#2592: Maruchan Yokozuna Tonkotsu Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - Box From Japan -

A free-dried ingredient block. These hydrate quite fast and usually contain vegetables.

Finished (click to enlarge). The noodles came out superbly with a good tooth and perfect gauge. The broth has a soy and oily thing going on which I really enjoyed. It is rich and full-bodied. The inclusion of meat from the freeze-dried block was very well done – especially since the quality made it very welcome. The vegetables went well and round out the bowl nicely. 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. JAN bar code 4901990327930.

Maruchan Instant Won-ton Soup, Soy Sauce Taste, 1.1oz(32g) X 6 Bowls (For 6 Servings)[Japan Import]

A TV spot for Maruchan Japan

#2582: Acecook Super Cup Shoyu Butter Corn Ramen

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This one is definitely something different – it comes with butter! Wait, what? Well, keep looking below to see – butter! Butter actually goes quite well in ramen! Here’s a little about shoyu ramen from Wikipedia –

Let’s have a look.

Acecook Super Cup Shoyu Butter Corn Ramen – Japan

Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Unsure but probably contains meat. To prepare, add in dry sachet and fill to line with boiling water. Cover and let steep for 3 minutes. Stir. Finally, add in butter and enjoy!

Detail of the lid (click to enlarge).

The noodle block.

A large dry sachet.

Powder and vegetables.

A little tub of butter!

Yes – you can believe it is butter!

Finished (click to enlarge). Added Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, spring onion and shichimi togarashi. Noodles hydrated well – a hint on the spongy side but all in all pretty good. The broth was really nice – a good shoyu – but then the butter melts and the corn is good and it’s like a trip to the movie theater. I mean this butter tastes really buttery and goes perfect with the corn. I didn’t know if I’d like this one to be honest, but I did. 4.25 out of 5.0 stars. JAN bar code 4901071231286.

Acecook 1.5 times Super Cup pork ramen 120g ~ 12 pieces

An Acecook TV spot

#2567: Nissin Deka Buto Kimchi Pork Flavor

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#2467: Nissin Deka Buto Kimchi Pork Flavor - Japan - The Ramen Rater - Box From Japan

Here’s one sent by Javier over at Box From Japan. At Box From Japan, you can receive boxes of instant ramen from Japan as well as different subscription boxes like Japanese candy! Sounds interesting, doesn’t it? What’s more, in the two years I’ve been reviewing these, I’ve not ever received one that I’d reviewed before! This one has a unique flavor – let’s see a little more from Wikipedia –

Kimchi (/ˈkɪmtʃiː/; Korean: 김치, translit. gimchi, IPA: [kim.tɕʰi]), a staple in Korean cuisine, is a traditional side dish made from salted and fermented vegetables, most commonly napa cabbage and Korean radishes, with a variety of seasonings including chili powder, scallions, garlic, ginger, and jeotgal (salted seafood).^[1]^[2] There are hundreds of varieties of kimchi made with different vegetables as the main ingredients.^[3]^[4] In traditional preparations, kimchi was stored underground in jars to keep cool, and unfrozen during the winter months.^[2] These days, kimchi refrigerators are used instead.

Indeed, kimchi isn’t really a staple of Japan but South Korea. Also, pork isn’t really as popular in South Korea as beef. I would consider this a kind of Japanese/Korean fusion kind of taste which sounds interesting to me. Let’s give it a whirle, Earl!

Nissin Deka Buto Kimchi Pork Flavor – Japan

#2467: Nissin Deka Buto Kimchi Pork Flavor - Japan - The Ramen Rater - Box From Japan

Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Contains pork. To prepare, add 500ml boiling water and cover for 4 minutes. Add in sachet contents. Finally, stir and enjoy!

#2467: Nissin Deka Buto Kimchi Pork Flavor - Japan - The Ramen Rater - Box From Japan

Detail of the lid (click to enlarge).

#2467: Nissin Deka Buto Kimchi Pork Flavor - Japan - The Ramen Rater - Box From Japan

The noodle block.

#2467: Nissin Deka Buto Kimchi Pork Flavor - Japan - The Ramen Rater - Box From Japan

Loose bits from the bowl.

