Trying the Cold-Water "Hiyashi Cup Noodle": Ryuji Tests Mixing It with Soy Milk, Hojicha, and Tomato Juice

The cups they bought had dented, bumpy surfaces. Ryuji explained that this isn't a defect: they'd heard every unit is like that, a design feature caused by air pressure. The package says "No boiling water." As for why, Ryuji said it's because the container itself isn't heat-resistant, and speculated that it's a cost-cutting container.

To make it, you simply pour cold water up to the inner line and wait 5 minutes. Since, unlike hot water, there's no steam to escape, Ryuji suggested there's probably no point in putting the lid on, and waited with it off. The first impression on opening was "very ordinary," and the toppings included mystery meat and egg.

When a staff member asked, "Haven't other companies released cup noodles you make with water?", Ryuji answered that this is the first time the technology has been used in cup noodles. The very fact that the noodles rehydrate in cold water is a "mysterious technology," Ryuji said.

Ryuji recalled having previously tried making Sapporo Ichiban with water. It could be done, but it tasted bad. Naturally, it's better made with hot water, Ryuji said.

As for the principle behind the rehydration, Ryuji explained it as follows. Fried noodles are already cooked, and their starch has been gelatinized (alpha-converted). That's why they become edible even with water. A while ago, the idea that "you can make cup ramen with water" spread online, but noodles that haven't been gelatinized—that is, non-fried types closer to fresh noodles (Ryuji cited "Men Shokunin" as an example)—won't rehydrate. On that basis, Ryuji praised Nissin as truly being at the cutting edge. Ryuji mentioned the price is around 250 yen.

In this episode, the staff eat before Ryuji and give their impressions first. This is because many viewers had pointed out that "when Ryuji eats first, the staff just say the same thing," that they were "currying favor," and that they "look like yes-men." Ryuji urged the staff to show that this isn't the case. This exchange becomes meaningful later, in the tomato juice test.

The kimchi flavor had a pronounced aroma despite being cold. Ryuji said this was surprising, having expected that the aroma wouldn't come through when cold. A staff member said "It's good" as soon as they took a bite, and remarked that the soup was like naengmyeon (Korean cold noodles). The noodles themselves are seasoned as well, they said.

Ryuji also said "It's good," then joked, "So I guess I'm supposed to say it's bad now," drawing laughs. The flavor is on the strong side and robust, but looking at the sodium content, Ryuji judged it isn't that high.

As a condition for making it taste good, Ryuji cited chilling the water well. Tap water that isn't cold probably won't work, Ryuji said. For a flavor change, Ryuji added chili oil and vinegar. Ryuji also praised the fact that the noodles don't get soggy at all even as time passes.

The staff also ate the Chicken Salt Lemon first. Their impressions were "pretty bold" and "a flavor like nothing before," but when asked which they preferred, both staff members chose the kimchi flavor.

Ryuji found it "sour" and said it gave a slightly ethnic impression. If pairing it with something, it would definitely be olive oil and a pinch of salt, Ryuji said, and thought fish sauce would also go well. When Ryuji actually added just a spoonful of fish sauce, the staff reacted with "Amazing" and "Super good."

Ryuji gave the Spicy Kimchi the highest rating, "S." The reason wasn't just how well the noodles rehydrated. Ryuji praised the fact that even though seasonings should be hard to dissolve in cold water, everything had dissolved properly with no clumps of flavor. Ryuji went so far as to say Nissin would have the summer market all to itself, and recommended that people absolutely try it.

The Chicken Salt Lemon also got an "S." According to Ryuji, when two varieties come out, one of them is often so-so, but this time both are good. However, factoring in arrangements, Ryuji personally finds the Chicken Salt Lemon (with olive oil and fish sauce) tastier.

At this point the staff said things like "There's no way to tweak it" and "If you use heat, it just becomes a copycat recipe." So, to suit this product, they decided to do arrangements without using heat. Ryuji said, "I've given up on copycat recipes; I figured arrangements would be more fun," and began testing other drinks in place of water. They confirmed that all the ingredients used can be bought at a convenience store.

