Two Food Pros Rate 8 Mail-Order Foods Ryuji Taste-Tested and Picked Himself

There are two guests. One runs a cooking YouTube channel with about 400,000 subscribers that has collaborated with Ryuji several times, and is identified in the subtitles as "Onishi." The other is Futamatsu, who was introduced as someone whose appearances in Ryuji's videos boost view counts (the spelling of the name follows the subtitles). Ratings are given in tiers such as S, SS and A+, and at the end the question is whether an item earns the "Supreme" designation.

The first item is Kunchama Bacon. Ryuji explains that, unlike the square bacon sold in supermarkets, it is made by cutting pieces from a block. According to the guests, "kunchama" is Okinawan dialect for a pig's neck, a fatty cut close to tontoro (pork jowl). When sliced, the fat runs through it like marbling, and Ryuji says, "You can't buy bacon like this."

To cook it, he puts the bacon into a cold frying pan without oil and lets it brown in the fat that slowly renders out. Because the product is already cooked, it can also be eaten without frying. To avoid wasting the rendered fat, he also fried an egg in the same pan. Looking at it, a guest said it was the "everyone's dream" bacon and eggs from a beloved national animated film.

When tasting, the comments were that the aroma of smoke and pork spreads from the mouth up through the nose as you chew, and that the fat is not heavy. Ryuji says the fat is so good that he could eat a whole slab. They also tried eating it without frying, and Onishi said that even cold, it doesn't have that unpleasant feeling of fat coating your mouth.

Futamatsu doesn't handle fat well and originally disliked bacon, but said they easily finished a whole slice of this one. Ryuji called Onishi's rating "harsh," but Onishi replied that by their own standards it was high, and said it reminded them of the melt-in-the-mouth fat of Mangalica pork, and of salo, the salt-cured pork fat eaten in Russia and Ukraine. About the price of 368 yen per 100g, Onishi joked that it was so cheap the maker must be bad at pricing, and Ryuji responded that maybe they were too focused on making something delicious. This item received an SS, which also ends up affecting the rating of the next item, the menma.

The second item is a 900g pack of seasoned menma (fermented bamboo shoots). Ryuji laughs that because of the silly-sounding product name, he expected the guests to write it off the moment they saw it. It's cheap, and Ryuji figures it wouldn't deteriorate much if divided into portions and frozen.

They ate it on its own, then on rice. It has sweetness and solid seasoning, and the heat from the chili isn't fiery, just "a little tingly." Onishi analyzed it as having a multidimensional flavor, with not only soy sauce but also kelp root and sake, and Ryuji responded, "That's exactly the kind of thing I want to know." Ryuji predicts that the best way to eat it would be on instant ramen.

In rating it, Futamatsu said it was truly delicious, but that they ended up using the opening bacon as the benchmark, so it didn't reach S. Ryuji called this "the downside of an SS on the first item." Onishi said it was like a dream to get nearly 1kg at this price. Onishi also pointed out that the seasoning resembles Ryuji's recipes, and that it seemed like what you'd get if Ryuji tweaked store-bought menma. In response, Ryuji drizzled on quite a lot of chili oil, and both Futamatsu and Ryuji reacted with "So good," while Onishi said this twist should definitely be shared with viewers.

The third item is a 1kg pack of broken pieces of additive-color-free karashi mentaiko (spicy cod roe) from Hakata Fukuichi, priced at 3,480 yen. It is a seconds product made up of pieces that couldn't be packed as regular products because their skins had torn or for similar reasons. Ryuji explains that if you thaw it, divide it into portions and refreeze it, you can use a little at a time, and that it doesn't deteriorate much when frozen. When someone quipped that "everything is way too plain," he replied that this kind of thing is all he wants.

According to Ryuji, compared with other mentaiko, this product released the least liquid after thawing. Futamatsu, eating it as is, said that since they like things saltier, they simply love it, and Onishi said the skin wasn't bothersome at all.

Next, Ryuji made mentaiko pasta. The steps were as follows; rather than making a sauce by heating it, he "just tosses" the mentaiko with the cooked noodles.

• The pasta is De Cecco 1.4mm federini. The package says about 6 minutes, or 5 minutes for al dente. The salt in the water is kept to around 0.8% to let the flavor of the mentaiko shine.
• Prepare Italian extra virgin olive oil and plenty of mentaiko.
• Instead of draining the cooked pasta in a colander, transfer it straight from the pot and toss it along with the cooking water.

Ryuji says he wanted to keep the character of the mentaiko rather than make a pasta where it's fully cooked. Onishi noted that the aroma of olive oil rather than butter suits it, and that the mentaiko clings nicely to the wheat flavor you taste when biting into the noodles. Onishi also mentioned that as time passes, the mentaiko cooks a little and its texture changes.

