Ryuji Tries Kyushu's Instant Noodle "Abekku Ramen" and Turns It into a Shio Ramen

A-ko says she bought these noodles because, in the comments on their earlier review video of Marutai Ramen, many people had said, "Please try Abekku Ramen too." Neither of them had ever eaten it. According to the package, it features straight, non-fried noodles with a salt-tonkotsu flavor, and the product has been around since 1960. A-ko was surprised that its Amazon rating was as high as 4.8, while Ryuji was skeptical: "Seriously?"

The origin of the name also came up. One package contains two servings of noodles, and the instructions call for boiling both servings at once in 800cc of water, so Ryuji speculates that it's named "abekku" (meaning "couple") because it's meant to be eaten by two people. Unlike Marutai, the servings aren't divided individually. The soup base is liquid rather than powder, which the two say is unusual for packaged noodles. Ryuji guesses the soup also contains oil. The salt equivalent is quite high, at 6g per serving.

Ryuji also touched on tonkotsu ramen culture. Fukuoka tonkotsu ramen is basically salt-flavored, he says: a simple dish of soup made from pork bones, seasoned with salt, and combined with fat such as lard. Since Marutai's Yatai Ramen was also of the salt-tonkotsu type, he predicted Abekku Ramen would be similar.

They tested a single serving. The package calls for 450ml per serving, but Ryuji used 400ml. He says he also reduces the water by 50cc when making Marutai, and that for two people who like strong flavors, using less should taste better—reducing it is unlikely to make it worse. The noodles weigh 150g, so they used half, 75g. They look thinner than Marutai's, he says.

The listed boiling time is 3 minutes, but they went with 2 minutes 30 seconds. The two also remark that it's unusual for an instant ramen to specify cooking "over high heat."

The two had clearly different preferences on noodle firmness. A-ko is in the barikata (extra-firm) camp. Ryuji countered that he'd heard from ramen shop people that tonkotsu ramen tastes better softer rather than barikata. As for konaotoshi (barely boiled), Ryuji says he doesn't think it's very good, since you'd be eating wheat that hasn't gelatinized. A-ko replied that, with her sensitive stomach, konaotoshi might not be for her either.

When the soup is added, the aroma rises, and the two say the color is similar to Marutai's but slightly different. Because the noodles are straight, they line up neatly in the bowl.

After eating, Ryuji said, "This is really good," describing the noodles as smooth and springy. A-ko says that, setting aside the noodle firmness, the soup is very tasty and the salt really comes through. On the boiling time, Ryuji thinks 2 and a half minutes is plenty for most people, 3 minutes would make them too soft, and 1 and a half minutes would be fine for those who like them firm. Since the noodles are smooth, he thinks they may cook surprisingly quickly.

Ryuji's immediate reaction was that "this would take arrangements really well." He mentions that ramen topped with an omelet actually exists, and says a New Tantanmen–style direction should also be tasty. Egg goes very well with this salt soup, he says, as does lightly sautéed garlic that hasn't been burned. A-ko also says people who don't like this kind of flavor might be put off.

In Ryuji's summary, because it's a simple shio ramen, arrangements shine with it, making it "a really great ramen from a culinary research standpoint." It's different from Marutai too, and since the aroma rises softly, he says he quite likes it as a base.

The store also had ramen prominently featuring Kumamon, but the two tried "Hi no Kuni Kumamoto Kuro." Ryuji predicts that since Kumamoto ramen means mayu (black garlic oil), it'll be a garlic ramen. He had previously eaten Marutai's Kumamoto ramen and found it very good, so he also said this one probably wouldn't top it.

When they opened the package, the two were surprised to find a large amount of liquid soup inside. The noodles appear to be the same as Abekku Ramen's. The package calls for 500ml of water per serving, but they used 450ml. According to Ryuji, when you boil noodles firm, they don't absorb as much water, so less is better. Based on the earlier tasting, they set the boiling time to 1 and a half minutes.

When the soup was added, plenty of black mayu floated on top, making it look just like the photo on the package. The two say it looks like it'll pack more of a punch than Abekku Ramen.