#2467: Nissin Deka Buto Kimchi Pork Flavor - Japan - The Ramen Rater - Box From Japan

A powder base sachet.

#2467: Nissin Deka Buto Kimchi Pork Flavor - Japan - The Ramen Rater - Box From Japan

A light powder.

#2467: Nissin Deka Buto Kimchi Pork Flavor - Japan - The Ramen Rater - Box From Japan

A liquid base sachet.

#2467: Nissin Deka Buto Kimchi Pork Flavor - Japan - The Ramen Rater - Box From Japan

A seasoned oil with a garlic scent.

Finished (click to enlarge). Added frid onion and Salad Cosmo mung beans sprouts. The noodles in this one were extra wide with a hearty chewiness to them. I liked the broth in this one – it was a kind of vingary tart initial hit with a creamy finish. The kimchi and pork was prevalent and of decent quality. Unique and tasty. 4.5 out of 5.0 stars.JAN bar code 4902105238448.

#2467: Nissin Deka Buto Kimchi Pork Flavor - Japan - The Ramen Rater - Box From Japan

Nissin Chicken Ramen Noodle 85gx5pcs

A TV commercial for Nissin Chikin Ramen Donburi

#2553: Nissin Hakata Ramen Noodle White Tonkotsu

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#2553: Nissin Hakata Ramen Noodle White Tonkotsu - Japan - The Ramen Rater - 日清麺ニッポン博多とんこつラーメン

Here’s another one, sent by Javier over at Box From Japan. So boxfromjapan.com is a subscription service where you can get a box with four different instant ramen bowls sent to you directly from Japan every month! Rarely have I found a box from them with varieties I’ve reviewed before, and never have I seen varieties available here in the USA. Definitely worth a look if you’re a big fan of Japanese varieties.

Here’s a little about tonkotsu ramen from Wikipedia –

Tonkotsu ramen is a ramen dish that originated in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture on the Kyushu island of Japan, and it is a specialty dish in Fukuoka and Kyushu. It was originally prepared as an affordable fast food for laborers at fish markets. Today, it is renowned for the significant time it can take to properly prepare the dish. The soup broth is based upon pork bones and other ingredients, which is typically boiled for several hours, and the dish is traditionally served with ramen noodles that are hard in the center and topped with sliced pork belly. In Fukuoka, Japan, tonkotsu ramen is referred to as Hakata ramen.

The soup broth for tonkotsu ramen is based upon pork bones, and “tonkotsu” means “pork bones” in Japanese.^[1]^[2]^[3] The soup broth is prepared by boiling pork bones in water for a significant amount of time, up to eight hours, and the broth is typically cloudy in appearance.^[1]^[2]^[4] Additional broth ingredients can include onion, garlic, spring onions, ginger, pork back fat, pig’s trotters, oil and chicken carcases.^[1] For service, cooked ramen noodles and slices of roasted or braised pork belly are added, and additional ingredients can include kombu, shoyu, chili bean paste, sesame seeds and others.^[1]^[2]

The traditional preparation method for the ramen noodles used in tonkotsu ramen is for the noodles to be hard in the center.^[4] Some ramen shops allow customers to select the level of doneness for the noodles, including futsu for regular or standard, barigane for very hard, barikata for al dente and yawamen for soft.^[4] Some restaurants also provide a second order of noodles if requested by the customer, in a system referred to as kaedama.^[4]

Ichiran is a Japanese restaurant chain that originated and is based in Fukuoka, Japan that specifically specializes upon tonkotsu ramen.^[5] Ippudo is a Japanese ramen restaurant chain based in Fukuoka that is well-known for its tonkotsu ramen, and has been described as “the most famous tonkotsu ramen shop in the country”.^[4]

Tonkotsu ramen originated in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, which is located on the northern shore of Kyushu island of Japan, and it is a specialty dish in Fukuoka and Kyushu.^[2]^[4] In Fukuoka, the dish is referred to as Hakata ramen’.^[2] The dish is also prepared in ramen shops in other regions of Japan.^[2] Tonkotsu ramen was originally prepared as an affordable and easily-prepared fast food for laborers at fish markets.^[4] In contemporary times, tonkotsu ramen is renowned for the significant time it can take to prepare a proper version of the dish.^[1]

Alright – with that, let’s have a look at this Nissin Japan variety ramen bowl!