During the ratings, "SS" came up, but one of the raters said they gave it an S, deducting for how much Ryuji's preparation contributed on top of the quality of the ingredient (the subtitles don't make clear who said this). Onishi said there aren't many bad mentaiko to begin with, and that among them, a mentaiko that makes you simply think "this is so good" has real substance. As for why so little liquid comes out, Onishi speculated that it's because the step of dehydrating it with salt to concentrate the flavor is done carefully. Onishi's perspective of looking at things through the production process amused the other two. Onishi said it ranked near the top of all the mentaiko they had ever eaten, so much so that they couldn't recall one better, and that they were considering buying it themselves. The shape is also neat, so if tidied up it can be used as regular mentaiko. This item earned the "Supreme" designation.

The fourth item is seconds-grade Fukui umeboshi (pickled plums), and they compared two types with 10% and 20% salt. Ryuji reveals that he used to dislike umeboshi, came to be able to eat them after becoming a cooking researcher, and has recently gotten hooked on them.

According to Ryuji's explanation, quality varies enormously among umeboshi. They become completely different products depending on what plums are used, whether they're pickled with salt alone, and what the salt concentration is. Among those sold in supermarkets, 11–12% salt is already on the bold end, and you won't find 20% ones even if you look. It was also emphasized that the only ingredients are plums, shiso and salt, and that they're made using traditional methods. The 10% type is the kind that's less likely to interfere with the flavor of a dish when used in meat dishes and the like, and even this is almost impossible to find in supermarkets.

Tasting the 10%, the guests commented that the flesh was thick and that it tasted of the plum itself, like fruit. The 20% was rated as something where "one plum is enough for a whole bowl of rice." At the same time, some said that it wasn't as salty as they expected for 20% salt. Onishi said this is because the plums themselves have enough sourness, umami and sweetness to stand up to 20% salt, which must mean the plums are that good. Ryuji, prefacing it by noting that reduced salt is in fashion these days, said he feels people have forgotten how good umeboshi originally were.

When asked what makes them seconds, the explanation was that some are slightly misshapen or there are small ones mixed in. Ryuji recommended the 10% for cooking and, without question, the 20% for eating as is.

Futamatsu said they buy about the same amount at the supermarket for 600–800 yen, so being able to eat additive-free, real umeboshi for 1,300–1,400 yen is like a dream, and that they definitely want to buy them. Onishi said that they usually tend to buy plum paste, but with this much texture and fruitiness, they'd want to use these as is in cooking. Onishi added that they felt the essential deliciousness of umeboshi more in the 20% type, and would really like advanced home cooks to buy it. Ryuji also introduced a way of enjoying them: simply simmering a 20% plum in bonito dashi makes it really tasty. In the end, all three backed the 20%.

The fifth item, billed as the "top recommendation" in the video title, is Jizake Nama Chuka Soba from Ganso Hida Takayama Ramen Oitaya. Ryuji stated plainly that it was his personal No. 1 of the day. Hida Takayama is known for thin noodles and soy sauce broth, and Ryuji, who ate the local ramen there on a school trip, says this is so good it brings back that taste. It was also confirmed that it can be stored at room temperature. Local sake (jizake) is reduced and used in the broth. It costs 2,980 yen for 20 servings, or about 150 yen per serving, and the guests remarked that it's "almost the price of packaged instant noodles."

The broth comes with the oil and the soy sauce base packed separately. Onishi was initially skeptical that such a simple broth could actually taste good. To prepare it, you just make the broth with hot water, boil the thin noodles for 40 seconds, and drain them thoroughly. Ryuji emphasized how easy it is and explained that since the noodles are thin, it's best to drain them carefully.

When tasting, the comments were that it has a nostalgic flavor yet is strangely delicious and addictive, and hard to explain. It was revealed here that the local sake is also kneaded into the noodles. Topping it with the menma from the second item worked well, and they agreed that it has a lot of range depending on how you dress it up. Onishi said that ramen sold in this kind of format tends to have a flat broth, but this one was quite deep, and you can tell they take making the broth seriously. Given that the noodles hold up well and have a firm texture despite only 40 seconds of boiling, Onishi also speculated that the noodle-making must be quite excellent.

The two guests' ratings differed. Futamatsu said they were simply moved, having eaten a rustic ramen, in a good way, in instant form for the first time. That said, they placed it as having plenty of room to grow, so adding the dressed-up menma or chashu would make it an S.

Onishi praised its balance, with umami and flavor that aren't too strong, or, at the risk of being misunderstood, "not too delicious," and said this is what "chuka soba," as opposed to ramen, is. Onishi considers the weakness of chuka soba-style ramen to be the smell of kansui (alkaline water), but felt that in these noodles it was softened by the sake kneaded in. Onishi said creating this balance must be difficult.

The sixth item is the beef harami (skirt steak) from Oniku no Shabumaru. According to Ryuji, he had never seen block harami in a supermarket, only the long diaphragm form sold to yakiniku restaurants or for commercial use. He said it was the first time he'd seen it sold in a size easy to handle at home. It was explained that it tastes good even frozen because it uses liquid freezing technology, which is said to cause almost no damage to the tissue of frozen food.

