Rated S Even Without Toppings: Ryuji Tries Lawson's "Super-Tasty Soup Rich Tantan-Flavored Ramen" and Upgrades It with Canned Mackerel

Ryuji first remarks that the packaging is so plain it doesn't look like it would sell at all. It's made by Nissin, and Ryuji voices high hopes, saying, "Nissin makes good ramen." The price is 238 yen, which Ryuji said is normal for cup noodles these days.

According to Ryuji, Lawson has some products that have been personal hits, but also many that are so understated it's worrying whether they'll sell. That's why, Ryuji speculates, Lawson must compete on the quality of what's inside. However, when a staff member went to buy it on the way home on the day the episode was decided, this was the only variety the store didn't have. Ryuji said it had been getting some buzz, so maybe everyone was buying it.

When the lid came off, the contents were just noodles, sesame paste, and liquid soup. The noodles are thin. The listed cooking time is 4 minutes, but Ryuji decided to take them out a little early, at 3 minutes. Ryuji's way of eating it is to pour the hot water to just a little below the inner line.

On the fact that there are two packets inside, Ryuji's view is that "they're spending quite a bit on this." From there, the conversation turned to the container. Citing something heard from a person in charge at Sapporo Ichiban, Ryuji explains that tall, big-size cups sell well at convenience stores. The reason is that they're easy to place on display shelves; when flat containers are lined up side by side, it's hard to tell what the product is. Because convenience stores prefer to stock tall cups, Ryuji is also asked to use the tall format when making their own ramen.

The product this time, on the other hand, is bowl-shaped. According to Ryuji, a tall big-size cup can't hold a liquid soup packet this large. In other words, the explanation is that the bowl shape is a structure that makes it easier to make something delicious. A staff member pointed out that the size is about the same as Nissin's "Men Shokunin," and Ryuji responded that the noodles resemble Men Shokunin's too.

To prepare it, you loosen the noodles first, add the liquid soup, and finish by squeezing out the sesame paste. According to Ryuji, cup noodle tantanmen is usually "shabai," meaning the soup is thin. This one looks rich and clings to the thin noodles.

After tasting it, Ryuji said, "It's good," commenting that the sesame aroma and richness really stand out and the spiciness is just right. One staff member remarked that "without toppings it feels a bit like a waste, so it's hard to reach for." Ryuji replied that if the noodles and soup are good, toppings aren't necessary, since they're the kind of person who'd eat a rice ball on the side anyway.

The staff also tried it and rated it as "a properly authentic tantanmen." One of the participants said they had eaten at a tantanmen restaurant for dinner the previous day, and this was better than a mediocre shop. As for the noodles, a staff member said they were "maybe average," and Ryuji said they're not bad but it's fine to take them out early, at around 3 minutes.

The rating was S. Prefacing it by saying that someone who has eaten as many cup noodles as Ryuji would know, Ryuji said it's an unprecedented soup and a revolutionary flavor that raises the world's standard for tantanmen flavor by about two levels. Still, with a soup like this, you really want a topping like ground meat soboro. So Ryuji decided to upgrade it on their own. The staff added a request that, since it's a cup noodle, it would be nice if it were easy to make.

What Ryuji chose was a can of mackerel in water. It's sold at convenience stores, and Ryuji says probably no one has tried this upgrade. Normally you'd use ground meat, but convenience stores don't sell ground meat. Ryuji also wanted to add vegetables, so frozen vegetables would be used. 7-Eleven often carries frozen spinach, and Lawson might have it too. In the end, Ryuji settled on chopped okra, judging that it would go well with the thick soup.

The ingredients and steps are as follows.

• Use about one-third (50 g) of a 150 g bag of frozen okra, and heat it in the microwave for 1 minute 40 seconds.
• The can of mackerel in water has a lot of liquid, so use half (about 80 g). Break it up into a soboro-like texture and mix in a little of the tasty liquid too.
• Mix 1 teaspoon of miso into the mackerel. Either white miso or regular miso is fine.
• Then add 1 teaspoon of sesame oil to soften the overly strong mackerel flavor.
• Season the okra with salt and pepper, and coat it with just a little sesame oil.

Saying, "People tell me all my seasoning ends up super spicy," Ryuji deliberately didn't make it spicy this time. Those who want it spicy can add chili oil. When a staff member asked, "Wouldn't canned mackerel in miso work?" Ryuji answered that canned mackerel in miso is sweet, and this tantanmen doesn't need sweetness, so adding it would ruin it. The key, Ryuji says, is to add miso separately to mackerel in water.

Ryuji says the mackerel provides protein and the okra provides dietary fiber. All the ingredients can be found at a convenience store. There's also a precedent for pairing canned mackerel with ramen. On a TV show some time ago, Ryuji made "canned mackerel ramen" by adding canned mackerel, liquid and all, to Lawson's frozen soy sauce ramen, and it was highly praised by the other cast members. From this experience, Ryuji believes canned mackerel and ramen go well together.

Even so, the staff said they couldn't imagine the taste at all. Ryuji said that doing this kind of thing brings back memories of the early days, making dishes like "Jaga Aligot" with potatoes.

The ramen is again made in 3 minutes. So as not to put the toppings on cold, they were lightly warmed for about a minute without plastic wrap. Ryuji says the umami of the fish should add depth to the soup. After adding the liquid soup and sesame paste, all the mackerel is placed on top, and finally the okra is scattered over it. The green improves the colors, and Ryuji said green really stands out on tantanmen. Everything is mixed together and eaten. The staff also noted that the ingredients cost almost nothing.

Everyone who tried it reacted with "It's good." When asked whether the mackerel felt off-putting, the staff answered, "Not at all." Ryuji's analysis was that the thickness of the original soup and the okra go well together, and if anything, the okra makes the bigger difference. The mackerel also adds good flavor, and the addition of seafood flavor made the soup even more delicious. Ryuji said that adding chili oil partway through to make it spicy is also very good.

The point that using canned mackerel in miso would make it too sweet was confirmed again during the tasting. Ryuji said canned mackerel in miso would completely change the flavor, so if you want to make the most of the tantanmen flavor, mixing miso into mackerel in water is the way to go. Ryuji also said they'd like to eat the leftover soup with a rice ball, and reflected, "I'm glad I didn't take the easy way out with ground meat."

To wrap up, Ryuji recommended first eating it normally, and then trying the canned mackerel upgrade from around the second one.