Nissin Hakata Ramen Noodle White Tonkotsu – Japan

#2553: Nissin Hakata Ramen Noodle White Tonkotsu - Japan - The Ramen Rater - 日清麺ニッポン博多とんこつラーメン

Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Contains pork. To prepare, add in contents of the dry sachets and boiling water to fill line. Cover for 2 minutes. Stir. Add in contents of liquid sachet. Finally, stir and enjoy!

#2553: Nissin Hakata Ramen Noodle White Tonkotsu - Japan - The Ramen Rater - 日清麺ニッポン博多とんこつラーメン

Detail of the top and obverse of the lid (click to enlarge).

#2553: Nissin Hakata Ramen Noodle White Tonkotsu - Japan - The Ramen Rater - 日清麺ニッポン博多とんこつラーメン

The noodle block.

#2553: Nissin Hakata Ramen Noodle White Tonkotsu - Japan - The Ramen Rater - 日清麺ニッポン博多とんこつラーメン

The liquid base sachet.

#2553: Nissin Hakata Ramen Noodle White Tonkotsu - Japan - The Ramen Rater - 日清麺ニッポン博多とんこつラーメン

Fatty and thick.

#2553: Nissin Hakata Ramen Noodle White Tonkotsu - Japan - The Ramen Rater - 日清麺ニッポン博多とんこつラーメン

The dry base sachet.

#2553: Nissin Hakata Ramen Noodle White Tonkotsu - Japan - The Ramen Rater - 日清麺ニッポン博多とんこつラーメン

A fluffy and flecked powder.

#2553: Nissin Hakata Ramen Noodle White Tonkotsu - Japan - The Ramen Rater - 日清麺ニッポン博多とんこつラーメン

A slice of pork.

#2553: Nissin Hakata Ramen Noodle White Tonkotsu - Japan - The Ramen Rater - 日清麺ニッポン博多とんこつラーメン

A close-up.

Finished (click to enlarge). Added Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, fried onion and shichimi togarashi. The noodles sprung to life in the 2 minute steeping time. They’re a thinner gauge and have a good chew and mouthfeel to them. The broth is fierce – very think. Has a kind of pork chowder consistency. The chashu was nice although I prefer the slices in the Raoh varieties produce a little more. However, it hydrated very well and had good flavor. A very nice bowl of tonkotsu! 4.75 out of 5.0 stars. JAN bar code 4902105230411.

#2553: Nissin Hakata Ramen Noodle White Tonkotsu - Japan - The Ramen Rater - 日清麺ニッポン博多とんこつラーメン

A Set of 4 Assortments of Nissin Instant Cup Ramen Ippudo Ramen with Hakata Pork Bone Based Soup. Comes with English Preparation Instructions, Chopsticks, As Well As a Gift From the Sushi Restaurant ‘Iso Sushi’.

A great Nissin TV spot with instructions on how to eat instant ramen on an airplane

#2546: New Touch Sugo-men Kyoto Backfat Shoyu Ramen

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#2546: New Touch Sugo-men Kyoto Backfat Shoyu Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - Box From Japan

Here’s another one sent by Javier over at Box From Japan. Box From Japan is a subscription service where you can get 4 unique bowls of instant ramen – direct from Japan – they also have subscription packages for Japanese snacks and candy as well as some other things – definitely worth a look – thanks again for sending this along!

Today it’s Kyoto backfat shoyu. Here’s a little about shoyu from Wikipedia –

Shōyu (醤油, “soy sauce”) ramen is the oldest of the five, it has a clear brown broth, based on a chicken and vegetable (or sometimes fish or beef) stock with plenty of soy sauce added resulting in a soup that is tangy, salty, and savory yet still fairly light on the palate. Shōyu ramen usually has curly noodles rather than straight ones, but this is not always the case. It is often adorned with marinated bamboo shoots or menma, green onions, kamaboko (fish cakes), nori (seaweed), boiled eggs, bean sprouts or black pepper; occasionally the soup will also contain chili oil or Chinese spices, and some shops serve sliced beef instead of the usual chāshū.

