Three Peyoung Twists Ryuji Came Up With, Each Costing Just a Few Hundred Yen

Ryuji starts by laying out three ground rules for customizing Peyoung. First, it can't be a hassle. If it takes a lot of work, he says, you'd be better off using regular packaged yakisoba noodles instead of Peyoung. Second, it has to make the most of what's good about Peyoung. Third, it has to use few ingredients. Using luxury ingredients like salmon roe or tobiko would mean "that's not Peyoung anymore," so he limits himself to variations that cost only a few hundred yen. He explains that he wants to see how delicious he can make it within those limits.

Ryuji also says that "how you make instant food taste good really shows your sense." Because you're not allowed to put in much effort, there's room for creativity, in his view.

The first dish is "Peyoung Abura Soba." It's a recipe Ryuji made before and found very tasty, and he says it "surpasses Peyoung." However, he was vague about whether he had ever published it, saying "probably not." The main ingredients are grated garlic and egg.

It starts with how you add the dried vegetables. If you add them and then shake the container so the cabbage drops to the bottom, it won't stick to the underside of the lid. The old Peyoung lid could be peeled off completely, which made this easier, but the current container makes it harder, so this is the method he uses now.

The most important step in this recipe is to pour hot water up to the line, then drop in just the egg white, close the lid, and wait three minutes. The yolk is set aside separately. While the noodles rehydrate, the egg white sets and becomes a topping for the abura soba. Ryuji stressed that he doesn't want to waste the egg white. The staff were skeptical, asking "Will it really set?" and "Won't it turn into a gooey mess?" but Ryuji replied that "it sets nicely."

This led to talk of a different Peyoung-and-egg recipe that had recently gone viral on X (formerly Twitter) (the subtitles describe it as "Toba-san's" recipe). Regarding that recipe, "Onishi-san" had reportedly explained something to the effect that dipping it in egg works because the Peyoung is over 90 degrees, which makes the protein coagulate. Ryuji called this "going too far," countering that there's no way Peyoung that's been heated with 100-degree water and then drained would still be at 90 degrees. Ryuji says that when he pointed this out to the person directly, they admitted they had overstated it.

After draining, Ryuji also showed how particular he is about noodle firmness. Some people eat Peyoung after only about a minute and a half, but he calls that "unthinkable." If the noodles are too firm, the sauce doesn't cling, and it feels like eating a snack.

The seasoning goes in a set order. First, mix in the included sauce, but don't add the oil yet. At this point the egg white is perfectly soft-set. Ryuji explains that since this is abura soba, the egg white shouldn't be too firm; coating the noodles in soft-set egg white is what tastes best. Because the egg white dilutes the sauce, he adds about 1 teaspoon of oyster sauce. He says he has also done the oyster-sauce-in-Peyoung trick on TV. Next come 2 teaspoons of sesame oil, green onion, the reserved yolk, the included furikake and spice, a little chili oil, and black pepper; mix everything together and it's done. Of the included furikake, Ryuji says "almost everything that's good about Peyoung is concentrated in this furikake," and there's no reason not to use it.

Ryuji explained that whereas the recipe trending on X was eaten by dipping it in raw egg, his version is different in that the egg is soft-set and mixed in.

The staff's reactions were "Delicious," "It still feels like Peyoung, but upgraded," and "It really does feel like abura soba." One staff member noted that Peyoung usually has a dry, clumpy texture, but the slippery egg white makes the noodles easier to slurp. Their take was that it's not just the oil; the egg white is what makes the difference.

Ryuji called it "a recipe that only makes sense with Peyoung," and while saying he loves it, he previewed that the remaining two variations are "five times better." He also positioned this one as being for people who like junky flavors.

The second dish is "Tuna Mayo Peyoung." According to Ryuji, Peyoung and mayonnaise are already among the strongest combinations, and he adds tuna to that.

You can use canned tuna as is, but he says it's better if you squeeze out the oil firmly. Since you're adding mayonnaise, leftover oil would make it too greasy and throw off the flavor. To the drained tuna, add about 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise, mustard, half a teaspoon of soy sauce, and one shake of Hondashi as a secret ingredient, then mix. Ryuji explained that the mustard makes it "completely different," and a little Hondashi adds depth. You can use a whole can of tuna, or start with half.