What Ryuji especially emphasized was whether or not it's seasoned. Most harami sold online is seasoned, such as marinated in sauce, which makes it convenient for cooking, but Ryuji thinks it should really be eaten with salt and wasabi. In this case, the shop has made unseasoned harami into a product, and it is currently available only on Yahoo! Shopping.

Bringing it to room temperature before cooking helps it cook through better. Since harami holds a lot of moisture, Ryuji explained, it's best to sear the surface well and then cook it with a lid on. While the meat rests, he warms the steak sauce with the residual heat, Ryuji's way of doing things since he doesn't much like cold sauce. The package said "Fresh enough to eat as tataki" and "Be careful not to overcook," but Ryuji cooked it through to be safe, finishing it around medium.

Onishi, eating it with salt and wasabi and with the sauce, said they had rarely come across mail-order meat that tasted good with just salt. It was also pointed out that it lacked the odor common in frozen meat, particularly the odor of harami. However, Futamatsu's rating was on the low side, because it was very springy and hard to chew, tiring out their jaw. They also said they would have liked to eat it cooked one minute per side as the package instructs.

Onishi is apparently involved with an organization related to Brazilian churrasco, and said that harami is also used in churrasco as a cut called "fraldinha," that this was a particularly good harami even by that standard, and that they'd like it to be used for churrasco.

At the end of the main segment, they cooked it again following the package: flipped and cooked one minute, flipped again and cooked another minute, without a lid. The inside was quite rare, and Onishi said it was close to "tataki." Futamatsu said it was definitely more tender than before and revised their rating to SS. Onishi personally prefers it cooked somewhat more, but said most people would probably find this version tastier. Ryuji admitted that the official cooking method was the best after all.

The last two items, frozen gyoza, were served together. Ryuji says he ordered and ate a large number of frozen gyoza, and these two stood far above the rest. The Mochimochi Jumbo Daiho Gyoza from Yokohama Daiho Gyoza is 3,980 yen for 60, and the Premium Shrimp Gyoza from Gyoza Keikaku is 3,490 yen for 60. The Daiho Gyoza specializes in a chewy, mochi-like wrapper, while the shrimp gyoza is so shrimp-centric you could say it's "basically just shrimp," and there are no other gyoza on the market with this much shrimp.

To cook them, you add oil, line up the distinctively folded gyoza, and add water at the start to steam-fry them. Once cooked, the red of the shrimp gyoza showed through the wrapper. For the shrimp gyoza, the recommended way to eat them was with a light sprinkle of salt and coarsely ground black pepper. Ryuji insists that coarsely ground pepper is definitely tastier than table pepper. The cross-section was almost all shrimp, with a plump, springy texture. According to Ryuji, store-bought shrimp gyoza usually mix in quite a lot of pork, so this product is almost unheard of.

The Daiho Gyoza are very juicy, with a strongly elastic wrapper. Onishi said you rarely find a wrapper like this even in restaurants. There were also comments that the vegetables were crisp and delicious. Futamatsu, who said they hadn't much liked chewy gyoza, also said the edges were delicious. Onishi, looking at the label on the back of the package, pointed out that it even contains a broth made from "momiji," gelatin-rich chicken feet, and said it would be a real hassle to recreate at home.

Futamatsu was completely won over by the Daiho Gyoza, going so far as to say that if recommending gyoza to a friend, this is the one they'd choose. Onishi praised the shrimp gyoza, saying they were surprised because they never thought the translucency of shrimp could be reproduced in a frozen product. As for the Daiho Gyoza, Onishi said the gap between the wrapper and the filling was "0mm," and compared it to the one-of-a-kind deliciousness of the wrappers at "Gyoza no Nikutaro" in Jimbocho, run by fellow cooking researcher Higashiyama. Ryuji took that as considerable praise. Onishi's rating was A+, adding the plus because an A would be underrating it.

Wrapping up, Ryuji reflected that this was the first time he had done the location scouting himself, eaten everything, and presented the items including how to cook them. He explained that at the core of this channel is the desire to share delicious things with everyone, and that to deliver suggestions as a cook about how to make them taste good, he had to go around tasting them first. He asked viewers who liked this format to let him know through comments and likes.

As the items that left the biggest impression on the guests, the Daiho Gyoza and the chuka soba were named. Regarding the chuka soba, it was also said that while it's complete as a product, there seems to be more to dig into, such as why this product came about. Another comment was that they had thought mail-order food meant more expensive, luxurious things, but that there are also understated, truly delicious products like these. Ryuji expressed renewed amazement that mail-order ramen sells even at 1,000 yen per serving, yet this one is 150 yen, asking what else it could be but the company's hard work. Onishi's approach of delving into the production process prompted the other two to say, "Sometimes we don't know what you're talking about, but it's educational."