Salt-Drained Bean Sprouts and Natto on Top: The "Maruchan Yakisoba" Ryuji Eats on a Regular Basis

According to Ryuji, this recipe was jotted down in their recipe notebook about two years ago, and they had forgotten to make it. After tasting it, they lamented, "I let this sit for two whole years." Throughout the video they also said things like "I want this to go viral" and "I hope this goes viral" several times, presenting it as a dish they are confident in.

This time it is made for two servings, and Ryuji tells viewers to halve everything for one serving. Since it's an everyday dish, no knife is used. The yakisoba noodles are heated in the microwave as is, without opening the bags; with two bags, about a minute and a half is the guideline. When a staff member asked whether it was okay not to open the bags, Ryuji replied, "It's a hassle, so you don't need to open them."

What Ryuji emphasized most in this episode was the prep for the bean sprouts. When you sprinkle salt over bean sprouts, osmosis makes them "sweat" and release moisture. Doing this means they don't release water when stir-fried, so the yakisoba doesn't get watery. Ryuji said they had recently "completely mastered" bean sprouts, and that when they discovered this method, they couldn't help shouting out loud.

According to Ryuji, some people are in the camp of not putting bean sprouts in yakisoba, and the reason is that it makes it watery. Ryuji's claim is that with this prep, the bean sprouts blend perfectly into the yakisoba. The salt is left on for about three minutes. The bean sprouts, now visibly reduced in volume, are drained in a colander and rinsed with water, since they would be too salty otherwise. A moderate saltiness remains even after rinsing, and Ryuji says this one extra step "really changes" the yakisoba. During the tasting as well, they said they used to salt the sprouts and coat them with oil, but the current method of using salt to draw out the water is much tastier.

Ryuji also repeatedly stressed how cheap the ingredients are. Maruchan Yakisoba, eggs, natto and bean sprouts are all inexpensive, and the natto and eggs provide protein. Ryuji used the comparison "food college students eat" several times, explaining that when you're young you act on instinct and won't eat something unless it's tasty, which is why college student food is good.

For the natto, you just add the included sauce and mix. When a staff member asked whether hikiwari (chopped) natto would work, Ryuji answered that it's actually recommended because hikiwari clings well to the noodles. They added, however, that many people probably don't keep hikiwari on hand.

There was a brief digression here. Ryuji said they have recently been holding back on featuring natto in videos, because whenever they do, they get comments from people sad that they can't eat natto. A staff member responded, "There are thousands of videos, so those people can just watch the next one." There was also talk about the chopsticks Ryuji was using: they're from a collaboration with Sanrio, and Ryuji keeps them handy because they're colored and easy to find, and since they're made for children, they're small and light.

Around the time the fried egg was being cooked, the conversation turned to education. Ryuji said they only finished junior high and never graduated from high school, recalling that they quit school after getting hooked on Ragnarok Online. Because of this, they are sometimes seen as a beacon of hope by young people who are shut-ins or who don't attend school; they receive quite a few messages and sometimes get requests for things like speaking engagements.

Even so, Ryuji's view is clear. You should absolutely finish school, and there's not much point in not doing so. So even when asked to "encourage us as a representative of shut-ins," Ryuji ends up saying that you should finish high school or college, which only makes the person feel worse, so they'd rather not say it, they explained with a laugh. They also said there are hardly any people with only a junior high education who are successful, describing their own case as "like winning the lottery"; otherwise, they said, they would have fallen off the career track and been earning around 3 million yen a year. A staff member agreed, saying that as an adult they wished they had studied history and other subjects more. Ryuji wrapped up by adding, "There's this path too, though," while concluding, "Everyone, finish school."

For the fried egg, oil the pan, crack in the egg, cover with a lid and steam-fry it. Ryuji said it's good to get it a little crispy. They also mentioned that ideally it's better to cook it first. The finished fried egg is set aside.

Because the noodles are warmed in the microwave and loosened beforehand, you need to use almost no water when stir-frying. Heat oil in a frying pan, add the noodles and stir-fry until the surface is browned. Ryuji says it's important to develop the aroma of toasted wheat — in other words, the aroma from the Maillard reaction — and that yakisoba that isn't seared well isn't very good. Vegetable oil is fine, but lard is better if you have it.

Ryuji also shared their personal theory on the amount of oil. Some people skimp on oil when making yakisoba, but if you skimp, the yakisoba won't taste good. Ryuji's view is that home cooking stops being tasty if you're too stingy. They said oil isn't the bad guy and that if you don't get enough fat, your skin gets dry, citing the example of their grandmother, who had beautiful skin until around age 80 and often ate fatty tuna (toro). That said, Ryuji themself added the caveat, "That's just my personal theory, though."

Once the noodles are browned, add the drained bean sprouts and stir-fry. Then add the included sauce for two servings and 3 tablespoons of sake, and stir-fry everything together — and it's done. Adding sake boosts the umami and aroma, Ryuji said. When a staff member remarked, "That's super simple," Ryuji replied that this is all the stir-frying you need.

Plate the yakisoba, top it with the fried egg, and finally pour the mixed natto over it. When a staff member asked if the natto wouldn't be stir-fried, Ryuji answered that it doesn't go in — it goes on top afterward.

Ryuji's explanation is that natto sauce is rich in dashi, so it goes well with yakisoba. They said they made it this way back when they worked at a manga café, too. They added that you can top it with mayonnaise if you like, and that it looks like a dish that goes great with drinks.

During the tasting, both Ryuji and the staff kept saying "delicious." Ryuji reiterated that this is the best way to eat Maruchan Yakisoba, adding that the natto on top is what makes it — stir-frying it is a no-go. What surprised the staff most was the texture of the bean sprouts, and they said several times that they weren't watery. Ryuji explained that without this prep, water comes out when you bite into the sprouts, but that doesn't happen here, and said they want to "make it a trend nationwide" to use salt to draw out the water.

There was also a scene where Ryuji, who didn't go to college, joked that they could "feel like a college student," and had the staff members with college degrees — whom they called "the college student group" — eat it. One staff member exclaimed that they didn't know adding natto would make it this good.

As for why everyone doesn't make it, Ryuji thinks it's because it looks like a sloppy meal. The only color comes from the egg yolk. On the other hand, they also noted that Maruchan Yakisoba comes in packs of three and natto comes in packs of three, so you can use an entire package of each for this dish. Cooking took about 30 minutes while filming, and Ryuji said it would take about 15 minutes if you made it quickly on your own.

At the end, Ryuji touched on the low cost once again, saying that bean sprouts, natto and eggs are a college student's best friends. They then stated flatly that it's best to add nothing to and take nothing away from this dish. Adding things like carrots would upset its "golden balance," so this is the finished form — that is Ryuji's conclusion.