After eating, A-ko gave it high praise, saying she might like it more than Marutai's Kumamoto ramen, and that it might be the best of this type of packaged noodle she's had recently. Ryuji says the 1-and-a-half-minute boil suits it very well and the noodles are delicious. Comparing it with Marutai's Kumamoto ramen, Ryuji sees them as evenly matched. Marutai's is rounder with deeper richness, while this one has an intense mayu flavor. In Ryuji's words, it's the type that hits the spot for ramen lovers.

A-ko said she'd like to eat it normally topped with egg, nori and menma, and then wanted to add red pickled ginger. When they actually tried it, Ryuji also admitted that red pickled ginger works. Ryuji suggests that topping it with garlic chips to go all in on garlic would also be good. The talk even turned to buying about 10 of them to hand out to Yasumoto-san and the others.

While admitting that Kumamoto Kuro had pretty much stolen the show, Ryuji declared, "I'll make it as good as the Kumamoto one," and set to work on his Abekku Ramen arrangement. He says he's making "my favorite ramen." It's the signature dish of a restaurant where he used to eat almost every day (written as "Yoshu Shonin" in the subtitles), and it's a shio ramen, not tonkotsu. That's why he uses the salt-flavored Abekku Ramen rather than the tonkotsu Kumamoto Kuro.

The steps are as follows.

1. Finely chop 60g of pork belly, season with salt and pepper, and fry in lard. If you don't have lard, regular oil is fine. The more pork, the tastier, he says.
2. Beat 2 eggs with a pinch of salt and 3 shakes of Ajinomoto. Ryuji stressed not to forget this.
3. Once the pork is crispy, pour in the beaten eggs to make a pork-and-egg topping, then remove it.
4. Add a little lard to the pan and, over low heat, add 5g of grated garlic. It doesn't need to be too strong.
5. When it starts to sizzle, sauté lightly, add 400cc of water, bring to a boil, and cook the noodles.
6. With 30 seconds left, add the Abekku Ramen soup.
7. Transfer to a bowl, top with the pork and egg, and sprinkle with green onions.

Ryuji says, "Instant ramen is made with arrangements in mind to begin with, so you should arrange it." According to A-ko, the official website has lots of arrangement recipes, but not this one for Abekku Ramen. Ryuji explains that this is a recipe he came up with on his own as someone who frequented the restaurant, and confidently said, "It'll be the best shio ramen of your life." A-ko says she's a big fan of the "masterpiece" Sapporo Ichiban Shio Ramen arrangement introduced in an earlier video and has made it about twice. Ryuji responded that that's because Sapporo Ichiban's soup is so good.

This part had to be reshot. In the first take, the heat was too high and he burned the garlic, and Ryuji asked, "Please use that footage" (included as a blooper). Ryuji himself thinks burnt bits taste good too. But since it looks burnt, a flood of comments saying "It's burnt!" would be a hassle, so he remade it without burning it.

When A-ko mentioned that his earlier "Chicken and Onion Simmered in Just Salt" had also drawn comments pointing out it was burnt, Ryuji strongly pushed back, saying that dish doesn't taste good unless you char it—it's a dish where the charring becomes umami. For this salt soup, however, he explains it's better to only sauté lightly rather than to the point of burning, to match Abekku Ramen's salt flavor.

Ryuji declared the finished bowl "the best in the world" and urged A-ko to drink the soup along with the pork and egg. A-ko agreed, "This really is good" and "It's properly shio," saying she never expected salt soup and egg to go so well together. Ryuji explained that the pork fat melts into the soup and adds richness. He says he made it confident it would turn out well because the salt flavor of Abekku Ramen's soup was so good.

A-ko said she now fully understood why Ajinomoto went into the eggs, and Ryuji said, "That restaurant definitely put Ajinomoto in too." A-ko said the toppings alone are delicious, and Ryuji agreed.

Finally, Ryuji reaffirmed that Abekku Ramen really transforms when arranged, and said it seems suited to all sorts of other arrangements too. Prices also came up. On Amazon, some listings are a bit pricey at 950 yen for a 2-serving pack, but there are also ones at 1,080 yen for 3 packs. Ryuji finished the entire arranged bowl. A-ko, who had also eaten the Kumamoto Kuro, said she had definitely eaten too much and wished she'd had it when she was hungry, bringing the tasting to a close.