This was a welcome surprise – shio yakisoba! Shio is a popular variety of ramen, but I’ve never heard of it as a version of yakisoba before. Shio translates to salt in English, but that doesn’t mean that it”s just flavored with salt. Wikipedia has this to say about Shio ramen:

Shio (“salt”) ramen is probably the oldest of the four and is a pale, clear, yellowish broth made with plenty of salt and any combination of chicken, vegetables, fish, and seaweed. Occasionally pork bones are also used, but they are not boiled as long as they are for tonkotsu ramen, so the soup remains light and clear. Chāshū is sometimes swapped for lean chicken meatballs, and pickled plums and kamaboko (a slice of processed fish roll sometimes served as a frilly white circle with a pink or red spiral called narutomaki) are popular toppings as well. Noodle texture and thickness varies among shio ramen, but they are usually straight rather than curly.

I thought the shrimp route would be a good go in this one, and I added a little extra twist in it as well. Let”s check it out!

Here’s the back of the package (click image to enlarge). Not sure, but I’m guessing it contains fish. To prepare, heat oil in a pan and add seafood and veggies and cook a little,m then drop in the noodles and cook longer. Add the seasoning sachet contents and cook til done. Enjoy!

The fresh noodle pouch.

The powder sachet.

Has a light salt and buttery seafood scent.

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added shrimp, cabbage, green onion, sweet onion and pineapple. The noodles have a great gauge and chewiness – spot on. The flavor is light; has a seafood taste with a hint of pepper. Worked really well. 4.0 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 4901959100024.

So Takamori Kosan is located in Kumamoto, Japan. Komamoto has something really cool – a mascot! It’s name is Kuramon, and here is his song.