The Peyoung itself is made as usual. Partly for filming convenience, he drained it at two and a half minutes this time. He doesn't cut back on the sauce, using all of it, because it's tasty even if the flavor is a bit strong. Ryuji listed three strengths of this variation: the umami of the tuna pairs well with Peyoung, mayonnaise and oil go very well with yakisoba, and it adds a sense of substance that Peyoung doesn't have. He also said that while the first dish, the abura soba, may divide people, he thinks this one is "a flavor everyone will acknowledge."

He particularly recommends customizing for people who eat the super-large Peyoung, because you get tired of it partway through, and with tuna mayo you can change up the flavor just by putting it on top. Start by putting about half the tuna mayo on and see how it goes, then add more later if it isn't enough. Finally, sprinkle on the included furikake and spice, and a pinch of curry powder if you have it. Ryuji added that curry powder goes great with tuna mayo, but it's tasty without it too. When eating, mix well and eat the parts coated with tuna.

The staff said things like "So good" and "I didn't know tuna mayo went with it." They praised the mustard as an accent and the solid sense of substance, with other reactions including "It's great with drinks," "You get carbs and protein too," and "It's way too junky." Ryuji said you can put in the whole can of tuna and add even more heat. He also added that this Tuna Mayo Peyoung is delicious as a yakisoba bun too.

Ryuji introduced the third dish as "the favorite to win," saying that the one he thinks tastes best is natto Peyoung. Some of the staff had put natto in Peyoung before, and that alone is tasty. But according to Ryuji, it's "just that," and it's a little lacking. This variation is the "final form" with his own improvements.

You can make the Peyoung normally. Since stickiness is important for natto, first stir it to build up the stickiness before adding the sauce, then add the included sauce and mustard and mix. Mayonnaise must go in. Ryuji went so far as to say "natto Peyoung without mayo isn't Peyoung," and the staff laughed and said "that's going too far." He recommends Pure Select mayonnaise.

The other essential is garlic powder. Just adding natto to Peyoung doesn't bring the flavors together, and Ryuji explains that adding garlic "creates harmony." The reason for using powder instead of fresh garlic is that fresh garlic's aroma comes through too strongly and kills Peyoung's own nice aroma. Spices should be on the generous side, and garlic and black pepper are must-haves. Ryuji said some people may prefer the tuna mayo, but for him it's garlic natto.

He also added the caveat that Peyoung purists might find this kind of variation unforgivable, but since natto Peyoung is a fairly well-known variation, he hopes they'll forgive him.

The finish starts by piling plenty of natto onto the Peyoung after the sauce has been mixed in. Ryuji called natto a "cheat ingredient" and said that once it's on, you've "already won." On top of that goes mayonnaise, then the included furikake. He says it's good how the furikake clings to the natto. The spice goes in too, and the garlic powder goes on at "three times what you think." Ryuji showed the actual amount and stressed that you need to put in this much. Black pepper is to taste; mix everything well and eat.

Ryuji describes himself as a cooking expert who loves natto above all, and says "once you eat this, you won't be able to eat any other Peyoung."

The staff's reactions were the strongest of the three dishes. Comments followed such as "This one is the most delicious," "Overwhelming," "Totally different from just adding natto," and "It comes together." One analysis was that natto has a strong presence, and the garlic and mayonnaise tie it together. One staff member said "I want to eat an entire super-large with this," but Ryuji responded that with a super-large, he thinks it's fine to eat part of it plain.

As a tip for eating it, Ryuji said that spices go very well with it, so if you think it's lacking, feel free to pile on black pepper and the like. Adding pickled red ginger is also good, but basically spices are enough, he says.

Even so, the verdicts didn't agree. While one staff member said "After tasting this, the previous two look like small fry," another said "For me, tuna mayo is number one." Another staff member said that if it were all this, they'd want something in between partway through.

Finally, Ryuji said "I guess natto it is," while also urging viewers to try the tuna mayo and abura soba. As a guide for choosing between them, he wrapped up the video by suggesting abura soba when you want something hearty, tuna mayo when you want substance, and natto, which he'd like you to eat every day.