Also, here’s some from Lucky Peach about Kyoto’s ramen varieties –

Given Kyoto’s cultural reputation, you might expect its ramen to be a rarefied and refined reworking of the humble noodle soup. But the old capital is home to two distinct types of down-home ramen: the thinner assari-kei shoyu ramen, and a thick, gritty chicken-soup kotteri-kei ramen, both of which are referred to as “Kyoto ramen.” The former is a blend of pork and chicken broth, with a dark soy base; the latter is a rich porridge-like soup culled mostly from chicken, topped with spicy bean paste, chives, garlic, and pungent local kujnoegi onions—it’s quite popular with the town’s large student population.

Style/tare: Shoyu.
Toppings: Assari-kei: roast pork, scallions, bamboo shoots, nori; some shops offer pats of butter. Kotteri-kei: roast pork, scallions, bamboo shoots, spicy chives, minced garlic, chili bean paste, white pepper.

Alkright – let’s check out this variety from Japan!

New Touch Sugo-men Kyoto Backfat Shoyu Ramen – Japan

#2546: New Touch Sugo-men Kyoto Backfat Shoyu Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - Box From Japan

Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Contains pork. To prepare, add pork sachet contents and 430ml boiling water. Cover and steep for 5 minutes. Add in liquid sachet and stir well. Finally, top with spring onion garnish sachet content and enjoy!

#2546: New Touch Sugo-men Kyoto Backfat Shoyu Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - Box From Japan

Detail of the lid and its underside (click to enlarge).

#2546: New Touch Sugo-men Kyoto Backfat Shoyu Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - Box From Japan

The noodle block.

#2546: New Touch Sugo-men Kyoto Backfat Shoyu Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - Box From Japan

The soup base sachet.

#2546: New Touch Sugo-men Kyoto Backfat Shoyu Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - Box From Japan

A thick and rich liquid base.

#2546: New Touch Sugo-men Kyoto Backfat Shoyu Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - Box From Japan

A dry sachet.

#2546: New Touch Sugo-men Kyoto Backfat Shoyu Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - Box From Japan

A slice of pork and possibly mushrooms.

#2546: New Touch Sugo-men Kyoto Backfat Shoyu Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - Box From Japan

The garnish sachet.

#2546: New Touch Sugo-men Kyoto Backfat Shoyu Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - Box From Japan

Bit of onion.

Finished (click to enlarge). The noodles are thin and round in shape. They have a nice chew to them, not overly so, and a decent quantity. Definitely on the premium end of the stick. The broth is a shoyu – kind of has a brewed soy sauce hit to it; kind of a more earthy, almost burnt taste that I wasn’t completely enamored with. However, the thickness and oiliness of the broth was very nice. The chashu pork was good although thin. The menma had a kind of mushroom consistency to it in some parts, slightly crunchy in others – depending of course of the thickness. The mountain of spring onion was pretty epic. 3.75 out of 5.0 stars. JAN bar code 4903088010380.

New touch Sugomen Kyoto backfat soy sauce 124g ~ 12 pieces

People often ask about my health with all the sodium. I wouldn’t ever do something like this. Not in a million years.

#2532: Nissin Nippon Onomichi Ramen

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#2532: Nissin Nippon Onomichi Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater -

Here’s one sent by Javier from www.BoxromJapan.com. Box From Japan is a ramen subscription service – they have boxes of neat Japanese candy too! This one was a little tough to translate. Think I got it though. Here’s a little about Onomichi from Wikipedia –

Onomichi (尾道市 Onomichi-shi^?) is a city located in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, facing the Inland Sea. The city was founded on April 1, 1898. As of April 30, 2016, the city has an estimated population of 141,811.

Okay so this is a Hiroshima ramen. Well, let’s take a look.

Nissin Nippon Onomichi Ramen – Japan

#2532: Nissin Nippon Onomichi Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater -

Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Contains pork. To prepare, add the sachet with the pork slice and boiling water to the fill line and cover for 4 minutes. Add in liquid base and stir. Finally, add garnish and enjoy!

#2532: Nissin Nippon Onomichi Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater -

Detail of the lid and its underside (click to enlarge).

