Ryuji's Two Ways to Make Sapporo Ichiban Shio Tonkotsu Taste Like It Came from a Ramen Shop

According to Ryuji, when most people think of Sapporo Ichiban, they picture the shio or miso flavors. Shio tonkotsu long held a position of "oh right, that one exists too," but its sales are now growing considerably. Ryuji explains that the release of a cup noodle version is what led to this sponsored video.

Ryuji describes shio tonkotsu as a tonkotsu ramen that inherits the "DNA" of shio, Sapporo Ichiban's signature strength. Ryuji's impression is that it has the punch typical of shio while also having a mellow, rich soup. Ryuji mentions having made arrangement recipes with it on their own about twice before, and notes that Sapporo Ichiban itself officially encourages arrangements and has a huge number of arrangement recipes.

The first dish uses the cup noodles. Ryuji prefaces it by saying they don't usually do cup noodle arrangements, and that while it's delicious as is, there would be no point in a cooking researcher doing the video if that were the case.

To make it, you simply add the special soup packet and dried toppings, pour in hot water, and wait 3 minutes. While waiting, prepare the natto, mixing in the included sauce and mustard as well, "since it'd be a waste not to." If you want it to cling well to the noodles, chopped hikiwari natto also works, but Ryuji says they only buy the small-bean kind these days.

As for why natto, Ryuji first admits to simply loving natto. Ryuji then explains that tonkotsu ramen, like Kurume ramen, sometimes involves aging the pork bones, which produces a fermented aroma, so it pairs well with natto, a fermented food. Ryuji also says they tried it with shoyu, miso and shio, and shio tonkotsu was the best match. Apparently natto is also delicious in the bagged noodles.

After 3 minutes, loosen the noodles, top with the natto, and drizzle with as much chili oil as you like. Joking that they got permission since this is an official video, and that "this video is going to stir up some controversy," Ryuji calls this the easiest and most delicious way to eat it.

During the tasting, the conversation turned to how the dish thickens and clings to the noodles, and how good the chili oil smells. A staff member replied that they had put natto in the miso flavor before, and Ryuji responded that miso is good too, but this one is a better match. Ryuji described it as "the taste of ramen I ate in Fukuoka" and "a familiar taste," summing up that the aged quality of the natto suits the soup and makes for a very rich ramen, and that together with how the chili oil clings and its aroma, it comes "highly recommended."

The main event is the bagged noodle arrangement. The ingredients are just the shio tonkotsu bagged noodles, scallions, and seasonings you have at home. You could top it with chashu, stir-fried meat or vegetables, but Ryuji's aim is to first bring the base soup closer to that of a ramen shop. Another reason is that arranging it with seasonings you have at home makes it easier to make. Ryuji also recalls that in an earlier "Sapporo Ichiban Championship" video, shio tonkotsu received quite a good rating.

As preparation, put a little water in the bowl and heat it in the microwave for about 2 minutes. Ryuji says having a warm bowl makes quite a difference.

First, make the "spicy sauce." Simply mix 1/2 teaspoon of doubanjiang with 1/2 teaspoon of soy sauce. Ryuji says that since tonkotsu soup is mild, this heat serves as an accent, and that this is the key point. While making it, Ryuji jokes, "Even if you think you've seen this somewhere before, please don't say it too loudly," and laughed after it was done that it looked like something seen somewhere before. Ryuji then says there's no particular intent behind it; a spicy sauce just goes well with it.

To give the soup richness, Ryuji uses 100 cc of unsweetened soy milk. Milk also works, and honestly, Ryuji says, it's delicious even without it. Sweetened soy milk makes it sweet, so unsweetened is better. Combine this with 350 cc of water and bring to a boil.

The amount of liquid is less than the package directions because Ryuji likes strong flavors. When asked about two servings, Ryuji answered that you can simply double everything.

Add 7 shakes of garlic powder to the pot. Ryuji explains that garlic powder is also an ingredient in pepper blends made for ramen, so it goes very well with ramen. Then add 3 shakes of pepper to make it a little spicy.

Wipe the water out of the warmed bowl and add 2 teaspoons of mayonnaise. If that's too much trouble, Ryuji says you don't have to wipe it dry. Ryuji emphasizes that mayonnaise adds richness, and that Sapporo Ichiban and mayonnaise go together really well. This is because adding fat makes it taste more like ramen from a shop, and Ryuji says adding mayonnaise to Sapporo Ichiban miso ramen also makes it considerably more delicious.

The important thing here is to mix the mayonnaise with the included special soup (powder) beforehand. Ryuji explains that doing so lets the mayonnaise disperse the moment you pour in the hot liquid, adding richness to the soup.

Once the pot is boiling, add the noodles and cook for about 2 and a half minutes. Ryuji says they prefer them on the firm side. Because of the soy milk, it boils over easily, so Ryuji recommends turning the heat to low.

Ryuji also points out that with soy milk, the noodles cook up firmer. This is because noodles rehydrate more easily in water, so they turn out firm even without draining.

When a staff member noticed that the noodles were somewhat thin, Ryuji explained that Sapporo Ichiban uses a different noodle for every variety. The miso noodles have miso kneaded into them, the shoyu noodles have soy sauce, and the shio tonkotsu noodles are flavored as well. Saying, "You thought they reused the same noodles, didn't you," Ryuji explains that making the shoyu flavor with the miso noodles would completely change the taste. Ryuji says the soy milk adds richness and also enhances the tonkotsu character.

Once the noodles are cooked, pour the soup little by little into the bowl with the mayonnaise and special soup mixture, dissolving it with chopsticks. Ryuji shows that it has become a creamy tonkotsu soup.

Sprinkle on the included sesame seeds. The explanation is that it contains sesame because it inherits the DNA of shio. Top with scallions if you have them, and finally add the spicy sauce to complete the "ramen shop–style ultimate shio tonkotsu."

Before eating, the spicy sauce was mixed throughout, because it tastes better mixed in. The staff reacted with "this is insanely good" and "the spicy sauce goes so well with it." When Ryuji asked whether they now understood why ramen shops top their ramen with a spicy sauce, the exchange turned to how it's because the soup is made with soy milk and has richness. A staff member remarked that it was very creamy and a little like Hakata ramen, and rated the spiciness as just right.

Ryuji revealed that after trying all sorts of versions, such as without mayonnaise or without soy milk, they settled on this one. Even without soy milk, just adding mayonnaise makes quite a difference. Ryuji confirmed with the staff that they couldn't taste any sourness from the mayonnaise, and explained that using the "Pure" mayonnaise they normally use adds just the right amount of richness and nothing else.

Ryuji's summary is as follows. Eaten as is, Sapporo Ichiban is homey and delicious, and when you want something light, it's fine as is. On the other hand, when you want something rich, adding a little mayonnaise brings out a Hakata-like mellowness and gives it a taste close to a ramen shop's. The reasoning is that ramen shops use a lot of fat, so adding fat makes it taste the part. Ryuji also says mayonnaise is easy to use because every household has it.

Ryuji says that after trying many things, this recipe was the one where the soup was well balanced and made them think, "I want to eat that again." Noting that their thoughts on the plain flavor are in the Sapporo Ichiban Championship video, Ryuji closed the video by recommending that viewers who have had shio or miso but never tried shio tonkotsu first eat one pack as is, then try the arrangement with the second. Ryuji also added that the noodles have a smooth, slippery texture and are delicious.