The candidates were soy milk, milk, and tomato juice. Ryuji thought making it with milk alone would be a bad idea. The specified amount is 330cc, which would use up almost an entire carton of milk, so it isn't economical. The flavor would also likely be too rich, Ryuji said. So they decided to go half-and-half with water, about 160cc each.

The combination Ryuji expected to be "definitely good" was Spicy Kimchi mixed with tomato juice and water. When poured, the tomato juice was so thick that it didn't reach the bottom. Rehydration was also slower than with water, and Ryuji estimated it would take about 8 minutes. To finish, Ryuji added Tabasco and grated cheese.

Opinions were split. One staff member said it was "kind of meh," and the other also answered, "I might not like it that much." Ryuji pushed back with "Isn't it good?" while tasting it, but admitted, "It's good, but water might be better." Ryuji turned it into a joke—"These guys just say stuff like this, you know"—as proof that the staff weren't currying favor.

As for why it failed, the staff and Ryuji speculated that the kimchi flavor already has acidity, and the tomato juice piled on even more.

When the Chicken Salt Lemon was mixed half-and-half with milk and water, it looked like the Seafood flavor. Tasting it with nothing added other than milk and water, the staff rated it "This might be good." But they also felt it was "creamy, but I want a bit more richness."

So grated cheese was added, which instantly brought out richness. They confirmed that the half-and-half ratio was just right, and that milk alone would definitely have been too rich. It became mellow while retaining just the right amount of acidity, and the staff described it as "like a chilled carbonara." In that case, they added black pepper too, and Ryuji named it "Lemon Cream Carbonara Ramen." Ryuji also cited as a plus the fact that the product itself is 278 kcal.

The Spicy Kimchi was tried with half soy milk and half water. Soy milk and kimchi is a combination Ryuji says they use often. Drinking the soup first, Ryuji reacted, "It's surprisingly good."

The staff also rated it "good" and said, "I might like it more than the regular version." The Cup Noodle flavor isn't lost; it just becomes richer, they said. It turns into a cream-style ramen, and someone suggested it might catch on. Compared to milk, soy milk has more richness, which they suggested might be because of the bean flavor.

Mixing with tea follows an arrangement introduced on the TV show "God Tongue." The staff had bought hojicha and barley tea. Ryuji predicted that hojicha would go well with the Chicken Salt Lemon. The tea was poured straight up to the line without diluting. Ryuji hesitated, saying "It feels like we're playing with food," and also revealed having failed once before with this kind of attempt.

It looked almost unchanged, with the color only slightly darker. Everyone first agreed that it smelled great. On tasting, it was well received—"The soup is good," "Super good"—and someone even said, "This is the best one." It adds flavor and makes for a very light taste, they said. The conversation also turned to how good it would be to eat after working outdoors.

Next, the Spicy Kimchi was mixed with barley tea. Since it's tea, the noodles rehydrated well. Ryuji said once again, "Rehydrating in water is just too mysterious."

But the flavor was poorly received. The barley tea came through too strongly, leading to verdicts like "Not a great synergy" and "They cancel each other out," and Ryuji concluded, "This doesn't work." While the hojicha and lemon combination worked out, this example showed that not just any tea will do.

Finally, the Chicken Salt Lemon was mixed 1:1 with soy milk and water. Ryuji thought that, unlike the milk version, it might not need cheese. One staff member had predicted beforehand, "I feel like it'll be better than milk." Ryuji also expected that soy milk's bean umami would add richness.

On tasting, the reactions were "Totally works" and "I might like it more than milk," with a stronger milky quality than milk, they said. One staff member said it was too milky and wanted to add cheese. Ryuji rated it good with just soy milk, and said soy milk has a stronger flavor than expected. That's also why so many of Ryuji's recipes use soy milk, Ryuji reflected. It suits people who like rich food, and Ryuji concluded, "Definitely soy milk over milk."

The conclusions Ryuji summarized are as follows. The Hiyashi Cup Noodle Chicken Salt Lemon is incredibly good mixed with soy milk and with hojicha. The Spicy Kimchi is incredibly good mixed with soy milk. Tomato juice and barley tea couldn't beat the regular version made with water.