#2532: Nissin Nippon Onomichi Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater -

The noodle block.

#2532: Nissin Nippon Onomichi Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater -

The liquid base sachet.

#2532: Nissin Nippon Onomichi Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater -

The liquid base.

#2532: Nissin Nippon Onomichi Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater -

The garnish sachet.

#2532: Nissin Nippon Onomichi Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater -

Little bits of spring onion.

#2532: Nissin Nippon Onomichi Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater -

The pork slice is in here.

#2532: Nissin Nippon Onomichi Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater -

Chashu and karage mushroom perhaps?

#2532: Nissin Nippon Onomichi Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater -

Finished (click to enlarge). Added Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts. The noodles are chewy and very premium. They come out very nicely in 4 minutes. The broth is a thick and hearty one – I get a kind of shoyu/miso kind of battle going on with it and it’s quite nice. The included pork was alright; a little thin. The included vegetables were decent. 4.75 out of 5.0 stars. JAN bar code 4902105239667.

#2532: Nissin Nippon Onomichi Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater -

A History of Japan: Revised Edition

A tourism video

#2529: Maruchan Gotsumori Chanpon Ramen

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#2529: Maruchan Gotsumori Chanpon Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - www.boxfromjapan.com

Here’s one from Javier over at www.BoxFromJapan.com, a service where you can get a monthly box of interesting ramen from Japan! So this one is a chanpon variety – here’s something from Wikipedia about chanpon –

Champon (ちゃんぽん Chanpon^?), also known as Chanpon, is a noodle dish that is a regional cuisine of Nagasaki. There are different versions in Japan, Korea and China. The dish was, inspired from the cuisine of China. Champon is made by frying pork, seafood and vegetables with lard; a soup made with chicken and pig bones is then added. Ramen noodles made especially for champon are added and then boiled. Unlike other ramen dishes, only one pan is needed as the noodles are boiled in the soup. Depending on the season and the situation, the ingredients differ. Hence the taste and style may depend on the location and time of year.^{[citation needed]}

Champon was first served by Shikairō (四海楼^?), a Chinese restaurant in Nagasaki. According to the restaurant, it was based on a dish in Fujian cuisine, tonniishiimen (湯肉絲麵^?).^[1] In the middle of the Meiji period, the owner saw a need for a cheap, filling meal that suited the palates of hundreds of Chinese students who came to Japan for school. Nowadays, champon is a popular specialty food (or meibutsu) of Nagasaki.^[2]

Let’s have a look at this interesting chanpon variety from Japan!

Maruchan Gotsumori Chanpon Ramen – Japan

#2529: Maruchan Gotsumori Chanpon Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - www.boxfromjapan.com

Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Contains seafood and possibly pork. To prepare, add dry sachets to bowl and fill to line with boiling water. Let steep 5 minutes. Add liquid base. Finally, stir and enjoy!

#2529: Maruchan Gotsumori Chanpon Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - www.boxfromjapan.com

Detail of the lid (click to enlarge).

#2529: Maruchan Gotsumori Chanpon Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - www.boxfromjapan.com

The noodle block.

#2529: Maruchan Gotsumori Chanpon Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - www.boxfromjapan.com

A dry sachet.

#2529: Maruchan Gotsumori Chanpon Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - www.boxfromjapan.com

A speckled and fluffy powder.

#2529: Maruchan Gotsumori Chanpon Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - www.boxfromjapan.com

A liquid sachet.

#2529: Maruchan Gotsumori Chanpon Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - www.boxfromjapan.com

Oily stuff.

#2529: Maruchan Gotsumori Chanpon Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - www.boxfromjapan.com

A vegetable and seafood sachet.

#2529: Maruchan Gotsumori Chanpon Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - www.boxfromjapan.com

Lots of different things in there.

Finished (click to enlarge). Added Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts and carved squid. The noodles hydrated very well and are better than expected. The broth is like a creamy seafood flavor with little bits throughout – very tasty and nice. 4.5 out of 5.0 stars. JAN bar code 4901990327718.

#2529: Maruchan Gotsumori Chanpon Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - www.boxfromjapan.com

Maruchan Tonkotsu Ramen Gotsumori 1 pack

A Maruchan advert from Japan